Find out how to IMPROVE YOUR DIET by doing our on-line course
module on "Healthy Eating Tips" for $29.95 (as part of 2004 annual subscription).
Subscribers also get:
- access to the on-line book "Food Facts" on CD-rom by Professor Wahlqvist
- member discounts for all our on-line healthy eating course modules
More.....

HEC short on-line Healthy Eating course ( 5 modules, $195) More ....
The HEC website is the only website currently offering on-line reputable course modules for the general public in nutrition.

____________________________________________________________________________________

Annual subscription only AU$135 (inc. GST) for hard copy plus on-line access or
AU$120 (inc. GST) for on-line only - more...
________________________________________________________________________

Asia Pacific Journal in the NEWS
on Red meat

The March 2004 issue of the journal contains 2 articles in the "News and Views" section on red meat:
1. Summary of a Scientific Meat Nutrition Workshop hosted by the New Zealand Beef and Lamb Marketing Bureau
2. Raising meat consumption in a contempory world by Dr Noel Solomon and Professor Annie Anderson
Read both articles to get the pros and cons about what the scientific community is saying about red meat and health. click here
________________________________________________________________________

WHAT'S NEW IN NUTRITION RESEARCH

Raw food diets
Have you heard people say that "to get the most nutrients from foods, especially fruits and vegetables, that uncooked is better than cooked". There is no scientific justification for the promotion and consumption of raw food diets. Cooking serves several useful purposes: it kills harmful bacteria; it makes food softer to chew; it improves the digestion of foods; it breaks down nutrients like proteins and improves their digestion; some nutrients are lost during cooking, but others (especially antioxidants) become more available to your body - for example more antioxidants are abosorbed into the blood stream from cooked carrots/ corn/ tomatoes/leafy greens than from their uncooked versions; cooking makes some nutrients (e.g proteins common in beans, seeds, sprouts) non-toxic. Apart from some vitamin losses, there is no other proven detriment of cooking food (as long as it is not charred/burnt in the process) and there are several benefits. It is also a myth that we need to eat raw food in order to obtain beneficial 'enzymes'. Most enzymes consumed are inactivated by acid in our stomach and enzymes in our intestine. Verdict: eat a variety of foods, in a variety of forms.

Myths - Acid foods

Some people believe that 'acid' foods make the blood/body more 'acid' and that this is bad for you. This belief does not make physiological sense and is completely unscientific. There are foods that create acid or alkaline ash, but this affects the pH of urine only. There is no food that will alter the pH level of your body - your blood and organs are tightly buffered to maintain the pH level within very close limits.
However, if you consumed a whole bottle of antacids at once your blood would become more acid. The consumption of acidic foods like lemons and vinegar would not alter the level of acid in your blood stream because your stomach produces hydrochloric acid to aid in the digestion of these foods and then when the stomach empties into the intestine the pancreas neutralises the acidity with an alkaline solution containing enzymes. Your body responds very quickly to any changes to blood acidity so the pH of your blood does not vary as a consequence of eating.

Mercury in fish
Fish is an excellent source of protein, omega 3 oils and iodine and has been shown to be beneficial to health, if eaten several times a week. For this reason the National Health and Medical Research Council and Australian Heart Foundation recommends we eat one to two fish meals a week. However, fish has recently been reported to contain mercury (a pollutant in the environment) - excess mercury appears to affect the nervous system causing numb or tingling fingers, lips and toes, can cause developmental delays in walking and talking in children and muscle and joint pain.
So does this mean we should avoid fish?
According to Food Standards Australia and New Zealand (FSANZ) we should continue eating several serves of fish and seafood per week but avoid fish high in mercury like: shark, swordfish (broadbill) and marlin. These are long-living predatory fish that accumulate mercury in the form of methyl mercury. Fish previously classed as high in mercury but now off the high-mercury list are ray, gemfish, ling and southern blue fin tuna. Pregnant women, women planning pregnancy and children up to six years old are also advised to restrict consumption of orange roughy (sea perch) and catfish. Nursing mothers are advised that if they want to be cautious they should also follow the advice for pregnant women. More info at: http://www.abc.net.au/rn/talks/8.30/helthrpt/stories/s940899.htm
http://www.foodstandards.gov.au/
______________________________________________________________________

RESOURCES ON THE WEB

http://www.freshforkids.com.au - interactive website for kids and teachers on fresh fruit and vegetables.

_________________________________________________________________________

If you like this newsletter, then tell a friend