Saturday, May 26, 2007
Is a Low-Carbohydrate Diet Right for Me?
What is a low-carbohydrate diet?
Foods get their calories from protein, fats, and carbohydrates. Most of the calories you eat come from carbohydrates and fats. Carbohydrates are starches and sugars, which are in foods like bread, pasta, and sweets. Low-carbohydrate diets (or low-carb diets, for short) cut down on the amount of calories you get from sugars and starches.
People on low-carb diets eat less bread, pasta, potatoes, rice, and cereals. They usually eat more vegetables, meat, fish, cheese, eggs, and nuts.
Do these diets help people lose weight?
Whenever people eat fewer calories than their bodies use, they lose weight. People on a low-carb diet usually take in fewer calories, even though they are eating more protein and fats than usual. Low-carb diets have been shown to help people who are overweight lose weight. These diets may work better than low-fat diets when people first start dieting. After the first six months, though, low-carb diets do not work any better than other diets.
Are low-carb diets safe?
It is probably safe to go on a low-carb diet for up to one year, but doctors are not sure if these diets are safe for longer than that. Low-carb diets do not raise cholesterol levels for most people. In fact, they may improve your cholesterol level if you lose weight. Some people on these diets may have constipation, diarrhea, dizziness, bad breath, headaches, sleeping problems, or nausea.
If you have had a stroke or if you have diabetes, heart disease, high cholesterol levels, or kidney stones, or if you are pregnant, talk to your doctor before starting a low-carb diet.
Should I take vitamins when I'm on a low-carb diet?
Yes. People on low-carb diets may not get enough vitamins, minerals, and fiber. If you are on a low-carb diet, you should take a multivitamin and a fiber supplement (one brand: Metamucil) every day.
Written by familydoctor.org editorial staff.
Source
Low-Carbohydrate Diets by AR Last, MD, MPH, and SA Wilson, MD, MPH (American Family Physician June 1, 2006, http://www.aafp.org/afp/20060601/1942.html)
Nutrition and Exercise: Healthy Balance for a Healthy Heart
How does what I eat affect my heart?
The food you eat can affect the way blood flows through your heart and arteries. A diet high in fat and cholesterol can gradually cause a buildup (called "plaque") in your arteries. That buildup slows down the blood flow and blocks small arteries. If the blockage happens in an artery that carries blood to the heart muscle, a heart attack can occur. If the blockage happens in an artery that carries blood to the brain, a stroke can occur. The right diet helps keep your arteries clear and reduces the risk of heart problems and stroke.
Keeping your heart healthy by watching what you eat and making healthy food choices isn't as hard as it sounds!
How much should I weigh?
Talk to your family doctor about determining your ideal weight, because every person is different. If you're overweight, the extra pounds put extra stress on your heart. Losing weight will help your heart stay healthy. If you need to lose weight, remember that losing just 10% of your body weight will reduce your risks for diabetes and heart disease.
Why is exercise good for my heart?
Exercise makes your heart stronger, helping it pump more blood with each heartbeat. The blood then delivers more oxygen to your body, which helps it function more efficiently. Exercise can also lower blood pressure, reduce your risk of heart disease and reduce levels of LDL ("bad" cholesterol), which clogs the arteries and can cause a heart attack. At the same time, exercise can raise levels of HDL ("good" cholesterol), which helps protect against heart disease.
Combined with a healthy diet, exercise can speed up weight loss. Exercise is also the best way to maintain weight loss. Regular exercise also helps you burn calories faster, even when you're sitting still.
What's the best type of exercise for my heart?
Aerobic exercise causes you to breathe more deeply and makes your heart work harder to pump blood. Aerobic exercise also raises your heart rate (which also burns calories). Examples of aerobic exercise include walking, jogging, running, swimming and bicycling.
How much exercise do I need?
In general, if you haven't been exercising, try to work up to 30 minutes, 4 to 6 times a week. Your doctor may make a different recommendation based on your health. If you can't carry on a conversation while you exercise, you may be overdoing it. It is best to alternate exercise days with rest days to prevent injuries.
How will I fit exercise into my busy schedule?
There are lots of ways to raise your heart rate during your regular day. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Walk during a coffee break or lunch. Walk to work, or park at the end of the parking lot so you have to walk farther. Walk more briskly. Do housework at a quicker pace and more often (for example, vacuuming every day). Rake leaves, push the lawn mower or do other yard work.
Written by familydoctor.org editorial staff.
Source
Some information adapted from Physicians Guide to Outpatient Nutrition, by Sylvia A. Moore, Ph.D., R.D., F.A.D.A. and John P. Nagle, M.P.A. American Academy of Family Physicians, Leawood, KS. 2001.
Boost Your Emotional EQ
Learn to bolster good feelings
by Hallie Levine
Life isn't always easy, but there are ways to strengthen inner reserves. Here are four ways to be better equipped to deal with any crisis--big or small.
But before you read our tips, make sure you take our Emotional EQ quiz.
Cultivate Social Connections
Belonging to a club, attending religious services, or volunteering may be as beneficial to your long-term health as regular exercise, suggests research. "We think it's because all these activities provide social support, which relieves stress and helps boost emotional energy," says study author Joseph Grzywacz, PhD, a professor of family and community medicine at Wake Forest University School of Medicine.
Try Emotional Kung Fu
Be inspired by this ancient art of self-defense and use attacking force to your advantage. "Instead of using up energy ruminating about an attack or trying to defend yourself, use your resources as a way to recast it as an attack on the problem rather than on you," suggests Charles Manz, PhD, a Nirenberg chaired professor of business leadership at the University of Massachusetts and the author of Temporary Sanity. Next time your coworker criticizes your leadership skills, don't waste your energy by getting mad. Instead, ask her how she would have handled the situation. The result: less self-blame, more productivity.
Keep a Journal
"At the end of a long, stressful day, take 15 minutes and jot down your feelings," suggests Bruce Rabin, MD, PhD, a professor of psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Healthy Lifestyle Program. Research has found that people who write about upsetting thoughts are healthier and happier than those who keep them bottled up.
Let Your Emotions Out
Women who ruminate have higher blood pressure and risk of depression and anxiety than do those who express their emotions more freely. The best way to deal with a feeling--whether it's sadness or anger--is to express it to someone, preferably a trusted friend or family member, and then try to let it go.
Hallie Levine is a freelance writer in New York City who has written about health and fitness for more than 20 national publications, including Glamour, Newsweek, and the New York Post.
taked from http://www.prevention.com/
Why Am I So Tired?
Healing With Dr. Andrew Weil
Why Am I So Tired?
Don't buy the "in" diagnosis.
Q: A friend was diagnosed with adrenal fatigue. Could that condition explain why I'm so tired?
A: I doubt it. Adrenal fatigue is an "in" diagnosis these days, but it's not one recognized by conventional medicine--and with good reason. Some alternative practitioners claim that constant stress drains the adrenals, leading to a drop in the hormones that help your body function normally, but I don't buy it. They diagnose via unreliable saliva tests or symptom questionnaires and may suggest that "adrenal fatigue" causes exhaustion, food cravings, and other vague symptoms. Several adrenal-gland deficiency disorders exist, but these are serious conditions with challenging symptoms that require careful diagnosis and treatment. Learn more about them from the National Institutes of Health.
If you're stressed-out and need a lift, take a multi with B-complex vitamins, as well as an herbal tonic such as cordyceps, American ginseng, or eleuthero (aka Siberian ginseng). These are available in health food stores; follow label directions. In addition, take a daily walk and try relaxation techniques such as deep breathing, meditation, yoga, or biofeedback to help reduce stress.
Dr. Weil is clinical professor of medicine at the University of Arizona and director of its Program in Integrative Medicine.
taked from
http://www.prevention.com
Blood Donors: Stop the Swoon
Ever fainted after giving blood? Drink water first.
by Dave Caruso
Some 150,000 blood donors a year faint or feel dizzy. Richard Stein, MD, chief of cardiology at The Brooklyn Hospital Center, says most never donate blood again. That's bad news for the already low US blood reserves.
The solution: Two hours beforehand, start sipping 16 to 20 ounces of water (even better: half water, half sports drink). You're building a fluid reserve to rapidly replenish blood volume, which will help prevent fainting.
More tips: Lie down awhile after donating, and when you get up, do it slowly.
Ready to donate again? Call (800) GIVE LIFE (448-3543).
taked from
http://www.prevention.com
Eat Smart Before Exercising
Why food is so important to a good workout
by Liz Applegate
Like many people, you may think that eating before exercise is self-defeating. After all, if you work out to lose weight, why would you want to counteract all of those burned calories by filling your body with food?
Well, there are plenty of reasons. Here are the most important ones:
You'll actually burn more calories by eating before you run, swim, walk, or lift weights.
When you don't eat before your workout, many of the reasons for exercising--conditioning, fitness, building muscle mass and strength, losing weight--go out the window. That's because your body turns to muscle protein for fuel when it doesn't have enough carbohydrate to burn. If you start your workout well-fueled, your body will burn a combination of the carbohydrate stored in your muscles and the fat stored in your fat cells.
You'll be motivated to get out the door.
If you work out during your lunch break or after work, you're probably all too familiar with the excuses "I'm too hungry" and "I'm too tired." A healthy snack will eliminate those excuses.
You'll have the endurance to lengthen your workout.
How many times have you stopped exercising because you felt dizzy, shaky, or just plain pooped? That's because you didn't have enough fuel to go the distance.
You'll perform better.
Stocking up on food delays that burning feeling in your muscles, which will help you run, cycle, walk, or swim faster and for longer periods of time. Test subjects who ate before exercising also reported feeling better and rated their efforts as less rigorous than those who had fasted beforehand.
Your body needs fuel to keep your heart pumping and your brain buzzing even when you're not pounding the pavement.
Have you ever felt light-headed when you haven't eaten for several hours? That's a sign that your brain is suffering from less-than-ideal fueling conditions. The bottom line is that you need to eat every 3 to 5 hours to maintain basic body functions.
Eating smart before a workout--particularly food that supplies loads of carbohydrate--provides a whole host of benefits. Your muscles receive an infusion of energy to help maximize the results of your workout, and your entire body (especially your brain) gets the fuel and nutrients it needs for daily living.
What, When, and How Much
Here's a look at specific eating guidelines for preworkout fueling.
Eat 2 to 4 hours before a workout.
This may mean planning your meals at different times to accommodate your workout schedule. For example, you may eat lunch at 2:00 p.m. so you can work out at 6:00 p.m.
Eat 400 to 800 calories at your pre-exercise meal.
This amount should fuel your workout without making you feel sluggish or full.
Choose high-carb foods that are low in fat and have a moderate amount of protein.
A whole grain bagel topped with tomato slices and low-fat cheese, or breakfast cereal and fruit with 2% milk or soy milk, are both excellent choices.
Drink at least 10 ounces of water or sports drink 2 hours before you exercise.
This helps offset sweat loss during your workout. The 2 hours gives your kidneys time to rid your body of any excess fluid.
Liz Appletgate, Ph.D., a Runner's World magazine columnist and author, is on the Nutrition Department faculty at the University of California, Davis.
Energize Your Workouts
How to get your body motivated--and moving
by Liz Applegate
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A number of factors can conspire to make you find an excuse to not exercise. Physical hunger is the most common culprit, which is why I suggest to fitness enthusiasts that they snack on mini meals every few hours rather than eat two or three large meals a day. Other factors that mainly affect your brain's energy can cause a dip in motivation as well.
Here are some food tips and strategies to keep your energy up and your motivation in motion.
Make breakfast happen.
Skipping breakfast, the most important meal of the day, can leave you feeling muddleheaded both at work and during your workout. Many studies on children have shown that when they miss breakfast, they falter in reading, memory, and other cognitive skills. It appears that the brain is sensitive to short-term deficits in fuel and nutrient supply.
Going all night without food and then skipping breakfast may cause your blood sugar levels to dip, which can bring on light-headedness. And since sugar in the form of glucose is your brain's primary fuel source, it's no wonder that your memory and other thinking powers go downhill when you're running on empty.
Ready-to-eat breakfast cereal, fruit, and milk make for a great start. Or try unconventional breakfast items such as leftover pizza or a casserole. If you're in a hurry, take along a container of yogurt, a piece of fruit, and a whole grain roll, or try a ready-made pita wrap (available in your supermarket's deli section). Or throw fresh berries, low-fat ice cream, and milk in a blender, then grab a cup of this super fruit smoothie in one hand, your briefcase in the other, and go.
Wake up with water.
A cold splash of water in the face has always been a reliable wake-up call, but drinking water can energize and refresh you even more. Between 55 and 60 percent of your body is composed of water, most of it residing in your cells, where it allows for essential chemical reactions like the breakdown of carbohydrates for brain fuel. In fact, your brain is more than 70 percent water by weight, and if this percentage dips below a critical level, you'll feel listless, dull, and headachy.
Brain dehydration can easily happen even without the added stress of exercise. Dry indoor air causes fluid loss that you may not be aware of; combined with too little water intake and too many caffeinated beverages, this gradual dehydration can leave you with a brain-drain headache by late afternoon.
Keep yourself energized by starting off your morning with an 8-ounce glass of plain water before your morning coffee. Keep a bottle of water handy, drinking 1 to 2 quarts throughout the day. According to the USDA, most people in the United States drink only one-quarter of their fluid needs as plain water; they get the rest from coffee, soda, and food. For a clear head, reach for the clear stuff
Snack on raisins.
Raisins (along with apples, nuts, and parsley) are a great source of the mineral boron, which plays a role in brain function, perhaps combating drowsiness. In a series of studies performed by the USDA, healthy men and women ate diets low in boron for several weeks. Another group ate the same foods but took a boron supplement. Both groups took a battery of tests that assessed brain functions such as brain wave activity and cognitive skills, including memory, attention, and manual dexterity.
Compared with those in the supplement group, the subjects on the boron-deficient diet showed slowed brain activity, indicating drowsiness. Researchers also noted deterioration in cognitive skills among the low-boron group. The USDA researchers gave the study subjects 3 to 4 milligrams of boron, a dosage equivalent to that found in about 3 ounces of raisins and 1 ounce of almonds.
Toss a few raisins and nuts into your cereal and salads and keep some snack-size boxes or packets in your desk for afternoon grazing.
Munch on Brazil nuts and tuna.
Brazil nuts and tuna are two of the best food sources of selenium, a mineral that not only serves as an antioxidant but also may boost mood, lift spirits, and contribute to feelings of clearheadedness.
USDA researchers tracked the effects of varying selenium intakes on men's mood profiles for 15 weeks. Half of the men in the study consumed 40 percent of the recommended daily selenium requirement, while the other half took in about 350 percent.
When researchers tested the moods of both groups, the high-selenium group felt more elated than depressed, more energetic than tired, more clearheaded than confused, and more confident than unsure.
But before you rush out and buy a selenium supplement, be aware that this mineral is highly toxic in large doses. Stick to no more than 400 micrograms, or five to seven times the daily requirement (which is 55 micrograms), and talk to your doctor before supplementing with that amount. Better yet, concentrate on getting selenium in your diet. In addition to tuna and nuts, other good food sources include chicken, turkey, lean beef, and whole grain bread and cereals.
Lighten up at lunch.
You probably know from experience that loading up at lunch can leave you feeling sleepy in the afternoon. That's because food in your digestive tract diverts blood away from other parts of your body, leaving you with that sluggish feeling. Studies show that big meals (1,000 calories or more) at midday cause more drowsiness than lunches half that size. If you feel sleepy following even a light lunch, try adding some protein the next day.
Fill up on fiber.
If you feel de-energized and hungry when your meal wears off, try adding some fiber to your fare. Pectin, a type of water-soluble fiber found in fruits such as apples and oranges, has been shown to help people feel full longer by delaying emptying of the stomach. When people swallowed a 5-gram dose of pectin (extracted from apples) with their meal, they felt full for up to 4 hours. An added benefit is that pectin also helps lower blood cholesterol levels.
Snack intelligently.
If you're just plain tired, eating a small snack can perk you up. Keep these snacks high in nutrient-packed, carbohydrate-rich foods and light on calories (stay under 200). If the snack is crunchy, really hot, or really cold, it will help wake up your senses. Here are some healthful examples:
One frozen fruit bar
8 ounces of drinkable fruit-flavored yogurt mixed with 4 ounces of club soda
One ready-to-eat cereal bar like Nutri-Grain tossed in the microwave for less than a minute and then spread with 1 tablespoon fat-free cream cheese
One sorbet "sandwich" (3 tablespoons strawberry sorbet wedged between two caramel corn rice cakes)
One small package of precut veggies with reduced-fat dip
Avoid a java jag.
Drinking a cup or two of coffee improves feelings of alertness and clearheadedness and may even bolster your performance on monotonous tasks such as typing or filing. But moderate use of this pick-me-up can easily brew into a caffeine habit that may actually zap your energy and cause fatigue. People who perpetually have a cup of coffee, tea, or cola in their hands have developed a dependency. Without a steady allotment of the stimulant throughout the day, they feel tired, irritable, and even headachy (a symptom of withdrawal). In short, they're caffeine junkies.
If you view coffee or other caffeinated beverages as a life source without which you can't function, try phasing caffeine out a little at a time to regain your own natural energy. Start your "detox" by cutting one-fifth of your typical daily caffeine intake for a few weeks. You may experience fatigue or headaches for a day or two as your body goes through withdrawal. When you've adjusted to this amount, continue gradually cutting back. Once you're down to a cup or two in the morning, you can decide whether you want to eliminate caffeine altogether.
Ditch the diet.
According to research, people who cut calories to slim down perform poorly on tests of memory and mental processing. One study compared the mental performances of people on weight-reducing diets to the performances of those who weren't dieting. The researchers likened the slowed mental performance seen in dieters to being intoxicated by alcohol.
While some researchers argue that poor mental performance stems from an inadequate flow of energy to the brain, the researchers who did the study theorize that the results of the study reflect dieters' feelings of anxiety. When dieting, most people start obsessing over the foods that they are trying not to eat as well as worrying about the success of their dieting efforts. This type of distraction affects mental processing capacity. The effects were more serious in dieters who weren't losing weight than in those who were, supporting the theory that anxiety may play a role in undermining mental performance.
If you're limiting your calories to lose weight, avoid radical dieting, which is sure to leave you feeling drained. The best route to weight loss is to boost your activity level to burn more calories while simultaneously making small adjustments to your eating habits. You have better things to do than worry about your next meal.
http://www.prevention.com
Power Up for Lunchtime Workouts
If you're going to be exercising at lunchtime, make your midmorning snack higher in carbohydrates than you otherwise would. If you exercise after work, up the carbohydrate content of your midafternoon snack. "Those carbohydrates an hour or so before exercising will serve directly as energy to burn for your workout," Wein says. It is also a great way to provide energy to your muscles during your workout, she adds.
You could have a half-cup of raisins (115 g carb), a half-cup of tropical trail mix (92 g), 10 pretzels (48 g) or an 8 oz cup of low fat yogurt (43 g).
And eat your next meal soon after you finish your workout. Exercise itself lowers blood sugar, so enjoying a balanced meal afterward will help stabilize glucose levels and keep you going for the rest of the day.
Beat Afternoon Slump
As any woman knows, the workday doesn't end when you leave the office. After-hours errands, or what have you, put extended demands on your stamina. A midafternoon snack can help see you through. Plus, you won't get home so hungry that you inhale the first thing that you get your hands on, or overeat at dinner.
The ideal midafternoon snack consists of the same mix of components as a good breakfast or midmorning snack: a mini-meal that includes protein and some fat as well as carbohydrates--say, the other half of a turkey sandwich, or a couple more peanut butter crackers.
Eat to Beat the Heat
If you notice that you tire more easily in the summer, heat itself isn't necessarily to blame. "Dehydration is what makes you tired," Grandjean says. That's because your body will keep its cells hydrated at all costs, she says, so if you don't replace water lost through perspiration, it will simply take water out of the circulating blood, reducing your blood volume. "As your blood volume goes down, your heart has to work a little harder," she says. "Your body adapts to that by slowing down, and that affects your general feeling of vitality." So your daily 8 or 9 glasses of water become more important on hot days, and, in fact, may not be enough on some days.
taked from http://www.prevention.com
Power Breakfasts
"When you wake up in the morning, you've gone 6 to 8 hours without taking in any calories," Wein points out. "That is the time to wake up your body by providing it with the right kind of calories to burn for energy."
So if you skimp on breakfast, you run the risk of a lackluster morning, since your blood sugar will probably be low and stay low, depriving your brain of the glucose it needs. Here's how to eat a true power breakfast.
Hold the pancake syrup.
Sweet breakfasts are an energy disaster, since nothing plummets your blood sugar faster (after an initial boost) than concentrated forms of simple carbohydrates like corn or maple syrup. Pouring one of them over refined carbohydrates like white flour pancakes or waffles exaggerates the effect.
Whittle warns that any sweet topping with corn syrup in it--like the typical maple-flavored syrup or a lot of jellies--is an especially good bet to spike-and-dip your blood sugar to lethargic levels.
So try some healthier and more energizing alternatives, she suggests. Go for French toast made with whole grain bread and egg substitute, or use a whole grain flour like buckwheat in your pancake or waffle mix. Top them off with your favorite fruit instead of syrup. (The fructose in fruit is also a simple sugar, but it takes longer to digest, and the fiber in fruit helps slow the absorption of sugar, blunting the effect on blood sugar.)
Reach for some protein.
While fruit and whole grain cereal are fine morning choices, your breakfast carbohydrates still need to be balanced with some protein foods for more enduring energy, Whittle says. The fat-free milk or low-fat yogurt you add to the cereal will work. Or go for eggs or egg substitutes with an English muffin or a slice of whole grain toast.
Shoot for 3 g of fiber per serving.
Whole grains, unlike refined flour products, deliver energy laced with fiber, which slows down the digestion so that the energy is released over a longer period of time.
That's why whole grain, high-fiber cereals are an excellent breakfast selection for all-morning energy. "Look for one with at least 3 g of fiber per serving," Wein says. "Some have 8 g or more. Eat it with fat-free milk, and you have a perfect balance."
Stock up on oatmeal.
A fiber-packed whole grain cereal, oatmeal is your best breakfast choice for long-lasting energy, says William Evans, PhD, director of the nutrition, metabolism, and exercise laboratory at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences/Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Little Rock.
Evans fed a group of volunteers oatmeal and others another type of high-carbohydrate cereal and then put everybody on exercise bikes. "There's no doubt that eating oatmeal allowed both men and women to exercise for a significantly longer time," he says.
Evans gives the credit for oatmeal's energy boost to its soluble fiber content. Much more than the insoluble fiber in, say, wheat bran, the soluble fiber in oatmeal slows down carbohydrate absorption, thus keeping your blood sugar levels more constant.
Both oat bran and rolled oats are high in soluble fiber, so on mornings when you don't feel like eating oatmeal, try oat bran muffins.
Ace Midmorning Meetings
Faced with an interminable meeting, it's all too easy to rely on the doughnut-Danish-bagel axis: low-fiber, protein-free, high-refined-carb foods that yo-yo your glucose levels. Instead, reach for steady-energy allies. Here are some suggestions from the experts.
A Peanut Butter Sandwich
Make it with whole wheat bread, and it will have the macronutrient mix that will keep your eyes open and your brain humming. That's because the fiber in the whole wheat and the protein (and fat) in the peanut butter will ration out the energy over time.
"Even if you'd like to add a little jelly, it's going to be absorbed slowly because of the peanuts, which have fat and fiber, so your blood sugar won't plummet," says Whittle.
Or, she says, prepare your own peanut butter crackers with natural peanut butter (without questionable hydrogenated trans fatty acids that resemble saturated fat) and crackers made from whole grain.
Another good option is peanut butter on apple slices. An apple is almost pure carbohydrate, with simple sugars, but the energy it provides will be metered over time by its own fiber and by the peanut butter.
taked from http://www.prevention.com
Food Companies Launch Yet Another Phony Effort Against Childhood Obesity
Food Companies Launch Yet Another Phony Effort Against Childhood Obesity
Published on Tuesday, November 14, 2006
by Healthy News Service
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By Gary Ruskin
Commercial Alert, Nov 14, 2006
Straight to the Source
From CommonDreams.org
Food Companies Launch Yet Another Phony Effort Against Childhood Obesity
WASHINGTON - November 14 - Following is the statement of Gary Ruskin, executive director of Commercial Alert, about today's announcement on self-regulation of food marketing to children by Coca-Cola, Kraft, PepsiCo, McDonalds and other food companies, the Council of Better Business Bureaus and the National Advertising Review Council,
"Self-regulation is just another word for letting the fox regulate the chicken coop, which of course leads to dead chickens. Self-regulation has been a key ingredient in the childhood obesity epidemic. It is the problem, not the solution. The childhood obesity epidemic will continue until Congress passes tough new laws against marketing to children. Self-regulation is no substitute."
"Today's announcement is the freshest sign that the food and advertising industries are deeply afraid of our growing movement, as well as the new Democratic-controlled Congress."
"Junk food marketers are dreaming if they think they can halt tough new laws against marketing to children. Eventually, they will be held accountable for their actions, just like the tobacco industry. We will prevail because children are more important than corporate profits."
"We call on the next Congress to swiftly pass the Parents' Bill of Rights, to give parents the legal rights to raise their own children with less corporate interference and subversion." The Parents' Bill of Rights is available at http://www.commercialalert.org/pbor.pdf. A key provision in the Parents' Bill of Rights is the Children's Advertising Subsidy Revocation Act, which would revoke the federal tax deduction for advertising to children under 12 years of age.
Published on Tuesday, November 14, 2006
by Healthy News Service
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By Gary Ruskin
Commercial Alert, Nov 14, 2006
Straight to the Source
From CommonDreams.org
Food Companies Launch Yet Another Phony Effort Against Childhood Obesity
WASHINGTON - November 14 - Following is the statement of Gary Ruskin, executive director of Commercial Alert, about today's announcement on self-regulation of food marketing to children by Coca-Cola, Kraft, PepsiCo, McDonalds and other food companies, the Council of Better Business Bureaus and the National Advertising Review Council,
"Self-regulation is just another word for letting the fox regulate the chicken coop, which of course leads to dead chickens. Self-regulation has been a key ingredient in the childhood obesity epidemic. It is the problem, not the solution. The childhood obesity epidemic will continue until Congress passes tough new laws against marketing to children. Self-regulation is no substitute."
"Today's announcement is the freshest sign that the food and advertising industries are deeply afraid of our growing movement, as well as the new Democratic-controlled Congress."
"Junk food marketers are dreaming if they think they can halt tough new laws against marketing to children. Eventually, they will be held accountable for their actions, just like the tobacco industry. We will prevail because children are more important than corporate profits."
"We call on the next Congress to swiftly pass the Parents' Bill of Rights, to give parents the legal rights to raise their own children with less corporate interference and subversion." The Parents' Bill of Rights is available at http://www.commercialalert.org/pbor.pdf. A key provision in the Parents' Bill of Rights is the Children's Advertising Subsidy Revocation Act, which would revoke the federal tax deduction for advertising to children under 12 years of age.
Chinese Medicine Helps Shed Those Extra Pounds
Chinese Medicine Helps Shed Those Extra Pounds
Published on Thursday, January 04, 2007
by Healthy News Service
Back to Healthy News
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Now that the holidays are over and the long nights of eating and merry-making are behind us, January is once again a fresh start to losing weight and feeling great for the New Year.
According to the American Obesity Association, 127 million adults are overweight, and 60 million meet the criteria for obesity. This health epidemic affects not only the patient's quality of life, but also results in a cost of $12.7 billion dollars annually to US businesses in loss of productivity and health and life insurance costs. Additionally, obesity is linked to over 30 health medical conditions including Type 2 Diabetes, and Heart Disease. Approximately 300,000 deaths each year are attributed to obesity.
Although Americans spend $35 billion annually on weight-loss products and services, the rate of obesity has spread to 30.5% of adults over the age of twenty. With the high failure rate of fad diets many Americans are now turning to alternative solutions. Those seeking long term lifestyle changes and true health stability are now including the use of Acupuncture and Tai Chi to achieve their health goals.
Acupuncture and Tai Chi are a great addition to any weight loss plan. When beginning a diet, many people experience food withdrawals from a lack of endorphins they are used to receiving through comfort foods. These cravings can lead to dangerous food binges, guilt, and shame. Acupuncture and Tai Chi are a great way to counter-balance these cravings, as they release endorphins into the brain, which helps alleviate the withdrawal symptoms of various foods.
Weight gain can also be caused by stress, which increases Cortisol in the body. An increase in Cortisol can alter a person's metabolism causing a stressed-out person to store more fat than usual. By releasing endorphins into the body these therapies reduce the level of stress and curtail the over-production of Cortisol in the body.
Tai Chi and Acupuncture are also effective in stimulating the hypothalamus, an area of the brain that regulates the autonomic nervous system and controls appetite and hormone production. Regulating the body's thyroid and hormone levels, through these therapies are effective in aiding weight-loss.
Still, the ultimate means of regulating weight is through eating healthy and increasing exercise. The use of Acupuncture and Tai Chi provide a fun form of exercise and release from unhealthy food cravings, stress, and dependencies. Tai Chi improves metabolism by increasing strength, flexibility, and restoring internal balance. Tai Chi's gentle movements are also a great low impact exercise for aging bodies, people recovering from injuries, or those looking to change up their current exercise routine. Together these therapies are an extremely effective means of losing weight and feeling great in the New Year.
For more information on how acupuncture and tai chi can help with weight loss, please call Pacific College at (800) 729 - 0941 or visit www.PacificCollege.edu
Published on Thursday, January 04, 2007
by Healthy News Service
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Now that the holidays are over and the long nights of eating and merry-making are behind us, January is once again a fresh start to losing weight and feeling great for the New Year.
According to the American Obesity Association, 127 million adults are overweight, and 60 million meet the criteria for obesity. This health epidemic affects not only the patient's quality of life, but also results in a cost of $12.7 billion dollars annually to US businesses in loss of productivity and health and life insurance costs. Additionally, obesity is linked to over 30 health medical conditions including Type 2 Diabetes, and Heart Disease. Approximately 300,000 deaths each year are attributed to obesity.
Although Americans spend $35 billion annually on weight-loss products and services, the rate of obesity has spread to 30.5% of adults over the age of twenty. With the high failure rate of fad diets many Americans are now turning to alternative solutions. Those seeking long term lifestyle changes and true health stability are now including the use of Acupuncture and Tai Chi to achieve their health goals.
Acupuncture and Tai Chi are a great addition to any weight loss plan. When beginning a diet, many people experience food withdrawals from a lack of endorphins they are used to receiving through comfort foods. These cravings can lead to dangerous food binges, guilt, and shame. Acupuncture and Tai Chi are a great way to counter-balance these cravings, as they release endorphins into the brain, which helps alleviate the withdrawal symptoms of various foods.
Weight gain can also be caused by stress, which increases Cortisol in the body. An increase in Cortisol can alter a person's metabolism causing a stressed-out person to store more fat than usual. By releasing endorphins into the body these therapies reduce the level of stress and curtail the over-production of Cortisol in the body.
Tai Chi and Acupuncture are also effective in stimulating the hypothalamus, an area of the brain that regulates the autonomic nervous system and controls appetite and hormone production. Regulating the body's thyroid and hormone levels, through these therapies are effective in aiding weight-loss.
Still, the ultimate means of regulating weight is through eating healthy and increasing exercise. The use of Acupuncture and Tai Chi provide a fun form of exercise and release from unhealthy food cravings, stress, and dependencies. Tai Chi improves metabolism by increasing strength, flexibility, and restoring internal balance. Tai Chi's gentle movements are also a great low impact exercise for aging bodies, people recovering from injuries, or those looking to change up their current exercise routine. Together these therapies are an extremely effective means of losing weight and feeling great in the New Year.
For more information on how acupuncture and tai chi can help with weight loss, please call Pacific College at (800) 729 - 0941 or visit www.PacificCollege.edu
Targeting Children and Youth with Junk Food Advertising in the Digital Age
by Healthy News Service
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Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood, May 17, 2007
Straight to the Source
CCFC Statement on "Interactive Food & Beverage Marketing: Targeting Children and Youth in the Digital Age
Statement of CCFC's Dr. Susan Linn on "Interactive Food & Beverage Marketing: Targeting Children and Youth in the Digital Age" - A New Report from the Berkley Media Studies Group and the Center for Digital Democracy.
WASHINGTON - MAY 17 - This invaluable report is a wake-up call for policymakers and anyone concerned by the escalating epidemic of childhood obesity. Even as junk food marketers claim to be cleaning up their act, the food industry is exploiting the latest technologies to target children in new and insidious ways. Cell phones, instant messaging programs, video games, and virtual worlds are just some of the new media used to create a brave new world of interactive relationships between children and junk food brands.
We are encouraged that some policymakers and agencies such as the Federal Trade Commission have turned their attention to the destructive role that food marketing plays in children's lives. As this report demonstrates, it's essential to remember that a focus on television advertising alone is fighting yesterday's battles. If we are serious about promoting children's health, we must examine - and regulate -- all marketing aimed at children.
The complete report is available at http://www.digitalads.org/index.php.
The Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood is a national coalition of health care professionals, educators, advocacy groups and concerned parents who counter the harmful effects of marketing to children through action, advocacy, education, research, and collaboration among organizations and individuals who care about children. CCFC supports the rights of children to grow up - and the rights of parents to raise them - without being undermined by rampant commercialism. For more information, please visit: http://www.commercialfreechildhood.org.
Healthy Hair For Men
Many men at a young age experience hair loss. It can occur for a variety of reasons: medical illness, stress, medications (side effect), or heredity-- which is commonly referred to as androgenetic alopecia. This is the most common type of hair loss, and it can begin at any time in a man`s life, even during his teen years. It usually is caused by the interaction of three factors: an inherited tendency toward baldness, male hormones and increasing age.
Can Diet and Supplements Help?
It is important for men to consume a healthy diet to maintain healthy hair and to minimize hair loss. Other factors need to be considered such as medications that may cause hair loss, as well as medications that may help slow or prevent hair loss. In addition to a healthy well-balanced diet, men can also consider the herb, saw palmetto. Saw palmetto is an herbal supplement that is used to maintain urinary tract health and prostate health in men. Furthermore, it may also help prevent hair loss in men. One of the contributing factors to hair loss in men is the conversion of testosterone to dihydroxytestosterone (DHT), by the enzyme 5-alpha-reductase. Blocking this conversion of testosterone to its active form (DHT) can help slow or cease hair loss in men.
One study sought to examine saw palmetto’s effects in treating androgenic alopecia. The study followed 19 healthy men, aged 23-64, with mild-to-moderate androgenic alopecia. The men were given either 200 mg of saw palmetto and 50 mg of beta-sitosterol twice a day or a matching placebo for an average of 4.6 months. Patients were asked to evaluate any changes with respect to their current satisfaction with their hair. Assessments were performed at baseline and at the study’s completion. Sixty percent of the study subjects were rated as improved at the final visit.
To promote healthy hair, men should keep their diet in check and supplement with a daily multivitamin and mineral supplement to fill in any nutrition ‘gaps’. To help prevent or slow hair loss, the herb saw palmetto may be helpful for young men and teens with accelerated hair loss. As always, it is important to first check with your physician or preferred health care provider before starting a supplement regimen, or, adding supplements to your current regimen—especially if you are at risk for any chronic disease and/or are currently taking prescription medication(s)
http://www.vitamin.com
©2002-2007 Pharmavite® LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Heart Healthy Tips For Women
Although many women believe heart disease primarily affects men, the truth is women are just as vulnerable. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), heart disease is the number one killer of all women ages 35 and older. The CDC reports that of the 696,947 deaths attributed to heart disease in 2002, 356,014 of those were women, making heart disease the number one killer among both men and women in this age group in the United States.
As we age our risk for cardiovascular disease increases. Data from studies such as the Framingham Heart Study concluded that 7 out of every 1000 men ages 35-44 experience some kind of cardiovascular problem. This number rises steadily to 68 out of 1000 as men age. Even more surprising, the rates for women developing heart disease were not very different. Although they tended to “lag behind” by about 10-15 years, as women mature, their risk for heart disease becomes increasingly similar to that of a man’s.
The good news is that women can take measures to reduce their risk of heart disease. Preventive approaches such as making lifestyle changes and taking dietary supplements may help reduce the risk. Eighty two percent of the cardiovascular events affecting women have been attributed to factors which are completely under their control.
Tips for Reducing Heart Disease Risk
• Maintain a healthy weight.
• Keeping cholesterol levels and triglyceride counts within a healthy range.
• Manage diabetes.
• Follow a healthful diet.
• Avoid cigarettes.
• Get 30 minutes of aerobic activity at least 3 times per week.
• Maintain blood pressure within a healthy range.
• Form healthy relationships-- which may help a person cope better with stress, which has been found to be a contributor to heart disease risk.
Supplements for Heart Health
It is important to include heart healthy dietary supplements, such as fish oil, into your diet. Fish oil, which contains high levels of omega-3 fatty acids, may reduce the risk for coronary heart disease by inhibiting the formation of blood clots. Furthermore, omega-3 fatty acids may also promote heart health by influencing the body to make lower amounts of triglycerides.
In addition, the essential fatty acids found in fish oil provide further benefit by inhibiting the inflammatory responses in the body, which many experts believe is correlated to heart disease. One study suggests that supplementing with just one gram of omega-3 fatty acids daily, reduced the risk of death due to cardiovascular disease, the risk for heart attacks, and the risk for stroke, even among individuals who had suffered heart attacks in the past.
So in honor of February - Heart Health Month, take time to find out what your cholesterol and triglyceride numbers are and take the time to implement some small changes to help keep them within normal ranges. Small changes, like weight reduction, giving up smoking, controlling blood pressure, and adding a fish oil supplement to your daily regimen can make a big difference in your health.
As we age our risk for cardiovascular disease increases. Data from studies such as the Framingham Heart Study concluded that 7 out of every 1000 men ages 35-44 experience some kind of cardiovascular problem. This number rises steadily to 68 out of 1000 as men age. Even more surprising, the rates for women developing heart disease were not very different. Although they tended to “lag behind” by about 10-15 years, as women mature, their risk for heart disease becomes increasingly similar to that of a man’s.
The good news is that women can take measures to reduce their risk of heart disease. Preventive approaches such as making lifestyle changes and taking dietary supplements may help reduce the risk. Eighty two percent of the cardiovascular events affecting women have been attributed to factors which are completely under their control.
Tips for Reducing Heart Disease Risk
• Maintain a healthy weight.
• Keeping cholesterol levels and triglyceride counts within a healthy range.
• Manage diabetes.
• Follow a healthful diet.
• Avoid cigarettes.
• Get 30 minutes of aerobic activity at least 3 times per week.
• Maintain blood pressure within a healthy range.
• Form healthy relationships-- which may help a person cope better with stress, which has been found to be a contributor to heart disease risk.
Supplements for Heart Health
It is important to include heart healthy dietary supplements, such as fish oil, into your diet. Fish oil, which contains high levels of omega-3 fatty acids, may reduce the risk for coronary heart disease by inhibiting the formation of blood clots. Furthermore, omega-3 fatty acids may also promote heart health by influencing the body to make lower amounts of triglycerides.
In addition, the essential fatty acids found in fish oil provide further benefit by inhibiting the inflammatory responses in the body, which many experts believe is correlated to heart disease. One study suggests that supplementing with just one gram of omega-3 fatty acids daily, reduced the risk of death due to cardiovascular disease, the risk for heart attacks, and the risk for stroke, even among individuals who had suffered heart attacks in the past.
So in honor of February - Heart Health Month, take time to find out what your cholesterol and triglyceride numbers are and take the time to implement some small changes to help keep them within normal ranges. Small changes, like weight reduction, giving up smoking, controlling blood pressure, and adding a fish oil supplement to your daily regimen can make a big difference in your health.
