Specialist in Emergency Medicine
I received a letter from a concerned parent whose child
demanded chocolate spread and her mother attempted to
neutralize the effects by insisting on the use of whole-wheat
bread. She had tried date and carob spread with no
success.
I have often lambasted choco spread and still hold to my
principles. The spread offers little in the way of
nourishment, and increases fat ingestion and tooth decay.
However I agree with this parent that sometimes a compromise
is necessary. Whole-wheat bread is definitely better than
regular bread. The whole-wheat bread is higher in fiber,
which is protective from colon cancer and causes less fat
absorption. However, bread remains a high-calorie food, and
the first suggestion is to use the choco spread on healthier
foods such as apples (our replacement for sweets on Pesach)
or carrots. Furthermore, careful tooth brushing is necessary
immediately after eating choco spread.
Should this be unsuccessful, I would bargain more if possible
or try a switch to a diet Ma'adan, which at least
contains milk, or try to include a yogurt with the whole-
wheat bread. Calcium and exercise are crucial components of
lowering risk for osteoporosis in the future, if started
early in life.
I should add that other bread spreads are only marginally
better. Margarine and butter are high fat with little
nutritional value. Jelly is mostly sugar, although lower
calorie preparations exist. Peanut butter is hard to digest
and very high in fat, although it has higher protein than
other spreads. Tuna is good, although I personally do not eat
it. I do not care for the taste. Cheese is high fat, but the
calcium and protein benefits are there. Tofu, in its many
flavors, is also good. Bagels, lox and cream cheese are all
high fat, although protein is there. It gets my OK for an
occasional treat.
I wish this reader much luck and thank her for writing and
contributing.
Another reader writes about an ultrasound of the neck. This
simple test tells if there is narrowing of the arteries of
the neck. This is the only way other than taking aspirin of
preventing stroke, so after a mini-stroke or one that gets
better immediately, this test must be done at once. I might
add that if one has symptoms of a stroke -- inability to
speak, move part of the body or not feeling part of the body
-- one needs to get to the hospital at once, as there is a
treatment that can help if given within three hours of onset.
Hadassah and Tel HaShomer offer this treatment. Write me in
care of the Yated.
A message from GlaxoSmithKline, sponsor of this
column. Avandia is a good diabetes treatment. It works
well against adult onset diabetes and rarely causes the
feared side effect of hypoglycemia. People who have failed
other therapies, especially, do well.
