Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Vitamin D to Reduce the Risk of Heart Attacks
Men deficient in vitamin D seem to have a higher risk of heart attacks than men whose blood levels of vitamin D are adequate. Medical records and blood samples of 454 men between the ages of 40 and 75 who had fatal or nonfatal heart attacks between January 1993 and January 2004 were compared with 900 men who had no history of cardiovascular disease. The vitamin D connection remained significant even after researchers adjusted for such heart disease risk factors as family history of heart attacks, body mass index, alcohol consumption, physical activities, diabetes, high blood pressure, cholesterol levels, omega 3 intake and ethnicity. The study was conducted by researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health and Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. The results suggest that current recommendations for vitamin D intake need to be increased to boost blood levels of vitamin D high enough to benefit health, the authors said. The study showed that men whose blood levels of vitamin D were 15 nanograms per milliliter or less were at increased risk. Sufficient blood levels of vitamin D were 30 nanograms per milliliter or more.
Friday, August 15, 2008
10 Essential Health Tips
He who has health has hope, and he who has hope has everything." -Arabian Proverb
1. Move More
Make it a daily challenge to find ways to move your body. Climb stairs if given a choice between that and escalators or elevators. Walk your dog; chase your kids; toss balls with friends, mow the lawn. Anything that moves your limbs is not only a fitness tool, it's a stress buster. Think 'move' in small increments of time. It doesn't have to be an hour in the gym or a 45-minute aerobic dance class or tai chi or kickboxing. But that's great when you're up to it. Meanwhile, move more. Thought for the day: Cha, Cha, Cha…. Then do it!
2. Cut Fat
Avoid the obvious such as fried foods, burgers and other fatty meats (i.e. pork, bacon, ham, salami, ribs and sausage). Dairy products such as cheese, cottage cheese, milk and cream should be eaten in low fat versions. Nuts and sandwich meats, mayonnaise, margarine, butter and sauces should be eaten in limited amounts. Most are available in lower fat versions such as substitute butter, fat free cheeses and mayonnaise. Thought for the day: Lean, mean, fat-burning machine…. Then be one!
3. Quit Smoking
The jury is definitely in on this verdict. Ever since 1960 when the Surgeon General announced that smoking was harmful to your health, Americans have been reducing their use of tobacco products that kill. Just recently, we've seen a surge in smoking in adolescents and teens. Could it be the Hollywood influence? It seems the stars in every movie of late smoke cigarettes. Beware. Warn your children of the false romance or 'tough guy' stance of Hollywood smokers. Thought for the day: Give up just one cigarette…. the next one.
4. Reduce Stress
Easier said than done, stress busters come in many forms. Some techniques recommended by experts are to think positive thoughts. Spend 30 minutes a day doing something you like. (i.e.,Soak in a hot tub; walk on the beach or in a park; read a good book; visit a friend; play with your dog; listen to soothing music; watch a funny movie. Get a massage, a facial or a haircut. Meditate. Count to ten before losing your temper or getting aggravated. Avoid difficult people when possible. Thought for the day: When seeing red, think pink clouds….then float on them.
5. Protect Yourself from Pollution
If you can't live in a smog-free environment, at least avoid smoke-filled rooms, high traffic areas, breathing in highway fumes and exercising near busy thoroughfares. Exercise outside when the smog rating is low. Exercise indoors in air conditioning when air quality is good. Plant lots of shrubbery in your yard. It's a good pollution and dirt from the street deterrent. Thought for the day: 'Smoke gets in your eyes'…and your mouth, and your nose and your lungs as do pollutants….hum the tune daily.
6. Wear Your Seat Belt
Statistics show that seat belts add to longevity and help alleviate potential injuries in car crashes. Thought for the day: Buckle down and buckle up.
7. Floss Your Teeth
Recent studies make a direct connection between longevity and teeth flossing. Nobody knows exactly why. Perhaps it's because people who floss tend to be more health conscious than people who don't? Thought for the day: Floss and be your body's boss.
8. Avoid Excessive Drinking
While recent studies show a glass of wine or one drink a day (two for men) can help protect against heart disease, more than that can cause other health problems such as liver and kidney disease and cancer. Thought for the day: A jug of wine should last a long time.
9. Keep a Positive Mental Outlook
There's a definitive connection between living well and healthfully and having a cheerful outlook on life. Thought for the day: You can't be unhappy when you're smiling or singing.
10. Choose Your Parents Well
The link between genetics and health is a powerful one. But just because one or both of your parents died young in ill health doesn't mean you cannot counteract the genetic pool handed you. Thought for the day: Follow these basic tips for healthy living and you can better control your own destiny.
1. Move More
Make it a daily challenge to find ways to move your body. Climb stairs if given a choice between that and escalators or elevators. Walk your dog; chase your kids; toss balls with friends, mow the lawn. Anything that moves your limbs is not only a fitness tool, it's a stress buster. Think 'move' in small increments of time. It doesn't have to be an hour in the gym or a 45-minute aerobic dance class or tai chi or kickboxing. But that's great when you're up to it. Meanwhile, move more. Thought for the day: Cha, Cha, Cha…. Then do it!
2. Cut Fat
Avoid the obvious such as fried foods, burgers and other fatty meats (i.e. pork, bacon, ham, salami, ribs and sausage). Dairy products such as cheese, cottage cheese, milk and cream should be eaten in low fat versions. Nuts and sandwich meats, mayonnaise, margarine, butter and sauces should be eaten in limited amounts. Most are available in lower fat versions such as substitute butter, fat free cheeses and mayonnaise. Thought for the day: Lean, mean, fat-burning machine…. Then be one!
3. Quit Smoking
The jury is definitely in on this verdict. Ever since 1960 when the Surgeon General announced that smoking was harmful to your health, Americans have been reducing their use of tobacco products that kill. Just recently, we've seen a surge in smoking in adolescents and teens. Could it be the Hollywood influence? It seems the stars in every movie of late smoke cigarettes. Beware. Warn your children of the false romance or 'tough guy' stance of Hollywood smokers. Thought for the day: Give up just one cigarette…. the next one.
4. Reduce Stress
Easier said than done, stress busters come in many forms. Some techniques recommended by experts are to think positive thoughts. Spend 30 minutes a day doing something you like. (i.e.,Soak in a hot tub; walk on the beach or in a park; read a good book; visit a friend; play with your dog; listen to soothing music; watch a funny movie. Get a massage, a facial or a haircut. Meditate. Count to ten before losing your temper or getting aggravated. Avoid difficult people when possible. Thought for the day: When seeing red, think pink clouds….then float on them.
5. Protect Yourself from Pollution
If you can't live in a smog-free environment, at least avoid smoke-filled rooms, high traffic areas, breathing in highway fumes and exercising near busy thoroughfares. Exercise outside when the smog rating is low. Exercise indoors in air conditioning when air quality is good. Plant lots of shrubbery in your yard. It's a good pollution and dirt from the street deterrent. Thought for the day: 'Smoke gets in your eyes'…and your mouth, and your nose and your lungs as do pollutants….hum the tune daily.
6. Wear Your Seat Belt
Statistics show that seat belts add to longevity and help alleviate potential injuries in car crashes. Thought for the day: Buckle down and buckle up.
7. Floss Your Teeth
Recent studies make a direct connection between longevity and teeth flossing. Nobody knows exactly why. Perhaps it's because people who floss tend to be more health conscious than people who don't? Thought for the day: Floss and be your body's boss.
8. Avoid Excessive Drinking
While recent studies show a glass of wine or one drink a day (two for men) can help protect against heart disease, more than that can cause other health problems such as liver and kidney disease and cancer. Thought for the day: A jug of wine should last a long time.
9. Keep a Positive Mental Outlook
There's a definitive connection between living well and healthfully and having a cheerful outlook on life. Thought for the day: You can't be unhappy when you're smiling or singing.
10. Choose Your Parents Well
The link between genetics and health is a powerful one. But just because one or both of your parents died young in ill health doesn't mean you cannot counteract the genetic pool handed you. Thought for the day: Follow these basic tips for healthy living and you can better control your own destiny.
Healthy Food Choices for School-Age Children
Variety
Your child should consume a variety of foods from the five major food groups that make up the "food pyramid". Each food group supplies important nutrients, including vitamins and minerals. These five groups and typical minimum servings are:
Vegetables: Three servings to five servings per day. A serving may consist of one cup of raw leafy vegetables, 3/4 cup of vegetable juice, or 1/2 cup of other vegetables, chopped raw or cooked.
Fruits: Two servings to four servings per day. A serving may consist of 1/2 cup of sliced fruit, 3/4 cup of fruit juice, or a medium-size whole fruit, like an apple, banana or pear.
Bread, cereal, or pasta: Six servings to 11 servings per day. Each serving should equal one slice of bread, 1/2 cup of rice or pasta or 1 ounce of cereal.
Protein foods: two servings to three servings of 2-3 ounces of cooked lean meat, poultry or fish per day. A serving in this group may also consist of 1/2 cup of cooked dry beans, one egg, or 2 tablespoons of peanut butter for each ounce of lean meat.
Dairy products: two servings to three servings per day of 1 cup of low-fat milk or yogurt, or 11/2 ounces of natural cheese.
Fiber
Fiber is a carbohydrate component of plant foods that is usually undigestible. It is found in foods like fruits, vegetables, whole-grain breads, cereals, brown rice, beans, seeds and nuts. In adults, increased fiber has been linked with a reduction of chronic gastrointestinal problems, including colon cancer, irritable bowel syndrome and diverticulitis. In children, however, fiber's only proven benefit is its ability to ease constipation-providing bulk that can promote regular frequency of bowel movements, soften the stools, and decrease the time it takes food to travel through the intestines. However, since food preferences and eating habits may be established early in life, and since high-fiber foods contain other nutrients, parents should include these foods in children's daily diets.
Protein
Your child requires protein for the proper growth and functioning of his body, including building new tissues and producing antibodies that help battle infections. Without essential amino acids (the building blocks of protein), children would be much more susceptible to serious diseases.
Protein-rich plants - such as dried beans and peas (legumes), grains, seeds and nuts -can be used as valuable sources of protein. Other protein-rich foods include meat, fish, milk, yogurt, cheese and eggs. These animal products contain high-quality protein and a full array of amino acids.
Bear in mind, however, that red meat and shellfish are not only rich in protein and an important source of iron but are high in fat and cholesterol as well. Thus, your child should consume them only in moderate amounts. Select lean cuts of meat and trim the fat before cooking. Likewise, remove skin from poultry, and excess fat from fish, before serving.
Fat
Humans cannot live without fats. They are a concentrated source of energy, providing essential fatty acids that are necessary for a variety of bodily processes (metabolism, blood clotting, vitamin absorption).
However, high fat intake - particularly a diet high in saturated fats - can cause problems. Saturated fats are usually solid at room temperatures and are found in fatty meats (such as beef, pork, ham, veal and lamb) and many dairy products (whole milk, cheese and ice cream). They can contribute to the buildup of atherosclerotic plaques and lead to coronary artery disease later in life. A diet rich in saturated fats also can increase blood cholesterol, particularly in people who have inherited a tendency toward high cholesterol levels.
For that reason, after age 2, children should be served foods that are lower in fat and saturated fats. Chances are that your child's favorite foods are higher in fat than is desirable. Prudent eating means relying more on low-fat, low-cholesterol foods like poultry, fish, and lean meat (broiled, baked or roasted; not fried), soft margarine (instead of butter), low-fat dairy products, and low-saturated-fat oils from vegetables, while limiting egg consumption.
As a general guideline, fats should make up less than 30 percent of the calories in your child's diet, with no more than about one third or less of those fat calories coming from saturated fat, and the remainder from unsaturated (that is, polyunsaturated or monounsaturated) fats, which are liquid at room temperature and include vegetable oils like corn, safflower, sunflower, soybean and olive. Some parents find the information about various types of fat confusing. In general, oils and fats derived from animal origin are saturated. The simplest place to start is merely to reduce the amount of fatty foods of all types in your family's diet.
Sugar
Keep your child's sugar consumption at moderate levels. Sugar has plenty of calories, but dietitians often call them empty calories because they have very little additional nutritional value. Even so, many children consume sugar in great quantities, usually at the expense of healthier foods - that is, when youngsters drink sodas, they are usually leaving the milk in the refrigerator; when they eat a brownie, they may be overlooking the bowl of fruit, a good source of complex carbohydrates, on the kitchen table.
Salt
Table salt, or sodium chloride, may improve the taste of certain foods. However, researchers have found a relationship between dietary salt and high blood pressure in some individuals and population groups. High blood pressure afflicts about 25 percent of adult Americans and contributes to heart attacks and strokes.
The habit of using extra salt is an acquired one. Thus, as much as possible, serve your child foods low in salt. In the kitchen, minimize the amount of salt you add to food during its preparation, using herbs, spices, or lemon juice instead. Also, take the salt shaker off the dinner table, or at least limit its use by your family.
Because of the preservative properties of salt, processed foods often contain large amounts of it. Salt-rich foods may include processed cheese, instant puddings, canned vegetables, canned soups, hot dogs, cottage cheese, salad dressings, pickles, certain breakfast cereals, and potato chips and other snacks.
Your child should consume a variety of foods from the five major food groups that make up the "food pyramid". Each food group supplies important nutrients, including vitamins and minerals. These five groups and typical minimum servings are:
Vegetables: Three servings to five servings per day. A serving may consist of one cup of raw leafy vegetables, 3/4 cup of vegetable juice, or 1/2 cup of other vegetables, chopped raw or cooked.
Fruits: Two servings to four servings per day. A serving may consist of 1/2 cup of sliced fruit, 3/4 cup of fruit juice, or a medium-size whole fruit, like an apple, banana or pear.
Bread, cereal, or pasta: Six servings to 11 servings per day. Each serving should equal one slice of bread, 1/2 cup of rice or pasta or 1 ounce of cereal.
Protein foods: two servings to three servings of 2-3 ounces of cooked lean meat, poultry or fish per day. A serving in this group may also consist of 1/2 cup of cooked dry beans, one egg, or 2 tablespoons of peanut butter for each ounce of lean meat.
Dairy products: two servings to three servings per day of 1 cup of low-fat milk or yogurt, or 11/2 ounces of natural cheese.
Fiber
Fiber is a carbohydrate component of plant foods that is usually undigestible. It is found in foods like fruits, vegetables, whole-grain breads, cereals, brown rice, beans, seeds and nuts. In adults, increased fiber has been linked with a reduction of chronic gastrointestinal problems, including colon cancer, irritable bowel syndrome and diverticulitis. In children, however, fiber's only proven benefit is its ability to ease constipation-providing bulk that can promote regular frequency of bowel movements, soften the stools, and decrease the time it takes food to travel through the intestines. However, since food preferences and eating habits may be established early in life, and since high-fiber foods contain other nutrients, parents should include these foods in children's daily diets.
Protein
Your child requires protein for the proper growth and functioning of his body, including building new tissues and producing antibodies that help battle infections. Without essential amino acids (the building blocks of protein), children would be much more susceptible to serious diseases.
Protein-rich plants - such as dried beans and peas (legumes), grains, seeds and nuts -can be used as valuable sources of protein. Other protein-rich foods include meat, fish, milk, yogurt, cheese and eggs. These animal products contain high-quality protein and a full array of amino acids.
Bear in mind, however, that red meat and shellfish are not only rich in protein and an important source of iron but are high in fat and cholesterol as well. Thus, your child should consume them only in moderate amounts. Select lean cuts of meat and trim the fat before cooking. Likewise, remove skin from poultry, and excess fat from fish, before serving.
Fat
Humans cannot live without fats. They are a concentrated source of energy, providing essential fatty acids that are necessary for a variety of bodily processes (metabolism, blood clotting, vitamin absorption).
However, high fat intake - particularly a diet high in saturated fats - can cause problems. Saturated fats are usually solid at room temperatures and are found in fatty meats (such as beef, pork, ham, veal and lamb) and many dairy products (whole milk, cheese and ice cream). They can contribute to the buildup of atherosclerotic plaques and lead to coronary artery disease later in life. A diet rich in saturated fats also can increase blood cholesterol, particularly in people who have inherited a tendency toward high cholesterol levels.
For that reason, after age 2, children should be served foods that are lower in fat and saturated fats. Chances are that your child's favorite foods are higher in fat than is desirable. Prudent eating means relying more on low-fat, low-cholesterol foods like poultry, fish, and lean meat (broiled, baked or roasted; not fried), soft margarine (instead of butter), low-fat dairy products, and low-saturated-fat oils from vegetables, while limiting egg consumption.
As a general guideline, fats should make up less than 30 percent of the calories in your child's diet, with no more than about one third or less of those fat calories coming from saturated fat, and the remainder from unsaturated (that is, polyunsaturated or monounsaturated) fats, which are liquid at room temperature and include vegetable oils like corn, safflower, sunflower, soybean and olive. Some parents find the information about various types of fat confusing. In general, oils and fats derived from animal origin are saturated. The simplest place to start is merely to reduce the amount of fatty foods of all types in your family's diet.
Sugar
Keep your child's sugar consumption at moderate levels. Sugar has plenty of calories, but dietitians often call them empty calories because they have very little additional nutritional value. Even so, many children consume sugar in great quantities, usually at the expense of healthier foods - that is, when youngsters drink sodas, they are usually leaving the milk in the refrigerator; when they eat a brownie, they may be overlooking the bowl of fruit, a good source of complex carbohydrates, on the kitchen table.
Salt
Table salt, or sodium chloride, may improve the taste of certain foods. However, researchers have found a relationship between dietary salt and high blood pressure in some individuals and population groups. High blood pressure afflicts about 25 percent of adult Americans and contributes to heart attacks and strokes.
The habit of using extra salt is an acquired one. Thus, as much as possible, serve your child foods low in salt. In the kitchen, minimize the amount of salt you add to food during its preparation, using herbs, spices, or lemon juice instead. Also, take the salt shaker off the dinner table, or at least limit its use by your family.
Because of the preservative properties of salt, processed foods often contain large amounts of it. Salt-rich foods may include processed cheese, instant puddings, canned vegetables, canned soups, hot dogs, cottage cheese, salad dressings, pickles, certain breakfast cereals, and potato chips and other snacks.
Friday, August 1, 2008
Vitamin D to Reduce the Risk of Heart Attacks
Men deficient in vitamin D seem to have a higher risk of heart attacks than men whose blood levels of vitamin D are adequate. Medical records and blood samples of 454 men between the ages of 40 and 75 who had fatal or nonfatal heart attacks between January 1993 and January 2004 were compared with 900 men who had no history of cardiovascular disease. The vitamin D connection remained significant even after researchers adjusted for such heart disease risk factors as family history of heart attacks, body mass index, alcohol consumption, physical activities, diabetes, high blood pressure, cholesterol levels, omega 3 intake and ethnicity. The study was conducted by researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health and Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. The results suggest that current recommendations for vitamin D intake need to be increased to boost blood levels of vitamin D high enough to benefit health, the authors said. The study showed that men whose blood levels of vitamin D were 15 nanograms per milliliter or less were at increased risk. Sufficient blood levels of vitamin D were 30 nanograms per milliliter or more.
Organic Food for life
Why do you buy organic food?
I don't buy all my food organic " I used to be very strict when I was running and would only have organic. Now it's very much what's available and I buy chicken and fruit and vegetables organically as much as possible, just for the healthy side of it. When I was running it was about trying to get in as many pure and natural ingredients as possible. I wasn't so much into vitamins and stuff like that, so it was case of getting as many nutrients as I could from the food I was eating. To me, that was the best way of doing it.
Did it make a difference when you were running?
When you're running you use up so much energy and so many calories and you're forever having to replace it, so it was a case of eating enough of the good things. The bottom line though is that when you're standing on the line before a race you feel good because you've put all the right food inside of you, so it's the psychological feeling you get from it as well. I was ahead of my time because I'm not sure anyone else was as strict as I was!
Do you notice a difference in the taste of organic food?
It's a lot fresher, a lot tastier. I have a new baby as well so I always give him organic because it's a case of giving them the best start in life. He's six months old, so he has loads of organic carrots, pears and apples.
Does he enjoy it? Perhaps with a six-month-old you can't really tell...
Well, he scoffs it down! The other two are not big vegetable- eaters so I have to disguise them in soups and spaghetti bolognese, but they love big plates of fruit when I chop it all up and make it look nice!
Have you got any favourite organic foods?
Strawberries and kiwis always taste better, and things like broccoli and mangetout.
What work have you done to promote organic food?
The BBC Big Challenge, which is about getting people in the workplace healthier and looking after themselves, exercising more and making it a way of life. It's a case of trying to get rid of all the vending machines selling chocolate bars and getting healthier options in the canteen. Just trying to be as active as you can and not using work as an excuse.
Do you think in time that everyone will be eating organic and exercising?
I think we have to start thinking like that. It's scary now seeing the figures on how inactive and obese children are and you can see how we are going to end up with a whole culture of people with lazy genes.
Is organic food easier to get hold of now?
It's a lot better than when I was running 12 or 13 years ago when it was really hard to get hold of. I had to go to health food shops whereas now you can just go down to your local supermarket, although obviously you have to pay a bit more.
Does the price difference bother you?
No, because you're talking about your health and the way you are as people, which I think is much more important than anything else. It's much more important to know what you're eating and where it has come from.
I don't buy all my food organic " I used to be very strict when I was running and would only have organic. Now it's very much what's available and I buy chicken and fruit and vegetables organically as much as possible, just for the healthy side of it. When I was running it was about trying to get in as many pure and natural ingredients as possible. I wasn't so much into vitamins and stuff like that, so it was case of getting as many nutrients as I could from the food I was eating. To me, that was the best way of doing it.
Did it make a difference when you were running?
When you're running you use up so much energy and so many calories and you're forever having to replace it, so it was a case of eating enough of the good things. The bottom line though is that when you're standing on the line before a race you feel good because you've put all the right food inside of you, so it's the psychological feeling you get from it as well. I was ahead of my time because I'm not sure anyone else was as strict as I was!
Do you notice a difference in the taste of organic food?
It's a lot fresher, a lot tastier. I have a new baby as well so I always give him organic because it's a case of giving them the best start in life. He's six months old, so he has loads of organic carrots, pears and apples.
Does he enjoy it? Perhaps with a six-month-old you can't really tell...
Well, he scoffs it down! The other two are not big vegetable- eaters so I have to disguise them in soups and spaghetti bolognese, but they love big plates of fruit when I chop it all up and make it look nice!
Have you got any favourite organic foods?
Strawberries and kiwis always taste better, and things like broccoli and mangetout.
What work have you done to promote organic food?
The BBC Big Challenge, which is about getting people in the workplace healthier and looking after themselves, exercising more and making it a way of life. It's a case of trying to get rid of all the vending machines selling chocolate bars and getting healthier options in the canteen. Just trying to be as active as you can and not using work as an excuse.
Do you think in time that everyone will be eating organic and exercising?
I think we have to start thinking like that. It's scary now seeing the figures on how inactive and obese children are and you can see how we are going to end up with a whole culture of people with lazy genes.
Is organic food easier to get hold of now?
It's a lot better than when I was running 12 or 13 years ago when it was really hard to get hold of. I had to go to health food shops whereas now you can just go down to your local supermarket, although obviously you have to pay a bit more.
Does the price difference bother you?
No, because you're talking about your health and the way you are as people, which I think is much more important than anything else. It's much more important to know what you're eating and where it has come from.
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