QShould I stop using canola oil? I have read on the Internet that canola oil is as toxic as insect repellent. The Web sites accuse canola oil of being genetically engineered and say it causes mad cow disease, raises cholesterol and causes lung cancer.
--J.B., Farmville
AI realize the irony of writing this, but don't believe everything you read. Anyone can write anything on the Internet, without checking facts.
I use canola oil myself and recommend it to my patients. Based on the scientific evidence we have so far, canola oil is safe, even healthy.
Studies in the U.S., Canada, Finland and New Zealand show canola oil helps reduce people's cholesterol levels. Canola oil has almost no artery-clogging saturated fat and has lots
The American Heart Association and World Health Organization recommend getting more omega-3 fats, which are found not only in canola oil but also in walnuts, flaxseed and many fishes.
Canola oil comes from the seeds of yellow flowers, mostly grown on Canadian farms. About 30 years ago, farmers bred these flowers the natural way, not through genetic engineering, from rapeseed plants. The original rapeseed oil was harsher, and "rapeseed" is not a pleasant name. The new breed of plants that produces milder oil was renamed "canola," for "Canada oil."
Today, scientists have genetically engineered some canola--along with soybeans, corn and other crops--to resist insects and use less pesticide during farming. You can buy organic canola and other oils if you are concerned about genetic engineering.
As for the charge that canola oil is an insecticide, it's true, but that applies to all oils, including olive, peanut, corn and all the rest. When you spray any oil on plants, it coats and suffocates soft bugs like aphids, while the plants remain healthy. Many organic gardeners recommend spraying cooking oils as a nontoxic bug killer on tomatoes, rose bushes and other plants that are vulnerable to aphids.
QI have maintained a 50-pound [weight] loss for 18 years. I am a registered dietitian and former public health nurse, and I recently read your plan for a woman who suffered from binge eating.
Are you aware of Overeaters Anonymous? I personally have found much support in this group. I am glad you mentioned therapy. Therapy was not enough for me. Overeaters Anonymous has helped me learn to live life between meals. Thanks.
--Lynn H., Milwaukee
AThanks for mentioning this nonprofit support group. Overeaters Anonymous is a 12-step program similar to Alcoholics Anonymous in many ways. It suggests making an eating plan, finding a person who overcame binge eating to act as a guide or sponsor, attending meetings and other tools.
Readers can find out more online at OA.org or by calling the headquarters in New Mexico at 505/891-2664.
QI am trying to lose weight around the waist. I work out every day and have an athletic body, but the extra weight around the waist is an ordeal.
I am not quite sure if I can combine carbohydrates and protein, such as spaghetti and meat sauce, etc. Any ideas? Thanks.
--Nick L., Spring, Texas
AResearch shows that people who are shaped like apples (more weight around the waist) have higher risks of heart disease and diabetes than people who are pear-shaped (more weight around the hips and thighs). Consider visiting your doctor for a quick test of your cholesterol and blood sugar.
The advice for losing weight around the waist isn't different from losing it on any other part of the body. The government recommends walking or other exercise for 60 to 90 minutes most days of the week and eating a balanced diet.
As for combining carbs and protein, I definitely recommend it. It's hard to eat a balanced meal without doing it. I don't recommend low-carb eating plans that require people to subsist on protein and vegetables alone.
Adding moderate amounts of nutrient-dense carbs like low-fat milk and yogurt, all sorts of fruits, and whole grains such as whole-wheat bread and oatmeal is helpful.
For ideas, try the government's DASH Eating Plan, nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/hbp/dash.
It's helpful to plan meals and snacks every three to five hours and to enjoy eating slowly and mindfully, seated, away from TVs, computers and other distractions. For more ideas, visit nourishing connections.com.
JENNIFER MOTL, a registered dietitian, welcomes reader questions via her Web site, brighteating.com, or mailed to Nutrition, The Free Lance-Star, 616 Amelia St., Fredericksburg, Va. 22401.
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JENNIFER MOTL is a registered dietitian. Formerly of Fredericksburg, she now lives |