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CNN Live At Daybreak
Interview With Lisa Drayer
Aired November 26, 2003 - 06:51 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: All right, let's focus on having a healthy Thanksgiving.
Our favorite nutritionist, Lisa Drayer, live in New York with the low down.
And, Lisa, you have picked out some nutritious Thanksgiving Day foods.
So tell us.
LISA DRAYER, NUTRITIONIST: Exactly. It sounds like an oxymoron, right? But there are some healthful aspects of our favorite Thanksgiving foods that we can be thankful for.
For example, cranberries. We've heard about the research in cranberries in preventing urinary tract infections. But more recent research suggests that cranberries can actually boost HDL or good cholesterol levels, plus the berries may also help to aid recovery after a stroke. That is, they may help to protect brain cells from dying after a stroke. And cranberries have about some of the highest amounts of these antioxidants, Carol, as compared to many other fruits. So that's good news there.
Also, stuffing, would you believe stuffing can be healthy?
COSTELLO: No.
DRAYER: It can be, if you use a lot of bread crusts. That's the key. Researchers from Germany actually analyzed the bread crusts and they found that the crust had eight times the amount of a special cancer fighting compound as compared to the bread crumb. Now, they think that the process that makes bread brown is the same process that produces this beneficial chemical. But do watch the butter, because that can make it an unhealthy stuffing. Also...
COSTELLO: Oh, yes.
DRAYER: Yeas. And canned corn. Did you know, it may not sound intuitive, but canned corn may actually be healthier than canned -- corn on the cob, rather. That is, the heat processing of corn, which is how canned corn is prepared, actually increases levels of phytochemicals in corn. Those are those beneficial chemicals that may help protect against disease. And even if you're using corn in like a corn pudding or a corn bread, just heating the corn helps to increase levels of these beneficial chemicals. And no need to skip dessert, but go for the pumpkin pie. Pumpkin is an excellent source of beta carotene. This is a chemical that may help protect against heart disease and cancer. Plus it also contains lutein, another carotenoid that may be beneficial for eye health. And, Carol, it's only about 230 calories per slice. That's much lower than pecan pie.
COSTELLO: Oh, that makes me so very happy.
You know, Lisa, I've always wondered if there was something in turkey, though, that can make you sleepy, because whenever I eat Thanksgiving Day dinner, I just want to take a nap.
DRAYER: I know. Many of us do. And, in fact, Carol, turkey does contain tryptophan. This is an amino acid. That's the building block of protein. And tryptophan does get converted to serotonin. That's another chemical in the brain that is responsible for feelings of drowsiness or tiredness.
But, in fact, it might not just be the turkey that's responsible, because interestingly, when you combine carbohydrates like stuffing and sweet potatoes with the turkey, those carbs actually help to divert other amino acids such that the tryptophan in the turkey can speed up entry into the brain.
So it's sort of like a team effort -- the turkey plus the carbohydrates that increases the levels of this serotonin. This chemical responsible for sleepiness and also, of course, drinking wine during a meal can also contribute. So it's yes, the turkey has this chemical, but it's probably not the only factor responsible for that drowsy feeling we get after the meal.
COSTELLO: I just think we're over analyzing Thanksgiving Day dinner just a bit. Just enjoy. Eat in moderation, right?
DRAYER: That's true.
COSTELLO: All right.
DRAYER: That's true, too.
COSTELLO: Thank you, Lisa.
DRAYER: Enjoy your meal.
COSTELLO: We appreciate it.
DRAYER: Take care.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired November 26, 2003 - 06:51 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: All right, let's focus on having a healthy Thanksgiving.
Our favorite nutritionist, Lisa Drayer, live in New York with the low down.
And, Lisa, you have picked out some nutritious Thanksgiving Day foods.
So tell us.
LISA DRAYER, NUTRITIONIST: Exactly. It sounds like an oxymoron, right? But there are some healthful aspects of our favorite Thanksgiving foods that we can be thankful for.
For example, cranberries. We've heard about the research in cranberries in preventing urinary tract infections. But more recent research suggests that cranberries can actually boost HDL or good cholesterol levels, plus the berries may also help to aid recovery after a stroke. That is, they may help to protect brain cells from dying after a stroke. And cranberries have about some of the highest amounts of these antioxidants, Carol, as compared to many other fruits. So that's good news there.
Also, stuffing, would you believe stuffing can be healthy?
COSTELLO: No.
DRAYER: It can be, if you use a lot of bread crusts. That's the key. Researchers from Germany actually analyzed the bread crusts and they found that the crust had eight times the amount of a special cancer fighting compound as compared to the bread crumb. Now, they think that the process that makes bread brown is the same process that produces this beneficial chemical. But do watch the butter, because that can make it an unhealthy stuffing. Also...
COSTELLO: Oh, yes.
DRAYER: Yeas. And canned corn. Did you know, it may not sound intuitive, but canned corn may actually be healthier than canned -- corn on the cob, rather. That is, the heat processing of corn, which is how canned corn is prepared, actually increases levels of phytochemicals in corn. Those are those beneficial chemicals that may help protect against disease. And even if you're using corn in like a corn pudding or a corn bread, just heating the corn helps to increase levels of these beneficial chemicals. And no need to skip dessert, but go for the pumpkin pie. Pumpkin is an excellent source of beta carotene. This is a chemical that may help protect against heart disease and cancer. Plus it also contains lutein, another carotenoid that may be beneficial for eye health. And, Carol, it's only about 230 calories per slice. That's much lower than pecan pie.
COSTELLO: Oh, that makes me so very happy.
You know, Lisa, I've always wondered if there was something in turkey, though, that can make you sleepy, because whenever I eat Thanksgiving Day dinner, I just want to take a nap.
DRAYER: I know. Many of us do. And, in fact, Carol, turkey does contain tryptophan. This is an amino acid. That's the building block of protein. And tryptophan does get converted to serotonin. That's another chemical in the brain that is responsible for feelings of drowsiness or tiredness.
But, in fact, it might not just be the turkey that's responsible, because interestingly, when you combine carbohydrates like stuffing and sweet potatoes with the turkey, those carbs actually help to divert other amino acids such that the tryptophan in the turkey can speed up entry into the brain.
So it's sort of like a team effort -- the turkey plus the carbohydrates that increases the levels of this serotonin. This chemical responsible for sleepiness and also, of course, drinking wine during a meal can also contribute. So it's yes, the turkey has this chemical, but it's probably not the only factor responsible for that drowsy feeling we get after the meal.
COSTELLO: I just think we're over analyzing Thanksgiving Day dinner just a bit. Just enjoy. Eat in moderation, right?
DRAYER: That's true.
COSTELLO: All right.
DRAYER: That's true, too.
COSTELLO: Thank you, Lisa.
DRAYER: Enjoy your meal.
COSTELLO: We appreciate it.
DRAYER: Take care.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
