Food NewsFall produce guide plus pumpkin tips - buy a pie pumpkin and use for later.

RecipesFall MyPlate with chicken, mashed potatoes, fruit and veggies.

Client HandoutsBreakfast quiz and planning tips.

Kitchen Budget tips - How to get more servings out of a chicken breast. How to cut pie calories by using twice the fruit and half the crust.

Presentation IdeasMyPlate Cooking Presentations - labor free for more fruits and veg-gies plus fun kids project. PLUS links to October Health Calendar and Halloween Handouts.

ResearchJames J. Kenney, PhD, RD, LD, FACN shares the list of stomach-cancer promoting foods - these you want to avoid.

Member library with all content at communicatingfoodforhealth.com

Search for me - call 800-462-2352 for help finding handouts, articles and presentation ideas.

For the first half of the 20th cen-tury, stomach cancer killed more Americans than any other cancer. Today stomach cancer still afflicts over 20 thousand Americans and kills over ten thousand but the incidence has dropped more than 10-fold over the last 70 years. This huge reduction in stomach cancer cases in the US was largely inadvertent and certainly not due to an early diagnostic test and/or new wonder drugs or surgical in-terventions. Research now shows that most stomach cancer is due to the intake of highly salted

smoked, cured, and fermented foods. Salt damages the stomach lining leading to atrophic gastritis in the long run. High-salt intake also enhances the growth of a more virulent strain of H. pylori in the stomach. This bacteria is also believed to contribute to a reduction of stomach mucus and the destruction of the acid pro-ducing parietal cells that protect the stomach from a wide variety of cancer promoting chemicals. It is believed stomach cancer rates have dropped markedly in the US as refrigerators reduced the reli-

Diet Promotes Stomach Cancer

September

(Continued on next page)

Ideas for “the important half of the plate” - see insideMyPlate Matters

2 © communicatingfoodforhealth.com

Reducing cancer-promoting foods is easy to do and it caused stomach cancer rates to drop by 70% as compared to the beginning of the 20th century.

ance of most Americans on highly salted, cured and smoked meats and pickled and canned foods vegetables. Also at about the same time there was a marked in-creased use of antibiotics that no doubt inadvertently reduced the number of Americans with H. py-lori infections. Since H. pylori was shown to be the cause of most ulcers and gastritis in the 1980s there has also been a growing interest in treating these people with antibiotics to wipe out their H. pylori infections over the past 25 years.1

Despite the largely inadvertent success of preventing stomach cancer in the US, it remains the #2 cancer killer worldwide. Stom-ach cancer is the #1 cancer killer in China killing about 300,000 each year. It is also the #1 cancer killer in several other Asian and Latin American countries and ranks second only to lung cancer in other countries. It is estimated that eliminating H. pylori infec-tions could reduce the incidence of stomach cancer by about 60%.2 However, widespread use of antibiotics to eliminate H. pylori would likely lead to the develop-ment of drug resistant strains given that over half the world’s population is infected with H. py-lori. Also in people who have had H. pylori infections for many years and already have precancerous lesions there seems to be little benefit in treating the H. pylori infection. It seems far more cost effective to focus public health

efforts on reducing the consump-tion of salted, pickled, smoked, fermented and cured foods. Elimi-nation of such foods from the diet would also likely help reduce the risk of stomach cancer in older people who have already devel-oped atrophic gastritis by reduc-ing the amount of cancer promot-ing agents in the stomach.

While certainly not mutually exclusive the dietary approach to reducing stomach cancer by reducing the intake of cancer-pro-moting foods appears potentially far more cost effective and less fraught with potential adverse ef-fects than the medical treatment of all asymptomatic individuals infected with H. pylori with anti-biotics. In those who have ulcers and/or gastritis due to H. pylori infection the use of antibiotics to wipe out those infections seems medically justified even though we are already seeing antibi-otic resistant strains of H. pylori developing in the US as a result. Also these potent antibiotics can sometimes increase the risk of other problems like increased CVD events, severe allergies, and other side effects. By contrast, cutting back on the use of highly salted, pickled, smoked, and fermented foods in US would not only further reduce morbidity and mortality from stomach cancer but more importantly would also help to dramatically reduce blood pressure and cardiovascular events. Worldwide cardiovascular disease kills far more people than

stomach cancer. In the US alone there are about 700,000 strokes, nearly 1.5 million heart attacks, and over 300,000 new cases of heart failure each year. These could be cut dramatically by cut-ting way down on salt-rich foods. High blood pressure alone ap-pears to account for about half of all cardiovascular disease in the US and also worldwide. Reducing salt-rich foods could also cut the 75,000 or so new cases of kidney failure each year in the US and reduce the loss of calcium in the urine that contributes to kidney stone formation and osteoporo-sis.

Bottom Line: The inadvertent success of dra-matically reducing stomach cancer incidence in the US and in other countries where the reli-ance on salt to preserve foods has been reduced shows that dealing with the cause of cancer rather than trying to diagnose it early and treat it with drugs and surgery can be far more effica-cious and far less costly than the current medical paradigm that passes for cancer “prevention” in the US.

By James J. Kenney, PhD, FACN

References:1. World J Gastroenterol

2009;15:2204-13

2. Lancet;2011:378:2011:507-14

© communicatingfoodforhealth.com 3

ting because it is very tough. We recommend a cleaver and keeping both hands on the handle of the knife so they never go near the blade. On larger squash we use half and refrigerate half for later. It can be used steamed, in chili or in pie!

Pumpkins are coming into the market now this year. Here is an idea for you to enjoy pump-kin without throwing it away after Halloween. Purchase a pie pumpkin as pictured above - it is a smaller pumpkin that has an outer skin with a net-like texture. It is about the size of a volley ball. This year we are go-ing to keep it as a table center piece, using edible markers to make a fun or scary jack-o-lantern face. When the time is right it can be steamed and made into a pie!

Other varieties of pumpkin include seed pumpkins and jack-o-lantern pumpkins. The latter can make a good pie but it is usually hit or miss and often not possible after carved and displayed outside.

Food News You Can Use

Fall produce is just as bounti-ful as summer. Here is a list of favorites:

Peppers - peppers come in a variety of shapes, colors and heat intensities. Keep a vari-ety on hand to make salsa and to garnish various dishes with colorful strips. Use hot peppers in place of salty seasonings.

Zucchini - summer squash is bountiful now at the end of sum-mer/early fall in many places including: a garden, farmer’s market or grocery store. There is nothing better than fresh-steamed zucchini slices and they cook so quickly! Other ways to use zucchini: grate it and put it in pancakes, muffins and salads. Add to soups for color. Add to pasta dishes or salads. Another delicious option is to marinate in salad dressing and broil in the oven or finish on the grill.

Potatoes - most stores are of-fering a greater variety of pota-toes than ever before. Plus farm-er’s markets and farm stands offer wonderful home grown va-rieties that are very fresh and in a smaller size as shown below. Here is a tip for making the best mashed potatoes: cook them slowly and they will be more fluffy and smooth when done. They will mash easier without getting gummy, too.

Sweet potatoes can be cooked quickly in the microwave and topped with cinnamon and light margarine for a delicious side dish that is fast and hearty. Their bright orange color and sweet flavor make them disappear fast!

Winter squash comes in all shapes and sizes and like the sweet potato it is wonderful in color and flavor not to mention nutrients. Take care when cut-

In Season Now

Store winter squash at room temperature until ready to use. Cook it all at once or just carve off what you need and store the rest in the refrigerator.

A fast way to cook it is skin-side up in a microwaveable dish. The average squash takes about 10 minutes in the mi-crowave - it is done when fork tender. Cinnamon and brown sugar make a great topping!

Dinner: MyPlateChicken, Potatoes, Fruit and VeggiesIngredients:

3 chicken breast halves

3 lemons, juice only

1/4 cup chopped parsley

3 pounds potatoes, peeled

1 cup skim milk or fat-free half and half

2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese

Garlic powder, black pepper

Peach salsa (below)

1 zucchini, quartered and sliced

Directions:

1. Slice the chicken breast into thin strips and season with lemon and parsley. Bake in the oven at 375F until done.

2. Quarter the potatoes and

place in cold water. Cook slowly over medium heat for 30 minutes or until very soft. Drain water, mash or mix with hand beaters and incorporate warm skim milk, Parmesan, garlic and black pepper.

3. Make the peach salsa below.

4. Slice the zucchini and micro-wave in a covered container or steam until tender, just a few minutes.

5. Assemble the plate as pic-tured. Add a slice of whole grain bread as desired.

Serves 6. Each serving, 1 plate: 378 calories, 3.5 g of fat, 1 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat, 66 mg cholesterol, 114 mg sodium, 56 g carbohydrate, 6 g fiber, 10 g sugars, 30 g protein.

Add 1 teaspoon light margarine to each serving for potatoes and veggies: 395 calories, 5.5 g fat.

Add 1 slice whole grain bread (and 1 teaspoon margarine) per serving: 514 calories, 8 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat, 66 mg cholesterol, 454 mg sodium, 78 g carbohydrate, 8 g fiber, 14 g sugar, 34 g protein.

4 © communicatingfoodforhealth.com

2 peaches, cored and cubed1 ripe tomato, cored and cubed2 tablespoons hot pepper, diced1/4 cup diced onion1 tsp vinegarOptional: chopped cilantro

Combine all ingredients in large bowl; toss gently. Serve immediately or refrigerate up to 4 hours before serving.Serves 6. Each 1/2 cup serv-ing: 29 calories, 0 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, 0 mg cho-lesterol, 1 mg sodium, 6 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 1 g protein.

Peach Salsa

This fruit salsa adds flavor to chicken or fish and it counts as the fruit for mak-ing a healthy plate, too. You can use peaches, mangoes or pineapple for the fruit.

For information on making a healthy plate and your opti-mal calories and food group servings, visit ChooseMyPlate.gov.

© communicatingfoodforhealth.com 5

Don’t Forget BreakfastWake Up and Smell the Nutrients - Start Your Day with Breakfast

Take this quiz and see if you know the basics!

1. Fill in the blank: Having breakfast every morning _____ your metabolism.

a. Kick starts

b. Stalls

c. Unhinges

d. Does not affect

2. True or False? If you are trying to lose weight, you should skip breakfast in order to reduce the total number of calories you consume in a day.

a. True

b. False

3. Which of the following items is not usually part of a healthy breakfast?

a. Oatmeal

b. Skim milk

c. Fresh fruit

d. Coffee cake

Answers: a, b, d.

Homework Assignments:

Look up one of your favorite breakfast restaurants online. How many calories does your typical break-fast at that restaurant contain?

_____________________________________

_____________________________________

_____________________________________

Which choices will you make next time, keeping calories, fat and fiber in mind?

_____________________________________

_____________________________________

_____________________________________

Do It Yourself:

Choose from these items to make a healthy break-fast. Three food groups is optimal for breakfast: e.g.: fruit, dairy, whole grain.

Grains:

• English muffin

• Whole grain toast

• Oatmeal

• Whole grain cereal, unsweetened

Fruit:

• Fresh fruit

• Canned or frozen fruit without added sugar

Dairy:

• Skim milk

• Lowfat yogurt, low in sugar

Protein:

• Egg whites

• Nuts, nut butter

Beverages:

• Coffee with skim milk

• Tea, unsweetened

• Water

Make half your plate fruit. For other meals you should make half your plate fruits and vegetables.

For meal plan examples, visit:

http://www.choosemyplate.gov/downloads/Sam-ple_Menus-2000Cals-DG2010.pdf

The fastest breakfast on the go? A smoothie - blend frozen fruit with skim milk and a little oatmeal and you can sip your breakfast on the way to work.

For breakfast ideas, visit foodandhealth.com and click on “Recipes” at the top of the page. Click on “Breakfast” for easy-to-make recipes that are high in fiber, low in sodium and light in calories.

6 © communicatingfoodforhealth.com

Kitchen “Budget” Tips

Chicken Dollar StretcherHere we have 3 chicken breast halves that feed 3 people. We came up with a delicious strategy to stretch them for 6 or 7 people!

Here’s how:

1. Cut the chicken breast horizontally as pictured below. You should get 3 flat cutlets from each chicken breast.

2. The cutlets are assem-bled on a plate; then they are dredged in flour seasoned with paprika, garlic, black pepper, thyme and rosemary.

3. We measured 2 table-spoons of olive oil into a large flat pan and lightly sauteed the chicken, turning it over when browned.

4. On the 2nd side we allowed it to cook briefly and then added lemon juice, parsley and chicken broth. The chicken finishes cooking in liquid so you don’t need a lot of fat to keep it from burning.

5. Once the breast cutlets are done you can as-semble in a glass baking dish for service.

6. Serve with brown rice, whole grain pasta, pota-toes or yams and plenty of fresh vegetables.

LEFTOVERS: the best thing about these cutlets is that they make great leftovers the next day - you can use them in sandwiches and many other dishes. They disappear very quickly. Use these for the recipe on page 4.

Deep Dish Fruit Pie - Budget CaloriesHere is a fruit pie that is thick and delicious but without all the calories from too much crust.

What we did: we doubled the fruit and halved the crust.

Here’s how:

1. Cut 8-9 peaches or apples into wedges and place in a mixing bowl. Add a little cinnamon and about 1.5 tablespoons of corn starch; toss well and place in 10 inch deep dish pie pan or casserole dish.

2. Top with prepared crust and pinch the edges and make cuts with a knife for steam.

3. Place into preheated 375F oven and bake for one hour or until very bubbly. Allow to cool.

4. Cut into 12 and serve warm or cold.

The end product looks great served in a bowl with a little whipped cream and more fruit for garnish. This is a great way to use apples and peaches that are in the market now. Per slice (1/12th) 120 calo-ries, 5 g fat - compare to 340 calories and 27 g of fat for 1/8th of a double-crusted fruit pie!

© communicatingfoodforhealth.com 7

FREE MyPlate Resources Online:

• MyPlate Makeover handout

• Free MyPlate Poster download

• MyPlate Game: Pin the spoon on the plate

Visit foodandhealth.com and click on MyPlate at the top left

Presentation Ideas

Half the plate

The best cooking demos for the fall are making half the plate fruits and vegetables. This also coincides with the USDA’s quar-terly message to fill half your plate with fruits and vegetables - they will be working on different messages the next two years. We have these on our health calendar - log in to the member area and you can see them.

As part of our duty for being the National Advisory Member for USDA MyPlate we undertook a project to show how you can make half the plate fruits and veggies with little labor.

Here are fun ideas:

Sandwich or grill plate - use a skewer for fruit and some slaw. For the slaw we bought ready-made shredded cabbage and tossed with light ranch or caesar dressing.

2 salads - use fruit salad and lettuce/tomatoes for a no cook treat that is great for lunch or dinner

Veggie face - we used a combo of pineapple, shredded and baby carrots, steamed broccoli and potatoes to make a delicious face. Use light margarine or salad spritz for the potato.

A great demo for MyPlate fruits and veggies is to assemble an “artists palette” of many ready-made items and let everyone create their own fun plate. Frozen veggies, prepared veg-gies and items like potatoes, broccoli and carrots are always easy to prepare. You can find a PDF handout for these recipes at foodandhealth.com click on “what’s cooking” and Labor Day.

October

Health observances:Adult Immunization WeekAIDS Awareness MonthApple MonthBone and Joint WeekBrain Injury Awareness MonthBreast Cancer AwarenessCampaign for Healthier Babies MonthCeliac Sprue Awareness MonthChild Health MonthCookie MonthCranberry MonthDental Hygiene MonthDessert MonthDomestic Violence Awareness MonthFamily Eye Care MonthFamily Health MonthHealth Education WeekHealth Literacy MonthHealthy Lung MonthHepatitis Awareness WeekInfection Control WeekLead Poisoning Prevention WeekLiver Awareness MonthMental Health MonthPasta MonthPizza MonthPork MonthPopcorn Poppin’ MonthPretzel MonthRed Ribbon CelebrationSchool Lunch WeekSeafood MonthUNICEF MonthVegetarian MonthWorld Food DayHandouts:• VegetarianMonth• Desserts• ApplePuzzle• PizzawithPizzazz• WeightControl-PastaTips• Popcorn• BoneHealthyRecipes• WholeGrainPasta• Cranberries• Halloween• Witch’sHatsandSlawALLHolidayHandoutsOctoberNewsletters

Communicating Food for Health is published monthly by Food and Health Communications, Inc. © 2011. All rights re-served. P.O. Box 271108, Louisville, CO 80027

Phone: 800-462-2352 Fax: 800-433-7435

communicatingfoodforhealth.com

ISSN 1070-1613

Executive Editor

Judy Doherty, PC II

Contributing Editors

James Kenney, PhD, RD, LD, FACN; Sarah Mohrman, RD, MA; Victoria Shanta Retelny, RD, LD Jan Treftz-Allen, MS; Cheryle Jones Syracuse, MS

Editorial Advisory BoardDiana Dyer, MS, RDBarbara Hart, MS, RD, LDNAlice Henneman, MS, RD, LMNTChristine Hoban, MS, RD, CD, CNSDNancy Kennedy, MS, RDJames Kenney, PhD, RD, LD, FACNBarbara Miller, MEd, CHEBeth Payne, MS, RD, LDMargaret Pfeiffer, MS, RD, CDLinda Rankin, PhD, RD, FADABeth Rosen, MS, RD, CDN

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The content of Communicating Food for Health is not intended to provide personal medical advice; this should be obtained from a qualified health professional. Recipes analyzed using Nutritionist Pro.

Stomach Cancer Risk FactorsA diet high in salt, especially when accompanied by a long term H. pylori infection of the stomach appear to be the two most important environmen-tal factors promoting stomach cancer worldwide. Both these insults damage to the stomach lining reducing the production of protective mucous and acid resulting in a atrophic gastritis. This precancerous state is seen in 15-20% of older Americans. Nitrites from cured meats and other sources can react with other chemicals in the stomach to form known cancer promoting N-nitroso compounds. However, these compounds form more readily when stomach acid is low and can get to the stomach lining more easily when mucous production is reduced. The consumption of vitamin C can also inhibit the formation of N-nitroso compounds and this may be one reason many population studies find a reduced risk of stomach can-cer in those who consume the most fresh fruits and vegetables. Other antioxidant phytochemicals, such as

carotenoids and polyphenols, may also inhibit the formation of N-nitroso compounds in the stomach and so cut the risk of stomach cancer.

Inconsistent data suggests that a diet high in citrus fruits, leafy vegetables, and/or cruciferous vegetables reduce the risk of stomach cancer. Garlic and onions may also reduce the risk of stomach cancer.1 2 Certainly replac-ing pickled vegetables with N-nitroso products with more fresh fruits and vegetables cannot hurt and is likely to at least modestly cut the risk of gastric cancer in older people with atrophic gastritis. Smoked foods and tobacco smoke contain cancer causing sub-stances and most data suggest those who smoke and/or eat more smoked foods are at higher risk of developing stomach cancer. Again this increased risk is more likely in those who have atrophic gastritis. Alcoholic beverages have not been inconsistently associ-ated with an increased risk of stomach cancer. It may be that some types of

alcoholic beverages promote stomach cancer while others do not. For ex-ample a recent study of beer drinkers in Spain presented at the American Cancer Society meeting this past April found a 75% increased risk of stomach cancer in those who drank 2-3 or more beers daily for many years. Beer does contain a fair amount of N-nitroso compounds not seen in significant amounts in wine and distilled spirits. Finally a study in Mexico found stom-ach cancer patients had a history of consuming much higher levels of hot chili peppers than control subjects.3 Again it may be the loss of healthy mucous producing cells due to salt tox-icity and H. pylori that set the stage for the carcinogenic impact of the chili’s capsaicin.

By James J. Kenney, PhD, FACN

References: 1. Int J Cancer 2006;118:2559-66 2. Am J Clin Nutr 2000;72:1047-52 3. Am J Epid 1994;139:263-71