FROM MARKET TO MEALS

So far we’ve given you a good idea of the types of foods that offer the best defense against aging and some of the other lifestyle factors that have a direct or indirect impact on those food choices. But if you want to get the most from the food you choose for yourself and your family, you need to know how to select, store, and prepare them. Certain fruits and vegetables, for example, quickly lose their nutritional value if they are stored incorrectly. Some foods, depending on how they are prepared, can accelerate the aging process. For example, deep frying nutrient-rich red onions is far from the best way to enjoy these important vegetables. Meats, poultry, and fish must be handled, stored, and prepared in specific ways to ensure you and your family remain free of food-borne illnesses. It’s also important for you to understand how to read nutrition labels and ingredient panels on packaged foods so you can make the best food choices.

GO NATURAL

So far we’ve discussed many different foods that fight aging—foods that provide essential vitamins, antioxidants, fiber, calcium, quality protein, and good fats. But if you really want to reap the most benefits from these anti-aging food choices, you need to think clean—no pesticides, herbicides, hormones, antibiotics, artificial colorings, flavorings, or preservatives. On the surface that may sound like a big order, but if you take it one day at a time, even one food item at a time, before you know it you’ll dramatically reduce the amount of damaging toxins you consume through food and beverages.
Experts continue to debate about the benefits of eating organic food. Many studies show, for example, that produce grown under organic conditions have higher levels of nutrients than those grown conventionally. Not every study shows the same degree of benefit, nor that all nutrients are elevated. One recent study of organic and conventional tomatoes, for example, found that organic tomatoes had higher levels of vitamin C, carotenoids, and polyphenols, but when the tomatoes were made into puree, the carotenoid levels were similar between the organic and conventional tomatoes.
A review of 41 published studies in which the nutritional values of organically grown fruits, vegetables, and grains were compared with conventionally grown items found that overall, organic crops had 27% more vitamin C, 21% more iron, 29% more magnesium, and 14% more phosphorus. The review also stated that organic products had 15% fewer nitrates than their conventional counterparts.
Further proof comes from a study conducted by the Organic Materials Review Institute and Consumers Union, which used data from the US Department of Agriculture. The researchers found that 73% of conventionally grown foods sampled had pesticide residue compared with only 23% of organically grown samples of the same crops.

What Is Organic? 

Organic Food

According to the US Department of Agriculture’s National Organic Program, “organic food is produced by farmers who emphasize the use of renewable resources and the conservation of soil and water to enhance environmental quality… . Organic meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy products come from animals that are given no antibiotics or growth hormones.” To meet the requirements to be certified organic, foods must be produced without using most conventional pesticides and fertilizers made with synthetic ingredients or sewage sludge. Ionizing radiation and bioengineering are also prohibited. A certified inspector checks organic farms to ensure the food is grown to meet USDA organic standards, and all companies that handle organic food before it reaches the marketplace must be certified as well.

Organic labeling comes in three forms. The name of the certifying agent must appear on all packages:
“100% Organic”: must contain 100% organically produced ingredients, not counting added water and salt.
“Organic”: must contain at least 95% organically produced ingredients, not counting added water and salt. Must not contain sulfites. May contain up to 5% non-organically produced agricultural ingredients.
“Made with Organic Ingredients”: must contain at least 70% organically produced ingredients, not counting added water and salt. Must not contain sulfites. May contain up to 30% non-organically produced agricultural ingredients.

HOW TO READ FOOD LABELS 

Nutrition Facts labels and other labeling on food packages can provide much important information when choosing age-defying foods, but they can also be confusing. So we try to sort it out for you.

Nutrition Facts Labels 

Nutrition Facts labels are required for most foods (except meat and poultry) and have standardized categories, which we explain here.

Serving Size and Servings Per Container:
If the serving size is 1 cup and there are 2 servings per container, then the package contains 2 cups. If you eat two servings rather than one, you must remember to double the values of the calories, nutrients, and % daily value figures below this line on the label.

Calories and Calories from Fat: these values are per serving.
% Daily Value: These percentages are based on the Daily Value recommendations for important nutrients, based on a 2,000 calorie daily diet. You may eat fewer or more than 2,000 calories daily, but you can still use this figure as a reference point. The % DV helps you determine if a serving of a food is low or high in a specific nutrient. Each nutrient is based on 100% of the daily requirements for that nutrient. A value of 5% or less is considered low; 20% or more is considered high.
Total Fat, Saturated Fat, Trans Fat, Sodium, and Cholesterol: These substances are ones you want to limit because they are associated with accelerated aging and disease. Therefore, preferred foods contain a % DV of 5% or less.
Sugars: No % DV has been established for sugars. The sugars listed on Nutrition Facts labels include naturally occurring sugars (e.g., those in fruit and milk) and added sugars. Added sugars will appear on the ingredient portion of the label and may be listed as sugar, corn syrup, high-fructose corn syrup, maltose, dextrose, sucrose, honey, fruit juice concentrate, and maple syrup.
Dietary Fiber, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Calcium, Iron: These nutrients are among those you want to see in the high range: % DV of 20% or more.
Protein: Manufacturers must give a % DV only if the food claims to be high in protein or if the food is meant for infants and children younger than 4 years old.
“Percent Daily Values” Footnote: The following statement must appear on all Nutrition Facts labels.
“Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Your Daily Values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.” The remaining information does not need to appear if the package is too small. When the information does appear, it is the same on all products, because it is general dietary advice for all Americans.

Light, Low, Free, Lean: What’s It All Mean?
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has established definitions and guidelines for terms that can appear on food packaging. Here’s a sample.
Free: the product contains no amount of, or only a trivial or “physiologically inconsequential” amount of one or more of these substances: fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium, sugars, and calories.
Low fat: the product contains 3 grams of fat or less per serving.
Low saturated fat: 1 g or less per serving.
Low sodium: 140 mg or less per serving.
Very low sodium: 35 mg or less per serving.
Low cholesterol: 20 mg or less and 2 g or less of saturated fat per serving.

Low calorie: 40 calories or less per serving.

Lean and extra lean: when describing meat, poultry, seafood, and game, “lean” means it contains less than 10 g of fat, 4.5 g or less saturated fat, and less than 95 mg cholesterol per serving and per 100 g. “Extra lean” means it contains less than 5 g fat, less than 2 g saturated fat, and less than 95 mg cholesterol per serving and per 100 g.

High: means the food contains 20% or more of the Daily Value for a specific nutrient.
Good Source: means that one serving of the product contains 10 to 19 percent of the Daily Value for a specific nutrient.
Light: can mean one of three things:
(1) the food contains one-third fewer calories or half the fat of the reference food. If the food provides 50% or more of its calories from fat, the reduction must be 50% of the fat.
(2) The sodium content of a low-calorie, low-fat food has been reduced by 50%.
(3) The term describes color, texture, or another property of the food, but the label must explain the term, such as “light brown sugar.”

Fresh: the FDA defines this term when it is used for foods that are raw or unprocessed. Thus “fresh” can be used only on raw foods, ones that have never been frozen or heated, and contain no preservatives. “Fresh frozen,” “frozen fresh,” and “freshly frozen” can be used for foods that were rapidly frozen while still fresh.


EGG SAFETY

Eggs are a good source of protein, low in fat (if you limit yourself to the whites), and relatively inexpensive, so it is often on an anti-aging menu. Proper handling and preparation are critical, however, especially since it is estimated that 1 out of every 10,000 eggs (about 4.5 million eggs per year) are infected with Salmonella enteritidis, which causes food poisoning. Because contaminated eggs do not look or smell any different than non-contaminated eggs, it isn’t possible to know if any of the eggs you purchase are affected. The notion that “free-range” eggs are healthier and produced in less cruel conditions than conventional eggs is largely untrue. In most cases, free-range egg producers keep their hens uncaged but confined to overly crowded facilities that have very limited access to the outdoors, or they are confined to cages that are larger than those used to hold conventionally raised hens.
There are no government laws that regulate the meaning of “free-range,” so unless you personally see the conditions under which your eggs are produced, you cannot be sure that the higher prices you pay for free-range eggs are supporting a healthier product produced in less cruel conditions.

Choosing and Preparing Eggs

If possible, buy your eggs from local producers (with a facility that you can visit). They may sell from their farm or at a farmers’ market.

Purchase eggs that are refrigerated at 40°F or lower.

Do not purchase eggs that are cracked.

When you get the eggs home, immediately place them in the coldest part of the refrigerator (in the rear), not on the door.

If you accidentally crack an egg before you are ready to use it, break the egg into a clean container, cover it tightly, and refrigerate it. Use it within 2 days.

Cook eggs until the yolks and whites are firm. Do not eat lightly poached or soft-boiled eggs.

Never eat raw eggs or foods that contain raw eggs (e.g., eggnog, Hollandaise sauce).

Do not leave eggs unrefrigerated for longer than two hours.


MEAT, POULTRY, AND FISH 

Proper handling and preparation of meats, fish, and poultry are critical because the potential for contamination and food poisoning is high. Contamination can occur at several levels. According to the Humane Farming Association, only a small percentage of the meat processed in U.S. slaughterhouses is tested for toxins (e.g., dioxins, PCBs, pesticides) that get into the meat supply either through the animals’ feed and/or water, or through direct means (injections of antibiotics, hormones). Contamination or compromise of meat, poultry, and fish can also occur anywhere during processing, from packing and shipping to the market and finally your kitchen. Therefore, consider these important guidelines.

Meat and Poultry 

Buy organically produced meat and poultry. Compared with conventionally produced items, they expose you to significantly fewer age-accelerating and disease-causing substances.

Cook meat and poultry thoroughly and always check the temperature with a meat thermometer. Different meats and cuts have different safe temperatures, so be sure to check the cooking instructions. Do not depend on the color of the meat to determine if it has been cooked adequately.

Thaw frozen meat in the refrigerator, which can take eight or more hours. If you need to defrost it more quickly, place it in a sealed plastic bag and immerse the bag in a pot of cold water for an hour.

Wash your hands with soap and hot water before and after handling raw meat.

Marinate meat and poultry in the refrigerator. Once the food has been marinated, discard the marinade because raw juice from the meat or poultry may contain bacteria. Do not eat the organs (e.g., brains, livers, kidney) of livestock, because poisons accumulate in them.

Fish 

Buy only fresh fish and seafood that is refrigerated or frozen.

Frozen fish should be in a package that is transparent so you can see sign of crystals or frost. If you do, the fish has been thawed and re-frozen.

Refrigerate or freeze fish immediately when you bring it home. You should also transport it in an ice chest in the car.

Do not buy shellfish that has a strong “fishy” smell, because it may be spoiled.

Rinse and rewrap fish when you get it home. Place it on paper towels, put it in a tightly covered container, and place it in the coldest part of the refrigerator.

Throw away any fat drippings from boiled or poached fish, as toxins accumulate in the fat.

Before cooking fish, remove skin and fatty tissue from the sides, belly, and along the top of the back. This is where many toxins accumulate. Mercury, however, accumulates mainly in the muscle, so it can’t be removed. To minimize your exposure to mercury, choose fish that typically contain low levels of mercury (e.g., salmon, herring, sardines, anchovies, tilapia).

Cook fish and seafood until the internal temperature is at least 145°F; for stuffed fish, at least 165°F.

By Deborah Mitchell in the book "Foods That Combat Aging"- The Nutritional Way to Stay Healthy Longer, Harper Collins Publishers, 2008, excerpts from pages 19 to 29. Adapted and illustrated to be posted by Leopoldo Costa.