What’s all the fuss about the New Nordic Diet?

Almost every week we see a new diet being touted as the next big thing. Few diets come out on top, but the New Nordic Diet (New Nordic Diet) is up there along with its close cousin, the Mediterranean diet. We’ve taken a closer look at just why it’s meant to be so good for us…

Firstly, where does the New Nordic Diet come from?

The New Nordic Diet shares its roots with the traditional Nordic way of eating and was created in 2004 as a collaboration between the Nordic Council for Ministers and the acclaimed Copenhagen restaurant NOMA, to celebrate the simplicity of the Nordic style of eating. It’s based around seasonal, regional food with a particular focus on health, sustainability and flavour and ties in with several key food trends for 2018 and beyond, including the recent focus on plant-based foods.

So what do I eat on the New Nordic Diet?

The New Nordic Diet is often described as a ‘cooler temperature’ take on the Mediterranean diet, which is widely considered to be the best diet for preventing heart disease. It features plenty of fruit and vegetables - think berries, cabbage, root vegetables and beans, as well as peas and lentils, potatoes, herbs, mushrooms, nuts and whole grains like barley, oats and rye. Lean meat and fish is eaten occasionally with a focus on quality - all these elements are similar to the Mediterranean diet, with one key difference; followers of the New Nordic Diet use canola oil instead of the traditionally Mediterranean olive oil.

Why is it good for me?

The core elements of the New Nordic Diet help to promote good overall health, alongside providing protection against being overweight, suffering from obesity and a range of other diet related diseases.

Research on the New Nordic Diet and weight management shows that people who closely followed the New Nordic Diet lost more weight¹ and also gained less post-study², compared to those following an average diet - which included refined grains, meat, dairy, confectionary and smaller amounts of low fibre fruit and veggies.

Additionally, another study showed that the New Nordic Diet can improve cardiovascular risk factors including blood lipids, insulin and blood pressure³.

Whilst data on the New Nordic Diet is limited so far, research is showing that sticking to a mostly plant-based diet and eating quality carbohydrates and whole grains, can help protect our overall health. Here’s how to eat New Nordic style for the day…

• Start your day with a bowl of oats and berries
• Switch your lunchtime sandwich bread to a wholemeal rye version
• Choose whole grain crispbreads and pea hummus for an afternoon snack
• Mix up your grains and try cooked barley with salmon for dinner instead of rice

Interested in adding more whole grains and legumes to your day? Visit our recipe section for delicious foodie inspiration.

References 

1. Poulsen SK., Due A., Jordy AB., et al. (2014). Health effect of the New Nordic Diet in adults with increased waist circumference: a 6-mo randomised controlled trial. Am J Clin Nutr. 99:1, 35-45. Accessed from: http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/99/1/35.long 
2. Poulson SK., C rone C., Astrup A., Larsen TM. (2015). Long-term adherence to the New Nordic Diet and the effects on body weight, anthropometry and blood pressure: a 12-month follow-up study. Eur J Nutr. 54:1. 67-76. Accessed from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24664189
3. Adamsson V., Reumark A., Fredriksson I-B. et al. (2010). Effects of a healthy Nordic diet on cardiovascular risk factors in hypercholesterolaemic subjects: a randomised controlled trial (NORDIET). J Intern Med. 269 150-9. Accessed from: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365-2796.2010.02290.x/full

Increasing Legume Intake Among Australians

by Courtney Rose-Davis, APD, PhD Candidate

These days, we’re seeing more and more research suggesting that legumes possess significant health benefits, different to that of other food groups. Studies suggest that consuming legumes 4 times per week, compared to only once, reduces risk of coronary heart disease [1,2]. When legumes are added to our diet, levels of total and LDL cholesterol are lowered [3]. Legumes, including chickpeas, lentils, kidney, fava and black beans, amongst others, are a key feature of the Mediterranean diet, which is predominantly eaten by people living coastally in Southern Europe [4]. This balanced diet has been proven to lower our risk of heart disease and diabetes. Although just one part of this dietary pattern, legumes provide important nutrients including protein, fibre and other minerals, especially as the Mediterranean diet is low in meat. In terms of health benefits, one study showed that the Mediterranean diet would only be 90% as effective if legumes were excluded [5]. 

In Australia the story is very different, where adults eat very few legumes. Data from the most recent National Nutrition Survey suggests legume intake is only 20 g/week for males, and 16 g/week for females [6]. The health benefits of following a Mediterranean diet with legumes could be enormous; however this previously hadn’t been well studied. So we conducted a research trial where older Australians (aged >64 years) were asked to follow a Mediterranean diet for 6 months. Around 80 participants were asked to consume at least 3 servings of legumes per week, at a serving size of 75 g or half a cup (225 g/week). Three servings of legumes were provided to participants as canned legumes, to make this easier for them. The participants had their diets analysed before they commenced the study and median legume intake was 0 grams/week, meaning at least half the study participants were eating no legumes at all. The average intake however was 140g/week, which was quite high compared with national data, however still less than half the amount needed to provide health benefits.

Surprisingly, over the course of the study, legume intake increased to an average of 340g/week, with the median increasing from 0 to 231 g/week. Anecdotally, participants said they found legumes not only tasty, but versatile and useful when making filling lunches and salads. Recipes and instructions to incorporate legumes were provided, such as making legume patties and dips, adding legumes to soups, casseroles and salads and even replacing some meat with legumes.

It’s difficult to say with certainty which of these factors contributed to the legume increase, however, it appears that with some instruction and encouragement, older Australians could greatly increase their intake and enjoy legumes more often. The easy provision of legumes might have played a large role, although participants clearly went and bought their own on top of our provisions suggesting that participants genuinely enjoyed this part of their diet. It's most likely that several factors contributed, including providing them for free, provision of innovative recipes, additional suggestions on how to incorporate them in their daily diet, but most importantly - the enjoyment factor. Legume intake likely promoted the intake of other healthful dietary components too, like olive oil and vegetables, as these are often consumed together.

The potential health benefits of such a change are exciting! Legumes on their own have been associated with considerable health benefits, and even more so when being consumed as part of the Mediterranean diet. Our encouraging results suggest that given the right resources, such as recipe inspiration and handy tips, most people can become a legume fan. Here are our easy tips to help you enjoy legumes more frequently:

- If using canned legumes, make sure you rinse them well before using – this can help reduce the sodium content by up to 40%.

- If using dried legumes, soak and cook in large batches and freeze in individual portions for quick and easy additions to midweek meals.

- Use lentils or black beans as a substitute for mincemeat – mix into patties, meatballs, spaghetti bolognaise and taco mince.

- Add to salads for a filling protein and fibre hit.

- Add to soups and casseroles to bulk out.

- Mix in with pasta dishes - this works especially well with lentils and chickpeas.

- Make nachos with kidney beans or black beans.

- Add mixed legumes to tomato, onion and canned fish and drizzle with olive oil  and lemon juice for a delicious, Mediterranean salad.

 References

1.         Bazzano, L.A.; He, J.; Ogden, L.; Loria, C.M.; Vupputuri, S.; Myers, L.; Whelton, P.K. Legume consumption and risk of coronary heart disease in US men and women. Arch. Intern. Med. 2001, 161, 2573-2578. DOI:

2.         Afshin, A.; Micha, R.; Khatibzadeh, S.; Mozaffarian, D. Consumption of nuts and legumes and risk of incident ischemic heart disease, stroke, and diabetes: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 2014, 100, 278-288. DOI: 10.3945/ajcn.113.076901.

3.         Bazzano, L.; Thompson, A.; Tees, M.; Nguyen, C.; Winham, D. Non-soy legume consumption lowers choletserol levels: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Nutr. Metab. Cardiovasc. Dis. 2011, 21, 94-103. DOI: 10.1016/j.numecd.2009.08.012.

4.         Trichopoulou, A.; Lagiou, P. Healthy traditional Mediterranean diet: An expression of culture, history, and lifestyle. Nutr. Rev. 1997, 55, 383-389. DOI: none.

5.         Trichopoulou, A.; Bamia, C.; Trichopoulos, D. Anatomy of health effects of Mediterranean diet: Greek EPIC prospective cohort study. BMJ 2009, 338, 26-29. DOI: 10.1136/bmj.b2337.

6.         Australian Health Survey: Nutrition First Results - Foods and Nutrients, 2011-12 - Australia. Table 5.1 Mean daily food intake (grams). Statistics, A.B.o., Ed. Australian Bureau of Statistics: Canberra, ACT, Australia.

An Exploration of the World’s Blue Zones

Tim Crowe Associate Professor in Nutrition at the School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences at Deakin University in Melbourne and Australian Blue Zone expert takes us through the science and evidence behind Blue Zones and a plant based diet.

What is a Blue Zone you may ask?

Well sit back, relax, and let us take you on a journey throughout the five regions of the world that experts have identified as Blue Zones, Ikaria  - Greece, Okinawa – Japan, Sardinia – Italy, Nicoya Peninsula – Costa Rica and a seventh day Adventist community in Loma Linda, California.

Blue Zones are, in simple terms, hot spots in the world where people live the longest and healthiest lives. It is common for people in these areas to live to 100 with the number of centenarians almost 5-times higher than in Australia.

So why are people in Blue Zones living so much longer than us? 

We recently invited one of Australia’s leading Blue Zone experts, Associate Professor Tim Crowe, to educate us.

A lot of the work in Blue Zones has been based on observations on the ground, so what does current research say to support the common habits of Blue Zones which are linked to longevity? There are 9 key elements they have in common.

•  Incorporating movement naturally as part of their daily routine – Blue Zone residents move every 10-15 minutes.
• Have a sense of purpose each day. 
• Down shift and maintain a routine that helps keep them relaxed. Stress can lead to chronic inflammation in the body. 
• Stop eating when they are 80% full.
• They eat a more plant based diet and minimal red meat. 
• They enjoy a glass of wine with friends and family.
• They live as part of a community – whether this is faith based or meeting up once a week for a knitting class. 
• Engagement with family is key to a Blue Zone way of life.
• Blue Zone residents enjoy an active social life.

Key Dietary Patterns for Health

One of the key elements of the Blue Zones is eating a plant based diet, and this major review from 2014 looked at the diet and chronic disease links from 304 meta-analyses and systematic reviews published in the last 63 years - the biggest analysis of its kind. The key findings showed that plant-based foods were more protective against the risk of developing chronic disease compared to animal-based foods. Amongst plant foods, grain-based foods seemed to have a small edge over fruits and vegetables.

For animal-based foods, the effects of dairy products on health were considered neutral overall and fish was considered protective. Red and processed meats were linked to a higher disease risk. This research mirrors the type of diets eaten in Blue Zone.

Plant Foods and Health

A recently published review in JAMA Internal Medicine looked at the health of over 131,000 people and how it was related to the amounts of protein they ate from plant and animal based foods. Animal protein was linked to higher mortality from heart disease while plant protein was linked to lower mortality. There was a stronger link between the benefits of plant foods in people with at least one lifestyle risk factor (e.g. smoking, overweight, inactive, heavy drinking). The research team estimated that replacing processed red meat protein with the equivalent amount of plant protein would result in a 34% drop in earlier mortality and 12% if fresh red meat was replaced. Again, the dietary patterns studied in this work parallel with a Blue Zone diet.

Fruits, Vegetables and Happiness

Can eating more vegetables make you happy? In the first research of its kind, the answer seems to be ‘yes’. This study tracked the diet and mental health of a large sample of more than 12,000 randomly selected people in Australia. From the results, it was estimated that someone going from eating no fruits and vegetables to eating eight portions a day could experience an increase in life satisfaction which is equivalent to moving from unemployment to employment. Happiness is a key aspect of Blue Zones.

Diet and telomeres

So how exactly could the diets eaten by people in the Blue Zones lead to a longer life? One idea is that it may be linked to telomeres. Telomeres are the protective cap on the end of chromosomes which are linked to ageing and potentially a longer lifespan. The length of these telomeres shortens with age, leading scientists to begin looking into how much diet can influence telomere length. In the first study of its kind, researchers looked at studies that had previously collected information on both dietary patterns and telomere length of participants. From a pool of 17 studies, two clear themes emerged. Both a Mediterranean style dietary pattern and diets high in fruits and vegetables were linked to longer telomere length. Diets high in significantly refined grains, processed meat and sugar-sweetened beverages point towards a shorter telomere length.

Sitting is the New Smoking

Recent research has looked at the benefit of small amounts of regular physical activity as opposed to a block of exercise each day, finding that standing or moving for several hours over the course of the day is better than just dedicated exercise with long periods of sedentary activity around it. This fits with the Blue Zone finding of people undertaking regular purposeful activity throughout their day, in contrast to our Western lifestyles which typically feature long periods of sedentary activity, especially in white collar occupations.

For Australians wanting to adopt a more ‘Blue Zone’ lifestyle, the first place to start is to embrace the variety of wonderful plant foods available to us and to shut out the voices of those suggesting you should exclude and ban foods from your diet. Enjoy a wide variety of whole grains, legumes, vegetables and fruits and eat according to your tastes and preferences. The typical Australian diet is too high in highly processed discretionary foods so these are the food swaps we need to make to get more of those Blue Zone foods in our diet.

Less than half of Australians meet the minimum recommendations for physical activity, but this doesn’t mean you need to join a gym or running club. Being active throughout your day, be it enjoying your coffee whilst walking with friends rather than sitting in the café, spending more time in the garden, using the car less and giving the dog more exercise will all contribute to great health benefits. 

And finally, social media has its place, but nothing beats human connection as this is inscribed in our DNA - follow your interests and join a local community group, do some volunteering or make meeting up with friends a regular activity.

To watch Tim Crowe’s talk on the science behind Blue Zones, please follow this link.

For a range of delicious whole grain and legume rich recipes take a look at the GLNC recipe section and for more information on the health benefits of grains and legumes visit our website here!