Diet, Exercise Better Than Vitamins in Promoting Health

Harvard men's health watch is telling everyone how dangerous vitamin supplements are. Unfortunately they are not kidding!

Please know that although we have our references to try to refute these statements, your patient's families will be hearing this stuff.

While it was once hoped that supplements of folic acid could help reduce colon cancer, new research has shown that taking more than the minimum daily requirement would be harmful. Simon says other studies underscore the downside to dietary supplements, which are unregulated in the United States. "The most striking example is beta carotene, which we used to be very hopeful about, but actually increases the risk of lung cancer in smokers. Vitamin E increases the risk of second head-neck cancers in people who have been successfully treated for a first malignancy. Read more...

AyurGold for Healthy Blood

Diet Soda Now Linked to Heart Disease

Eating two or more servings a day of red meat increases your risk of metabolic syndrome by 25 percent, compared to those who have two servings of red meat each week, a new study found. Drinking diet soda also increased the risk of metabolic syndrome. Read more

The Devil in the Milk

Prominent food researcher Dr. Thomas Cowan has been involved in thinking about the medicinal aspects of cow’s milk virtually his entire career. His studies on the subject started in earnest when he read the book The Milk of Human Kindness Is Not Pasteurized, by maverick physician, William Campbell Douglass, MD. Cowan became convinced that a large part of the disease in this country is related to the way we handle, or rather mishandle, milk and milk products. Read more

Eat Well, Live Longer

If you eat a healthy diet, you're likely to live longer.It might be trite advice, but a new study offers proof that it can make a difference in your longevity. Read more

When Unhealthy Foods Hijack Your Brain

In a book being published next week, former FDA chief Dr. David Kessler brings to consumers the disturbing conclusion of numerous brain studies -- some people really do have a harder time resisting bad foods. Read more

A Pre-Workout Meal to Help You Burn Fat

(HealthDay News) -- The type of carbohydrates you eat before a workout may influence how much fat you burn during your exercise session, new research suggests.Women who ate a breakfast rich in carbohydrates that do not cause a spike in blood sugar -- think muesli, yogurt, skimmed milk -- burned 50 percent more fat during a post-breakfast workout than did those who ate a breakfast rich in the kind of carbohydrates known to make blood sugar rise sharply, such as cornflakes and white bread. Read more

Families That Eat Together Serve Up Good Dietary Habits

(HealthDay News) -- A new long-term study says that kids in families that have at least five meals together a week tend to practice good eating habits.

University of Minnesota researchers reported that adolescents who eat these so-called "regular family meals" had more healthful diets, meaning they consumed more vegetables, calcium-rich food, dietary fiber and essential nutrients.

For the study, the eating habits of 677 youths were assessed through questionnaires they filled in during their pre- and early teen years and again five years later. The results were published in the March/April issue of the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior.

"Findings from the current analysis, in conjunction with similar findings from a longitudinal analysis of older adolescents transitioning to young adulthood, strongly suggest that regular family meals have long-term nutritional benefits," researcher and dietitian Teri L. Burgess-Champoux of the university's school of public health, said in a news release issued by the journal publisher. "The importance of incorporating shared mealtime experiences on a consistent basis during this key developmental period should be emphasized to parents, health-care providers and educators."

In the five years between filling out the questionnaires, the number of regular family meals the kids ate fell from 60 percent of their meals when they were age 12 or 13 to about 30 percent when they were 17 or 18. Good dietary habits were associated with kids having these regular family meals at times of measurement. Those who ate regular family meals at both points of their life had a better diet quality, on average, but they did not necessarily consume recommended levels of healthy dietary staples, such as fruit, vegetables or whole grains, during the entire five-year span.

More information
The Nemours Foundation has more about family meals.

More Fast-Food Joints in Neighborhoods Mean More Strokes

(HealthDay News) -- Living in neighborhoods packed with fast-food joints could increase your risk for stroke by 13 percent, compared to residing in places where such restaurants are less plentiful, a new study suggests.

Whether the link proves to be causal is not known, though, said study author Dr. Lewis B. Morgenstern, a professor of neurology at the University of Michigan School of Public Health.

"The only thing we are certain about is, if you live in a neighborhood with a high fast-food restaurant concentration, you are at increased risk," Morgenstern said. He presented his study Thursday at the International Stroke Conference in San Diego.

Morgenstern's research team gathered data on stroke cases in Nueces County, Texas, finding 1,247 cases of ischemic stroke from January 2000 through June 2003. More than 700,000 strokes occur each year in the United States, and most are ischemic, in which blood vessels become clogged.

The researchers then determined the number of fast-food restaurants in the county -- 262 -- and zeroed in on 64 U.S. Census Bureau tracts to determine the number of fast-food outlets in each area. They counted only restaurants that had at least two of four characteristics: rapid food service, takeout business, either no or a very limited wait staff and payment made before receiving food. And they ranked the neighborhoods from most to least number of fast-food outlets.

Morgenstern said that it would be difficult to break down how many fast food restaurants per block or per mile were in the high-concentration areas. But each census tract included about 5,000 people, and the neighborhoods in the top 25 percent had 33 restaurants per tract, while those in the lowest had 12.

Their analysis determined that "there was a 13 percent increased risk of stroke in the top 25 percent compared to the lowest 25 percent," Morgenstern said. The study was funded by the U.S. National Institutes of Health.

"It's interesting, but we don't know if it is causal," said Dr. Ralph Sacco, chairman of the department of neurology at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine and a spokesman for the American Stroke Association.

But the findings are plausible, said Dr. Dean Johnston, a clinical assistant professor of neurology at the University of British Columbia. "This suggests that diet and lifestyle factors are important for stroke prevention," he said. Fast food has been linked with obesity, and obesity increases stroke risk.

The bottom line for consumers? Anyone moving to a new locale should pay attention to the neighborhood, Morgenstern said, including the number of stores that sell fresh produce and the number of fast-food restaurants.

More information
The American Stroke Association has more on stroke.

Health Tip: Use Less Salt in Your Diet

(HealthDay News) -- Sodium can contribute to high blood pressure, which raises your risk for heart attack and stroke.

The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute offers these suggestions for a lower-sodium diet:

• Choose fresh, lean meats, poultry, and fish instead of processed versions.


• Skip the salt and use fresh herbs, spices, and low- or no-salt seasonings.


• Stick to fresh or frozen vegetables instead of canned. If you do choose canned, look for "no salt added" versions, or rinse vegetables before use.


• Don't add salt to the water when cooking rice or pasta. Also, avoid instant versions of these foods.


• Stay away from pre-packaged foods that are often high in sodium, such as frozen meals, pizzas, canned soups and foods, and packed food mixes.

Health Tip: Be Wary of Fad Diets

(HealthDay News) -- If you're looking to help kick start your weight loss program, it's important to carefully research a diet plan before you commit to one.

Look for these warning signs of an unhealthy fad diet, courtesy of the American Academy of Family Physicians:

• A diet that promises very fast weight loss -- anything more than a pound or two per week.
• A diet that promises weight loss without changing diet habits or engaging in an exercise program.
• A diet that is promoted by "scientific" testimonials and pictures of "before" and "after" success stories.
• A diet that involves expensive seminars, medications, or pre-made meals.
• A diet that focuses on very few acceptable foods, and doesn't focus on a healthy, balanced diet.
• A diet that points to simple explanations drawn from confusing research.

It Pays to Eat Less as You Age

(HealthDay News) -- Eat less, weigh less.

While it may sound painfully obvious, nutrition experts have been divided over whether cutting calories leads to long-term weight loss, because the practice can sometimes boomerang, triggering binge eating and weight gain.

But, new research suggests that eating less can pay big dividends, particularly as you age.

Publishing in the current issue of the American Journal of Health Promotion, researchers from Brigham Young University reported that the middle-aged women they studied had more than twice the risk of significant weight gain if they didn't cut back on food consumption.

"Some suggest that restrained eating is not a good practice," BYU professor Larry Tucker, the study's lead author, said in a university news release. "Given the environmental forces in America's food industry, not practicing restraint is essentially a guarantee of failure."

The researchers followed 192 middle-aged women for three years and compiled information on their lifestyles, health and eating habits. The analysis revealed that women who didn't practice more restraint while eating were 138 percent more likely to put on 6.6 pounds or more, the news release said.

Columbia University researcher Lance Davidson, who was not involved with the study, said the findings underscore a key principle of weight control.

"Because the body's energy requirements progressively decline with age, energy intake must mirror that decrease or weight gain occurs," Davidson said. "Dr. Tucker's observation that women who practice eating restraint avoid the significant weight gain commonly observed in middle age is an important health message."

Tucker said the benefits of cutting back on what you eat aren't limited to your reflection in a mirror. Healthful eating equals better health, he said.

"Weight gain and obesity bring a greater risk of diabetes and a number of other chronic diseases," he said. "Eating properly is a skill that needs to be practiced."

Tucker offers these tips for better eating:

• Record what you eat and how much.
• Put less food on your plate.
• Eat more fruits and vegetables. The U.S. food pyramid recommends at least five servings each day.

More information
To learn more about growing older and eating better, visit the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Eating Too Many Carrots?

One of my favorite snacks is raw carrots. I probably nibble on some five days a week. Recently, my palms and the soles of my feet turned yellow. Could the carrots be responsible? If so, is this dangerous? Should I cut back on carrots? If not the carrots, what else could cause this pigment change? Read more

Restaurant Portions

When you go out to dinner, do you know what you're getting yourself into?

Ani Phyo's Raw Food Kitchen: Lucuma Ice Kream

A delicious Lucuma flavored Ice Cream made with cashews and sweetened with yacon. Vegan and raw, of course. Also free of wheat, gluten, dairy, sugar, eggs.

How to Lower Your Cholesterol Level

Chances are that you're visiting this web site because you want to find about more about cholesterol and how to keep your cholesterol level low or how to lower your cholesterol level if it is high.

Here are steps you can take to lower your blood cholesterol or keep it low:

• Follow a low saturated fat, low-cholesterol diet.
• Be more physically active.
• Lose weight if you are overweight. Continue Reading >>
  

THE KITCHEN PHYSICIAN: Medicinal Foods

Medicinal Foods
by Carolyn Swicegood
"Let your food be your medicine" said Hippocrates, the Father of Medicine, who compiled a list of over four hundred herbs and their uses. Herbs, spices and other nutritional substances are the oldest form of medicine known to man. While modern or "allopathic" medicine is barely a century old, the practice of natural medicine using nature as a pharmacy can be traced back through all of the ancient civilizations. Over many centuries, man's experiment with plants has yielded a vast stock of natural medicines to help us heal many ailments, and almost always without harmful side effects. Many pharmaceuticals are still derived from the extracts of wild plants, such as digitalis from the purple foxglove flower. Amazingly enough, less than one percent of the over two hundred and fifty thousand plant species on earth have even been studied for their medicinal properties!

Many of the herbs, spices and foods that our grandmothers used as preventative and curative measures can be used for the same purpose in the care of our parrots. Through the years, numerous aviculturists have quietly employed these natural means of keeping their birds healthy. Unfortunately, there are no avian books to guide us in this usage, and of course, dosages and amounts are always the key issue. Although I have studied the use of herbs for over twenty years, I am not a veterinarian and cannot recommend medical treatments for parrots. However, you can find many excellent books on this subject to guide you. Again, the proper dosage is of paramount importance even when using natural substances. One method of judging the correct amount of an herb for a parrot is to determine the appropriate dosage for a human infant and then calculate the dosage for the bird by percentage of weight. For example, a parrot weighing one pound would need approximately one tenth of the amount given a human infant weighing ten times that (ten pounds). Most herbs do not have the toxic side effects of pharmaceutical compounds, so even if the dosage administered is not precise, the consequences are not likely to be as serious. Continue Reading >>

What is Fiber, Truth about Fiber, Nutrition by Natalie

Nutrition by Natalie Website
http://www.nutritionbynalie.com/
What is Fiber, Truth about Fiber, Nutrition by Natalie



Define fiber, fiber info, fiber facts, about fiber, fiber weight loss, fiber nutrition, high fiber foods, nutrition facts fiber

Tthe IA Kitchen

Ireland has recently undergone a culinary revolution. Always maintaining a healthy respect for meals made from the freshest ingredients, it has made strides in the creation of new and exciting tastes that are intrinsically and deliciously indigenous. Continue Reading >>

Ani Phyo's Raw Food Kitchen: Going to the Farmers' Market

Join Chef Ani Phyo on a trip to the Hollywood Farmers' Market, where she'll shop for the freshest organic produce for her raw and living food recipes. For more info, visit her website: http://www.aniphyo.com/

Health Tip: Eat More Vegetables

(HealthDay News) -- Instead of getting bored with the same old vegetable choices that take too long to prepare, choose convenience and variety in your vegetables.

Here are easy ways to get plenty of vegetables in your diet, provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture:

• Buy fresh vegetables that are in season -- they'll be at their peak flavor, and often less expensive.


• Keep plenty of frozen vegetables on hand for quick and easy microwave meals and sides.
• Look for conveniently packed vegetables, such as washed and peeled carrots, pre-washed bags of salads, and cut vegetables.
• Save time by making a baked potato in the microwave instead of the oven.
• Alternate your veggie choices and how you cook them. Try them raw and crunchy, then try them steamed.