The Truth About Oils

When considering food sources from “fats” we often think of butter, shortening and oils, which are made up of fatty acids. Fatty acids have specific chemical shapes that affect both how the fat performs in cooking and how the fat digests and impacts your health. Fats are classified as saturated, polyunsaturated or monounsaturated depending on the level of fatty acid that makes up most of the fat. The recommendations about the amount and type of fat you should include in your diet made a splash in the media in 2016. To clear up the confusion, we have broken down the details of each type of fat and explain their effects on your health.

Saturated fats
Sources: Butter, lard, shortening, coconut oil
Description: These fats are solid at room temperature.
Best uses: These fats are best used for baking pies, pastries, biscuits or cookies.
Effects on health: A diet high in saturated fat has been associated with higher cholesterol levels and increased risk for heart disease.

Polyunsaturated fats
Sources: Canola oil, sunflower oil, walnut oil
Description: These fats are always liquid, even in the fridge.
Best uses: These fats are extremely versatile and can be used for sautéing, roasting, baking or making salad dressing.
Effects on health: Unlike saturated fats, polyunsaturated fats may help improve cholesterol levels and reduce the risk for heart disease. Omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids are another term to describe specific types of polyunsaturated oils. These oils have heart-health and anti-inflammatory benefits and are essential for good health.

Monounsaturated fats
Sources: Olive oil, peanut oil, sesame oil
Description: These fats are liquid at room temperature but become semi-solid in the fridge.
Best uses: These fats can be used to drizzle over steamed or sautéed vegetables or to make salad dressing.
Effects on health: When substituted for saturated fats, monounsaturated fats can help improve cholesterol levels and therefore reduce the risk for heart disease.

The Bottom Line: Although fats earned a poor reputation years ago, we now know that fats are not only important for our health, but they also promote satiety, which is key for weight loss and weight management. Choose polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats such as olive and canola oils over saturated fats like butter and coconut oil. Stock your kitchen with a variety of oils. Our top three picks to keep in your pantry are extra-virgin olive oil, which is filled with antioxidants, canola oil for its exceedingly long shelf life and walnut oil to add extra omega-3 fatty acids in your diet.

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Spice It Up: The Health Benefits of Cinnamon

With winter in full swing, enjoy the warmth of seasonally spiced foods. Add flavor and kick the sugar with cinnamon. This nutritious spice has a sweet flavor to help reduce the need for sugar. Cinnamon is culled from the bark of tropical evergreen trees and is packed with protective phytochemicals. A recent review published in BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine shows the many health benefits cinnamon has to offer. Of the 70 studies reviewed, cinnamon was found to safely promote the following:

• Anti-microbial: Cinnamon has been shown to fight against many microbes including human rota-virus, salmonella and thrush.
• Lowers glucose: The spice can improve diabetic symptoms in humans. Cinnamon reduces blood glucose levels by lowering glucose absorption in the intestine and increasing absorption into cells where it is needed. It also increases glucose metabolism and insulin sensitivity.
• Lowers blood pressure: Cinnamon has been shown to have a dose response reduction in blood pressure in rat studies. In other words, the more cinnamon the rats were given, the greater the drop in blood pressure. 
• Lowers cholesterol: In mice and rabbit studies, the spice increased good HDL cholesterol while lowering bad LDL cholesterol.
• Antioxidant: Cinnamon oil has powerful antioxidant capacities. Subjects given cinnamon supplements have had increased free radical scavenging and decreased oxidative damage. 
• Healthy skin: Collagen production slows with aging, causing wrinkles and bags. Cinnamon extract has been shown to promote collagen formation in skin cells. 
• Osteoporosis prevention: Cinnamon has demonstrated that it can inhibit the cells that break down bone.
• Liver health: Rats treated with cinnamon showed a reduction in liver damage after sustaining injury compared with control rats.

Bottom Line: Cinnamon has long been used for herbal remedies. It has been studied extensively in cells and animals with positive results. Some studies show positive health outcomes in humans, but there is still a need for more research to fully understand the health impact of this phytonutrient dense spice. For now, it is certainly a healthy alternative to sugar with a warm, comforting flavor.

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Incentives Engage Employees, Improve Health and Reduce Costs

A three-year study by Cigna finds that incentives engage workers, improve employee health and make health care more affordable. The study of 200,000 people also provided evidence that individuals with correctable health conditions are more likely to incur high costs. For instance:

• An employee with a body mass index (BMI) over 30 increases total health care costs by an average of $2,460 per year, adding $492 to annual out-of-pocket expenses
• An employee with a cholesterol reading of more than 240 increases total health care costs by $1,644 per year, adding more than $353 in annual out-of-pocket expenses
• An employee with two or more chronic conditions (unhealthy BMI, blood pressure, cholesterol, and/or blood sugar) increases total health care costs by nearly $9,000 per year, adding almost $1,300 in annual out-of-pocket expenses

Researchers also noted that individuals who did not participate in biometric screenings have higher health costs. For example, those who have not had a biometric screening to measure blood pressure incur health costs that are $2,064 higher per year than those who have verified that their blood pressure is below 140/90. The same trend was seen for those who had not had a biometric screening of their blood glucose values -- on average these individuals incur health costs that are $1,332 higher per year than those who have verified that their blood glucose is lower than 100.

The good news is that with better health programs, incentives and guidelines, employee behavior can be modified and produce better clinical outcomes and reductions in overall health care costs. Incentive programs such as consumer premium discounts and health spending account funds can be the impetus for individuals to participate in biometric screenings, engage in healthier behaviors and improve their clinical outcomes and costs.

The Cigna study found that incentives significantly impact wellness program participation and results.

• Incentives more than doubled biometric screening rates from 20 percent to 55 percent in 2014
• Incentives increase the probability of engaging in a coaching program by 24 percent and by 30 percent for populations with chronic conditions
• Incentives significantly increase the probability of setting and meeting goals with a health coach, by 18 percent and 43 percent respectively
• Incentives reduced total medical costs by approximately 10 percent for those over 50 or with chronic conditions
• Incentives increased the probability of meeting biometric targets:
• BMI less than 30 – an improvement of nearly 36 percent
• Total cholesterol less than 240 – an improvement of nearly 11 percent
• Blood pressure less than 140/90 – an improvement of more than 47 percent

The rewards of better health and a reduction in health care costs are real. Wellness Workdays works with a number of employers in a range of industries to offer screening programs, manage chronic conditions and develop incentive plans. Contact us to learn more.

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Almonds Love Your Heart

The almond is a small tree nut that packs an impressive nutrient profile. Almonds are high in monounsaturated fats and vitamin E, a powerful antioxidant. They are also a great source of magnesium, which is essential for muscle contraction, bone and heart health. These health benefits are widely known, but new research reveals that the almond’s health benefits don’t stop there. Not only are these nutrient powerhouses cholesterol free, but they may even raise HDL (good) cholesterol in people with low levels.

More than half of patients with coronary artery disease have low HDL (good) cholesterol levels, despite having well-managed LDL (bad) cholesterol levels. A recent study measured the impact of almonds on HDL cholesterol in patients with coronary artery disease. Although the 150 patients studied had normal LDL (bad) cholesterol, measuring less than 100mg/dL, their HDL cholesterol was low, measuring less than 40mg/dL for men and 50mg/dL for women. Low HDL cholesterol indicates a higher risk for heart disease and stroke.

The patients were split into three groups. The first group was a control group that ate no almonds; the second group ate Pakistani almonds; and the third group ate American almonds. Over the course of twelve weeks participants ate ten grams of almonds every day, equal to about ten almonds. The almonds were eaten before breakfast in the morning.

Results showed that after twelve weeks, serum HDL cholesterol in both groups consuming almonds was 14-16 percent higher than their baseline levels. There were no changes in the participants’ body weight or blood pressure in any of the groups during the study.

Bottom Line: Try including more heart healthy almonds in your day. Add almonds to salads for an extra crunch, or swap peanut butter for almond butter on your morning toast. Delicious by themselves, almonds are also a great addition to fruit, yogurt and oatmeal. However you choose to eat them, almonds are a nourishing superfood to consider adding to your diet. 

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Get a Food Prescription

What if doctors could prescribe food as medicine instead of pharmaceutical drugs? Should we be stocking our fridge and pantry before stocking the medicine cabinet? Believe it or not, research suggests that certain foods and nutrients can double as medicine. A small but growing percentage of doctors are prescribing a healthier lifestyle, starting with food, in lieu of medications to prevent and treat some chronic diseases.

Oats

Studies show that oats, specifically the soluble fiber in oats, have cholesterol-lowering properties. A review published in The Nutrition Reviews Journal investigated whether recent studies support previous conclusions made by the Food and Drug Administration in 1997 that soluble fiber from oats lowers cholesterol and prevents heart disease. The results of the analysis showed that studies conducted in the last thirteen years support the claim that the soluble fiber found in oats may lower LDL (bad) cholesterol levels by 5 to 10 percent.

Turmeric

Many studies show that the golden yellow spice, turmeric, may help treat anti-inflammatory diseases such as arthritis. A study published in Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine was conducted to test the level of pain relief in forty-two osteoarthritis patients. Turmeric capsules were administered three times a day to those with chronic pain. Results showed that the anti-inflammatory properties in turmeric were clinically relevant in improving joint pain in patients with chronic osteoarthritis. The pain relieving benefits of turmeric are considered mild to moderate; further research is needed to confirm these findings.

Hibiscus Tea

A study from the Nigerian Journal of Physiological Sciences found that hibiscus tea may help lower blood pressure. The anthocyanins in the hibiscus flower are thought to be responsible for the blood pressure lowering abilities of hibiscus tea. Anthocyanins are members of the flavonoid group of phytochemicals.

Bottom Line: Although these individual foods possess specific nutrients that are medicinal, they are not as beneficial when eaten alone. Nutrients work together in the body to provide health benefits, thus it is important to include these foods in balanced daily eating patterns. Always remember to consult a doctor before changing any medications or starting a new regimen

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