“The focus should instead be on the way in which people engage with food, society and culture to maintain a healthy body and mind.”

[“Blue Zones” are locations where it is not uncommon to live a long, healthy life to 100 years of age or beyond.]

The Okinawa diet is getting attention in both the popular press and scientific journals. Some writers look at the high plant content, some stress the wonders of the local purple sweet potato, others point out that it’s the social environment that helps create longevity.

First, the food: Dan Buettner (2019) tells us,  “Okinawan tofu is firmer and more packed with protein and phytonutrients; turmeric, used in teas and soups, is a powerful antioxidant and anticancer agent; and goya, the main ingredient in champuru stir-fries, has powerful compounds that control blood sugar. Plus, the ubiquitous purple sweet potato is high in B vitamins and potassium, and it has a higher concentration of the antioxidant anthocyanin (from purple pigment) than blueberries.”

Alpinia zerumbet, commonly known as shell ginger, is a perennial species of ginger native to East Asia and their leaves are used in cuisine and traditional medicine, Wikipedia says. The leaves contain a “variety of beneficial activities including antioxidative, antiobesity, antilipocytes, antipancreatic lipase, antidyslipidemia, antiatherosclerosis, antidiabetes, antihypertension, antitumor, and life-span extension properties,” according to “Herbs including shell ginger, antioxidant profiles, aging, and longevity in Okinawa, Japan: A critical analysis of current concepts.”

Luca Pangrazzi (2019) looks at marine-derived foods. “The Okinawa diet is mainly based on fruit and vegetables, but also on marine-derived foods, such as algae, fish and crustaceans. An important role is played by astaxanthin, which has been shown to display the highest antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity among all the compounds included in the diet, with an antioxidant power 550 times stronger than vitamin E and 6000 higher than vitamin C. Most importantly, astaxanthin can also reduce serum levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), a typical marker of inflammation and commonly used to identify the presence of diseases and cancer. In addition to this, astaxanthin is known as a strong booster of the immune system and a higher frequency and improved activity of immune cells was observed in people taking this molecule.”

Social determinants: Robert Davies (2019) says, “Cognitive decline has been associated with and accepted as a consequence of ageing. Diets such as the Mediterranean diet have been investigated for their effect on abating cognitive decline. However, diet is not the only aspect of the Mediterranean life that may play a role — social interaction and cultural engagement may also be influential in preserving cognitive function through the ageing process. This article discusses the perspective on cognitive decline and the influence the Mediterranean diet may have. It highlights that no sole dietary regimen will prevent cognitive decline and the UK healthy eating guidelines reflect those foods included in the Mediterranean diet. The focus should instead be on the way in which people engage with food, society and culture to maintain a healthy body and mind.”

What I recall about Okinawa from Happy The Movie (2012) was the elders working outside, gardening, meeting for tea every day, cheering on the preschoolers’ races, and dancing, drumming and singing with all ages when the travelling youth groups performed in their village.

Kokoro Shirai (2020) looks at the island’s practice of mutual aid. “The traditional word yui-maru remains part of daily life in Okinawa, and even the younger generations have opportunities to use it in everyday conversation. Yui-maro is a phrase that symbolizes the local society’s spirit of mutual aid and sense of trust and reciprocity. The combination of yui (connection, mutual help, exchange of labour and mawaru (goes around) expresses a cycle of mutual aid and reciprocal labour exchanges.”

Back to Dan Buettner: “Like all other blue zones regions, several nondietary factors explain longevity on Okinawa. First, the word ‘retirement’ doesn’t exist in the native dialect. Instead ikigai, or ‘a reason for being,’ imbues every adult life. Having a strong sense of purpose is associated with about eight extra years.

“Other longevity advantages include the Okinawan propensity to support each other by forming moais (pronounced moe-eye), or committed social circles, and by practicing yuimaru, the spirit of mutual aid. Traditionally, Okinawan peasants didn’t have access to bank loans, so they’d form groups of five to eight people and agree to meet regularly. At each meeting, moai members would chip in a sum of money to be given to the member with the greatest need. Through the middle of the 20th century, moais helped the community, providing aid to farmers needing to buy seed or covering the medical costs of a sick child.”

A few winters ago, we had a huge March snowstorm. I thought I could just stay home, but my cat insistently demanded food. I started shovelling from my front door and a young neighbour was shovelling from the road, heaving heavy, wet snow that was three feet high.  What expressions of joy we had when the elder across the street aimed his gas-powered snow blower in our direction!

You might be able to monetize Blue Zone recipes, but you cannot buy mutual aid and a sense of community.

References

Buettner, D. (2019.) “Dispatch from Okinawa: What the World’s Longest-Lived Women Eat.”From https://www.forksoverknives.com/wellness/blue-zones-diet-okinawa-home-to-longest-lived-women-on-earth/

Davies, R. (2020.) “Cognitive decline: can diet be a preventive or treatment option?” Nursing Older People. From https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31468781/

Happy The Movie. https://www.thehappymovie.com

Pangrazzi, L. (2019.) “Boosting the immune system with antioxidants: where are we now?” From https://portlandpress.com/biochemist/article/41/1/42/452/Boosting-the-immune-system-with-antioxidants-where

Shirai, K. (2020.) “Social determinants of health on the island of Okinawa.” Health in Japan: Social Epidemiology of Japan Since the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. From https://books.google.ca/books?id=pf7-DwAAQBAJ&lpg=PA297&ots=AYa-NPtshB&dq=okinawa%20diet&lr&pg=PA303#v=onepage&q=okinawa%20diet&f=false

Teschkeab, R. and DangXuan, T. (2020.) “Chapter 21 – Herbs including shell ginger, antioxidant profiles, aging, and longevity in Okinawa, Japan: A critical analysis of current concepts.” From https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780128186985000213

Subway bread is not bread, an Irish court has ruled: there’s too much sugar in it, so it is a confectionary, and therefore subject to a VAT tax. Mike Walsh wrote a few days ago, “The legal distinction between ‘bread’ and ‘not bread’ would have given Subway a tax break because bread is classified as a staple food item. The Supreme Court ruled that Subway bread in fact contains five times the usual amount of sugar-to-flour content.”

The Guardian makes this comparison: “A 6in (15cm) sub roll from Subway contains 5g of sugar – the same as two plain digestive biscuits.
Pret stonebaked losange soup baguette 0.6g
One digestive biscuit 2.4g
Subway Italian white bread 6in roll 5g
McDonald’s Big Mac bun 5.8g.”

I looked at the fast food options in my town, and found that most of the buns had sugar listed as the third ingredient. Here’s McDonald’s: “Regular & Quarter Pounder Buns: Wheat flour (bleached and enriched with thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, iron, folic acid), water, high fructose corn syrup, yeast, vegetable oil (partially hydrogenated soybean, corn, canola, and/or cottonseed),” from JessFastFood. Flour, water, sugar.

According to dairyqueen.com, their bun is made of “Unbleached Enriched Flour(Wheat Flour, Malted Barley Flour, Niacin, Iron, Thiamin Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid), Water, High Frucose Corn Syrup and/or Sugar, Yeast, Wheat Gluten.” Flour, water, sugar.

KFC: “Enriched wheat  flour, water, sugar/glucose-fructose, yeast, vegetable oil (soybean and/or canola oil), salt, wheat gluten, calcium propionate, vegetable monoglycerides, sodium searoyl-2-lactylate, diacetyl tartaric acid esters of mono and diglycerides. Topping: sesame seeds.” Flour, water, sugar.

A&W’s hamburger bun: “Enriched wheat flour, water, yeast*, sugar/glucose-fructose, vegetable oil (canola or soybean), salt, wheat gluten, vinegar, calcium propionate, monoglycerides, sodium stearoyl-2-lactylate, sorbic acid, acetylated tartaric acid esters of mono and diglycerides, calcium carbonate, ammonium chloride, calcium sulphate, potassium sorbate.   *Order may change. May contain sesame seeds, soybean and sulphites.” Flour, water, yeast, sugar or Flour, water, sugar, yeast.

When I crave a cheeseburger, it is not a gourmet hand-pressed patty made with locally grown grass-fed beef, artisanal cheese and a fancy home-baked bun. I want a thin, flat McD’s cheeseburger with its sweet-tasting onions and pickles and ketchup on a sweet bun: a confectionary posing as a savoury snack.

When I finally caved to the Micky D craving, I was surprised how sweet it was, but I had changed my sweet tooth on the advice of my friend Agatha.  Or, rather, changed my taste buds. She explained that we shed/regrow our taste buds every couple of weeks. She advised me to cut my sugar consumption by one third, then a few weeks later, another third, and so on, till I got it down to where I wanted it.

I knew I had achieved my goals when I went to our regular family restaurant and couldn’t eat the coleslaw because it was too damn sweet. Who knew? Looking at recipes for restaurant-style coleslaw, I see they call for added sugar.

The first thing I cut after hearing Agatha’s advice was a McD blueberry muffin (sugar is the second ingredient) then I went from a double-double coffee (two sugar, two cream, as every Canadian knows) to 1 sugar then no sugar.

Interesting that Timmie’s bun ingredients do not feature sugar as the third or fourth ingredient. “Tim Hortons White Bun Ingredients: enriched flour, water, yeast, soybean and/or canola oil, salt, wheat gluten, rye flour, malted barley flour, cultured rye flour, soy lecithin.” I guess they’ll get us with the box of Timbits we bring back home or to work to share.

References

A&W ingredients
From https://www.aw.ca/publicinfo.nsf/Foodfact(chicken).pdf

Dairy Queen ingredients
From http://www.dairyqueen.com › Pick-1-Entree › Kids-Hamburgerand1

Jess Fast Food re McDonald’s ingredients
From http://jessfastfood.tripod.com/fastfoodnutritionfacts/id25.html

Jones, S and Sam Jones and Helen Sullivan, H. (October 1, 2020.) “Subway bread is not bread, Irish court rules.” From
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/oct/01/irish-court-rules-subway-bread-is-not-bread?fbclid=IwAR13EffY3RNISmxBIqCyp6sCseIzKyerDdsaT75H2EA0SPKSZPXWfHJZuEY

KFC ingredients
From https://www.kfc.ca/Content/OnlineOrderingImages/StaticPage/IngredientListingApril2018.pdf

Tim Horton’s ingredients
From fastfoodnutrition.org › tim-hortons › white-bun

Walsh, M. (October 1, 2020.) “Ireland Court Rules That Subway ‘Bread’ Contains Too Much Sugar To Be Legally Considered Bread.” From
https://www.comicsands.com/ireland-subway-rolls-not-bread-2647879805.html?fbclid=IwAR0wgfOnjPLOSzqbRTtwpQe3WnSDGu1_tn8BDJ_QGAj0yWnPy4nsmpz27gg

We used to enjoy buying, preparing and eating what we called oven foods. Instructions: preheat oven, use scissors to remove cardboard and plastic packaging, place in oven and go watch TV or read a magazine, allow to cool, serve.

Fernanda Rauber et al describe oven foods this way: “Ultra-processed foods, as defined by the NOVA food classification system, are not modified or merely processed foods. They are industrial formulations manufactured from substances derived from foods, which typically contain cosmetic and various other types of additive and little if any intact food. These products are designed to be extremely palatable and convenient, are often sold in large portion sizes, and are aggressively marketed.”

Interesting that they are “industrial formulations manufactured from substances derived from foods.” A food-like substance, with “little if any intact food.”

They also point out, “From the lowest to the highest ultra-processed food quintile, the greatest increases in dietary share came from industrial pizza (+630%), soft and fruit drinks (+410%), industrial chips (French fries).”

Industrial pizza! I found this on an Australian website for McCain Supreme Family Pizza. “Pizza base (wheat flour, water, vegetable oils (palm, canola, coconut), emulsifiers (435, 471), flavour, yeast, salt, wheat flour, soy flour), sauce (water, tomato paste, flavours (xanthan gum (415), soy oil), cheese (milk solids, salt, enzymes, starter cultures), processed ham (14%) (pork, water, wheat starch, soy protein, wheat gluten, acidity regulators (451, 450), gelling agent (508), hydrolysed vegetable protein, sugar, stabiliser (407a), natural flavour, antioxidant (316), fermented rice, preservative (250), pork protein, salt), Capsicum (4%), Mushrooms (3%), onions (1%).” That sounds very industrial, complete with parts numbers.

Rauber et al go on to say, “several products that are often marketed and perceived as healthy, for example, granola bars, low-fat flavoured yogurt, low-energy frozen dinners, most industrially produced breads and canned soups, are also ultra-processed.”

To go down this garden path, we see that “Non-ultra-processed foods encompass ‘unprocessed or minimally processed foods’ including fresh, dry or frozen fruits or vegetables, grains, legumes, meat, fish and milk; ‘processed culinary ingredients’ including table sugar, oils, fats, salt and other constituents extracted from foods or from nature and used in kitchens to make culinary preparations; and ‘processed foods’ including foods such as canned fish and vegetables and artisanal cheeses, which are manufactured by adding salt, sugar, oil or other processed culinary ingredients to unprocessed or minimally processed foods.”  I mean, we don’t raise and butcher our own chickens (although we have friends who do), so our fresh whole plucked dead chicken is a minimally processed food.  And we don’t catch and can our own fish, although we have friends who do.

And, according to “Association Between Ultra-Processed Food Consumption and Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders,” there is a link between Ultra Processed Foods and Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Their study suggests an association between UPF and IBS. “ The pathophysiology of FGIDs remains unclear but several mechanisms have been evoked including motility disturbance, visceral hypersensitivity, altered mucosal function, altered gut microbiota, and gut-brain axis dysfunction.”

Bad for your gut and your gut-brain axis.

Oh, and cognitive decline. Filippa Juul et al tell us “The state of the intestinal microbiota is a possible clinical marker candidate in the association assessment between neuroinflammation, cognitive decline, and consumption of ultra-processed food.”

You know what else is bad about oven food? The packaging. The study “Ultra-processed food consumption and exposure to phthalates and bisphenols in the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey” says  “Ultra-processed food has low nutritional quality, is associated with development of chronic diseases, and may increase exposure to chemicals used in food packaging and production.”

The FDA explains, “Phthalates are a group of chemicals used in hundreds of products, such as toys, vinyl flooring and wall covering, detergents, lubricating oils, food packaging, pharmaceuticals, blood bags and tubing, and personal care products, such as nail polish, hair sprays, aftershave lotions, soaps, shampoos, perfumes and other fragrance preparations.”

Put away your scissors, do not preheat the oven, do not allow to cool, do not serve. But I do miss the Oriental Party Pack, ready just a few minutes after you have re-wound the rented VHS tape.

References

Buckley, J. (2019.) “Ultra-processed food consumption and exposure to phthalates and bisphenols in the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2013–2014.” From https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412019317416

FDA (N.D.) From https://www.fda.gov/cosmetics/cosmetic-ingredients/phthalates

Juul, F. et al. (2018.) “Ultra-processed food consumption and excess weight among US adults,” British Journal of Nutrition. From https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/british-journal-of-nutrition/article/ultraprocessed-food-consumption-and-excess-weight-among-us-adults/5D2D713B3A85F5C94B0C98A1F224D04A/core-reader

Pizza Ingredients. (N.D.) From https://mccain.com.au/product/supreme-family-pizza-500g/

Rauber , F et al. (2018.) “Ultra-Processed Food Consumption and Chronic Non-Communicable Diseases-Related Dietary Nutrient Profile in the UK (2008–2014).” From https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/10/5/587/htm

Schnabel, L. (2018.) “Association Between Ultra-Processed Food Consumption and Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders: Results From the French NutriNet-Santé Cohort.” From https://journals.lww.com/ajg/pages/articleviewer.aspx?year=2018&issue=08000&article=00020&type=Fulltext

“What, you’re coming here to give me some random pills that I’m just supposed to start taking?” my son asked.  He has asthma and allergies. I spelled it out for him and told him to look at Pubmed and Google Scholar.

I gave him the pills and he wanted to know any restrictions. I looked at the label and said, “You’re not pregnant or breastfeeding, you’re not a child, you’re good to go.”

Yao Li et al advise in a special issue “Flavonoids, Inflammation and Immune System” that  quercetin has “anti-carcinogenic, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, antioxidant, and psychostimulant activities, as well as the ability to inhibit lipid peroxidation, platelet aggregation and capillary permeability, and to stimulate mitochondrial biogenesis.”

An article in Pharmacognosy Reviews says “Quercetin is one of the important bioflavonoids present in more than twenty plants materials and which is known for its anti-inflammatory, antihypertensive, vasodilator effects, antiobesity, antihypercholesterolemic and antiatherosclerotic activities.”

José L. Quiles et al report, “Many pharmacological activities of quercetin have been reported. Among these, the anticancer capacity and the ability to fight against viruses can be highlighted. Moreover, it is useful treating allergic diseases and, from the point of view of cardiovascular disorders, metabolic diseases and different conditions in which inflammation is a key factor.”

I told my kidling, “Or you could eat blueberries, but quite a lot of them.” Yao Li et al list the foods rich in this flavonoid: “Quercetin-type flavonols (primarily as quercetin glycosides), the most abundant of the flavonoid molecules, are widely distributed in plants. They are found in a variety of foods including apples, berries, Brassica vegetables, capers, grapes, onions, shallots, tea, and tomatoes, as well as many seeds, nuts, flowers, barks, and leaves. Quercetin is also found in medicinal botanicals, including Ginkgo biloba, Hypericum perforatum, and Sambucus canadensis . In red onions, higher concentrations of quercetin occur in the outermost rings and in the part closest to the root, the latter being the part of the plant with the highest concentration. One study found that organically grown tomatoes had 79% more quercetin than chemically grown fruit. Quercetin is present in various kinds of honey from different plant sources. Food-based sources of quercetin include vegetables, fruits, berries, nuts, beverages and other products of plant origin.”

Here’s the food list from Alexander Victor Anand David et al: “It is one of the most abundant dietary flavonoids found in fruits (mainly citrus), green leafy vegetables as well as many seeds, buckwheat, nuts, flowers, barks, broccoli, olive oil, apples, onions, green tea, red grapes, red wine, dark cherries, and berries such as blueberries and cranberries. The highest concentrations of flavonols were found in vegetables such as onions and broccoli, fruits such as apples, cherries, and berries, and drinks such as tea and red wine.”

A study published in 2020 lists these food items for quercetin: apples, berries, cilantro (coriander), onions, capers, lovage, and dill.

My hubby very rarely gets gout, and carries a pharmaceutical anti-inflammatory when he travels for work, that’s often when it hits. So I got us a bottle of Querecetin for our household as well. Plus I bought some blueberries at the Farmers Market.

References

David, A. et al. (2016.) “Overviews of Biological Importance of Quercetin: A Bioactive Flavonoid.” From https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5214562/

Li, Y. et al. (2016.) “Quercetin, Inflammation and Immunity.” From https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/8/3/167/htm

Quiles, J. et al. (2020.) “Do nutrients and other bioactive molecules from foods have anything to say in the treatment against COVID-19?” From https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7442575/

Yesterday was a very mushroomy day. In the morning, we went to the Farmers Market and bought local wild mushrooms: Lobster, Cauliflower, and I think Morels. Delicious simply sautéed in butter. Then we bought Chaga mushroom, a topical skin care tincture with aloe vera and tea tree oil, I am hoping it will help my rosacea.

In the afternoon we tried to drive to Dorreen, a 100-year-old village that used to host a train station. Our GPS said were right on top of it, but no village, just a guy standing beside a truck where the road apparently ended. “You need a quad to go the next kilometer,” he said. “Or you could walk – 15, 20 minutes.” It was very muddy, and I am a bit of a princess, so….

I asked him about his Nova Scotia license, said we had moved here from Nova Scotia.  “Oh, that’s my buddy, he’s out picking.” I asked him, “Berries or mushrooms?” He showed us some pine mushrooms. I asked him about the price and he said it was low, $15 a pound. “When we moved here in ’88, there were gunshots in the woods!” I said.  He told us in 1988 the price was $300 a pound, guys were using helicopters to harvest.

Chaga mushrooms are anti-inflammatory; the picker/seller at the Famers Market had told us that a regular customer with eczema said it was better than any pharmaceutical.

For my rosacea, I had been taking Curcumin, an anti-inflammatory. It helped a bit. I was also starting a trial of Riversol, a BC-based skin care product, with “anti-redness serum.” It helped a bit. Then I was taking an antibiotic for another issue, and was suffering intestinal distress. “Get some probiotic,” the doctor told me. I did, and after I finished the antibiotic I continued with the probiotic – and my skin is clearing up rapidly. Like, near-miracle.

You have heard about the gut-brain connection. There is also a gut-skin connection.

This study, “Potential Role of the Microbiome in Acne: A Comprehensive Review” tells us, “Over the years, an expanding body of research has highlighted the presence of a gut-brain-skin axis that connects gut microbes, oral probiotics, and diet, currently an area of intense scrutiny, to acne severity.”

Jillian Cole does a great job of exploring skin problems and the gut microbiome.

Other than gulping down expensive probiotic pills, what else should I consume for a healthy gut? Mushrooms.

This study, “A Critical Review on Health Promoting Benefits of Edible Mushrooms through Gut Microbiota” tells us “Mushrooms are proven to possess anti-allergic, anti-cholesterol, anti-tumor, and anti-cancer properties. Mushrooms are rich in carbohydrates, like chitin, hemicellulose, β and α-glucans, mannans, xylans, and galactans, which make them the right choice for prebiotics. Mushrooms act as a prebiotics to stimulate the growth of gut microbiota, conferring health benefits to the host.”

“Mushrooms and Health Summit Proceedings,” (a must-read!) says, “Preliminary evidence suggests that mushrooms may support healthy immune and inflammatory responses through interaction with the gut microbiota, enhancing development of adaptive immunity, and improved immune cell functionality.”

Sautéed in butter.

References

Cole, J. (2020.) From https://www.jilliancole.com/the-blog

Feeney, M et al. (2014.) “Mushrooms and Health Summit Proceedings1,2,3.”

From https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4056650/

Jayachandran, M, et al. (2017.) “A Critical Review on Health Promoting Benefits of Edible Mushrooms through Gut Microbiota”

From https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28885559/

Lee, Y. (2019.) “Potential Role of the Microbiome in Acne: A Comprehensive Review.”

From  https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31284694/