Karen Collins, MS, RD, CDN
American Institute for Cancer Research
Weekly column for the week of January 9, 2006
Q: Does adding milk to tea block the absorption of healthful substances in it?
A: No. Studies have found that milk in tea does not interfere with the body?s ability to absorb the health-promoting phytochemicals such as epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) in tea. These phytochemicals still seem to offer protection against both heart disease and cancer through their antioxidant effects. In addition, some of them may increase the self-destruction of cancer cells and/or limit their ability to grow and multiply. Remember, however, that tea should be just one part of a healthful, mostly plant-based diet. A wide range of vegetables, fruits, whole grains and beans should be the focus of your eating because of the great variety of healthful substances in them, like vitamins, minerals, fiber and other phytochemicals.
Q: Why do surveys show that the American diet is so low in many nutrients?
A: The main problem with the American diet is that far too few Americans follow a balanced, mostly plant-based eating style. People who eat the recommended seven to ten servings of vegetables and fruits and three to four or more servings of whole grains a day generally get more than the recommended amounts of nutrients identified as deficient in surveys of Americans. That?s why it is best to follow the advice of the American Institute for Cancer Research and make at least two-thirds of each of your meals plant foods. Vegetables and fruits are major suppliers of vitamins A and C and folate, as well as magnesium, potassium and fiber. Although 40 percent of Americans don?t eat any whole grains at all on a daily basis, these grains supply several times the magnesium and potassium we can get from refined grains like white bread and pasta. Dried beans are another important source of many of the nutrients that are most often low in the U.S. diet. If all Americans filled at least two-thirds of their plate with vegetables, fruits, whole grains and beans, the results of dietary surveys you may have seen would substantially change. If we ate more nuts and seeds instead of chips, cookies and French fries, our vitamin E intake would also improve. Although poor food choices have become all too common among most Americans, if you already eat a healthy, mostly plant-based diet, you shouldn?t assume that the results of national surveys indicate a shortcoming in your diet.
Q: How can I avoid regaining lost weight on an upcoming cruise?
A: Cruises can pose a challenge to weight control because they usually make available a wide range of rich foods during the day and night. Your mindset plays a key role in overcoming this challenge. Focus on the cruise as a time to relax and explore new places and activities, and forget about the food. Since you have lost weight, hopefully, you have learned to control the size of portions you take and don?t base your decision on the quantity of food available. When you are faced with a massive buffet, look over the choices before you make any selections. Take only what you want most and leave the rest. You should try to satisfy your hunger by choosing low-calorie fruits and vegetables for one-third to one-half of each meal. Besides watching what you eat, you should monitor what you drink. Drinks can flow abundantly on cruises, and their calories add up quickly. You should limit alcohol, soda, juice and sweetened tea carefully; choose water, club soda, or unsweetened tea most of the time. Finally, take advantage of the many on- and off-ship opportunities to stay active. By swimming, dancing, using the exercise facilities on the ship and walking a lot on shore, you should easily accumulate an hour a day of physical activity.
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Diets 
