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To delay may mean to forget
- Your help will ease human suffering and save lives -
Donation instructions: see below & Home Page
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We at STAF, Inc. want to know how this advice website has improved your & your family's life
Let us know in your donation letter
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for all family matters, success, health, wealth
& for the good life
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standing in your way"
Jennifer Freeman
click: Jennifer Freeman
click: Jennifer Freeman
(2 different links)
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Secondhand smoke kids
suffer more asthma attacks
Secondhand smoke adults
risk health challenges
Secondhand smoke is dangerous
to every person around the smoker, adult & children,
and your pets including the gold fish
Quit Smoking Today
You can - just quit
Click: Secondhand Smoke - American Cancer Society
Click: CDC - Secondhand Smoke - Smoking & Tobacco Use
Click: What Is Asthma? - NHLBI, NIH Click: Asthma - Mayo Clinic
Click: Health Effects Of Secondhand Smoke On Children
Click: Health Effects of Secondhand Smoke on adults
Study this STAF, Inc.'s stop smoking page
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Study the provided material and the links and stop smoking
Below Jennifer Freeman's quotation repeated (is also above) - that's why you can stop smoking - you only decide and stop
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to be the only thing
standing in your way"
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click: Jennifer Freeman
click: Jennifer Freeman
(2 different links)
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e: sciencearticles.com
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Proctor Silex - Official Site
The Dangers of Eating Late at Night
Important info for every person nationwide & worldwide
Except exceptionally during your weekly date night with your spouse or for other special event do not eat between 8 p.m. and 8 a.m. - that gives your body the 12 h helpful fasting time for most of the weekdays and
leads to a better health physically and mentally.
First thing every morning
hydrate your system
by drinking water that you boiled 1 - 2 min. to kill some of the most harmful bacteria (tab or bottled water - boil both). It is better to drink the morning water hot or warm - then it is not such a shock for your body (as a cold water could be). In addition, the hot water you would drink slower which gives you more time to mix the water in your mouth with the saliva by rolling the water inside your mouth. Daily drink plain water (coffee & tea counts as water) as many oz. as your normal, healthy weight is in lbs. or in double-kilograms (60 kg - drink 120 oz. = 3.3 liters). Plan your water drinking amount according to the urinating needs during your travel (a 'pee-bottle' helpful - be creative how to use it secretly when needed). The water leaves the otherwise empty stomach in about 15 minutes and the first urinating signal comes 5 - 10 min. after that. With your meals and when eating anything else drink as little as you can water or other liquids, otherwise the water will dilute to digestive elements in your stomach leading to unnecessary health challenges. When eating anything learn (and teach your children the same) to chew at 15 - 25 times each bite (depending on the food) - then you mix the food well with saliva. The digestive process starts in the mouth (the 2nd step is your stomach). Realize: your children do what they see you doing, not what you tell them to do. Never drink soda (with or without sugar; man-made sweeteners are always harmful) - eat your fruit as whole fruit (chew well) or rather use the blender to help their digestion and absorption by your body. You can blend anything - it is easier to your body to absorb the nutrients.
The finer the food the less the body needs energy for the digestive process and leaves you more energy for life and building your material fortune.
It is said "Your blender is your best friend to health".
The Prince of the low-priced blenders is Proctor Silex ($25 - $30)
The Crown-Prince of all home-blenders is Vitamix ($450 and up)
Suggested by STAF, Inc.: Proctor Silex (keep 2 -5 in your kitchen to blend more to save your time and replace when one breaks). Proctor-Silex has had a good guarantee - See if they still ship a free new blender to your home if the blender breaks within the guarantee period. Look at this model: Space Saving Blender (white)-58130NY
Click: Proctor Silex - Official Site
Click: Vitamix® Official Site - See if the Vitamix guarantee still is 7 (seven) years
Click colored links for further info
The article: The Dangers of Eating Late at Night
ACID REFLUX is an epidemic affecting as many as 40 percent of Americans. In addition to heartburn and indigestion, reflux symptoms may include postnasal drip, hoarseness, difficulty swallowing, chronic throat clearing, coughing and asthma. Taken together, sales of prescribed and over-the-counter anti-reflux medications exceed $13 billion per year.
The number of people with acid reflux has grown significantly in recent decades. Reflux can lead toesophageal cancer, which has increased by about 500 percent since the 1970s. And anti-reflux medication alone does not appear to control reflux disease. A Danish study published 2014 concluded that there were no cancer-protective effects from using the common anti-reflux medications, called proton pump inhibitors, and that regular long-term use was actually associated with an increased risk of developing esophageal cancer.
What is responsible for these disturbing developments? The answer is our poor diet, with its huge increases in the consumption of sugar, soft drinks, fat and processed foods. But there is another important variable that has been underappreciated and overlooked: our dinnertime.
I specialize in the diagnosis and management of acid reflux, especially airway reflux, which affects the throat, sinuses and lungs. Airway reflux is often “silent,” occurring without telltale digestive symptoms, like heartburn and indigestion. Most of the tens of thousands of reflux patients that I have seen over the last 35 years are well today because I treat reflux by modifying my patients’ diets and lifestyles.
Over the past two decades, I’ve noticed that the time of the evening meal has been trending later and later among my patients. The after-work meal — already later because of longer work hours — is often further delayed by activities such as shopping and exercise.
Typical was the restaurateur who came to see me with symptoms of postnasal drip, sinus disease, hoarseness, heartburn and a chronic cough. He reported that he always left his restaurant at 11 p.m., and after arriving home would eat dinner and then go to bed. There was no medical treatment for this patient, no pills or even surgery to fix his condition. The drugs we are using to treat reflux don’t always work, and even when they do, they can have dangerous side effects. My patient’s reflux was a lifestyle problem. I told him he had to eat dinner before 7 p.m., and not eat at all after work. Within six weeks, his reflux was gone.
In my experience, the single most important intervention is to eliminate late eating, which in the United States is often combined with portions of large, over-processed, fatty food. Europeans have fewer cases of reflux than we do, even though many of them eat late. That’s most likely from portion control. In France, for example, a serving of ice cream is typically a single modest scoop, while in America, it’s often three gargantuan scoops.
For my patients, eating late is often accompanied by overeating, because many skip breakfast and eat only a sandwich at lunch. Thus the evening meal becomes the largest meal of the day. After that heavy meal, it’s off to the sofa to watch television. After eating, it’s important to stay upright because gravity helps keep the contents in the stomach. Reflux is the result of acid spilling out of the stomach, and lying down with a full stomach makes reflux much more likely.
And if you add an after-dinner dessert or bedtime snack? Again, reflux is a natural consequence. In a healthy young person, the stomach normally takes a few hours to empty after a moderate-size meal. In older people or those who have reflux, gastric emptying is often delayed. Further, those dessert calories tend to be high in carbohydrates and fat, and high-fat foods often create reflux by slowing digestion and relaxing the stomach valve that normally prevents reflux. Other popular but notoriously bad-for-nighttime-reflux foods and beverages are mints, chocolate, soft drinks and alcohol.
Many of my patients find that eating earlier alleviates their allergies,sinusitis, asthma, sleep apnea and diabetes symptoms. Although these conditions may not seem linked, postnasal drip and a cough are typical reflux symptoms that can easily be mistaken for something else.
Some of my patients who arrive complaining of reflux already eat healthfully. For them, dining too late is often the sole cause of their problem. And yet, hearing that they need to change the timing of their meals is sometimes a challenge they cannot meet.
A New Yorker with reflux came to see me because both her father and uncle died of esophageal cancer and she was afraid of getting it, too. This patient was a prominent businesswoman and her nightly routine included a 9 p.m. dinner at an elegant restaurant with at least two bottles of good red wine for the table. Her reflux was serious, and I explained that changes were needed.
She listened, then left and did not come back to see me for a year. When I saw her again, she explained what had happened. “For the first two months I just hated you,” she told me, “and then for the next two months — I was having some trouble swallowing — I figured I was going to die of esophageal cancer.” Then she nudged me and added, “You know, we’re the reason that it’s not so easy to get 6 p.m. reservations at the good restaurants anymore.”
To stop the remarkable increase in reflux disease, we have to stop eating by 8 p.m., or whatever time falls at least three hours before bed. For many people, eating dinner early represents a significant lifestyle shift. It will require eating well-planned breakfasts, lunches and snacks, with healthy food and beverage choices.
The article text written by Dr. Jamie A. Koufman, M.D., a physician in New York who specializes in voice disorders and acid reflux.
Click: Jamie A. Koufman
Source:
(1) NYT
The Dangers of Eating Late at Night
(2) STAF, Inc.
_____________________________________________________
The Dangers of Eating Late at Night
Important info for every person nationwide & worldwide
Except exceptionally during your weekly date night with your spouse or for other special event do not eat between 8 p.m. and 8 a.m. - that gives your body the 12 h helpful fasting time for most of the weekdays and
leads to a better health physically and mentally.
First thing every morning
hydrate your system
by drinking water that you boiled 1 - 2 min. to kill some of the most harmful bacteria (tab or bottled water - boil both). It is better to drink the morning water hot or warm - then it is not such a shock for your body (as a cold water could be). In addition, the hot water you would drink slower which gives you more time to mix the water in your mouth with the saliva by rolling the water inside your mouth. Daily drink plain water (coffee & tea counts as water) as many oz. as your normal, healthy weight is in lbs. or in double-kilograms (60 kg - drink 120 oz. = 3.3 liters). Plan your water drinking amount according to the urinating needs during your travel (a 'pee-bottle' helpful - be creative how to use it secretly when needed). The water leaves the otherwise empty stomach in about 15 minutes and the first urinating signal comes 5 - 10 min. after that. With your meals and when eating anything else drink as little as you can water or other liquids, otherwise the water will dilute to digestive elements in your stomach leading to unnecessary health challenges. When eating anything learn (and teach your children the same) to chew at 15 - 25 times each bite (depending on the food) - then you mix the food well with saliva. The digestive process starts in the mouth (the 2nd step is your stomach). Realize: your children do what they see you doing, not what you tell them to do. Never drink soda (with or without sugar; man-made sweeteners are always harmful) - eat your fruit as whole fruit (chew well) or rather use the blender to help their digestion and absorption by your body. You can blend anything - it is easier to your body to absorb the nutrients.
The finer the food the less the body needs energy for the digestive process and leaves you more energy for life and building your material fortune.
It is said "Your blender is your best friend to health".
The Prince of the low-priced blenders is Proctor Silex ($25 - $30)
The Crown-Prince of all home-blenders is Vitamix ($450 and up)
Suggested by STAF, Inc.: Proctor Silex (keep 2 -5 in your kitchen to blend more to save your time and replace when one breaks). Proctor-Silex has had a good guarantee - See if they still ship a free new blender to your home if the blender breaks within the guarantee period. Look at this model: Space Saving Blender (white)-58130NY
Click: Proctor Silex - Official Site
Click: Vitamix® Official Site - See if the Vitamix guarantee still is 7 (seven) years
Click colored links for further info
The article: The Dangers of Eating Late at Night
ACID REFLUX is an epidemic affecting as many as 40 percent of Americans. In addition to heartburn and indigestion, reflux symptoms may include postnasal drip, hoarseness, difficulty swallowing, chronic throat clearing, coughing and asthma. Taken together, sales of prescribed and over-the-counter anti-reflux medications exceed $13 billion per year.
The number of people with acid reflux has grown significantly in recent decades. Reflux can lead toesophageal cancer, which has increased by about 500 percent since the 1970s. And anti-reflux medication alone does not appear to control reflux disease. A Danish study published 2014 concluded that there were no cancer-protective effects from using the common anti-reflux medications, called proton pump inhibitors, and that regular long-term use was actually associated with an increased risk of developing esophageal cancer.
What is responsible for these disturbing developments? The answer is our poor diet, with its huge increases in the consumption of sugar, soft drinks, fat and processed foods. But there is another important variable that has been underappreciated and overlooked: our dinnertime.
I specialize in the diagnosis and management of acid reflux, especially airway reflux, which affects the throat, sinuses and lungs. Airway reflux is often “silent,” occurring without telltale digestive symptoms, like heartburn and indigestion. Most of the tens of thousands of reflux patients that I have seen over the last 35 years are well today because I treat reflux by modifying my patients’ diets and lifestyles.
Over the past two decades, I’ve noticed that the time of the evening meal has been trending later and later among my patients. The after-work meal — already later because of longer work hours — is often further delayed by activities such as shopping and exercise.
Typical was the restaurateur who came to see me with symptoms of postnasal drip, sinus disease, hoarseness, heartburn and a chronic cough. He reported that he always left his restaurant at 11 p.m., and after arriving home would eat dinner and then go to bed. There was no medical treatment for this patient, no pills or even surgery to fix his condition. The drugs we are using to treat reflux don’t always work, and even when they do, they can have dangerous side effects. My patient’s reflux was a lifestyle problem. I told him he had to eat dinner before 7 p.m., and not eat at all after work. Within six weeks, his reflux was gone.
In my experience, the single most important intervention is to eliminate late eating, which in the United States is often combined with portions of large, over-processed, fatty food. Europeans have fewer cases of reflux than we do, even though many of them eat late. That’s most likely from portion control. In France, for example, a serving of ice cream is typically a single modest scoop, while in America, it’s often three gargantuan scoops.
For my patients, eating late is often accompanied by overeating, because many skip breakfast and eat only a sandwich at lunch. Thus the evening meal becomes the largest meal of the day. After that heavy meal, it’s off to the sofa to watch television. After eating, it’s important to stay upright because gravity helps keep the contents in the stomach. Reflux is the result of acid spilling out of the stomach, and lying down with a full stomach makes reflux much more likely.
And if you add an after-dinner dessert or bedtime snack? Again, reflux is a natural consequence. In a healthy young person, the stomach normally takes a few hours to empty after a moderate-size meal. In older people or those who have reflux, gastric emptying is often delayed. Further, those dessert calories tend to be high in carbohydrates and fat, and high-fat foods often create reflux by slowing digestion and relaxing the stomach valve that normally prevents reflux. Other popular but notoriously bad-for-nighttime-reflux foods and beverages are mints, chocolate, soft drinks and alcohol.
Many of my patients find that eating earlier alleviates their allergies,sinusitis, asthma, sleep apnea and diabetes symptoms. Although these conditions may not seem linked, postnasal drip and a cough are typical reflux symptoms that can easily be mistaken for something else.
Some of my patients who arrive complaining of reflux already eat healthfully. For them, dining too late is often the sole cause of their problem. And yet, hearing that they need to change the timing of their meals is sometimes a challenge they cannot meet.
A New Yorker with reflux came to see me because both her father and uncle died of esophageal cancer and she was afraid of getting it, too. This patient was a prominent businesswoman and her nightly routine included a 9 p.m. dinner at an elegant restaurant with at least two bottles of good red wine for the table. Her reflux was serious, and I explained that changes were needed.
She listened, then left and did not come back to see me for a year. When I saw her again, she explained what had happened. “For the first two months I just hated you,” she told me, “and then for the next two months — I was having some trouble swallowing — I figured I was going to die of esophageal cancer.” Then she nudged me and added, “You know, we’re the reason that it’s not so easy to get 6 p.m. reservations at the good restaurants anymore.”
To stop the remarkable increase in reflux disease, we have to stop eating by 8 p.m., or whatever time falls at least three hours before bed. For many people, eating dinner early represents a significant lifestyle shift. It will require eating well-planned breakfasts, lunches and snacks, with healthy food and beverage choices.
The article text written by Dr. Jamie A. Koufman, M.D., a physician in New York who specializes in voice disorders and acid reflux.
Click: Jamie A. Koufman
Source:
(1) NYT
The Dangers of Eating Late at Night
(2) STAF, Inc.
_____________________________________________________
Study also two important articles in the tab "Services":
(1) Bad Eating Habits Start in the Womb
(2) Timing of Baby’s First Solids May Affect Allergy Risk
________________
(1) Bad Eating Habits Start in the Womb
(2) Timing of Baby’s First Solids May Affect Allergy Risk
________________
Every article in this vast website has beneficial information;
This website has tens of thousands of articles & article links - all for your life success
__________________________________
To study STAF, Inc.'s mission statements
click: mission
_________________________
This website has tens of thousands of articles & article links - all for your life success
__________________________________
To study STAF, Inc.'s mission statements
click: mission
_________________________
Ending the Harmful Sugar Habit:
These 5 Easy Strategies Will Bring You The Freedom
and Opens The Road To Your Better Health
(1) Study the article below,
(2) study all links in full and
(3) apply the guidance - then you can tame the sugar monster.
First honestly admit: “I am a sugar addict.”
It can be challenging to conquer the sugar use? The reason can be found by taking a closer look at our biology.
Our Biology
In a 2007 study, researchers found that given the choice between sugar-water and cocaine, rats chose sugar water every time. It doesn’t matter whether this sugar is natural, like an apple, or artificial, like saccharin. Astonishingly, when researchers increased the concentration of cocaine, the rats still chose more sugar-water.
What conclusion can we draw from this?
We are hypersensitive to sugar.
When the sweet receptors in our brain are over-stimulated by sugar-rich diets, the sugar easily overrides our mechanisms for self-control.
After that first bite of ice-cream or brownie, it’s an uphill battle for most of us to stop. Our brain is literally telling us to eat more.
Five Simple Ways to Break the Sugar HabitSo if sugar easily overrides our self-control, what are some actions we can take that work with our body’s natural desire for sugar?
1. Eat enough low-sugar whole foods daily. When we don’t eat enough low sugar whole foods during the day, our body naturally craves calories. Guess which type of food our body knows has calories? Sweet foods. Remember that late afternoon cookie binge? How about snacking on junk food when you get home from a hard day’s work?
Eating sufficient amounts of low-sugar whole foods is the simplest and fastest way to reduce cravings. When you’re craving sugar check-in with yourself to make sure you’ve eaten enough during the day. Did you skip breakfast? Only had a small lunch?
Eat whole foods like grass-fed meats, wild fish, vegetables and greens, non-gluten grains like quinoa and millet, and good fats like avocados and coconut. Adding sufficient amounts of these whole foods into your daily regime will dramatically cut your cravings for sugar.
Simple trick: Have a green smoothie as soon as you get home from work to curb cravings for junk food.
2. Hydrate. Sugar cravings often arise because of dehydration. When you feel a craving, first drink a few glasses of water. A good health habit is to start your day by drinking water and having a smoothie for breakfast. This practice will hydrate your system, give your body easily digestible nutrients, and set you up for healthy eating for the rest of the day. Look to incorporate eight cups (two liters) of water into your daily regime.
3. Eat fruit or use stevia. When you desire something sweet, eat fruit or use stevia exclusively. Stevia is a plant with sweet leaves that is often used as a low-carbohydrate, low glycemic sugar that doesn’t feed yeast or fungus in the body or cause cravings. You can add stevia to teas, smoothies or deserts.
Make a commitment to eating only fruit and using stevia for two weeks. It may be more challenging to reduce sugar when eating at restaurants so make a commitment to eating only fruit and Stevia at home.
Simple sweet drink recipe: Add a dash of stevia and apple cider vinegar to water.
4. Eat sour and fermented foods. This is the trick of the trade. When you crave the sugar taste, hit it with its opposite. Eat sour and fermented foods like sauerkrauts and kimchee. These foods give you a blast of probiotics, nutrients and cut sugar cravings. Look for unpasteurized krauts at your health food store or easily make them at home.
5. Take a daily probiotic. When our gut bacteria is out of balance, we crave sugar. Probiotics help replenish intestinal flora and restore balance to the gut system. They help tip the scale back towards good bacteria and away from bad bacteria, fungus and yeast. Consider taking at least 15 billion active bacteria daily.
Remember, your body is naturally hypersensitive to sugar. Don’t fight it. Work with it. Start now incorporating these doable strategies into your life rather than depending on will power alone. It’s not your fault. You can get rid of the sugar addiction. Apply the information.
Apply the above guidance - then you can tame the sugar monster.
Quotation: "Knowledge is no power - only applied knowledge is power"
(Dr. Christian, STAF, Inc.)
Sources:
STAF, Inc., comments and additions
Research:
Aug 1, 2007 - Citation: Lenoir M, Serre F, Cantin L, Ahmed SH (2007) Intense Sweetness Surpasses Cocaine Reward. PLoS ONE 2(8): e698. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0000698 .... On day 1 and whatever the reward conditions, rats were indifferent to both ...... Colantuoni C, Rada P, McCarthy J, Patten C, Avena NM, et al.
National Center for Biotechnology Information
by M Lenoir - 2007 -
... 2007; PMC1931610. Logo of plosone. PLoS ONE. 2007; 2(8): e698. Published online2007 Aug 1. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0000698. PMCID: PMC1931610 ...
Public
Internet Seminar
(Still free)
Venous Insufficiency
How to avoid the fraud
in services
How to keep your health
_______________________
Compiled, edited and partially written
by Dr. Christian von Christophers, Ph.D., N.D., D.D.
The founding President of Save The American Family - STAF, Inc., -not-for-profit-
See the mission principles of STAF, Inc. by clicking the green "mission" next above
STAF, Inc. - Until Every Family is doing well©
Foreword to the
VEIN DISEASE
articles next below
Important for everyone
in our modern world,
important also for you and your family
so you will know how to avoid the vein disease or what to do
if you already have these serious vein problems
Comprehensive information
about the circulatory disorders of the lower extremities
for you and for your whole family
_______
Study all listed information together with your whole family,
including with your children so they can learn (1) to understand also the possibly negative reality of the market place in any area of services and (2) they can learn to prevent the vein diseases early in their lives (1) by eating healthier food & drinking enough plain, pure water (and not soda), (2) by avoiding overweight and (3) by sleeping enough hours.
STAF, Inc.'s several sleep related articles are close to the top of the left hand side "blog" tab.
Study the sleep articles also together as a whole family(adult & children) and apply the information.
Realize: your children do not do what you tell them to do, your children do what they see you, their parents, doing.
__________________
Warning information:
STAF, Inc. has started an investigation to find out what percentage of the vein service advertiser are competent in the relatively new medical field of venous insufficiency diseases that still lacks a regulatory board.
As may become necessary, STAF, Inc. will take suspicious cases forward for proper disciplinary actions including initiating court processes. There is plenty of misleading, obviously fraudulent advertisement. Before you decide whose services to use, ask your primary care physician for guidance. However, he/she might be in the team referring patients to his relatives, friends and/or getting a payment for the referral from the vein service provider no matter what the professional specialty competence level the vein service provider may have. Be cautious. Ask questions and ask even more questions. Ask to explain in details anything you do not understand. Ask about the negative side effects. Ask if the service provided can be deadly in certain circumstances and in your case. See at least three (3) venous insufficiency providers (advertisers may be a more suitable word because the ads for the services are big, expensive and "all over" - that's one sign of potential "trouble" - it is like business and not only that, some advertisers may make false or purposely misleading statements that are "dancing on the wire" ) and compare their answers (you may be surprised how much they can differ - that's another sign of "trouble").
Voice record all minutes talking to your doctor or his/her employees in her/his office or on the phone, save all papers, documents, receipts. Keep all theses in a safe place.The voice recording can in some cases be worth in millions.
To understand what your primary care doctor or any of these doctors you will meet are talking about, study first, for you to learn the facts, all vein articles and all web links that are placed here and below. Study the articles in the order they are placed. Then you will know what to expect and can communicate with the vein doctors. The doctors can easily mislead you to make decisions of services that you MAY not need if they see you know nothing. At the same time, please realize, STAF, Inc. is NOT giving you medical guidance, only your primary care physician and other medical professionals can legally do it. STAF, Inc. is giving you science articles to read and science facts to see to draw your own conclusions of what you need and what not, and how to avoid potential fraud and how to find competent medical services for your possible needs.
Realize also that some of these venous insufficiency services can be fatal - they can kill. Ask about this when you meet the vein doctor and compare the answer with the other doctors' answers.
The medical literature also states that it is possible for the body to find a cure to the venous insufficiency by letting the body heal itself without any medical intervention. The body will do the same as a venous insufficiency doctor will do: find a replacement vein or veins for your blood circulation instead of using the vein or veins that are damaged or vein where the valves are week or damaged (the vein articles have links to show you the pictures of these valves and much additional science text to study).
As a principle, the body is always willing to heal itself if we give it a chance by a healthy lifestyle. The body will be also capable of finding a new replacement circulation solution in the case of venous insufficiency.
If and when the body does the repair work, it is natural and then there is no danger. When the ultra sound click: Ultrasound done to you in the vein doctor's office shows that there is no blood clot click: Blood clots and you never had one before (as far you know), then you may give your body a chance to heal itself and not use any vein services, BUT: you are the one making the decision - consult several doctor, study the science articles here and study the latest research. If the ultrasound shows repeated times (3 - 6 months intervals) that you have no blood clots, then you are quite safe.
This is how you give your body a chance:
(1) by you using daily (e.g. a year or years; visit the vein doctor every 6 months or the way your Dr. decides) proper,
doctor-prescribed compression socks (= the knee-length) or compression stockings (= the full length up to you lower waist line and the pressure the way your doctor decides.
(2) In addition to the compression socks/stockings you need to sleep your feet/legs elevated in the bed to your heart level and
(3) additionally daytime elevate the same way for 3 - 5 minutes 3 -5 times. In addition, some people work by keeping the legs up on the waist level - talk to your doctor.
You need to lose your obesity & overweight and stop eating fast-food (= bad-food, no food), no soda drinking (drink water daily the oz. amount your not-overweight lbs. are), stop smoking, use alcohol wisely (no binge drinking)
The vein doctors want to have the money coming from serving you - they tend to answer "you must take my proposed medical service" (of course they say so, they are sales people).
These articles are your Bible to avoid becoming a victim of being lured into perhaps unnecessary medical processes that may and can have serious side effects, even death. See at least (3 ) vein service providers and compare their information.
Study every article in the order it is placed here.
You will also learn important information of how the medical providers are monitored and disciplined.
With proper knowledge you are much better prepared to protect your family and fight back if things go wrong.
Report suspicious cases to STAF, Inc. by email ([email protected]), by phone (203-788-1876 or
401-427-2227), or by U.S. mail: STAF, Inc., P.O. Box 1555, New York, NY 10163-1555.
STAF, Inc.will be available to help you as may become necessary.
Study all listed information with your whole family,
including with your children so they can learn (1) to understand also the possibly negative reality of the market place in any area of services and (2) they can learn to prevent the vein diseases early in their lives (1) by eating healthier food & drinking enough plain, pure water (and not soda), (2) by avoiding overweight and (3) by sleeping enough hours. STAF, Inc.'s several sleep related articles are close to the top of the left hand side "blog" tab.
Study the sleep articles also together as a whole family(adult & children) and apply the information.
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The Symptoms of a Vein Disease
If you experience pain or tenderness anywhere in your legs or feet, heaviness and tiredness, cramps, swelling, burning, coldness, numbness, tingling or throbbing sensation, if it is hard for you to walk or to stand, if you notice discoloration of your legs, especially your ankles, varicose veins symptoms or click: spider veins, if you had already experienced or are afraid to develop ulcers, bleeding, infections and blood clots click: Blood clots, you’ve found the information you will need now. In case you have not, yet, developed this serious, killing vein disease YOU NEED to study this information in full in order to prevent the disease from happening and know immediately what to do, if you ever get these serious challenges
The valves in the veins usually channel the flow of blood toward the right side of the heart to be re-oxygenated
(= enrich with oxygen). Then the oxygenated blood leaves from the left side of the heart traveling round the body.
When the leg vein valves are weak or damaged, blood leaks and pools in the legs and feet. Venous insufficiency is a condition in which the veins fail to return blood efficiently to the heart to be re-oxygenated. This condition usually involves one or more veins. Symptoms include swelling of the legs and pain in the extremities such as a dull aching, heaviness, or cramping.
The venous insufficiency can develop a blood clot (= a gelatinous or semisolid mass of coagulated blood (coagulated = change to a solid or semisolid state) it is called Deep vein thrombosis, or DVT. It is a blood clot that forms in a vein deep in the body. A deep vein thrombosis can break loose and cause a serious problem in the lung, called a pulmonary embolism, or a heart attack or stroke in the brain and kill.
Every year, approximately 3 million people will develop deep vein thrombosis and more than 600,000 of them die.
Click: DVT - deep vein thrombosis - kills more people than aids, breast cancer and motor vehicle accidents combined.
Venous Insufficiency kills close a million people every year.
Click: Chronic Venous Insufficiency There click images to enlarge and to see better
Also see the 3 videos discussing and showing actual cases
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Every person needs to know about this topic - can happen to anyone
Vein Disease,
also called
Venous Disease & Venous Insufficiency
Below several parts & several articles for this topic
Study them all with your whole family including with your children
The earlier your children know about this common health challenge, the better they can avoid it
Introduction, Definitions & Basic Description
By Dr. Christian von Christophers, Ph.D., N.D., D.D., STAF, Inc.'s founder
Vein disease, also known as venous disease, is defined as the impairment of blood flow from your feet, ankles & legs towards your heart. The vein valves do not function properly and the blood pools in your lower extremities. Blood is over 90 of water and the gravity will force it downwards. Click: Blood
This is called edema. Edema is a swelling, usually of the ankles and the legs, due to the accumulation of excessive fluid in the tissues.
Click: Edema
The watery edema stuff starts breaking through the skin causing ulcers on your legs, ankles and feet. Also the ankles can get darker in color. Click: Ulcer
This process causes varicose veins and spider veins. Click: Varicose and Spider Veins
All this can finally lead to a blood clot or clots and cause heart attack and death. Just alone sitting in a airplane several hours can cause a condition called deep vein thrombosis with a blood clot even to an otherwise healthy person and lead to a heart attack and even to death. The best way to avoid this in an airplane is to walk around often the plane and physically exercise your feet, ankles and legs when seated. Walking makes the blood circulation effective and promotes help because calf muscles get stronger - the calf muscles function as a leg pump for the blood circulation returning blood to the right side of the heart. The left side of the heart sends out the newly oxygenized blood. If you are a healthy person, walk at least 10 000 steps a day or more, even 25 000 - it helps in your overall health. Now you know why walking is beneficial. Use a pedometer.
Click: Deep vein thrombosis
A pressure difference exists between the legs and the right side of the heart where bloods returns to as it goes through the body - this process is to re-oxygenize the blood. At the end of the capillary bed and moving into the venous system there is very little pressure in the veins and at the level of the heart there is even less venous pressure. This pressure difference helps move blood back to the heart. When you lay flat the blood can flow from the higher pressure in the legs to the lower pressure at the heart fairly easily. When your legs are elevated little above the heart level the blood has even easier time to return to the heart.
At the end of this first introductory text additional information why & how to have your legs raised above the heart level during your night sleep, every night even as a healthy person. That sleep-time elevation can prevent & keep a venous insufficiency under control. For additional information about the blood circulation click: Normal Venous Circulation
Please study this circulation link (the line next above) because it gives excellent information for understanding the topic of venous insufficiency.
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Elevation of the legs over the heart level daytime & for the whole night sleep time
Helpful no-negative-side effects "treatment"
We at the STAF, Inc. decided to place this info (1) next below here at the beginning and (2) also at the end of all these related articles because this can be the key to solve your venous insufficiency challenges.
Elevation of the legs a little above the heart level" (1) for the whole night sleep time, (2) for 3 minutes several times a day, and (3) walking (if you have healthy legs & feet) daily at least 10 000 steps or more e.g. 25 000 steps (use a pedometer) will strengthen the leg's calf muscles to pump the accumulated blood from the ankles and lower part of the legs back to the right side of the heart to the re-oxyneziging process - all these actions will make a difference in the healing.
This is good for (1) prevention and (2) also helpful in the situation when a person already may have swelling of the legs & ankles called venous insufficiency: Elevation of the legs a little above the heart level can alleviate pain or swelling that is the result of early stage venous disease
Test out what level is comfortable for you.
Elevation is a simple, yet powerful, tool that can help improve blood circulation in the veins and provide some relief to venous symptoms. In some cases, elevation of the legs can alleviate pain or swelling that is the result of early stage venous disease.
Elevation of the legs above the heart for a period of three minutes, several times throughout the course of the day, can encourage blood flow from the legs and decrease the pooling of blood (= edema). A vein specialist can guide patients on the most effective elevation techniques.
Regular physical movement & walking "round the block" during a workday to prevent long periods of sitting or stagnancy is recommended for the prevention of venous disease and for easing its symptoms. In a city as much as you can use the stairs going up & down - forget the elevator. Exercises for the feet, toes, and ankles, (tapping the toes & flexing the feet, etc.) can help blood flow in the legs if done several times a day.
Because venous disease has a strong genetic component, prevention can help those with a family history to avoid blood clots and ward off symptoms. Important components of prevention include maintaining a healthy weight, exercising regularly, and quitting smoking.
Raising legs at night above the heart level
(1) If you have an adjustable bed, put the legs section up, as long as the feet go up as high or higher than the knee.
(2) If not, support the legs with pillows length-wise (you want to be sure to not compress the back of the knee). You could put furniture raisers under the foot of the bed only if you have a standard bed, or put pillows or a foam wedge between the mattress and box spring at the foot of the bed. You can also purchase devices designed to elevate your legs. Here are a few examples - but you do not have to buy special products if the money is tight - use normal pillows and test out what pillow raises and keeps your legs above the heart level. You can also place "any suitable stuff" under the mattress as long as it works works for this purpose.
Teach your children to sleep with raised legs also as soon as they can handle the information.
https://www.loungedoctor.com/products.html
http://www.braceshop.com/productcart...FeFdTAodwztvqA
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Important
Every person, for prevention & for cure, everyone in your family also,
ought to study these three (3) next articles below
- that important is this topic for everyone -
First it is necessary to study the introductory article above this article
Study these 3 articles & all added web links together as a family
and discuss all family members together how to avoid this condition
now and in the future at any age
- The younger you are when reading this life-saving info the earlier you can prevent this from happening to you and
avoid the potentially life-threatening consequences -
Without preventive actions
venous insufficiency can happen to anyone
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Venous Insufficiency
- A new Mass Epidemic -
?
(1) in sickness
and
(2) among the service providers' often
lacking relevant medical knowledge in this specialty
Article 1 of 3
By Dr. Christian von Christophers, Ph.D., N.D., D.D., STAF, Inc.'s founding President
- study also article 2 of 3 and article 3 of 3 next below - a must to study all three
Revealing the insufficiency
(1) in the proper training in the venous medicine,
(2) in the medical services offered in the venous medicine, and
(3) in the lacking regulatory body for the venous medicine
- yet there are plenty of doctors who are ready to treat patients, doctors who may have no or have very little relevant medical training for this specialty field called venous medicine
Notice! Because venous medicine is a relatively new field, no regulatory body (!) has been established to qualify physicians and procedures, leaving the door relatively open for medical specialists to get into the business of zapping veins.
This is insane.
Venous insufficiency, failure of the veins adequately circulate the blood, especially from the lower etremeties (= feet, ankles, legs) (insufficiency = the inability of an organ to perform its normal function) kills
every year people in a million scale - and: any M.D., even without any specialty training for this highly demanding medical service area, venous medicine, can just like that to start giving vein services. Without a proper specialty training? Then we have 2 parties in insufficiency: (1) the patient and his/her insufficient veins and (2) the doctor with his/her insufficient training. A good match? That's insane, that's irresponsible.
STAF, Inc. has demanded that this clearly wrong thing must be corrected by the federal agencies - STAF, Inc. demands that any M.D. who wants to give venous medicine services MUST have taken enough officially accepted additional specialty training as is done in other medical specialty fields.
The lack of regulatory board in venous medicine shows in the "service" givers' advertisement - many are like they would sell a dead pig on the common street market or many are misleading and some have clear lies in their statements.
Every new MD takes an oath that among other things states "First do no harm" = Latin, click: Primum non nocere - sometimes recorded as 'primum nil nocere') - For additional info for the oath taken by physicians click: Hippocratic Oath
The MD's offering venous medicine services without broad specialty training are breaking this first oath statement "First do no harm - Primum non nocere" because they must know that they can do harm when they have no or not enough specialty training for this special field. Yet many of these MD's with their insufficient training for this specialty field place big ads daily and offer their "best in the country" services. One states: "Voted #1 in U.S." but does not tell who voted? When? Where? Who and how organized the voting when one vein clinic became #1 in U.S.? No answer.
This statement is in one vein clinique's ad "Named "Best Vein Center" and "Leader in Health Care" five times! Trust your legs ONLY to the top specialists" ..... Yet: no info who and where named their vein center the "best".
One states "Coast to Coast" and does not prove that statement". 'One states "Ivy League Doctors" - does not matter what league because the whole venous insufficiency medicine is unorganized, has no specialty regulatory body and is lacking constant training demands in the field. How amazing. Who would not smell fraud in these ads? STAF, Inc. will initiate investigations in these services and as may become necessary file public fraud charges. STAF, Inc. stands for the public safety and demands honesty & openness for your, mine and everyone's best.
STAF, Inc. has sent its representative to several MD's offices offering venous insufficiency services - the research results have been more than shocking when it comes to the service level. One doctor even suggested to the "patient" (= STAF, Inc.'s own science reporter) to lie to the insurance company - that's criminal, irresponsible, immoral and ridiculous. And dumb. That "vein"-doctor did not know his new patient and he asks the patient to give a dishonest report to the insurance company. What about if the "new patient" is an investigator as was/is in this case? STAF, Inc. will file a demand to cancel this doctor's licence and discuss with the prosecutors and the related insurance company about criminally charging him. In one doctor's office when STAF, Inc.'s science reporter
(in a real venous insufficiency case) asked the ultrasound service giver name - the result: the ultra-sound person did not want to give out her name - Why not? That was a polite question and normaslly any professional wears a name tag in most medical offices and in all hospitals. In that place NO ONE (not the doctor either) wore any name tag. Why not? Something to hide may be? Or are they just "shy" when they want to give medical services as a nameless provider?
Lets discuss how to handle and hopefully cure the venous insufficiency health challenge.
#1: do not start self-medicating - too risky. If your primary care physician is NOT a vein specialist, do not accept his/her advice, be polite - have him/her giving only a referral. If you have ONLY foot problems, you may be referred to a podiatrist click: What is a Podiatrist? Otherwise you need a vein specialist doctor = a venous insufficiency specialist.
IF you have NO insurance, you can and will get (if you qualify= low income lines), FREE medical services by applying for a Medicaid based insurance (in your local social service office) or in an emergency for a temporary Medicaid
(in the hospital). In any emergency the hospital will treat you and in most states make arrangements in the hospital for the Medicaid temporary benefits. Medicaid is free and is given based on a low income. Things vary in . different states - find out (before anything happens) how the facts are in your state.
Call the Town/City Hall for the phone numbers & organizations to contact for any further info. Most Town/City Halls have the info. Also, search the internet for the answers.
Another option for an uninsured is to go to a local Community Health Care Center and they give (in most states) free services to income-qualified families/individuals. Before anything happens find out how these things are in your state/city/town.
The same principles are for your children - if you need you will get a free Medicaid-based insurance for your child or can go to a free Community Health Care location. Social Service Office handles many of these issues - ask the Town/City Hall how it is in your home town and state and what Social Service office handles what issues (in a bigger city there are several offices and each of them may handle only certain matters, none of them may handle every matter type).
If you or your child is or you are (or your family is) an undocumented alien, find out how the present, changing situation affects you. Call your Town/City Hall for the numbers for Medicaid info by phone (the officials will ask for your phone number - if you are an undocumented alien you know best how to handle the communication). Become documented - it can always be done, somehow. Free immigration lawyers, free social assistance lawyers and any other lawyers are available - call you Town/City Hall and/or search the internet. One organization for free lawyers is Legal Aid Society. There are many more - search the web.
If necessary contact STAF, Inc., call or email, or send a postal letter. STAF, Inc. will help you and your family in ANY issue no matter where you are located (including helping you in your possible immigration issue or in any other issue). STAF, Inc.'s valid contact info is in this website (1) next to any donation request and (2) in several other easy to see locations.
About first aid for venous insufficiency and other related matters
If you have swollen legs, ankles, pain in your feet, ulcers, cramps and sometimes difficulties in walking, ask your primary care physician to give a referral to a competent venous medicine Dr. = a vein specialist. Before you go to that doctor, study his background (internet), ask your primary care physician what makes that Dr. a venous insufficiency specialist. If you live in New York or close by, in this STAF, Inc.'s article are 2 service providers introduced. In case you use their services, you do it at your own risk. We at STAF, Inc. do not endorse any doctor but gladly give names that we may think could be suitable for your needs. When you meet these or any doctor YOU then decide if his/her services are for your needs. Repeat: You decide, you accept someone's services at your own risk.
These 2 vein-experienced doctors introduced in this STAF, Inc.'s article at least seem honest and, as you may notice they seem to know what they talk about. Be aware that the vein doctors need to study your body using the ultrasound specialist's services - that's to find out if there are blood clots somewhere in your system and what else may be in your system they may need to know. The ultrasound will show them how your vein system is functioning.
First action that may be the only thing you or your loved one(s) need.
Often just wearing compression socks/stockings can control the venous insufficiency - yet out of 10 MD's
STAF, Inc.'s reporter met, only 2 was offering to the STAF, Inc. sent patient that option and only one properly explained what compression socks are and how they can help. On the other hand every doctor offered the most expensive services that also carry the most risks for serious side effects, even death.
Do not start self-medicating your body, not even with the compression socks/stockings. They can be of different length and of different pressure volume - you cannot decide those facts, only the vein specialist can.
What are compression socks?
Like a good massage, compression socks can help increase circulation in the leg and foot, where you need it most. The most basic compression socks can also relieve tired and aching legs, reduce swelling and make your legs and feet feel great and energized all day long. Even though you may NOT have a developed venous insufficiency sickness, you can ask, before anything happen, your primary care physician's opinion if you and your family members could start, for prevention, to wear certain type, basic compression socks. DO not start on your own decision - there may be (in your and in any of your family members' case some potential negative side effects. Always ask to see also the specialty vein doctor and ask his/her opinion HOW to prevent any of these potentially deadly venous insufficiency health challenges. Prevention is better than cure.
Other compression socks/stockings such as click: diabetic socks can benefit people with diabetes or arthritis by surrounding the feet with more cushion. Some styles of click: compression socks also contain anti-bacterial and moisture-define wicking*) yarns that will keep your feet cool and comfortable for all your active and waking hours.
*) to wick = absorb or draw off (liquid) by capillary action. Click: Capillary action
Click: Men's compression socks and click: women's compression socks are ideal for anyone who spends a lot of time on their feet, no matter what you do -- working, playing, running errands or completing chores. There are also other styles of compression socks such as click: support socks that provide more therapeutic benefits for those with more sensitive feet.
STAF, Inc.'s demands for the public's safety are:
(1) that the whole area of venous insufficiency sickness must become much more commonly recognized among the public and among the people who work much on their legs and feet;
(2) that the treatments must be covered much more widely by the insurance companies. An early intervention
(before even any signs are visible) to prevent venous insufficiency can be the use of compression socks;
(3) that only MD's with a proper training for this young specialty field are allowed to give treatments for venous insufficiency - at the time of writing this it is not the case. At this moment any MD without any specialty knowledge of this important medicine can start zapping veins - that is totally irresponsible and can lead to serious complications and even death;
(4) that a regulatory board for this important area of venous medicine will be established - at the time of writing such
a board does not exist.
Important: DO NOT start self-medicating your swollen legs and swollen ankles - the condition venous insufficiency can be a serious matter and can cause a sudden death. E.g. during a long airplane flight even an otherwise healthy person can (if the person sits and does not much walk around in the plane) create a condition called Deep Vein Thrombosis. Talk to your doctor.
click: Deep vein thrombosis - Mayo Clinic and have heart attack because the blood clot in the leg veins traveled to the lungs and the heart.
Again - Warning: Important: DO NOT start self-medicating your swollen legs and swollen ankles - venous insufficiency can be a serious matter and can cause a sudden death. See your primary care physician to discuss the matter and ask for a venous insufficiency specialist. Be aware that often, as can be understandable, the primary care physicians tend to refer to their doctor friends or even to their doctor relatives and not necessarily to the best doctor for your needs. Ask how your primary care physicians knows the referred doctor and ask for his/her opinions why the referred doctor would be suitable for your needs.
Venous insufficiency is becoming quite common - and once more: it can be a deadly condition.
Do not start using just any compression socks or stockings. You need to know he pressure numbers, the length of the socks/stockings and other details. Only a MD competent and trained in the venous insufficiency can decide these properly - meanwhile any MD who "believes" he/she can will do until this "wild west" medical area will be getting the serious professional attention it deserves. Venous insufficiency kills in a million scale - every patient has the right to trust that
the MD treating him/her knows what they are doing.
Unfortunately at the time of writing this perhaps only 5 % of the venous insufficiency service givers have a proper training for this important specialty. (STAF, Inc.'s estimate)
Warning: The information in this article is given ONLY for motivational, educational & general informational purposes like any other article in this very large STAF, Inc.'s website is, or in STAF, Inc.'s blog articles is, or in STAF, Inc.'s Radio Shows titled DrDrCanYouHelpMe is (the radio show's internet link in this website, tab: Radio/TVShows).
Only your M.D. primary physician or other specialty physician can guide you - go forward from there.
This article is published as a report of STAF, Inc.'s research. The article 2 next below has a doctor our reporter visited in a real case and experienced that this M.D. at least sounded honest and handled the case with high-level care.
If you decide to meet and accept that M.D.'s services who is introduced in the article 2 of 3 next or then in the article
3 of 3, you do it at your own risk. STAF, Inc. would be thankful if you report us your experience had you decided to meet the Doctors introduced in the next 2 articles below. STAF, Inc. does not endorse their or anyone else's services when it comes to medical services. You can mail a postal letter or email your opinions to: [email protected] - the valid mailing address next to the donation information in several locations in this website.
Although it is not the fault of the MD's providing venous insufficiency services that the medical regulatory board is missing in this important and much specialty knowledge demanding field, they, at the same time, know themselves that their training for this specialty field may be insufficient, yet they are ready to risk human lives for money and "treat" the human venous insufficiency. Has the morale gone this low - looks like it is.
STAF, Inc. has taken steps to reveal the individuals who are misleading the public in their advertisement statements or otherwise mishandling this lacking regulatory board situation in the specialty field of venous medicine.
STAF, Inc. has done research in the New York Metropolitan area and has sent patients to several MD's giving venous medicine services. The results are horrifying - the main motivation is often making much money without caring for the patient' safety. Some MD's clearly lack so much of the needed special knowledge that any educated professional can see/smell that and experience that because the service giver is lacking the specialty training to know what to do and how.
The venous insufficiency health challenges are getting more and more common - one can only wonder why this enormously wrong situation is being allowed to continue at the risk of the patients' safety & deaths.
STAF, Inc.'s research shows that most of these venous insufficiency services providing doctors do not know what to do - they are knowingly playing with human life and potentially causing unnecessary deaths. These doctors KNOW that they have no specialty training for this area of medicine, yet, they are ready knowingly to risk human lives all against their M.D. oath they all have taken.
Source: STAF, Inc.
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Article 2 of 3
Study also the article 1 of 2 next above, after this 2 of 3 article study the article 3 of 3 - important to study all three
Introduction
By Dr. Christian von Christophers, Ph.D., N.D., D.D.
STAF, Inc.'s Founding President
Foot & Leg Problems - Venous Insufficiency
Are you overweight? Do you stand much on your legs when working? Do you eat much processed food and fast food?
Not sleeping 7 - 8 hours every night? Not drinking enough water daily (enough is about one ounce for each lb of your normal weight (not the overweight lbs)? Not having enough daily physical exercise? - Walking 10 000 steps as minimum daily, preferably 25 000 steps daily - to count your steps use a pedometer, click Pedometer. How peaceful is your mind? Do you practice meditation and yoga? Those above are some of the many more reason areas causing any sickness.
Meditation and simple hatha yoga can clean the mind (and body).
STAF, Inc.'s science department has developed a fast-track daily exercise program that takes 7 minutes to do (when properly learned). It's titled Yabbanetics (Copyrighted title). Also STAF, Inc. science department has developed a new mindful meditation technique titled MPlus+ (Copyrighted title)
Click: Hatha yoga
Click: Hatha Yoga - Yoga Journal
95 % of all sicknesses are believed to be caused by an unhealthy lifestyle & incorrect, unhealthy nutrition.
All these reasons above and many more unnatural lifestyle habits poison the body, lack of exercise keeps the poison
in the immune system and the body ends having a sickness and sooner or later several sicknesses leading to suffering and to an early death.
Start walking (if you can), do other physical activities that you can do. Find out proper information from a qualified
sports medicine doctor or other related professional who has a proper education for his/her services. Talk to your primary
care physician - she/he may not know much (exceptions exists) but at least any MD ought to be helpful in finding a
suitable professional to guide you what physical exercise would fit your situation. Before starting any new physical exercise program talk to your primary care physician that it is O.K. and suitable for your health level, age and for other possible facts. If you like running, have good running shoes, avoid the traffic pollution and run on a soft surface (a park or the real pure nature - all depends where you live).
Physical exercise makes the immune system pump out toxins and that cleans the body cells and a healthier you will be born. The human immune system has no pump - only your physical movements functions as its pump. If you do not pump the toxins out buy physical movements/exercise you will get sicknesses and end having suffering and a shorter life. A clean immune system can keep the body healthy - your duty is to be its "pump' by physically moving and challenging your body through reasonable physical exercise. (Again repeated because it is important: Walk at least
10 000 steps daily, preferably more, even 25 000 use a pedometer click: Pedometer and do weekly additionally physical exercise to strengthen your immune system functioning. Seek the closeness of pure nature - it will have a healing affect.
Article 2 of 3
Venous insufficiency
- A new Mass Epidemic? -
Venous insufficiency = failure of the veins to adequately circulate the blood, especially from the lower extremities (= legs, ankles, feet)
Click: Venous insufficiency
Foot & Leg Problems
Treating the Right Vein - In a Correct Manner
Important info for everyone as the vein problems have dramatically grown
NEW YORK—When it comes to treating visible varicose and spider veins, many specialists can and do. Gynecologists treat because their clientele often run into vein problems, and dermatologists treat because surface vein problems are unaesthetic.
The procedures for treating surface veins issues are relatively simple, require little equipment, are outpatient, and tend to be covered by insurance. But because venous medicine is a relatively new field, no regulatory body has been established to qualify physicians and procedures, leaving the door relatively open for medical specialists to get into the business of zapping veins.
to zap = destroy or obliterate; ex. (1) "zap the enemy's artillery before it can damage your core units",
ex. (2) cause to move suddenly and rapidly in a specified direction. "the boat zapped us up river"
But not all veins are created equal and if the inappropriate vein is treated, the specialist could make the leg worse, according to thoracic surgeon Dr. John Anastasi (web link at the end of the article).
Dr. Anastasi is the medical director of Vein Cure Center (web link at the end of the article) in New York and has had 25 years of experience treating cardiac and vascular disease, doing everything from treating spider veins, commonly thought of as a cosmetic issue, to open heart surgery.
Heart surgeons need to understand the ins and outs of the circulatory system in order to operate on the heart. This makes them more aware than perhaps other types of specialists—such as gynecologists and dermatologists—of complications that can arise with vein treatment, Dr. Anastasi said.
Choosing Right
Treatments of faulty veins involve removing, blocking, or closing off the vein so that blood will be rerouted into healthy ones.
The legs have over 20 veins so “if vein is abnormal and you take it out of circulation, it doesn’t hurt you,” Dr. Anastasi said.
However, if a doctor accidentally removes a healthy vein, the patient can develop swelling in the affected leg, exacerbating the problem the surgery was meant to correct.
Sometimes the line between operable and not worth operating on is very narrow, and even if a vein is refluxing, but not too much and is still not too wide, it may not need closing.
“The vein should be at least .5 centimeters and have at least four seconds of reflux to be appropriate for treatment,”
Dr. Anastasi explained.
In cases where the patient has a refluxing vein that is narrower than .5 centimeters, but the patient has no clinical manifestations of venous disease, Dr. Anastasi said he would not recommend treating that vein.
Vein Function and Malfunction
The legs have four kinds of veins: (1) superficial, (2) perforator, (3) deep, and (4) reticular.
Superficial veins drain blood from the skin; perforators connect superficial veins to the deep vein system. Deep veins drain blood from the legs, and reticular veins connect branches of any of the other three types of vein.
“Think of the venous system like a tree,” Dr. Anastasi said. “The deep vein system is the trunk. The branches and leaves are spider veins.”
The purpose of the venous system is to bring deoxygenated blood back to the heart to be replenished. Valves are supposed to control this flow, allowing blood to flow upward despite gravity.
But in patients with venous disease, these valves weaken or fail, and the blood refluxes, pooling in the lower extremities. The increased pressure causes the veins to get larger, resulting in sore, swollen legs; bumpy, bulging varicose veins, and even bleeding through the skin around the ankles.
This condition is called venous insufficiency.
It can be asymptomatic at first, and later signs are attributed to other conditions. If a doctor does not know what to look for, venous disease may not be recognized until it is far advanced.
“Swelling, ache, lower ankle brownness—people often think it’s just due to aging,” Dr. Anastasi said. “But next they develop varicose veins that get larger and painful and cause ulcers and bleeding.”
Cautions for Vein Care
Diabetes, arterial insufficiency, and heart disease can complicate vein treatments. A decade of experience specializing in venous problems has taught Dr. Anastasi that he needs to examine the whole patient before treating vein issues.
“The heart, lung, kidneys—we look at whole system. I look at the patient in total … I take into consideration whether they have diabetes, arterial insufficiency, and potential heart disease.” Dr. Anastasi said.
Diabetes inhibits a patient’s ability to heal and diabetics are more prone to infection. “Therefore a surgeon needs to be careful about making incisions in these patients especially down in the ankle or foot region,” he said.
Arterial insufficiency reduces the blood supply to the legs, which makes it more difficult for the body to heal incisions on the legs and can also put a patient at greater risk of infection.
Severe heart disease increases the risks associated with vein treatments, and patients need to be monitored more closely, Dr. Anastasi cautioned.
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Article 2 of 3 info source and
venous insufficiency service provider in New York City:
Dr. John Anastasi
Vein Cure Center of NYC
1041 Third Ave.
New York, NY
646-651-4745
1-800-VEIN-DOC
Click: veintreatmentnyc.com
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Click: White Blood Cells at Risk
Important Info to Ask Your Dr. When it Comes to Chemo & WBC Counts (WBC = white blood cell, also called leukosyte),
click: White blood cell - Wikipedia
Click:
Click: WBC count: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia
Click: High red blood cell count Definition - Symptoms - Mayo Clinic
(RBC - red blood cell = also called erythrocyte)
More health related articles click: Treatments and Techniques
In addition to the venous insufficiency information above, please
NOTICE: Study the Article 3 of 3 next below - it is part of the STAF, Inc.'s report on venous insufficiency and gives additional important information
___________________________________________
Every person, for prevention & for cure, everyone in your family also,
ought to study these three (3) next articles below
- that important is this topic for everyone -
First it is necessary to study the introductory article above this article
Study these 3 articles & all added web links together as a family
and discuss all family members together how to avoid this condition
now and in the future at any age
- The younger you are when reading this life-saving info the earlier you can prevent this from happening to you and
avoid the potentially life-threatening consequences -
Without preventive actions
venous insufficiency can happen to anyone
__________________
Venous Insufficiency
- A new Mass Epidemic -
?
(1) in sickness
and
(2) among the service providers' often
lacking relevant medical knowledge in this specialty
Article 1 of 3
By Dr. Christian von Christophers, Ph.D., N.D., D.D., STAF, Inc.'s founding President
- study also article 2 of 3 and article 3 of 3 next below - a must to study all three
Revealing the insufficiency
(1) in the proper training in the venous medicine,
(2) in the medical services offered in the venous medicine, and
(3) in the lacking regulatory body for the venous medicine
- yet there are plenty of doctors who are ready to treat patients, doctors who may have no or have very little relevant medical training for this specialty field called venous medicine
Notice! Because venous medicine is a relatively new field, no regulatory body (!) has been established to qualify physicians and procedures, leaving the door relatively open for medical specialists to get into the business of zapping veins.
This is insane.
Venous insufficiency, failure of the veins adequately circulate the blood, especially from the lower etremeties (= feet, ankles, legs) (insufficiency = the inability of an organ to perform its normal function) kills
every year people in a million scale - and: any M.D., even without any specialty training for this highly demanding medical service area, venous medicine, can just like that to start giving vein services. Without a proper specialty training? Then we have 2 parties in insufficiency: (1) the patient and his/her insufficient veins and (2) the doctor with his/her insufficient training. A good match? That's insane, that's irresponsible.
STAF, Inc. has demanded that this clearly wrong thing must be corrected by the federal agencies - STAF, Inc. demands that any M.D. who wants to give venous medicine services MUST have taken enough officially accepted additional specialty training as is done in other medical specialty fields.
The lack of regulatory board in venous medicine shows in the "service" givers' advertisement - many are like they would sell a dead pig on the common street market or many are misleading and some have clear lies in their statements.
Every new MD takes an oath that among other things states "First do no harm" = Latin, click: Primum non nocere - sometimes recorded as 'primum nil nocere') - For additional info for the oath taken by physicians click: Hippocratic Oath
The MD's offering venous medicine services without broad specialty training are breaking this first oath statement "First do no harm - Primum non nocere" because they must know that they can do harm when they have no or not enough specialty training for this special field. Yet many of these MD's with their insufficient training for this specialty field place big ads daily and offer their "best in the country" services. One states: "Voted #1 in U.S." but does not tell who voted? When? Where? Who and how organized the voting when one vein clinic became #1 in U.S.? No answer.
This statement is in one vein clinique's ad "Named "Best Vein Center" and "Leader in Health Care" five times! Trust your legs ONLY to the top specialists" ..... Yet: no info who and where named their vein center the "best".
One states "Coast to Coast" and does not prove that statement". 'One states "Ivy League Doctors" - does not matter what league because the whole venous insufficiency medicine is unorganized, has no specialty regulatory body and is lacking constant training demands in the field. How amazing. Who would not smell fraud in these ads? STAF, Inc. will initiate investigations in these services and as may become necessary file public fraud charges. STAF, Inc. stands for the public safety and demands honesty & openness for your, mine and everyone's best.
STAF, Inc. has sent its representative to several MD's offices offering venous insufficiency services - the research results have been more than shocking when it comes to the service level. One doctor even suggested to the "patient" (= STAF, Inc.'s own science reporter) to lie to the insurance company - that's criminal, irresponsible, immoral and ridiculous. And dumb. That "vein"-doctor did not know his new patient and he asks the patient to give a dishonest report to the insurance company. What about if the "new patient" is an investigator as was/is in this case? STAF, Inc. will file a demand to cancel this doctor's licence and discuss with the prosecutors and the related insurance company about criminally charging him. In one doctor's office when STAF, Inc.'s science reporter
(in a real venous insufficiency case) asked the ultrasound service giver name - the result: the ultra-sound person did not want to give out her name - Why not? That was a polite question and normaslly any professional wears a name tag in most medical offices and in all hospitals. In that place NO ONE (not the doctor either) wore any name tag. Why not? Something to hide may be? Or are they just "shy" when they want to give medical services as a nameless provider?
Lets discuss how to handle and hopefully cure the venous insufficiency health challenge.
#1: do not start self-medicating - too risky. If your primary care physician is NOT a vein specialist, do not accept his/her advice, be polite - have him/her giving only a referral. If you have ONLY foot problems, you may be referred to a podiatrist click: What is a Podiatrist? Otherwise you need a vein specialist doctor = a venous insufficiency specialist.
IF you have NO insurance, you can and will get (if you qualify= low income lines), FREE medical services by applying for a Medicaid based insurance (in your local social service office) or in an emergency for a temporary Medicaid
(in the hospital). In any emergency the hospital will treat you and in most states make arrangements in the hospital for the Medicaid temporary benefits. Medicaid is free and is given based on a low income. Things vary in . different states - find out (before anything happens) how the facts are in your state.
Call the Town/City Hall for the phone numbers & organizations to contact for any further info. Most Town/City Halls have the info. Also, search the internet for the answers.
Another option for an uninsured is to go to a local Community Health Care Center and they give (in most states) free services to income-qualified families/individuals. Before anything happens find out how these things are in your state/city/town.
The same principles are for your children - if you need you will get a free Medicaid-based insurance for your child or can go to a free Community Health Care location. Social Service Office handles many of these issues - ask the Town/City Hall how it is in your home town and state and what Social Service office handles what issues (in a bigger city there are several offices and each of them may handle only certain matters, none of them may handle every matter type).
If you or your child is or you are (or your family is) an undocumented alien, find out how the present, changing situation affects you. Call your Town/City Hall for the numbers for Medicaid info by phone (the officials will ask for your phone number - if you are an undocumented alien you know best how to handle the communication). Become documented - it can always be done, somehow. Free immigration lawyers, free social assistance lawyers and any other lawyers are available - call you Town/City Hall and/or search the internet. One organization for free lawyers is Legal Aid Society. There are many more - search the web.
If necessary contact STAF, Inc., call or email, or send a postal letter. STAF, Inc. will help you and your family in ANY issue no matter where you are located (including helping you in your possible immigration issue or in any other issue). STAF, Inc.'s valid contact info is in this website (1) next to any donation request and (2) in several other easy to see locations.
About first aid for venous insufficiency and other related matters
If you have swollen legs, ankles, pain in your feet, ulcers, cramps and sometimes difficulties in walking, ask your primary care physician to give a referral to a competent venous medicine Dr. = a vein specialist. Before you go to that doctor, study his background (internet), ask your primary care physician what makes that Dr. a venous insufficiency specialist. If you live in New York or close by, in this STAF, Inc.'s article are 2 service providers introduced. In case you use their services, you do it at your own risk. We at STAF, Inc. do not endorse any doctor but gladly give names that we may think could be suitable for your needs. When you meet these or any doctor YOU then decide if his/her services are for your needs. Repeat: You decide, you accept someone's services at your own risk.
These 2 vein-experienced doctors introduced in this STAF, Inc.'s article at least seem honest and, as you may notice they seem to know what they talk about. Be aware that the vein doctors need to study your body using the ultrasound specialist's services - that's to find out if there are blood clots somewhere in your system and what else may be in your system they may need to know. The ultrasound will show them how your vein system is functioning.
First action that may be the only thing you or your loved one(s) need.
Often just wearing compression socks/stockings can control the venous insufficiency - yet out of 10 MD's
STAF, Inc.'s reporter met, only 2 was offering to the STAF, Inc. sent patient that option and only one properly explained what compression socks are and how they can help. On the other hand every doctor offered the most expensive services that also carry the most risks for serious side effects, even death.
Do not start self-medicating your body, not even with the compression socks/stockings. They can be of different length and of different pressure volume - you cannot decide those facts, only the vein specialist can.
What are compression socks?
Like a good massage, compression socks can help increase circulation in the leg and foot, where you need it most. The most basic compression socks can also relieve tired and aching legs, reduce swelling and make your legs and feet feel great and energized all day long. Even though you may NOT have a developed venous insufficiency sickness, you can ask, before anything happen, your primary care physician's opinion if you and your family members could start, for prevention, to wear certain type, basic compression socks. DO not start on your own decision - there may be (in your and in any of your family members' case some potential negative side effects. Always ask to see also the specialty vein doctor and ask his/her opinion HOW to prevent any of these potentially deadly venous insufficiency health challenges. Prevention is better than cure.
Other compression socks/stockings such as click: diabetic socks can benefit people with diabetes or arthritis by surrounding the feet with more cushion. Some styles of click: compression socks also contain anti-bacterial and moisture-define wicking*) yarns that will keep your feet cool and comfortable for all your active and waking hours.
*) to wick = absorb or draw off (liquid) by capillary action. Click: Capillary action
Click: Men's compression socks and click: women's compression socks are ideal for anyone who spends a lot of time on their feet, no matter what you do -- working, playing, running errands or completing chores. There are also other styles of compression socks such as click: support socks that provide more therapeutic benefits for those with more sensitive feet.
STAF, Inc.'s demands for the public's safety are:
(1) that the whole area of venous insufficiency sickness must become much more commonly recognized among the public and among the people who work much on their legs and feet;
(2) that the treatments must be covered much more widely by the insurance companies. An early intervention
(before even any signs are visible) to prevent venous insufficiency can be the use of compression socks;
(3) that only MD's with a proper training for this young specialty field are allowed to give treatments for venous insufficiency - at the time of writing this it is not the case. At this moment any MD without any specialty knowledge of this important medicine can start zapping veins - that is totally irresponsible and can lead to serious complications and even death;
(4) that a regulatory board for this important area of venous medicine will be established - at the time of writing such
a board does not exist.
Important: DO NOT start self-medicating your swollen legs and swollen ankles - the condition venous insufficiency can be a serious matter and can cause a sudden death. E.g. during a long airplane flight even an otherwise healthy person can (if the person sits and does not much walk around in the plane) create a condition called Deep Vein Thrombosis. Talk to your doctor.
click: Deep vein thrombosis - Mayo Clinic and have heart attack because the blood clot in the leg veins traveled to the lungs and the heart.
Again - Warning: Important: DO NOT start self-medicating your swollen legs and swollen ankles - venous insufficiency can be a serious matter and can cause a sudden death. See your primary care physician to discuss the matter and ask for a venous insufficiency specialist. Be aware that often, as can be understandable, the primary care physicians tend to refer to their doctor friends or even to their doctor relatives and not necessarily to the best doctor for your needs. Ask how your primary care physicians knows the referred doctor and ask for his/her opinions why the referred doctor would be suitable for your needs.
Venous insufficiency is becoming quite common - and once more: it can be a deadly condition.
Do not start using just any compression socks or stockings. You need to know he pressure numbers, the length of the socks/stockings and other details. Only a MD competent and trained in the venous insufficiency can decide these properly - meanwhile any MD who "believes" he/she can will do until this "wild west" medical area will be getting the serious professional attention it deserves. Venous insufficiency kills in a million scale - every patient has the right to trust that
the MD treating him/her knows what they are doing.
Unfortunately at the time of writing this perhaps only 5 % of the venous insufficiency service givers have a proper training for this important specialty. (STAF, Inc.'s estimate)
Warning: The information in this article is given ONLY for motivational, educational & general informational purposes like any other article in this very large STAF, Inc.'s website is, or in STAF, Inc.'s blog articles is, or in STAF, Inc.'s Radio Shows titled DrDrCanYouHelpMe is (the radio show's internet link in this website, tab: Radio/TVShows).
Only your M.D. primary physician or other specialty physician can guide you - go forward from there.
This article is published as a report of STAF, Inc.'s research. The article 2 next below has a doctor our reporter visited in a real case and experienced that this M.D. at least sounded honest and handled the case with high-level care.
If you decide to meet and accept that M.D.'s services who is introduced in the article 2 of 3 next or then in the article
3 of 3, you do it at your own risk. STAF, Inc. would be thankful if you report us your experience had you decided to meet the Doctors introduced in the next 2 articles below. STAF, Inc. does not endorse their or anyone else's services when it comes to medical services. You can mail a postal letter or email your opinions to: [email protected] - the valid mailing address next to the donation information in several locations in this website.
Although it is not the fault of the MD's providing venous insufficiency services that the medical regulatory board is missing in this important and much specialty knowledge demanding field, they, at the same time, know themselves that their training for this specialty field may be insufficient, yet they are ready to risk human lives for money and "treat" the human venous insufficiency. Has the morale gone this low - looks like it is.
STAF, Inc. has taken steps to reveal the individuals who are misleading the public in their advertisement statements or otherwise mishandling this lacking regulatory board situation in the specialty field of venous medicine.
STAF, Inc. has done research in the New York Metropolitan area and has sent patients to several MD's giving venous medicine services. The results are horrifying - the main motivation is often making much money without caring for the patient' safety. Some MD's clearly lack so much of the needed special knowledge that any educated professional can see/smell that and experience that because the service giver is lacking the specialty training to know what to do and how.
The venous insufficiency health challenges are getting more and more common - one can only wonder why this enormously wrong situation is being allowed to continue at the risk of the patients' safety & deaths.
STAF, Inc.'s research shows that most of these venous insufficiency services providing doctors do not know what to do - they are knowingly playing with human life and potentially causing unnecessary deaths. These doctors KNOW that they have no specialty training for this area of medicine, yet, they are ready knowingly to risk human lives all against their M.D. oath they all have taken.
Source: STAF, Inc.
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Article 2 of 3
Study also the article 1 of 2 next above, after this 2 of 3 article study the article 3 of 3 - important to study all three
Introduction
By Dr. Christian von Christophers, Ph.D., N.D., D.D.
STAF, Inc.'s Founding President
Foot & Leg Problems - Venous Insufficiency
Are you overweight? Do you stand much on your legs when working? Do you eat much processed food and fast food?
Not sleeping 7 - 8 hours every night? Not drinking enough water daily (enough is about one ounce for each lb of your normal weight (not the overweight lbs)? Not having enough daily physical exercise? - Walking 10 000 steps as minimum daily, preferably 25 000 steps daily - to count your steps use a pedometer, click Pedometer. How peaceful is your mind? Do you practice meditation and yoga? Those above are some of the many more reason areas causing any sickness.
Meditation and simple hatha yoga can clean the mind (and body).
STAF, Inc.'s science department has developed a fast-track daily exercise program that takes 7 minutes to do (when properly learned). It's titled Yabbanetics (Copyrighted title). Also STAF, Inc. science department has developed a new mindful meditation technique titled MPlus+ (Copyrighted title)
Click: Hatha yoga
Click: Hatha Yoga - Yoga Journal
95 % of all sicknesses are believed to be caused by an unhealthy lifestyle & incorrect, unhealthy nutrition.
All these reasons above and many more unnatural lifestyle habits poison the body, lack of exercise keeps the poison
in the immune system and the body ends having a sickness and sooner or later several sicknesses leading to suffering and to an early death.
Start walking (if you can), do other physical activities that you can do. Find out proper information from a qualified
sports medicine doctor or other related professional who has a proper education for his/her services. Talk to your primary
care physician - she/he may not know much (exceptions exists) but at least any MD ought to be helpful in finding a
suitable professional to guide you what physical exercise would fit your situation. Before starting any new physical exercise program talk to your primary care physician that it is O.K. and suitable for your health level, age and for other possible facts. If you like running, have good running shoes, avoid the traffic pollution and run on a soft surface (a park or the real pure nature - all depends where you live).
Physical exercise makes the immune system pump out toxins and that cleans the body cells and a healthier you will be born. The human immune system has no pump - only your physical movements functions as its pump. If you do not pump the toxins out buy physical movements/exercise you will get sicknesses and end having suffering and a shorter life. A clean immune system can keep the body healthy - your duty is to be its "pump' by physically moving and challenging your body through reasonable physical exercise. (Again repeated because it is important: Walk at least
10 000 steps daily, preferably more, even 25 000 use a pedometer click: Pedometer and do weekly additionally physical exercise to strengthen your immune system functioning. Seek the closeness of pure nature - it will have a healing affect.
Article 2 of 3
Venous insufficiency
- A new Mass Epidemic? -
Venous insufficiency = failure of the veins to adequately circulate the blood, especially from the lower extremities (= legs, ankles, feet)
Click: Venous insufficiency
Foot & Leg Problems
- Dull aching, heaviness, or cramping in legs
- Itching and tingling
- Pain that gets worse when standing
- Pain that gets better when legs are raised
- Click: Swelling of the legs
- Redness of the legs and ankles
- Skin color changes around the ankles
- Click: Varicose veins on the surface (superficial)
- Spider veins - Varicose veins are abnormal, dilated blood vessels caused by a weakening in the vessel wall. They may appear as swollen, twisted clusters of blue or purple veins. Varicose veins are sometimes surrounded by thin, red capillaries known as spider veins (group of tiny blood vessels located close to the surface of the skin, also called telangiectasias) Click:Telangiectasia
- Thickening and hardening of the skin on the legs and ankles Click: Lipodermatosclerosis
- Click: Ulcers on the legs and ankles
- Wound that is slow to heal on the legs or ankles
Treating the Right Vein - In a Correct Manner
Important info for everyone as the vein problems have dramatically grown
NEW YORK—When it comes to treating visible varicose and spider veins, many specialists can and do. Gynecologists treat because their clientele often run into vein problems, and dermatologists treat because surface vein problems are unaesthetic.
The procedures for treating surface veins issues are relatively simple, require little equipment, are outpatient, and tend to be covered by insurance. But because venous medicine is a relatively new field, no regulatory body has been established to qualify physicians and procedures, leaving the door relatively open for medical specialists to get into the business of zapping veins.
to zap = destroy or obliterate; ex. (1) "zap the enemy's artillery before it can damage your core units",
ex. (2) cause to move suddenly and rapidly in a specified direction. "the boat zapped us up river"
But not all veins are created equal and if the inappropriate vein is treated, the specialist could make the leg worse, according to thoracic surgeon Dr. John Anastasi (web link at the end of the article).
Dr. Anastasi is the medical director of Vein Cure Center (web link at the end of the article) in New York and has had 25 years of experience treating cardiac and vascular disease, doing everything from treating spider veins, commonly thought of as a cosmetic issue, to open heart surgery.
Heart surgeons need to understand the ins and outs of the circulatory system in order to operate on the heart. This makes them more aware than perhaps other types of specialists—such as gynecologists and dermatologists—of complications that can arise with vein treatment, Dr. Anastasi said.
Choosing Right
Treatments of faulty veins involve removing, blocking, or closing off the vein so that blood will be rerouted into healthy ones.
The legs have over 20 veins so “if vein is abnormal and you take it out of circulation, it doesn’t hurt you,” Dr. Anastasi said.
However, if a doctor accidentally removes a healthy vein, the patient can develop swelling in the affected leg, exacerbating the problem the surgery was meant to correct.
Sometimes the line between operable and not worth operating on is very narrow, and even if a vein is refluxing, but not too much and is still not too wide, it may not need closing.
“The vein should be at least .5 centimeters and have at least four seconds of reflux to be appropriate for treatment,”
Dr. Anastasi explained.
In cases where the patient has a refluxing vein that is narrower than .5 centimeters, but the patient has no clinical manifestations of venous disease, Dr. Anastasi said he would not recommend treating that vein.
Vein Function and Malfunction
The legs have four kinds of veins: (1) superficial, (2) perforator, (3) deep, and (4) reticular.
Superficial veins drain blood from the skin; perforators connect superficial veins to the deep vein system. Deep veins drain blood from the legs, and reticular veins connect branches of any of the other three types of vein.
“Think of the venous system like a tree,” Dr. Anastasi said. “The deep vein system is the trunk. The branches and leaves are spider veins.”
The purpose of the venous system is to bring deoxygenated blood back to the heart to be replenished. Valves are supposed to control this flow, allowing blood to flow upward despite gravity.
But in patients with venous disease, these valves weaken or fail, and the blood refluxes, pooling in the lower extremities. The increased pressure causes the veins to get larger, resulting in sore, swollen legs; bumpy, bulging varicose veins, and even bleeding through the skin around the ankles.
This condition is called venous insufficiency.
It can be asymptomatic at first, and later signs are attributed to other conditions. If a doctor does not know what to look for, venous disease may not be recognized until it is far advanced.
“Swelling, ache, lower ankle brownness—people often think it’s just due to aging,” Dr. Anastasi said. “But next they develop varicose veins that get larger and painful and cause ulcers and bleeding.”
Cautions for Vein Care
Diabetes, arterial insufficiency, and heart disease can complicate vein treatments. A decade of experience specializing in venous problems has taught Dr. Anastasi that he needs to examine the whole patient before treating vein issues.
“The heart, lung, kidneys—we look at whole system. I look at the patient in total … I take into consideration whether they have diabetes, arterial insufficiency, and potential heart disease.” Dr. Anastasi said.
Diabetes inhibits a patient’s ability to heal and diabetics are more prone to infection. “Therefore a surgeon needs to be careful about making incisions in these patients especially down in the ankle or foot region,” he said.
Arterial insufficiency reduces the blood supply to the legs, which makes it more difficult for the body to heal incisions on the legs and can also put a patient at greater risk of infection.
Severe heart disease increases the risks associated with vein treatments, and patients need to be monitored more closely, Dr. Anastasi cautioned.
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Article 2 of 3 info source and
venous insufficiency service provider in New York City:
Dr. John Anastasi
Vein Cure Center of NYC
1041 Third Ave.
New York, NY
646-651-4745
1-800-VEIN-DOC
Click: veintreatmentnyc.com
__________________________
Click: White Blood Cells at Risk
Important Info to Ask Your Dr. When it Comes to Chemo & WBC Counts (WBC = white blood cell, also called leukosyte),
click: White blood cell - Wikipedia
Click:
Click: WBC count: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia
Click: High red blood cell count Definition - Symptoms - Mayo Clinic
(RBC - red blood cell = also called erythrocyte)
More health related articles click: Treatments and Techniques
In addition to the venous insufficiency information above, please
NOTICE: Study the Article 3 of 3 next below - it is part of the STAF, Inc.'s report on venous insufficiency and gives additional important information
___________________________________________
Article 3 of 3 (Study also the articles 1 -2 of 3 above - a must to study all three)
Varicose and Spider Veins:
The Cure and Consequences of Misdiagnosis
Dr. Lev Khitin: "To really cure the issue,
it's always important to identify what is responsible for it"
NEW YORK—Some of the vein problems Dr. Lev Khitin treats look like wounds you’d find in a Civil War field hospital—not Manhattan in 2014. These include oozing ulcers that have been years in the making.
According to Dr. Khitin, there are two reasons he gets patients with these kinds of problems: Either they’ve been misdiagnosed by other doctors, or they’ve tried to treat the issue with alternative remedies on their own and it hasn’t worked.
A common cause of these ulcers—called trophic ulcers—is a condition called venous insufficiency, which occurs when the veins in the legs that are supposed to bring blood back to the heart don’t work properly.
Catalyst for Cancer
Veins have a series of valves that open and close. When leg veins become enlarged—which can happen during pregnancy or because of prolonged standing, lifting heavy objects, or trauma, among other reasons—the valves may not close all the way, so that blood pools in the legs.
This pooling can cause the legs to swell, at which point some doctors prescribe diuretics to rid the body of excess water. According to Khitin, a fellow of the American College of Surgeons who trained as a heart surgeon and now specializes in circulation in legs and feet, this is the wrong approach since the problem is not due to excessive fluid, but because of wrong distribution of fluid.
In patients with venous insufficiency, treating varicose or spider veins only at the surface does not resolve the underlying cause and may actually lead to the development of ulcers.
When blood pools in the vein and leaks out into the surrounding tissue, liquid collects under the skin. Then, if the skin gets a small puncture from a mosquito bite or a needle prick, the continuous release of liquid leaves no chance for the wound to heal, Khitin explained. Eventually, this could lead to the formation of an ulcer that looks like a war-zone wound.
An untreated ulcer can ultimately lead to cancer. Tissue cells in the affected area typically go into overdrive, trying to replicate faster in order to heal the wound. This furious reproduction can lead to an increase in errors, with the possibility of cancerous mutations.
“An ulcer is a place where cells regenerate, trying to heal, so the possibility of genomic error goes up,” Khitin explained.
This is why he never takes spider veins at face value and always conducts a thorough diagnosis to find an underlying cause, he said. This includes questioning the patients about other symptoms, and if they have them, doing an ultrasound to see if there are any vein issues on a deeper level.
Digging Deep
Varicose veins are always a sign of venous insufficiency, Khitin said. Spider veins usually are such a sign, but not always, in which case it may be fine to treat them superficially.
“If there are no symptoms and very few spider veins, it’s not unreasonable to treat them only with sclero[therapy] or [something] similar to that,” he said.
But when spider and varicose veins are indicative of a deeper problem, treating them this way is like “cutting branches off the tree—they disappear for short time, but then they appear again,” Khitin noted.
Some of his patients have had sclerotherapy for years. Sclerotherapy is a common treatment for spider and varicose veins that involves injecting a solution to seal the vein. But if doctors never treat the deeper issue that leads to the appearance of spider and varicose veins, they always come back. Click: Sclerotherapy - Cleveland Clinic
“It’s common everywhere, and particularly in New York, to treat spider veins and call them a chronic condition—untreatable, uncurable—and do treatment[s] … year after year after year,” Khitin said. But to really cure the issue, it’s always important to identify what is responsible for it.
Symptoms and Treatment
The goal of treatment for both venous insufficiency and varicose or spider veins is the same: The affected vein needs to be closed off. When it’s shut down, the body reroutes blood through other veins, and the patient’s symptoms usually disappear.
Both the veins deeper in the leg and those at the surface can be successfully sealed using ablation, radio frequency, and lasers. Sclerotherapy is only for vein problems on the surface, however, because to close the larger veins deeper in the leg would require unsafe amounts of solution to be injected.
The symptoms of venous insufficiency can manifest in different ways. Visible signs include swelling, brown pigmentation (discoloration) of the ankles and other changes of the skin. Some of the symptoms, noted Khitin, can be mistaken for psoriasis.
Sometimes, a deep vein problem does not manifest on the surface, but only as a discomfort. Common symptoms include a dull ache or feeling of heaviness or weakness in the leg, burning or itching sensation, difficulty walking, leg cramps, and numbness.
Complications of venous insufficiency can include infection, inflamed skin (venous stasis dermatitis), blood clots that block veins (thrombophlebitis), and bleeding. Click: Thrombophlebitis - Mayo Clinic
Treatment for venous insufficiency can often alleviate the symptoms of the restless leg syndrome in patients diagnosed with both conditions. Khitin explained that when people with venous insufficiency recline, the circulation in their legs starts to return to normal with the help of muscle contractions, which can create the urge for the legs to move, thus causing restlessness.
If you have reoccurring spider or varicose veins and discomfort in your legs, Khitin recommends that you get them thoroughly examined for venous insufficiency, not just treated to look better. He advises to ask yourself, “Why do I have these veins?”—instead of just asking, “How do I get rid of them?”
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Article 3 of 3 source information
by a venous insufficiency service provider in New York City
Dr. Lev M. Khitin, M.D., F.A.C.S., click: Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, a post-nominal title
Office Locations:
Manhattan:
400 East 56th St., Suite 1
212-575-8346
Brooklyn:
406 15th Street, Suite 1
718-372-8346
Web:
Click: VeinsTreatment.com
Welcome to New York Vein Treatment Center, New York’s premier medical facility dedicated to the complex evaluation and comprehensive treatment of circulatory disorders of the lower extremities.
If you experience pain or tenderness anywhere in your legs or feet, heaviness and tiredness, cramps, swelling, burning, coldness, numbness, tingling or throbbing sensation, if it is hard for you to walk or to stand, if your notice discoloration of your legs, varicose veins symptoms or spider veins, if you had already experienced or are afraid to develop ulcers, bleeding, infections and blood clots, then you need to find our how to heal your venous insufficiency.
_________________________
Dr. Lev Khitin states:
"To really cure the venous insufficiency, it's always important to identify what is responsible for it"
STAF, Inc.'s comment: "Very true - We fully agree."
________________
A research project example from New York City
We at the STAF, Inc. have studied the homeless population in New York City. We also did additional research among those homeless who reported sleeping month after month and year after year in the NYC subway car system.
That means these subway homeless, and they are in thousands, have to sleep in a sitting position with their lower parts of legs up night after night, month after month and year after year. (If they sleep flat on the subway bench, the subway police will throw them out - otherwise the homeless are allowed to sleep in the subway cars in a sitting position.) Then daytime the homeless continue walking or sitting with their legs up (mostly sitting all day). These homeless are basically never in a flat position and their legs may never be elevated above their heart level.
STAF, Inc.'s research found out that about 95 % of the homeless sleeping in the subway cars in a sitting position have a venous insufficiency, have swollen & darkened ankles and swollen legs, have developed ulcers in their legs and have constant pain and many find difficult to walk.
The homeless population have even a song about their condition: "Do you have a swollen leg, swollen leg, do you have a swollen leg, swollen leg??? Tell me do you have ......."?
When interviewed by STAF, Inc.'s researcher and questioned about their health challenges they all (= homeless population sleeping in a sitting position in the NYC subway cars) told they had developed the swollen leg sickness (venous insufficiency disease) after they became homeless and started sleeping in a sitting position. All told the same without knowing what the other homeless individuals had told.
Interesting is also that the STAF, Inc.'s scientist working in this vast and important homeless & subway study developed himself the venous insufficiency disease after 5 - 6 months of working in the subway project.
He started his study work at about 10 p.m (7 days a week) and finished about 2 - 3 a.m. in the New York Subway system. He was interviewing homeless individuals in the subway trains in different train lines, was providing food, legal guidance, guidance to work re-training, how to get to college & have a degree, in the case of undocumented immigrants how to become documented and have a green card, addressed the homeless population's health care needs, public assistance needs and everything else possible.
This New York City STAF, Inc.'s Homeless Project is still going on in the New York City subway. From the beginning of the project the STAF, Inc.'s researcher himself was sleeping in a sitting position in the subway cars for the rest of each night because it would not have been reasonable to go home to sleep for a few hours and because he wanted also to experience how it is to sleep in the subway car night after night, week after week, month after month and because we knew that the researcher sleeping there would help the research project. This has given deeper understanding what the homeless population goes through and based on that it is easier to develop solutions to help them back to life. Many are very frustrated with the society and the government and have lost their trust in humanity and especially all help providing organization and the government. New methods are needed to ease our homeless situation. That's the goal of this STAF, Inc.'s research project.
When the homeless population learned to know STAF, Inc.'s researcher and they saw him sleeping there as the homeless themselves did, they felt more connected. That built more trust and the homeless were more willing to give additional detailed information about their own case. Also they were eager to introduce newcomers to the researcher. All this has helped the STAF, Inc.'s research project gather more valuable information that can be used in developing new solutions to help the homeless population and perhaps to develop a more effective model to ease the homeless situation in the U.S. and in other countries worldwide.
At the time writing this info, the STAF, Inc. researcher has visited several different NYC podiatrists & vein doctors as a patient (none of them knowing about this project first) to hear how each of these doctors would heal his venous insufficiency. The STAF, Inc. researchers told each doctor after the visit that he is working in this homeless population subway project and suspects that the reason for his venous insufficiency is how he has been sleeping during the past one year+.
Because the STAF, Inc. researcher is a fully healthy person, uses no medication, and has never before had any swollen legs, meaning venous insufficiency problem before as they now developed in him after about six months of sleeping in a sitting position. Not one night during the research project has he been sleeping flat in a normal bed with his legs elevated little above the heart level as he had done for years before starting this project. We want to find out how far this disease will develop under these circumstances. Then we can better help the homeless population and also people.
The STAF, Inc. researcher started using different type of compression socks (prescribed by the doctors who he visited) to see if they help or not when sleeping like the subway homeless do. Then, after certain time, this researcher will stop sleeping in the subway train in a sitting position and will return to a normal bed to sleep with his legs elevated little over the heart level. In addition, other non-invasive and natural actions as seen necessary will then also be taken.
This is to find out if the leg veins will get healed then without any medication or any other medical or operational intervention. And if that healing happens, how long did it take and what else happened.
In addition, this same STAF, Inc. researcher has been eating the same type of food as he gives out to the homeless population (without himself not smoking, not using any legal or illegal drugs (which he never has done anyway), without drinking any alcohol during the research project). The purpose is to find out how that food type will affect his weight and how else his body will react. Then afterwards he will return to his normal fully healthy diet. All results will be published and also used in guiding the whole U.S. population in all the healthy lifestyle principles.
STAF, Inc. had before this subway homeless project developed a new Healthy Lifestyle and Correct Nutrition Program meant for the U.S. new health care legislation as the solution for the U.S. enormous overweight challenge. That new program is not released, yet, because the results from this NYC subway homeless project's nutrition part will be analysed and published together with the Healthy Lifestyle and Correct Nutrition as a comparison. It will show the differences between these two nutrition sources. These research projects are important for developing better & less expensive healthy lifestyle & correct nutrition programs & principles for the whole U.S. nation and also for the rest of the world.
The research will show
if the STAF, Inc.'s subway homeless researcher's own legs healed after he will start sleeping his legs elevated little over the heart level and sleeping in a normal flat position on a normal mattress and will wear compression socks (either knee - or lower waist level stockings) anytime not sleeping in the bed
Are the medical operational methods then needed to heal his condition? How will the present nutritional source affect the body (common what most people eat) and how much healthier is the new already developed and tested STAF, Inc.'s Healthy Lifestyle & Correct Nutrition Program meant for the U.S. health care legislation as the solution to reverse the U.S. high sickness level.
Both important projects. The positive results can save hundreds of billions of dollars for the U.S. government every year, year after year. So will it for any other government globally willing to apply the new principles found in these research projects.
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Study this "elevation" article below after the 2nd article by Dr. Lev Khitin:
First-Aid that often can be the only treatment needed to control venous insufficiency
__________
Circulation: Myths and Realities
A 2nd article by Dr. Lev Khitin (the first one next above)
Our blood travels through 100,000 miles of veins, arteries, and capillaries—more than four times the circumference of the earth. Earth, Circumference 24,901 miles (40,075 km)
The circulatory system is very complex. Our blood travels through 100,000 miles of veins, arteries, and capillaries—more than four times the circumference of the earth.
With all this travel, eventually about half of the people in the United States will have at least a minor dysfunction in their veins. Here are a few of the most popular and prevalent misconceptions about vein problems and treatment that I’ve come across in my practice.
Myth. Varicose and spider veins always come back after treatment.
Accordingly, treating the venous hypertension not only eliminates existing varicosities and spider veins, but also prevents their development in the future.
Myth. Nature gave us veins for a reason. It would, therefore, be wrong to pull them out.
Reality. Leg veins do serve an important physiological function in the human body, as does the appendix—that is until you have appendicitis.
Left untreated, appendicitis evolves into sepsis and eventually death. Similarly, without treatment, diseased veins lead to ulcers, infection, bleeding, and blood clots. Additionally, stopping blood flow through a diseased vein makes the work of healthy veins much easier because diseased veins drain blood backward, making even more work for healthy veins.
Myth. Swollen legs mean you have a weak heart or weak kidneys.
Reality. It is that true cardiac and renal failure do cause the legs, as well as the rest of the body, to swell. They are, however, never responsible for swelling limited to the legs only.
When the heart is too weak to pump blood, or the kidneys fail to filter out water, it leads to excessive water retention that is evenly distributed across the entire body. When the legs are swollen, but the rest of the body is normal, the problem is not in retention of the water, but in its uneven distribution between the rest of the body and the legs. Uneven distribution is almost always caused by vein disease.
Myth. Water pills help swollen legs.
Reality. Diuretics, or water pills, are not indicated for the treatment of swelling limited to a part of the body, such as lower extremities, for example. Furthermore, they are actually strictly contraindicated.
First, diuretics are not effective when given in moderate amounts since our kidneys, being surrounded by a normal amount of water, resist their action. Secondly, given in much higher doses, diuretics do reduce leg swelling, but simultaneously cause dehydration of the rest of the body, which can easily shut down the kidneys.
Myth. Swelling of only one leg means lymphatic blockage.
Reality. Retention of lymphatic fluid, often referred to as “lymphedema” or “lymphostasis,” is an extremely rare condition in the United States and is nearly always a consequence of surgical lymph node dissection, which used to be done routinely during cancer treatment. Constant swelling of one leg is almost always due to vein disease.
Myth. Foot ulcers are from diabetes.
Reality. While foot ulcers are for sure one of multiple classic complications of advanced diabetes, these days, diabetic ulcers almost do not exist in the United States. Contrary to common belief, the overwhelming majority of foot and leg ulcers are caused by bad circulation in either arteries or veins and, therefore, should be treated as such.
Myth. Leg cramps are from bad nerves.
Reality. Muscle cramps that happen during physical activity can be caused by an endless list of pathological conditions, but also can be a normal reaction to strenuous exercise. If your leg cramps up while you’re sleeping at night, it may be due to venous insufficiency, and you should get it checked out.
Dr. Lev M. Khitin is board-certified in general vascular, cardiac, and thoracic surgery. He is the founder and president of the New York Vein Treatment Center, a state-of-the-art facility dedicated to complex evaluation and comprehensive treatment of circulatory disorders in the lower extremities.
New York Vein Treatment Center
Manhattan
400 East 56th St.
212-575-8346
Brooklyn
406 15th St.
718-372-8346
VeinsTreatment.com
____________________
Earth, Circumference 24,901 miles (40,075 km)
Click: The Man Who Accurately Estimated the Circumference of ...www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2014/01/amazing-eratosthenes/
A man who fairly accurately estimated the circumference of the Earth well over 2,000 years ago: Eratosthenes of Cyrene.
Born around 276 B.C. in Cyrene, Libya, Eratosthenes soon became one of the most famous mathematicians of his time.
_____________________
Study this "elevation" article below
A 2nd article by Dr. Lev Khitin (the first one next above)
Our blood travels through 100,000 miles of veins, arteries, and capillaries—more than four times the circumference of the earth. Earth, Circumference 24,901 miles (40,075 km)
The circulatory system is very complex. Our blood travels through 100,000 miles of veins, arteries, and capillaries—more than four times the circumference of the earth.
With all this travel, eventually about half of the people in the United States will have at least a minor dysfunction in their veins. Here are a few of the most popular and prevalent misconceptions about vein problems and treatment that I’ve come across in my practice.
Myth. Varicose and spider veins always come back after treatment.
Accordingly, treating the venous hypertension not only eliminates existing varicosities and spider veins, but also prevents their development in the future.
Myth. Nature gave us veins for a reason. It would, therefore, be wrong to pull them out.
Reality. Leg veins do serve an important physiological function in the human body, as does the appendix—that is until you have appendicitis.
Left untreated, appendicitis evolves into sepsis and eventually death. Similarly, without treatment, diseased veins lead to ulcers, infection, bleeding, and blood clots. Additionally, stopping blood flow through a diseased vein makes the work of healthy veins much easier because diseased veins drain blood backward, making even more work for healthy veins.
Myth. Swollen legs mean you have a weak heart or weak kidneys.
Reality. It is that true cardiac and renal failure do cause the legs, as well as the rest of the body, to swell. They are, however, never responsible for swelling limited to the legs only.
When the heart is too weak to pump blood, or the kidneys fail to filter out water, it leads to excessive water retention that is evenly distributed across the entire body. When the legs are swollen, but the rest of the body is normal, the problem is not in retention of the water, but in its uneven distribution between the rest of the body and the legs. Uneven distribution is almost always caused by vein disease.
Myth. Water pills help swollen legs.
Reality. Diuretics, or water pills, are not indicated for the treatment of swelling limited to a part of the body, such as lower extremities, for example. Furthermore, they are actually strictly contraindicated.
First, diuretics are not effective when given in moderate amounts since our kidneys, being surrounded by a normal amount of water, resist their action. Secondly, given in much higher doses, diuretics do reduce leg swelling, but simultaneously cause dehydration of the rest of the body, which can easily shut down the kidneys.
Myth. Swelling of only one leg means lymphatic blockage.
Reality. Retention of lymphatic fluid, often referred to as “lymphedema” or “lymphostasis,” is an extremely rare condition in the United States and is nearly always a consequence of surgical lymph node dissection, which used to be done routinely during cancer treatment. Constant swelling of one leg is almost always due to vein disease.
Myth. Foot ulcers are from diabetes.
Reality. While foot ulcers are for sure one of multiple classic complications of advanced diabetes, these days, diabetic ulcers almost do not exist in the United States. Contrary to common belief, the overwhelming majority of foot and leg ulcers are caused by bad circulation in either arteries or veins and, therefore, should be treated as such.
Myth. Leg cramps are from bad nerves.
Reality. Muscle cramps that happen during physical activity can be caused by an endless list of pathological conditions, but also can be a normal reaction to strenuous exercise. If your leg cramps up while you’re sleeping at night, it may be due to venous insufficiency, and you should get it checked out.
Dr. Lev M. Khitin is board-certified in general vascular, cardiac, and thoracic surgery. He is the founder and president of the New York Vein Treatment Center, a state-of-the-art facility dedicated to complex evaluation and comprehensive treatment of circulatory disorders in the lower extremities.
New York Vein Treatment Center
Manhattan
400 East 56th St.
212-575-8346
Brooklyn
406 15th St.
718-372-8346
VeinsTreatment.com
____________________
Earth, Circumference 24,901 miles (40,075 km)
Click: The Man Who Accurately Estimated the Circumference of ...www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2014/01/amazing-eratosthenes/
A man who fairly accurately estimated the circumference of the Earth well over 2,000 years ago: Eratosthenes of Cyrene.
Born around 276 B.C. in Cyrene, Libya, Eratosthenes soon became one of the most famous mathematicians of his time.
_____________________
Study this "elevation" article below
Elevation of the legs over the heart level
daytime & for the whole night sleep time
Helpful no-negative-side effects "treatment"
We decided to place this info (1) at the beginning of these articles handling venous insufficiency and (2) also at the end of all these related articles because this can be the key to solve your venous insufficiency challenges.
Elevation of the legs a little above the heart level"
(1) for the whole night sleep time, (2) for 3 minutes several times a day
This is good for (1) prevention and (2) also helpful in the situation when a person already may have swelling of the legs & ankles called venous insufficiency: Elevation of the legs a little above the heart level can alleviate pain or swelling that is the result of early stage venous disease
Test out what level is comfortable for you.
Elevation is a simple, yet powerful, tool that can help improve blood circulation in the veins and provide some relief to venous symptoms. In some cases, elevation of the legs can alleviate pain or swelling that is the result of early stage venous disease.
Elevation of the legs above the heart for a period of three minutes, several times throughout the course of the day, can encourage blood flow from the legs and decrease the pooling of blood (= edema). A vein specialist can guide patients on the most effective elevation techniques.
Regular physical movement & walking "round the block" during a workday to prevent long periods of sitting or stagnancy is recommended for the prevention of venous disease and for easing its symptoms. In a city as much as you can use the stairs going up & down - forget the elevator. Exercises for the feet, toes, and ankles, (tapping the toes and flexing the feet, for example) can help blood flow in the legs if done several times a day.
Because venous disease has a strong genetic component, prevention can help those with a family history to avoid blood clots and ward off symptoms. Important components of prevention include maintaining a healthy weight, exercising regularly, and quitting smoking.
Raising legs at night above the heart level
(1) If you have an adjustable bed, put the legs section up, as long as the feet go up as high or higher than the knee.
(2) If not, support the legs with pillows length-wise (you want to be sure to not compress the back of the knee). You could put furniture raisers under the foot of the bed only if you have a standard bed, or put pillows or a foam wedge between the mattress and box spring at the foot of the bed. You can also purchase devices designed to elevate your legs. Here are a few examples - but you do not have to buy special products if the money is tight - use normal pillows and test out what pillow raises and keeps your legs above the heart level.
Teach your children to sleep with raised legs also as soon as they can handle the information
https://www.loungedoctor.com/products.html
http://www.braceshop.com/productcart...FeFdTAodwztvqA
_________________________
Postphlebitic Syndrome - VascularDoc.com
Postphlebitic syndrome is a condition of swelling and pain in the leg that has been affected by DVT. The postphlebitic syndrome can last for a very long time (more than a year) and can be very disabling. The causes of postphlebitic syndrome include persistent blockage of blood flow through the veins of the leg or damage to valves within the veins of the leg. If a blood clot (DVT) in a leg vein does not dissolve within the first few weeks after it forms, it frequently becomes scarred to the inside of the vein wall and causes a permanent blockage.
Notice:
Over a period of time, the leg will often gradually improve as alternate veins enlarge and create pathways for the blood to flow out of the leg.
This takes time, however, and during the period of time that blood flow out of the leg is impeded by the blood clot, the leg swells, can become painful, and sometimes takes on a darker color due to the accumulation of blood in the extremity.
In some cases, the blood clot will dissolve within the veins as a result of treatment with blood thinners such as heparin, Lovenox, or Coumadin, but during the process of healing of the lining of the vein, the valves within the vein become damaged and no longer function properly. This allows blood to “reflux” meaning instead of pumping back up toward the heart, it accumulates in the leg and can cause swelling and pain. This “valvular insufficiency” is another cause of the postphlebitic syndrome.
The treatment for this condition is to wear support stockings and wait for the passage of time and for the body to develop new vein pathways for blood to exit from the leg. Support stockings minimize the swelling and pain in the leg. Over the years, various vascular surgery operations have been attempted to try to correct the vein obstruction and to replace damaged valves within the veins, but they have been shown to be of minimal benefit and are rarely recommended for this condition.
Notice: (copy from the next above text): Over the years, various vascular surgery operations have been attempted to try to correct the vein obstruction and to replace damaged valves within the veins, but they have been shown to be of minimal benefit and are rarely recommended for this condition. Health & Science
Article 2
2010 Oct, 25
Post-thrombotic syndrome: prevention is better than cure. Saedon M1, Stansby G.
Author information
Post-thrombotic syndrome (PTS) can be debilitating to patients and have a major economic impact on health-care services. It arises after deep venous thrombosis (DVT) due to residual venous obstruction or valvular reflux, leading to increased venous pressure in the microcirculation. While the inflammatory process at the time of DVT may aid thrombus resolution, it may also promote destruction of venous valves. The diagnosis of PTS is principally clinical and patients typically complain of leg heaviness, swelling, pain, itching, cramps, ulcer and signs of lipodermatosclerosis. Several clinical scales or classifications have been used but it is recommended that Villalta scale is the most suitable. Risk factors for PTS include a proximal DVT and recurrent thrombosis as well as obesity and prior varicose veins. Poor quality of anticoagulation control may also be a factor. Established PTS is usually managed along the same lines as chronic venous hypertension
with comprehension therapy and leg elevation.
Notice: the same as this STAF, Inc.'s seminar is suggesting: with compression therapy and leg elevation.
Compression therapy
Compression therapy means what?
Compression therapy means wearing compression socks or stockings (socks are up to the knee level and stockings to the lower waist line level) that are specially designed to support your veins and increase circulation in your legs. The socks or stockings are normally worn in the morning upon arising, and removed at night. Throughout the day the compression they provide prevents blood from pooling in leg veins, thereby helping overall circulation and diminishing any leg swelling you may have.
How compression therapy socks & stockings work?
Compression stockings improve the signs and symptoms of various conditions of venous disease by providing graduated compression therapy to help control leg swelling and discomfort. They are designed to provide support to the legs and veins, assist with circulation, and minimize swelling. The compression is graduated, with the strongest support starting at the ankles and gradually decreasing towards the top of the garment. This gradual support works in conjunction with the pumping action of the calf muscles, which also assist with circulation.
How do I get compression socks or stockings?
Talk to your health care provider to find out if graduated compression stockings are right for you. If they are, your healthcare provider can tell you what pressure grade you should buy. Additionally, your healthcare provider may be able to recommend an authorized vendor that can measure and fit you for the stockings and can provide education regarding compression therapy. Since all legs are different in length and circumferences, before a stocking is dispensed the medical supply personnel will measure the intended leg to ensure maximum therapeutic effects from the stockings.
For further information please consult following chapter of Layman's Handbook of Venous Disorders:
Click: Chapter 13: Compression Therapy for Venous Disorders and Venous Ulceration
Notice: (copy from the above text)
Surgery has only a limited role but may benefit some patients.
Further trials are desperately needed to define the role of acute thrombolysis and mechanical thrombectomy, which seem to be promising treatments in the studies to date.
For patients who have had a DVT more attention should be given to prescribing and using compression hosiery = compression socks & compression stocking
_____________________
Postphlebitic syndrome is a condition of swelling and pain in the leg that has been affected by DVT. The postphlebitic syndrome can last for a very long time (more than a year) and can be very disabling. The causes of postphlebitic syndrome include persistent blockage of blood flow through the veins of the leg or damage to valves within the veins of the leg. If a blood clot (DVT) in a leg vein does not dissolve within the first few weeks after it forms, it frequently becomes scarred to the inside of the vein wall and causes a permanent blockage.
Notice:
Over a period of time, the leg will often gradually improve as alternate veins enlarge and create pathways for the blood to flow out of the leg.
This takes time, however, and during the period of time that blood flow out of the leg is impeded by the blood clot, the leg swells, can become painful, and sometimes takes on a darker color due to the accumulation of blood in the extremity.
In some cases, the blood clot will dissolve within the veins as a result of treatment with blood thinners such as heparin, Lovenox, or Coumadin, but during the process of healing of the lining of the vein, the valves within the vein become damaged and no longer function properly. This allows blood to “reflux” meaning instead of pumping back up toward the heart, it accumulates in the leg and can cause swelling and pain. This “valvular insufficiency” is another cause of the postphlebitic syndrome.
The treatment for this condition is to wear support stockings and wait for the passage of time and for the body to develop new vein pathways for blood to exit from the leg. Support stockings minimize the swelling and pain in the leg. Over the years, various vascular surgery operations have been attempted to try to correct the vein obstruction and to replace damaged valves within the veins, but they have been shown to be of minimal benefit and are rarely recommended for this condition.
Notice: (copy from the next above text): Over the years, various vascular surgery operations have been attempted to try to correct the vein obstruction and to replace damaged valves within the veins, but they have been shown to be of minimal benefit and are rarely recommended for this condition. Health & Science
Article 2
2010 Oct, 25
Post-thrombotic syndrome: prevention is better than cure. Saedon M1, Stansby G.
Author information
- Northern Vascular Centre, University of Newcastle, Freeman Hospital, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.
Post-thrombotic syndrome (PTS) can be debilitating to patients and have a major economic impact on health-care services. It arises after deep venous thrombosis (DVT) due to residual venous obstruction or valvular reflux, leading to increased venous pressure in the microcirculation. While the inflammatory process at the time of DVT may aid thrombus resolution, it may also promote destruction of venous valves. The diagnosis of PTS is principally clinical and patients typically complain of leg heaviness, swelling, pain, itching, cramps, ulcer and signs of lipodermatosclerosis. Several clinical scales or classifications have been used but it is recommended that Villalta scale is the most suitable. Risk factors for PTS include a proximal DVT and recurrent thrombosis as well as obesity and prior varicose veins. Poor quality of anticoagulation control may also be a factor. Established PTS is usually managed along the same lines as chronic venous hypertension
with comprehension therapy and leg elevation.
Notice: the same as this STAF, Inc.'s seminar is suggesting: with compression therapy and leg elevation.
Compression therapy
Compression therapy means what?
Compression therapy means wearing compression socks or stockings (socks are up to the knee level and stockings to the lower waist line level) that are specially designed to support your veins and increase circulation in your legs. The socks or stockings are normally worn in the morning upon arising, and removed at night. Throughout the day the compression they provide prevents blood from pooling in leg veins, thereby helping overall circulation and diminishing any leg swelling you may have.
How compression therapy socks & stockings work?
Compression stockings improve the signs and symptoms of various conditions of venous disease by providing graduated compression therapy to help control leg swelling and discomfort. They are designed to provide support to the legs and veins, assist with circulation, and minimize swelling. The compression is graduated, with the strongest support starting at the ankles and gradually decreasing towards the top of the garment. This gradual support works in conjunction with the pumping action of the calf muscles, which also assist with circulation.
How do I get compression socks or stockings?
Talk to your health care provider to find out if graduated compression stockings are right for you. If they are, your healthcare provider can tell you what pressure grade you should buy. Additionally, your healthcare provider may be able to recommend an authorized vendor that can measure and fit you for the stockings and can provide education regarding compression therapy. Since all legs are different in length and circumferences, before a stocking is dispensed the medical supply personnel will measure the intended leg to ensure maximum therapeutic effects from the stockings.
For further information please consult following chapter of Layman's Handbook of Venous Disorders:
Click: Chapter 13: Compression Therapy for Venous Disorders and Venous Ulceration
Notice: (copy from the above text)
Surgery has only a limited role but may benefit some patients.
Further trials are desperately needed to define the role of acute thrombolysis and mechanical thrombectomy, which seem to be promising treatments in the studies to date.
For patients who have had a DVT more attention should be given to prescribing and using compression hosiery = compression socks & compression stocking
_____________________
How to find out
if your doctor is in good standing
It takes some digging
Recently a reader wrote me to ask how patients can perform background checks on their doctors, to make sure that they’re in good standing. He had a reason for asking: A few years ago, he said, he’d agreed to have a spinal fusion performed by an apparently well-regarded surgeon. The operation left him worse off than when he started, and he later discovered that there were numerous malpractice lawsuits pending against the surgeon.
Click: Spinal fusion
The reader was outraged and confused. He had been given the surgeon’s name by another doctor. He’d even looked up the surgeon’s profile online, and what he found there looked like a clean record.
Unfortunately, there’s no foolproof way to vet*) your doctor, says physician Michael Carome, director of the health research group at Public Citizen, a consumer advocacy organization based in Washington. But there are some basic steps you can take to look into a doctor’s credentials and record. Click: Public Citizen Home Pagewww.citizen.org/
Click: Michael Carome, MD - Public Citizenwww.citizen.org
to vet*) = to investigate (someone) thoroughly to see if they should be approved or accepted for a job:
to check (something) carefully to make sure it is acceptable
Start at your state’s medical board.
Click: Links to State Medical Boards - American Medical Association
- www.ama-assn.org/go/state-medical-boards
Most Click: state medical boards’ Web sites allow you to search for individual physician licenses. Boards vary in the amount of data they disclose on these sites, Carome says, but many will list information about disciplinary actions taken against a physician and payments made for medical malpractice lawsuits. If your state doesn’t post that information, you may be able to contact the medical board and request it, Carome says.
Realize, though, that such records will show only settlements that have been made, not pending lawsuits or investigations that aren’t complete, and states vary in how aggressive they are in taking action against problem doctors, Carome says. “Too often, medical boards give problem physicians a slap on the wrist — like a letter of reprimand (=remind by words what is right and what wrong), probation or a suspended license that is then immediately reinstated — so that they can continue practicing.” What may appear like a minor infraction in the doctor’s record could represent something serious, so don’t be afraid to ask questions, Carome says.
State medical boards generally provide their information free of charge, but you can also order a report on an individual doctor through Docinfo Click: www.docinfo.org, a service of the Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB). For $9.95 per search, you can look up a physician’s medical school and year of graduation, licensure history, board specialties, location, alternate names and disciplinary actions taken against him or her.
Click:Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB)www.fsmb.org/
“Every disciplinary action reported by state medical boards to the FSMB is uploaded,” says Lisa Robin, chief advocacy officer of the federation.
It’s not easy for doctors to run away from disciplinary measures. “Under federal law, suspended licenses must be reported to the National Practitioner Data Bank,” Carome says. These records aren’t publicly available, but hospitals and state medical boards have access to them. If, say, a physician who had his license suspended in California moves to Ohio and applies for a license, the State Medical Board of Ohio is able to check that physician’s record in the national data bank before making a decision, Carome says.
Click: The Data Bank - Homepagewww.npdb.hrsa.gov/
Although patients can’t access the national database, they can look up information about physicians on sites such as
ClickHealthgrades.com, a for-profit venture that’s free for patients. The company makes its money from advertising bought by drugmakers, medical device manufacturers and hospitals and doctors who pay extra to highlight their products and services, says Evan Marks, Healthgrades’ executive vice president for informatics and strategy. Healthgrades collects information only about lawsuits that have been settled, so a doctor with pending lawsuits may still appear to have a spotless record.
The site provides doctor reviews collected from patients as well as information from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and state medical boards, Marks says. Like other sources, Healthgrades collects information only about lawsuits that have been settled, so a doctor with pending lawsuits may still appear to have a spotless record.
Click:Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services: Homewww.cms.gov/Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
US federal agency which administers Medicare, Medicaid, and the State Children's Health Insurance Program. Provides information for health professionals, ...
An Internet search may turn up patient complaints or lawsuits that are still pending, but keep a skeptical eye about such reports, says Daniel Spogen, a physician at the University of Nevada School of Medicine and a member of the board of directors of the American Academy of Family Physicians. Sometimes a doctor does everything right but the patient fares poorly anyway, through no fault of the physician, and the patient or his family sues. The average physician is sued for malpractice once every seven or eight years, but not every lawsuit has just cause, Spogen says.
Click:American Academy of Family Physicians: Homewww.aafp.or
Click: University of Nevada School of Medicinemedicine.nevada.edu/University of Nevada School of Medicine
The University of Nevada School of Medicine for more than four decades has prepared physicians who are leading the way to better health for Nevada, the ..
As for the reader with the back surgery gone wrong, he now searches the Web for lawsuits or complaints against doctors he might choose to visit, and he looks for their names in court records before seeing them. His methods may seem extreme, but he’s willing to spend the extra time to ensure that he has turned over every stone.
If you’re concerned that your doctor may be unduly influenced by pharmaceutical companies, you can use the
Click: “Dollars for Doctors” page maintained by the ProPublica journalism project to find out if he or she has received drug company money and, if so, how much. You can also see how doctors’ prescribing habits compare with their peers’ at ProPublica’s Prescriber Checkup page, Click: projects.propublica.org/checkup. The site shows how often a physician prescribes drugs that present special risks compared with the average doctor, as well as rates of name-brand drug prescriptions and the average number and cost of prescriptions their patients are given.
Source:
(1) The Washington Post
How to find out if your doctor is in good standing. It takes ...www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science
Feb 24, 2014 ... ... to ask how patients can perform background checks on their doctors, to make sure ... He had been given the surgeon's name by another doctor. ... For $9.95 per search, you can look up a physician's medical school and year ...
(2) STAF, Inc.
The End
of the articles related to the Venous Insufficiency and
how to find the facts, good or bad, about your or any medical doctor
________________________
- The End of the seminar -
- the venous insufficiency related material and advice -
Click below the green "mission" to see STAF, Inc.'s mission statement
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- IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR EVERY PERSON -
The A,B,C of the "fast-food" - BAD-FOOD
Truly the SHOCKING FACTS
about the "fast-food" = BAD-FOOD
Industry
See below how you are betrayed - the science facts are facts, not fiction
The most convincing evidence
PART A Articles B & C next below
Study: Your fast food hamburger may contain as little as 2 % actual meat
and: (1) water 50 % - (2) skeletal muscle, as well as a variety of tissue types including (3) blood vessels, (4) peripheral nerves, (5) adipose tissue (body fat)*), (6) cartilage, and (7) bone - YOU buy & eat that stuff as a meat hamburger - do you feel like throwing up - do you feel like betrayed - do you feel like you want to take the fast-food companies to court and sue them criminally for misleading you and misleading the nation and the whole world?
*) adipose tissue = A type of connective tissue that contains stored cellular fat - loose connective tissue in which fat cells accumulate.
This means that for a half-pound burger, less than one ounce of it is composed of actual meat,
on average.
Are you ready for the facts - they are here below - science facts, not fiction - are you now ready to eat REAL FOOD?
See the next articles after these ABC-articles - this Successo-Pedia© advice website maintained by the STAF, Inc. with the worldwide leading scientists & specialists in correct nutrition has all info you need to restore your possibly already lost health and maintain it for a healthy, happy, longer life - and enjoy the good life.
Start your new life from these 4 quotations next below and APPLY the information - how else could you have a better, healthier, longer life, new life?
Click green for further info
Quotation "To stay healthy and have a longer life
you need to eat what your body wants, not what you want"
(Dr. Christian, President STAF, Inc. - lead author of this leading advice website)
Quotation "If it came from a plant, eat it, if it was made in a plant, don't"
(click: Michael Pollan)
Quotation "Eat food, not too much, mostly fruit & vegetables"
(click: Michael Pollan)
Quotation "Knowledge is no power - only applied knowledge is power"
(Dr. Christian, President STAF, Inc. - lead author of this advice website)
_________
Your new, healthier life starts from applying the information
FAST FOOD = BAD "FOOD"
In this leading advice website you will get all info of what you and your family needs to eat to have a good, lasting health
Apply the information in your whole family
The most convincing evidence
The good facts about the bad food in these 3 science articles below
Click green for further info
There may be a convenient way to satiate your hunger while on the go, but fast food hamburgers appear to offer little in the way of actual meat content, according to a recent study published in the journal Annals of Diagnostic Pathology. Researchers from the Laurel School in Shaker Heights, Ohio, found that, among eight popular fast food hamburgers analyzed, some were found to contain as little as two percent actual meat, which may come as a surprise to some.
A true American meal pastime, hamburgers are consumed at a rate of about five billion patties annually in the U.S.
Most people who eat hamburgers likely assume that those succulent patties grilled over an open flame are pure meat from cows. But according to the histological*) data, hamburger patties are generally composed mostly of water, as well as varying percentages of random tissues, nerves, and a small percentage of actual meat.
*) histological = The anatomical study of the microscopic structure of animal and plant tissues. 2. The microscopic structure of tissue.
Based on their analysis, Laurel School researchers found that the water content of fast food hamburgers typically ranges between 37.7 and 62.4 percent, with an average of about 49 percent. Electron microscopy revealed preserved skeletal muscle, which is good, as well as a variety of tissue types including blood vessels, peripheral nerves, adipose tissue (body fat), cartilage, and bone. But the kicker was the actual meat content.
Click green for further info
According to the data, amongst the 8 fast food hamburger patties tested, meat content ranged between 2.1 and 14.8 percent, with an average of about 12.1 percent. This means that for a half-pound burger, less than one ounce of it is composed of actual meat, on average. And for those burgers on the lowest end of the meat spectrum, a half-pound patty contains less than five grams of actual meat.
Click green for further info
"Fast food hamburgers are comprised of little meat," wrote the authors in their study abstract. "Approximately half of their weight is made up of water. Unexpected tissue types found in some hamburgers included bone, cartilage, and plant material; no brain tissue was present."
Besides their lack of meat, some fast food hamburger patties were also found to contain potentially harmful bacteria and ammonia. Two of the hamburgers tested, for instance, were found to contain intracellular parasites, also known as Sarcocystis, which are basically cysts (= in an animal or plant, a thin-walled, hollow organ or cavity containing a liquid secretion; a sac, vesicle, or bladder (= urine). In humans, undercooked meats containing Sarcocystis can cause diarrhea or muscle tenderness, and in more extreme cases breathing problems and even death.
Meat is supposed to contain water, but not bacteria and ammonia.
Since all meat naturally contains relatively high levels of water, it is not necessarily unusual that the fast food hamburger patties tested in the study also contained high levels of water. It is the unexpected tissues, the bacteria, and the ammonia that are most concerning about this study's findings, as they affirm what others have warned about in the past concerning the problems with fast food meat.
The authors of the study also did not identify which fast food hamburgers they tested, which some NaturalNews readers NaturalNews - Wikipedia may find disconcerting. 0But many of the usual fast food suspects were likely included as part of the research, which means you can probably make your own educated guesses.
Regardless, the overall research still points to the same conclusion -- that avoiding fast food hamburgers and cooking your own clean, grass-fed meats from local or verified suppliers is still the best route you and your family can take. There are simply too many unknowns with the conventional food supply these days to take the risk.
Is sacrificing your health on the altar of convenience really worth it?
Sources for this article include:
Click green for further info
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov = PART B below - same topic with more "science" details
http://www.realfarmacy.com = PART C below - same topic with more "science" details
Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/041116_hamburgers_fast_food_meat_content.html#ixzz2kBOhxRFJ
Source: Annals of Diagnostic Pathology
July 09, 2013
Tags: hamburgers, fast food, meat content
Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/041116_hamburgers_fast_food_meat_content.html#ixzz2kBPpqRC2
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PART B (PART A next above - Part C next below)
Click green for further info
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Is sacrificing your health on the altar of convenience really worth it?
Is sacrificing your health on the altar of convenience really worth it?
Americans consume about 5 billion hamburgers a year. It is presumed that most hamburgers are composed primarily of Meat. The purpose of this study is to assess the content of 8 Fast Foodhamburger brands using histologic methods. Eight different brands of hamburgers were evaluated for Water content by weight and microscopically for recognizable tissue types. Glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) staining was used to evaluate for brain tissue. water content by weight ranged from 37.7% to 62.4% (mean, 49%). Meat content in the hamburgers ranged from 2.1% to 14.8% (median, 12.1%). The cost per gram of hamburger ranged from $0.02 to $0.16 (median, $0.03) and did not correlate with meat content. Electron microscopy showed relatively preserved skeletal muscle. A variety of tissue types besides skeletal muscle were observed including connective tissue (n = 8), blood vessels (n = 8), peripheral nerve (n = 8), adipose tissue (n = 7), plant material (n = 4), cartilage (n = 3), and bone (n = 2). In 2 hamburgers, intracellular parasites (Sarcocystis) were identified. The GFAP immunostaining was not observed in any of the hamburgers. Lipid content on oil-red-O staining was graded as 1+ (moderate) in 6 burgers and 2+ (marked) in 2 burgers. Fast food hamburgers are comprised of little meat (median, 12.1%). Approximately half of their weight is made up of Water. Unexpected tissue types found in some hamburgers included bone, cartilage, and plant material; no brain tissue was present. Sarcocystis parasites were discovered in 2 hamburgers.
PMID: 18995204
Click green for further info
Source: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
_________
PART C (PART A & B next above)
Click green for further info
http://www.realfarmacy.com
Is sacrificing your health on the altar of convenience really worth it?
Americans consume somewhere in the ballpark of 5 billion hamburgers a year. To keep up with this demand, just over 4100 cows are slaughtered every hour in the U.S. That’s a lot of dead cows! When 68 cows a minute are slaughtered you can bet that mistakes are made or parts are shifted into the wrong areas. A study published in the Annals of Diagnostic Pathology helped to discover just how much “shifting of parts” is really going on.
The study presumed that most hamburgers are composed primarily of meat. 8 different popular fast food hamburger brands were tested using histologic methods. The burgers were evaluated for water content by weight and then microscopically to verify tissue types. An additional test known as Glial fibrillary acidic protein staining was used to test for brain tissue. We’ll give you the good news first, none of the eight samples had brains in them. Unfortunately that is as good as it gets.
The mean water weight of the burgers was about 50%. Now for the strange part, actual meat content in the burgers ranged from 2.1% to 14.8 percent. That’s right, the product that you are expecting to get is only 2-14% of what you really think it is!
Read more atSource: http://www.realfarmacy.com/fast-food-burgers-only-7-meat/#MREiG5Ace2p2guyj.99
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'Superbug' bacteria widespread in U.S. chicken: consumer group
Chicken is the most widely consumed meat in the United States. Americans consume chicken nearly 90 pounds per person each year, compared to 55 lbs of pounds of beef and 50 pounds of pork.
Foreword
By STAF, Inc.
See the article above: Fast-Food = Bad-Food = No-Food
An example of another "bad food" - abuse of antibiotics in the meat industry -
Read and apply: find healthier choices - 'Superbug' bacteria can be life-threatening for you and for your family.
Better choice: buy clean chicken and eat less of it. The amount to eat meat or fish is 2-3 -4 ozs in one serving.
Eat less, yet, get enough - feel better - less suffering - stay healthy - live longer
To find clean chicken (no antibiotics, free ranged) talk to an honest butcher.
Over 80 % of the chicken on the market in the U.S. or worldwide is of low-quality, filled with poisons & antibiotics.
Most chicken meat is not coming from free-ranged chicken - instead the meat comes from chickens that have no space to move around, no walking, no seeing the day lite - that's criminal animal cruelty in reality.
Think: if you do never move around, walk, run, dance - what will happen to your body? Your body will slowly but surely get filled with toxins because your immune system that collects the poisonous stuff from your system in normal conditions and will expel it through natural ways = sweating, colon elimination & urine elimination and through some natural body chemistry activities CANNOT do it job to get rid of this poisonous stuff in your body when the body is not active and moving around. Why not? Because, as the blood circulation system has a pump (= your heart) and can make the blood run around, the immune system has NO pump. The immune system, in order to have the toxic material moving and leaving the body, needs the body owner to move around - it needs physical exercise, walking , running, etc. That activity pumps the accumulated poisonous liquid in immune system out from you body through several natural channels.
The chickens, swines/pigs, calves, bulls, cows, etc. that are tied in one small area cannot even properly turn around and thus are not getting any exercise, are accumulating toxic material in their immune system. When these animals are fed with chemicals and antibiotics they stay in their flesh and the consumer then eats the poisonous meat risking a long list of deadly sicknesses. In the human boy daily exercise will make a difference.
Walk daily at least 10K or preferable 25K steps (use a pedometer) to help to pump out the toxic stuff from your immune system. Avoid poisonous "food"items as fast-"food" (= bad-food). Aim to find cleaner meat to eat, e.g. free range chicken eggs & meat, milk & meat from the cows that have space to exercise, etc. Do not drink soda (sugary or diet), drink plain, clean water daily min. the same amount in oz's as is the normal weight in lbs. How do you know if you drink enough water. Look at your urine - if it is dark in color you need more water daily until your urine gets close to clear or at least is only lightly yellowish.
The article
'Superbug' bacteria widespread in U.S. chicken
Consumers should cook poultry to 165 degrees F (73.8C) to kill bacteria and take steps, such as using a separate cutting board for raw meat, to avoid cross-contamination of other foods, Consumer Reports said
About half of the raw chicken breasts in a nationwide sampling carried antibiotic-resistant "superbug" bacteria, a U.S. consumer group said, calling for stricter limits on use of the medicines on livestock (click: livestock.
It could be more difficult to treat people if they became ill after eating chicken with the antibiotic-resistant bacteria, said Consumer Reports, which describes itself as the world's largest independent product-testing organization.
The group said it tested for six types of bacteria in 316 raw chicken breasts purchased from retailers nationwide during July. Almost all of the samples contained potentially harmful bacteria, it said.
Some 49.7 percent carried a bacterium resistant to three or more antibiotics, according to the group, and 11 percent had two types of bacteria resistant to multiple drugs. Resistance was most common for the antibiotics used for growth promotion and disease treatment of poultry.
Consumer Reports urged passage of a law to restrict eight classes of antibiotics for use only to treat humans and sick animals. The law would be more effective, it said, than the Food and Drug Administration's plan, announced last week, to phase down the non-medical use of antibiotics in (click: livestock over three years.
In addition, it said the Agriculture Department should set levels for allowable salmonella and campylobacter bacteria in poultry and give its inspectors the power to prevent sale of poultry meat that contains salmonella bacteria that is resistant to multiple antibiotics.
Chicken is the most widely consumed meat in the United States. Americans consume nearly 90 pounds per person each year, compared to 55 lbs of pounds of beef and 50 pounds of pork.
The broiler industry said it will cooperate with the FDA's planned phase-down of antibiotics although it says there is negligible risk from current use of the drugs.
Consumers should cook poultry to 165 degrees F (73.8C) to kill bacteria and take steps, such as using a separate cutting board for raw meat, to avoid cross-contamination of other foods, Consumer Reports said.
Source: Reuters News
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IMPORTANT INFO FOR EVERYONE
Every person will benefit by reading this article - it can save YOUR life also
Loni Jane Anthony: "80:10:10 diet" saved my life
Why does the public ask "Is She Bananas"? The answer in the article below.
Pregnant Woman on Raw-Food Diet Causes Controversy*)
*)= disagreement, typically when prolonged, public, and heated
Click green for further info
To see the pictures search the web with the title:
Loni Jane Anthony: 80:10:10 diet saved my life -
What is 80:10:10 - see the article below
Can a pregnant woman be healthy on a raw vegan diet? It’s a question being beaten to a pulp following a recent interview with Australian designer Loni Jane Anthony, 25, an expectant mother, who discusses her adherence to such a diet — including her tendency to consume 10 bananas for breakfast and 6 mangoes for lunch. The strict eating regimen has made Anthony, also a photographer with more than 103,000 Instagram fans, the subject of public scorn, with some deriding her for endangering both herself and her baby.
Click green for further info
More: Should Pregnant Women Be Weightlifting?
If the link has expired, search the web with the title (above)
“You kind of realize who your friends are,” she tells News.com.au in the interview, referring to the frequent eye rolls she gets over the fact that she follows the “80/10/10,” a raw fruit and veggie diet providing
80 percent carbs, 10 percent fat and 10 percent protein. “I've had a lot of judgment from people thinking I'm nuts and saying ‘Why is Loni eating 10 bananas for breakfast? Is she crazy?’ People tend to shut you out because you're not in the social circle of alcohol or drinking coffee ...They're in their comfort zones of eating junk and they don't want to be around someone who makes them feel guilty."
Click green for further info
More: Vegetarians Live Longer and Prosper: Study
If the link has expired, search the web with the title (above)
A typical daily menu for Anthony, she says, might include a few “mono meals,” meaning one type of fruit, like oranges or bananas or watermelon; a smoothie; and for dinner, a large salad with tahini dressing—plus plenty of warm water with lemon.
She says she switched to the diet, created by longtime athlete and trainer Douglas Graham, after a lifestyle of heavy drinking and lots of junk food that led to a battery of health problems. “I started getting skin infections, acne, and putting on weight, which was weird because I'd always been so slim,” she says. “I wanted to sleep all the time and ended up with a whole range of health problems including candida overgrowth, hormone imbalance, irregular periods, and hair loss. I also got really sick on a trip (read: fully-blown bender) to Thailand and picked up parasites and dengue fever.”
After a series of antibiotics made her sicker, Anthony says she came across Graham’s diet book,
"The 80/10/10 Diet," which taught her that “you can live and thrive on this lifestyle by just eating higher carbohydrate vegetables, fruits, and juices, and keeping your diet low fat. You even keep good fats low to keep your blood sugar stable. It's been amazing.”
The book: Amazon ..The 80/10/10 Diet: Douglas N. Graham: 9781893831247
Graham tells in an email that there is no reason to worry about Anthony's diet. "Eating fruits and vegetables, universally acclaimed as health foods, is not dangerous. A pregnant woman needs extra calories, but neither she nor her unborn baby benefit when she eats foods that lead to illness," he says. "Some folks see 80/10/10 as a threat, thinking that if they eat healthy foods it will mean they can never eat their unhealthy foods ever again. This is not so. People can and do eat what they want."
According to information on Graham's website, “There is no essential nutrient in meat, grains, legumes, or dairy that is not also available in fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds, and in a form that is easier to digest.” Cooking food, he adds, destroys nutrients. He also notes that most people have been misinformed about how much protein the body needs, and that “most people suffer from an overdose of protein each day, and this accounts for a great deal of ill health, such as constipation, leading to toxemia and eventually, cancer.”
Naysayers, though, have been vocal and numerous. A slew of criticisms in the story’s comments section include “narcissist in the extreme,” “too much sugar,” “self-absorbed moron,” “irresponsible,” “bad advice,” “hope she’s taking supplements,” “needs more protein,” and “I can’t see much there to help your baby grow.”
The concern of various bloggers has also been piqued. “I feel uncomfortable with Loni’s ‘transformation’ because it doesn’t sound safe for her baby,” writes Ami Angelowicz in the Frisky. “I’m not a doctor, of course, but common sense and the little knowledge I have about nutrition tells me that you have to consume more than bananas and mangoes each day when you’re eating for two.”
Prenatal nutritionists seem to agree. “Nothing can replace a balanced diet for a healthy pregnancy,” Bridget Swinney, author of “Eating Expectantly: A Practical and Tasty Guide to Prenatal Nutrition,” tells Yahoo Shine. Swinney finds the details of Anthony’s diet “concerning.”
She adds, “Any kind of extreme diet during pregnancy raises a lot of red flags for me. First, you really need protein to build a baby, and it should be around 20 percent of your diet.” Further, women eating for two need to consume zinc for brain development, omega-3 fats from fish for brain and eye development, and calcium (which can be obtained from vegetables, she notes), "to flush lead and other dangerous toxins that tend to get stored in bones," Swinney explains.
She adds, “Not to say this diet isn’t possible — there are plenty of women who are vegan through pregnancy — but she takes it to an extreme that’s kind of scary.” She also worries about women who are prone to gestational diabetes, for which low servings of carbohydrates are recommended, mimicking Anthony’s eating habits.
Click green for further info
Prenatal nutritionist and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Melinda Johnson adds that "research has demonstrated that restrictive eating plans tend to lead to disordered eating, poor body image, poor self esteem, and even to full-blown eating disorders."
Still, others defend Anthony.
“The hate is mostly due to the fact that she’s pregnant while trying to stay healthy,” notes blogger Every Joe. “According to other jealous women, she’s putting her unborn child at risk by not eating a more well-rounded diet. That, ladies and gentlemen, is terrible logic. …If my seed is implanted in a uterus, I’d much rather the host chick feed the parasite with a fruit diet than one that consists of McDonald’s, Burger King and Taco Bell.”
And plenty of supporters also speak up in the interview’s comments section. “This is an extremely healthy diet. I have been doing this for just under 12 months and love it!” wrote one woman. Others have told “haters” to back off, noting the lifestyle “obviously works for her” and declaring “good on her” and “excellent work, Loni.”
STAF Inc.'s comment by Christian von Christophers, Ph.D., N.D., D.D.
-one of the leading nutrition consultants worldwide-
Yes - raw is the starting point- fruit and vegetables as much raw as possible.
However, vegetables can be STEAMED (rather than boiled) - steaming saves more nutrients
Eggs can be steamed (15-20 min. steaming for hard, less as you wish) - use your own judgement what can be steamed.
Stop eating fast-food (= bad-food) - prepare your own food in you own kitchen - except for special occasions & casino buffets (!) eat out.
"Your good health is in your blender"
Have several blenders in your kitchen (one breaks, use another one).
The Prince of the lower-cost blenders is Hamilton Beach or Proctor Silex (6 m- 12 months warranty - about $20 - $25)
The Crown Prince of the family blenders (high-quality, 7-years warranty) is Vitamix (about $500 +/-)
click: Hamilton Beach - click: Proctor Silex
Vitamix provides more nutrients by breaking the blended ingredients into smaller elements.
click: Vitamix - High Performance Blenders
Is sacrificing your health on the altar of convenience really worth it?
Eat healthy food - stay healthy.
For further information study this website - it has all you need - apply the information
For further information read the 2 books suggested below and apply the information
Is sacrificing your health on the altar of convenience really worth it?
Eat healthy food - stay healthy.
This website has all information you need - apply the information
Quote "Knowledge is no power - only applied knowledge is power"
(Dr. Christian, STAF, Inc. CEO)
_______________________
For further reading order & read
(you and your loved ones) these two books:
(1) (click) The 80/10/10 Diet: Douglas N. Graham: 9781893831247: Amazon ...
(click) 198 customer reviews
After more than 5 years of intensive work the definitive guide to the 80/10/10 Diet is here! Get your hands on the latest book by Dr. Douglas Graham, The 80/10/10 Diet: Balancing Your Health, Your Weight, and Your Life One Luscious Bite at a Time. If you have struggled with staying raw, would like to lose weight, or change your life for the better, look no further than this groundbreaking book.
(2) (click) The China Study: The Most Comprehensive Study of Nutrition Ever
by Dr. T.Colin Campbell (Author) The green link connects to AmazonISBN-10: 9781932100662 | ISBN-13: 978-1932100662 | Edition: First Paperback Edition
Even today, as trendy diets and a weight-loss frenzy sweep the nation, two-thirds of adults are still obese and children are being diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, typically an “adult” disease, at an alarming rate. If we’re obsessed with being thin more so than ever before, why are Americans stricken with heart disease as much as we were 30 years ago?
In The China Study, Dr. T. Colin Campbell details the connection between nutrition and heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. The report also examines the source of nutritional confusion produced by powerful lobbies, government entities, and opportunistic scientists. The New York Times has recognized the study as the “Grand Prix of epidemiology” and the “most comprehensive large study ever undertaken of the relationship between diet and the risk of developing disease.”
The China Study is not a diet book. Dr. Campbell cuts through the haze of misinformation and delivers an insightful message to anyone living with cancer, diabetes, heart disease, obesity, and those concerned with the effects of aging.
_______________________
Study the next article:
The article below (World's # 1 free advice website.....) is one of the articles STAF, Inc.'s editors are placing daily for a nation/worldwide exposure as STAF, Inc.'s comment to various articles on the internet (e.g. Yahoo articles, etc.).
____________________________
World's # 1 free advice website Successo-Pedia©
for all family matters, success, health, wealth & for the good life - built by Save The American Family - STAF, Inc. & by Dr. Christian von Christophers, Ph.D., N.D., D.D. - Free Q & A service - see our website: Home page
This info will save trillions in health care costs
America & everyone worldwide must learn the #1 skill: Healthy Lifestyle & Correct Nutrition
Avoid big food bills, big bellies & big sickness costs
Quote: "To stay healthy you need to eat what your body wants, not what you want"
STAF, Inc. has a new Healthy Lifestyle & Correct Nutrition Program for the U.S. government's & for every nation's use worldwide.
Totally it took 26 years to develop, first 19 years worldwide research & 7 years to modify it for everyone's needs. This program covers, for the first time ever, all necessary elements to get the lasting results in all family related challenges & in our rampant obesity, overweight & sickness levels. Its nutritional program leading to health & to a longer life is at the same time an automatic weight loss program: nothing to buy, no calories to count, no unreasonable portion control - eat as needed; just follow the easy instructions.
The biggest news is this: the correct, health-restoring & health-maintaining food with all necessary daily nutrients in the correct combination costs ONLY about $95 per one (adult) person monthly. The new program guides you to buy your food ingredients in your local supermarket & prepare your food in your own kitchen based on the new, delicious recipes. The bigger the family, the less $ per/person. Only a program everyone can afford is a solution to the world's health challenges.
Your food expenses, time being, are probably many times more than in this new STAF, Inc.'s results bringing program. Everyone can afford this amazing program whether one works on the minimum salary or lives on the social security or similar.
The saved money this new STAF, Inc. program guides you to place in safe investments - STAF, Inc. endorses only a few investment adviser companies as reliable. With the saved money your family can create substantial wealth within time. Also a millionaire?
The new Healthy Lifestyle & Correct Nutrition program will, in a televised D.C. event, be introduced worldwide & to The W.H., The President, The U.S. Congress & Senate.
STAF, Inc.'s presence is needed in D.C. in the U.S. Congress (House & Senate). STAF, Inc.'s President is planning (1) to seek a seat in D.C. Congress/Senate to provide the necessary information to the D.C. lawmakers & (2) to establish a new federal agency, Healthy Lifestyle & Family Success Agency & to be named its first federal director. New legislation & training for all these matters are needed in a results-bringing manner.
STAF, Inc.'s slogan: Less suffering - more life™
In the same manner as Wikipedia, the non-profit internet Encyclopedia, Save The American Family - STAF, Inc., -not-for-profit, needs donations to widen its important work for your & your family's richer, healthier & safer future. Mail any size of donation in any currency as paper money to: STAF, Inc., P.O. Box 1555, New York, NY 10163, USA. Inside the envelope enclose your name & email address - STAF, Inc. will email you a tax deductible confirmation receipt. 100 % of donations will be used for STAF, Inc.'s help operations in reducing sickness & promoting healthy lifestyle worldwide.
Listen to STAF, Inc.'s popular Radio Shows - you'll get free CEU & College-University credits nationwide or worldwide. Visit STAF, Inc.'s extensive website - search the internet with: "Save The American Family - STAF, Inc.- Home" - (one 'F' in STAF, Inc.).
Respectfully,
Christian von Christophers, Ph.D., N.D., D.D.
STAF, Inc.'s President
Founder of Successology ® (Reg.U.S.Pat.Off.1991) - The new science for the GOOD LIFE
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A-Must-to-Read-Article
Article 1 of 2 (Article 2 of 2 next below)
Read article 2 of 2 also, next below - use of supplements destroyed the liver
Important for everyone to study this article - to save suffering and to save lives
The facts are not always as they should be or are told they are
Skip the Supplements
PARENTS whose children are admitted to our hospital occasionally bring along something extra to help with their care: dietary supplements, like St. John’s wort *) to ameliorate (=improve, make better) mild depression or probiotics**) the info for better health.
Here’s the problem: The Joint Commission, which is responsible for hospital accreditation in the United States, requires that dietary supplements be treated like drugs. It makes sense: Vitamins, amino acids, herbs, minerals and other botanicals have pharmacological effects. So they are drugs.
But the Food and Drug Administration doesn’t regulate dietary supplements as drugs — they aren’t tested for safety and efficacy before they’re sold. Many aren’t made according to minimal standards of manufacturing (the F.D.A. has even found some of the facilities where supplements are made to be contaminated with rodent feces and urine). And many are mislabeled, accidentally or intentionally. They often aren’t what they say they are. For example:
In 2003, researchers tested “ayurvedic” remedies from health food stores throughout Boston. They found that 20 percent contained potentially harmful levels of lead, mercury or arsenic.
In 2008, two products were pulled off the market because they were found to contain around 200 times more selenium (an element that some believe can help prevent cancer) than their labels said. People who ingested these products developed hair loss, muscle cramps, diarrhea, joint pain, fatigue and blisters.
Last summer, vitamins and minerals made by Purity First Health Products in Farmingdale, N.Y., were found to contain two powerful anabolic steroids. Some of the women who took them developed masculinizing symptoms like lower voices and fewer menstrual periods.
Last month, researchers in Ontario found that popular herbal products like those labeled St. John’s wort and ginkgo biloba often contained completely different herbs or contaminants, some of which could be quite dangerous.
The F.D.A. estimates that approximately 50,000 adverse reactions to dietary supplements occur every year. And yet few consumers know this.
Parents of children admitted to our hospital often request that we continue treating their child with dietary supplements because they believe in them, even if that belief isn’t supported by evidence. More disturbing were the times when children were taking these supplements without our knowledge. Doctors always ask parents if their children are taking any medicines. Unfortunately, because most parents don’t consider dietary supplements to be drugs, we often never knew about their use, let alone whether they might react dangerously with the child’s other treatments.
The F.D.A. has the mandate, but not the manpower, to oversee the labeling and manufacture of these supplements. In the meantime, doctors — and consumers — are on their own.
Our hospital has acted to protect the safety of our patients. No longer will we administer dietary supplements unless the manufacturer provides a third-party written guarantee that the product is made under the F.D.A.’s “good manufacturing practice” (G.M.P.) conditions, as well as a Certificate of Analysis (C.O.A.) assuring that what is written on the label is what’s in the bottle.
The good news is that we’ve been able to find some vitamins, amino acids, minerals and a handful of other supplements that meet this standard. For example, melatonin has been shown to affect sleep cycles and has a record of safety, and we identified a product that met manufacturing and labeling standards.
The bad news is that this was a vanishingly small percentage of the total group. Around 90 percent of the companies we reached out to for verification never responded. They didn’t call us back, or their email or manufacturing addresses changed overnight. Of the remainder, many manufacturers refused to provide us with either a statement of G.M.P. or a C.O.A.; in other words, they refused to guarantee that their products were what they said they were. Others lied; they said they met G.M.P. standards, but a call to the F.D.A. revealed they had been fined for violations multiple times. Perhaps most surprising, some manufacturers willingly furnished information that their product didn’t meet standards — like one company that provided a C.O.A. showing that its product contained 47,000 International Units of beta-carotene, when the label stated 25,000.
Now, when parents in our hospital still want to use products whose quality can’t be assured, we ask them to sign a waiver stating that the supplement may be dangerous, and that most have not been studied for their effectiveness. “Use of an agent for which there are no reliable data on toxicity and drug interactions,” the waiver reads, “makes it impossible to adequately monitor the patient’s acute condition or safely administer medications.”
What can other individuals who are concerned about supplement safety do? They can look for “U.S.P. Verified” on the label — this proves the supplement has been inspected and approved under the United States Pharmacopeial Convention. Unfortunately, fewer than 1 percent of the 55,000 or so supplements on the market bear this label. The real answer is that, until the day comes when medical studies prove that these supplements have legitimate benefits, and until the F.D.A. has the political backing and resources to regulate them like drugs, individuals should simply steer clear.
For too long, too many people have believed that dietary supplements can only help and never hurt. Increasingly, it’s clear that this belief is a false one.
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Source:
Paul A. Offit is chief of the division of infectious diseases at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia,
where Sarah Erush is the clinical manager in the pharmacy department.
*) click: St. John's wort (Hypericum perforatum L.) - MayoClinic.com
**) What are probiotics? Probiotics are bacteria that help maintain the natural balance of organisms (microflora) in the intestines . The normal human digestive tract contains about 400 types of probiotic bacteria that reduce the growth of harmful bacteria and promote a healthy digestive system. The largest group of probiotic bacteria in the intestine is lactic acid bacteria, of whichLactobacillus acidophilus, found in yogurt with live cultures, is the best known. Yeast is also a probiotic substance. Probiotics are also available as dietary supplements.
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Source: (1) NYT (2) STAF, Inc. (Article 2 of 2 next below) Click green for further info
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A -Must-to-Read Article
Article 2 of 2 (Article 1 of 2 next above - read that, too relates to the same topic)
Foreword
By STAF, Inc.
(1) The F.D.A. estimates that 70 % of dietary supplement companies are not following basic quality control standards that would help prevent adulteration*) of their products. Click: U S Food and Drug Administration Home Pagewww.fda.gov
*) adulteration = to make impure by adding extraneous, improper, or inferior ingredients
(2) About 50 % of Americans use dietary supplements & most of them take more than one product at a time.
Americans spend an estimated $32 billion on dietary supplements every year, attracted by unproven claims that various pills and powders will help them lose weight, build muscle and fight off everything from colds to chronic illnesses.
(3) Click Dietary supplements account for nearly 20 % of drug-related liver injuries that turn up in hospitals, up from 7 % a decade ago.
(4) Big Part of dietary supplements are taken for weight loss purposes - if you want to get rid of extra weight using dietary supplements STAF, Inc.'s strong advice is: stop using them, as they all are unregulated you would not know what you get. They may cause life-threatening sicknesses, they may even cause death. Instead, take STAF, Inc.'s educational and fully step-by-step guided Weight Reduction Program - it has the world's first and still only double-guarantee: (1) a life-time result-guarantee (2) with one-time fee only. No one anywhere gives a similar guarantee.
Study the introduction article further above titled World's # 1 free advice website Successo-Pedia©
Spike in Harm to Liver Is Tied to Dietary Aids
Skip the Supplements - Do not use supplements of any kind
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When Christopher Herrera, 17, walked into the emergency room at Texas Children’s Hospital one morning last year, his chest, face and eyes were bright yellow — “almost highlighter yellow,” recalled Dr. Shreena S. Patel, the pediatric resident who treated him.
Christopher, a high school student from Katy, Tex., suffered severe liver damage after using a concentrated green tea extract he bought at a nutrition store as a “fat burning” supplement. The damage was so extensive that he was put on the waiting list for a liver transplant.
“It was terrifying,” he said in an interview. “They kept telling me they had the best surgeons, and they were trying to comfort me. But they were saying that I needed a new liver and that my body could reject it.”
New data suggests that his is not an isolated case. Dietary supplements account for nearly 20 percent of drug-related liver injuries that turn up in hospitals, up from 7 percent a decade ago, according to an analysis by a national network of liver specialists. The research included only the most severe cases of liver damage referred to a representative group of hospitals around the country, and the investigators said they were undercounting the actual number of cases.
While many patients recover once they stop taking the supplements and receive treatment, a few require liver transplants or die because of liver failure. Naïve teenagers are not the only consumers at risk, the researchers said. Many are middle-aged women who turn to dietary supplements that promise to burn fat or speed up weight loss.
“It’s really the Wild West,” said Dr. Herbert L. Bonkovsky, the director of the liver, digestive and metabolic disorders laboratory at Carolinas HealthCare System in Charlotte, N.C. “When people buy these dietary supplements, it’s anybody’s guess as to what they’re getting.”
Though doctors were able to save his liver, Christopher can no longer play sports, spend much time outdoors or exert himself, lest he strain the organ. He must make monthly visits to a doctor to assess his liver function.
Americans spend an estimated $32 billion on dietary supplements every year, attracted by unproven claims that various pills and powders will help them lose weight, build muscle and fight off everything from colds to chronic illnesses. About half of Americans use dietary supplements, and most of them take more than one product at a time.
Dr. Victor Navarro, the chairman of the hepatology*) division at Einstein Healthcare Network in Philadelphia、
www.einstein.edu/, said that while liver injuries linked to supplements were alarming, he believed that a majority of supplements were generally safe. Most of the liver injuries tracked by a network of medical officials are caused by prescription drugs used to treat things like cancer, diabetes and heart disease, he said.
*) Hepatology is the branch of medicine that incorporates the study of liver, gallbladder, biliary tree, and pancreas as well as management of their disorders. ..
But the supplement business is largely unregulated. In recent years, critics of the industry have called for measures that would force companies to prove that their products are safe, genuine and made in accordance with strict manufacturing standards before they reach the market.
But a federal law enacted in 1994, the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act, prevents the Food and Drug Administration click: U S Food and Drug Administration from approving or evaluating most supplements before they are sold. Usually the agency must wait until consumers are harmed before officials can remove products from stores. Because the supplement industry operates on the honor system, studies show, the market has been flooded with products that are adulterated, mislabeled or packaged in dosages that have not been studied for safety.
The new research found that many of the products implicated in liver injuries were bodybuilding supplements spiked with unlisted steroids, and herbal pills and powders promising to increase energy and help consumers lose weight.
“There unfortunately are criminals that feel it’s a business opportunity to spike some products and sell them as dietary supplements,” said Duffy MacKay, a spokesman for the Council for Responsible Nutrition, a supplement industry trade group. “It’s the fringe of the industry, but as you can see, it is affecting some consumers.” More popular supplements like vitamins, minerals, probiotics and fish oil had not been linked to “patterns of adverse effects,” he said.
The F.D.A. estimates that 70 percent of dietary supplement companies are not following basic quality control standards that would help prevent adulteration of their products. Of about 55,000 supplements that are sold in the United States, only 170 — about 0.3 percent — have been studied closely enough to determine their common side effects, said Dr. Paul A. Offit, the chief of infectious diseases at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and an expert on dietary supplements.
“When a product is regulated, you know the benefits and the risks and you can make an informed decision about whether or not to take it,” he said. “With supplements, you don’t have efficacy data and you don’t have safety data, so it’s just a black box.”
Since 2008, the F.D.A. has been taking action against companies whose supplements are found to contain prescription drugs and controlled substances, said Daniel Fabricant, the director of the division of dietary supplement programs in the agency’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition. For example, the agency recently took steps to remove one “fat burning” product from shelves, OxyElite Pro, that was linked to one death and dozens of cases of hepatitis and liver injury in Hawaii and other states.
The new research, presented last month at a conference in Washington, was produced by the Drug-Induced Liver Injury Network, which was established by the National Institutes of Health to track patients who suffer liver damage from certain drugs and alternative medicines. It includes doctors at eight major hospitals throughout the country.
The investigators looked at 845 patients with severe, drug-induced liver damage who were treated at hospitals in the network from 2004 to 2012. It focused only on cases where the investigators ruled out other causes and blamed a drug or a supplement with a high degree of certainty.
When the network began tracking liver injuries in 2004, supplements accounted for 7 percent of the 115 severe cases. But the percentage has steadily risen, reaching 20 percent of the 313 cases recorded from 2010 to 2012.
Those patients included dozens of young men who were sickened by bodybuilding supplements. The patients all fit a similar profile, said Dr. Navarro, an investigator with the network.
“They become very jaundiced for long periods of time,” he said. “They itch really badly, to the point where they can’t sleep. They lose weight. They lose work. I had one patient who was jaundiced for six months.”
Tests showed that a third of the implicated products contained steroids not listed on their labels.
A second trend emerged when Dr. Navarro and his colleagues studied 85 patients with liver injuries linked to herbal pills and powders. Two-thirds were middle-aged women, on average 48 years old, who often used the supplements to lose weight or increase energy. Nearly a dozen of those patients required liver transplants, and three died.
It was not always clear what the underlying causes of injury were in those cases, in part because patients frequently combined multiple supplements and used products with up to 30 ingredients, said Dr. Bonkovsky, an investigator with the network.
But one product that patients used frequently was green tea extract, which contains catechins, a group of potent antioxidants that reputedly increase metabolism. The extracts are often marketed as fat burners, and catechins are often added to weight-loss products and energy boosters. Most green tea pills are highly concentrated, containing many times the amount of catechins found in a single cup of green tea, Dr. Bonkovsky said. In high doses, catechins can be toxic to the liver, he said, and a small percentage of people appear to be particularly susceptible.
But liver injuries attributed to herbal supplements are more likely to be severe and to result in liver transplants, Dr. Navarro said. And unlike prescription drugs, which are tightly regulated, dietary supplements typically carry no information about side effects. Consumers assume they have been studied and tested, Dr. Bonkovsky said. But that is rarely the case. “There is this belief that if something is natural, then it must be safe and it must be good,” he said.
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Source: (1) NYT, (2) STAF, Inc.
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Traveler's Guide
to Avoiding Infectious Diseases
click: infectious diseases
NOTICE:
The web link above is not a title to the next article below - the above link is for any traveler to study through that link necessary information about vaccinations, describing most common diseases and how to apply first aid - if the link has expired search the web with the title
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The next article below
and its several, additional related articles give details about the dangers of
click: tonsillectomy = removal of tonsils - click: Tonsil
Below several articles with additional information relating to tonsils and to click: Adenoids
There are different opinions relating to tonsillectomy and to adenoidectomy (see below).
One side of the opinion operates, the other side says"do not operate - too risky ".
Adenoidectomy = a surgical operation to remove the adenoids
The tonsils and the adenoids are in the human body to expel poisonous, life-threatening material.
See the following article before you read the "Judge orders....." article
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A 13-year-old girl who was declared brain-dead after complications from
a tonsillectomy should be kept on life support for the time being, a judge has ruled
Judge Orders Girl Be Kept on Ventilator
OAKLAND, Calif. — A 13-year-old girl who was declared brain-dead after complications from a tonsillectomy should be kept on life support for the time being, a judge has ruled.
The family of the girl, Jahi McMath, says doctors at Children’s Hospital Oakland wanted to disconnect life support after she was declared brain-dead.
A ruling on Friday by Judge Evelio Grillo of Superior Court came as both sides in the case agreed to get together and choose a neurologist to further examine Jahi and determine her condition. The judge scheduled a hearing to appoint a physician.
After Jahi underwent what the family called a routine tonsillectomy to help with her sleep apnea and was moved to a recovery room, her mother, Nailah Winkfield, began to fear that something was going wrong.
Jahi was sitting up in bed, her hospital gown bloody, and was holding a cup full of blood, she said. “Is this normal?” Ms. Winkfield repeatedly asked nurses.
With her family and hospital staff members trying to help and comfort her, Jahi bled profusely for the next few hours and then went into cardiac arrest, her mother said.
Despite the family’s description of the operation as routine, the hospital said in a memorandum presented to the court on Friday that the procedure was “complicated.”
“Ms. McMath is dead and cannot be brought back to life,” the hospital said in the memo.
“Children’s is under no legal obligation to provide medical or other intervention for a deceased person,” it added.
The family said hospital officials told them in a meeting on Thursday that they wanted to take Jahi off life support quickly.
The family filed a request on Friday for a temporary restraining order prohibiting the hospital from taking her off life support or any of her other treatments.
At the hearing later, the hospital’s lawyer, Doug Straus, said two doctors unaffiliated with the hospital had examined Jahi and concluded that she was brain-dead.
But he said, “We’re happy to cooperate with the judge’s suggestion that an independent expert be provided to confirm yet again that brain death is the outcome that has occurred here.”
The family’s lawyer, Christopher Dolan, said the family wanted tests of their own because they did not believe that the hospital’s physicians were sufficiently independent.
“There is mistrust, and there is a conflict of interest,” he said.
Source:
(1) AP News (Judge orders ... article)
(2) Related Information STAF, Inc.
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Tonsillectomy = a surgical operation to remove the tonsils click: Tonsil and click: Tonsillectomy
The adenoid, also known as a pharyngeal tonsil or nasopharyngeal tonsil, is a mass of lymphatic tissue situated further back in position to the nasal cavity, higher up, behind your nose - click Adenoid
Adenoidectomy = a surgical operation to remove the adenoids click: Adenoidectomy
The tonsils and the adenoids are in the human body to expel poisonous, life-threatening material.
When they are surgically removed how is the poisons thrown out? The body has a way to create a 2nd cleaning system but sometimes that fails.
What then ? A good question.
The material below will help you to know more facts - then you can much better negotiate with your doctor what to do. Always ask a 2nd and a 3rd or the 4th or the 5th opinion from different medical specialists when a surgical operation is expected.
In addition, always ask an opinion from a qualified naturopathic specialist = N.D. , N.M.D., or DC (Doctor of Chiropractic).
Naturopathy = the treatment of illness by using more natural methods without using standard drugs or surgery. Click: Definition of Naturopathic Medicine - AANP
Click: What is a Naturopathic Doctor? - AANP - Naturopathic Physicians ...
Click: Find an ND - AANP - Naturopathic Physicians: Natural Medicine ...
Every surgery has always a life-threatening risk, every and always.
This article gives one recent example. Supposedly a simple operation led to the patient's death.
NOTICE: any of this is info is NOT medical advice - only your physician can do it. This information and a ll information in this advice website is for educational purposes, only.
The purpose with this information is to give you the basic information so you can be more prepared to discuss these topics with your qualified physician. Only a qualified physician meeting the patient personally can estimate the situation. However, we still say: take opinions as many as you just can. Sometimes the most natural methods are the most suitable - even then only a qualified specialist seeing the patient can suggest the solutions.
Every body part has an important function - to have a surgery or not? Life s tough sometimes. Decision making is not easy when it comes to medical treatments or surgery.
With more information you are in a better position to make the best possible decision with your medical team.
What is the Function of Tonsils and Adenoids?
Should I Have Them Removed
Back in time it was standard medical practice to remove both the tonsils and adenoids. It was in vogue during the '40s, '50s and into the '60s, with the prevailing thought being that the tonsils and adenoids served no purpose and their surgical removal would prevent infections like scarlet fever click:Scarlet fever & strep throat click: Strep throat.
Times have changed. Medical advances have been made (thankfully) and the medical field now recognizes the tonsils and adenoids as a part of our lymphatic system and work with our immune system to fight off infectious germs. The function of the tonsils and adenoids is to filter out germs and prevent them from entering our system and to produce antibodies to aid our bodies fight against infection. The surgical removal of tonsils and adenoids is no longer an in vogue, standard medical practice, but their removal is only done when a medical condition warrants it.
Our tonsils and adenoids have the same tissue and cell structure that our lymph nodes have, and their functions are quite similar. The tonsils and adenoids work to filter out germs and produce antibodies that are used as ammunition against any invading germs.
With the tonsils located at the back of either side of the throat and the adenoids located at the back base of the nose, just above the uvula click: Palatine uvula
The glands close proximity to one another makes for easy removal of both during surgery. For the most part, they are only removed today if the tonsils and adenoids are repeatedly infected, like in cases of repeated tonsillitis, or if one or both become so large that a person's swallowing is impaired or the glands obstruct air flow.
The risk factors involving the removal of the tonsils and adenoids revolves around the actual surgical procedure, which any surgery will present.
After puberty, the tonsils begin to slowly atrophy (= decrease in size or wasting away of a body part or tissue), and in many people have completely disappeared by middle age. So if you're in the middle aged bracket or beyond and have ever had a doctor remark while doing a throat exam that you don't have tonsils, the normal atrophy process is the reason behind your missing tonsils.
Now that you know the function of the tonsils and adenoids, the question to answer is; Should you have your tonsils and/or adenoids removed? If you have been experiencing health problems due to their size or chronic inflammation and your doctor has recommended removing one or both of the glands, then the answer is 'yes'. The surgical procedure is relatively simple and best case scenario is you will only have a sore throat to recover from, you're breathing will be improved and the cause of your tonsillitis be forever gone.
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Then there are plenty of opinions that tonsils and adenoids must not be removed.
Study the following information
THE PURPOSE AND FUNCTIONS OF TONSILS
BY DR. ALFRED TIENES
In scientific circles the view that tonsils are by no mean superfluous (= unnecessary) is becoming more and more widely recognized and doctors are beginning to realize that they are organs which are of importance in the creation of the blood and that they are organs which fulfill important tasks in protecting and detoxicating the body and in eliminating matter which requires elimination. The excision of the tonsils prevents this elimination, it interferes with tissue change, and with the expulsion of metabolic poisons. It therefore hampers the process of poison elimination, which is natural to the body and which we notice in numerous forms, such as critical and helpful diarrhoeas*), curative sweats and eruptions, helpful vomiting, etc. Very likely the tonsils act also as organs for the regulation of the activity of the entire mucous membrane. Therefore we find that inflammation of the tonsils are always accompanied by stagnation of the lymph circulation. It is significant that diseased tonsils recover through the activation of the flow of the lymph. The lymph circulation is of great importance to the health of the body, and the flow of lymph through the tonsils is one of the most important defensive mechanisms of the human body. Good health requires that the tonsils should function properly.
*) Diarrhoea is one of the leading causes of death among children under five globally. More than one in ten child deaths – about 800 000 each year – is due to diarrhoea. Today, only 44% of children with diarrhoea in low-income countries receive the recommended treatment, and limited trend data suggest that there has been little progress since 2000.
Click: WHO | Diarrhoeal disease - World Health Organizationwww.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs330/
Numerous experiments have demonstrated clearly that the tonsils are important organs of elimination. If Indian ink (Br. = black ink) is rubbed into the gums, it promptly is absorbed and it reappears in the tonsils which eliminates it. If the bacilli of tuberculosis are inserted into the tonsils of healthy calves, they are not infected because the tonsils destroy the bacilli. It therefore follows that the tonsils are not portals of entry for tubercular infection, as had previously been assumed. On the other hand, it the bacilli are allowed to enter the lungs of calves, the calves become tuberculous and the bacilli are found in the previously healthy tonsils. This indicates that the tonsils take part in eliminating and destroying the germs of disease. At the Meeting of Specialists of Childrens Diseases at Innsbruck it was reported that an experiment had been made on a large number of healthy children in order to find out what would happen if active diphtheria bacilli were inserted into their tonsils. It was found that all children thus treated remained healthy. This experiment deserves censure, but it proves that, as regards diphtheria, the tonsils do not act as portals of entry as has previously been believed but as organs of defence and of elimination against infection.
The work done by the tonsils is similar to that done by the lymph glands. By the formation of new white blood corpuscles and by filtering the stream of the lymph, the germs of disease, metabolic poisons, and the foreign bodies are arrested and are made innocuous in these structures. Tonsils and glands fulfil the same function, but there is this difference, that the tonsils are not encapsulated in connective tissue. The tonsils can expand towards throat and mouth and their special formation with deep indentures and clefts, which number from ten to eighteen in each tonsil, makes it possible for the tonsil to get greatly enlarged if necessary. Foreign bodies, body toxins, germs, etc., which have been carried into the tonsils by the lymph stream can therefore be eliminated by way of the mouth, and thus the body is ridded of noxious materials.
The celebrated Pastor Kneipp used to say "An able inn keeper throws out of the house who makes themselves obnoxious." The healthy body which is sensibly treated and which has healthy tonsils in possession of their natural equipment for protecting and detoxicating the body does not need surgical treatment if the tonsils on occasion should become enlarged. The tonsils should be cut out only in desperate cases when operation is absolutely necessary, as in cases of threatened asphyxiation (= the condition of being deprived of oxygen - as by having breathing stopped).
Professor Kuttner wrote in the Medizinische Klinik, in an article on the treatment of inflammation of the throat: "Operations on the tonsils are indicated only in really dangerous cases when immediate surgical intervention is indispensable, when other methods have failed to relieve. In the first place the attempt should be made to cure the diseased tonsils." He recommends cleaning septic tonsils by suction which has permanently cured them in many cases. The biological conception compares the tonsils with filters which have become foul through accumulation of residue upon them and it is clear that they should be cleansed if at all possible, but not destroyed. That principle of treatment has become recognized as sound by all advanced doctors and by many specialists for childrens diseases, by specialists for diseases of the throat and by many surgeons. By careful examination and occasional cleansing of the tonsils by doctors, many disorders and diseases may be prevented both in children and in grown up persons, among them diseases of the heart, kidneys, joints, appendix, glands, blood, skin, measles, scarlatina, whooping cough, scrofulosis, which is apt to lead to tuberculosis, etc. Besides, many disorders following upon the destruction of the tonsils might be avoided, among them diseases of the lungs, general sepsis, general swelling of glands, and other harmful sequels which are apt to follow excision of the tonsils, often only many years after the event.
As destruction of the tonsils is apt to have serious consequences earlier or later, operation should not be performed rashly. In each case it should be seriously considered whether a total or only partial operation should be done, and if part of the tonsils should be healthy, then the healthy portions should be left in the body. Of course in the case of tonsil trouble the body as a whole should be treated biologically by a vegetarian diet, air and water baths, and if necessary by a fast, with a view to cleansing the diseased organs, the blood stream and the body as a whole,
BY DR. ALFRED TIENES
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The Function Of Human Lymph Glands
Lymph glands or lymph nodes (= each of a number of small swellings in the lymphatic system where lymph is filtered and lymphocytes are formed; lymphocytes = a form of small leukocyte (= white blood cell) with a single round nucleus, occurring esp. in the lymphatic system
lymphatic system = the network of vessels through which lymph drains from the tissues into the blood; lymph = a colorless fluid containing white blood cells, that bathes the tissues and drains through the lymphatic system into the bloodstream
Lymph glands or lymph nodes are the most important components of the immune system, producing and storing immune cells and lymphocytes.
These glands are spread throughout the body, with some concentration in certain special areas. Mostly they are concentrated in the neck, under the arms, and in the groins. Inside the chest and inside the abdomen and pelvis, highly important lymph glands are concentrated. These nodes are the primary barriers to the spread of illnesses. Some of these illnesses may be serious, such as infections and cancers.
Most commonly, when a disease spreads to a lymph gland, it causes a reaction and enlargement of the gland, which indicates a problem. Once the infection spreads to these glands, the reaction and enlargement is rather rapid. It happens in a few days and is accompanied by pain. A painful gland normally indicates infection, but when cancers spread to these glands, the reaction is gradual and normally pain-free. Once suspected of harboring cancer, the lymph node must be sent for a biopsy and evaluated by a pathologist.
The first step in biopsy of abnormal and enlarged lymph nodes is to perform a fine needle aspiration. If the result of this is inconclusive, the lymph node must be removed surgically and properly studied. Core biopsies of lymph nodes may also provide additional information, avoiding common surgical biopsy. Sentinel node sampling and biopsy may identify the first-draining lymph node in melanoma and breast cancer. It is also possible in other cancers. Sampling of this node is thought to be indicative of spreading tumor to regional nodes. If this node does not harbor any cancer cells, the odds are that the cancer has not spread to other lymph glands.
What Causes Swollen Lymph Glands?
During our lives most of us have already experienced swollen glands. Often, when glands swell, they become enlarged and even painful to the touch or during movement. The real question is, what causes glands to swell? To understand this, we have to know where our glands are and what they do for our bodies.
Lymph glands are a part of the body’s lymphatic system. The lymphatic system and lymph glands is complex network of vessels, nodes and organs. The lymphatic system helps to maintain the fluid environment, filtering, transporting, and producing the liquid called lymph. The lymphatic system is spread out throughout the entire body, just as the blood system is. Some of the more common areas of the body where the lymph nodes can actually be palpated or felt include the neck, the armpits, and the groin area.
The lymph nodes of our lymphatic system are very important to us and our health, playing an important part in the body’s defense against infections. Swelling of the lymph nodes may occur even if the infection is minor, or if it’s not apparent yet in other parts of the body. Swelling of the lymph nodes generally results from localized or systemic infection. Abscess and malignancy are other common reasons for swollen lymph nodes. Any other reasons for swollen lymph nodes are rare. As a rule, when swelling occurs suddenly and painfully, it is due to a viral or bacterial infection. On the other hand, painless and gradual swelling can mean that the cause is a tumor (of any type). If a human has swelling in the neck and inside the jaw, this is indicative of the mumps. If a rash accompanies the swollen glands, it could be scarlet fever.
In either case, a doctor needs to be seen for any swollen lymph gland. It is important to know that also ear infections, colds, and even small cuts can cause swollen glands as well. However, persistent swollen glands can be the result of a more serious problem and require medical attention.
When To Call The Doctor
If Swollen Lymph Glands Occur?It is important to see a doctor if your glands do not get smaller after several weeks, or if they continue to get larger. Red and tender lymph glands, as well as hard, irregular, or glands fixed in place should be seen by your doctor. If you experience fever, night sweats, or unexplained weight loss, you should seek for doctor’s advice. Any node in a child that is larger than 1 cm in diameter should be checked by specialists.
Treatment Of Swollen Lymph Glands
There is basically no treatment for swollen glands, because swollen glands are just a symptom of a disease and the way the body fights the foreign invader. Still, there are a few things you can do after you notice swollen lymph glands. You can take analgesics or pain relievers, but never give Aspirin® to a child unless specifically instructed to do so by a doctor. You could also apply warm or cool moist towels to the site, depending on what feels comfortable, to provide some relief to the swollen lymph glands.
What Are Lymph Nodes?
Lymph nodes are rounded masses of lymphatic tissue, surrounded by a capsule of connective tissue. Lymph nodes filter lymphatic fluid and store white blood cells. They are located along lymphatic vessels. Lymph nodes are sometimes also called lymph glands, and as previously said, they can play a role in cancer development. The reason is the unfortunate ability of the lymphatic system to move cancer cells throughout the body.
Lymph Gland Cancer
Cancer of the lymph nodes is another cause of swollen glands. However, this is unlikely the cause of painful swelling, because with cancer of the lymph nodes the swelling is slow and painless. There are two types of lymph node cancer, Hodgkins and Non-Hodgkins.
The Hodgkins type of cancer usually occurs in people in aged 20 to 40. Non-Hodgkins cancer usually occurs in people over fourty. Other symptoms that accompany cancer of the lymph nodes include fevers, profuse night sweats, fatigue, loss of appetite and weight, and in the later stages itching and coughing may occur. Hodgkin's disease is one of a group of diseases called lymphomas, produced by cancers forming in the cells of the lymphatic system.
As said earlier, the lymphatic system is a series of microscopic vessels that drain fluid away from the tissues and return it to the blood system. Throughout this system there are small organs called lymph nodes or lymph glands. These clusters are placed all around the body, especially in the neck, groin and armpits; the spleen is also part of this system. The first sign of Hodgkin’s is usually firm but painless swelling of the lymph glands. Swelling of the lymph glands is a natural response to infection, but in this case the glands are also tender to touch. The treatment of Hodgkin's disease normally involves radiotherapy, chemotherapy, or both. The type of treatment depends on the number of clusters of lymph glands and the types of cells involved.
Lymph Nodes And Their Role In Spreading Cancer
Cancer can spread through the body either through the bloodstream or through lymph nodes. In breast cancer, the cancer cells can move into the sentinel lymph nodes, and then to other parts of the patient’s body. When cancer spreads from one location to another we say the cancer is metastasizing. The most common sign of spreading to the lymph nodes is that one or more of the lymph nodes becomes enlarged. However, if there are only a small number of cells in the lymph nodes, there may not be any obvious signs of this problem. Remember, lymph nodes can become enlarged for other reasons, such as an infection, so you should not be worried immediately you spot an enlarged lymph gland.
The end of the articles
relating to the tonsils, adenoids and the immune system
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Cooking with Rice & Other Cereals
A beginner’s brief guide to the culinary staple grain, rice
& other natural, healthy cereals and combinations of these cereals
Cook your own healthy cereals
Do NOT give processed dry cereals to your children or to any other family
members called "breakfast cereals" - they are filled with harmful toxins
Click green for further info
A beginner’s brief guide to the culinary staple grain, rice
Rice is the seed of the monocot plants Oryza sativa (Asian rice) or Oryza glaberrima (African rice). As a cereal grain, it is the most widely consumed staple food for a large part of the world's human population, especially in Asia. It is the grain with the second-highest worldwide production, after maize (corn), according to data.Click: Rice
Since a large portion of maize crops are grown for purposes other than human consumption, rice is the most important grain with regard to human nutrition and caloric intake, providing more than one fifth of the calories consumed worldwide by humans.
Worldwide there are more than 40,000 different varieties of rice, species name Oryza sativa. Here are some of the common and popular varieties. click: List of rice varieties
Cooking with Rice & Combining with Other Cereals
When one thinks of cooking a dish with rice, many times one might think of it as being boring, with little taste, or perhaps that it’s impossible to make a dish shine with this grain. But the truth is, there are many great possibilities.
For a basic household cereal eating you need only (1) brown rice = best nutrition quality - least process - takes about 2 hours to simmer = to cook, (2) parboiled rice = partially boiled - cooks in 10 -15 min.
Before cooking soak overnight, cover well to avoid roaches, insects, ants, etc. reaching the inside of the soaking pan. Cook a for a 1 - 2 weeks' needs (to save time & effort; refrigerate - keep enough refrigerators in your kitchen for all your food items and cooking needs. If you have left overs from other rice types, follow the cooking time needed. When ready cooked, combine for a delicious cereal combination of (1) brown rice, (2) parboiled rice,
(3) left overs of other rice types, (4) steel-cut oats - slow cooking, (5) whole barley (not peeled) & (6) buckwheat - buckwheat only about 1 - 2 - 3 lbs (not cheap) for a taste, click Buckwheat, (7) other grains, e.g. rye grain, perhaps some (8) wheat. Some individuals may be allergic to some of these - you know your family.
Use steel-cut oats as the biggest part of this mixture of different cereals. Use oats that take longer to cook - is healthier, not the fast-cooking. Now and then fast-cooking oat cereal is O.K. if nothing else is available.
Buy rice& other cereal in big sacks when they are on sale - big savings. Store in dry location, cover well to avoid mice, rats, roaches, etc reaching them. They are allover, even in the most luxurious skyscrapers.
Aside from having a substantial amount of varieties, the real secret to using rice in recipes is in knowing which type of rice to use to get the consistency needed for certain dishes, thus highlighting the ingredients that are served with it.
Beyond Nice
One thing to keep in mind when grabbing that bag of rice is that certain cuisines lean toward creating superb dishes with rice, such as Chinese cuisine.
It’s common knowledge that China is the largest producer of rice, where it is harvested from May to June and from August to September. And Chinese cuisine has an endless supply of delicious and innovative recipes with rice as a main ingredient.
Nevertheless, let’s not forget that the most important ingredients to use when making a dish are intuition, imagination, and expression, for which rice—thought it may be hard to believe—can be a special element.
Why is so special? Rice is special because it is a mild-flavored, neutral grain that can be served with so many kinds of other ingredients. Whether served with pork, beef, lamb, poultry, seafood, all kinds of spices, sauces, vegetables, and even prepared as a dessert like rice pudding, this special grain works well with them all.
Its versatility is not just its being able to go with almost any ingredient, but that it can be cooked in many ways: sautéed, steamed, baked, boiled, stir-fried in a wok, and even fried.
Another advantage in using rice is that due to its high starch content, it is a perfect side to main dishes, as well as perfect for adding consistency to a filling.
A Diverse Grain
According to “The Cambridge World History of Food,” there are well over 80,000 varieties of rice worldwide. However, very few are sold commercially. Touching on just a few basic types and forms, there are several to consider for purchase: sweet glutinous rice, large-grain indica, medium-grain japonica, parboiled, short-grain japonica, basmati rice, brown rice, and wild rice.
Keep in mind that each type has different styles of cooking, has very different properties, and some are used solely for preparing certain dishes. You cannot use any variety of rice to prepare just any dish, so it’s important to know the types of rice out there, as well as what they are best used for.
Glutinous
Having high starch content, glutinous rice is ideal for Asian dessert dishes like rice pudding, for making sticky rice, or where a starchy rice adds to a filling, such as with zongzi (rice dumplings). Also called sweet rice, it is also made into flour and can be used to make rice flour pastries.
Long-Grain
Long-grain indica rice, also called Indian rice, nearly one-quarter inch in length, comes from Asia, and has less starch than any other variety. It is quick cooking; the grains stay separate and fluffy. This grain is ideal for salads, plain white rice, an accompaniment to steamed vegetables, Mexican rice, and depending on the recipe, for paellas.
Medium-Grain
Medium-grain rice is just over one-fifth inch in length, and is the most widely consumed. The most popular type in the United States is California Rose (Calrose). This rice is suitable for paellas, baked rice dishes, casseroles, and some risottos. A japonica variety, it is stickier than long-grain, best steamed, and is often used for making sushi rolls.
Parboiled
Means: partially boiled = cooks ready in 10 - 15 min (= much less than many other rice types; brown rice = 2 h).
Also called converted rice, due to being partially processed, it doesn’t overcook, does not become sticky, and is slightly more nutritious than white rice. It also absorbs the flavor of other ingredients well. This rice goes well in broths and soups.
Short-Grain
Short-grain japonica rice is distinct from long-grain rice. Considered a round, short, small-grain rice, this rice cooks fast, and is rather starchy. A favorite rice for sushi, it is commonly used in Japan. It is also a favorite in Italy for making risotto. Short-grain rice is ideal for sweetened rice pudding.
Basmati
Long and fine-grained basmati rice is supposed to be light and fluffy when cooked properly. This rice is heavily used in India and Pakistan, and is an aromatic rice like jasmine rice. The white grain version is more easily located, but you can sometimes find a brown version. This rice is ideal for serving with South Asian curries, and other dishes with heavy gravies and sauces.
Brown Rice
Brown rice is most easily found in long- and medium-grain. It is darker because it has not been polished, and only the hull has been removed. Brown rice is rich in vitamins, and has a slightly sweeter and nuttier taste than white rice. It also takes nearly twice the amount of time to cook as white rice. This rice is ideal for the health conscious, and for use with vegetarian dishes.
Wild Rice
Not really rice, this grain is also called Canada rice. Found in North America and certain parts of Asia, the most common species of the grain, is the Northern wild rice, which grows in marshy soils in certain parts of Canada and the United States. This very dark and crunchy grain has a strong nutty flavor. This grain is generally used in a mix, and takes much longer to cook than the other types of rice.
Other than being all of the above, it has important nutritional qualities. Among those, we emphasize that it contains tiny amounts of fat, no cholesterol, and negligible amounts of sodium, and is only 103 calories per half-cup serving of white rice.
Source: STAF, Inc.
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Article 1 of 2 (Article of 2 next below)
Very few Americans have tasted proper olive oil
In most pantries lurks rancid olive oil, masquerading as extra virgin
Proper Olive Oil:
What Most Americans Don’t Know
Very few Americans have tasted proper olive oil. In most pantries lurks rancid olive oil, masquerading as extra virgin.
“A large percentage of Americans are happy with defective oils because that’s all they know,” said David Neuman, president of olive oil company Lucini, which works with small regional farmers in Tuscany. click: Tuscany
click: Lucini Italia
In light of its much-touted health benefits, olive oil is coming under greater scrutiny in the United States, and it’s clear that not all olive oil is created equal.
Right from the olive groves until it hits the shelves, there are a number of things that can go wrong.
“Olives are particularly complicated because you’re consuming in pure form,” said Neuman. “Once they’re crushed, the clock is ticking. With other foods, like wine, balsamic vinegar, you can mess with it, even if it didn’t go right at first. But olive oil has to be done right from the moment it’s picked.”
New World Palates
“America’s a dumping ground for leftover oil,” said Nicholas Coleman, an olive oil expert and chief oleologist at Eataly in Manhattan’s Flatiron District. Click: Loving OLIVE OIL: interview with oleologist Nick Coleman
In a way, it’s not surprising if consumers can’t discern between good and bad olive oil. The Italians and Greeks may have had a love affair with it for thousands of years—used it as currency, food, skin ointment, lamp fuel—but for most Americans, it’s a relatively new product.
“Good, wonderful olive oil is something that people in the Mediterranean take for granted, they grew up with that,” said food historian Francine Segan. As a result, their palates are better able to detect when the oil is rancid or adulterated. “But for those of us who didn’t grow up with good olive oil, it’s harder to know what’s the proper taste.”
She said there are parallels in history where people tend to prefer a defective taste, because that’s what they were used to. “Case in point: Hershey chocolate! At the time Hershey’s milk chocolate was first made the process of adding milk to the cocoa solids wasn’t perfected so the milk became a bit rancid. Not dangerously so, no one became ill eating it, but it had a bit of a ‘baby spit up’ taste, as some have called it. With time, the process was perfected, but when Hershey changed the formula for the correction, consumers balked. They preferred the original flavor!”
Historically, what Americans were used to were lighter-tasting oils.
“In a way, if you were going to have olive oil in the old days from a leaky, salty ship with containers that would have let in the salt, let in the air, wouldn’t you be better off with sunflower oil or corn oil that is right here on our shores and will be fresher tasting? So for us, in this country, we grow up more with the familiarity of those lighter olive oils, like corn oil, because if we did taste olive oil if it came over somehow—I’m talking before the ’50s—it would have been a mess,” Segan said.
And yet, transport is still an issue. Neuman said some companies ship olive oil in tankers for five weeks on the ocean, from Italy to the East Coast, where it is bottled. “Think of how volatile olive oil is. The oil will get beat up, will get rancid.” As a trained taster, he can detect the “fusty” defect the oil can get from the muddy, sludgy settlement at the bottom of the tankers.
You Get What You Pay For
It’s hard to get around the fact that good olive oil is expensive. When you’re faced with a $17 bottle and a $5 bottle, you’re staring at the difference between a Lexus and a Hyundai, Newman said. “Retailers aren’t charging arbitrarily more unless there’s value.”
He points to the bad oil being sold in supermarkets. “Those supermarket olive oils, with Italian-sounding names, that’s where the bad oil is.” Or olive oil served at restaurants from food service tin barrels—it’s rancid.
Look for as much information on the bottle as possible, from the harvest date, to where the olive oil is coming from, to the acidity levels (less than 0.8 percent for extra virgin) but here’s the real challenge: taste it. Taste it straight, not as dressing, and not on food. If you’ve brought home olive oil from the store that you don’t like, take it back to the store, Neuman said.
The Taste of Real Olive Oil
Tasting the real thing is often an epiphany, an experience far different and removed from expectations.
Coleman first tasted freshly pressed extra virgin olive oil in Arezzo, Italy, in 2007, with his mentor Nadia Gasperini Rossi.
“We had just returned from the frantoio [olive press] with her new oil. She had prepared a very typical Tuscan peasant dish for me called ribollita, which varies from household to household, but is always focused around four primary ingredients: white cannellini beans, cavolo nero (black cabbage), leftover bread, and fresh Tuscan oil.
“With the dish piping hot, she finished it with a very generous amount of fresh oil, causing all the aromas to waft straight up my nose, intoxicating my senses. and transporting me right back to the very field we had harvested the olives in. Pungent notes of freshly cut grass and herbs brightened up the other ingredients making the soup come alive in a way I had never experienced before. It completely blew me away,” Coleman said
Olive oil acts as a conductor for flavors, whether you’re cooking with it or finishing a dish.
“Aside from salt, nothing is as versatile,” Coleman said. Take fish and drizzle on some olive oil: “The green droplets [of olive oil] elongate the flavors. It’s never the soloist. It’s like the bass, to support other instruments.”
At Eataly, there are more than 90 olive oils and it’s best to choose based on what you’re cooking.
Coleman recommends getting a delicate oil (for fish or salads) and a robust oil (for steak or soup, for example). If you want to get deeper into it, then there’s the world of regional olive oils that you can get into. He brought up the expression, “What grows together goes together,” which means roughly this: if you’re cooking a Sicilian dish, get a Sicilian oil, or if you’re making a Spanish dish, get a Spanish one.
There’s nothing like tasting good olive oil to realize what you’ve been missing out on. Coleman guided me through an eye-opening tasting of a handful of Eataly’s extra virgin olive oils, all single-estate, artisanal products. They were wildly different but none were neutral. Some were delicate, green, others whose bitterness hit me in the throat seconds later, inducing a cough.
It was OK to cough, he reassured me—in some circles, olive oils are rated as one-, two-, or three-cough oils. The bitterness indicates the presence of healthful polyphenols, a type of antioxidant.
One thing to be said about tasting proper extra virgin olive oil: After you try it, you’ll be rushing to throw out the adulterated, rancid oil that may be lurking your pantry and seeking out the real and wonderful olive oil.
Source: The Epoch Times STAF, Inc. endorses The Epoch Times - click: The Epoch Times
Olive oil: Briefly - What are the health benefits?
By MayoClinic.com
If olive oil is high in fat, why is it considered healthy?
Good question - however, there different types of fat - good & bad.
The main type of fat found in all kinds of olive oil is monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs). MUFAs are actually considered a healthy dietary fat. If your diet emphasizes unsaturated fats, such as MUFAs and polyunsaturated fats (PUFAs), instead of saturated fats and trans fats, you may gain certain health benefits.
MUFAs and PUFAs may help lower your risk of heart disease by improving related risk factors. For instance, MUFAs may lower your total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels. MUFAs may also help normalize blood clotting. And some research shows that MUFAs may also benefit insulin levels and blood sugar control, which can be especially helpful if you have type 2 diabetes.
But even healthier fats like olive oil are high in calories, so use them only in moderation. Choose MUFA-rich foods such as olive oil instead of other fatty foods — particularly butter and stick margarine — not in addition to them. And remember that you can't make unhealthy foods healthier simply by adding olive oil to them.
Also, be aware that heat, light and air can affect the taste of olive oil and possibly its health-promoting nutrients. Store olive oil in a dark, room-temperature cupboard, or even in the refrigerator. The fats and healthy phytonutrients in olive oil — as well as the taste — can slowly degrade over time, so it's probably best to use it within a year or within six months once opened.
Benefits of olive oil with more details - click the 2 links below
Click these two links for further info - if the links have expired search the web with the same title & same origin
What are the health benefits of olive oil?
Medical News Today
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- IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR EVERY PERSON -
The A,B,C of the "fast-food" - BAD-FOOD
Truly the SHOCKING FACTS
about the "fast-food" = BAD-FOOD
Industry
See below how you are betrayed - the science facts are facts, not fiction
The most convincing evidence
PART A Articles B & C next below
Study: Your fast food hamburger may contain as little as 2 % actual meat
and: (1) water 50 % - (2) skeletal muscle, as well as a variety of tissue types including (3) blood vessels, (4) peripheral nerves, (5) adipose tissue (body fat)*), (6) cartilage, and (7) bone - YOU buy & eat that stuff as a meat hamburger - do you feel like throwing up - do you feel like betrayed - do you feel like you want to take the fast-food companies to court and sue them criminally for misleading you and misleading the nation and the whole world?
*) adipose tissue = A type of connective tissue that contains stored cellular fat - loose connective tissue in which fat cells accumulate.
This means that for a half-pound burger, less than one ounce of it is composed of actual meat,
on average.
Are you ready for the facts - they are here below - science facts, not fiction - are you now ready to eat REAL FOOD?
See the next articles after these ABC-articles - this Successo-Pedia© advice website maintained by the STAF, Inc. with the worldwide leading scientists & specialists in correct nutrition has all info you need to restore your possibly already lost health and maintain it for a healthy, happy, longer life - and enjoy the good life.
Start your new life from these 4 quotations next below and APPLY the information - how else could you have a better, healthier, longer life, new life?
Click green for further info
Quotation "To stay healthy and have a longer life
you need to eat what your body wants, not what you want"
(Dr. Christian, President STAF, Inc. - lead author of this leading advice website)
Quotation "If it came from a plant, eat it, if it was made in a plant, don't"
(click: Michael Pollan)
Quotation "Eat food, not too much, mostly fruit & vegetables"
(click: Michael Pollan)
Quotation "Knowledge is no power - only applied knowledge is power"
(Dr. Christian, President STAF, Inc. - lead author of this advice website)
_________
Your new, healthier life starts from applying the information
FAST FOOD = BAD "FOOD"
In this leading advice website you will get all info of what you and your family needs to eat to have a good, lasting health
Apply the information in your whole family
The most convincing evidence
The good facts about the bad food in these 3 science articles below
Click green for further info
There may be a convenient way to satiate your hunger while on the go, but fast food hamburgers appear to offer little in the way of actual meat content, according to a recent study published in the journal Annals of Diagnostic Pathology. Researchers from the Laurel School in Shaker Heights, Ohio, found that, among eight popular fast food hamburgers analyzed, some were found to contain as little as two percent actual meat, which may come as a surprise to some.
A true American meal pastime, hamburgers are consumed at a rate of about five billion patties annually in the U.S.
Most people who eat hamburgers likely assume that those succulent patties grilled over an open flame are pure meat from cows. But according to the histological*) data, hamburger patties are generally composed mostly of water, as well as varying percentages of random tissues, nerves, and a small percentage of actual meat.
*) histological = The anatomical study of the microscopic structure of animal and plant tissues. 2. The microscopic structure of tissue.
Based on their analysis, Laurel School researchers found that the water content of fast food hamburgers typically ranges between 37.7 and 62.4 percent, with an average of about 49 percent. Electron microscopy revealed preserved skeletal muscle, which is good, as well as a variety of tissue types including blood vessels, peripheral nerves, adipose tissue (body fat), cartilage, and bone. But the kicker was the actual meat content.
Click green for further info
According to the data, amongst the 8 fast food hamburger patties tested, meat content ranged between 2.1 and 14.8 percent, with an average of about 12.1 percent. This means that for a half-pound burger, less than one ounce of it is composed of actual meat, on average. And for those burgers on the lowest end of the meat spectrum, a half-pound patty contains less than five grams of actual meat.
Click green for further info
"Fast food hamburgers are comprised of little meat," wrote the authors in their study abstract. "Approximately half of their weight is made up of water. Unexpected tissue types found in some hamburgers included bone, cartilage, and plant material; no brain tissue was present."
Besides their lack of meat, some fast food hamburger patties were also found to contain potentially harmful bacteria and ammonia. Two of the hamburgers tested, for instance, were found to contain intracellular parasites, also known as Sarcocystis, which are basically cysts (= in an animal or plant, a thin-walled, hollow organ or cavity containing a liquid secretion; a sac, vesicle, or bladder (= urine). In humans, undercooked meats containing Sarcocystis can cause diarrhea or muscle tenderness, and in more extreme cases breathing problems and even death.
Meat is supposed to contain water, but not bacteria and ammonia.
Since all meat naturally contains relatively high levels of water, it is not necessarily unusual that the fast food hamburger patties tested in the study also contained high levels of water. It is the unexpected tissues, the bacteria, and the ammonia that are most concerning about this study's findings, as they affirm what others have warned about in the past concerning the problems with fast food meat.
The authors of the study also did not identify which fast food hamburgers they tested, which some NaturalNews readers NaturalNews - Wikipedia may find disconcerting. 0But many of the usual fast food suspects were likely included as part of the research, which means you can probably make your own educated guesses.
Regardless, the overall research still points to the same conclusion -- that avoiding fast food hamburgers and cooking your own clean, grass-fed meats from local or verified suppliers is still the best route you and your family can take. There are simply too many unknowns with the conventional food supply these days to take the risk.
Is sacrificing your health on the altar of convenience really worth it?
Sources for this article include:
Click green for further info
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov = PART B below - same topic with more "science" details
http://www.realfarmacy.com = PART C below - same topic with more "science" details
Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/041116_hamburgers_fast_food_meat_content.html#ixzz2kBOhxRFJ
Source: Annals of Diagnostic Pathology
July 09, 2013
Tags: hamburgers, fast food, meat content
Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/041116_hamburgers_fast_food_meat_content.html#ixzz2kBPpqRC2
_________
PART B (PART A next above - Part C next below)
Click green for further info
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Is sacrificing your health on the altar of convenience really worth it?
Is sacrificing your health on the altar of convenience really worth it?
Americans consume about 5 billion hamburgers a year. It is presumed that most hamburgers are composed primarily of Meat. The purpose of this study is to assess the content of 8 Fast Foodhamburger brands using histologic methods. Eight different brands of hamburgers were evaluated for Water content by weight and microscopically for recognizable tissue types. Glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) staining was used to evaluate for brain tissue. water content by weight ranged from 37.7% to 62.4% (mean, 49%). Meat content in the hamburgers ranged from 2.1% to 14.8% (median, 12.1%). The cost per gram of hamburger ranged from $0.02 to $0.16 (median, $0.03) and did not correlate with meat content. Electron microscopy showed relatively preserved skeletal muscle. A variety of tissue types besides skeletal muscle were observed including connective tissue (n = 8), blood vessels (n = 8), peripheral nerve (n = 8), adipose tissue (n = 7), plant material (n = 4), cartilage (n = 3), and bone (n = 2). In 2 hamburgers, intracellular parasites (Sarcocystis) were identified. The GFAP immunostaining was not observed in any of the hamburgers. Lipid content on oil-red-O staining was graded as 1+ (moderate) in 6 burgers and 2+ (marked) in 2 burgers. Fast food hamburgers are comprised of little meat (median, 12.1%). Approximately half of their weight is made up of Water. Unexpected tissue types found in some hamburgers included bone, cartilage, and plant material; no brain tissue was present. Sarcocystis parasites were discovered in 2 hamburgers.
PMID: 18995204
Click green for further info
Source: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
_________
PART C (PART A & B next above)
Click green for further info
http://www.realfarmacy.com
Is sacrificing your health on the altar of convenience really worth it?
Americans consume somewhere in the ballpark of 5 billion hamburgers a year. To keep up with this demand, just over 4100 cows are slaughtered every hour in the U.S. That’s a lot of dead cows! When 68 cows a minute are slaughtered you can bet that mistakes are made or parts are shifted into the wrong areas. A study published in the Annals of Diagnostic Pathology helped to discover just how much “shifting of parts” is really going on.
The study presumed that most hamburgers are composed primarily of meat. 8 different popular fast food hamburger brands were tested using histologic methods. The burgers were evaluated for water content by weight and then microscopically to verify tissue types. An additional test known as Glial fibrillary acidic protein staining was used to test for brain tissue. We’ll give you the good news first, none of the eight samples had brains in them. Unfortunately that is as good as it gets.
The mean water weight of the burgers was about 50%. Now for the strange part, actual meat content in the burgers ranged from 2.1% to 14.8 percent. That’s right, the product that you are expecting to get is only 2-14% of what you really think it is!
Read more atSource: http://www.realfarmacy.com/fast-food-burgers-only-7-meat/#MREiG5Ace2p2guyj.99
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'Superbug' bacteria widespread in U.S. chicken: consumer group
Chicken is the most widely consumed meat in the United States. Americans consume chicken nearly 90 pounds per person each year, compared to 55 lbs of pounds of beef and 50 pounds of pork.
Foreword
By STAF, Inc.
See the article above: Fast-Food = Bad-Food = No-Food
An example of another "bad food" - abuse of antibiotics in the meat industry -
Read and apply: find healthier choices - 'Superbug' bacteria can be life-threatening for you and for your family.
Better choice: buy clean chicken and eat less of it. The amount to eat meat or fish is 2-3 -4 ozs in one serving.
Eat less, yet, get enough - feel better - less suffering - stay healthy - live longer
To find clean chicken (no antibiotics, free ranged) talk to an honest butcher.
Over 80 % of the chicken on the market in the U.S. or worldwide is of low-quality, filled with poisons & antibiotics.
Most chicken meat is not coming from free-ranged chicken - instead the meat comes from chickens that have no space to move around, no walking, no seeing the day lite - that's criminal animal cruelty in reality.
Think: if you do never move around, walk, run, dance - what will happen to your body? Your body will slowly but surely get filled with toxins because your immune system that collects the poisonous stuff from your system in normal conditions and will expel it through natural ways = sweating, colon elimination & urine elimination and through some natural body chemistry activities CANNOT do it job to get rid of this poisonous stuff in your body when the body is not active and moving around. Why not? Because, as the blood circulation system has a pump (= your heart) and can make the blood run around, the immune system has NO pump. The immune system, in order to have the toxic material moving and leaving the body, needs the body owner to move around - it needs physical exercise, walking , running, etc. That activity pumps the accumulated poisonous liquid in immune system out from you body through several natural channels.
The chickens, swines/pigs, calves, bulls, cows, etc. that are tied in one small area cannot even properly turn around and thus are not getting any exercise, are accumulating toxic material in their immune system. When these animals are fed with chemicals and antibiotics they stay in their flesh and the consumer then eats the poisonous meat risking a long list of deadly sicknesses. In the human boy daily exercise will make a difference.
Walk daily at least 10K or preferable 25K steps (use a pedometer) to help to pump out the toxic stuff from your immune system. Avoid poisonous "food"items as fast-"food" (= bad-food). Aim to find cleaner meat to eat, e.g. free range chicken eggs & meat, milk & meat from the cows that have space to exercise, etc. Do not drink soda (sugary or diet), drink plain, clean water daily min. the same amount in oz's as is the normal weight in lbs. How do you know if you drink enough water. Look at your urine - if it is dark in color you need more water daily until your urine gets close to clear or at least is only lightly yellowish.
The article
'Superbug' bacteria widespread in U.S. chicken
Consumers should cook poultry to 165 degrees F (73.8C) to kill bacteria and take steps, such as using a separate cutting board for raw meat, to avoid cross-contamination of other foods, Consumer Reports said
About half of the raw chicken breasts in a nationwide sampling carried antibiotic-resistant "superbug" bacteria, a U.S. consumer group said, calling for stricter limits on use of the medicines on livestock (click: livestock.
It could be more difficult to treat people if they became ill after eating chicken with the antibiotic-resistant bacteria, said Consumer Reports, which describes itself as the world's largest independent product-testing organization.
The group said it tested for six types of bacteria in 316 raw chicken breasts purchased from retailers nationwide during July. Almost all of the samples contained potentially harmful bacteria, it said.
Some 49.7 percent carried a bacterium resistant to three or more antibiotics, according to the group, and 11 percent had two types of bacteria resistant to multiple drugs. Resistance was most common for the antibiotics used for growth promotion and disease treatment of poultry.
Consumer Reports urged passage of a law to restrict eight classes of antibiotics for use only to treat humans and sick animals. The law would be more effective, it said, than the Food and Drug Administration's plan, announced last week, to phase down the non-medical use of antibiotics in (click: livestock over three years.
In addition, it said the Agriculture Department should set levels for allowable salmonella and campylobacter bacteria in poultry and give its inspectors the power to prevent sale of poultry meat that contains salmonella bacteria that is resistant to multiple antibiotics.
Chicken is the most widely consumed meat in the United States. Americans consume nearly 90 pounds per person each year, compared to 55 lbs of pounds of beef and 50 pounds of pork.
The broiler industry said it will cooperate with the FDA's planned phase-down of antibiotics although it says there is negligible risk from current use of the drugs.
Consumers should cook poultry to 165 degrees F (73.8C) to kill bacteria and take steps, such as using a separate cutting board for raw meat, to avoid cross-contamination of other foods, Consumer Reports said.
Source: Reuters News
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IMPORTANT INFO FOR EVERYONE
Every person will benefit by reading this article - it can save YOUR life also
Loni Jane Anthony: "80:10:10 diet" saved my life
Why does the public ask "Is She Bananas"? The answer in the article below.
Pregnant Woman on Raw-Food Diet Causes Controversy*)
*)= disagreement, typically when prolonged, public, and heated
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To see the pictures search the web with the title:
Loni Jane Anthony: 80:10:10 diet saved my life -
What is 80:10:10 - see the article below
Can a pregnant woman be healthy on a raw vegan diet? It’s a question being beaten to a pulp following a recent interview with Australian designer Loni Jane Anthony, 25, an expectant mother, who discusses her adherence to such a diet — including her tendency to consume 10 bananas for breakfast and 6 mangoes for lunch. The strict eating regimen has made Anthony, also a photographer with more than 103,000 Instagram fans, the subject of public scorn, with some deriding her for endangering both herself and her baby.
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More: Should Pregnant Women Be Weightlifting?
If the link has expired, search the web with the title (above)
“You kind of realize who your friends are,” she tells News.com.au in the interview, referring to the frequent eye rolls she gets over the fact that she follows the “80/10/10,” a raw fruit and veggie diet providing
80 percent carbs, 10 percent fat and 10 percent protein. “I've had a lot of judgment from people thinking I'm nuts and saying ‘Why is Loni eating 10 bananas for breakfast? Is she crazy?’ People tend to shut you out because you're not in the social circle of alcohol or drinking coffee ...They're in their comfort zones of eating junk and they don't want to be around someone who makes them feel guilty."
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More: Vegetarians Live Longer and Prosper: Study
If the link has expired, search the web with the title (above)
A typical daily menu for Anthony, she says, might include a few “mono meals,” meaning one type of fruit, like oranges or bananas or watermelon; a smoothie; and for dinner, a large salad with tahini dressing—plus plenty of warm water with lemon.
She says she switched to the diet, created by longtime athlete and trainer Douglas Graham, after a lifestyle of heavy drinking and lots of junk food that led to a battery of health problems. “I started getting skin infections, acne, and putting on weight, which was weird because I'd always been so slim,” she says. “I wanted to sleep all the time and ended up with a whole range of health problems including candida overgrowth, hormone imbalance, irregular periods, and hair loss. I also got really sick on a trip (read: fully-blown bender) to Thailand and picked up parasites and dengue fever.”
After a series of antibiotics made her sicker, Anthony says she came across Graham’s diet book,
"The 80/10/10 Diet," which taught her that “you can live and thrive on this lifestyle by just eating higher carbohydrate vegetables, fruits, and juices, and keeping your diet low fat. You even keep good fats low to keep your blood sugar stable. It's been amazing.”
The book: Amazon ..The 80/10/10 Diet: Douglas N. Graham: 9781893831247
Graham tells in an email that there is no reason to worry about Anthony's diet. "Eating fruits and vegetables, universally acclaimed as health foods, is not dangerous. A pregnant woman needs extra calories, but neither she nor her unborn baby benefit when she eats foods that lead to illness," he says. "Some folks see 80/10/10 as a threat, thinking that if they eat healthy foods it will mean they can never eat their unhealthy foods ever again. This is not so. People can and do eat what they want."
According to information on Graham's website, “There is no essential nutrient in meat, grains, legumes, or dairy that is not also available in fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds, and in a form that is easier to digest.” Cooking food, he adds, destroys nutrients. He also notes that most people have been misinformed about how much protein the body needs, and that “most people suffer from an overdose of protein each day, and this accounts for a great deal of ill health, such as constipation, leading to toxemia and eventually, cancer.”
Naysayers, though, have been vocal and numerous. A slew of criticisms in the story’s comments section include “narcissist in the extreme,” “too much sugar,” “self-absorbed moron,” “irresponsible,” “bad advice,” “hope she’s taking supplements,” “needs more protein,” and “I can’t see much there to help your baby grow.”
The concern of various bloggers has also been piqued. “I feel uncomfortable with Loni’s ‘transformation’ because it doesn’t sound safe for her baby,” writes Ami Angelowicz in the Frisky. “I’m not a doctor, of course, but common sense and the little knowledge I have about nutrition tells me that you have to consume more than bananas and mangoes each day when you’re eating for two.”
Prenatal nutritionists seem to agree. “Nothing can replace a balanced diet for a healthy pregnancy,” Bridget Swinney, author of “Eating Expectantly: A Practical and Tasty Guide to Prenatal Nutrition,” tells Yahoo Shine. Swinney finds the details of Anthony’s diet “concerning.”
She adds, “Any kind of extreme diet during pregnancy raises a lot of red flags for me. First, you really need protein to build a baby, and it should be around 20 percent of your diet.” Further, women eating for two need to consume zinc for brain development, omega-3 fats from fish for brain and eye development, and calcium (which can be obtained from vegetables, she notes), "to flush lead and other dangerous toxins that tend to get stored in bones," Swinney explains.
She adds, “Not to say this diet isn’t possible — there are plenty of women who are vegan through pregnancy — but she takes it to an extreme that’s kind of scary.” She also worries about women who are prone to gestational diabetes, for which low servings of carbohydrates are recommended, mimicking Anthony’s eating habits.
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Prenatal nutritionist and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Melinda Johnson adds that "research has demonstrated that restrictive eating plans tend to lead to disordered eating, poor body image, poor self esteem, and even to full-blown eating disorders."
Still, others defend Anthony.
“The hate is mostly due to the fact that she’s pregnant while trying to stay healthy,” notes blogger Every Joe. “According to other jealous women, she’s putting her unborn child at risk by not eating a more well-rounded diet. That, ladies and gentlemen, is terrible logic. …If my seed is implanted in a uterus, I’d much rather the host chick feed the parasite with a fruit diet than one that consists of McDonald’s, Burger King and Taco Bell.”
And plenty of supporters also speak up in the interview’s comments section. “This is an extremely healthy diet. I have been doing this for just under 12 months and love it!” wrote one woman. Others have told “haters” to back off, noting the lifestyle “obviously works for her” and declaring “good on her” and “excellent work, Loni.”
STAF Inc.'s comment by Christian von Christophers, Ph.D., N.D., D.D.
-one of the leading nutrition consultants worldwide-
Yes - raw is the starting point- fruit and vegetables as much raw as possible.
However, vegetables can be STEAMED (rather than boiled) - steaming saves more nutrients
Eggs can be steamed (15-20 min. steaming for hard, less as you wish) - use your own judgement what can be steamed.
Stop eating fast-food (= bad-food) - prepare your own food in you own kitchen - except for special occasions & casino buffets (!) eat out.
"Your good health is in your blender"
Have several blenders in your kitchen (one breaks, use another one).
The Prince of the lower-cost blenders is Hamilton Beach or Proctor Silex (6 m- 12 months warranty - about $20 - $25)
The Crown Prince of the family blenders (high-quality, 7-years warranty) is Vitamix (about $500 +/-)
click: Hamilton Beach - click: Proctor Silex
Vitamix provides more nutrients by breaking the blended ingredients into smaller elements.
click: Vitamix - High Performance Blenders
Is sacrificing your health on the altar of convenience really worth it?
Eat healthy food - stay healthy.
For further information study this website - it has all you need - apply the information
For further information read the 2 books suggested below and apply the information
Is sacrificing your health on the altar of convenience really worth it?
Eat healthy food - stay healthy.
This website has all information you need - apply the information
Quote "Knowledge is no power - only applied knowledge is power"
(Dr. Christian, STAF, Inc. CEO)
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For further reading order & read
(you and your loved ones) these two books:
(1) (click) The 80/10/10 Diet: Douglas N. Graham: 9781893831247: Amazon ...
(click) 198 customer reviews
After more than 5 years of intensive work the definitive guide to the 80/10/10 Diet is here! Get your hands on the latest book by Dr. Douglas Graham, The 80/10/10 Diet: Balancing Your Health, Your Weight, and Your Life One Luscious Bite at a Time. If you have struggled with staying raw, would like to lose weight, or change your life for the better, look no further than this groundbreaking book.
(2) (click) The China Study: The Most Comprehensive Study of Nutrition Ever
by Dr. T.Colin Campbell (Author) The green link connects to AmazonISBN-10: 9781932100662 | ISBN-13: 978-1932100662 | Edition: First Paperback Edition
Even today, as trendy diets and a weight-loss frenzy sweep the nation, two-thirds of adults are still obese and children are being diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, typically an “adult” disease, at an alarming rate. If we’re obsessed with being thin more so than ever before, why are Americans stricken with heart disease as much as we were 30 years ago?
In The China Study, Dr. T. Colin Campbell details the connection between nutrition and heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. The report also examines the source of nutritional confusion produced by powerful lobbies, government entities, and opportunistic scientists. The New York Times has recognized the study as the “Grand Prix of epidemiology” and the “most comprehensive large study ever undertaken of the relationship between diet and the risk of developing disease.”
The China Study is not a diet book. Dr. Campbell cuts through the haze of misinformation and delivers an insightful message to anyone living with cancer, diabetes, heart disease, obesity, and those concerned with the effects of aging.
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Study the next article:
The article below (World's # 1 free advice website.....) is one of the articles STAF, Inc.'s editors are placing daily for a nation/worldwide exposure as STAF, Inc.'s comment to various articles on the internet (e.g. Yahoo articles, etc.).
____________________________
World's # 1 free advice website Successo-Pedia©
for all family matters, success, health, wealth & for the good life - built by Save The American Family - STAF, Inc. & by Dr. Christian von Christophers, Ph.D., N.D., D.D. - Free Q & A service - see our website: Home page
This info will save trillions in health care costs
America & everyone worldwide must learn the #1 skill: Healthy Lifestyle & Correct Nutrition
Avoid big food bills, big bellies & big sickness costs
Quote: "To stay healthy you need to eat what your body wants, not what you want"
STAF, Inc. has a new Healthy Lifestyle & Correct Nutrition Program for the U.S. government's & for every nation's use worldwide.
Totally it took 26 years to develop, first 19 years worldwide research & 7 years to modify it for everyone's needs. This program covers, for the first time ever, all necessary elements to get the lasting results in all family related challenges & in our rampant obesity, overweight & sickness levels. Its nutritional program leading to health & to a longer life is at the same time an automatic weight loss program: nothing to buy, no calories to count, no unreasonable portion control - eat as needed; just follow the easy instructions.
The biggest news is this: the correct, health-restoring & health-maintaining food with all necessary daily nutrients in the correct combination costs ONLY about $95 per one (adult) person monthly. The new program guides you to buy your food ingredients in your local supermarket & prepare your food in your own kitchen based on the new, delicious recipes. The bigger the family, the less $ per/person. Only a program everyone can afford is a solution to the world's health challenges.
Your food expenses, time being, are probably many times more than in this new STAF, Inc.'s results bringing program. Everyone can afford this amazing program whether one works on the minimum salary or lives on the social security or similar.
The saved money this new STAF, Inc. program guides you to place in safe investments - STAF, Inc. endorses only a few investment adviser companies as reliable. With the saved money your family can create substantial wealth within time. Also a millionaire?
The new Healthy Lifestyle & Correct Nutrition program will, in a televised D.C. event, be introduced worldwide & to The W.H., The President, The U.S. Congress & Senate.
STAF, Inc.'s presence is needed in D.C. in the U.S. Congress (House & Senate). STAF, Inc.'s President is planning (1) to seek a seat in D.C. Congress/Senate to provide the necessary information to the D.C. lawmakers & (2) to establish a new federal agency, Healthy Lifestyle & Family Success Agency & to be named its first federal director. New legislation & training for all these matters are needed in a results-bringing manner.
STAF, Inc.'s slogan: Less suffering - more life™
In the same manner as Wikipedia, the non-profit internet Encyclopedia, Save The American Family - STAF, Inc., -not-for-profit, needs donations to widen its important work for your & your family's richer, healthier & safer future. Mail any size of donation in any currency as paper money to: STAF, Inc., P.O. Box 1555, New York, NY 10163, USA. Inside the envelope enclose your name & email address - STAF, Inc. will email you a tax deductible confirmation receipt. 100 % of donations will be used for STAF, Inc.'s help operations in reducing sickness & promoting healthy lifestyle worldwide.
Listen to STAF, Inc.'s popular Radio Shows - you'll get free CEU & College-University credits nationwide or worldwide. Visit STAF, Inc.'s extensive website - search the internet with: "Save The American Family - STAF, Inc.- Home" - (one 'F' in STAF, Inc.).
Respectfully,
Christian von Christophers, Ph.D., N.D., D.D.
STAF, Inc.'s President
Founder of Successology ® (Reg.U.S.Pat.Off.1991) - The new science for the GOOD LIFE
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A-Must-to-Read-Article
Article 1 of 2 (Article 2 of 2 next below)
Read article 2 of 2 also, next below - use of supplements destroyed the liver
Important for everyone to study this article - to save suffering and to save lives
The facts are not always as they should be or are told they are
Skip the Supplements
PARENTS whose children are admitted to our hospital occasionally bring along something extra to help with their care: dietary supplements, like St. John’s wort *) to ameliorate (=improve, make better) mild depression or probiotics**) the info for better health.
Here’s the problem: The Joint Commission, which is responsible for hospital accreditation in the United States, requires that dietary supplements be treated like drugs. It makes sense: Vitamins, amino acids, herbs, minerals and other botanicals have pharmacological effects. So they are drugs.
But the Food and Drug Administration doesn’t regulate dietary supplements as drugs — they aren’t tested for safety and efficacy before they’re sold. Many aren’t made according to minimal standards of manufacturing (the F.D.A. has even found some of the facilities where supplements are made to be contaminated with rodent feces and urine). And many are mislabeled, accidentally or intentionally. They often aren’t what they say they are. For example:
In 2003, researchers tested “ayurvedic” remedies from health food stores throughout Boston. They found that 20 percent contained potentially harmful levels of lead, mercury or arsenic.
In 2008, two products were pulled off the market because they were found to contain around 200 times more selenium (an element that some believe can help prevent cancer) than their labels said. People who ingested these products developed hair loss, muscle cramps, diarrhea, joint pain, fatigue and blisters.
Last summer, vitamins and minerals made by Purity First Health Products in Farmingdale, N.Y., were found to contain two powerful anabolic steroids. Some of the women who took them developed masculinizing symptoms like lower voices and fewer menstrual periods.
Last month, researchers in Ontario found that popular herbal products like those labeled St. John’s wort and ginkgo biloba often contained completely different herbs or contaminants, some of which could be quite dangerous.
The F.D.A. estimates that approximately 50,000 adverse reactions to dietary supplements occur every year. And yet few consumers know this.
Parents of children admitted to our hospital often request that we continue treating their child with dietary supplements because they believe in them, even if that belief isn’t supported by evidence. More disturbing were the times when children were taking these supplements without our knowledge. Doctors always ask parents if their children are taking any medicines. Unfortunately, because most parents don’t consider dietary supplements to be drugs, we often never knew about their use, let alone whether they might react dangerously with the child’s other treatments.
The F.D.A. has the mandate, but not the manpower, to oversee the labeling and manufacture of these supplements. In the meantime, doctors — and consumers — are on their own.
Our hospital has acted to protect the safety of our patients. No longer will we administer dietary supplements unless the manufacturer provides a third-party written guarantee that the product is made under the F.D.A.’s “good manufacturing practice” (G.M.P.) conditions, as well as a Certificate of Analysis (C.O.A.) assuring that what is written on the label is what’s in the bottle.
The good news is that we’ve been able to find some vitamins, amino acids, minerals and a handful of other supplements that meet this standard. For example, melatonin has been shown to affect sleep cycles and has a record of safety, and we identified a product that met manufacturing and labeling standards.
The bad news is that this was a vanishingly small percentage of the total group. Around 90 percent of the companies we reached out to for verification never responded. They didn’t call us back, or their email or manufacturing addresses changed overnight. Of the remainder, many manufacturers refused to provide us with either a statement of G.M.P. or a C.O.A.; in other words, they refused to guarantee that their products were what they said they were. Others lied; they said they met G.M.P. standards, but a call to the F.D.A. revealed they had been fined for violations multiple times. Perhaps most surprising, some manufacturers willingly furnished information that their product didn’t meet standards — like one company that provided a C.O.A. showing that its product contained 47,000 International Units of beta-carotene, when the label stated 25,000.
Now, when parents in our hospital still want to use products whose quality can’t be assured, we ask them to sign a waiver stating that the supplement may be dangerous, and that most have not been studied for their effectiveness. “Use of an agent for which there are no reliable data on toxicity and drug interactions,” the waiver reads, “makes it impossible to adequately monitor the patient’s acute condition or safely administer medications.”
What can other individuals who are concerned about supplement safety do? They can look for “U.S.P. Verified” on the label — this proves the supplement has been inspected and approved under the United States Pharmacopeial Convention. Unfortunately, fewer than 1 percent of the 55,000 or so supplements on the market bear this label. The real answer is that, until the day comes when medical studies prove that these supplements have legitimate benefits, and until the F.D.A. has the political backing and resources to regulate them like drugs, individuals should simply steer clear.
For too long, too many people have believed that dietary supplements can only help and never hurt. Increasingly, it’s clear that this belief is a false one.
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Source:
Paul A. Offit is chief of the division of infectious diseases at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia,
where Sarah Erush is the clinical manager in the pharmacy department.
*) click: St. John's wort (Hypericum perforatum L.) - MayoClinic.com
**) What are probiotics? Probiotics are bacteria that help maintain the natural balance of organisms (microflora) in the intestines . The normal human digestive tract contains about 400 types of probiotic bacteria that reduce the growth of harmful bacteria and promote a healthy digestive system. The largest group of probiotic bacteria in the intestine is lactic acid bacteria, of whichLactobacillus acidophilus, found in yogurt with live cultures, is the best known. Yeast is also a probiotic substance. Probiotics are also available as dietary supplements.
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Source: (1) NYT (2) STAF, Inc. (Article 2 of 2 next below) Click green for further info
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A -Must-to-Read Article
Article 2 of 2 (Article 1 of 2 next above - read that, too relates to the same topic)
Foreword
By STAF, Inc.
(1) The F.D.A. estimates that 70 % of dietary supplement companies are not following basic quality control standards that would help prevent adulteration*) of their products. Click: U S Food and Drug Administration Home Pagewww.fda.gov
*) adulteration = to make impure by adding extraneous, improper, or inferior ingredients
(2) About 50 % of Americans use dietary supplements & most of them take more than one product at a time.
Americans spend an estimated $32 billion on dietary supplements every year, attracted by unproven claims that various pills and powders will help them lose weight, build muscle and fight off everything from colds to chronic illnesses.
(3) Click Dietary supplements account for nearly 20 % of drug-related liver injuries that turn up in hospitals, up from 7 % a decade ago.
(4) Big Part of dietary supplements are taken for weight loss purposes - if you want to get rid of extra weight using dietary supplements STAF, Inc.'s strong advice is: stop using them, as they all are unregulated you would not know what you get. They may cause life-threatening sicknesses, they may even cause death. Instead, take STAF, Inc.'s educational and fully step-by-step guided Weight Reduction Program - it has the world's first and still only double-guarantee: (1) a life-time result-guarantee (2) with one-time fee only. No one anywhere gives a similar guarantee.
Study the introduction article further above titled World's # 1 free advice website Successo-Pedia©
Spike in Harm to Liver Is Tied to Dietary Aids
Skip the Supplements - Do not use supplements of any kind
Click green for further info
When Christopher Herrera, 17, walked into the emergency room at Texas Children’s Hospital one morning last year, his chest, face and eyes were bright yellow — “almost highlighter yellow,” recalled Dr. Shreena S. Patel, the pediatric resident who treated him.
Christopher, a high school student from Katy, Tex., suffered severe liver damage after using a concentrated green tea extract he bought at a nutrition store as a “fat burning” supplement. The damage was so extensive that he was put on the waiting list for a liver transplant.
“It was terrifying,” he said in an interview. “They kept telling me they had the best surgeons, and they were trying to comfort me. But they were saying that I needed a new liver and that my body could reject it.”
New data suggests that his is not an isolated case. Dietary supplements account for nearly 20 percent of drug-related liver injuries that turn up in hospitals, up from 7 percent a decade ago, according to an analysis by a national network of liver specialists. The research included only the most severe cases of liver damage referred to a representative group of hospitals around the country, and the investigators said they were undercounting the actual number of cases.
While many patients recover once they stop taking the supplements and receive treatment, a few require liver transplants or die because of liver failure. Naïve teenagers are not the only consumers at risk, the researchers said. Many are middle-aged women who turn to dietary supplements that promise to burn fat or speed up weight loss.
“It’s really the Wild West,” said Dr. Herbert L. Bonkovsky, the director of the liver, digestive and metabolic disorders laboratory at Carolinas HealthCare System in Charlotte, N.C. “When people buy these dietary supplements, it’s anybody’s guess as to what they’re getting.”
Though doctors were able to save his liver, Christopher can no longer play sports, spend much time outdoors or exert himself, lest he strain the organ. He must make monthly visits to a doctor to assess his liver function.
Americans spend an estimated $32 billion on dietary supplements every year, attracted by unproven claims that various pills and powders will help them lose weight, build muscle and fight off everything from colds to chronic illnesses. About half of Americans use dietary supplements, and most of them take more than one product at a time.
Dr. Victor Navarro, the chairman of the hepatology*) division at Einstein Healthcare Network in Philadelphia、
www.einstein.edu/, said that while liver injuries linked to supplements were alarming, he believed that a majority of supplements were generally safe. Most of the liver injuries tracked by a network of medical officials are caused by prescription drugs used to treat things like cancer, diabetes and heart disease, he said.
*) Hepatology is the branch of medicine that incorporates the study of liver, gallbladder, biliary tree, and pancreas as well as management of their disorders. ..
But the supplement business is largely unregulated. In recent years, critics of the industry have called for measures that would force companies to prove that their products are safe, genuine and made in accordance with strict manufacturing standards before they reach the market.
But a federal law enacted in 1994, the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act, prevents the Food and Drug Administration click: U S Food and Drug Administration from approving or evaluating most supplements before they are sold. Usually the agency must wait until consumers are harmed before officials can remove products from stores. Because the supplement industry operates on the honor system, studies show, the market has been flooded with products that are adulterated, mislabeled or packaged in dosages that have not been studied for safety.
The new research found that many of the products implicated in liver injuries were bodybuilding supplements spiked with unlisted steroids, and herbal pills and powders promising to increase energy and help consumers lose weight.
“There unfortunately are criminals that feel it’s a business opportunity to spike some products and sell them as dietary supplements,” said Duffy MacKay, a spokesman for the Council for Responsible Nutrition, a supplement industry trade group. “It’s the fringe of the industry, but as you can see, it is affecting some consumers.” More popular supplements like vitamins, minerals, probiotics and fish oil had not been linked to “patterns of adverse effects,” he said.
The F.D.A. estimates that 70 percent of dietary supplement companies are not following basic quality control standards that would help prevent adulteration of their products. Of about 55,000 supplements that are sold in the United States, only 170 — about 0.3 percent — have been studied closely enough to determine their common side effects, said Dr. Paul A. Offit, the chief of infectious diseases at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and an expert on dietary supplements.
“When a product is regulated, you know the benefits and the risks and you can make an informed decision about whether or not to take it,” he said. “With supplements, you don’t have efficacy data and you don’t have safety data, so it’s just a black box.”
Since 2008, the F.D.A. has been taking action against companies whose supplements are found to contain prescription drugs and controlled substances, said Daniel Fabricant, the director of the division of dietary supplement programs in the agency’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition. For example, the agency recently took steps to remove one “fat burning” product from shelves, OxyElite Pro, that was linked to one death and dozens of cases of hepatitis and liver injury in Hawaii and other states.
The new research, presented last month at a conference in Washington, was produced by the Drug-Induced Liver Injury Network, which was established by the National Institutes of Health to track patients who suffer liver damage from certain drugs and alternative medicines. It includes doctors at eight major hospitals throughout the country.
The investigators looked at 845 patients with severe, drug-induced liver damage who were treated at hospitals in the network from 2004 to 2012. It focused only on cases where the investigators ruled out other causes and blamed a drug or a supplement with a high degree of certainty.
When the network began tracking liver injuries in 2004, supplements accounted for 7 percent of the 115 severe cases. But the percentage has steadily risen, reaching 20 percent of the 313 cases recorded from 2010 to 2012.
Those patients included dozens of young men who were sickened by bodybuilding supplements. The patients all fit a similar profile, said Dr. Navarro, an investigator with the network.
“They become very jaundiced for long periods of time,” he said. “They itch really badly, to the point where they can’t sleep. They lose weight. They lose work. I had one patient who was jaundiced for six months.”
Tests showed that a third of the implicated products contained steroids not listed on their labels.
A second trend emerged when Dr. Navarro and his colleagues studied 85 patients with liver injuries linked to herbal pills and powders. Two-thirds were middle-aged women, on average 48 years old, who often used the supplements to lose weight or increase energy. Nearly a dozen of those patients required liver transplants, and three died.
It was not always clear what the underlying causes of injury were in those cases, in part because patients frequently combined multiple supplements and used products with up to 30 ingredients, said Dr. Bonkovsky, an investigator with the network.
But one product that patients used frequently was green tea extract, which contains catechins, a group of potent antioxidants that reputedly increase metabolism. The extracts are often marketed as fat burners, and catechins are often added to weight-loss products and energy boosters. Most green tea pills are highly concentrated, containing many times the amount of catechins found in a single cup of green tea, Dr. Bonkovsky said. In high doses, catechins can be toxic to the liver, he said, and a small percentage of people appear to be particularly susceptible.
But liver injuries attributed to herbal supplements are more likely to be severe and to result in liver transplants, Dr. Navarro said. And unlike prescription drugs, which are tightly regulated, dietary supplements typically carry no information about side effects. Consumers assume they have been studied and tested, Dr. Bonkovsky said. But that is rarely the case. “There is this belief that if something is natural, then it must be safe and it must be good,” he said.
Click green for further info
Source: (1) NYT, (2) STAF, Inc.
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Traveler's Guide
to Avoiding Infectious Diseases
click: infectious diseases
NOTICE:
The web link above is not a title to the next article below - the above link is for any traveler to study through that link necessary information about vaccinations, describing most common diseases and how to apply first aid - if the link has expired search the web with the title
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The next article below
and its several, additional related articles give details about the dangers of
click: tonsillectomy = removal of tonsils - click: Tonsil
Below several articles with additional information relating to tonsils and to click: Adenoids
There are different opinions relating to tonsillectomy and to adenoidectomy (see below).
One side of the opinion operates, the other side says"do not operate - too risky ".
Adenoidectomy = a surgical operation to remove the adenoids
The tonsils and the adenoids are in the human body to expel poisonous, life-threatening material.
See the following article before you read the "Judge orders....." article
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A 13-year-old girl who was declared brain-dead after complications from
a tonsillectomy should be kept on life support for the time being, a judge has ruled
Judge Orders Girl Be Kept on Ventilator
OAKLAND, Calif. — A 13-year-old girl who was declared brain-dead after complications from a tonsillectomy should be kept on life support for the time being, a judge has ruled.
The family of the girl, Jahi McMath, says doctors at Children’s Hospital Oakland wanted to disconnect life support after she was declared brain-dead.
A ruling on Friday by Judge Evelio Grillo of Superior Court came as both sides in the case agreed to get together and choose a neurologist to further examine Jahi and determine her condition. The judge scheduled a hearing to appoint a physician.
After Jahi underwent what the family called a routine tonsillectomy to help with her sleep apnea and was moved to a recovery room, her mother, Nailah Winkfield, began to fear that something was going wrong.
Jahi was sitting up in bed, her hospital gown bloody, and was holding a cup full of blood, she said. “Is this normal?” Ms. Winkfield repeatedly asked nurses.
With her family and hospital staff members trying to help and comfort her, Jahi bled profusely for the next few hours and then went into cardiac arrest, her mother said.
Despite the family’s description of the operation as routine, the hospital said in a memorandum presented to the court on Friday that the procedure was “complicated.”
“Ms. McMath is dead and cannot be brought back to life,” the hospital said in the memo.
“Children’s is under no legal obligation to provide medical or other intervention for a deceased person,” it added.
The family said hospital officials told them in a meeting on Thursday that they wanted to take Jahi off life support quickly.
The family filed a request on Friday for a temporary restraining order prohibiting the hospital from taking her off life support or any of her other treatments.
At the hearing later, the hospital’s lawyer, Doug Straus, said two doctors unaffiliated with the hospital had examined Jahi and concluded that she was brain-dead.
But he said, “We’re happy to cooperate with the judge’s suggestion that an independent expert be provided to confirm yet again that brain death is the outcome that has occurred here.”
The family’s lawyer, Christopher Dolan, said the family wanted tests of their own because they did not believe that the hospital’s physicians were sufficiently independent.
“There is mistrust, and there is a conflict of interest,” he said.
Source:
(1) AP News (Judge orders ... article)
(2) Related Information STAF, Inc.
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Tonsillectomy = a surgical operation to remove the tonsils click: Tonsil and click: Tonsillectomy
The adenoid, also known as a pharyngeal tonsil or nasopharyngeal tonsil, is a mass of lymphatic tissue situated further back in position to the nasal cavity, higher up, behind your nose - click Adenoid
Adenoidectomy = a surgical operation to remove the adenoids click: Adenoidectomy
The tonsils and the adenoids are in the human body to expel poisonous, life-threatening material.
When they are surgically removed how is the poisons thrown out? The body has a way to create a 2nd cleaning system but sometimes that fails.
What then ? A good question.
The material below will help you to know more facts - then you can much better negotiate with your doctor what to do. Always ask a 2nd and a 3rd or the 4th or the 5th opinion from different medical specialists when a surgical operation is expected.
In addition, always ask an opinion from a qualified naturopathic specialist = N.D. , N.M.D., or DC (Doctor of Chiropractic).
Naturopathy = the treatment of illness by using more natural methods without using standard drugs or surgery. Click: Definition of Naturopathic Medicine - AANP
Click: What is a Naturopathic Doctor? - AANP - Naturopathic Physicians ...
Click: Find an ND - AANP - Naturopathic Physicians: Natural Medicine ...
Every surgery has always a life-threatening risk, every and always.
This article gives one recent example. Supposedly a simple operation led to the patient's death.
NOTICE: any of this is info is NOT medical advice - only your physician can do it. This information and a ll information in this advice website is for educational purposes, only.
The purpose with this information is to give you the basic information so you can be more prepared to discuss these topics with your qualified physician. Only a qualified physician meeting the patient personally can estimate the situation. However, we still say: take opinions as many as you just can. Sometimes the most natural methods are the most suitable - even then only a qualified specialist seeing the patient can suggest the solutions.
Every body part has an important function - to have a surgery or not? Life s tough sometimes. Decision making is not easy when it comes to medical treatments or surgery.
With more information you are in a better position to make the best possible decision with your medical team.
What is the Function of Tonsils and Adenoids?
Should I Have Them Removed
Back in time it was standard medical practice to remove both the tonsils and adenoids. It was in vogue during the '40s, '50s and into the '60s, with the prevailing thought being that the tonsils and adenoids served no purpose and their surgical removal would prevent infections like scarlet fever click:Scarlet fever & strep throat click: Strep throat.
Times have changed. Medical advances have been made (thankfully) and the medical field now recognizes the tonsils and adenoids as a part of our lymphatic system and work with our immune system to fight off infectious germs. The function of the tonsils and adenoids is to filter out germs and prevent them from entering our system and to produce antibodies to aid our bodies fight against infection. The surgical removal of tonsils and adenoids is no longer an in vogue, standard medical practice, but their removal is only done when a medical condition warrants it.
Our tonsils and adenoids have the same tissue and cell structure that our lymph nodes have, and their functions are quite similar. The tonsils and adenoids work to filter out germs and produce antibodies that are used as ammunition against any invading germs.
With the tonsils located at the back of either side of the throat and the adenoids located at the back base of the nose, just above the uvula click: Palatine uvula
The glands close proximity to one another makes for easy removal of both during surgery. For the most part, they are only removed today if the tonsils and adenoids are repeatedly infected, like in cases of repeated tonsillitis, or if one or both become so large that a person's swallowing is impaired or the glands obstruct air flow.
The risk factors involving the removal of the tonsils and adenoids revolves around the actual surgical procedure, which any surgery will present.
After puberty, the tonsils begin to slowly atrophy (= decrease in size or wasting away of a body part or tissue), and in many people have completely disappeared by middle age. So if you're in the middle aged bracket or beyond and have ever had a doctor remark while doing a throat exam that you don't have tonsils, the normal atrophy process is the reason behind your missing tonsils.
Now that you know the function of the tonsils and adenoids, the question to answer is; Should you have your tonsils and/or adenoids removed? If you have been experiencing health problems due to their size or chronic inflammation and your doctor has recommended removing one or both of the glands, then the answer is 'yes'. The surgical procedure is relatively simple and best case scenario is you will only have a sore throat to recover from, you're breathing will be improved and the cause of your tonsillitis be forever gone.
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Then there are plenty of opinions that tonsils and adenoids must not be removed.
Study the following information
THE PURPOSE AND FUNCTIONS OF TONSILS
BY DR. ALFRED TIENES
In scientific circles the view that tonsils are by no mean superfluous (= unnecessary) is becoming more and more widely recognized and doctors are beginning to realize that they are organs which are of importance in the creation of the blood and that they are organs which fulfill important tasks in protecting and detoxicating the body and in eliminating matter which requires elimination. The excision of the tonsils prevents this elimination, it interferes with tissue change, and with the expulsion of metabolic poisons. It therefore hampers the process of poison elimination, which is natural to the body and which we notice in numerous forms, such as critical and helpful diarrhoeas*), curative sweats and eruptions, helpful vomiting, etc. Very likely the tonsils act also as organs for the regulation of the activity of the entire mucous membrane. Therefore we find that inflammation of the tonsils are always accompanied by stagnation of the lymph circulation. It is significant that diseased tonsils recover through the activation of the flow of the lymph. The lymph circulation is of great importance to the health of the body, and the flow of lymph through the tonsils is one of the most important defensive mechanisms of the human body. Good health requires that the tonsils should function properly.
*) Diarrhoea is one of the leading causes of death among children under five globally. More than one in ten child deaths – about 800 000 each year – is due to diarrhoea. Today, only 44% of children with diarrhoea in low-income countries receive the recommended treatment, and limited trend data suggest that there has been little progress since 2000.
Click: WHO | Diarrhoeal disease - World Health Organizationwww.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs330/
Numerous experiments have demonstrated clearly that the tonsils are important organs of elimination. If Indian ink (Br. = black ink) is rubbed into the gums, it promptly is absorbed and it reappears in the tonsils which eliminates it. If the bacilli of tuberculosis are inserted into the tonsils of healthy calves, they are not infected because the tonsils destroy the bacilli. It therefore follows that the tonsils are not portals of entry for tubercular infection, as had previously been assumed. On the other hand, it the bacilli are allowed to enter the lungs of calves, the calves become tuberculous and the bacilli are found in the previously healthy tonsils. This indicates that the tonsils take part in eliminating and destroying the germs of disease. At the Meeting of Specialists of Childrens Diseases at Innsbruck it was reported that an experiment had been made on a large number of healthy children in order to find out what would happen if active diphtheria bacilli were inserted into their tonsils. It was found that all children thus treated remained healthy. This experiment deserves censure, but it proves that, as regards diphtheria, the tonsils do not act as portals of entry as has previously been believed but as organs of defence and of elimination against infection.
The work done by the tonsils is similar to that done by the lymph glands. By the formation of new white blood corpuscles and by filtering the stream of the lymph, the germs of disease, metabolic poisons, and the foreign bodies are arrested and are made innocuous in these structures. Tonsils and glands fulfil the same function, but there is this difference, that the tonsils are not encapsulated in connective tissue. The tonsils can expand towards throat and mouth and their special formation with deep indentures and clefts, which number from ten to eighteen in each tonsil, makes it possible for the tonsil to get greatly enlarged if necessary. Foreign bodies, body toxins, germs, etc., which have been carried into the tonsils by the lymph stream can therefore be eliminated by way of the mouth, and thus the body is ridded of noxious materials.
The celebrated Pastor Kneipp used to say "An able inn keeper throws out of the house who makes themselves obnoxious." The healthy body which is sensibly treated and which has healthy tonsils in possession of their natural equipment for protecting and detoxicating the body does not need surgical treatment if the tonsils on occasion should become enlarged. The tonsils should be cut out only in desperate cases when operation is absolutely necessary, as in cases of threatened asphyxiation (= the condition of being deprived of oxygen - as by having breathing stopped).
Professor Kuttner wrote in the Medizinische Klinik, in an article on the treatment of inflammation of the throat: "Operations on the tonsils are indicated only in really dangerous cases when immediate surgical intervention is indispensable, when other methods have failed to relieve. In the first place the attempt should be made to cure the diseased tonsils." He recommends cleaning septic tonsils by suction which has permanently cured them in many cases. The biological conception compares the tonsils with filters which have become foul through accumulation of residue upon them and it is clear that they should be cleansed if at all possible, but not destroyed. That principle of treatment has become recognized as sound by all advanced doctors and by many specialists for childrens diseases, by specialists for diseases of the throat and by many surgeons. By careful examination and occasional cleansing of the tonsils by doctors, many disorders and diseases may be prevented both in children and in grown up persons, among them diseases of the heart, kidneys, joints, appendix, glands, blood, skin, measles, scarlatina, whooping cough, scrofulosis, which is apt to lead to tuberculosis, etc. Besides, many disorders following upon the destruction of the tonsils might be avoided, among them diseases of the lungs, general sepsis, general swelling of glands, and other harmful sequels which are apt to follow excision of the tonsils, often only many years after the event.
As destruction of the tonsils is apt to have serious consequences earlier or later, operation should not be performed rashly. In each case it should be seriously considered whether a total or only partial operation should be done, and if part of the tonsils should be healthy, then the healthy portions should be left in the body. Of course in the case of tonsil trouble the body as a whole should be treated biologically by a vegetarian diet, air and water baths, and if necessary by a fast, with a view to cleansing the diseased organs, the blood stream and the body as a whole,
BY DR. ALFRED TIENES
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The Function Of Human Lymph Glands
Lymph glands or lymph nodes (= each of a number of small swellings in the lymphatic system where lymph is filtered and lymphocytes are formed; lymphocytes = a form of small leukocyte (= white blood cell) with a single round nucleus, occurring esp. in the lymphatic system
lymphatic system = the network of vessels through which lymph drains from the tissues into the blood; lymph = a colorless fluid containing white blood cells, that bathes the tissues and drains through the lymphatic system into the bloodstream
Lymph glands or lymph nodes are the most important components of the immune system, producing and storing immune cells and lymphocytes.
These glands are spread throughout the body, with some concentration in certain special areas. Mostly they are concentrated in the neck, under the arms, and in the groins. Inside the chest and inside the abdomen and pelvis, highly important lymph glands are concentrated. These nodes are the primary barriers to the spread of illnesses. Some of these illnesses may be serious, such as infections and cancers.
Most commonly, when a disease spreads to a lymph gland, it causes a reaction and enlargement of the gland, which indicates a problem. Once the infection spreads to these glands, the reaction and enlargement is rather rapid. It happens in a few days and is accompanied by pain. A painful gland normally indicates infection, but when cancers spread to these glands, the reaction is gradual and normally pain-free. Once suspected of harboring cancer, the lymph node must be sent for a biopsy and evaluated by a pathologist.
The first step in biopsy of abnormal and enlarged lymph nodes is to perform a fine needle aspiration. If the result of this is inconclusive, the lymph node must be removed surgically and properly studied. Core biopsies of lymph nodes may also provide additional information, avoiding common surgical biopsy. Sentinel node sampling and biopsy may identify the first-draining lymph node in melanoma and breast cancer. It is also possible in other cancers. Sampling of this node is thought to be indicative of spreading tumor to regional nodes. If this node does not harbor any cancer cells, the odds are that the cancer has not spread to other lymph glands.
What Causes Swollen Lymph Glands?
During our lives most of us have already experienced swollen glands. Often, when glands swell, they become enlarged and even painful to the touch or during movement. The real question is, what causes glands to swell? To understand this, we have to know where our glands are and what they do for our bodies.
Lymph glands are a part of the body’s lymphatic system. The lymphatic system and lymph glands is complex network of vessels, nodes and organs. The lymphatic system helps to maintain the fluid environment, filtering, transporting, and producing the liquid called lymph. The lymphatic system is spread out throughout the entire body, just as the blood system is. Some of the more common areas of the body where the lymph nodes can actually be palpated or felt include the neck, the armpits, and the groin area.
The lymph nodes of our lymphatic system are very important to us and our health, playing an important part in the body’s defense against infections. Swelling of the lymph nodes may occur even if the infection is minor, or if it’s not apparent yet in other parts of the body. Swelling of the lymph nodes generally results from localized or systemic infection. Abscess and malignancy are other common reasons for swollen lymph nodes. Any other reasons for swollen lymph nodes are rare. As a rule, when swelling occurs suddenly and painfully, it is due to a viral or bacterial infection. On the other hand, painless and gradual swelling can mean that the cause is a tumor (of any type). If a human has swelling in the neck and inside the jaw, this is indicative of the mumps. If a rash accompanies the swollen glands, it could be scarlet fever.
In either case, a doctor needs to be seen for any swollen lymph gland. It is important to know that also ear infections, colds, and even small cuts can cause swollen glands as well. However, persistent swollen glands can be the result of a more serious problem and require medical attention.
When To Call The Doctor
If Swollen Lymph Glands Occur?It is important to see a doctor if your glands do not get smaller after several weeks, or if they continue to get larger. Red and tender lymph glands, as well as hard, irregular, or glands fixed in place should be seen by your doctor. If you experience fever, night sweats, or unexplained weight loss, you should seek for doctor’s advice. Any node in a child that is larger than 1 cm in diameter should be checked by specialists.
Treatment Of Swollen Lymph Glands
There is basically no treatment for swollen glands, because swollen glands are just a symptom of a disease and the way the body fights the foreign invader. Still, there are a few things you can do after you notice swollen lymph glands. You can take analgesics or pain relievers, but never give Aspirin® to a child unless specifically instructed to do so by a doctor. You could also apply warm or cool moist towels to the site, depending on what feels comfortable, to provide some relief to the swollen lymph glands.
What Are Lymph Nodes?
Lymph nodes are rounded masses of lymphatic tissue, surrounded by a capsule of connective tissue. Lymph nodes filter lymphatic fluid and store white blood cells. They are located along lymphatic vessels. Lymph nodes are sometimes also called lymph glands, and as previously said, they can play a role in cancer development. The reason is the unfortunate ability of the lymphatic system to move cancer cells throughout the body.
Lymph Gland Cancer
Cancer of the lymph nodes is another cause of swollen glands. However, this is unlikely the cause of painful swelling, because with cancer of the lymph nodes the swelling is slow and painless. There are two types of lymph node cancer, Hodgkins and Non-Hodgkins.
The Hodgkins type of cancer usually occurs in people in aged 20 to 40. Non-Hodgkins cancer usually occurs in people over fourty. Other symptoms that accompany cancer of the lymph nodes include fevers, profuse night sweats, fatigue, loss of appetite and weight, and in the later stages itching and coughing may occur. Hodgkin's disease is one of a group of diseases called lymphomas, produced by cancers forming in the cells of the lymphatic system.
As said earlier, the lymphatic system is a series of microscopic vessels that drain fluid away from the tissues and return it to the blood system. Throughout this system there are small organs called lymph nodes or lymph glands. These clusters are placed all around the body, especially in the neck, groin and armpits; the spleen is also part of this system. The first sign of Hodgkin’s is usually firm but painless swelling of the lymph glands. Swelling of the lymph glands is a natural response to infection, but in this case the glands are also tender to touch. The treatment of Hodgkin's disease normally involves radiotherapy, chemotherapy, or both. The type of treatment depends on the number of clusters of lymph glands and the types of cells involved.
Lymph Nodes And Their Role In Spreading Cancer
Cancer can spread through the body either through the bloodstream or through lymph nodes. In breast cancer, the cancer cells can move into the sentinel lymph nodes, and then to other parts of the patient’s body. When cancer spreads from one location to another we say the cancer is metastasizing. The most common sign of spreading to the lymph nodes is that one or more of the lymph nodes becomes enlarged. However, if there are only a small number of cells in the lymph nodes, there may not be any obvious signs of this problem. Remember, lymph nodes can become enlarged for other reasons, such as an infection, so you should not be worried immediately you spot an enlarged lymph gland.
The end of the articles
relating to the tonsils, adenoids and the immune system
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Cooking with Rice & Other Cereals
A beginner’s brief guide to the culinary staple grain, rice
& other natural, healthy cereals and combinations of these cereals
Cook your own healthy cereals
Do NOT give processed dry cereals to your children or to any other family
members called "breakfast cereals" - they are filled with harmful toxins
Click green for further info
A beginner’s brief guide to the culinary staple grain, rice
Rice is the seed of the monocot plants Oryza sativa (Asian rice) or Oryza glaberrima (African rice). As a cereal grain, it is the most widely consumed staple food for a large part of the world's human population, especially in Asia. It is the grain with the second-highest worldwide production, after maize (corn), according to data.Click: Rice
Since a large portion of maize crops are grown for purposes other than human consumption, rice is the most important grain with regard to human nutrition and caloric intake, providing more than one fifth of the calories consumed worldwide by humans.
Worldwide there are more than 40,000 different varieties of rice, species name Oryza sativa. Here are some of the common and popular varieties. click: List of rice varieties
Cooking with Rice & Combining with Other Cereals
When one thinks of cooking a dish with rice, many times one might think of it as being boring, with little taste, or perhaps that it’s impossible to make a dish shine with this grain. But the truth is, there are many great possibilities.
For a basic household cereal eating you need only (1) brown rice = best nutrition quality - least process - takes about 2 hours to simmer = to cook, (2) parboiled rice = partially boiled - cooks in 10 -15 min.
Before cooking soak overnight, cover well to avoid roaches, insects, ants, etc. reaching the inside of the soaking pan. Cook a for a 1 - 2 weeks' needs (to save time & effort; refrigerate - keep enough refrigerators in your kitchen for all your food items and cooking needs. If you have left overs from other rice types, follow the cooking time needed. When ready cooked, combine for a delicious cereal combination of (1) brown rice, (2) parboiled rice,
(3) left overs of other rice types, (4) steel-cut oats - slow cooking, (5) whole barley (not peeled) & (6) buckwheat - buckwheat only about 1 - 2 - 3 lbs (not cheap) for a taste, click Buckwheat, (7) other grains, e.g. rye grain, perhaps some (8) wheat. Some individuals may be allergic to some of these - you know your family.
Use steel-cut oats as the biggest part of this mixture of different cereals. Use oats that take longer to cook - is healthier, not the fast-cooking. Now and then fast-cooking oat cereal is O.K. if nothing else is available.
Buy rice& other cereal in big sacks when they are on sale - big savings. Store in dry location, cover well to avoid mice, rats, roaches, etc reaching them. They are allover, even in the most luxurious skyscrapers.
Aside from having a substantial amount of varieties, the real secret to using rice in recipes is in knowing which type of rice to use to get the consistency needed for certain dishes, thus highlighting the ingredients that are served with it.
Beyond Nice
One thing to keep in mind when grabbing that bag of rice is that certain cuisines lean toward creating superb dishes with rice, such as Chinese cuisine.
It’s common knowledge that China is the largest producer of rice, where it is harvested from May to June and from August to September. And Chinese cuisine has an endless supply of delicious and innovative recipes with rice as a main ingredient.
Nevertheless, let’s not forget that the most important ingredients to use when making a dish are intuition, imagination, and expression, for which rice—thought it may be hard to believe—can be a special element.
Why is so special? Rice is special because it is a mild-flavored, neutral grain that can be served with so many kinds of other ingredients. Whether served with pork, beef, lamb, poultry, seafood, all kinds of spices, sauces, vegetables, and even prepared as a dessert like rice pudding, this special grain works well with them all.
Its versatility is not just its being able to go with almost any ingredient, but that it can be cooked in many ways: sautéed, steamed, baked, boiled, stir-fried in a wok, and even fried.
Another advantage in using rice is that due to its high starch content, it is a perfect side to main dishes, as well as perfect for adding consistency to a filling.
A Diverse Grain
According to “The Cambridge World History of Food,” there are well over 80,000 varieties of rice worldwide. However, very few are sold commercially. Touching on just a few basic types and forms, there are several to consider for purchase: sweet glutinous rice, large-grain indica, medium-grain japonica, parboiled, short-grain japonica, basmati rice, brown rice, and wild rice.
Keep in mind that each type has different styles of cooking, has very different properties, and some are used solely for preparing certain dishes. You cannot use any variety of rice to prepare just any dish, so it’s important to know the types of rice out there, as well as what they are best used for.
Glutinous
Having high starch content, glutinous rice is ideal for Asian dessert dishes like rice pudding, for making sticky rice, or where a starchy rice adds to a filling, such as with zongzi (rice dumplings). Also called sweet rice, it is also made into flour and can be used to make rice flour pastries.
Long-Grain
Long-grain indica rice, also called Indian rice, nearly one-quarter inch in length, comes from Asia, and has less starch than any other variety. It is quick cooking; the grains stay separate and fluffy. This grain is ideal for salads, plain white rice, an accompaniment to steamed vegetables, Mexican rice, and depending on the recipe, for paellas.
Medium-Grain
Medium-grain rice is just over one-fifth inch in length, and is the most widely consumed. The most popular type in the United States is California Rose (Calrose). This rice is suitable for paellas, baked rice dishes, casseroles, and some risottos. A japonica variety, it is stickier than long-grain, best steamed, and is often used for making sushi rolls.
Parboiled
Means: partially boiled = cooks ready in 10 - 15 min (= much less than many other rice types; brown rice = 2 h).
Also called converted rice, due to being partially processed, it doesn’t overcook, does not become sticky, and is slightly more nutritious than white rice. It also absorbs the flavor of other ingredients well. This rice goes well in broths and soups.
Short-Grain
Short-grain japonica rice is distinct from long-grain rice. Considered a round, short, small-grain rice, this rice cooks fast, and is rather starchy. A favorite rice for sushi, it is commonly used in Japan. It is also a favorite in Italy for making risotto. Short-grain rice is ideal for sweetened rice pudding.
Basmati
Long and fine-grained basmati rice is supposed to be light and fluffy when cooked properly. This rice is heavily used in India and Pakistan, and is an aromatic rice like jasmine rice. The white grain version is more easily located, but you can sometimes find a brown version. This rice is ideal for serving with South Asian curries, and other dishes with heavy gravies and sauces.
Brown Rice
Brown rice is most easily found in long- and medium-grain. It is darker because it has not been polished, and only the hull has been removed. Brown rice is rich in vitamins, and has a slightly sweeter and nuttier taste than white rice. It also takes nearly twice the amount of time to cook as white rice. This rice is ideal for the health conscious, and for use with vegetarian dishes.
Wild Rice
Not really rice, this grain is also called Canada rice. Found in North America and certain parts of Asia, the most common species of the grain, is the Northern wild rice, which grows in marshy soils in certain parts of Canada and the United States. This very dark and crunchy grain has a strong nutty flavor. This grain is generally used in a mix, and takes much longer to cook than the other types of rice.
Other than being all of the above, it has important nutritional qualities. Among those, we emphasize that it contains tiny amounts of fat, no cholesterol, and negligible amounts of sodium, and is only 103 calories per half-cup serving of white rice.
Source: STAF, Inc.
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Article 1 of 2 (Article of 2 next below)
Very few Americans have tasted proper olive oil
In most pantries lurks rancid olive oil, masquerading as extra virgin
Proper Olive Oil:
What Most Americans Don’t Know
Very few Americans have tasted proper olive oil. In most pantries lurks rancid olive oil, masquerading as extra virgin.
“A large percentage of Americans are happy with defective oils because that’s all they know,” said David Neuman, president of olive oil company Lucini, which works with small regional farmers in Tuscany. click: Tuscany
click: Lucini Italia
In light of its much-touted health benefits, olive oil is coming under greater scrutiny in the United States, and it’s clear that not all olive oil is created equal.
Right from the olive groves until it hits the shelves, there are a number of things that can go wrong.
“Olives are particularly complicated because you’re consuming in pure form,” said Neuman. “Once they’re crushed, the clock is ticking. With other foods, like wine, balsamic vinegar, you can mess with it, even if it didn’t go right at first. But olive oil has to be done right from the moment it’s picked.”
New World Palates
“America’s a dumping ground for leftover oil,” said Nicholas Coleman, an olive oil expert and chief oleologist at Eataly in Manhattan’s Flatiron District. Click: Loving OLIVE OIL: interview with oleologist Nick Coleman
In a way, it’s not surprising if consumers can’t discern between good and bad olive oil. The Italians and Greeks may have had a love affair with it for thousands of years—used it as currency, food, skin ointment, lamp fuel—but for most Americans, it’s a relatively new product.
“Good, wonderful olive oil is something that people in the Mediterranean take for granted, they grew up with that,” said food historian Francine Segan. As a result, their palates are better able to detect when the oil is rancid or adulterated. “But for those of us who didn’t grow up with good olive oil, it’s harder to know what’s the proper taste.”
She said there are parallels in history where people tend to prefer a defective taste, because that’s what they were used to. “Case in point: Hershey chocolate! At the time Hershey’s milk chocolate was first made the process of adding milk to the cocoa solids wasn’t perfected so the milk became a bit rancid. Not dangerously so, no one became ill eating it, but it had a bit of a ‘baby spit up’ taste, as some have called it. With time, the process was perfected, but when Hershey changed the formula for the correction, consumers balked. They preferred the original flavor!”
Historically, what Americans were used to were lighter-tasting oils.
“In a way, if you were going to have olive oil in the old days from a leaky, salty ship with containers that would have let in the salt, let in the air, wouldn’t you be better off with sunflower oil or corn oil that is right here on our shores and will be fresher tasting? So for us, in this country, we grow up more with the familiarity of those lighter olive oils, like corn oil, because if we did taste olive oil if it came over somehow—I’m talking before the ’50s—it would have been a mess,” Segan said.
And yet, transport is still an issue. Neuman said some companies ship olive oil in tankers for five weeks on the ocean, from Italy to the East Coast, where it is bottled. “Think of how volatile olive oil is. The oil will get beat up, will get rancid.” As a trained taster, he can detect the “fusty” defect the oil can get from the muddy, sludgy settlement at the bottom of the tankers.
You Get What You Pay For
It’s hard to get around the fact that good olive oil is expensive. When you’re faced with a $17 bottle and a $5 bottle, you’re staring at the difference between a Lexus and a Hyundai, Newman said. “Retailers aren’t charging arbitrarily more unless there’s value.”
He points to the bad oil being sold in supermarkets. “Those supermarket olive oils, with Italian-sounding names, that’s where the bad oil is.” Or olive oil served at restaurants from food service tin barrels—it’s rancid.
Look for as much information on the bottle as possible, from the harvest date, to where the olive oil is coming from, to the acidity levels (less than 0.8 percent for extra virgin) but here’s the real challenge: taste it. Taste it straight, not as dressing, and not on food. If you’ve brought home olive oil from the store that you don’t like, take it back to the store, Neuman said.
The Taste of Real Olive Oil
Tasting the real thing is often an epiphany, an experience far different and removed from expectations.
Coleman first tasted freshly pressed extra virgin olive oil in Arezzo, Italy, in 2007, with his mentor Nadia Gasperini Rossi.
“We had just returned from the frantoio [olive press] with her new oil. She had prepared a very typical Tuscan peasant dish for me called ribollita, which varies from household to household, but is always focused around four primary ingredients: white cannellini beans, cavolo nero (black cabbage), leftover bread, and fresh Tuscan oil.
“With the dish piping hot, she finished it with a very generous amount of fresh oil, causing all the aromas to waft straight up my nose, intoxicating my senses. and transporting me right back to the very field we had harvested the olives in. Pungent notes of freshly cut grass and herbs brightened up the other ingredients making the soup come alive in a way I had never experienced before. It completely blew me away,” Coleman said
Olive oil acts as a conductor for flavors, whether you’re cooking with it or finishing a dish.
“Aside from salt, nothing is as versatile,” Coleman said. Take fish and drizzle on some olive oil: “The green droplets [of olive oil] elongate the flavors. It’s never the soloist. It’s like the bass, to support other instruments.”
At Eataly, there are more than 90 olive oils and it’s best to choose based on what you’re cooking.
Coleman recommends getting a delicate oil (for fish or salads) and a robust oil (for steak or soup, for example). If you want to get deeper into it, then there’s the world of regional olive oils that you can get into. He brought up the expression, “What grows together goes together,” which means roughly this: if you’re cooking a Sicilian dish, get a Sicilian oil, or if you’re making a Spanish dish, get a Spanish one.
There’s nothing like tasting good olive oil to realize what you’ve been missing out on. Coleman guided me through an eye-opening tasting of a handful of Eataly’s extra virgin olive oils, all single-estate, artisanal products. They were wildly different but none were neutral. Some were delicate, green, others whose bitterness hit me in the throat seconds later, inducing a cough.
It was OK to cough, he reassured me—in some circles, olive oils are rated as one-, two-, or three-cough oils. The bitterness indicates the presence of healthful polyphenols, a type of antioxidant.
One thing to be said about tasting proper extra virgin olive oil: After you try it, you’ll be rushing to throw out the adulterated, rancid oil that may be lurking your pantry and seeking out the real and wonderful olive oil.
Source: The Epoch Times STAF, Inc. endorses The Epoch Times - click: The Epoch Times
Olive oil: Briefly - What are the health benefits?
By MayoClinic.com
If olive oil is high in fat, why is it considered healthy?
Good question - however, there different types of fat - good & bad.
The main type of fat found in all kinds of olive oil is monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs). MUFAs are actually considered a healthy dietary fat. If your diet emphasizes unsaturated fats, such as MUFAs and polyunsaturated fats (PUFAs), instead of saturated fats and trans fats, you may gain certain health benefits.
MUFAs and PUFAs may help lower your risk of heart disease by improving related risk factors. For instance, MUFAs may lower your total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels. MUFAs may also help normalize blood clotting. And some research shows that MUFAs may also benefit insulin levels and blood sugar control, which can be especially helpful if you have type 2 diabetes.
But even healthier fats like olive oil are high in calories, so use them only in moderation. Choose MUFA-rich foods such as olive oil instead of other fatty foods — particularly butter and stick margarine — not in addition to them. And remember that you can't make unhealthy foods healthier simply by adding olive oil to them.
Also, be aware that heat, light and air can affect the taste of olive oil and possibly its health-promoting nutrients. Store olive oil in a dark, room-temperature cupboard, or even in the refrigerator. The fats and healthy phytonutrients in olive oil — as well as the taste — can slowly degrade over time, so it's probably best to use it within a year or within six months once opened.
Benefits of olive oil with more details - click the 2 links below
Click these two links for further info - if the links have expired search the web with the same title & same origin
What are the health benefits of olive oil?
Medical News Today
___________________________
|
The Same as with us humans:
Feeding Cats & Dogs Smaller, More Frequent Meals
Might Make Them Friskier
frisky = lively, bubbly, perky, active, energetic
Changing dietary patterns to increase activity could help curb pet obesity,
researchers say
Article 1 of 2 : Cats (Article 2 of 2 next below: dogs)
At the end web links (1) what is suitable for a cat to eat to stay healthy and (2) what not
One example: the kittens, the baby cats can eat milk but adult cats must not. Why?
Milk and Other Dairy Products? What could be wrong with offering your cat a saucer of milk or a piece of cheese? Although kittens are able to tolerate milk, most adult cats cannot. Their digestive system cannot process dairy foods, and the result can be digestive upset with diarrhea.
DOGS Article 2 of 2 below
The same feeding principles as described below suitable for cats will fight dogs' obesity problems also.
However, cat and dogs have different food choices - they are not the same.
Links for both (cats & dogs) at the end of this article.
New on the MedlinePlus click: Pet Health
CATS
Feeding obese cats more frequent, smaller meals throughout the day could increase their level of physical activity and help them lose weight, new research suggests.
Offering meals with water added to the food also spurred adult cats to become more active, scientists found in their study of 10 lean, neutered cats.
"I think veterinarians will be interested in this information because it gives them evidence to be able to recommend something to pet owners that could help with feline obesity and diabetes," study leader Kelly Swanson, an animal sciences researcher at the University of Illinois, said in a school news release.
"When cats are allowed to feed [freely], it's difficult to prevent obesity," Swanson said. "It is important to identify the right diet. Many owners are accustomed to dumping a pile of food out for multiple cats, just once per day."
Swanson said cat owners must play an active role in helping their pets maintain a healthy weight.
"It all comes down to energy in and energy out," he said. "It's very simple on paper, but it's not that easy in real life, especially in a household where there is more than one pet. That can be difficult, but I think these two strategies are very practical ideas that people can use."
In conducting the study, which was published in the February 2014 issue of the Journal of Animal Science
click: Journal of Animal Science
click: American Society of Animal Sciencehttps://www.asas.org/, the researchers measured cats' level of physical activity between meals with special monitors on their collars.
In one experiment, the cats were placed in one of four rooms. They were fed meals of dry kibble either four times each day, two times daily or once a day, or were given meals at random. All the cats received the same total amount of food each day, but those that ate more frequently ate smaller amounts at each meal.
In another experiment, the cats were split up into two rooms, where they were fed twice a day. The amount of food the cats ate was the same, but water was added to one group's food an hour before feeding.
To closely monitor their diet, the researchers placed cats in individual cages during mealtime. During meals, the cats had little human contact.
The researchers assessed the cats' activity two hours before they ate. In the first part of the experiment, cats were more active before mealtime, particularly those who were fed four times per day and those fed a random number of meals each day.
"If they know they are going to get fed, that's when they are really active, if they can anticipate it," Swanson said.
Cats were even more physically active when they ate food with added water, the researchers found. The biggest spike in activity occurred after the cats ate. Although it is unclear why the cats had this surge in activity after eating, the researchers suggested use of the litter box could have played a role.
Most owners make the mistake of overfeeding their cats, the researchers said.
"Because most pet foods are so digestible and nutrient dense, owners see that small bowl of food and think there's no way they can survive on that -- but they can," Swanson said. "It is tricky because labels on pet food provide ranges for how much should be fed. If you're feeding a cat, that food is supplied to thousands of cats with different metabolism. Some are spayed or neutered, and ages are different."
One way owners can help their cats lose weight is to add water to their dry food to give them a greater sense of fullness. Another option is to alternate between wet and dry meals.
Although many pet owners are not able to be home to feed their cats up to four times a day, even just going from one to two meals a day can help cats become more active and lose extra pounds, the researchers said.
"With cats, one of the tricky things is that few people can walk their cats," Swanson said. "We haven't done studies looking at what happens if you are just in the room with the cat more often and how active you can encourage your cat to be by playing with it. There could be other strategies. From a diet perspective, this is something that is relatively simple."
SOURCE: University of Illinois College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences, news release, Feb. 10, 2014
click: College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences ...aces.illinois.edu/
The University of Illinois College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences (ACES) is a world-class educational and research institution
click: Recent Health News
Pets can add fun, companionship and a feeling of safety to your life
Before getting a pet, think carefully about which animal is best for your family. What is each family member looking for in a pet? Who will take care of it? Does anyone have pet allergies? What type of animal suits your lifestyle and budget?
Once you own a pet, keep it healthy. Know the signs of medical problems. Take your pet to the veterinarian if you notice:
Article 2 of 2: Dogs (Article 1 of 2: cats, next above)
DOGS
Information about the suitable diets for dogs
Cats have relatively strict diets. As carnivores, they pretty much stick to meat. But dogs evolved and adapted to be much more versatile scavengers, and as a result, they can consume a much wider variety of foodstuffs. That said, some table scraps and snacks are healthier for your dog than others. If you've been wondering what human foods dogs can eat, we've got the info you want. You may be surprised to learn just how many of your meals you'll be able to share with man's best friend.
If you're a dog lover, you undoubtedly have heard that chocolate can be deadly to dogs, but is that really true? Will the chocolate bar surreptitiously snagged off the kitchen counter by Fido end in his early demise - or is this an old wives tale? The quick answer is YES. Yes, chocolate can a kill a dog. Chocolate poisoning is one of the most common causes of canine poisoning. Avocado
No matter how good you think the guacamole is, you shouldn't give it to your dog. Avocados contain a substance called persin. It's harmless for humans who aren't allergic. But large amounts might be toxic to dogs. If you happen to be growing avocados at home, keep your dog away from the plants. Persin is in the leaves, seed, and bark, as well as in the fruit.
click: Slideshow: Foods Your Dog Should Never Eat
Looking for ways to help your dog lose weight? Can’t resist throwing table scraps? You’re not alone.
Most people know dogs should never eat things like chocolate, grapes, raisins, onions, and garlic. As a rule, dogs should eat dog food. But there are some “people” foods that are OK to give to dogs.
Foods most dogs can safely eat in moderation include melon, berries, bananas, cooked chicken (with skin and bones removed), peanut butter, and cream cheese. Usually, it’s better to leave out the salt and other seasoning.
Bernadine Cruz, DVM, a veterinarian at Laguna Hills Animal Hospital in Laguna Hills, Calif., often recommends green beans, carrots, or fruit like apples for overweight dogs.
“Some people are shocked to hear that it’s OK to give dogs some people food,” Cruz says. “People usually follow exactly the letter of the law -- by not giving any people food. Or they go to the other extreme, where all they give is ‘people’ food. And then there are those clients who only give “people” food as an occasional treat.”
General Guidelines
People and dogs can be emotionally close. But there’s a big difference between what humans and dogs can safely eat.
Human systems are designed to break down and digest complex carbohydrates and plants. Dogs do better when a higher portion of their diet is animal-based.
In general, lean meat -- chicken, turkey, fish, and even pork -- is probably fine for dogs, as long as it’s cooked.
To help dogs lose weight, Lisa P. Weeth, DVM, Diplomate ACVN*), a veterinary nutritionist with Red Bank Veterinary Hospital in Tinton Falls, N.J., has a list of recommendations. In addition to baby carrots and green beans, it includes plain, unsalted rice cakes; unsalted no-butter popcorn; vanilla or strawberry yogurt without artificial sweeteners; and even vanilla-flavored animal crackers.
*) AVCN - American College of Veterinary Nutritionwww.acvn.org/
“I have some dogs that love those and some pet owners who love to give them,” Weeth says.
Other generally safe foods include squash, peas, sweet potatoes, and ice cubes made with diluted chicken or beef broth. One note of warning: Dogs can crack theirteeth on ice cubes.Most veterinarians recommend a high-quality, well-balanced manufactured diet.
And for good reason, says Cruz, who is a member of the Iams Pet Wellness Council and is featured on the company’s nutritional consultant web site. “Commercial foods are generally more balanced, more nutritious, and safer for a dog than ever trying to feed home-cooked foods,” Cruz says.
Moderation is key. “As long as it’s not more than 10% of the dog’s diet, a little treat here and there is probably going to be OK,” Weeth says.
That’s because commercial diets are designed to provide 100% complete and balanced nutrition. But when more than 10% of your dog’s diet is filled with other foods, you begin to dilute the essential nutrients in the commercial diet.
The amount of “people” food you give also should vary based on your pet’s size. After all, “a little bit for a Great Dane is a meal for a Chihuahua,” Cruz says.
If you dramatically increase the amount of fat, you may see diarrhea, or worse, pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas.). If you increase fiber with whole-wheat pasta or a complex grain, such as brown rice or barley, your dog may get constipated, or food may pass through undigested.
No Begging
Table scraps aren’t necessarily bad as long as you avoid fatty, sugary, and salty foods or foods with heavy sauces.
“About 40% of the dogs in the U.S. are overweight and we know that exacerbates diseases like cancer, heart disease, and diabetes,” Cruz says.
But it’s important that your pet realizes it’s a snack and not a regular meal.
Sharing your food with your dog may make for a finicky dog -- for instance, one that holds out for a bit of your steak, rather than its own dog food.
If you give table scraps as a treat, Cruz recommends mixing a very small amount into your dog’s regular food and offering it when you’re not eating.
Sickness to Health
Certain “people” foods can help otherwise healthy animals. Like if your dog gets into the garbage and has a bout of diarrhea or vomiting.
Cooked chicken breast or cottage cheese mixed with boiled white rice is highly digestible. It can provide nutrition and calories without being hard on the digestive system.
A small amount of peanut butter or cream cheese to hide medication also is OK occasionally, Weeth says.
About Home-Cooked Diets
If you're thinking about giving your dog people food that you cook for its regularmeals, you have your work cut out for you.
Home-cooked diets can be tricky, because most general practice veterinarians have little nutrition training. Weeth says she has no problem with human-grade food, as long as the animal is getting a complete and balanced diet.
But many recipes in books or on the Internet by nonveterinarians and nonveterinarian nutritionists are “too general and vague,” Weeth says.
There’s plenty of room for error if you select the wrong foods. In a growing animal, this can be life-threatening. In adult animals, it can cause nutrient deficiencies that can take months or years to show up.
Canine Cravings?
Do dogs crave “people” food more than dog food? Or is that human projection?
Cruz says canine taste buds are so well-developed that “I’m sure many of our foods are much more exciting. But if they never knew there were barbecued hamburgers out there, they would probably be very happy with what gets put in their bowl on a regular basis.”
And, Cruz says, remember this: “A dog will be just as happy with a pat on the head, playing ball, or going for a walk in the park as he will be for getting people food as treats.”
Further Reading - click green to study
Top Picks - click green to study
Source: (1)Various internet sources, (2) STAF, Inc.
_______________________________________________
Feeding Cats & Dogs Smaller, More Frequent Meals
Might Make Them Friskier
frisky = lively, bubbly, perky, active, energetic
Changing dietary patterns to increase activity could help curb pet obesity,
researchers say
Article 1 of 2 : Cats (Article 2 of 2 next below: dogs)
At the end web links (1) what is suitable for a cat to eat to stay healthy and (2) what not
One example: the kittens, the baby cats can eat milk but adult cats must not. Why?
Milk and Other Dairy Products? What could be wrong with offering your cat a saucer of milk or a piece of cheese? Although kittens are able to tolerate milk, most adult cats cannot. Their digestive system cannot process dairy foods, and the result can be digestive upset with diarrhea.
DOGS Article 2 of 2 below
The same feeding principles as described below suitable for cats will fight dogs' obesity problems also.
However, cat and dogs have different food choices - they are not the same.
Links for both (cats & dogs) at the end of this article.
New on the MedlinePlus click: Pet Health
CATS
Feeding obese cats more frequent, smaller meals throughout the day could increase their level of physical activity and help them lose weight, new research suggests.
Offering meals with water added to the food also spurred adult cats to become more active, scientists found in their study of 10 lean, neutered cats.
"I think veterinarians will be interested in this information because it gives them evidence to be able to recommend something to pet owners that could help with feline obesity and diabetes," study leader Kelly Swanson, an animal sciences researcher at the University of Illinois, said in a school news release.
"When cats are allowed to feed [freely], it's difficult to prevent obesity," Swanson said. "It is important to identify the right diet. Many owners are accustomed to dumping a pile of food out for multiple cats, just once per day."
Swanson said cat owners must play an active role in helping their pets maintain a healthy weight.
"It all comes down to energy in and energy out," he said. "It's very simple on paper, but it's not that easy in real life, especially in a household where there is more than one pet. That can be difficult, but I think these two strategies are very practical ideas that people can use."
In conducting the study, which was published in the February 2014 issue of the Journal of Animal Science
click: Journal of Animal Science
click: American Society of Animal Sciencehttps://www.asas.org/, the researchers measured cats' level of physical activity between meals with special monitors on their collars.
In one experiment, the cats were placed in one of four rooms. They were fed meals of dry kibble either four times each day, two times daily or once a day, or were given meals at random. All the cats received the same total amount of food each day, but those that ate more frequently ate smaller amounts at each meal.
In another experiment, the cats were split up into two rooms, where they were fed twice a day. The amount of food the cats ate was the same, but water was added to one group's food an hour before feeding.
To closely monitor their diet, the researchers placed cats in individual cages during mealtime. During meals, the cats had little human contact.
The researchers assessed the cats' activity two hours before they ate. In the first part of the experiment, cats were more active before mealtime, particularly those who were fed four times per day and those fed a random number of meals each day.
"If they know they are going to get fed, that's when they are really active, if they can anticipate it," Swanson said.
Cats were even more physically active when they ate food with added water, the researchers found. The biggest spike in activity occurred after the cats ate. Although it is unclear why the cats had this surge in activity after eating, the researchers suggested use of the litter box could have played a role.
Most owners make the mistake of overfeeding their cats, the researchers said.
"Because most pet foods are so digestible and nutrient dense, owners see that small bowl of food and think there's no way they can survive on that -- but they can," Swanson said. "It is tricky because labels on pet food provide ranges for how much should be fed. If you're feeding a cat, that food is supplied to thousands of cats with different metabolism. Some are spayed or neutered, and ages are different."
One way owners can help their cats lose weight is to add water to their dry food to give them a greater sense of fullness. Another option is to alternate between wet and dry meals.
Although many pet owners are not able to be home to feed their cats up to four times a day, even just going from one to two meals a day can help cats become more active and lose extra pounds, the researchers said.
"With cats, one of the tricky things is that few people can walk their cats," Swanson said. "We haven't done studies looking at what happens if you are just in the room with the cat more often and how active you can encourage your cat to be by playing with it. There could be other strategies. From a diet perspective, this is something that is relatively simple."
SOURCE: University of Illinois College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences, news release, Feb. 10, 2014
click: College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences ...aces.illinois.edu/
The University of Illinois College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences (ACES) is a world-class educational and research institution
click: Recent Health News
Pets can add fun, companionship and a feeling of safety to your life
Before getting a pet, think carefully about which animal is best for your family. What is each family member looking for in a pet? Who will take care of it? Does anyone have pet allergies? What type of animal suits your lifestyle and budget?
Once you own a pet, keep it healthy. Know the signs of medical problems. Take your pet to the veterinarian if you notice:
- Loss of appetite
- Drinking a lot of water
- Gaining or losing a lot of weight quickly
- Strange behavior
- Being sluggish and tired
- Trouble getting up or down
- Strange lumps
- Harmful Foods Your Cat Should Never Eat: WebMD Slideshow - Petspets.webmd.com/cats/ss/slideshow-foods-your-cat-should-never-eat
- Harmful Foods Your Cat Should Never Eat: WebMD Slideshow
click: - Healthy Cats Guide: Diet and Nutrition Tips - Pets - WebMD
click:
Article 2 of 2: Dogs (Article 1 of 2: cats, next above)
DOGS
Information about the suitable diets for dogs
Cats have relatively strict diets. As carnivores, they pretty much stick to meat. But dogs evolved and adapted to be much more versatile scavengers, and as a result, they can consume a much wider variety of foodstuffs. That said, some table scraps and snacks are healthier for your dog than others. If you've been wondering what human foods dogs can eat, we've got the info you want. You may be surprised to learn just how many of your meals you'll be able to share with man's best friend.
If you're a dog lover, you undoubtedly have heard that chocolate can be deadly to dogs, but is that really true? Will the chocolate bar surreptitiously snagged off the kitchen counter by Fido end in his early demise - or is this an old wives tale? The quick answer is YES. Yes, chocolate can a kill a dog. Chocolate poisoning is one of the most common causes of canine poisoning. Avocado
No matter how good you think the guacamole is, you shouldn't give it to your dog. Avocados contain a substance called persin. It's harmless for humans who aren't allergic. But large amounts might be toxic to dogs. If you happen to be growing avocados at home, keep your dog away from the plants. Persin is in the leaves, seed, and bark, as well as in the fruit.
click: Slideshow: Foods Your Dog Should Never Eat
Looking for ways to help your dog lose weight? Can’t resist throwing table scraps? You’re not alone.
Most people know dogs should never eat things like chocolate, grapes, raisins, onions, and garlic. As a rule, dogs should eat dog food. But there are some “people” foods that are OK to give to dogs.
Foods most dogs can safely eat in moderation include melon, berries, bananas, cooked chicken (with skin and bones removed), peanut butter, and cream cheese. Usually, it’s better to leave out the salt and other seasoning.
Bernadine Cruz, DVM, a veterinarian at Laguna Hills Animal Hospital in Laguna Hills, Calif., often recommends green beans, carrots, or fruit like apples for overweight dogs.
“Some people are shocked to hear that it’s OK to give dogs some people food,” Cruz says. “People usually follow exactly the letter of the law -- by not giving any people food. Or they go to the other extreme, where all they give is ‘people’ food. And then there are those clients who only give “people” food as an occasional treat.”
General Guidelines
People and dogs can be emotionally close. But there’s a big difference between what humans and dogs can safely eat.
Human systems are designed to break down and digest complex carbohydrates and plants. Dogs do better when a higher portion of their diet is animal-based.
In general, lean meat -- chicken, turkey, fish, and even pork -- is probably fine for dogs, as long as it’s cooked.
To help dogs lose weight, Lisa P. Weeth, DVM, Diplomate ACVN*), a veterinary nutritionist with Red Bank Veterinary Hospital in Tinton Falls, N.J., has a list of recommendations. In addition to baby carrots and green beans, it includes plain, unsalted rice cakes; unsalted no-butter popcorn; vanilla or strawberry yogurt without artificial sweeteners; and even vanilla-flavored animal crackers.
*) AVCN - American College of Veterinary Nutritionwww.acvn.org/
“I have some dogs that love those and some pet owners who love to give them,” Weeth says.
Other generally safe foods include squash, peas, sweet potatoes, and ice cubes made with diluted chicken or beef broth. One note of warning: Dogs can crack theirteeth on ice cubes.Most veterinarians recommend a high-quality, well-balanced manufactured diet.
And for good reason, says Cruz, who is a member of the Iams Pet Wellness Council and is featured on the company’s nutritional consultant web site. “Commercial foods are generally more balanced, more nutritious, and safer for a dog than ever trying to feed home-cooked foods,” Cruz says.
Moderation is key. “As long as it’s not more than 10% of the dog’s diet, a little treat here and there is probably going to be OK,” Weeth says.
That’s because commercial diets are designed to provide 100% complete and balanced nutrition. But when more than 10% of your dog’s diet is filled with other foods, you begin to dilute the essential nutrients in the commercial diet.
The amount of “people” food you give also should vary based on your pet’s size. After all, “a little bit for a Great Dane is a meal for a Chihuahua,” Cruz says.
If you dramatically increase the amount of fat, you may see diarrhea, or worse, pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas.). If you increase fiber with whole-wheat pasta or a complex grain, such as brown rice or barley, your dog may get constipated, or food may pass through undigested.
No Begging
Table scraps aren’t necessarily bad as long as you avoid fatty, sugary, and salty foods or foods with heavy sauces.
“About 40% of the dogs in the U.S. are overweight and we know that exacerbates diseases like cancer, heart disease, and diabetes,” Cruz says.
But it’s important that your pet realizes it’s a snack and not a regular meal.
Sharing your food with your dog may make for a finicky dog -- for instance, one that holds out for a bit of your steak, rather than its own dog food.
If you give table scraps as a treat, Cruz recommends mixing a very small amount into your dog’s regular food and offering it when you’re not eating.
Sickness to Health
Certain “people” foods can help otherwise healthy animals. Like if your dog gets into the garbage and has a bout of diarrhea or vomiting.
Cooked chicken breast or cottage cheese mixed with boiled white rice is highly digestible. It can provide nutrition and calories without being hard on the digestive system.
A small amount of peanut butter or cream cheese to hide medication also is OK occasionally, Weeth says.
About Home-Cooked Diets
If you're thinking about giving your dog people food that you cook for its regularmeals, you have your work cut out for you.
Home-cooked diets can be tricky, because most general practice veterinarians have little nutrition training. Weeth says she has no problem with human-grade food, as long as the animal is getting a complete and balanced diet.
But many recipes in books or on the Internet by nonveterinarians and nonveterinarian nutritionists are “too general and vague,” Weeth says.
There’s plenty of room for error if you select the wrong foods. In a growing animal, this can be life-threatening. In adult animals, it can cause nutrient deficiencies that can take months or years to show up.
Canine Cravings?
Do dogs crave “people” food more than dog food? Or is that human projection?
Cruz says canine taste buds are so well-developed that “I’m sure many of our foods are much more exciting. But if they never knew there were barbecued hamburgers out there, they would probably be very happy with what gets put in their bowl on a regular basis.”
And, Cruz says, remember this: “A dog will be just as happy with a pat on the head, playing ball, or going for a walk in the park as he will be for getting people food as treats.”
Further Reading - click green to study
- Slideshow: Foods Your Dog Should Never Eat
- Your Pet’s Nutrition Needs
- Feeding Your Adult Dog FAQ
- How to Read a Dog Food Label
- Dog Nutrition for a Healthy Coat
- Homemade Dog Food: Cost, Recipe Advice, Nutrition, and Storage
- Dogs and Chocolate Poisoning: A Toxic Combination
- See All Dogs - Feeding Topics
Top Picks - click green to study
- Top 10 Dog Poisons
- Your Dog's Life Stages
- How Much Water Does Your Dog Need?
- Choosing A Food for Your Dog
- Should You Adopt a Rescue Dog?
- How to Feed a Puppy
Source: (1)Various internet sources, (2) STAF, Inc.
_______________________________________________
Important
Latest health science info for every woman
Mammograms - Killer or Life Saver?
For women, a more complicated choice
Mammogram = an image obtained by mammography*)
New info date: February 11, 2014
Click green for further info
*) Mammography is the process of using low-energy X-rays (usually around 30 kVp) to examine the human breast and is used as a diagnostic and a screening tool. The goal of mammography is the early detection of breast cancer, typically through detection of characteristic masses and/or microcalcifications. Click: Mammography Microcalcifications are tiny specks of mineral deposits (calcium), that can be scattered throughout the mammary gland, or occur in clusters. When found on a mammogram, a radiologist will then decide whether the specks are of concern - usually, this is not the case. Commonly, they simply indicate the presence of tiny benign cysts, but can signify the presence of early breast cancer.
For women who dutifully keep their mammogram appointments year after year, click: the latest results
from a long-term trial in Canada involving 90,000 women, which found no difference in death rates from breast cancer among women who had regular mammograms and those who did not, are bound to sow confusion, perhaps even anger.
For decades now, the annual mammogram has been promoted vociferously and continuously as an essential way to protect oneself from breast cancer. Many women feel they are being irresponsible if they do not get a regular scan, said Dr. Lisa Schwartz, a professor at the Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice.
“For so long, we have been trying to convince people that you’re irresponsible or not taking care of yourself if you don’t do this,” Dr. Schwartz said. “People were hit over the head with that message.”
But attitudes have been changing as evidence accumulates of the hazards of intensive cancer screening. The American Urological Association has loosened its prostate cancer screening guidelines for men, for instance, because of the potential for unnecessary, invasive treatment that often leads to incontinence and impotence.
In light of the accumulating data that the benefits of regular mammography may be negligible for women, and that the practice has led to false positives and overtreatment, “it’s important for women to realize there is a genuine decision to be made here,” Dr. Schwartz said.
It is not a decision that medical groups are making any easier. In 2009, the United States Preventive Services Task Force, an influential group that makes recommendations to the federal government, concluded that women over age 50 should have mammograms every two years instead of annually and that the evidence of benefit was only moderate. The group did not recommend the screening test for younger women.
The report was met with a barrage of criticism. Some charged that the task force was trying to save health care dollars at the cost of human lives.
The American Cancer Society refrained from following the task force’s lead and continues to recommend annual mammograms beginning at age 40, as do the National Cancer Institute and the American College of Radiology.
In 2011, the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists urged more screening, recommending that women 40 and over receive a mammogram annually; previously, the group had recommended that women start yearly mammograms at age 50.
But the days of one-size-fits-all screening may be ending. Now patients and their doctors will face much more nuanced choices, based on each woman’s risk for breast cancer and her feelings about the prospect of unnecessary treatment.
“The balance between benefits and harms is more and more up in the air,” said Dr. Russell P. Harris, a professor of medicine at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. “Reasonable people will disagree.”
A version of this article appears in print on February 12, 2014, on page A3 of the New York edition with the headline: For Women, a More Complicated Choice.
Here a longer article from the same date, February 11, 2014
Click the green title below for more detailed info:If the green link below has expired, search with the title - published in The New York Times
Vast Study Casts Doubts on Value of Mammograms FEB. 11, 2014
Click green for further info
Sources: (1) click: BMJ (Originally called the British Medical Journal, the title was officially shortened to BMJ in 1988),
(2) NYT, (3) STAF, Inc.
______________________________________
BLOGGING Thursday 2/13/14
Has 2 articles
Cancer Screenings - Killer or Life Saver? Here is what to do to SAVE YOUR HEALTH -Twelve-Step Guide for women, men & children
Article 1 of 2
How to maintain your health - How to restore your lost health ?
STAF, Inc. has the solution
Written & Edited by
Dr. Christian von Christophers, Ph.D, N.D., D.D.
STAF, Inc.
"STAF, Inc. is your STAFF for your NEW life"
* health * family happiness * financial freedom
To inspect STAF, Inc.'s first 4 pages in its original founding acceptance documents provided by the State of New York click this green click: click - STAF, Inc.'s purpose and its mission statements are in those 4 pages
___________________________
First the latest news relating to mammograms
A long-term study, 25-year follow-up with over 90,000 women states:
breast cancer screenings are no good, rather harmful.
The same way the most recent studies show that men's prostate click:Prostate screening for cancer is not necessary as the risk to cause more harm is bigger than the possible benefits.
(Further below an article link to prostate screening)
For women who dutifully keep their mammogram appointments year after year, click: the latest results from a long-term trial, 25-year follow-up, in Canada involving 90,000 women, which found no difference in death rates from breast cancer among women who had regular mammograms and those who did not, are bound to sow confusion, perhaps even anger.
A few words about the mammograms
Click green for further info
Mammography is the process of using low-energy X-rays (usually around 30 kVp) to examine the human breast and is used as a diagnostic and a screening tool. The goal of mammography is the early detection of breast cancer, typically through detection of characteristic masses and/or microcalcifications.
Click: Mammography
Microcalcifications are tiny specks of mineral deposits (calcium), that can be scattered throughout the mammary gland, or occur in clusters. When found on a mammogram, a radiologist will then decide whether the specks are of concern - usually, this is not the case. Commonly, they simply indicate the presence of tiny benign cysts, and may signify the presence of early breast cancer.
For decades now, the annual mammogram has been promoted vociferously, expressed in a very loud or forceful way and continuously as an essential way to protect oneself from breast cancer. Many women feel they are being irresponsible if they do not get a regular scan, said Dr. Lisa Schwartz, a professor at the Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice.
Click: The Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice
Click: Lisa Schwartz, MD, MS
The latest about screening men for a possible prostate cancer
Prostate cancer is the #1 cancer in men and the second leading cause of cancer deaths for men in the United States, after lung cancer.
Lung cancer
click: Lung Cancer
Are you still smoking - if you do not know how to stop smoking and save your health, STAF, Inc.'s private service will guide you to stop smoking and gives, as the only one, a lifetime result-guarantee with a one-time fee only. With the modern technology private services can be given worldwide (in addition to our office).
Prostate cancer
click: Prostate Cancer
One in every six men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in his lifetime,with about 90% of cases occurring in men 55 and older, and 71% of deaths occurring in men 75 and older. For these reasons, annual screenings would seem to be an important way to prevent prostate cancer. But there is a hot debate within the medical community: do regular prostate cancer screenings do more harm than good?
Are Annual Prostate Cancer Screenings Necessary?
Should Early Stage Prostate Cancer Be Treated?
Click green below for the latest science info:
Are Annual Prostate Cancer Screenings Necessary?
____________
About 95 % of sicknesses are caused by unhealthy lifestyle
and wrong nutrition.
Thus, 95 % of sicknesses can potentially be healed.
Save The American Family - STAF, Inc., -not-for-profit,
is the new, leading specialist in these topics with nationwide
& worldwide operations.
Start your new healthier life from this free 12-step fast-track
guide next below - fits for women, men & children.
Study and apply the information in this article 1 of 2 and also study well the second article 2 of 2 below
Quotation :
"Knowledge is no power - only applied knowledge is power"
(Dr. Christian - STAF, Inc.)
Free 12-step Fast-Track Guide
(1) Eat natural, simple food prepared in your own kitchen, mostly full grains, fish, proper meat (= lean cage-free poultry), nuts, berries, fruit & vegetables and small amount other necessary natural nutrients with the main principle
"If it came from a plant, eat it, if it was made in a plant, don't" (quote by click: Michael Pollan).
About the full grains (above #1) and about the importance of their presence in the human daily nutrition a quote of facts: In the past, whole grains were thought to provide nothing more than fiber. However, new research reveals that whole grains offer (1) vitamins and (2) minerals, plus (3) high levels of antioxidants and (4) other healthy plant-based nutrients.
What Is a Whole Grain? All grains start out as whole grains.
If, after milling, they keep all three parts of the original grain—the starchy endosperm*), the fiber-rich bran, and the germ—in their original proportions, they still qualify as whole grains.
*) endosperm = the part of a seed that acts as a food store for the developing plant embryo, containing starch with protein and other nutrients. The Dietary Guidelines recommend that Americans “make half their grains whole.” This means most people should consume three or more servings of whole grains each day. This is a minimum—the Dietary Guidelines say that “more whole grains up to all the grains recommended may be selected.” Active people would need even more whole grains. Four, five, even six servings of whole grains daily are not unreasonable.
Eating fiber has been linked to better gut health, less heart disease and lower weights. Fiber is found in whole grains in varying quantities as well as in fruits, vegetables and beans.
(2) Drink daily (= during the day in smaller amounts) plain water in liquid ounces the same amount as your normal weight in lbs (no soda) - first (still empty stomach) in the morning drink 16 oz. 1-min. boiled tap water (mixed with.... see a few lines below).
Brief boiling kills most harmful bacteria in the water - drink tap water to save your money -
the bottled water has sometimes more harmful bacteria than the tap water; in the morning, before taking the tap water, let the piped water run about one min. to avoid some of the accumulated pipe dirt ending in your system).
Mix your first morning 16 oz., 1-min. boiled water with 1/2 fresh lemon & 1/2 fresh lime juice with pulp (the pulp in all fruit & every vegetable has about 80 % of the beneficial nutrients - do not juice, do not throw the pulp away). Use a blender for the lemon/lime - if bigger amounts blended, stays fresh in the fridge a few days - then add the 1-min. boiled tap water daily. Blended lemon/lime can also be freezed. Blending in bigger amounts lemon/lime and anything else will save your time.
In the refrigerator the thawed fruit & other food items stay fresh 2 - 3 days.
The shelf life of the frozen food can be more than 12 months if continuously frozen and stored in -18 Fahrenheit = -28 Celcius (notice: - = minus).
The hot lemon/lime-water cleans your system daily very effectively, wakes you up deliciously & gives vitamins , fiber, minerals & other nutrients. Learn to use the whole lemon + lime with their peels. Wash the whole lemon/lime with soap & brush, cut in pieces and put as such in the blender. The peels have more beneficial nutrients than the inside of the fruit. Enjoy. You'll love it.
Coffee & tea daily counts as part of your daily needs of plain water.
This is h0w you know you have been drinking enough water daily: when your urine is almost clear, you have hydrated (= had enough water) your system well. The darker your urine, the more you are dehydrated (= not having enough water) and need to have your daily fresh, clean water as instructed above.
Being dehydrated leads to sicknesses of all kinds (including allergies & asthma). Your body is about 70 % water, your blood about 92-95 % water, your brain about 90 % of water.
Being dehydrated (= not enough water) is the main reason developing high blood pressure (HBP) because the blood will get thicker and to circulate in the narrow veins it has to pressure harder on the vein walls; that's called high blood pressure (HBL) - a deadly condition. Also: blood vessels become stiffer as we age. Thus, being dehydrated the thicker blood pressures even harder on the vein walls.
High blood pressure (hypertension) (HBP)
is when your blood pressure is 140/90 mmHg or above most of the time. Normal is about 120/80 (or somewhat smaller numbers).
What do the numbers mean? Doctors call them systolic (the top number) and diastolic (the bottom number) blood pressure.
During each heartbeat, blood pressure varies between a maximum (systolic) and a minimum (diastolic) pressure.
Click next below each of these green topics to learn more about HBP - High blood pressure:
Causes - Symptoms - Tests - Treatment - Prognosis - Prevention - National Library of Medicine
When your blood is thicker it can create more easily clots - the clots prevent the blood circulating and that is called a heart attack or a stroke - deadly conditions.
A stroke happens when blood flow to a part of the brain stops. A stroke is sometimes called a "brain attack." If blood flow is stopped for longer than a few seconds, the brain cannot get blood and oxygen. Brain cells can die, causing permanent damage.
Click next below each of these green topics to learn more about strokes :
Causes - Symptoms - Tests - Treatment - Prognosis - Prevention - National Library of Medicine
A heart attack occurs when blood flow to a part of your heart is blocked for a long enough time that part of the heart muscle is damaged or dies. The medical term for this is myocardial infarction.
Click next below each of these green topics to learn more about heart attacks :
Causes - Symptoms - Tests - Treatment - Prognosis
National Library of Medicine
Hydrate your system = drink enough water daily as guided here - you can avoid many sicknesses and keep your valuable health, be smarter (as stated above, brain is 90 % water), become richer (because you are smarter) and live longer and ENJOY A HEALTHY LIFE because you have been smart enough to start applying the information for the good life given to you by the STAF, Inc. guidance.
(3) Walk 25K steps daily (click: Pedometer),
(4) Sleep (adults) 7-8 hours in a technology-free, quiet bedroom; not sleeping
enough or being interrupted by noise or light causes cancer and other sicknesses - the sleep hours for toddlers, children & teenagers: babies sleep close to 24 h (they know what to do), (1) toddler should sleep up to 12 - 15 hours, (2) older child 10 to 11 - 12 hours, (3) teenager about 10+ hours.
Read & study well the 7 sleep articles in STAF, Inc.'s website at the beginning of the tab "blog" (the left-hand side "blog"; there are 2 tabs "blog" next to each other). The articles have important information most people do not know - applying the info WILL save your life, save you from suffering & give you a longer, financially more prosperous life. Have your spouse and also your children reading those 7 articles.
(5) No smoking,
(6) No more than 1 - 2 drinks daily (drinking is not a must),
(7) No drugs or any substance abuse,
(8) Learn to meditate; STAF, Inc. has developed a 10-min. program titled M+© to practice 2 times a day to quiet & strengthen your mind for success,
(9) Do basic hatha yoga; the word 'hatha' means 'willful or forceful'. click: Hatha yoga refers to a set of physical exercises; STAF, Inc. has developed an effective 7-minute morning program Yabbanetics©, similar to hatha (contact STAF, Inc. to download both programs (8) + (9),
(10) Learn to keep a happy, positive attitude (STAF-programs have guidance),
(11) Have a work you enjoy; research shows meaningful work is one of the most important sources for life happiness (this in addition to good health & steady personal relationship),
(12) Help people who have less than you, donate - that will guide you to appreciate what you have and inspires you to build further success.
Donate also to STAF, Inc. as STAF, Inc. is a not-for-profit organization and needs your help & everyone's help to ease the human suffering in the U.S. and worldwide.
The instructions below in the Article 2 of 2 and in the STAF, Inc's website home page (click) www.staf1org.weebly.com
STAF,. Inc.'s extensive website is full of detailed information for a healthy, happy, long, successful life.
(click) www.staf1org.weebly.com
Also, see the article 2 of 2 below
- it has additional guidance for health & success
And one more: Have a weekly a whole family meeting
with children, even the smallest ones present, rotating weekly the leader of the group and discuss in the meeting the material you have chosen together as a family to study that week taken from STAF, Inc.'s guidance website. The family meeting is a long-term project. It also strengthens your family relationships & your family union and deepens your family happiness.
(click) www.staf1org.weebly.com
As stated above, STAF, Inc.'s website is a very extensive website - takes several years to go through and more up-t0-date material is being placed in the website continuously.
It has tens of thousands of articles & article links.
It is the "world's #1 free advice website for the good life".
STAF, Inc.'s website is based on the most recent science and is being used also in the college & university teaching in all degree levels including the Ph.D. level.
In your family meetings you learn all what is needed for the good life.
In addition, your children will learn to lead groups and can shine with their skills early on in their schools.
_____________
Article 2 of 2
World's # 1 free advice website Successo-Pedia©
for all family matters, success, health, wealth & for the good life - with free Q & A
- built by Save The American Family - STAF, Inc., -not-for-profit-
& by Dr. Christian von Christophers, Ph.D., N.D., D.D.
_____________
This info will save nationwide/worldwide trillions in health care costs
This info will save YOUR health and save YOUR money
America & everyone worldwide must learn the #1 skill:
Healthy Lifestyle & Correct Nutrition
Avoid big food bills, big bellies & big sickness costs
That's like a free health insurance and better
Quotation:
"To stay healthy you need to eat what your body wants, not what you want" (Dr. Christian, STAF, Inc.)
STAF, Inc. has a new Healthy Lifestyle & Correct Nutrition Program for the U.S. government's & for every nation's use worldwide.
Totally it took 26 years to develop, first 19 years worldwide research & 7 years to modify it for everyone's needs. This program covers, for the first time ever, all necessary elements to get the lasting results in all family related challenges & in our rampant obesity, overweight & sickness levels. Its nutritional program leading to health & to a longer life is at the same time an automatic weight loss program: nothing to buy, no calories to count, no unreasonable portion control - eat as needed; just follow the easy instructions.
The best news is this: the correct, health-restoring & health-maintaining food with all necessary daily nutrients in the correct combination costs ONLY about $95 per one (adult) person monthly.
The new STAF Plan program guides you to buy your food ingredients in your local supermarket & prepare your food in your own kitchen based on the new, delicious recipes.
The bigger the family, the less $ per/person. Only a program everyone can afford is a solution to the world's health challenges.
Your food expenses, time being, are probably many times more than in this new STAF, Inc.'s results bringing program. Everyone can afford this amazing program whether one works on the minimum salary or lives on the social security or similar.
The saved money this new STAF, Inc. program guides you to place in safe investments - STAF, Inc. endorses only a few investment adviser companies as reliable. With the saved money your family can create substantial wealth within time. Also a millionaire?
STAF, Inc.has 10 private services given a unique lifetime result-guarantee with only a one-time fee - see website.
(1) The STAF Healthy Lifestyle & Correct Nutrition Plan is
the MOST ECONOMICAL PLAN
in the U.S. and worldwide (only about $95 a month per one adult).
Yet, the STAF Plan provides all nutrients any human needs in a correct, healthy, delicious manner and in fully correct proportions.
A healthy lifestyle & correct nutrition plan is good only if everyone working or getting government benefits can afford the plan. Most diet plans are so costly that those people who most need a result-bringing plan cannot afford following the plan. What good is that? Everyone working or getting the government benefits will and CAN afford following The STAF Plan because it will cost the least.
(2) Not only is the STAF Plan the most affordable but the STAF Plan has financial benefits embedded in its guidance.
In most families the food costs are (much) more than the new STAF Plan demands. The plan will guide to invest the saved money thus leading to a improved family economy - potentially also a millionaire level (not a joke, a fact).
No other plan does that. In STAF, Inc.'s website additional information relating to the investment program.)
(3) In addition to providing all healthy lifestyle & correct nutrition guidance the
STAF PLAN covers, for the first time ever, all necessary elements in strengthening the marriage & other family ties, in successful child raising, in teen age challenges and in other happy family related topics.
The STAF Healthy Lifestyle & Correct Nutrition program covers all factors needed for a healthy & a happy family life.
The new STAF Healthy Lifestyle & Correct Nutrition program will, in a televised D.C. event, be introduced worldwide & to The W.H., The President, The U.S. Congress & Senate.
STAF, Inc.'s presence is needed in D.C. in the U.S. Congress (House & Senate). STAF, Inc.'s founding President is planning (1) to seek a seat in D.C. Congress/Senate to provide the necessary information to the D.C. lawmakers and (2) to establish a new federal agency, Healthy Lifestyle & Family Success Agency & to be named its first federal director. New legislation & training for all these matters are needed in a results-bringing manner.
STAF, Inc.'s slogan: Less suffering - more life™
Our website page tops have a link to study STAF, Inc.'s founding documents to see its mission statements.
Save The American Family - STAF, Inc., -not-for-profit, needs donations to widen its important work for your & your family's richer, healthier & safer future.
Mail any size of donation in any currency as paper money to:
STAF, Inc., P.O. Box 1555, New York, NY 10163, USA.
Inside the envelope enclose your name & email address - STAF, Inc. will email you
a tax deductible confirmation receipt.
Fully 100 % of the donations will be used for STAF, Inc.'s help operations in reducing sickness & promoting healthy lifestyle worldwide.
Listen to STAF, Inc.'s popular Radio Shows - you'll get free CEU & College-University credits nationwide or worldwide.
Visit STAF, Inc.'s extensive website - (click) www.staf1org.weebly.com
or search the internet with:
"Save The American Family - STAF, Inc.- Home" - (one 'F' in STAF, Inc.).
Respectfully,
Christian von Christophers, Ph.D., N.D., D.D.
STAF, Inc.'s President
Founder of Successology ® (Reg.U.S.Pat.Off.1991)
- The new science for the GOOD LIFE -
________________________
If the green link below has expired, search with the title - published in The New York Times
Vast Study Casts Doubts on Value of Mammograms FEB. 11, 2014
________________________
Has 2 articles
Cancer Screenings - Killer or Life Saver? Here is what to do to SAVE YOUR HEALTH -Twelve-Step Guide for women, men & children
Article 1 of 2
How to maintain your health - How to restore your lost health ?
STAF, Inc. has the solution
Written & Edited by
Dr. Christian von Christophers, Ph.D, N.D., D.D.
STAF, Inc.
"STAF, Inc. is your STAFF for your NEW life"
* health * family happiness * financial freedom
To inspect STAF, Inc.'s first 4 pages in its original founding acceptance documents provided by the State of New York click this green click: click - STAF, Inc.'s purpose and its mission statements are in those 4 pages
___________________________
First the latest news relating to mammograms
A long-term study, 25-year follow-up with over 90,000 women states:
breast cancer screenings are no good, rather harmful.
The same way the most recent studies show that men's prostate click:Prostate screening for cancer is not necessary as the risk to cause more harm is bigger than the possible benefits.
(Further below an article link to prostate screening)
For women who dutifully keep their mammogram appointments year after year, click: the latest results from a long-term trial, 25-year follow-up, in Canada involving 90,000 women, which found no difference in death rates from breast cancer among women who had regular mammograms and those who did not, are bound to sow confusion, perhaps even anger.
A few words about the mammograms
Click green for further info
Mammography is the process of using low-energy X-rays (usually around 30 kVp) to examine the human breast and is used as a diagnostic and a screening tool. The goal of mammography is the early detection of breast cancer, typically through detection of characteristic masses and/or microcalcifications.
Click: Mammography
Microcalcifications are tiny specks of mineral deposits (calcium), that can be scattered throughout the mammary gland, or occur in clusters. When found on a mammogram, a radiologist will then decide whether the specks are of concern - usually, this is not the case. Commonly, they simply indicate the presence of tiny benign cysts, and may signify the presence of early breast cancer.
For decades now, the annual mammogram has been promoted vociferously, expressed in a very loud or forceful way and continuously as an essential way to protect oneself from breast cancer. Many women feel they are being irresponsible if they do not get a regular scan, said Dr. Lisa Schwartz, a professor at the Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice.
Click: The Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice
Click: Lisa Schwartz, MD, MS
The latest about screening men for a possible prostate cancer
Prostate cancer is the #1 cancer in men and the second leading cause of cancer deaths for men in the United States, after lung cancer.
Lung cancer
click: Lung Cancer
Are you still smoking - if you do not know how to stop smoking and save your health, STAF, Inc.'s private service will guide you to stop smoking and gives, as the only one, a lifetime result-guarantee with a one-time fee only. With the modern technology private services can be given worldwide (in addition to our office).
Prostate cancer
click: Prostate Cancer
One in every six men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in his lifetime,with about 90% of cases occurring in men 55 and older, and 71% of deaths occurring in men 75 and older. For these reasons, annual screenings would seem to be an important way to prevent prostate cancer. But there is a hot debate within the medical community: do regular prostate cancer screenings do more harm than good?
Are Annual Prostate Cancer Screenings Necessary?
Should Early Stage Prostate Cancer Be Treated?
Click green below for the latest science info:
Are Annual Prostate Cancer Screenings Necessary?
____________
About 95 % of sicknesses are caused by unhealthy lifestyle
and wrong nutrition.
Thus, 95 % of sicknesses can potentially be healed.
Save The American Family - STAF, Inc., -not-for-profit,
is the new, leading specialist in these topics with nationwide
& worldwide operations.
Start your new healthier life from this free 12-step fast-track
guide next below - fits for women, men & children.
Study and apply the information in this article 1 of 2 and also study well the second article 2 of 2 below
Quotation :
"Knowledge is no power - only applied knowledge is power"
(Dr. Christian - STAF, Inc.)
Free 12-step Fast-Track Guide
(1) Eat natural, simple food prepared in your own kitchen, mostly full grains, fish, proper meat (= lean cage-free poultry), nuts, berries, fruit & vegetables and small amount other necessary natural nutrients with the main principle
"If it came from a plant, eat it, if it was made in a plant, don't" (quote by click: Michael Pollan).
About the full grains (above #1) and about the importance of their presence in the human daily nutrition a quote of facts: In the past, whole grains were thought to provide nothing more than fiber. However, new research reveals that whole grains offer (1) vitamins and (2) minerals, plus (3) high levels of antioxidants and (4) other healthy plant-based nutrients.
What Is a Whole Grain? All grains start out as whole grains.
If, after milling, they keep all three parts of the original grain—the starchy endosperm*), the fiber-rich bran, and the germ—in their original proportions, they still qualify as whole grains.
*) endosperm = the part of a seed that acts as a food store for the developing plant embryo, containing starch with protein and other nutrients. The Dietary Guidelines recommend that Americans “make half their grains whole.” This means most people should consume three or more servings of whole grains each day. This is a minimum—the Dietary Guidelines say that “more whole grains up to all the grains recommended may be selected.” Active people would need even more whole grains. Four, five, even six servings of whole grains daily are not unreasonable.
Eating fiber has been linked to better gut health, less heart disease and lower weights. Fiber is found in whole grains in varying quantities as well as in fruits, vegetables and beans.
(2) Drink daily (= during the day in smaller amounts) plain water in liquid ounces the same amount as your normal weight in lbs (no soda) - first (still empty stomach) in the morning drink 16 oz. 1-min. boiled tap water (mixed with.... see a few lines below).
Brief boiling kills most harmful bacteria in the water - drink tap water to save your money -
the bottled water has sometimes more harmful bacteria than the tap water; in the morning, before taking the tap water, let the piped water run about one min. to avoid some of the accumulated pipe dirt ending in your system).
Mix your first morning 16 oz., 1-min. boiled water with 1/2 fresh lemon & 1/2 fresh lime juice with pulp (the pulp in all fruit & every vegetable has about 80 % of the beneficial nutrients - do not juice, do not throw the pulp away). Use a blender for the lemon/lime - if bigger amounts blended, stays fresh in the fridge a few days - then add the 1-min. boiled tap water daily. Blended lemon/lime can also be freezed. Blending in bigger amounts lemon/lime and anything else will save your time.
In the refrigerator the thawed fruit & other food items stay fresh 2 - 3 days.
The shelf life of the frozen food can be more than 12 months if continuously frozen and stored in -18 Fahrenheit = -28 Celcius (notice: - = minus).
The hot lemon/lime-water cleans your system daily very effectively, wakes you up deliciously & gives vitamins , fiber, minerals & other nutrients. Learn to use the whole lemon + lime with their peels. Wash the whole lemon/lime with soap & brush, cut in pieces and put as such in the blender. The peels have more beneficial nutrients than the inside of the fruit. Enjoy. You'll love it.
Coffee & tea daily counts as part of your daily needs of plain water.
This is h0w you know you have been drinking enough water daily: when your urine is almost clear, you have hydrated (= had enough water) your system well. The darker your urine, the more you are dehydrated (= not having enough water) and need to have your daily fresh, clean water as instructed above.
Being dehydrated leads to sicknesses of all kinds (including allergies & asthma). Your body is about 70 % water, your blood about 92-95 % water, your brain about 90 % of water.
Being dehydrated (= not enough water) is the main reason developing high blood pressure (HBP) because the blood will get thicker and to circulate in the narrow veins it has to pressure harder on the vein walls; that's called high blood pressure (HBL) - a deadly condition. Also: blood vessels become stiffer as we age. Thus, being dehydrated the thicker blood pressures even harder on the vein walls.
High blood pressure (hypertension) (HBP)
is when your blood pressure is 140/90 mmHg or above most of the time. Normal is about 120/80 (or somewhat smaller numbers).
What do the numbers mean? Doctors call them systolic (the top number) and diastolic (the bottom number) blood pressure.
During each heartbeat, blood pressure varies between a maximum (systolic) and a minimum (diastolic) pressure.
Click next below each of these green topics to learn more about HBP - High blood pressure:
Causes - Symptoms - Tests - Treatment - Prognosis - Prevention - National Library of Medicine
When your blood is thicker it can create more easily clots - the clots prevent the blood circulating and that is called a heart attack or a stroke - deadly conditions.
A stroke happens when blood flow to a part of the brain stops. A stroke is sometimes called a "brain attack." If blood flow is stopped for longer than a few seconds, the brain cannot get blood and oxygen. Brain cells can die, causing permanent damage.
Click next below each of these green topics to learn more about strokes :
Causes - Symptoms - Tests - Treatment - Prognosis - Prevention - National Library of Medicine
A heart attack occurs when blood flow to a part of your heart is blocked for a long enough time that part of the heart muscle is damaged or dies. The medical term for this is myocardial infarction.
Click next below each of these green topics to learn more about heart attacks :
Causes - Symptoms - Tests - Treatment - Prognosis
National Library of Medicine
Hydrate your system = drink enough water daily as guided here - you can avoid many sicknesses and keep your valuable health, be smarter (as stated above, brain is 90 % water), become richer (because you are smarter) and live longer and ENJOY A HEALTHY LIFE because you have been smart enough to start applying the information for the good life given to you by the STAF, Inc. guidance.
(3) Walk 25K steps daily (click: Pedometer),
(4) Sleep (adults) 7-8 hours in a technology-free, quiet bedroom; not sleeping
enough or being interrupted by noise or light causes cancer and other sicknesses - the sleep hours for toddlers, children & teenagers: babies sleep close to 24 h (they know what to do), (1) toddler should sleep up to 12 - 15 hours, (2) older child 10 to 11 - 12 hours, (3) teenager about 10+ hours.
Read & study well the 7 sleep articles in STAF, Inc.'s website at the beginning of the tab "blog" (the left-hand side "blog"; there are 2 tabs "blog" next to each other). The articles have important information most people do not know - applying the info WILL save your life, save you from suffering & give you a longer, financially more prosperous life. Have your spouse and also your children reading those 7 articles.
(5) No smoking,
(6) No more than 1 - 2 drinks daily (drinking is not a must),
(7) No drugs or any substance abuse,
(8) Learn to meditate; STAF, Inc. has developed a 10-min. program titled M+© to practice 2 times a day to quiet & strengthen your mind for success,
(9) Do basic hatha yoga; the word 'hatha' means 'willful or forceful'. click: Hatha yoga refers to a set of physical exercises; STAF, Inc. has developed an effective 7-minute morning program Yabbanetics©, similar to hatha (contact STAF, Inc. to download both programs (8) + (9),
(10) Learn to keep a happy, positive attitude (STAF-programs have guidance),
(11) Have a work you enjoy; research shows meaningful work is one of the most important sources for life happiness (this in addition to good health & steady personal relationship),
(12) Help people who have less than you, donate - that will guide you to appreciate what you have and inspires you to build further success.
Donate also to STAF, Inc. as STAF, Inc. is a not-for-profit organization and needs your help & everyone's help to ease the human suffering in the U.S. and worldwide.
The instructions below in the Article 2 of 2 and in the STAF, Inc's website home page (click) www.staf1org.weebly.com
STAF,. Inc.'s extensive website is full of detailed information for a healthy, happy, long, successful life.
(click) www.staf1org.weebly.com
Also, see the article 2 of 2 below
- it has additional guidance for health & success
And one more: Have a weekly a whole family meeting
with children, even the smallest ones present, rotating weekly the leader of the group and discuss in the meeting the material you have chosen together as a family to study that week taken from STAF, Inc.'s guidance website. The family meeting is a long-term project. It also strengthens your family relationships & your family union and deepens your family happiness.
(click) www.staf1org.weebly.com
As stated above, STAF, Inc.'s website is a very extensive website - takes several years to go through and more up-t0-date material is being placed in the website continuously.
It has tens of thousands of articles & article links.
It is the "world's #1 free advice website for the good life".
STAF, Inc.'s website is based on the most recent science and is being used also in the college & university teaching in all degree levels including the Ph.D. level.
In your family meetings you learn all what is needed for the good life.
In addition, your children will learn to lead groups and can shine with their skills early on in their schools.
_____________
Article 2 of 2
World's # 1 free advice website Successo-Pedia©
for all family matters, success, health, wealth & for the good life - with free Q & A
- built by Save The American Family - STAF, Inc., -not-for-profit-
& by Dr. Christian von Christophers, Ph.D., N.D., D.D.
_____________
This info will save nationwide/worldwide trillions in health care costs
This info will save YOUR health and save YOUR money
America & everyone worldwide must learn the #1 skill:
Healthy Lifestyle & Correct Nutrition
Avoid big food bills, big bellies & big sickness costs
That's like a free health insurance and better
Quotation:
"To stay healthy you need to eat what your body wants, not what you want" (Dr. Christian, STAF, Inc.)
STAF, Inc. has a new Healthy Lifestyle & Correct Nutrition Program for the U.S. government's & for every nation's use worldwide.
Totally it took 26 years to develop, first 19 years worldwide research & 7 years to modify it for everyone's needs. This program covers, for the first time ever, all necessary elements to get the lasting results in all family related challenges & in our rampant obesity, overweight & sickness levels. Its nutritional program leading to health & to a longer life is at the same time an automatic weight loss program: nothing to buy, no calories to count, no unreasonable portion control - eat as needed; just follow the easy instructions.
The best news is this: the correct, health-restoring & health-maintaining food with all necessary daily nutrients in the correct combination costs ONLY about $95 per one (adult) person monthly.
The new STAF Plan program guides you to buy your food ingredients in your local supermarket & prepare your food in your own kitchen based on the new, delicious recipes.
The bigger the family, the less $ per/person. Only a program everyone can afford is a solution to the world's health challenges.
Your food expenses, time being, are probably many times more than in this new STAF, Inc.'s results bringing program. Everyone can afford this amazing program whether one works on the minimum salary or lives on the social security or similar.
The saved money this new STAF, Inc. program guides you to place in safe investments - STAF, Inc. endorses only a few investment adviser companies as reliable. With the saved money your family can create substantial wealth within time. Also a millionaire?
STAF, Inc.has 10 private services given a unique lifetime result-guarantee with only a one-time fee - see website.
(1) The STAF Healthy Lifestyle & Correct Nutrition Plan is
the MOST ECONOMICAL PLAN
in the U.S. and worldwide (only about $95 a month per one adult).
Yet, the STAF Plan provides all nutrients any human needs in a correct, healthy, delicious manner and in fully correct proportions.
A healthy lifestyle & correct nutrition plan is good only if everyone working or getting government benefits can afford the plan. Most diet plans are so costly that those people who most need a result-bringing plan cannot afford following the plan. What good is that? Everyone working or getting the government benefits will and CAN afford following The STAF Plan because it will cost the least.
(2) Not only is the STAF Plan the most affordable but the STAF Plan has financial benefits embedded in its guidance.
In most families the food costs are (much) more than the new STAF Plan demands. The plan will guide to invest the saved money thus leading to a improved family economy - potentially also a millionaire level (not a joke, a fact).
No other plan does that. In STAF, Inc.'s website additional information relating to the investment program.)
(3) In addition to providing all healthy lifestyle & correct nutrition guidance the
STAF PLAN covers, for the first time ever, all necessary elements in strengthening the marriage & other family ties, in successful child raising, in teen age challenges and in other happy family related topics.
The STAF Healthy Lifestyle & Correct Nutrition program covers all factors needed for a healthy & a happy family life.
The new STAF Healthy Lifestyle & Correct Nutrition program will, in a televised D.C. event, be introduced worldwide & to The W.H., The President, The U.S. Congress & Senate.
STAF, Inc.'s presence is needed in D.C. in the U.S. Congress (House & Senate). STAF, Inc.'s founding President is planning (1) to seek a seat in D.C. Congress/Senate to provide the necessary information to the D.C. lawmakers and (2) to establish a new federal agency, Healthy Lifestyle & Family Success Agency & to be named its first federal director. New legislation & training for all these matters are needed in a results-bringing manner.
STAF, Inc.'s slogan: Less suffering - more life™
Our website page tops have a link to study STAF, Inc.'s founding documents to see its mission statements.
Save The American Family - STAF, Inc., -not-for-profit, needs donations to widen its important work for your & your family's richer, healthier & safer future.
Mail any size of donation in any currency as paper money to:
STAF, Inc., P.O. Box 1555, New York, NY 10163, USA.
Inside the envelope enclose your name & email address - STAF, Inc. will email you
a tax deductible confirmation receipt.
Fully 100 % of the donations will be used for STAF, Inc.'s help operations in reducing sickness & promoting healthy lifestyle worldwide.
Listen to STAF, Inc.'s popular Radio Shows - you'll get free CEU & College-University credits nationwide or worldwide.
Visit STAF, Inc.'s extensive website - (click) www.staf1org.weebly.com
or search the internet with:
"Save The American Family - STAF, Inc.- Home" - (one 'F' in STAF, Inc.).
Respectfully,
Christian von Christophers, Ph.D., N.D., D.D.
STAF, Inc.'s President
Founder of Successology ® (Reg.U.S.Pat.Off.1991)
- The new science for the GOOD LIFE -
________________________
If the green link below has expired, search with the title - published in The New York Times
Vast Study Casts Doubts on Value of Mammograms FEB. 11, 2014
________________________
- ________________________
Important information for every person
For Diabetics,
Healthy Habits Trump Medicine
How are you doing with exercising and healthy eating at work, school or home?
Take this YCMA quiz here click: determine your own diabetes risk
________
click: YMCA
Click green for further info
Source: Scientific American & various internet sources
Against the backdrop of a government shutdown precipitated by healthcare issues and the rollout of the insurance exchanges mandated by the Affordable Care Act, a conference called Diabetes + Innovation 2013 took place in Washington, D.C. earlier this month. The gathering, organized by The Joslin Diabetes Center at Harvard Medical School, focused on prevention and treatment of this devastating disease, one of the costliest in economic and human terms. It attracted leaders from medicine, public health, academia and the business and nonprofit worlds. Unfortunately, several government officials scheduled to speak did not participate because of the shutdown.
Who’s in charge: Patients themselves
Unanimity seemed to prevail regarding the idea that the greatest weight of the management of diabetes falls squarely on the shoulders of patients. Many speakers stressed that diabetes can overwhelm a person, leaving them feeling different, scared and alone, emotional reactions that can reduce the person’s ability to take care of themselves. Hadley George, age 15 and a speaker at the conference, said, “The hardest thing about having diabetes is that you never get away from it.”
George created the online group Type One Teens as a place for other kids with diabetes to connect both online and through face-to-face social activities. Her group exemplifies a trend described by Larry Weber, the chief executive officer of a digital marketing agency called the W2 group, as “a quick evolution to microsegmented social media.” This trend, Weber said, offers huge value to patients, who need and can find advice and support instantly.
There are two main types of diabetes. type 2 diabetes is the most common, affecting 90 percent of those with diabetes. In the past, type 2 diabetes, in which the body become insensitive to insulin and therefor has trouble regulating blood sugar, generally arose in people older than 30 years. Today alarming numbers of people are developing this disorder in childhood and adolescence, mostly because they are obese. Although genetics do play a part in the development of type 2 diabetes, the greatest risk factor is obesity.
Type 1 diabetes, which results from an autoimmune reaction that destroys insulin-making cells, tends to occur in young, lean people under the age of 30, although sometimes, older people also develop the disease. Of all people with diabetes, only about 10 percent have type 1 diabetes; the other 90 percent have type 2 diabetes.
A public health problem of epic proportions
Diabetes patients face heightened risks for high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, kidney failure, blindness and the loss of limbs. In 2011, 26 million Americans, or 8.3 percent of the U.S. population, had the disease, but 7 million didn’t know, having received no diagnosis. Furthermore, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has estimated that 79 million American had prediabetes, a reversible condition that greatly heightens a person’s risk of developing the full disorder. John E. Anderson, president, medicine and science, of the American Diabetes Association, said at the meeting that “only 7 to 12 percent of patients with prediabetes know that they have it.”
If current trends persist, 53.1 million Americans will have diabetes by 2025, Novo Nordisk reports. By then the disease will be costing the U.S. $514 billion, a 72 percent uptick from the cost in 2010.
Some other countries have an even worse diabetes problem. Bandar Hamooh, CEO of the Al-Nahdi Medical Company, a large chain of Saudi Arabian pharmacies now in a partnership with Joslin Diabetes Center, stated that if present trends continue 50 percent of Saudis will be diabetic in 2030. Among other efforts, Al-Nahdi is bringing diabetes screening centers to public transportation sites.
Key themes of the meeting
- The main caregiver for a person with diabetes or prediabetes is that person him- or herself. The primary task involves making good choices around food and exercise. Diabetes prevention and treatment efforts need to make healthful choices easy for people who make these decisions, not in isolation, but within families and communities. The right choice needs to be the “default choice,” several speakers said, whether it involves healthy eating at work or at home, exercise or sleep.
- Behavior change ought to come first in a treatment plan. Improving eating and exercise habits offers more potential benefit than medication. The same kinds of habits that help address diabetes also reduce a person’s risk of heart disease, cancer, mental illnesses and musculoskeletal disorders like osteoporosis.
- People find improving health habits hard. To succeed, they often need lots of support. This can come from diverse caregivers, in addition to doctors—nurses, social workers, nutritionists, etc. Health coaches, especially trained peers, can also contribute greatly as can online connections through social media.
Many speakers emphasized that primary care physicians, with appropriate help from other members of a care team such as nurses and social workers, ought to be able to manage the medical side of caring for diabetics and prediabetics without lots of referrals to specialists. But the U.S. healthcare system makes it hard for them to do so, and it often leads primary care doctors to refer patients to specialists when specialty care is not really necessary. Several speakers cited data that most diabetics see their primary care physician only once or twice a year for visits that last about 7 to 12 minutes because of insurance company practices. The insurance companies limit how much time a primary care doctor can spend with a patient for which the doctor will be compensated.
Traditional fee-for-service models pay physicians for time spent with patients and for tests or treatments administered. This approach fails to reward doctors for providing high-quality care or for improving patients’ health outcomes. Currently though “there’s huge experimentation now for paying for things differently,” according to Susan Manzi, a professor at the Temple University medical school also with the Allegheny Health Network. At the meeting much discussion centered on telephone calls and video visits becoming means of providing compensable care. The ACA encourages experimentation to pay for quality and outcomes. Under some of the new approaches, both doctors and patients receive direct cash rewards for measurable improvements in patients’ health indicators or status.
Even if primary care doctors had more time, helping patients make lasting behavioral changes falls outside their area of expertise. They have generally received little or no training in nutrition or behavior change in medical school, conference speakers emphasized. Clearly, multiple speakers said, patients need to learn and practice new habits with help from sources besides physicians.
Blowing up the usual approach to primary care
Although most participants on panels at the conference said that a shift away from fee-for-service would be both complex and gradual, a few disagreed. “Let’s just stop doing fee-for-service and start doing something else,” said Rushika Fernandapoulle, the CEO of Iora Health, a company that has set out to overhaul traditional primary care in part by pairing member patients with both a personal physician and health coach. Fernandapoulle said that Iora has doubled the usual 5 percent funding for primary care and seen “amazing results.” These, he said, include having 90 percent of diabetic patients under control, cutting emergency room visits in half, and decreasing hospitalization by 40 percent.
Grace Emerson Terrell, the CEO of Cornerstone Health Care, reported that her company “blew up the physician-centered model” and the brief primary care visit, redesigning patient care and financial incentives. “We’ll give compliant diabetics free medications if they work with wellness coaches,” she said, adding that their data “is starting to look good.”
Full implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) should bring about many positive changes, a lot of the speakers said. Today, one can say that “too late, too much, last minute is where the money is” in American healthcare, said Michelle J. Lyn. She’s a professor of community and family medicine working with the Duke Translational Medicine Institute. Soon primary care will be more generously compensated, and quality will be rewarded. In fact, Fernandopulle said, “The big elephant in the room [is the fact that] we will need a lot fewer specialists than we have now.”
The ACA supports preventive medicine, speakers said. It will authorize payment for care providers, such as trained peers serving as community health workers, who did not usually qualify in the past for insurance reimbursement. These kinds of workers have often proved especially able at helping patients make lifestyle changes in low-income areas heavily populated with African-American or Hispanic residents that are especially hard hit by the diabetes epidemic. These trained neighborhood residents with backgrounds just like the patients, have often been able to forge trusting, ongoing, hands-on relationships that it’s not a clinician’s job to provide.
“Health Ambassadors” making a great difference
Osagie Ebekozien, who runs the Whittier Street Health Center, a “comprehensive health and social services center,” in Boston has seen the value of trained peers. In Roxbury, a low-incomeneighborhood of Boston, 50 percent of the residents are African-American, 5 percent are Hispanic and the diabetes rate is twice Boston’s as a whole. Such health disparities are common. Diabetes disproportionately strikes people who belong to ethnic minorities and to those without many resources, in terms of income or education.
Ebekozien’s team recruited local women who themselves had type 2 diabetes and trained them as “health ambassadors” to reach out to their neighbors by telling tgeir own stories. “One of our health ambassadors had lost 80 pounds. Another had lost her mother to diabetes. Another used to think that the ER doctor was her primary care physician,” Ebekozian said. Whittier also organized a sort of bookmobile for fresh food called the Fresh Truck Mobile Food Market.
The Health Ambassadors sometimes helped their neighbors learn to shop and cook nutritious food. Sometimes they accompany them to doctor’s appointments. Efforts like these can have special importance in areas where residents of color may feel downright wary of medical professionals, several speakers said. “Trusted voices make the most effective messengers,” said Anne Filipic, president of Enroll America, a nonprofit created to help Americans sign up for insurance through the new exchanges.
Food and exercise trump drugs
In an instant survey conducted among the meetings attendees, 77 percent of them stated that a treatment for a diabetic should emphasize healthy eating at work and at home along with ample exercise as a first line of action, before medications came into play. The next morning, a representative of Sermo, an online community of about 125,000 physicians, reported to the group that the Sermo physicians surveyed on the same issue agreed.
To Gail Christopher, the vice president for program strategy at the WW Kellogg Foundation, “Food is the critical factor in diabetes.” She added that “the person’s self perception and their relationship to food” also matters immensely. With food deserts so common, though, people often lack access to healthy, affordable food. Growing up in our “obesigenic food environment,” as many speakers called it, even those with access to wholesome food often lack the knowledge, skills and support to buy and prepare healthy meals.
Is obesity a social disease?
People generally struggle to change their lifestyles and often need lots of support. The behaviors involved are almost always social ones, reflecting influences of family and community. Patrica Doykos, director of the Together on Diabetes initiative at Bristol-Myers Squibb, called for a “radical rethink” about diabetes and asked, “Is diabetes a social disease?”
Complicating the process of forming new habits, many people with diabetes or prediabetes have mental health issues before they receive a diabetes diagnosis, as several speakers noted. For other individuals, the diagnosis can trigger mental health problems including depression. “Primary care is most effective where there is true integration of behavioral health, not parallel play,” said Bruce Goldberg, MD, director of the Oregon Health Authority. Lisa Whittemore concurred: She said that her organization BlueCross BlueShield of Massachusetts requires that a clinical social worker be part of every diabetes care team.
To make and maintain new behaviors, people with diabetes or prediabetes often need lots of outside reinforcement. Some people find this at bricks-and-mortar setting like the YMCA, which is now deeply involved in diabetes prevention. With funding from the CDC and the UnitedHealth Group, the YMCA has rolled out a yearlong, evidence-based diabetes prevention program to 24 states. The program costs less than $300 per person, according to John Anderson.
At the YMCAs, participants join in 16 weekly classes that teach behavior change strategies around food and exercise, followed by monthly classes. The YMCA receives additional payments if participants reach the goals of a 5-7 percent weight reduction, the level that research has shown can keep a prediabetic person from becoming diabetic. “Five-to-seven percent weight loss leads to fabulous results in preventing conversion [of prediabetics] to diabetes,” said Tom Beauregard. He serves as the executive director of the UnitedHealth Center for Health Reform and Modernization. Beauregard noted that 30 large employers are directing interested employees to the YMCA’s program and said, “We couldn’t do this alone.”
Women tend to gravitate towards in-person classes, several speakers said, while men tend to find them less appealing. For men and for others not able to or inclined to attend classes, an online community and digital tools may work better. Of course, many people will access both types of support.
Varied technologies magnify patient power
Several speakers described sophisticated technological projects underway to empower patients to better care for themselves. One such effort, CollaboRhythm from the MIT Media Lab, has the goal of equipping patients to lead in disease management with help from doctors, health coaches, relatives and friends. Patients have easy access to all relevant data on their own devices and to frequent, detailed advice from coaches. They start out as “apprentices” learning how to manage their own diabetes and advance to become “masters” who can coach other patients.
Television is also becoming involved. Beauregard reported that UnitedHealth’s Center for Health Reform and Modernization worked with Comcast on a research project, called Project Not Me, which involved having participants watch an entertaining, educational reality TV show. The reality program, available to study participants on demand, had 16 episodes that paralleled the experiences of people in the YMCA’s program. The show featured six appealing prediabetic people of different ages, genders and ethnicities, working with a friendly health coach.
“The average participant watched each episode 1.4 times and we know that other relatives watched with them,” said Beauregard. He described the show’s impact as “remarkable,” saying that participants lost weight to a degree that “replicated the weight loss” experienced by participants at brick-and-mortar Ys. “Viewers really relate to the people” on the show, he said, adding that it won an Emmy.
How are you doing with exercising and healthy eating at work, school or home?
Take this YCMA quiz here click: determine your own diabetes risk
________
click: YMC
Click green for further info
Source: Scientific American & various internet sources
___________________________________________
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Article 1 of 3 (Articles 2- 3 of 3 next below)
This is an interesting article for every person to study
Can You Be Fat but Fit?
NOTICE: Next below is a different topic question:
Can You Be fat and Expect to Stay Healthy and
Avoid Diabetes, High Blood Pressure & Accumulation of Bad Cholesterol Leading to Heart Attack, Cancer, Metabolic Disease, Skin Sicknesses, Conceiving & Delivering Healthy Babies, Arthritis, Broken Joints & Cartilages, etc. ?
AND: Paying double tickets in the airplanes, Paying more for your clothes, Losing human connections as many do discriminate obese individuals (no matter what our laws say), as fat, would you give the best model to your own children, do you believe that as an overweight or obese person you would enjoy fully happy life with all its activities, benefits & choices?
Those 2 titles are 2 different things.
The Answer: You can be fat and Fit - BUT: You CANNOT be fat & expect to stay healthy and expect to have a long, enjoyable life, a life you could have if and when you would be carrying a normal, healthy weight.
BUT: there is more - this is an interesting, IMPORTANT article for every person to study.
New research shows you can't judge a person's fitness by looks alone. Here, the surprising new thinking on size and
exercise.
Your Weight and Fitness
There are two large women who've been in boot camp with me for years. They almost never miss a class and never take it easy. Yet as I've lunged, squatted, and planked alongside them nearly daily, I'm ashamed to admit that one question has occasionally bounced around my brain: With all that exercise, after all this time, why aren't these women in better shape?
Then came the 2012 Olympic Games. The world was poised to witness its most formidable female athletes lock horns in London. And what did we hear? Slams against Australian swimmer Leisel Jones, declaring the eight-time medalist fat and thus unfit to represent her country. Cheap shots about muffin tops and saddlebags on the British women's beach volleyball team. And tweets about British swimmer Rebecca Adlington's physique that became so vicious, she dropped off Twitter altogether. "These women made it to the Olympics, for god's sake. How unfit could they be?" I found myself ranting at the TV.
Then I thought, sheepishly, about the women at boot camp. It became clear to me that the knee-jerk connection I and apparently others might make between how much a person weighs and how physically fit and healthy she is needed some serious reevaluation.
The New Thinking on Weight
Recent research suggests that being overweight or even obese may not, in and of itself, be the health threat we think it is. A 2012 study from the National Cancer Institute found that moderately obese people actually lived about 3.1 years longer than normal-weight women and men. Another study, published in the European Heart Journal, showed that when obese people are metabolically healthy -- which means their blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar and other indicators fall within a healthy range -- they are at no greater risk of dying from heart disease or cancer than those who are of normal weight.
"What we're learning is that a body that exercises regularly is generally a healthy body, whether that body is fat or thin," says Glenn Gaesser, PhD, a professor of exercise and wellness at Arizona State University and the author of Big Fat Lies: The Truth About Your Weight and Your Health. Case in point, the metabolically healthy participants in the European Heart Journal study were generally more physically fit than their obese peers. "The message should really be that if you are exercising regularly, you shouldn't necessarily be looking at the scale to determine how healthy or fit you are," Gaesser says.
There are a multitude of reasons that movement is such strong medicine: Because muscles are the largest consumers of sugar in the body, increased muscle mass reduces the chance of excess sugar accumulating in the blood, which is essentially what diabetes is. Regular physical activity reduces inflammation in the cardiovascular system and affects the secretion of clotting hormones, allowing blood to flow more easily to muscles and preventing the formation of deadly clots. Moderate exercise (at least 150 minutes a week of medium-intensity exercise like walking) combined with diet changes can also reduce the amount of potentially deadly fat in the liver. And study after study has shown that overweight and obese people who work out can reap such benefits and improve their metabolic health even if they don't shed a pound.
Related: What Really Works (and Doesn't) to Get Rid of Cellulite
The Skinny on Fat
None of this is to say that we can pack on pounds without worry. Carrying a lot of weight around increases stress on joints and can make us less inclined to be active. There's also the plain reality that the more overweight you are, the more likely it is that your metabolic health will take a hit, now or in the future. "Given the choice, I come down almost always on the side that being overweight is a bad thing," says Walter R. Thompson, PhD, a professor of exercise science at Georgia State University in Atlanta.
But choice is a loaded word for many obesity experts, as well as for countless individuals who have waged a lifelong war with their weight. "I spent the first part of my life struggling with being fat. I would lose weight on diets, gain it back, and each time end up feeling horrible about myself," says Hanne Blank, the author of The Unapologetic Fat Girl's Guide to Exercise and Other Incendiary Acts. "Only as I've come into my own as an adult have I made peace with the fact that I may always be big." It's a brutal realization that seems to bear itself out in the big picture: As many as two-thirds of us end up regaining more weight than we lose while dieting.
Pinning ambitious weight-loss hopes on exercise hasn't panned out too well, either. At five feet four inches and 172 pounds, Sherry Norris, 42, of Norcross, Georgia, knows this firsthand. A dedicated exerciser, Sherry alternates running and working out to the Insanity DVD program on most days and ran her first marathon last year. "I've followed all the directions and done the training plans, and I've lost exactly five pounds. At this point I have no idea how to get the weight off," she says.
Within the past few years numerous studies have borne out exactly what Sherry is experiencing: Despite the extra calories we burn, many of us fail to lose weight -- and may even gain some -- after embarking on an exercise program. This could be because our appetite is triggered by vigorous activity; we reward ourselves for our efforts with food, or we spend more time vegging out on the couch when we're not at the gym.
Then there's the tricky topic of metabolism. "Exercise doesn't rev up the metabolism, as we've been led to believe," says Diana Thomas, PhD, an author of a study from the Center for Quantitative Obesity Research at Montclair State University in New Jersey. "We found that when volunteers who were put on an exercise regimen began to lose weight, their metabolic rate -- how many calories they would burn while sitting and doing nothing -- actually began to drop." Thomas and her colleagues suspect that metabolic slowing may be the body's protective attempt to preserve energy when it senses that more calories are being burned through exercise. Plus a fit body operates more efficiently -- the heart doesn't have to pump as fast, breathing is less rapid -- and that also reduces how many calories we burn all day.
Making long-term weight loss even more elusive is the fact that we each may have our own personal set point, a range of about 10 to 20 pounds in which the body biologically tries to stay despite our efforts. This means that weight loss is biologically resisted in some people. Also, our appetite makes it too easy to override the upper threshold of our set-point range, so we gain weight, says Linda Bacon, PhD, the author of Health at Every Size: The Surprising Truth About Your Weight.
The net result of these many hurdles: Even if people do lose some weight from exercise, they often don't lose as much as they expect to. For many, that's reason enough to abandon boot camp and head back to the couch.
Eyeing a Different Prize
That, Thomas says, is a crying shame. Because even if pounds don't disappear, a big fat change is probably taking shape. "Adding regular physical activity can reduce the proportion of fat to muscle and affect where fat is distributed," Thomas says. In particular, as little as a 20-minute daily walk can reduce the amount of visceral fat that reaches deep into the abdomen. That's the fat that health experts worry about, because it is linked to heart disease, diabetes, and a higher mortality rate. There's even evidence suggesting that exercise stimulates the production of a substance called irisin in muscle tissue. This hormone appears to transform white fat cells, like those in belly fat, into brown fat cells, which are metabolically active and actually burn calories.
"The scale doesn't necessarily reflect all of this," Thomas says. Neither does the body mass index (BMI), which uses only height and weight to estimate how much body fat we ostensibly have. This is why a growing number of doctors are now measuring patients' waist circumference as part of their standard physical exams. And it's why Thomas and colleagues at Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, have devised an index that takes body shape into account when assessing a person's health. The body roundness calculator (pbrc.edu/bodyroundness) uses hip and waist measurements in addition to weight and height. The closer to a circle shape a person is, the more visceral body fat she has.
"We're catching people who are out of the 'safe shape' zone but who are not visibly apple shaped. There are also people whose BMI may indicate obesity but whose body roundness is healthy. It's a much better reflection of a person's health overall," Thomas says.
Related: 7 Harmful Health and Fitness Shortcuts
Big Accomplishments
But can women who are packing an extra 25, 50, or even 75 pounds on their frame actually kick ass athletically? "They might pay a price when it comes to speed," says Chuck Hobbs, the head coach for Fit2Train, a triathlon team in Dallas. But in terms of strength and endurance, the answer is, hell, yes. Consider the group of athletes recruited for a recent study at the Institute for Exercise and Environmental Medicine at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas. All of them are seriously accomplished, having participated in multiple Ironman competitions, marathons, or distance cycling events. And all of them are obese, with fat making up more than 30 percent of their body weight. "From a cardiorespiratory standpoint, they are very strong and very healthy," says the study's lead author, Santiago Lorenzo, PhD, a cardiopulmonary researcher at the institute. "They have outstanding endurance and are comparable in fitness to fellow athletes of normal weight."
What's more, Lorenzo and other experts suspect that an obese athlete's body can actually become stronger from carrying its own weight. In essence, the extra pounds provide built-in resistance training, especially for the lungs, which can have trouble inflating fully when there is a lot of fat in the chest cavity. "The bodies of the obese athletes in our study have adapted after years of conditioning," Lorenzo explains. "They have developed an ability to generate higher airflow and deliver ample oxygen to their blood and muscles. For typical obese people who want to become active, this may mean that they are not going to have the limitations we previously assumed they would."
Minor Changes, Major Benefits
For those who set their sights on the fat-but-fit paradigm and aspire to a healthier body, metamorphosis doesn't come easy, however. Packing extra poundage can make it hard to get down on the floor or up from it or to move freely. There's also an emotional component: "They need to find environments where they won't be bullied and where they can actually enjoy and excel at what they're doing," Hobbs says. "When they are confident about what their body can do, they become more motivated to take good care of it. Real change begins to happen."
When the author Hanne Blank retrained her focus on exercise instead of food, her eating habits and her weight finally reached an even keel after years of yo-yoing. And every one of the active large women interviewed for this story drove home the fact that making regular exercise a part of her life has caused her to feel happier as well as more empowered, attractive, and inclined to take on greater physical challenges.
All of which is reason for us to stop using the word normal when we talk about weight and start focusing on realistic goals and expectations, including exercising regularly and being more active every day. These are words to live by for Blank, who is happy just to get out and get sweaty. "It's been almost 10 years since I took my life off hold and decided to become physically active in spite of my weight. I'm out there almost every day, walking, biking, hiking, or weight lifting. I feel comfortable in my body. I'm energetic and healthy," Blank says. "But even people close to me sometimes shake their heads and ask why I'm still fat. And I tell them, 'Because I am. That's just what I've got!'"
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Article 2 of 3 (Article 3 of 3 next below)
Paying more attention to our gut may be the secret to improving our overall wellness
What Your Gut Says About Your Health
Our esophagus, stomach, small intestine, and colon have a big say in how our minds and bodies function and how happy we feel. The gut is a critical group of organs that we need to start paying more attention to.
The gut's lining houses an independent network of hundreds of millions of neurons -- more than the spinal cord has --called the enteric nervous system*). It's so complex and influential that scientists refer to it as "the second brain."
Our esophagus, stomach, small intestine, and colon have a big say in how our minds and bodies function and how happy we feel. The gut is a critical group of organs that we need to start paying more attention to.
for enteric nervous system click Enteric nervous system
Your Stomach's Role in Your Health
What your insides are trying to tell you will provide insight into not only your emotions but also your overall physical health.
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Going with your gut feelings is a good practice. Too bad I don't always like what mine are saying. When I'm stressed, nervous, or feeling down, my stomach pings and my insides churn. It's as if there's an E-ZPass lane connecting my brain and bowels, its sign flashing "Go, go, go." And I suddenly have to. Badly.
See, when it comes to mood, it's not all in your head -- it's in your gut, too. "The brain influences the digestive tract and vice versa," says Rebekah Gross, MD, a clinical gastroenterologist**) at NYU Langone Medical Center. In fact, new research has found that our esophagus*), stomach, small intestine, and colon have a big say in how our minds and bodies function and how happy we feel. "The gut is a critical group of organs that we need to start paying more attention to," says Steven Lamm, MD, the author of No Guts, No Glory. "Doing so may be the secret to improving our overall wellness."
*) esophagus = the part of the alimentary canal that connects the throat to the stomach; the gullet. In humans and other vertebrates it is a muscular tube lined with mucous membrane
**) gastroenterologist = a physician who specializes in diseases of the gastrointestinal tract; gastrointestinal = of or relating to the stomach and the intestines
Inside Your Other Brain
If it seems as if your stomach sometimes has a mind of its own, that's because it does. The gut's lining houses an independent network of hundreds of millions of neurons -- more than the spinal cord has -- called the enteric nervous system. It's so complex and influential that scientists refer to it as "the second brain." In addition to being in charge of the digestive process, your gut lining is the core of your body's immune system (who knew?) and defends you against such foreign invaders as viruses and bacteria. "It's a very important barrier, as important as the skin," says Michael Gershon, MD, the author of The Second Brain and the pioneering gastroenterologist who coined the term.
Cells in the gut lining also produce 95 percent of the serotonin in our bodies. (The rest occurs in the brain, where the hormone regulates happiness and mood.) In the gut, serotonin has a range of functions, including stimulating nerve-cell 0growth and alerting the immune system to germs.
Thanks to serotonin, the gut and the brain are in constant contact with each other. Chemical messages race back and forth between the brain's central nervous system and the gut's enteric nervous system. When we're stressed, scared, or nervous, our brain notifies our gut, and our stomach starts to churn in response. When our digestive system is upset, our gut alerts our brain that there's a problem even before we begin to feel the symptoms. Scientists suspect that our moods are negatively affected as a result. "The gut is sending messages that can make the brain anxious," Dr. Gershon explains. "You're in good mental shape only if your gut lets you be."
Our Buggy Systems
Other key -- and minuscule -- players in all this brain-and-bowels communication are the microbes that line the walls of the gut, says gastroenterologist Gianrico Farrugia, MD, click: Gianrico Farrugia MD - Mayo Clinic the director of the Mayo Clinic Center for Individualized Medicine. There are hundreds of types of bacteria in the gut; some of them do helpful things like break down carbohydrates in the intestine and produce infection-fighting antibodies and vitamins, while other, destructive bacteria secrete toxins and promote disease.
In a healthy gut, the good bacteria far outnumber the bad. But what's going on in your head can affect the balance. "Emotional issues can help influence what lives in your GI tract," says William Chey, MD, a professor of internal medicine at the University of Michigan Medical School. Being under a great deal of stress or feeling depressed or anxious could change the way your bowels contract and how your immune system functions, which in turn can change the type of bacteria in the small intestine and colon, he explains. Symptoms can include cramping, bloating, diarrhea, or constipation.
For instance, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), a disorder that causes abdominal pain, diarrhea, and constipation, often accompanied by gas and bloating and sometimes by anxiety and depression, can be related to an overabundance of bad bacteria in the small intestine. Women are particularly susceptible to this, especially if they experienced sexual abuse or psychological trauma as a child. It's not known if the stress causes the symptoms or vice versa. "But the two definitely feed off each other, and IBS flares in stressful circumstances," Dr. Gross says.
The Probiotic Prescription
Our stressed-out lifestyle may be our stomach's biggest enemy. According to María Gloria Domínguez Bello, PhD, a professor of microbiology at the University of Puerto Rico, society's hectic pace, which leads to our reliance on junk food and overuse of antibiotics, is throwing our internal ecosystem out of whack; she believes that there's a link between our gut bacteria and the rise of food allergies and autoimmune diseases -- Crohn's and rheumatoid arthritis among many others -- in the industrialized world. "When there is a loss of balance in the different types of intestinal bacteria, they send signals to our immune system to overreact and become inflamed, leading to disease," Domínguez Bello says.
Increasing the number of good bacteria in our GI tract, by taking probiotic supplements and eating foods that contain probiotics, may help combat such health problems, a growing number of scientists say. New research indicates that specialized strains of these good bacteria could also alleviate mood and anxiety disorders. When University of Toronto researchers gave chronic fatigue syndrome sufferers three daily doses of a Lactobacillus strain for two months, it boosted their levels of good bacteria. "At the same time, we reduced their anxiety," says lead researcher A. Venket Rao, PhD. When the patients stopped taking the probiotic, their symptoms reverted as well, he says.
Clean up your diet
Consume more fiber from fruit and veggies and cut back on processed foods, animal protein, and simple sugars, all of which feed harmful bacteria and contribute to obesity and disease, says Carolyn Snyder, RD, a dietitian at the Cleveland Clinic. Choose foods that have the fewest ingredients listed on their labels, and chow down on those that contain probiotics (including milk, sauerkraut, and yogurt) and prebiotics, which are certain nondigestible ingredients (found in high-fiber fruit like bananas; whole grains, such as barley and rye; and vegetables like onions and tomatoes) that act as fertilizer for the probiotics in our guts.
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Source: Various science studies edited by STAF, Inc.'s editors
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Article 3 of 3 (Articles 1 - 3 of 3 next above)
Most recent science information Macrobiotics and healing
Paying more attention to our gut may be the secret
to improving our overall wellness
Why I Donated My Stool
- no we are not talking about a chair to sit on -
This is about stool = Fecal matter from a single bowel movement
Seriously, this is POOP
but this is no POOP speaking
this is the most recent science
Date: July, 6, 2013
This spring I saved a friend from a terrible illness, maybe even death.
No, I didn’t donate a kidney or a piece of my lung. I did it with my stool.
About 18 months ago, my friend, whom I’ll call Gene to protect his privacy, fell sick with stomach pain, intestinal cramps and copious bloody diarrhea. He had ulcerative colitis, a colon riddled with bleeding ulcers.
His gastroenterologist started him on steroids and anti-inflammatories — standard treatment for these ulcers. He felt better and within a few weeks was able to taper off the steroids, which can be dangerous if used over the long term. But a month later, the bleeding and diarrhea were back. He was in horrible pain that worsened when he ate or drank. He couldn’t sleep at night.
The doctor put him back on the steroids, but this time the symptoms weren’t held in check. For the next excruciating year, my friend went through episodes where he could do nothing but lie writhing in bed in pain. He lost frightening amounts of weight, became anemic from the blood loss and was forced to take medical leave from a job he loved.
According to his doctors, he was left with two options: powerful immunosuppressant drugs (the kind they give people after organ transplants) or a total colectomy (the removal of the colon). The drugs might not be effective, and they raised the risk of lymphoma or fatal infections, while with the surgical option, the tissue left behind could and often did eventually become ulcerated itself.
That’s when Gene started reading about a procedure called fecal microbiota transplant, or F.M.T.
Transplanting the stool from one person into the digestive tract of another seems, well, repulsive, but it also makes sense. The majority of the matter in stool — roughly 60 percent — is bacteria, dead and alive, but mostly alive. While bacteria can make us sick, they also constitute a large part of who we are; the hundreds of trillions of cells in an individual’s microbiome, as this collective is known, outnumber human cells 10 to 1. The bacteria serve many functions, including in metabolism, hormone regulation and the immune system.
The microbiome of the digestive system is particularly important. At least a thousand strains of bacteria coexist in a healthy human bowel, and beneficial bacteria are involved in vitamin production, digestion and keeping “bad” bacteria in check. Thus, changes to the gut microbiome can precipitate disease. For instance, taking a powerful antibiotic wipes out both good and bad gut flora, which can lead to opportunistic bacteria taking over and causing infection.
Many people who suffer from click: clostridium difficile, a dangerous strain of bacteria that is becoming epidemic in hospitals and nursing homes, got it this way. The idea behind fecal transfers is that restoring colonies of healthy bacteria can either dilute or crowd out these harmful strains. And it seems to work: in January, The New England Journal of Medicine reported that the first randomized clinical trial of F.M.T.’s for clostridium difficile had been halted because the treatment worked so well that it was unethical to withhold it from the control group.
The causes of ulcerative colitis are more mysterious than those of clostridium difficile (doctors in Gene’s case did not hazard a guess), but there is some speculation that the condition can also be traced to pathogenic bacteria. A small study of children with ulcerative colitis, published this spring in The Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition, found that 78 percent had a reduction in symptoms within a week of being treated with fecal transfers.
The idea of using stool as medicine is not new. In the 16th century, during the Ming dynasty, fermented fecal concoctions, euphemistically named “yellow soup,” were used for digestive problems. In the 17th century, Christian Franz Paullini, a German physician, compiled a stool recipe book for treating dysentery and other digestive ailments. In the United States, fecal transplants have long been used on sick horses, and in 1958, Dr. Ben Eiseman pioneered the concept in humans, writing about the use of a fecal enema as a last-ditch effort for a patient with clostridium difficile.
Today, around 3,000 F.M.T.’s have been performed worldwide. No significant adverse reactions have been definitively attributed to the procedure (though there have been two F.M.T.’s that may have led to the transmission of the norovirus stomach bug, both of which cleared on their own within days).
CONVINCED that the potential benefits outweighed the risks, Gene decided, early this year, to try F.M.T. However, this turned out to be harder than he’d expected. There are only about 16 centers in the country that even offer the treatment. Gene finally secured an appointment with click: Dr. Lawrence Brandt, one of the most experienced F.M.T. practitioners, only to find out, just before his visit, that Dr. Brandt was suspending his F.M.T. practice for ulcerative colitis on the advice of the hospital’s lawyers, in order to comply with a new Food and Drug Administration decision. In April, the F.D.A. decided to classify human stool that is used therapeutically as a drug, and thus approved for use only within an F.D.A.-approved clinical study.
Dr Lawrence Brandt's location: click: Albert Einstein College of Medicine (New York City, Bronx)
Gene tried tracking down other doctors, but found to his frustration that almost all of them had stopped doing F.M.T.’s as a result of the agency’s somewhat ambiguous restrictions. He found one remaining gastroenterologist, R. David Shepard, who had an excellent record of treating ulcerative colitis with fecal transfers and was still doing them. But Dr. Shepard was in Florida, and Gene was now too sick to travel.
Dr. Shepard, however, had a solution: he would help Gene with the mechanics of performing a do-it-yourself F.M.T., something he’d done successfully with a handful of other patients. Gene just had to find a donor.
The donor question was a tricky one. The donor has to be healthy (and will be screened, via stool and blood, for transmissible diseases like H.I.V., as well as for pathogens and parasites); has to avoid any foods the patient might be allergic to; and has to be nearby, as freshness is an issue: the bacteria mix may begin to change once the stool leaves the body.
THIS is where I enter the story. My friends know me as being somewhat evangelical about eating fresh fruits and vegetables. I also eat a lot of naturally fermented vegetables, which contain beneficial bacteria as well as the kind of fiber that nourishes good bacteria in the gut, and I follow a gluten-free diet (Gene had found that his colitis did better off gluten). Finally, I’m regular, which is also important. In the end, it was kind of inevitable that he ask me.
After the initial weirdness of the request wore off, I told him I’d be happy to do it.
The screening took one visit to the lab. The procedure is, of course, messy and odoriferous, but it’s also simplicity itself. Gene’s marching orders were to procure a dedicated blender and sieve, enema tubing and syringe, and lots and lots of newspaper. F.M.T. basically consists of blending stool with saline, straining it, and reintroducing it into the colon via enema.
I delivered my first donation, in Tupperware, and Gene took it into the privacy of his bathroom. I stayed, just in case I was needed, and after about half an hour, he came out and told me, with a look of wonder, that he was feeling better already. Already? We checked with Dr. Shepard, who told us that, indeed, one can feel the effects that quickly.
However, a few hours later, the cramps returned. The good bacteria appeared to be doing something, but hadn’t gained a foothold in Gene’s gut. We would need to keep doing the transfers — first twice a day, then just once a day.
By early May, Gene felt well enough to get on a plane to Dr. Shepard’s center in Florida, where he received a colonoscopic F.M.T. The doctor confirmed that instead of the multiple ulcers Gene once had, there’s only a single small one remaining.
He can’t declare his ulcerative colitis “cured,” because it could still return. However, for now, the diarrhea, bleeding and mental misery are in the past.
Of course, his experience is only one story, hardly a double-blind clinical trial. And there could be risks we don’t know about: could moving the genetic material of one person to another also transfer unwanted characteristics, like a propensity toward diabetes or cancer? More studies are needed. But at the same time, the F.D.A. needs to fast-track research into this field, though it is neither glamorous nor capable of promising a blockbuster drug payoff for some corporation.
Thankfully, just two weeks ago, the agency announced that it was easing some of the restrictions it imposed in April on the use of F.M.T. for clostridium difficile. But this does not apply to ulcerative colitis. Gene had been lucky to have received one of Dr. Shepard’s last F.M.T.’s.
Gene was also lucky (or desperate enough) to find a donor. Some patients have resorted to Craigslist. There is the possibility of creating synthetic stool, but given that there are thousands of unknown species of bacteria in human stool, there’s no way to know if it would be effective. In an ideal future, a universal screening panel will be put in place so that healthy people can donate their microbiota, the way you can with blood.
The upside for patients would be huge. In a maelstrom of skyrocketing health care costs, think of what we could save, in terms of quality of life and money, with this procedure. Clostridium difficile infections alone kill about 30,000 a year and cost billions of dollars. The prescription drugs for Gene’s ulcerative colitis, let alone the doctor visits and one hospitalization, ran into the tens of thousands of dollars. The F.M.T. was basically the cost of the blender and the enema materials.
Gene gained back much of the weight he’d lost and recently returned to work. He was feeling so good that, last month, he gave a party. He’d kept his illness very private and thus most people hadn’t seen him at his sickest — to them he probably just looked like himself. But I remembered how skeletal and hollow-eyed he looked and the incredible journey he took just to fight his way back to normal. Now, thanks to some doctors who are promoting the curative powers of what we once used to think of as “waste,” Gene has a new medicine, one that’s replenishable and has no co-pay.
As for me, in a normal world, I would prefer not to discuss my stool in a public forum. But seeing my friend restored to health has made me change my attitude. Every morning (like I said, I am very regular), I find myself with a new appreciation for this bacterial world that we share.
Marie Myung-Ok Lee teaches writing at Columbia University, in New York City, and is working on a novel about health care.\
Click: Marie Lee - Wikipedia
MARIE MYUNG-OK LEE Marie Myung-Ok Lee is a novelist who teaches at Columbia University and writes for Slate, Salon, The New York Times, and The Guardian. Follow her on Facebook.
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Source: NYT & MARIE MYUNG-OK LEE
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- Hollywood's new Celebrities - Pedestrians
and reap the good health & happiness benefits from walking
- walking - one of the best exercises for every person with healthy legs -
For your leaner body & health, longer, happier life, walk min. 25K and up to 50K steps a day - use a pedometer
click: Pedometer
Walk the stair steps up and down - walk on the ocean, on the river, in the park, in the pure natureRunning on a hard surface can cause joint damage: every time your foot hits the ground, your knee joints take a 400 lbs hit
Walking is safer and brings good health results
If you run (for the speed fun of it), use suitable shoes and run on a soft surface in the nature - what shoes?
Ask your foot doctor.
What shoes for walking longer for exercise - ask your foot doctor
It is important to ask your foot doctor what shoes to use AND then USE those shoes
- wrong shoes can ruin your foots & legs -
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Everyone in Los Angeles has a ridiculous story about driving somewhere when two feet would have worked just as well. Mine features a celebrity. I once interviewed John Travolta at Paramount Pictures for an entertainment magazine, and when it came time for us to move from his trailer to the shooting location, a limo was summoned. Estimated distance of our chauffeured, temperature-controlled, Evian-sipping road trip: less than 25 yards.
This always sounds absurd, but many Angelenos would sooner have their mug shots appear on TMZ than go a few steps without a motor vehicle. Here, we drive ourselves to jog, to bike, to attend spin class and to hike, and it’s not unusual for a dinner gathering of three couples to involve five or six cars. All of which contributes to how much we sit. When we are not sitting on the freeways, we are sitting at our computers, in meetings, at restaurants or in front of the TV. And by we, in this case I mean me, at least until recently.At this year’s TED*) conference (link: 5 lines below) , the author and the Silicon Valley corporate executive Nilofer Merchant delivered a three-minute talk that scared the life out of me about how sitting has become the smoking of our generation. It arrived on the heels of a Harvard Business Review article she wrote that said Americans average 9.3 hours of sitting a day, compared to 7.7 hours of sleeping. So elemental is sitting to our daily routine, we don’t even think about it, and yet it’s killing us.*) click:
TED Conference - TED.com www.ted.com › TED Conferences › Attend
TED conference = Held annually on the West Coast of North America, the TED Conference is at the heart of TED. More than a thousand people attend this five-day conference about Technology, Entertainment and Design -- as well as science, business, the arts and the global issues facing our world. More than 70 speakers appear on the main stage to give 18-minute talks and shorter presentations, including music, performance and comedy.
Just one hour of sitting slows production of fat-burning enzymes by as much as 90 percent, she said, and a longer term habit (you might want to sit down for this) negatively affects good cholesterol levels and increases the risk of heart disease,
Type 2 diabetes and certain kinds of cancer.The detail that catapulted me out of my chair was the conclusion of an Australian study that found that for each additional hour of TV a person sits and watches each day, the chance of dying rises by 11 percent. Even the recommended 30 minutes of vigorousexercisecannot make up for the problems of hunching over your laptop the rest of the day.Ms. Merchant’s prescription is to just keep moving. Walk with friends instead of stuffing your faces at meals. Walk to any destination within a mile radius of your home or business. Consider a standing desk (Ikea sells components to hack one for under $150) or even a treadmill desk, a kind of turbo work station that allows you to waste time on Facebook, but at an invigorating 2 m.p.h.Naturally, Hollywood is all over it. “The actor Jerry O’Connell was in here the other day and said, ‘You’re the fittest screenwriter I’ve ever seen,’ “ said Janet Tamaro, who created “Rizzoli & Isles” and sometimes spends 10 straight hours walking through rewrites (many days her pedometer registers 50,000 steps). “I said, ‘Well, thanks, but that bar is pretty low.’ “Ms. Merchant’s bolder solution is to “walk the talk” by scheduling walking meetings, a suggestion I took as a personal challenge. Every time a friend or colleague wanted to meet, I invited them to walk instead. The writing students I teach were more than happy to skip the gym and stroll out their editing and pitching woes with me. I walked my side of dozens of cellphone conversations, walked a friend around a state park on her birthday, walked on Ms. Tamaro’s treadmill as I interviewed her and even walked a fence contractor through his bid. (“A walk? Now?” he asked as we hit the sidewalk.)These conversations were different somehow, with fewer awkward silences, more energy and a certain daydreamy quality (well, not with the fence guy). It helps explain, too, why “walk therapy” is an actual thing in Los Angeles.I thought I was alone in using that term with freelancers looking to improve their careers, but Laurel Lippert Fox, a psychologist in Santa Monica, Calif., has been walking her private practice patients for years. “It’s so much more dynamic than sitting in your Eames chair,” she said. “Plus, moms can push a stroller if they can’t get a baby sitter.”When I reached Ms. Merchant by phone at her office in Los Gatos, Calif., she had just returned from her fifth walk meeting of the week. (“I’m around 21 miles since Monday,” she said.) Both of us walked as we talked.“What I love is that you’re literally facing your problem or situation together when you walk side by side with someone,” she said. “I love that people can’t be checking e-mail or Twitter during walking meetings. You’re awake to what’s happening around you, your senses are heightened and you walk away with something office meetings rarely give you — a sense of joy.”Few in Los Angeles get more joy from walking than the walking activist Alissa Walker (I kid you not). A journalist by trade, she has lived car-free by choice since 2007 and is on the steering committee of Los Angeles Walks, a volunteer organization dedicated to repairing the city’s image as a walker’s wasteland. “The basic goal is to make people realize you can walk in L.A.,” she said. Better sidewalks, signage and city policies are all part of their mission.I’ve known Ms. Walker for years through the writing community but the jubilant images she posts to Instagram (@awalkerinLA) and her blog (AWalkerinLA.com) — mostly of her glamorously adorned feet on some oddly alluring stairway or crosswalk — made me want to get out there with her.I met her one warm, clear day in the Silver Lake neighborhood, and from her two-story royal blue house with white trim we walked along some of her favorite routes. She was wearing a billowy pink dress and neon coral sandals, and she had teal toenails that matched her sunglasses. At the bottom of her hill are the Music Box Steps, made famous in Laurel and Hardy’s 1932 Academy Award-winning short film, “The Music Box,” and now one of more than 100 vintage stairways hidden around the city.Ms. Walker showed me the nearly completed bike lanes under construction as part of a “road diet” that’s turning four lanes of car traffic to one on Rowena Avenue. And we walked around the Silver Lake Reservoir and on up Swan’s Way, one of the city’s steepest staircases, with views to the lake, downtown and the San Gabriel Mountains beyond. “If yousquint*) you can imagine women in petticoats walking here a hundred years ago,” Ms. Walker said. “But you can also see the near future, when you’ll be able to walk Los Angeles without people asking ‘What are you walking for?’ “
*) click green: squint = Crossed eyes; Esotropia; Exotropia; Hypotropia; Hypertropia; Squint; Walleye; Misalignment of the eyes
I went home excited to keep walking as part of a conscious act of being a resident in Los Angeles, and to feel healthier and more connected to my friends, neighborhood and city. But first I sat down to get a better look at the blister bubbling up on my right toe.More about TED Click green below or search the web with a similar title
About TED - TED.comwww.ted.com/pages/about
TED is a nonprofit devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading. It started out in 1984 as a conference bringing together people from three science worlds: Technology, ... (see further on TED's website)
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Source: NYT
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What do Coloradans know about fitness that you don't?
Known as the slimmest state since 2010, gorgeous Colorado boasts the lowest rate of obesity in all of America
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Known as the slimmest state since 2010, gorgeous Colorado boasts the lowest rate of obesity in all of America. According to the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index, Colorado residents were the least likely in the nation to be obese in 2012. And Colorado is the only state where less than 20 percent of adults are obese. But what makes those in Colorado different than the rest of us when it comes to managing their weight?
To uncover the mystery, James Hill, founding executive director of the Anschutz Health and Wellness Center at the University of Colorado, and Holly Wyatt, a physician and researcher at the center, studied the behaviors of lean people who live in Colorado. They also examined the habits of patients in their weight loss clinic. Based on their findings, they created a program based on what they consider to be the six key factors that can help all of America create a healthy, lean lifestyle in their new book, "The State of Slim: Fix Your Metabolism and Drop 20 Pounds in 8 Weeks on the Colorado Diet."
Why We're So Fat: What's Behind the Latest Obesity Rates
I had the opportunity to interview the authors via email. Their responses have been edited.
In State of Slim, you say dropping pounds is only part of the picture - and that keeping weight off is a different challenge than losing weight and requires a different strategy. Can you elaborate?
Losing weight only requires a short-term strategy while maintaining weight requires a long-term strategy. Losing weight is most frequently accomplished by eating less - of anything. This is the way all diets work for weight loss. Whether you're not eating fat or carbs or sugar, the result is that you lose weight. The problem is that you can't maintain food restriction forever because you get hungry. You can do just about anything for a few weeks in order to lose weight, but keeping weight off is a long-term process.
While diet is a big driver of losing weight, physical activity is the major driver of keeping it off. It does this in three ways: First, it increases your energy expenditure so you can now eat a reasonable amount of food without gaining weight. Second (we explain this in the book), it fixes an inflexible metabolism, which means your body is now working with you - not against you - to maintain a healthy weight. Third, it better couples your appetite with your metabolism.
The best long-term eating strategy is not food restriction but eating smarter. Losing weight can occur with temporary behaviors, while keeping weight off requires the establishment of new habits, routines and rituals. This takes time but is important for long-term success.
In the book, you say that following a Colorado lifestyle creates a 'Mile-High Metabolism.' What does this mean, and how did you come up with this concept?
We use the term 'Mile-High Metabolism' to describe a metabolism that is flexible and working the way it was meant to work. When you quit moving, your metabolism becomes inflexible and sluggish when switching between fat and carbohydrate for a fuel source. The result is a tendency to store rather than burn fat and to overeat. This leads to weight gain and obesity. If you don't fix your metabolism while you are losing weight, you risk regaining that weight. You can't fix your metabolism with losing weight alone - you have to move.
So many people embark on weight loss but fail because they don't mentally or otherwise set themselves up for success. You say the key to weight-loss success is in the 'Colorado mind-set.' Can you explain what that means?
To develop the 'Colorado mind-set,' people need to:
-- Expect success: Having a positive attitude is important. If you believe it, you will see it.
-- Find your motivation: It is important to get in touch with your purpose - what you want to accomplish with your life. If you connect your lifestyle with your purpose, you will find motivation to stick with a healthy lifestyle, even months after you have lost the weight.
-- Create a healthy environment: Make sure your physical environment is supportive of your new lifestyle. Don't keep food in the house that is a problem for you. Make sure you have healthy snacks on hand. Make sure you have a place to walk near your house or workplace. Also, create a healthy social environment. Your behaviors are influenced by the people you surround yourself with. Find ways to spend time with people who value the behaviors that you want to maintain.
Why a Fitness Funk is Contagious
In State of Slim, you say that being active nearly every day isn't optional. Your goal is for people to move 70 minutes a day, six days a week. For an active person, that may not sound like much. But for someone who is somewhat sedentary, 70 minutes may sound daunting. Can you explain how you got to that magic number and provide a few tips to help people work toward - and ultimately meet - that movement goal?
We find that the successful weight loss maintainers in the National Weight Control Registryaverage about one hour per day or 420 minutes per week of physical activity. We think giving people one day off each week will help, so we recommend 70 minutes per day for six days per week, which is 420 minutes weekly.
You can get to this level gradually. We start you out with only 10 minutes per day. You have a choice of getting all of your activity as planned activity (for example, a 70-minute workout or a 40-minute workout in the morning and a 30-minute workout in the afternoon), or you can get 35 minutes of planned activity and accumulate 7,000 steps per day. Either plan will help you get a Mile-High Metabolism. It is worth noting that a person who has never been obese needs less activity per day to prevent becoming obese.
Of course, diet is critical in helping people maintain a healthy metabolism. Can you briefly describe the three phases of your diet plan (and the rationale for each)?
Our goal is to match your diet to your metabolism. Most people start with an inflexible metabolism. Phase one, which lasts two weeks, is very structured and consists of lean protein, vegetables and a little fat. This is a diet that will ignite your body's fat burners. As you start moving and get your metabolism more flexible, we add in more carbohydrate and fat in phase two, which lasts six weeks. In phase three, you add in even more fat and carbohydrate and learn to eat smarter.
We have found that a moderately low-fat diet and paying attention to the quality of fat and carbohydrate is the best for people who are very physically active. Carbohydrate is the best fuel for your muscles. If you don't move, you don't need much carbohydrate. But when you start moving, carbohydrate provides your primary fuel.
[Read: How to Eat Before and After Exercising.]
Any final tips for long-term weight-loss maintenance?
Forget counting calories - this does not work. The essence of the plan is to monitor physical activity and weight and adjust food intake when needed. First, we recommend maintaining a daily physical activity goal and monitoring physical activity regularly. We also encourage people to weigh themselves - they can do this daily or every few days.
Because body weight fluctuates a little from day to day, we encourage people to have an acceptable weight range of a few pounds, for example. We encourage people to eat smarter - to learn about energy density and proper portion sizes. And when people find their weight on the scale exceeds their acceptable range, they should have a plan for modifying food intake such as redoing the first or second phase of the program for a week or two.
What is your biggest obstacle to losing weight and keeping it off?
11 Health Habits That Will Help You Live to 100
U.S.News & World Report LP ============================================================================================================================= This study confirms:
(1) high-fat (2) high-sugar foods are addictive - avoid them
Study: Oreos as addictive as cocaine
An unusual college research project By Valerie Strauss (Connecticut College)
In an effort to investigate how addictive high-fat and high-sugar foods are and how it might have stoked the nation’s obesity epidemic, the researchers conducted an experiment using Oreos (though apparently the original and not Double Stuf or Mega Stuf) and that perennial proxy scientists like to use for humans, rats.
According to a college press release, the idea for the experiment came from neuroscience major Jamie Honohan ’13, a student in the college’s Holleran Center for Community Action and Public Policy.
Joseph Schroeder, associate professor of psychology and director of the behavioral neuroscience program, led Honohan and other students in the experiment, which led to the conclusion that rats find Oreos just as addictive as cocaine because the cookies stimulate the brain in the same way some drugs do. And the rats went first for the cream in the middle, just like lots of human Oreo consumers.
According to the release,
rats formed an equally strong association between the pleasurable effects of eating Oreos and a specific environment as they did between cocaine or morphine and a specific environment. [The Researchers] also found that eating cookies activated more neurons in the brain’s ‘pleasure center’ than exposure to drugs of abuse.
“Our research supports the theory that high-fat/ high-sugar foods stimulate the brain in the same way that drugs do,” Schroeder said. “It may explain why some people can’t resist these foods despite the fact that they know they are bad for them.”
To test the addictiveness of Oreos, Honohan and a co-researcher, Becca Markson ’13, worked with Schroeder and two other students, Science Leader Gabriela Lopez ’15 and Katrina Bantis ’15, during the past school year to measure the association between “drug” and environment.
Honohan and other students, along with Schneider, put Oreos on one side of a maze and rice cakes on the other. Rats were given the option where to go, and you can guess where that was. The rats, he said, broke open the cookie and ate the middle first.
The researchers then compared the time that the rats spent with the Oreos and the rice cakes, and compared that to the results of an experiment in which rats on one side of a maze were given a shot of saline and rats on the other side were given an injection of cocaine or morphine, both addictive drugs. (Schroeder is licensed by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration to purchase and use controlled substances for research, the release says.)
The results? The rats spent as much time with Oreos as they did with cocaine/morphine.
Honohan was quoted as saying:
My research interests stemmed from a curiosity for studying human behavior and our motivations when it comes to food. We chose Oreos not only because they are America’s favorite cookie, and highly palatable to rats, but also because products containing high amounts of fat and sugar are heavily marketed in communities with lower socioeconomic statuses.
Neuroscience major and Science Leader Lauren Cameron ’14 was awarded a grant to continue the work this past summer with Schroeder. Their results: Oreos activated significantly more neurons in rats’ brains than did cocaine or morphine.
“This correlated well with our behavioral results and lends support to the hypothesis that high-fat/ high-sugar foods are addictive,” said Schroeder.
Source: The Washington Post
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STAF, Inc. has been lobbying for this bill
It is necessary & will help ease hunger & ease rampant sickness level
"Hurrah! She's here at last!" - The bill is so special - it is a she!
Finally some sense to stop food stamp fund waste into garbage
The legislation is specifically in response to a 2012 study, which showed that recipients from
the food stamp fund spend approximately $2 billion a year on junk food
More than half of all SNAP*) benefits are used to buy sugary drinks
*) Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
The old term 'Food Stamps' and the new term 'SNAP' are the same thing. SNAP used to be called food stamps.
EBT means 'electronic benefits transfer'. EBT means how the money is put on the SNAP/food stamp card.
Bill would ban using food stamp funds on junk food
Date: September 2013
Click green for further info
Newly proposed legislation in Congress would ban recipients of food stamps
from buying junk food.
The Hill reports that a bill proposed by Rep. Phil Roe, R-Tenn., would require food stamp recipients to purchase only healthy food.
The Healthy Food Choices Act, H.R. 3073 is the latest salvo from Republican members of Congress who have criticized the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), also known as food stamps or the Women, Infants and Children program (WIC).
In August 2013 it was reported that House Republicans hoped to cut some $40 billion from future SNAP budgets.
Roe’s legislation is specifically in response to a 2012 study, which showed that recipients from the food stamp fund spend approximately $2 billion a year on junk food.
“As a physician, I realize the importance of healthy eating, and as an obstetrician*), I’ve seen how the WIC**) program helps empower families receiving assistance to use taxpayer dollars to purchase healthy, wholesome foods,” Roe said in a statement published on his congressional site. “If these guidelines are good and healthy enough for women and children, then SNAP recipients should also benefit from adhering to the same standards.” *) obstetrician = The branch of medicine that deals with the care of women during pregnancy, childbirth, and the recuperative period following delivery.
**) WIC = Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) | Food and Nutrition Servicewww.fns.usda.gov/wic
Mission is to support low-income women and children up to age 5 who are at nutritional risk by providing foods to supplement diets, information on healthy ...1 Google review · Write a review
In June, Roe voted in favor of proposed legislation that would apply work to welfare standards to food stamp fund recipients.
Critics of Roe’s proposal say that the tighter nutritional requirements would actually be more of a burden for low-income individuals and families who rely on SNAP funds. They also point out that Roe previously opposed efforts by first lady Michelle Obama to improve national school lunch nutritional standards.
Roe’s bill would require SNAP food purchases to adhere to thesame nutritional guidelines requiredunder the WICprogram. But somecritics have said that even WIC’s requirements are not based on science and need fine-tuning to ensure they are nutritionally sound. (STAF, Inc.'s comment: it is all based on the most recent nutritional science)Still, Roe said his intention is to improve the health of SNAP recipients by helping to ensure that they eat more nutritious meals with their funds.“Already states like Wisconsin and South Carolina have shown interest in improving the healthfulness of choices in their SNAP programs,” Roe said. “By giving SNAP recipients more nutritious choices, we can take a meaningful step towards ending hunger in America.”Rep. Phil Roe (R-Tenn.) on Tuesday, 9/10/13, proposed legislation that would require people using federal food stamps to buy only healthy food.The Healthy Food Choices Act, H.R. 3073, reflects a long-standing criticism that the government's Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) allows people to buy billions of dollars worth of junk food. A 2012 study found that food stamps enable about $2 billion worth of junk food purchases each year, and that more than half of all SNAP benefits are used to buy sugary drinks.Efforts to curb these purchases have been opposed by anti-hunger groups. But Roe said some states are already exploring ways to curb junk food purchases through the SNAP program, and argued that the federal government needs to take steps as well."Already, states like Wisconsin and South Carolina have shown interest in improving the healthfulness of choices in their SNAP programs," he said. "By giving SNAP recipients more nutritious choices, we can take a meaningful step towards ending hunger in America."Under Roe's bill, food purchased under SNAP would have to meet the same guidelines that food purchased under the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program already have to meet. The WIC guidelines are strict, and are made up of several different standards for products like breakfast cereal, milk, vegetables, peanut butter and other foods.Breakfast cereal, for example, must contain certain levels of iron, cannot contain more than 21.2 grams of sugar per 100 grams of cereal, and must have whole grain as a primary ingredient in order to be bought under the WIC program.Roe said those sorts of standards promote health, and should be emulated by the SNAP program."As a physician, I realize the importance of healthy eating, and as an obstetrician, I've seen how the WIC program helps empower families receiving assistance to use taxpayer dollars to purchase healthy, wholesome foods," he said. "If these guidelines are good and healthy enough for women and children, then SNAP recipients should also benefit from adhering to the same standards."Click green for further infoSource: Congressional sites - Rep. Phil Roe, R-Tenn, a physician & an obstetrician ____________________________________
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Stop Food Waste Advocates Appeal to Public
Cooking your food in your own kitchen creates less waste, is healthier,
will fight sickness, improves your health & saves plenty of money
Click green for further info
The Americans throw out 40 % of their good, eatable food - worldwide the waste is about 30 %
The nonprofit group The Food Think Tank that advocates for environmentally sound ways to alleviate hunger hosted a packed session with rapid-fire five-minute gems of wisdom at Broadway’s Snapple Theater Center. They served a healthy array of appetizers before and after the event, much of which was food rescued from being sent to a landfill.
click: Food Tank: The Food Think Tank | Homepagefoodtank.org/Food Tank is for the 7 billion people who have to eat every day. We offer environmentally sustainable ways to alleviate hunger, obesity, and poverty.
The approach is a delicious solution, and one that makes environmental, economic, and political sense, if you were to ask any one of the more than a dozen speakers who crowded the stage at the evening’s event.
“Food rescue is a common sense approach,” said Kevin Duffy of City Harvest, who spoke on stage. City Harvest was started when one of the founders realized that a restaurant’s unused food was just being thrown out every day. Now they collect food from about 2,000 donors in New York City and redistribute it to those in need.
click: City Harvest - Rescuing Food for New York's Hungrywww.cityharvest.org/History, FAQ, hunger statistics, food donation guidelines, list of recipient agencies, volunteer application, and a kid-focused section. Part of the America's Second ...
According to Food Tank, New Yorkers produce 600,000 tons of food waste every year. Globally, one-third of food production is simply wasted. That waste ends up in landfills, where it contributes to environmental degradation from methane emissions as it decomposes.
“It’s the most absurd issue—it’s so stupid,” said Nick Nuttall, a communications director with the United Nations Environment Program - UNEP“People love an issue that’s stupid because they can do something about it.”
click: United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) - Home pagewww.unep.org/The united nations environment programme (UNEP) is the voice for the environment in the united nations system. it is an advocate, educator, catalyst and ...
One of those solutions that cities across the United States have begun to embrace is food composting. At least 200 cities across the country collect food waste from homes for compost - also New York City as one of them in 2014.
For chef Mary Cleaver, it’s a welcome step in the right direction after years of struggling to find a way to compost from restaurants. Cleaver, who runs The Cleaver Corporation and is a leader in the sustainable food movement in America, said that it costs about half as much to compost as it does to send things to landfill. She also has a basic recommendation for reducing the amount of food waste to begin with: cooking.
The Green Table: Cleaver Companywww.cleaverco.com/The Cleaver Company: gourmet catering and events planning using the freshest local, organic, sustainable fare. Our core belief: food must please the eye, ..
“If more people cook, there’d be less waste,” said Cleaver. “Healthy food is better.”
Source: The Epoch Times
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Does Intermittent Fasting Work?
Intermittent fasting is a pattern of eating that alternates between periods of fasting and non-fasting
Intermittent fasting is something people either want to know about, should know about or have never heard of. Here's a look at what it is and why it can be beneficial to your health.
Research shows that those who eat less are generally healthier and live longer than those who eat more. Intermittent fasting is based on this principle. Basically, it's a technique that incorporates a weekly fast into your routine. This method is great because it allows you to reap the benefits of fasting without leaving you feeling weak or deprived. I can understand that this idea might not sound very appealing, but the fact is there's ton of health benefits to fasting, and it really isn't as horrible as it sounds.
Fat Burning
From a fat-burning perspective, intermittent fasting is a powerful tool. When you're in a fed state, the body has to produce insulin to keep your blood sugar at a safe level. Insulin's main job is to shuttle excess glucose (sugar) from the bloodstream over to the muscle, liver or fat cells for storage. But insulin doesn't only take sugar out of the blood -- it also increases fat storage.
Now, if a person were to eat small, infrequent meals every day, this release of insulin would not be a big deal. The problem is many experts have led people to believe that eating five or six meals a day is the only way to eat for weight loss. Now let's think about this logically for a second. Do you think the best way to lose weight is to cause your body to constantly release a hormone that favors fat storage? I didn't think so!
[Read: The Case For Skipping Meals.]
Metabolism
Another rumor is that fasting and/or eating infrequent meals every day will slow down your metabolism. This simply isn't true.
To make this point clear, all you have to do is think back to our primitive ancestors. They rarely (if ever) ate the same amount of food on consecutive days. Their caloric intake was dependent on what was available on that particular day. And they would be forced to fast intermittently because sometimes food was simply unavailable. Furthermore, evolution takes, minimally, thousands of years, and even though our world has changed drastically, our bodies have not had time to evolve from this primitive lifestyle. As a matter of fact, it has only been within the last 50 to 100 years that our bodies have been exposed to a consistent caloric intake. The truth is, being in a consistently fed state is not natural to the body's physiology. This is precisely why eating less leads to better health and a longer life.
[Read: Digestion vs. Metabolism.]
Telomeres
So, how does intermittent fasting work? There are a lot of different things that happen in the body on a cellular level when you're in a fasted state, but one I can single out has to do with the length of your telomeres. You can compare telomeres to the plastic casings at the end of a pair of shoelaces. Just as the plastic casings protect the end shoestrings, telomeres protect the ends of your chromosomes. The length of these guys is important. Basically, the shorter your telomeres, the shorter your lifespan.
It just so happens that intermittent fasting is a way to increase the length of your telomeres. Actually, simply eating less can also help your telomeres stay nice and long. Animal studies have shown that animals who ate about 30 percent fewer calories also lived about 30 percent longer than the animals that ate more. So the next time somebody says you should eat five or six meals a day, I suggest you think twice before following their advice.
[Read: Best Weight-Loss Diets.] Many say "we are the best", etc.) - Many are good BUT none is as inexpensive, only $95 per one adult per month, as is STAF, Inc.'s Healthy Lifestyle & Correct Nutrition Program DOPA
No other program comes even close in the desired results, in how the cost is - , and what other goals are automatically included. The big difference is that STAF, Inc. is a not-for-profit and primarily interested in helping as many millions of people in the U.S. nationwide and worldwide as many billions as possible. STAF, Inc.'s program guides you to buy your food in your local supermarket, prepare the food in your own kitchen and learn to eat in a different manner as most people have learned before. Al food and nutrients an adult person's body needs will cost only in average $95 a mont (children less). Most people use several hundreds a month in their food (mostly unhealthy). The saved money STAF, Inc.s' program will guide you to invest wisely with the goal of becoming a (multi-)millionaire - all very possible using the "Automatic Millionaire" principles. You do NOT invest in STAF, Inc. - STAF, Inc. will guide you to connect to a reliable finance counselor/firm - all suitable for an American and for a person from any country worldwide.
Blood Sugar Issues
Now some of you might be thinking, "But Yuri, I have issues with my blood sugar, so I can't fast."
If you have issues with your blood sugar, you should first work on improving the quality of your foods before introducing fasting. Once you get your blood sugar under control by reducing the amount of refined sugars and processed foods you eat, you can try eating less to see how you feel.
How Long is a Fast?
I want to be clear about what I mean when I say "fast."
The benefits of fasting come after about 18 hours, but this doesn't mean you have to force yourself to go without food all day long. To give you an example of what a fast might look like, let's say you stop eating after dinner at 7 p.m., you go to bed and wake up at 7 a.m. Right there you have already fasted for 12 hours. In this scenario, if you wait to eat your first meal at 1 p.m. you will have successfully completed an 18-hour fast. Not too bad, right?
[Read: How to Conquer Food Cravings.]
Which Plan is Best?
There are a lot of intermittent fasting programs out there, but the only program I recommend is Eat Stop Eat by my good friend Brad Pilon. I don't recommend Brad's program because he is a friend; I recommend his program because it is the most scientifically validated fat loss approach I have come across.
The Bottom Line
Intermittent fasting is something I recommend you incorporate into your life. I challenge you to go one 18-hour period with only water one day a week I think you will be amazed at how good you feel. It is really simple. I mean who can't do that, right?
[Read: The Part-Time Fast: Should You Try It?]
Hungry for more? Write to [email protected] with your questions, concerns and feedback.
Yuri Elkaim, BPHE, CK, RHN is a registered holistic nutritionist, fitness expert and highly sought-after high-performance health coach. He's also a former professional soccer player and served as the head strength and conditioning and nutrition coach for men's soccer at the University of Toronto for seven seasons. For more than 13 years, he's empowered more than 86,000 people to greater health with his no-nonsense approach to health, fitness, and nutrition. He's made it his mission to empower at least 10 million people to greater health and fitness by 2018. He's made it his mission to empower at least 10 million people to greater health and fitness by 2018. Get Yuri's free "Y-Factor" at www.yurielkaim.com.
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Use these spices with your food to lose weight easier
Click colored areas for further info
You've decided to eat better by focusing on foods that are good for you, so why not take it a step further and incorporate some metabolism-boosting ingredients into your meals? While we can't dramatically change the body we were born with, there are a few things we can do (and eat) to make a difference.
Nutritionist Kelly Aronica shares some advice for giving your metabolism a kick, while we provide some easy meal ideas.
1) Turmeric: Full of antioxidants, this colorful spice is also a great way to speed up your metabolism. It's often found in Indian dishes or curries.
SUGGESTED RECIPE: Chicken and Eggplant Stew with Grilled Country Bread
This re-invented - and healthier version of - chicken and eggplant parm is wonderful spooned over crusty and crispy bread that softens as it soaks in the flavorful tomato sauce.
Click Here to See the Chicken Stew with Grilled country Bread Recipe
2) Cayenne and Other Chile Peppers: The capsaicin in chiles is what makes food spicy; so it's safe to say that if it makes you sweat, it's increasing your metabolism. These foods also provide carotenoids and twice the amount of vitamin C found in citrus fruits. They can easily be incorporated into a variety of dishes like salads, soups, curries, and more.
SUGGESTED RECIPE: Green Meatball Curry
This curry has been inspired by the meatball stews of Goa. It is a beautiful dish and the flavors are deep and well rounded. It is perfect for an easy dinner and great for children (without the chiles) as they can help form the meatballs, as I did when young. The curry itself only requires the chopping of an onion and a blender. Serve it with basmati rice, bread, rice noodles or even mashed potatoes - anything to soak up the delicious gravy.
Click Here to see This Green Meatball Curry Recipe
3) Ginger: Is a great ingredient to use because it has gingerols, capsaicin, and piperine - compounds that boost metabolism (they also supposedly have an aphrodisiac effect). Try ginger teaor cooking with real ginger. The spicier you make it, the better.
SUGGESTED RECIPE: Slow Roasted Salmon with Ginger
If you're looking to do something a little different, try chef Lomonaco's slow-roasted salmon with ginger, which actually doesn't take that much time to prepare at all. Start working on the sauce when the salmon goes in the oven, and by the time it's done cooking, the sauce will be ready to spoon on top.
Click Here to see This Slow Roasted Salmon with Ginger Recipe
4) Caffeine: In the form of coffee or green tea, caffeine is an effective way to boost your metabolism. "Researchers credit the boost in metabolism to tea's catechins, but you probably need about 2 cups a day to have any effect," says Kelly Aronica. "However, you will also the get the other possible benefits of green tea that include reduction of risk of cancer and heart disease." Coffee, in turn, has been shown to increase productivity and concentration, but be warned that because caffeine stimulates the central nervous system, excessive amounts (more than 3-4 cups of coffee per day) have been linked to nervousness and sleeplessness. One to two cups a day, however, has been shown to be safe.
SUGGESTED RECIPE: Café du Catnip Cocktail Recipe
Think of this as an Irish coffee by way of Jackson Square - an original born out of a classic. Served at Ninth Ward in New York City, this dessert-like drink features Café du Monde coffee spiked withCatdaddy Moonshine and Bailey's and is topped with a dollop of whipped cream.
Click Here to see the Café du Catnip Cocktail Recipe
5) Cinnamon: Raises metabolism and aids in digestion so try adding a healthy dose to your high-fiber oatmeal in the morning! Or, try using it in savory dishes like the ones below.
SUGGESTED RECIPE: Slow Cooker Irish Oatmeal Recipe
There's no question that steel-cut oats are superior in flavor to instant oatmeal, but the extended cooking time, obligatory stirring, and sticky pot to clean can put off even the most loyal oatmeal enthusiast. Using a slow cooker eliminates the stove-top surveillance and mess. Plus, the oatmeal can be kept warm for late risers.
Click Here to see The Slow Cooker Irish Oatmeal Recipe
Source: Healthy Food & Spices Archives
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Important info for everyone
Apples
Eat Apples, Lose Weight, Improve Your Metabolism & Your Overall Health
It is true: Apple a day keeps the doctor away, however, 5 & more apples keeps many more doctors away
All fruit and all vegetables keep the doctor away - eat daily a variety of fruits & vegetables in all 7 rainbow colors = red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo (= darker blue), violet
Quotation "If it came from a plant, eat it, if it was made in a plant, don't" (Michael Pollan)
Quotation "To stay healthy you need to eat what your body wants, not what you want" (Dr. Christian, STAF, Inc. CEO)
(1) Wash the apples with a brush & soap, rinse well (2) eat the apples with their peels - the peels have more nutrient than the other parts of the apples (use a blender = in the blender put whole apples cut in proper piece sizes, then the peels also break down to easier digesting - see a few lines below info relating to blenders), (3) eat all fruit in an empty stomach. Want to lose weight - then (4) 30 min. before each meal eat 1 (big) or 2 smaller apples or (5) drink 1 - 2 glasses of water 10 min. before eating (helps in weight loss).
To be soft the apple cores with seeds need a high-power blender (like Vitamix with 7-year warranty (click) Vitamix.com)
Vitamix is the Prince of the powerful home blenders (cost: several hundreds of dollars, 7-year warranty).
Proctor-Silex (click) Proctor Silex is the Prince of the lower-priced home blenders (with 1-year warranty).
If you have no power blender (= Vitamix) you could collect and freeze a bigger amount of apple cores & seeds, then boil them about 2 h until soft and blend for a delicious vitamin/fiber food - all free, "found", vitamin rich food - save the orange & other fruit seeds and prepare them together with the apple scores & seeds.
Please notice: with the Vitamix power blender you get the apples and anything else blended so thin that you can enjoy the food raw and get much more nutrients - cooking & boiling takes away 20 - 50 % of vitamins and other important nutrients. Vitamix is a good investments in your and your family's health. However, the 2nd best is one Proctor Silex - eat as much raw as possible. Buy Vitamix when you can afford it, meanwhile use the Proctor Silex, boil/cook as needed but blend and eat raw as much as possible for a better nutrients intake.
Click green below in the article for further info:
There are more than 7,500 known cultivars*) of apples, resulting in a range of desired characteristics.
- 2,500 varieties of apples are grown in the United States.
- 7,500 varieties of apples are grown throughout the world.
- 100 varieties of apples are grown commercially in the United States.
The article Eat Apples, Lose Weight, Improve Your Metabolism & Your Overall HealthPART A
Part B next below: APPLE FACTS
Halloween, the leaves turning color, and apples (and apple picking!) — are just around the corner. We all know that apples help keep the doctor away, but I was fascinated to learn just how healthy my favorite fall fruits really are. Here, incredibly healthy reasons to go bananas for apples
1. Apples Help You Lose Weight.Apples are packed with fiber (with over 4 grams per medium apple) and water, so your stomach will stay satisfied longer and want less food. Studies out of Brazil have shown that people who eat at least three apples or pears a day lose weight. In one study, groups were given either oat cookies, apples or pears three times a day. The group given oat cookies did not lose weight while those that ate either the apples or the pears lost an average of nearly three pounds over the course of twelve weeks. What's more, the fruit-munching group had lower blood glucose levels.
2. Apples stabilize blood sugar.Around one gram of apples' fiber is the soluble kind, which slows the digestion of food and the entry of glucose into the bloodstream, which prevents spikes of sugar and insulin that can lead to type 2 diabetes. One group of researchers discovered that women who ate at least one apple a day were 28 percent less likely to develop diabetes than those who ate none.
3. Apples fight high cholesterol.Apples are low in calories (only 95 per medium fruit) and high in the soluble fiber pectin, which helps lower artery-damaging LDL blood cholesterol levels. A study publisehd in the Journal of Functional Foods found that an apple a day lowered study participants' LDL by 40% compared to people taking a placebo. Since high cholesterol can harden arteries (which can lead to a heart attack or stroke), lowering cholesterol levels is a key step to maintain a healthy heart.
4. Apples prevent high blood pressure.Adults who eat apples are 37 percent less likely to have hypertension, according to a recent food database analysis. Scientists believe antioxidants found in the skin may contribute to keeping blood pressure in check, so don't ditch that peel!
Click:Read about more incredible health benefits of apples!
PART B
Apple Facts
Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service & United States Apple Association
- The crabapple is the only apple native to North America. click: Crapapple Malus - Wikipedia
- Apples come in all shades of reds, greens, and yellows.
- Two pounds of apples make one 9-inch pie.
- Apple blossom is the state flower of Michigan.
- 2,500 varieties of apples are grown in the United States.
- 7,500 varieties of apples are grown throughout the world.
- 100 varieties of apples are grown commercially in the United States.
- Apples are grown commercially in 36 states.
- Apples are grown in all 50 states.
- Apples are fat, sodium, and cholesterol free.
- A medium apple is about 80 calories.
- Apples are a great source of the fiber pectin. One apple has five grams of fiber.
- The pilgrims planted the first United States apple trees in the Massachusetts Bay Colony.
- The science of apple growing is called pomology.
- Apple trees take four to five years to produce their first fruit.
- Most apples are still picked by hand in the fall.
- Apple varieties range in size from a little larger than a cherry to as large as a grapefruit.
- Apples are propagated by two methods: grafting or budding.
- The apple tree originated in an area between the Caspian and the Black Sea.
- Apples were the favorite fruit of ancient Greeks and Romans.
- Apples are a member of the rose family.
- Apples harvested from an average tree can fill 20 boxes that weigh 42 pounds each.
- The largest apple picked weighed three pounds.
- Europeans eat about 46 pounds of apples annually.
- The average size of a United States orchard is 50 acres.
- Many growers use dwarf apple trees.
- Charred apples have been found in prehistoric dwellings in Switzerland.
- Most apple blossoms are pink when they open but gradually fade to white.
- Some apple trees will grow over 40 feet high and live over 100 years.
- Most apples can be grown farther north than most other fruits, because they blossom late in spring, minimizing frost damage.
- It takes the energy from 50 leaves to produce one apple.
- Apples are the second most valuable fruit grown in the United States. Oranges are first.
- In colonial time, apples were called winter banana or melt-in-the-mouth.
- The largest U. S. apple crop was 277.3 million cartons in 1998.
- Apples have five seed pockets or carpels. Each pocket contains seeds. The number of seeds per carpel is determined by the vigor and health of the plant. Different varieties of apples will have different number of seeds.
- World's top apple producers are China, United States, Turkey, Poland and Italy.
- The Lady or Api apple is one of the oldest varieties in existence.
- Newton Pippin apples were the first apples exported from America in 1768, some were sent to Benjamin Franklin in London.
- In 1730, the first apple nursery was opened in Flushing, New York.
- One of George Washington's hobbies was pruning his apple trees.
- America's longest-lived apple tree was reportedly planted in 1647 by Peter Stuyvesant in his Manhattan orchard and was still bearing fruit when a derailed train struck it in 1866.
- Apples ripen six to ten times faster at room temperature than if they were refrigerated.
- A peck of apples weight 10.5 pounds.
- A bushel of apples weights about 42 pounds and will yield 20-24 quarts of applesauce.
- Archeologists have found evidence that humans have been enjoying apples since at least 6500 B.C.
- The world's largest apple peel was created by Kathy Wafler Madison on October 16, 1976, in Rochester, NY. It was 172 feet, 4 inches long. (She was 16 years old at the time and grew up to be a sales manager for an apple tree nursery.)
- It takes about 36 apples to create one gallon of apple cider.
- Apples account for 50 percent of the world's deciduous fruit tree production.
- The old saying, “An apple a day, keeps the doctor away.” This saying comes from an old English adage, “To eat an apple before going to bed, will make the doctor beg his bread.”
- Don't peel your apple. Two-thirds of the fiber and lots of antioxidants are found in the peel. Antioxidants help to reduce damage to cells, which can trigger some diseases.
- In 2005, United States consumers ate an average of 46.1 pounds of fresh apples and processed apple products. That's a lot of applesauce!
- Sixty-three percent of the 2005 U.S. apple crop was eaten as fresh fruit.
- In 2005, 36 percent of apples were processed into apple products; 18.6 percent of this is for juice and cider, two percent was dried, 2.5 percent was frozen, 12.2 percent was canned and 0.7 percent was fresh slices. Other uses were the making of baby food, apple butter or jelly and vinegar.
- The top apple producing states are Washington, New York, Michigan,Pennsylvania, California and Virginia.
- In 2006, 58% of apples produced in the United States were produced in Washington, 11% in New York, 8% in Michigan, 5% in Pennsylvania, 4% in California and 2% in Virginia.
- In 2005, there were 7,500 apple growers with orchards covering 379,000 acres.
- In 1998-90 the U.S. per capita fresh apple consumption was around 21 pounds.
- In 2005, the average United States consumer ate an estimated 16.9 pounds of fresh market apples
- Total apple production in the United States in 2005 was 234.9 million cartons valued at $1.9 billion.
- In 2006/2007 the People's Republic of China led the world in commercial apple production with 24,480,000 metric tons followed by the United States with 4,460,544 metric tons.
- In 2006/2007 commercial world production of apples was at 44,119,244 metric tons.
- Almost one out of every four apples harvested in the United States is exported.
- 35.7 million bushels of fresh market apples in 2005 were exported. That was 24 percent of the total U.S. fresh-market crop.
- The apple variety ‘Red Delicious' is the most widely grown in the United States with 62 million bushels harvested in 2005.
- Many apples after harvesting and cleaning have commercial grade wax applied. Waxes are made from natural ingredients.
- National Apple Month is the only national, generic apple promotion conducted in the United States. Originally founded in 1904 as National Apple Week, it was expanded in 1996 to a three-month promotional window from September through November.
- On August 21, 2007 the GoldRush apple was designated as the official Illinois’state fruit. GoldRush is a sweet-tart yellow apple with a long shelf life. The apple is also the state fruit of Minnesota, New York, Vermont, Washington and West Virginia.
Click:USDA National Agricultural Statistics ServiceUSDA National Agricultural Statistics Service Information. NASS publications cover a wide range of subjects, from traditional crops, such as corn and wheat, ...United States Apple AssociationU.S. Apple Associationwww.usapple.org/USApple is the apple industry's voice on Capitol Hill and also provides consumers with the health benefits of apples and apple products. USApple has been in ...
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This “Golden Spice of Life” Brings Health and Happiness
The new study, the researchers added in the statement, “provides the first human clinical indication that curcumin may be used as an effective and safe treatment for patients with MDD*) without concurrent suicidal ideation (= the formation of ideas or concepts) or other psychotic disorders.” However, further research, including large clinical studies, is needed to rigorously evaluate if the golden spice is an effective therapy over the long term.
*)MDD = Major depressive disorder
Also several other diseases may be healed with curcumin - see below
Curcumin, found in the yellow Indian spice turmeric,
has amazing health benefits, including elevating mood and combatting depressive symptoms as effectively as the prescription drug Prozac, suggests a recent study published in click: Phytotherapy Research.
Used as an herbal medicine and food for nearly 4,000 years, turmeric is a well-documented treatment for a wide range of disorders, inspiring researchers to dub it “the golden spice of life”click: in a scientific review. Indeed, over the past 25 years, more than 3,000 papers have explored the savory flavoring’s medicinal properties in lab tests, animal studies, and human trials.
A “safe and effective” herbal treatment for depressionIn the new study, researchers conducted a clinical trial that included 60 patients with major depressive disorder (MDD). The patients were randomly divided into three groups, with one receiving 20 mg of fluoxetine (the generic form of Prozac) daily, another getting 500 mg of curcumin twice a day, and the third group receiving both treatments.
Neither the researchers nor the patients knew which treatment they were taking. After six weeks, the curcumin and fluoxetine groups had comparable improvements in mood, based on their score on a standard rating scale for depression that evaluates mood, feelings of guilt, suicidal ideation, insomnia, anxiety and other symptoms. While the group that received both therapies did even better, the difference in depression scores was not statistically significant.
"It is a novel and surprising application for this natural medicine,” study coauthor Dr. Ajay Goel, of the Baylor Research Institute and Charles A. Sammons Cancer Center,click: Baylor Charles A. Sammons Cancer Center at Dallas
said in a statement. He adds curcumin was also used with “excellent results” in an animal study in which it was compared to both fluoxetine and imipramine (an older drug for depression).
The new study, the researchers added in the statement, “provides the first human clinical indication that curcumin may be used as an effective and safe treatment for patients with MDD without concurrent suicidal ideation (= the formation of ideas or concepts) or other psychotic disorders.” However, further research, including large clinical studies, is needed to rigorously evaluate if the golden spice is an effective therapy over the long term.
Patients taking antidepressants should not stop or change their treatment without consulting their healthcare provider. Also talk to your doctor before taking any type of supplement to make sure it’s appropriate for you. Turmeric may slow blood clotting. Taking it along with medications that also slow clotting, such as aspirin, heparin, or other blood thinners, may increase the risk of bruising and bleeding.
Curcumin and its colorful compounds are found in many foods, including mustard, curry powder, some cereals, cheeses, butter, baked goods, sauces, and many other yellow foods. It is on the FDA’s “generally recognized as safe” list as a food ingredient.
Fights Inflammation, Gum Disease and Other Disorders
Studies also show that curcumin has anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties. In fact, another new clinical trial suggests that a 1 percent solution of curcumin (in water) works nearly as well as for killing mouth bacteria as a standard dental mouth rinse (0.2 percent chlorhexidine gluconate or CHX) in 23 patients with chronic periodontal (gum) disease.
The patients were randomly assigned to use curcumin or CHX, while a control group used a saltwater rinse for six months. After one month, the curcumin group showed greater reduction in such problems as bleeding gums, redness, amount of dental plaque, and other signs of gum disease. By the 6-month mark, the CHX group had slightly better results on some measures, and similar ones on others.
An even newer randomized study of 45 patients with the painful and debilitating bowel disorder ulcerative colitis reported that after 8 weeks, 43.4 percent of patients treated with a curcumin preparation called NCB-02 (administered as an enema) achieved remission after eight weeks, compared to only 36.4 percent of patients given a placebo treatment.
The research was published in 2013 October in the Journal of Crohn’s and Colitis, with the study authors recommending that the golden spice be investigated as a novel therapy for ulcerative colitis.
Earlier studies and trials suggest that
curcumin and turmeric may also be helpful for the following problems, according to the research review cited above:
- Healing peptic ulcers, according to a clinical trial with 45 patients. After 4 weeks of treatment with turmeric capsules (300 mg each, twice a day), the ulcers disappeared in 48 percent of cases, with ulcer-free cases increasing to 76 percent after 12 weeks. Another trial found the spice to be beneficial for people suffering from indigestion or stomach or intestinal ulcers, but not as effective as antacids.
- Fighting respiratory symptoms. In some studies, turmeric oil was helpful in relieving cough, congestion, and asthma.
- Improves wound healing in animal studies.
- May reduce joint pain and inflammation from arthritis.
- Enhances heart health by lowering blood pressure and making cholesterol less likely to clump into artery-clogging plaque, in animal studies.
- Turmeric oil repels mosquitoes.
Click the smile link below
A slide show with plenty of good, beneficial & scientifically correct information
If the link has expired, search the web with the title
10 Easy Ways to Improve Your Smile
About mouth & teeth & water: Drink Plenty of Water - daily in ounces the amount your normal, healthy weight is (not overweight)
Water is the healthiest drink for your smile and your body. It helps flush teeth clean and discourages tooth decay. Tap water is the best choice as it has the recommended dosage of fluoride. Many times bottled water comes from a source where the fluoride levels are not monitored, or contain no fluoride at all. A healthy level of fluoride promotes tooth health and discourages decay.
Frequent consumption of acidic or sugary drinks increase decay rates dramatically. Athletes are quickly becoming an at-risk group as the effects of sports drinks are taking a toll on their teeth. Instead, they should be reaching for water.
23 Diet Plans Reviewed: Which One Works Best? Click to see the slide show but: YOU do not need a diet - eat natural, healthy food (not processed, not fast-food = bad-food), much fruit & vegetables, chew well, follow food combining rules (search the web), sleep 7 - 8 hours (shorter sleep can cause overweight & sickness.
Quote : "If it came from a plan, eat it - if it was made in a plant, don't" Michael Pollan (click)
Quote: "To stay healthy and have a long life, you need to eat what your body wants, not what you want"
(Dr. Christian, STAF, Inc. President)
Click green for further info
Source: click: Phytotherapy Research
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Article 1 of 2
Article 2 of 2 next below = Official FDA NEWS RELEASE
Date: Sept. 10, 2013
To Cut Abuse, F.D.A. Is Altering Painkiller Label Rules
OxyContin, a highly addictive opioid that has figured prominently in the abuse
epidemic - Morphine and fentanyl are other examples Click: Morphine Click: Fentanyl click: U S Food and Drug Administration Home Pagewww.fda.gov/
The opioids kill every year more people than die yearly in all car accidents
click: What are opioids? | National Institute on Drug Abusewww.drugabuse.gov › Prescription Drugs: Abuse and Addiction › Opioids - Opioids are medications that relieve pain. They reduce the intensity of pain signals reaching the brain and affect those brain areas controlling emotion, which ...
Click green for further info
The Food and Drug Administration annnounced changes to the labeling requirements for long-acting painkillers, in a further effort to curb prescription drug abuse, which has been on the rise in recent years.Agency officials said the labeling changes, set to take effect by the end of the year, would “help improve the thoughtful prescribing of these medicines,” which include OxyContin, a highly addictive opioid that has figured prominently in the abuse epidemic. Morphine and fentanyl are other examples.The agency is also requiring producers of such drugs to conduct studies on the long-term risks of taking them. Researchers applauded the move, saying that a lack of such data was a major problem in determining safe prescribing practices.At the heart of the changes is a modification of the language on what kind of pain the drugs are supposed to be prescribed for. Current labels say the drugs should be used for moderate to severe pain, an indication that Dr. Douglas Throckmorton, the deputy director for regulatory programs at the F.D.A.'s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, said was not quite right.“What is moderate to me could be severe to you,” he said. The new language, he said, will say that the drugs should be reserved for use in patients who do not have other treatment options, and be used for management of pain that is “severe enough” to require round-the-clock treatment.The move was prompted by a petition from Physicians for Responsible Opioid Prescribing, an advocacy group in New York. Dr. Andrew Kolodny, the president of the group, said that he was pleased by the announcement, but that he would have liked the agency to have gone further, for example by defining limits on the duration of use and dosage.A major issue hanging over opioid use is a lack of data about the drugs’ long-term risks and effectiveness. Dr. Throckmorton said the agency was trying to address that by telling producers that they had to run studies and clinical trials on drugs currently on the market to better assess the risks. In a click: letter sent to drug makers, the agency said that companies would also have to perform other studies, including one examining whether patients on opioids develop increased sensitivity to pain.The next step, Dr. Throckmorton said, is “a series of conversations” with manufacturers of such drugs “about what those studies and trials will look like.” He expects to start receiving information in 2015.Dr. Erin E. Krebs, a pain researcher at a Department of Veterans Affairs facility in Minneapolis, said that “it would be fabulous” to have such data so that doctors could better understand how or whether they should be prescribing opioids for long periods.Dr. Nathaniel Katz, an assistant professor of anesthesia at Tufts University School of Medicine in Boston, said he was skeptical that the labeling changes would have much of an effect, because they represented current practice. But he said the requirement that companies conduct studies was a major advance.“We can’t possibly prescribe these drugs knowledgeably unless we know what the incidence is of serious and fatal complications,” he said. ________________________
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Article 2 of 2 (Article 1 of 2 next above)
FDA NEWS RELEASE - FDA announces safety labeling changes
For Immediate Release: Sept. 10, 2013Media Inquiries: Morgan Liscinsky, 301-796-0397, [email protected]Consumer Inquiries: 888-INFO-FDAU S Food and Drug Administration Home Pagewww.fda.gov/
Click for the Spanish version:En Español
FDA announces safety labeling changes and postmarket study requirements for extended-release and long-acting opioid analgesics
New boxed warning to include neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced class-wide safety labeling changes and new postmarket study requirements for all extended-release and long-acting (ER/LA) opioid analgesics intended to treat pain.
“The FDA is invoking its authority to require safety labeling changes and postmarket studies to combat the crisis of misuse, abuse, addiction, overdose, and death from these potent drugs that have harmed too many patients and devastated too many families and communities,” said FDA Commissioner Margaret A. Hamburg, M.D. “Today’s action demonstrates the FDA’s resolve to reduce the serious risks of long-acting and extended release opioids while still seeking to preserve appropriate access for those patients who rely on these medications to manage their pain.”Given the serious risks of using ER/LA opioids, the class-wide labeling changes, when final, will include important new language to help health care professionals tailor their prescribing decisions based on a patient’s individual needs. The updated indication states that ER/LA opioids are indicated for the management of pain severe enough to require daily, around-the-clock, long-term opioid treatment and for which alternative treatment options are inadequate.The updated indication further clarifies that, because of the risks of addiction, abuse, and misuse, even at recommended doses, and because of the greater risks of overdose and death, these drugs should be reserved for use in patients for whom alternative treatment options (e.g., non-opioid analgesics or immediate-release opioids) are ineffective, not tolerated, or would be otherwise inadequate to provide sufficient management of pain; ER/LA opioid analgesics are not indicated for as-needed pain relief.“The FDA’s primary tool for informing prescribers about the approved uses of medications is the product labeling,” said Douglas Throckmorton, M.D., deputy director for regulatory programs in the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. “These labeling changes describe more clearly the risks and safety concerns associated with ER/LA opioids and will encourage better, more appropriate, prescribing, monitoring and patient counseling practices involving these drugs.”Recognizing that more information is needed to assess the serious risks associated with long-term use of ER/LA opioids, the FDA is requiring the drug companies that make these products to conduct further studies and clinical trials. The goals of these postmarket requirements are to further assess the known serious risks of misuse, abuse, increased sensitivity to pain (hyperalgesia), addiction, overdose, and death.The FDA is also requiring a new boxed warning on ER/LA opioid analgesics to caution that chronic maternal use of these products during pregnancy can result in neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome (NOWS), which may be life-threatening and require management according to protocols developed by neonatology experts. NOWS can occur in a newborn exposed to opioid drugs while in the mother’s womb. Symptoms may include poor feeding, rapid breathing, trembling, and excessive or high-pitched crying.In addition, the FDA is notifying ER/LA opioid analgesic application holders of the need for changes to the following sections of drug labeling: Dosage and Administration; Warnings and Precautions; Drug Interactions; Use in Specific Populations; Patient Counseling Information, and the Medication Guide. Once the safety labeling changes are finalized, modifications will also be made to the ER/LA Opioid Analgesics Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS), to reflect the updated information. Originally approved in 2012, the ER/LA Opioid Analgesics REMS requires companies to make available to health care professionals educational programs on how to safely prescribe ER/LA opioid analgesics and to provide Medication Guides and patient counseling documents containing information on the safe use, storage, and disposal of ER/ LA opioids.In addition to the safety labeling changes and postmarket study requirements, the FDA has issued responses to two related citizen petitions.“The FDA remains committed to improving the safety of opioids and to continuing to engage in efforts to evaluate and mitigate the risks associated with opioid use,” said Dr. Throckmorton. “Today’s safety labeling changes reflect the FDA’s current understanding of the risks and benefits of these products. The FDA will evaluate the results of the postmarket studies, continue to monitor relevant safety data, and take further safety action, as warranted.”
For more information click: New Safety Measures Announced for Extended-Release and Long-Acting Opioids
The FDA, an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, protects the public health by assuring the safety, effectiveness, and security of human and veterinary drugs, vaccines and other biological products for human use, and medical devices. The agency also is responsible for the safety and security of our nation’s food supply, cosmetics, dietary supplements, products that give off electronic radiation, and for regulating tobacco products.
Read our Blog: FDA VoiceVisit the FDA on Facebook, Flickr, YouTubeand TwitterRSS Feed for FDA News ReleasesPage Last Updated: 09/10/2013 Note: If you need help accessing information in different file formats, see Instructions for Downloading Viewers and Players.U S Food and Drug Administration Home Pagewww.fda.gov/ _______________________________________________________________
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The Secret to Avoiding
Destructive Eating Habits at Restaurants
A simple idea but: it works - you will eat 50 % less Start using this idea the very next time you are in a restaurantSTAF, Inc.'s basic advice first: At any meal stop eating when you are 80 % full.
How do you know what is "80 %"?
Your stomach size is the size your fist. Make a fist and look at it - that is how small your stomach is. This is not to talk about what is around your waist (= fat layers if you are overweight or obese) - we are talking about your stomach sac to where the food goes after chewing. Chew 20-30 times every mouthful to have enough saliva - the digestive process starts in your mouth. Take on your plate and stop eating when the fist sized stomach is 80 % full. ___________________
By Sheila Kemper Dietrich - Boulder, ColoradoSheila is the Founder and CEO of Livliga, a company that produces smaller size dinnerware to help overweight people eat less. She created Livliga and the VisualQs philosophy out of a desire to embrace and share a healthier lifestyle. Click:Livligawww.livligahome.comClick: VisualQs' dinnerware helps dieters think inside the lines | Current ...bcbr.com › Current EditionFine china and dainty appetites have long gone hand in hand.So, Sheila Kemper Dietrich figured, if one would care to eat less to ...STAF, Inc. endorses Sheila's dinnerware for easier less-eating - see her website info
The article
The Secret to Avoiding Destructive Eating Habits at Restaurants
Colorado is the least obese state in the United States
Sheila Kemper is from Colorado
Article 1 of 2
Article 2 of 2 next below
I have been in a long search to discover the secret to avoiding destructive eating habits at a restaurant.
Recently my family has been eating more meals out in restaurants. I have found myself wanting to drift back to old, destructive habits. Somehow when I go to a restaurant, even on an ordinary day, I begin to feel like I am on “vacation”. My mind starts to wonder if it wouldn’t be fun to have an appetizer to “share”. Then when I am looking down the menu for my entrée I start to look for the “special” item I don’t get to have unless I am in a restaurant. Generally this means it has more salt, more fat and even more sugar. I also look for what I can get the most of for my money. Then at the end of the meal comes the debate about dessert. What excuse can I make to justify dessert—hard day at work? Mid-week splurge? I deserve to be pampered? It is just not that hard to come up with an excuse if you are looking for one.
It is like a great kiss in an epic movie where the woman goes weak in the knees and succumbs to the suitor. My classic response to food is to give in and swoon at all the possibilities on a menu. Then as I begin to hate myself for making the “weak” choices I do, I begin to see my relationship with food more like an abusive marriage. I keep getting beat up, my head slammed against the wall over and over again and yet I can’t resist and come back for more…until death do us part from heart disease, diabetes or cancer.
It is hard to break old habits. No one understands this better than I do. But it is possible. How? Let me give you an example. Since we have been going out to restaurants more, I have been talking about sharing an entrée with my daughter or husband. This worked some of the time but often we didn’t want to order the same thing or somebody was too tired or too hungry to share. Then my husband came up with the idea of us each ordering what we wanted but asking the kitchen to only serve us half of our order at the table and package the other half to take home for lunch the next day. This is working! It is amazing how you don’t miss what you don’t see. And even with half the amount of food on our plate, when we finish it we are perfectly full. So full, in fact, I don’t want dessert.
We are actually having fun with this new approach. It is a new game we have invented. We are hardly “perfect” when we go out to eat but we are definitely ordering and eating less and enjoying the effort. I have, in fact, lost weight because I am not over-feeding myself. I am even sleeping better. It is a huge help to have my family’s willingness to play our new “game”. With their help I am getting into a new habit. Soon I want to be practiced enough to make the “serve half” request on my own. I know it is one of many steps towards a healthier lifestyle and it feels wonderfully liberating.
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Article 2 of 2 (Article 1 of 2 next above)
VisualQs’ dinnerware helps weight loss success
The key: use smaller plates - you then will eat less
you can buy for any budge level - lowest prices: buy 99 cents store small plates
BOULDER — Fine china and dainty appetites have long gone hand in hand.So, Sheila Kemper Dietrich figured, if one would care to eat less to weigh less, why not make a line of elegant tableware that has the added encouragement of artistically placed portion boundaries.Kemper Dietrich launched Boulder-based VisualQs LLC in 2011 to develop a plate pattern that helps people eat smaller portions. The prototype worked for her. The self-confessed overeater said she lost more than 50 pounds by using the plates.Her vision was to create an artisanal suite of place settings designed for a healthy lifestyle and suitable for entertaining family and friends in both formal and informal settings. The designs on the dishware offer elegant visual cues to appropriate and healthy portion sizes.Named Livliga — Swedish for lively, vibrant or vivid — the plates have serving-size circles painted on them.“Livliga is for everyone who wants an attractive, subtle way to improve and control their food environment,” Kemper Dietrich explained.A place setting — dinner plate, salad plate, bowl and mug — sells online for $49.95 at www.livligahome.com. In the future, Kemper Dietrich plans to add glassware and a set of spoons that can measure servings.Kemper Dietrich said she always has struggled with overeating. She said her husband, Walter Dietrich, and daughter also lost more than 20 pounds each by using the plates.Walter Dietrich is Livliga’s chief operating officer and chief financial officer. He has held leadership positions with companies in diverse fields, including a food-distribution company with annual sales of more than $250 million, entrepreneurial startups and in the nonprofit sector.He serves as chairman of the University of Colorado-Boulder art museum’s advisory board and is the owner of Arcadian Property Management LLC in Boulder.A Gallup poll published in 2012 showed Colorado is the least obese state in the United States, and Kemper Dietrich wants to share that wisdom and local philosophy toward better overall wellness with the entire country through the product line.It appears overeaters nationwide need it. The average American dinner plate has grown by almost 51 percent since 1900, with plates expanding from 9.6 inches to nearly a foot in diameter.The Center for Disease Control said the current generation of parents will outlive their children because of the rampant rise of childhood obesity.Studies have shown that if you right-size your dishware you will right-size your meal.“As a professional nutritionist, I believe the Livliga dinnerware is an excellent tool for families with children in these critical formative years,” said Cynthia Schrader, a registered dietician who is the child nutrition director for Leavenworth Public Schools in Kansas and a member of Livliga’s advisory committee. “Creating positive eating habits as children grow to adulthood with behaviors that will last a lifetime is a must.”Another adviser, Dr. Richard Flanigan, a cardiologist who is an assistant clinical professor at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, believes portion control is one of the main keys to living a healthier and longer life. “The chances of developing the diseases responsible for 80 percent of all annual U.S. deaths are not as influenced by family history and genetics as they are by lifestyle choices, including what and how much you eat.”Kemper Dietrich assembled a team of experts with a combined 70 years of experience to create a suite of tableware that will contribute to solving the obesity epidemic.She has more than 20 years of leadership experience. Most of her professional career has been in trust and wealth management in the banking industry. She has experience in research, focus groups and product launches, as well as assisting nonprofit organizations with strategic growth and financial stability. Her expertise led a multibillion-dollar Trust & Wealth Management division at UMB Bank to be the fastest growing and most profitable part of that organization.
Click green for further info
Source: Boulder County Business Report
In case you do not want to invest in Ms. Sheila Kemper Dietrich's products buy low-priced small dinner ware and serve your dinner in these smaller
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Important info
Nutrition quality linked to pancreatic cancer risk
Click green for further info
In a large new study of older Americans, researchers find that people with the healthiest eating habits are about 15 percent less likely to develop pancreatic cancer than those with the poorest diets.
In the analysis of data on more than 500,000 Americans over age 50, men in particular, especially those who were overweight or obese, appeared to benefit most from a high quality diet.
"It is important to note that our findings are based on overall diet and not individual foods. A combination of many foods contributed to the observed association between greater compliance with the Dietary Guidelines (link at the end) and lower risk of pancreatic cancer," lead author Hannah Arem of the National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, Maryland, told Reuters Health in an email.
Though pancreatic cancer is rare - about 1.5 percent of Americans will develop the disease during their lifetimes - it is one of the most aggressive and lethal cancers. Only about six percent of people with pancreatic cancer are still alive five years after diagnosis, according to Arem.
Past studies looking at the relationship between diet and risk for pancreatic cancer have tended to focus on individual foods and found few connections, according to her team's report, published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
To examine links between overall diet and cancer risk, Arem and her colleagues used the government-designed Healthy Eating Index published in 2005 (HEI-2005) as a basis for rating the overall quality of people's diets.
They applied those criteria to responses from 537,218 men and women who were part of the American Association for Retired Persons Diet and Health Study. Between 1995 and 1996, participants filled out diet questionnaires about how often they ate items on a list of 124 foods.
Arem's team then divided participants into five groups based on how closely their diets met HEI-2005 recommendations for consuming healthy foods such as fruits, vegetables and whole grains and limiting unhealthy ones, like red meat and junk foods.
Scores on the index range from 0 (no guidelines met) to 100 (all guidelines met), with high scores indicating the healthiest eating patterns.
Using state cancer registries and Social Security Administration data, the researchers followed participants for about 10 years and found that 2,383 people developed pancreatic cancer.
About 22 percent of the pancreatic cancer cases were among people with the lowest HEI-2005 scores, while 19 percent were in people with the highest scores. Overall, that translates to a 15 percent lower risk among those with the healthiest diets.
Among men who were overweight or obese, however, those with healthy eating scores in the top-fifth group were 28 percent less likely than their counterparts in the bottom-fifth to develop pancreatic cancer. The same effect was not seen among overweight women.
When the researchers adjusted for other factors linked to pancreatic cancer risk, including smoking, alcohol consumption and diabetes, the effects of diet quality remained the same.
Arem's team also looked at specific subgroups of foods and found that people who ate the greatest amounts of certain healthy foods, such as dark-green and orange vegetables, legumes, whole grains and low-fat milk had lowered risk for pancreatic cancer.
The researchers point out in their report, though, that other recent reviews of the literature have not found similar results for people who ate lots of fruits and vegetables, for example.
"Our study showed an association between diet and pancreatic cancer risk, rather than cause and effect. In general, maintaining a healthy diet has many health benefits," Arem said.
Dr. Rachel Ballard-Barbash, also of the National Cancer Institute, and her colleagues also note in an editorial accompanying the new study that attempts to link individual foods or nutrients to cancer risk have yielded conflicting results.
While some understanding about the relationship between diet and certain cancers has been gained, that "knowledge has not yet translated into noticeable reductions in the incidence of the major cancers with diet-related etiology," they write.
Dr. Alfred Neugut, who studies digestive cancers and epidemiology but was not involved in the current research, agreed there are still a lot of unknowns about the links between diet and cancer.
"If you go out of your way to have a healthy diet, then you're probably going out of your way to be healthy in other ways," Neugut, a professor of medicine at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center in New York, told Reuters Health. So it's difficult to tease out whether it's really the diet alone that explains the decreased risk seen in the new study.
"It's always safe to say that it's prudent to eat a healthy diet," he said. But, he added, "I would say that diet and cancer is a topic that, despite huge numbers of studies and huge amounts of money invested, has eluded any dramatic findings."
Click green for further info
SOURCE:
http://bit.ly/17o1kAA and http://bit.ly/1begcFn Journal of the National Cancer Institute, online August 15, 2013.
- Dietary Guidelines for Americans | Health.gov (ODPHP)www.health.gov/dietaryguidelines/The 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans provides evidence-based nutrition information and advice for people age 2 and older.Dietary Guidelines - 2015 Dietary Guidelines - Nomination for New Dietary ...
- 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans www.cnpp.usda.gov/ dietaryguidelines . htm
A ug 15, 2013 - The Dietary Guidelines for Americans are the cornerstone of Federal nutrition policy and nutrition education activities.
A realistic, good guide for the new U.S. "Obamacare"
A Guide to the New Exchanges for U.S.Health Insurance
Date: September 27, 2013 - The date for enrollment is October 1, 2013
Click green for further info
PART A (Part B next below)
Given all of the rhetoric about the Obama administration’s health care law, it’s not surprising that many consumers are confused about how the new insurance exchanges will actually work. Some states that oppose the law have gone as far as intentionally limiting the information that trickles out to its residents.
But after much anticipation, the curtain will finally rise on the exchanges next week, providing millions of consumers with an online marketplace to compare health insurance plans and then buy the coverage on the spot.
The exchanges are likely to be most attractive to people who qualify for subsidized coverage. Individuals with low and moderate incomes may be eligible for a tax credit, which can be used right away, like a gift card, to reduce their monthly premiums. People with pre-existing conditions will no longer be denied coverage or charged more (this applies to most plans outside the exchanges, too). And all of the plans on the exchanges will be required to cover a list of essential services, from maternity care to mental health care.
“In today’s individual market, it’s like Swiss cheese coverage,” said Sarah Dash, a research fellow at the Health Policy Institute at Georgetown University. “Consumers should have an easier time figuring out what they are getting for their money.”
But it’s still going to take some time to analyze the plans and their costs, which are expected to vary widely across the states. And the coverage may still pinch many families’ budgets. Fortunately, there’s a six-month window, from now to March 31, for people to figure it all out.
Here’s some information to get you started:
Q. Where can I apply or get more information on the exchanges?
A. To avoid fraud artists, enter through the front door: Healthcare.gov. From there, you can find links to the exchange offered in your state. There may be technical glitches as the program gets started, so alternatively, you can call 1-800-318-2596.
Q . When does coverage go into effect?
A. You can apply as early as Oct. 1, but coverage won’t begin until Jan. 1. The enrollment period for coverage in 2014 closes on March 31, 2014. After that, you can enroll only if you have a major life event like a job loss, birth, marriage or divorce.
Q. What sort of coverage will be offered?
A. All plans will have to provide the same set of essential benefits, including prescriptions, preventive care, doctor visits, emergency services and hospitalization (this also applies to most individual and small-employer group plans sold outside of the exchanges). But plans can offer additional benefits, or different numbers of services like physical therapy, so you’ll need to do a side-by-side comparison to see what fits your needs — or at least the needs you can anticipate.
Q. Are the plans sold on the exchange more comprehensive than plans outside?
A. There are four plan levels, each named for a precious metal. They all generally offer the same essential benefits, but their cost structures vary. The lower the premium, the higher the out-of-pocket costs.
The bronze level plan, for instance, has the lowest premiums, but will require consumers to shoulder more costs out of pocket. They generally cover 60 percent of a typical population’s out-of-pocket costs, and include deductibles, co-payments and coinsurance. The silver plans cover 70 percent; gold, 80 percent; while platinum covers 90 percent (and therefore carries the highest premiums).
If you buy a plan on an exchange, your annual out-of-pocket costs cannot exceed $6,350 for individuals and $12,700 for a family of two or more in 2014. Catastrophic plans are also available to people under age 30 or those suffering a financial hardship. These carry high deductibles (equivalent to the out-of-pocket maximum, or $6,350 for a single person, in 2014). You cannot apply tax credits to these plans, either.
Premiums will vary across the states because of a variety of factors, like market competition, the underlying cost of care and the negotiating power of the exchanges, according to Kaiser research.
Q. If the costs with plan levels are similar, how will plans differ within the metal levels?
A. Networks of doctors and hospitals will differ, and cost-sharing structures may also vary. One plan might have lower deductibles and higher co-pays, whereas another plan might have a separate deductible for prescriptions. Various medications may also be covered differently. “If you are someone who is taking medicines, make sure you know what your drugs will cost in the various plans being offered,” said Cheryl Fish-Parcham, deputy director of health policy at Families USA, a Washington consumer advocacy group.
Q. Will I be eligible for a premium tax credit (subsidized coverage)?
A. People with income between 100 percent of the poverty line (or about $23,550 for a family of four) and 400 percent of poverty ($94,200 for a family of four) are eligible for a tax credit to defray premium costs. (All income eligibility is based on your modified adjusted gross income; the online version of this column links to a guide explaining how that is calculated).
The tax credits are set up so that consumers will not have to pay more than a certain percentage of their income, ranging from 2 percent for those with incomes of up to 133 percent of the poverty level ($15,282 for a single and $31,322 for a family of four) to 9.5 percent for those with income of 300 to 400 percent of the poverty level, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. The dollar amounts of the credits are calculated based on the costs of the second-to-lowest-cost silver plan available to you.
Kaiser has a calculator that can give you an idea of your eligibility.
Q. Can I get help with my out-of-pocket expenses, like deductibles?
A. People with incomes between 100 percent of the federal poverty line ($23,550 for a family of four) and 250 percent ($58,875 for a family of four) are also eligible for cost-sharing reductions, which means you’ll pay less for items including deductibles and co-payments, and you’ll have lower out-of-pocket maximums.
There is a big caveat: you can qualify for the reductions only if you buy a silver plan. When choosing a silver plan — and compare them closely, because they will differ — the exchange Web site will automatically show what you will pay, with the cost-sharing reductions included, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.
Even if you’re tempted by the bronze plans’ lower premiums, remember you’ll probably end up paying more for out-of-pocket costs. For people who qualify for both premium and cost-sharing subsidies, the silver plan will usually be the better deal, Ms. Fish-Parcham said.
Q. Should I use all of my subsidy at once? How can I avoid owing taxes?
A. The premium subsidies are delivered in the form of a refundable tax credit, which can be used immediately to reduce your monthly premiums.
You can use it all right away, or you can use part of it, or none at all. If you expect your income to remain the same, you might use the entire credit. But if your income is likely to rise, it may pay to use only a portion of the subsidy. That way, you’ll avoid owing money to the I.R.S. at tax time.
If your income does change, report it to the exchange. If your income drops, you may be eligible for a larger credit. Changes in family size should also be reported. “It will all get reconciled on your taxes in the spring of 2015,” said Karen Pollitz, a senior fellow at the Kaiser Family Foundation.
Q. How can I find out if my doctor accepts exchange-based insurance?
A. Many of the insurance providers’ networks of doctors and hospitals will be narrower than are typically found in commercial insurance, as my colleague reported this week. So just because your doctor accepts, say, a Blue Cross plan provided by your employer, that doesn’t necessarily mean the doctor will take the same carrier’s plan offered on the exchange.
The plans will be required to provide a directory that lists their network’s providers, Ms. Pollitz said, so inspect them carefully.
Q. How will I know if my drugs are covered by the plans?
A. The exchanges must include a summary of benefits and coverage for each plan. That includes information about what your co-payments would be for generic, brand name and specialty drugs. It should also provide a Web link to the plan’s list of covered drugs and how they are categorized by a particular plan, said Ms. Fish-Parcham.
Q. If I have employer-based coverage, can I go to the exchange for coverage?
A. You can, but you probably won’t want to. Your employer’s plan is usually a better deal. Many employers heavily subsidize your premiums and you can pay for your coverage using pretax dollars, something you can’t do if you buy coverage on the exchange.
“Plus, employer plans are typically fairly generous,” said Lynn Quincy, a senior policy analyst at Consumers Union.
Besides, if your employer offers you coverage, you probably won’t qualify for a tax credit unless your share of the premium (for the lowest-cost plan for individual coverage offered by your employer) is more than 9.5 percent of your modified adjusted gross income, Ms. Quincy explained.
If your employer’s insurance plan doesn’t cover 60 percent of medical costs, on average (what’s known as “minimum value”) you may also qualify for subsidized coverage. Your employer is supposed to let you know where the plan falls in terms of minimum costs. “If you are spending huge amounts out of pocket each year and you have a high deductible, it’s worth looking at what your possibilities are,” said Sara R. Collins, vice president of the health care coverage and access program at the Commonwealth Fund.
Q. Am I eligible for Medicaid?
A. The health care law aimed to expand Medicaid so that everyone under age 65 would qualify if they earned up to 138 percent of the federal poverty level (that’s about $16,000 for an individual and $32,500 for a family of four in 2014). But the Supreme Court ruled in June that the decision to expand Medicaid is up to the states — and only 26 states have decided to move forward, according to Kaiser.
Q. So if I’m poor but not eligible for Medicaid, can I get insurance on the exchange?
A. Yes, but unfortunately, many people in this situation won’t be able to afford it. People who don’t qualify for their state’s Medicaid program but earn too little to qualify for subsidies on the exchange will have to pay full price for the coverage offered on the exchanges. So if you can’t get Medicaid and your income is below 100 percent of the poverty level, you will not be eligible for subsidized coverage on the exchange.
Q. What if I’m self-employed or own a small business?
A. If you’re self-employed with no employees, you can shop for coverage on the exchange.
If you have fewer than 50 employees, you can get coverage for yourself and your workers though the Small Business Health Options program, known as the SHOP Marketplace. “Small employers have always wanted to have the buying clout of a large employer and the SHOP exchanges offer them just that,” said Kevin Lucia, project director at Georgetown University’s Health Policy Institute.
Q. What are the penalties for not having coverage? Are there any exceptions?
A. Most people will be required to have insurance, with some exceptions:
You are not required to buy insurance if:
(1) the cost of insurance premiums would exceed 8 percent of your income,
(2) your income is below the threshold for filing taxes,
(3) you have a certified hardship,
(4) or you would have qualified for Medicaid but live in a state that did not expand the program.
These 4 groups are exempt:
(1) Illegal immigrants,
(2) the incarcerated,
(3) members of Indian tribes and
(4) those who qualify for certain religious reasons are also exempt
Everyone else will pay a penalty. In 2014, it will cost you $95 or approximately 1 percent of your income, whichever is greater. The penalties will rise each year.
Click green for further info
Source: NYT
_______________
PART B (Part A next above)
Trends to Watch for in Employer Health Plans
in Obamacare
Date 9/27/13 - The date for enrollment is October 1, 2013
A lot of attention has been given to the health insurance exchanges opening next month. But if you’re like most Americans, you’ll still get your insurance through an employer. And that means the annual open enrollment season, when you choose your benefits for the coming year, will soon be upon you.
(Almost anyone can shop on the new exchanges, or marketplaces. But if your job comes with affordable coverage, you’re ineligible for any subsidies and you probably won’t need to shop there).
A few companies have made headlines with big changes to their employee health plans for next year. Walgreen, for instance, is shifting workers to a private health care exchange — separate from the state-based marketplaces created by the Affordable Care Act — where they can shop for plans with a contribution from the company.
And United Parcel Service recently told white-collar workers it would eliminate coverage for spouses who are were eligible for insurance through their own jobs.
So far companies making such major changes remain in the minority. But benefits experts caution that with so much in flux, it’s wise to carefully review the options your employer is offering for next year. “The overarching theme this year is that you have to pay attention,” said Jody Dietel, the chief compliance officer at the benefits management firm WageWorks.
Some trends to watch for include:
■ Higher costs for covering your spouse and children.
If you don’t already, you may pay a surcharge for covering your spouse if your spouse’s job offers coverage. Under the health reform law, companies that offer insurance to workers must also offer it to their children, but you may pay more for covering them, too.
■ Higher deductibles are here to stay.
The trend toward “consumer-driven” plans with high deductibles is continuing, as employers shift costs to workers. Usually, high-deductible plans are offered along with a health savings account, which employees can use to help pay for out-of-pocket medical costs. The idea is that if you are responsible for more of your medical spending, you’ll pay more attention to the cost. Most companies will now offer at least one such high-deductible plan as an option, and more are offering them as the sole plan. “Our best indication is that they’ll be fairly universally offered in the next few years, and in some cases, exclusively offered,” said Christopher Ryan, vice president of ADP’s Strategic Advisory Services, a benefits consultant.
■ Carrots and sticks to influence employee health behavior.
Companies are actively encouraging workers to improve their health, either by offering some sort of payment as an incentive for losing weight or exercising, or higher insurance premiums as a punishment. “Lots of companies are getting aggressive around wellness and health promotion,” said Tom Billet, a health care consultant at Towers Watson.
For instance, your employer may ask you to complete a personal health assessment, or undergo some sort of health screening, like a blood pressure or cholesterol test. As a reward, the company will deposit a bonus into your health savings account.
Here are some questions to consider this year:
■ Why did my employer gave me information about the state health insurance exchanges if I don’t need to use them?
The law requires employers to inform workers about the marketplaces. But for the “vast majority” of employees with workplace coverage, no action is warranted, Mr. Billet said.
■ Should I choose coverage under my employer’s plan, or the one offered by my spouse’s employer?
If you and your spouse have coverage available through your respective jobs, you’ll have to “do the math” both ways to see which option makes the most sense financially, said Helen Darling, president of the National Business Group on Health, which represents large employers.
You’ll also want to take into account any restrictions the plans impose. If your spouse’s plan is less expensive but your family’s doctor isn’t in the plan’s network, for instance, you might want to go with your employer’s plan, even if it costs more.
■ Is there any upside to high-deductible plans?
The plans usually are paired with a health savings account, which can be financed with pretax dollars by either you, your employer or both of you. You can use the money to pay for medical costs that fall under your deductible (and keep in mind that most preventive care is covered outside of the deductible, meaning you shouldn’t have to tap the account to pay for it). If you don’t spend the money, it can be rolled over to the next year.
Source: NYT
________________________________________________________________________
A Guide to the New Exchanges for U.S.Health Insurance
Date: September 27, 2013 - The date for enrollment is October 1, 2013
Click green for further info
PART A (Part B next below)
Given all of the rhetoric about the Obama administration’s health care law, it’s not surprising that many consumers are confused about how the new insurance exchanges will actually work. Some states that oppose the law have gone as far as intentionally limiting the information that trickles out to its residents.
But after much anticipation, the curtain will finally rise on the exchanges next week, providing millions of consumers with an online marketplace to compare health insurance plans and then buy the coverage on the spot.
The exchanges are likely to be most attractive to people who qualify for subsidized coverage. Individuals with low and moderate incomes may be eligible for a tax credit, which can be used right away, like a gift card, to reduce their monthly premiums. People with pre-existing conditions will no longer be denied coverage or charged more (this applies to most plans outside the exchanges, too). And all of the plans on the exchanges will be required to cover a list of essential services, from maternity care to mental health care.
“In today’s individual market, it’s like Swiss cheese coverage,” said Sarah Dash, a research fellow at the Health Policy Institute at Georgetown University. “Consumers should have an easier time figuring out what they are getting for their money.”
But it’s still going to take some time to analyze the plans and their costs, which are expected to vary widely across the states. And the coverage may still pinch many families’ budgets. Fortunately, there’s a six-month window, from now to March 31, for people to figure it all out.
Here’s some information to get you started:
Q. Where can I apply or get more information on the exchanges?
A. To avoid fraud artists, enter through the front door: Healthcare.gov. From there, you can find links to the exchange offered in your state. There may be technical glitches as the program gets started, so alternatively, you can call 1-800-318-2596.
Q . When does coverage go into effect?
A. You can apply as early as Oct. 1, but coverage won’t begin until Jan. 1. The enrollment period for coverage in 2014 closes on March 31, 2014. After that, you can enroll only if you have a major life event like a job loss, birth, marriage or divorce.
Q. What sort of coverage will be offered?
A. All plans will have to provide the same set of essential benefits, including prescriptions, preventive care, doctor visits, emergency services and hospitalization (this also applies to most individual and small-employer group plans sold outside of the exchanges). But plans can offer additional benefits, or different numbers of services like physical therapy, so you’ll need to do a side-by-side comparison to see what fits your needs — or at least the needs you can anticipate.
Q. Are the plans sold on the exchange more comprehensive than plans outside?
A. There are four plan levels, each named for a precious metal. They all generally offer the same essential benefits, but their cost structures vary. The lower the premium, the higher the out-of-pocket costs.
The bronze level plan, for instance, has the lowest premiums, but will require consumers to shoulder more costs out of pocket. They generally cover 60 percent of a typical population’s out-of-pocket costs, and include deductibles, co-payments and coinsurance. The silver plans cover 70 percent; gold, 80 percent; while platinum covers 90 percent (and therefore carries the highest premiums).
If you buy a plan on an exchange, your annual out-of-pocket costs cannot exceed $6,350 for individuals and $12,700 for a family of two or more in 2014. Catastrophic plans are also available to people under age 30 or those suffering a financial hardship. These carry high deductibles (equivalent to the out-of-pocket maximum, or $6,350 for a single person, in 2014). You cannot apply tax credits to these plans, either.
Premiums will vary across the states because of a variety of factors, like market competition, the underlying cost of care and the negotiating power of the exchanges, according to Kaiser research.
Q. If the costs with plan levels are similar, how will plans differ within the metal levels?
A. Networks of doctors and hospitals will differ, and cost-sharing structures may also vary. One plan might have lower deductibles and higher co-pays, whereas another plan might have a separate deductible for prescriptions. Various medications may also be covered differently. “If you are someone who is taking medicines, make sure you know what your drugs will cost in the various plans being offered,” said Cheryl Fish-Parcham, deputy director of health policy at Families USA, a Washington consumer advocacy group.
Q. Will I be eligible for a premium tax credit (subsidized coverage)?
A. People with income between 100 percent of the poverty line (or about $23,550 for a family of four) and 400 percent of poverty ($94,200 for a family of four) are eligible for a tax credit to defray premium costs. (All income eligibility is based on your modified adjusted gross income; the online version of this column links to a guide explaining how that is calculated).
The tax credits are set up so that consumers will not have to pay more than a certain percentage of their income, ranging from 2 percent for those with incomes of up to 133 percent of the poverty level ($15,282 for a single and $31,322 for a family of four) to 9.5 percent for those with income of 300 to 400 percent of the poverty level, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. The dollar amounts of the credits are calculated based on the costs of the second-to-lowest-cost silver plan available to you.
Kaiser has a calculator that can give you an idea of your eligibility.
Q. Can I get help with my out-of-pocket expenses, like deductibles?
A. People with incomes between 100 percent of the federal poverty line ($23,550 for a family of four) and 250 percent ($58,875 for a family of four) are also eligible for cost-sharing reductions, which means you’ll pay less for items including deductibles and co-payments, and you’ll have lower out-of-pocket maximums.
There is a big caveat: you can qualify for the reductions only if you buy a silver plan. When choosing a silver plan — and compare them closely, because they will differ — the exchange Web site will automatically show what you will pay, with the cost-sharing reductions included, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.
Even if you’re tempted by the bronze plans’ lower premiums, remember you’ll probably end up paying more for out-of-pocket costs. For people who qualify for both premium and cost-sharing subsidies, the silver plan will usually be the better deal, Ms. Fish-Parcham said.
Q. Should I use all of my subsidy at once? How can I avoid owing taxes?
A. The premium subsidies are delivered in the form of a refundable tax credit, which can be used immediately to reduce your monthly premiums.
You can use it all right away, or you can use part of it, or none at all. If you expect your income to remain the same, you might use the entire credit. But if your income is likely to rise, it may pay to use only a portion of the subsidy. That way, you’ll avoid owing money to the I.R.S. at tax time.
If your income does change, report it to the exchange. If your income drops, you may be eligible for a larger credit. Changes in family size should also be reported. “It will all get reconciled on your taxes in the spring of 2015,” said Karen Pollitz, a senior fellow at the Kaiser Family Foundation.
Q. How can I find out if my doctor accepts exchange-based insurance?
A. Many of the insurance providers’ networks of doctors and hospitals will be narrower than are typically found in commercial insurance, as my colleague reported this week. So just because your doctor accepts, say, a Blue Cross plan provided by your employer, that doesn’t necessarily mean the doctor will take the same carrier’s plan offered on the exchange.
The plans will be required to provide a directory that lists their network’s providers, Ms. Pollitz said, so inspect them carefully.
Q. How will I know if my drugs are covered by the plans?
A. The exchanges must include a summary of benefits and coverage for each plan. That includes information about what your co-payments would be for generic, brand name and specialty drugs. It should also provide a Web link to the plan’s list of covered drugs and how they are categorized by a particular plan, said Ms. Fish-Parcham.
Q. If I have employer-based coverage, can I go to the exchange for coverage?
A. You can, but you probably won’t want to. Your employer’s plan is usually a better deal. Many employers heavily subsidize your premiums and you can pay for your coverage using pretax dollars, something you can’t do if you buy coverage on the exchange.
“Plus, employer plans are typically fairly generous,” said Lynn Quincy, a senior policy analyst at Consumers Union.
Besides, if your employer offers you coverage, you probably won’t qualify for a tax credit unless your share of the premium (for the lowest-cost plan for individual coverage offered by your employer) is more than 9.5 percent of your modified adjusted gross income, Ms. Quincy explained.
If your employer’s insurance plan doesn’t cover 60 percent of medical costs, on average (what’s known as “minimum value”) you may also qualify for subsidized coverage. Your employer is supposed to let you know where the plan falls in terms of minimum costs. “If you are spending huge amounts out of pocket each year and you have a high deductible, it’s worth looking at what your possibilities are,” said Sara R. Collins, vice president of the health care coverage and access program at the Commonwealth Fund.
Q. Am I eligible for Medicaid?
A. The health care law aimed to expand Medicaid so that everyone under age 65 would qualify if they earned up to 138 percent of the federal poverty level (that’s about $16,000 for an individual and $32,500 for a family of four in 2014). But the Supreme Court ruled in June that the decision to expand Medicaid is up to the states — and only 26 states have decided to move forward, according to Kaiser.
Q. So if I’m poor but not eligible for Medicaid, can I get insurance on the exchange?
A. Yes, but unfortunately, many people in this situation won’t be able to afford it. People who don’t qualify for their state’s Medicaid program but earn too little to qualify for subsidies on the exchange will have to pay full price for the coverage offered on the exchanges. So if you can’t get Medicaid and your income is below 100 percent of the poverty level, you will not be eligible for subsidized coverage on the exchange.
Q. What if I’m self-employed or own a small business?
A. If you’re self-employed with no employees, you can shop for coverage on the exchange.
If you have fewer than 50 employees, you can get coverage for yourself and your workers though the Small Business Health Options program, known as the SHOP Marketplace. “Small employers have always wanted to have the buying clout of a large employer and the SHOP exchanges offer them just that,” said Kevin Lucia, project director at Georgetown University’s Health Policy Institute.
Q. What are the penalties for not having coverage? Are there any exceptions?
A. Most people will be required to have insurance, with some exceptions:
You are not required to buy insurance if:
(1) the cost of insurance premiums would exceed 8 percent of your income,
(2) your income is below the threshold for filing taxes,
(3) you have a certified hardship,
(4) or you would have qualified for Medicaid but live in a state that did not expand the program.
These 4 groups are exempt:
(1) Illegal immigrants,
(2) the incarcerated,
(3) members of Indian tribes and
(4) those who qualify for certain religious reasons are also exempt
Everyone else will pay a penalty. In 2014, it will cost you $95 or approximately 1 percent of your income, whichever is greater. The penalties will rise each year.
Click green for further info
Source: NYT
_______________
PART B (Part A next above)
Trends to Watch for in Employer Health Plans
in Obamacare
Date 9/27/13 - The date for enrollment is October 1, 2013
A lot of attention has been given to the health insurance exchanges opening next month. But if you’re like most Americans, you’ll still get your insurance through an employer. And that means the annual open enrollment season, when you choose your benefits for the coming year, will soon be upon you.
(Almost anyone can shop on the new exchanges, or marketplaces. But if your job comes with affordable coverage, you’re ineligible for any subsidies and you probably won’t need to shop there).
A few companies have made headlines with big changes to their employee health plans for next year. Walgreen, for instance, is shifting workers to a private health care exchange — separate from the state-based marketplaces created by the Affordable Care Act — where they can shop for plans with a contribution from the company.
And United Parcel Service recently told white-collar workers it would eliminate coverage for spouses who are were eligible for insurance through their own jobs.
So far companies making such major changes remain in the minority. But benefits experts caution that with so much in flux, it’s wise to carefully review the options your employer is offering for next year. “The overarching theme this year is that you have to pay attention,” said Jody Dietel, the chief compliance officer at the benefits management firm WageWorks.
Some trends to watch for include:
■ Higher costs for covering your spouse and children.
If you don’t already, you may pay a surcharge for covering your spouse if your spouse’s job offers coverage. Under the health reform law, companies that offer insurance to workers must also offer it to their children, but you may pay more for covering them, too.
■ Higher deductibles are here to stay.
The trend toward “consumer-driven” plans with high deductibles is continuing, as employers shift costs to workers. Usually, high-deductible plans are offered along with a health savings account, which employees can use to help pay for out-of-pocket medical costs. The idea is that if you are responsible for more of your medical spending, you’ll pay more attention to the cost. Most companies will now offer at least one such high-deductible plan as an option, and more are offering them as the sole plan. “Our best indication is that they’ll be fairly universally offered in the next few years, and in some cases, exclusively offered,” said Christopher Ryan, vice president of ADP’s Strategic Advisory Services, a benefits consultant.
■ Carrots and sticks to influence employee health behavior.
Companies are actively encouraging workers to improve their health, either by offering some sort of payment as an incentive for losing weight or exercising, or higher insurance premiums as a punishment. “Lots of companies are getting aggressive around wellness and health promotion,” said Tom Billet, a health care consultant at Towers Watson.
For instance, your employer may ask you to complete a personal health assessment, or undergo some sort of health screening, like a blood pressure or cholesterol test. As a reward, the company will deposit a bonus into your health savings account.
Here are some questions to consider this year:
■ Why did my employer gave me information about the state health insurance exchanges if I don’t need to use them?
The law requires employers to inform workers about the marketplaces. But for the “vast majority” of employees with workplace coverage, no action is warranted, Mr. Billet said.
■ Should I choose coverage under my employer’s plan, or the one offered by my spouse’s employer?
If you and your spouse have coverage available through your respective jobs, you’ll have to “do the math” both ways to see which option makes the most sense financially, said Helen Darling, president of the National Business Group on Health, which represents large employers.
You’ll also want to take into account any restrictions the plans impose. If your spouse’s plan is less expensive but your family’s doctor isn’t in the plan’s network, for instance, you might want to go with your employer’s plan, even if it costs more.
■ Is there any upside to high-deductible plans?
The plans usually are paired with a health savings account, which can be financed with pretax dollars by either you, your employer or both of you. You can use the money to pay for medical costs that fall under your deductible (and keep in mind that most preventive care is covered outside of the deductible, meaning you shouldn’t have to tap the account to pay for it). If you don’t spend the money, it can be rolled over to the next year.
Source: NYT
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Article 1 of 2 (Article 2 of 2 next below)
For Obamacare to Work, Everyone Must Be In
Date: August 3, 2013
Written by Robert H. Frank, an economics professor
at the Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management at Cornell University
Click green for further info
TWO beliefs continue to shape debate on Obamacare. First, pre-existing medical conditions shouldn’t prevent people from obtaining affordable health insurance. And second, people who don’t want health insurance shouldn’t be forced by the government to purchase it.
These may seem to be reasonable positions. But they are incompatible. That’s been shown by historical events, and it’s now being strikingly confirmed by recent experience in the emerging Obamacare insurance exchanges.
The crux of the matter is what economists call the adverse-selection problem. Uninsured people with pre-existing conditions often face tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars in out-of-pocket medical costs annually. If insurers charged everyone the same rate, buying coverage would be far more attractive financially for people with chronic illnesses than for healthy people. And as healthy policyholders began dropping out of the insured pool, it would become increasingly composed of sick people, forcing insurers to raise their rates.
But higher rates make insurance even less attractive for healthy people, causing even more of them to drop out. Before long, coverage would become too expensive for almost everyone.
The adverse-selection problem explains why almost no countries leave health care provision to unregulated private insurance markets. It also predicts that requiring private insurance companies to charge the same rates to everyone will make it prohibitively expensive for most people to buy individual health insurance.
In the 1990s, lawmakers in New York State enacted just such a requirement, and the result was exactly as predicted. Rates for individual policies soared, making New Yorkers’ insurance among the most expensive in the nation. Now, rates quoted under the Obamacare exchanges place individual policies within reach for millions of New Yorkers. New York City residents who had been paying $1,000 a month for individual policies in the earlier environment, for example, will now be able to purchase similar coverage on the Obamacare exchanges for slightly more than $300 a month.
What’s changed? Insurers are able to offer more reasonable rates because the individual mandate — the requirement in Obamacare that everyone buy insurance or face financial penalties — is ensuring a high proportion of healthy people in the insured pool.
Early quotes for individual policies on the exchanges in several other states have exhibited a similar pattern. That’s true in California, for example, and in Maryland, the latest state to report, rates now compare favorably with those in employer group plans.
Despite this experience, many in Congress want to repeal the individual mandate. Some, such as Senator Marco Rubio of Florida, have even threatened to shut down the government unless Obamacare is repealed entirely.
What alternatives are there? One way of avoiding the adverse-selection problem would be to re-emphasize traditional employer-provided health plans. Adverse selection is less serious under such plans, because the favorable tax treatment they receive requires insurers to cover all employees irrespective of pre-existing conditions. (Insurers can meet the requirement because most people employed in any company are reasonably healthy.)
But Obamacare was enacted precisely because employer plans fell short in many other ways. Millions of people, for example, are ineligible for such plans because they don’t have jobs. And millions of others with chronic health problems are trapped in their current jobs, because leaving them would mean losing coverage.
Employer plans arose in the first place only because of a loophole created by wage controls during World War II. In an effort to curb the costs of the war effort, the government prohibited wage increases but, perhaps by oversight, did not prevent employers from offering additional fringe benefits as a way to combat labor shortages. Employer health plans proved an especially effective recruiting tool and had the additional advantage of not being taxed as implicit income.
BUT if universal access to health care is the goal, employer plans are not the solution. Because global competition has increased pressure to cut costs, the number of workers with such plans has been steadily declining for more than 40 years.
The challenge was to design a new system that could cover the more than 50 million Americans without health insurance. The Medicare-for-all proposal favored by many health economists was one approach that the administration considered.
But that approach would have required Americans to abandon their existing employer plans for something new and unfamiliar. In the light of survey evidence that most Americans were reasonably satisfied with their existing plans, it’s hard to second-guess President Obama’s conclusion that this step would have been politically infeasible (= not possible to do easily or conveniently; impracticable).
The only remaining option was to supplement existing employer plans with regulated private insurance markets. This approach had been carried out successfully in Switzerland, and in Massachusetts under Mitt Romney when he was governor. Individual mandates were an essential ingredient of that strategy. And given that many people could not afford to purchase insurance, it was also necessary to include subsidies for low-income buyers.
Obamacare, in any event, is now the law of the land. Even its most ardent supporters concede that the program will need to be amended as experience accumulates. But evidence from the emerging insurance exchanges vindicates*) the basic policy choices underlying the legislation.*) vindicate = show or prove to be right, reasonable, or justified
We must ask those who would repeal Obamacare how they propose to solve the adverse-selection problem. That problem is not an abstraction invented by economists to justify trampling individual liberties. As experience in most countries around the world has confirmed, it is a profound source of market failure that renders unregulated insurance markets a catastrophically ineffective way of providing access to health care.
Source: NYT
Written by Robert H. Frank, an economics professor at the Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management at Cornell University
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Article 2 of 2 (Article 1 of 2 next above)
Health law coverage may track
workplace cost shift
Detailed information of plan pricing - beneficial information for everyone
Click green for further info
President Barack Obama's health care law appears to mirror a trend in job-based insurance, where employees are being nudged into cost-saving plans that require them to pay a bigger share of their medical expenses.
Two independent studies out this week highlighted attractive prices for less-generous "bronze" plans that will offer low monthly premiums but require patients to pick up more of the cost if they get sick.
Consumers might avoid "rate shock" over premiums, but some could end up struggling with bigger bills for the care they receive.
The Obama plans will be available starting Oct. 1 for people who don't have access to coverage on the job.
Studies by the nonpartisan Kaiser Family Foundation and Avalere Health provided the first look at rates filed by insurers around the country, ahead of the Oct. 1 opening of new state insurance markets under the law.
Consumers will use the markets to find out whether they qualify for tax credits to help pay their premiums and to pick a private insurance plan from a range of coverage levels: bronze, silver, gold and platinum.
Come Jan. 1, virtually everyone in the United States will be required to have coverage, or face fines if they don't. At the same time, insurance companies no longer can turn away people in poor health.
"What was really striking as we dug into the numbers is how inexpensive the bronze plans are," said Larry Levitt, a Kaiser vice president.
Avalere, a private data analysis firm, found the average monthly premium for a bronze plan is $274, compared with $336 for the next level of coverage, a silver plan. The savings from going with bronze adds up to $744 annually, and that's off the sticker price, before federal tax credits that will reduce premiums for an estimated 4 out of 5 customers in the new markets.
It's "likely to entice healthier enrollees to opt for a less generous benefit package," said Caroline Pearson, a lead author of the study.
The law's tax credits will make low-cost plans even more appealing. The tax credits work by limiting what you pay for premiums to a given percentage of your income.
click:
Chart shows what health insurers are anticipated to charge in various states for coverage under the …
By pairing their tax credit with a bronze policy, some younger consumers can bring their premiums down to the range of $100 to $140 a month, the Kaiser study found. Older people can drive their monthly cost even lower — well below $100, and zero in some cases— if they are willing to take a chance with higher deductibles and copays.
It's a trade-off that some consumers unfamiliar with insurance might not fully grasp.
"A bronze plan is a very basic plan," explained Levitt. It "will enable consumers to pay very low premiums up front, zero in some cases. But when they actually need medical care, they will pay higher costs out of their own pockets." For the most part, you're stuck with the plan you pick until the next annual open enrollment season.
Job-based plans have been shifting costs to employees for some time. In 2009, when Obama took office, 22 percent of workers were in plans with an annual deductible of $1,000 or more for single coverage, according to Kaiser. By this year, the share had nearly doubled, to 38 percent, including 3 out of 5 employees of small companies.
Obama's law largely reflects what's already going on in the marketplace, but Pearson said over time it may accelerate the shift to plans with higher out-of-pocket costs.
Administration officials are pleased with the large number of low-cost options. Health and Human Services Department spokeswoman Joanne Peters said the administration is confident that consumers will be able to compare plans side by side in the new markets and make the right choices for themselves.
Avalere crunched the numbers on premiums filed by insurers in 11 states and Washington, D.C. Kaiser added another 6 states. Both studies included a mix of states running their own insurance markets and ones in which the federal government will take charge.
Under Obama's law, all plans on the new insurance markets must cover the same benefits, including preventive care at no charge to patients. Another similarity is a cap on total out-of-pocket costs at $6,350 for individuals, $12,700 for a family policy.
The main difference between plans is cost-sharing. Bronze plans cover 60 percent of expected medical costs, silver plans will cover 70 percent, gold will cover 80 percent and platinum 90 percent.
Midrange silver plans were considered the benchmark when the law was written more than three years ago. Lawmakers keyed the tax credits to the cost of the second-lowest-cost silver plan in a local area.
People with modest incomes may still come out ahead by sticking with a silver plan instead of going for bronze. That's because additional help with out-of-pocket costs such as copays will only be available to people enrolling in a silver plan.
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Source: Associated Press - NYT
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8 Less Quoted Effects of Obesity
More than 36 percent of Americans are now considered obese,
according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. An additional 34 percent are considered overweight.
Click: Centers for Disease Control and Preventionwww.cdc.gov/
Any amount of overweight will cause sickness of all kinds - endless amounts, step by step. 95 % of all sicknesses are caused by harmful lifestyle and improper nutrition.
These statistics are quoted so often that many people may no longer find them surprising. Yet what may still be surprising is how far the effects of obesity reach beyond clothing size and cardiovascular risks. In addition to health, it can also impact other aspects of your life, including family relationships and income.
Read on to learn about seven ways carrying those extra pounds may be influencing the way you live - there are many more- these 7 are not so often repeated.
More Migraines
A new study published in the journal Neurology revealed what a real headache carrying extra weight can be. Johns Hopkins researchers surveyed nearly 4,000 people to find that the higher their body mass index, the greater their chances were of having episodic migraines. Those who were obese were 81 percent more likely to experience at least 14 migraine headaches each month compared to people who were a healthy weight. Obese women over the age of 50 suffered from chronic headaches the most.
Neurologywww.neurology.org/ NEUROLOGY JOURNAL · CLINICAL PRACTICE JOURNAL · CONTINUUM · NEUROLOGY TODAY
More Cancer
The National Cancer Institute associates 34,000 new cases of cancer in men and 50,000 in women each year with obesity.
Right now the link between excess weight and cancer is purely circumstantial and not necessarily cause-and-effect, but experts have floated some theories as to why more body fat tracks with higher rates of cancer.
"It could be that excess fat cells increase hormonal activity or they increase growth factors that lead to tumor growth," said Dr. Raul Seballos, vice chairman of preventive medicine at the Cleveland Clinic.
Obese people are at higher risk for all cancers, Seballos said. They are often diagnosed in later stages of cancer than thinner people and are more likely to die from the disease. Some emerging data looking at weight-loss surgery patients suggests that some of this risk can be diminished by losing weight.
Infertility Increases
Overweight women have a harder time getting pregnant. One Indian study of 300 morbidly obese women found that over 90 percent of them developed polycystic ovarian disease, a condition associated with infertility, over a three-year period.
As with cancer, the association between obesity and infertility isn't entirely clear.
"Obesity is an inflammatory state and that alone might decrease fertility," noted Dr. Marc Bessler, director of the Center for Weight Loss and Metabolic Surgery at New York Presbyterian Hospital atColumbia University Medical Center. "It may also be the result of hormone changes produced by the fatty tissue."
Bessler said that many of his heavier patients experienced difficulty getting pregnant. And many infertility clinics don't accept female patients with high body mass indexes given their diminished chances of conceiving. However, Bessler said some of his patients become pregnant just months after weight-loss surgery once they had dropped a few pounds.
Premature Birth Risk
For heavier women who do get pregnant, the worries aren't over. A new study in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that obesity increases a woman's chance of having a pre-term baby, especially when her body mass index is 35 or higher. The study's authors speculate that having too much fat may inflame and weaken the uterine and cervical membranes. Whatever the reason, it can have devastating effects. Premature birth is the leading cause of infant death and long-term disabilities.
Less Shuteye
Sleep and excess weight do not make good bedfellows. Nearly 80 percent of older, obese Americans report having problems with sleep, a recent American Sleep Foundation survey found.
Poor sleep contributes to a host of diseases including diabetes, heart disease and, ironically, obesity itself. Numerous studies link short sleep to expanding waistlines, including the Harvard Nurses' Study, which found that those who slumbered less than five hours a night were 15 percent more likely to gain weight than those who enjoyed at least seven hours of sleep.
Dr. Donald Hensrud, a nutritionist and preventive medicine expert in the department of endocrinology, diabetes, metabolism and nutrition at the Mayo Clinic, said one of the most immediate health dangers for many obese people is sleep apnea, a condition in which a person gasps or stops breathing momentarily while asleep.
"Sleep apnea can be caused by increased fat around the neck area that presses down and closes off the soft tissues of the airways while a person is lying down, especially on his back," Hensrud said. "This means the person does not get good quality sleep, has less oxygen in the blood stream, and the heart has to work harder."
Tough Love
Though fat people are often the butt of the joke, obesity stigma is no laughing matter.
A Yale study found that weight is the number one reason people are bullied at any age and those who are bullied have lower self-esteem, higher levels of depression and increased risk of suicide.
The main source of ridicule, according to the Yale researchers: Loved ones.
"More than 40 percent of children who seek treatment for weight loss say they have been bullied or teased by a family member," said the study's lead author, Rebecca Puhl. "When we asked obese women who stigmatized them the most, 72 percent said it was someone in their family."
Puhl said discussions with loved ones about their burgeoning weight often come across as judgmental and derogatory, even when intentions are good. However, offering support and encouragement is the most effective approach to help someone struggling to drop off pounds.
Medical Gap
The number two source of stigma, after loved ones?
Puhl said her studies have found that 67 percent of overweight men and women report being shamed or bullied in the doctor's office. And 50 percent of doctors found that fat patients were "awkward, ugly, weak-willed and unlikely to comply with treatment" while 24 percent of nurses said they were repulsed by their obese patients.
A negative reception from a healthcare provider is especially detrimental to obese people, Puhl stressed, because they already contend with a greater number of health problems than average.
"Besides jeopardizing discussions between patients and healthcare providers, someone who is obese is more likely to avoid the doctor altogether even when they have a problem," she said.
However Puhl noted that the knife cuts both ways. Her studies reveal that people are less apt to follow doctor's orders and more likely to switch to a new provider if their physician is overweight.
Shrinking Wallet
Centers for Disease Control and Preventionwww.cdc.gov/
Click green for further info
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Click the green title - if the link has expired search the web with the title: What Papa John's Doesn't Want
You to Know About Its Food U.S. News & World Report
Fast food chains boast fresh ingredients,
but don't actually reveal what's inside their food __________________________
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The Tongue patch "diet" (below) is not endorsed by STAF, Inc., time being:
more research needs to be shown for any long-term results & possible health risks
The article is placed as news
Date: August 2013
The tongue patch "diet"
It was pioneered in the United States by cosmetic surgeon Dr. Nikolas Chugay
He introduced the procedure four years ago after first seeing it done in Latin America
The tongue patch diet - plastic mesh, meant for hernia repair,
is sewn onto the tongue, making eating solid food painful, if not impossible
Video link below at the end
Click green for further info
How does the patch turn a tongue into a tormenting deterrent to dinner? It was pioneered in the United States by cosmetic surgeon Dr. Nikolas Chugay. He introduced the procedure four years ago after first seeing it done in Latin America.
“As you’re swallowing, say, a cheeseburger or something, that tongue is pushing things up against the roof of the mouth and back into the throat,” explained Chugay. “And so while it's doing that, it's going to basically be uncomfortable if you have that on top of the sutures, which are basically fishing line. So now you have two little sharp points on the tongue, rubbing up against the top of the mouth, and it’s going to be uncomfortable.”
The procedure takes about 10 minutes. Chugay said he has not encountered any risks or infections and no patients have swallowed the patch. The average weight loss is anywhere from 18 to 20 pounds. The price tag is $2,000.
His 81st patient is Lanuza. With the tongue patch in place, her customary greasy fried food is now off limits. It’s a strict 800-calorie per day liquid diet of juice, broth and protein shakes until the patch is removed in one month.
“I am actually terrified of eating solid food, just thinking about having that much pain,” she said.
But the tongue patch has its critics.
“I think it’s a barbaric procedure,” said Dr. Rob Huizenga, who specializes in long-term weight loss and has spent 14 seasons as an expert on the television program “The Biggest Loser.”
“This is so primitive an approach,” he continued. “You could hire somebody to hold a gun to your head and threaten to shoot you every time you eat. The idea that you put this patch in and every time you even take one morsel of solid food you get this stabbing pain, who the heck knows what the long-term consequences of that are.”
Dr. Huizenga also pointed to studies that show how most extreme dieters who lose weight rapidly eventually gain it all back – and more.
Dr. Chugay’s son and partner, Dr. Paul Chugay, did submit a study that claims 70 percent of their patients lost an average of 16 pounds and kept it off for 8 months. But the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery won’t publish it without more data.
Click: The Tongue Patch Diet: Effective or Crazy? | Video - ABC News
If the link has expired search the web with the title
Click green for further info
Source: ABC News
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Hypnosis - a proven method
for successful weight loss & motivation & all life success
No negative side effects
STAF, Inc. provides advanced hypnotherapy services in
(1) in weight loss, (2) stop smoking, (3) marriage happiness & (4) in a variety of other topics
in private & in group sessions
ALL STAF, Inc.'s (1) private & (2) group services (including all hypnotherapy services)
are result guaranteed for a lifetime with one-time fee only
No one anywhere gives a similar guarantee
STAF, Inc. also provides certification training and continuing education to future or experienced hypnotherapist
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The first article is a case report from England
Then a brief scientific look to the effectiveness of hypnotherapy
WEIGHT LOSS HYPNOTHERAPY
Ask Amber, a 30-year-old communications specialist from Olympia, Washington, about the gastric-band surgery she had last July, and she'll describe it in detail: the sound of her gurney (= a wheeled stretcher) being wheeled into the operating room, the acrid smell of anesthetic, the tight feeling in her stomach that she awoke with afterward. The procedure's success became evident as she dropped 82 pounds over the next six months: "I lost 10 inches from my waist and went from a 42DD to a 36C bra size," she says. "It was a real transformation."
However, the surgery never really happened and there was no risk for life-threatening experiences.
Amber underwent Gastric Mind Band (trademarked as GmB), a sort of virtual-reality hypnosis session—complete with hospital-mimicking sound effects, odors, and temperature control—during which patients "experience" the implanting of a stomach-shrinking apparatus.
The hypnotherapy client do believe they've had gastric band surgery, but most know they haven't. All of the successful cases, however, walk away feeling as though their stomachs are smaller and can't hold much food, just like those who've had the real operation. More than 1 000 patients have been treated since 2008, and there is currently a three-month waiting list—despite the $2,950 price tag.
Brief scientific look to the effectiveness of hypnotherapy
There is clear evidence that the brain's powers of visualization can affect the motivation to eat or not-to-eat.
In a recent study conducted at Carnegie Mellon University (continues under the CMU website link)
click: Carnegie Mellon University | CMUwww.cmu.eduCarnegie Mellon University (CMU) is a global research university recognized for world-class arts and technology programs
researchers found that people who imagined eating 30 M&Ms consumed less of the actual candy when it was offered to them afterward than those who visualized feeding 30 quarters into a laundry machine. "There's a lot of research to show that imagination and experience overlap," says Joachim Vosgerau, PhD, who was on the study team. "Whether I think about seeing a spider or really do see a spider, the same reaction will occur in my brain. The way the brain imagines things is by stimulating the regions that would be involved in experiencing something." Then there's the well-documented placebo effect, which is believed to explain why up to 75 percent of subjects derive some benefit from taking dummy pills in FDA trials of new drugs. Though its parameters haven't been studied across all areas of medicine, the effect might apply to some minor surgeries: In a clinical trial conducted by Houston-based orthopedic surgeon Bruce Moseley, MD, and published in The New England Journal of Medicine, (NEJM - Official Site - The New England Journal of Medicinewww.nejm.org/)
patients with arthritic knees who were taken into an operating room and given incisions but no surgical intervention showed as much improvement in mobility and pain relief as those who underwent arthroscopic surgery.
The hypnotic placebo effect has also been shown to work on subjects who know the "medicine" they're being given isn't real; similarly, hypnotism relies on a tacit compliance from patients—if they choose to believe it works, it's more likely to. Despite vaguely vaudevillian specters of pocket-watch-swinging quacks intoning "You are getting very skinny...," studies show that hypnotherapy can legitimately assist weight loss. A study published in Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology®www.apa.org/journals/ccp.html
showed that among a group of 60 obese women following the same diet plan, those using hypnosis shed an average of 17 pounds, while the others (not given any hypnotherapy) lost an average of only 0.5 pounds, and a 1996 meta-analysis published in the same journal demonstrated that adding hypnosis to a range of weight-loss treatments increased their effectiveness by an average of 97 percent.
During hypnosis, suggestions—such as reinforcing the idea that the subject doesn't need to clear her plate—are "planted" into the brain when it's most relaxed and receptive. It's logical to target the subconscious when trying to quell the urge to pig out: As Susan Roberts, PhD, a Tufts University nutritionist and coauthor of The Instinct Diet, says, "The feelings of reward for eating and hunger are in the lower, unconscious part of our brains."
Even Shirran, however, doesn't believe that hypnosis alone is enough to conjure a sustained slim-down. The "surgery" in GmB is actually the culmination of a four-day intensive program during which patients are given "forensic questionnaires" to parse their relationship to food, shown videos of gastric-band surgery being performed, and taken through guided-imagery sessions in which they envision their stomachs deflating from the size of a melon to that of a golf ball. Hypnotist Hazel Newsom, who practices GmB at her office near Seattle (and who recently appeared on Good Morning America with a patient who had lost 125 pounds, purportedly from GmB), says, "One of the components is cognitive-behavioral therapy. We're teaching people to think about the way they think." Even the vocabulary of dieting is reconfigured to be more positive: You don't lose weight, you "release" it, as if those extra 15 or 50 pounds were just hanging around, waiting for permission to leave. By the time GmB subjects "go under" for the faux operation, they've already begun to unknot the tangle of physical and psychological impulses that led to their weight problem in the first place.
"I've read about a lot of people who've had gastric-band surgery," says Amber, the GmB believer, "and it's been a failure because they weren't able to change the behaviors behind their eating patterns. What's worked for me is the package deal: The physical sensation of my stomach being smaller only lasted a few weeks, but I had the education about calories and portion control to fall back on."
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Source: STAF, Inc.'s training archives
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The More Effective Way to Lose Weight
Easy & Brings the results
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Tried losing weight a million times but never had much success? You might be going at it the wrong way: Learning how to maintain your current weight helps women stick to healthier lifestyles and lost weight, according to a new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association Internal Medicine.
In the study, overweight African American women were put in a program that gave them weight-maintenance (not weight-loss) pointers, such as to skip fast food, watch less TV, and cut their daily caloric intake by just 200 calories a day. They were also taught skills such as how to read nutrition labels and how to find low-calorie dishes on restaurant menus. After 12 months, 62 percent of the women were either at or below their original weight. On average, the women had dropped about two pounds each.
So why did this "maintain, don't gain" method work? One reason could be that it's simply easier to stick with healthy habits that control your current weight rather than those that are actively designed to drop pounds, says study author Gary Bennett, Ph.D., associate professor of psychology, global health, and medicine at Duke University. Cutting only 200 calories from your daily diet is a lot more doable than cutting 500 calories, after all.
"If you're a person who's been unsuccessful at losing weight, the best thing you can do is try not to gain any," says Bennett, who notes that even a small amount of weight gain can pose a major health risk. So skip soda and drink water instead, or order a side salad with your meal instead of French fries--the simpler the change, the more likely you'll continue doing it and eventually keep off (or lose) weight.
10 Things That Slow Your Metabolism
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Source: Journal of the American Medical Association Internal Medicine
Click: American Medical Associationama-assn.org/
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For a healthier life
Shopping Help for Weight Loss and Healthier Life
New Methods for Smarter Choices at The Grocery Store
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Samuel Pulido walked into his local grocery store on a sweltering day, greeted by cool air and the fantasy-world ambience of the modern supermarket.
Soft music drifted. Neon-bright colors turned his head this way and that. “WOW!!!” gasped the posters hanging from entranceway racks, heralding the sugary drinks, wavy chips and Berry Colossal Crunch being thrust his way.
Then he looked down at his grocery cart and felt quite a different tug. Inside the front of the buggy, hooked onto its red steel frame, was a mirror. It stretched nearly a foot across, and as Mr. Pulido gripped the cart a little more tightly, it filled with the reflection of his startled face.
The sight was meant to be a splash of reality in the otherwise anonymous la-la land of food shopping, a reminder of who he was, how he looked and perhaps what he had come in for. And if the spell cast by the store wasn’t entirely broken, it seemed to have lost at least some of its grip.
“I’m looking at myself, and thinking, ‘O.K., now what?’ ” he said.
The mirror is part of an effort to get Americans to change their eating habits, by two social scientists outmaneuvering the processed-food giants on their own turf, using their own tricks: the distracting little nudges and cues that confront a supermarket shopper at every turn. The researchers, like many government agencies and healthy-food advocates these days, are out to increase consumption of fruits and vegetables. But instead of preaching about diabetes or slapping taxes on junk food, they gently prod shoppers — so gently, in fact, that it’s hard to believe the results.
In one early test at a store in Virginia, grocery carts carried a strip of yellow duct tape that divided the baskets neatly in half; a flier instructed shoppers to put their fruits and vegetables in the front half of the cart. Average produce sales per customer jumped to $8.85 from $3.99.
Here in El Paso a few months ago, the researchers focused on the floor, laying down large plastic mats bearing huge green arrows that pointed shoppers to the produce aisle. The outcome surprised no one more than the grocer.
“In retail, the customer tends to go to the right,” said Tim Taylor, the produce director for Lowe’s, Pay and Save, a regional grocery chain that let the scientists in to experiment with their arrows and mirrors. “But I watched when the arrows were down, pointing left, and that’s where people went: left, 9 out of 10.”
With those same guinea-pig customers, the scientists tinkered again with the cart, creating a glossy placard that hung inside the baskets like the mirrors. In English and Spanish, the signs told shoppers how much produce the average customer was buying (five items a visit), and which fruits and vegetables were the biggest sellers (bananas, limes and avocados) — information that, in scientific parlance, conveys social norms, or acceptable behavior.
By the second week, produce sales had jumped 10 percent, with a whopping 91 percent rise for those participating in the government nutrition program called Women, Infants and Children. Lowe’s was so excited that it now plans to put the placards in every cart at its 22 stores in El Paso and nearby Las Cruces, N.M., and perhaps later at all 146 of its stores.
For grocers, there is one potential glitch: While produce sales climbed in these trials, the store’s total sales remained mostly the same. That meant shoppers spent less on nonproduce items. “They’re moving preference from one side of the store to the other, which is wonderful,” said Michael Kelly, a senior program officer at the Paso Del Norte Health Foundation, which is financing the research. “People still stay on their budgets, get more nutrients and less of the processed — well, let’s just say bad — stuff.”
But the owners of Lowe’s are smiling, too, because along with the meat counter, the produce aisle is one of the most profitable parts of a grocery store, with large volumes and higher-than-average markups from the wholesale cost. So even if sales of frozen pizza and potato chips dip, the grocer’s net profit will rise if zucchini gains.
Finding a profit motive in social policy fits well with the politically conservative views of the researchers engaged in this supermarket manipulation: two Republican-leaning academics at New Mexico State University in Las Cruces.
One, Collin R. Payne, a 38-year-old associate professor, graduated from Brigham Young University and then worked on a string of groundbreaking studies at the Food and Brand Lab at Cornell University that affirmed a concept known as mindful eating: the notion that if you put food on a smaller plate, you’ll probably eat less.
The same idea, he says, extends to shopping. “The more mindless you are when you shop, the more you are going to be poked and prodded to buy the manufacturer’s products,” Mr. Payne said. “We’re trying to give consumers the same power the companies have.”
His colleague, a Romanian émigré named Mihai Niculescu, 37, came up with the mirror idea by marrying his own specialty in business marketing, known as behavioral choice, with research done by others on self-image. Over a fully loaded Mexican meal at the famed L & J Cafe here, he said his own sizable belly gave him an insider’s edge when studying the marketing cues that lead to overconsumption. “Eating this, I don’t realize I’m overweight, until I look at myself,” he said.
A paper the two men wrote last year for The Agricultural and Resource Economics Review said the conventional methods promoted in Washington and elsewhere to encourage Americans to eat more fruits and vegetables have either failed, or require taxpayer money at a time when food stamps are at political risk. These efforts include ads and store display signs promoting produce as healthful, and reducing its cost through tools like additional vouchers for low-income women.
By contrast, Mr. Payne and Mr. Niculescu are pursuing a strategy that behavioral scientists call nudge marketing, an idea popularized by the 2008 book “Nudge,” by the former Obama administration regulatory affairs administrator Cass R. Sunstein and the University of Chicago professor Richard H. Thaler.
Nudge marketing calls for applying just the right amount of pressure to persuade: not too little, not too much. In the El Paso grocery trials, using both the green arrows on the floor with the green placards in the carts caused produce sales to fall.
“It nudged too hard,” Mr. Payne said.
By several measures, El Paso is one tough testing ground for these studies. Thirty-two percent of the city’s adults are obese, and 12.2 percent have diabetes, exceeding the statewide average, according to Texas health department estimates. The fast-growing Hispanic population has become a favorite marketing target for processed-food manufacturers.
Much of that was evident at the Lowe’s store where Mr. Pulido and other shoppers encountered the mirrors. Many of its customers are significantly overweight, and gravitate toward the chip and soda aisles. As in many supermarkets, the store’s produce section, while decently stocked with eye-pleasing displays, gets only about 10 percent of the total space and none of the prime real estate that drives the most sales: the front-of-the-store display towers, which companies rent from the store, and spots by the checkout lanes.
“That’s Frito-Lay, that’s Frito-Lay, that’s Frito-Lay,” said the manager, Gloria Narro, spinning around in the center of the store to point out all the displays for that company’s snacks. “We’re all trying to eat healthier, but there’s so much competition for us,” she said. “Right next door is a store known for its fresh meat. Walmart is down the street. Walgreens and CVS just opened up, carrying whatever you need in food.”
The scientists have other tricks up their sleeves. They recently gave Lowe’s a research paper with 56 ideas for increasing produce sales, like putting a rack of onions near the meat counter, for making fajitas.
But it’s their retooling of shopping carts that is drawing the interest of marketing and obesity experts alike.
“I think what they’re doing is very innovative and clever,” said Michael R. Lowe, a Drexel University psychology professor and longtime researcher on weight control. “If you put up some cues that remind people of their weight or healthy eating, without hitting them over the head, they will go and choose healthier items. The mirror might do that, but the question will be, ‘What kind of memory association will their body elicit?’ And that is hard to know beforehand. For those who are overweight, it might elicit the sense of, ‘Oh, I need to lose weight.’ Or, ‘I don’t like to see myself because I’m so big,’ which might lead to choosing healthier food.”
Mr. Payne and Mr. Niculescu acknowledge that the mirror is still an unproven tool and hope to conduct a formal trial later this year.
They started by placing a full-length mirror just inside the store’s entrance, which shoppers either ignored or used for some impromptu primping. The mirrored cart was more arresting, as Kathy Saenz, one of the store’s customer service representatives, noticed when she tried the cart out. “My hair looks that bad?” she asked.
Mr. Pulido, who was surprised to see his face in the mirror, didn’t comment on his physique, which is fairly trim. But noting the general condition of his fellow customers, he offered researchers a suggestion.
“You should hang it a little lower,” he said, “so you show people’s bellies.”
(Buy Me!)
Scientists are beginning to study ways to get shoppers to buy more produce, but grocers and their suppliers have already spent years perfecting strategies to sell processed foods. Here’s a sampling of tactics:
THE SWEETEST ITEMS are sold at eye level, midway along aisles, where shoppers’ attention lingers longest.
THE ENDS OF AISLES are huge revenue generators, especially for soda, which makes 45 percent of its sales through racks there, according to the Coca-Cola Retailing Research Council.
IMPULSE PURCHASES (60 percent of purchases are unplanned) can be encouraged by placing items next to checkouts.
FREE-STANDING DISPLAYS are also effective toward the rear of the supermarket and on the left side of aisles. Research cited by the Coca-Cola council shows that shoppers move through the store counterclockwise, from the back to the front; in the aisles, they buy items mostly from shelves to their left.
SPRINKLING THE SAME PRODUCT throughout the store, rather than grouping it in one spot, will boost sales through repetitive exposure.
GROUPING THE INGREDIENTS for a meal in one spot can attract home cooks pressed for time.
POSTING HEALTH-RELATED INFORMATION — online, and on kiosks and shelf tags — can link groceries to good health in shoppers’ minds, even though only 23 percent of them say they always look for nutritional information on labels.
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Source: NYT
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For Obamacare to Work, Everyone Must Be In
Date: August 3, 2013
Written by Robert H. Frank, an economics professor
at the Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management at Cornell University
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TWO beliefs continue to shape debate on Obamacare. First, pre-existing medical conditions shouldn’t prevent people from obtaining affordable health insurance. And second, people who don’t want health insurance shouldn’t be forced by the government to purchase it.
These may seem to be reasonable positions. But they are incompatible. That’s been shown by historical events, and it’s now being strikingly confirmed by recent experience in the emerging Obamacare insurance exchanges.
The crux of the matter is what economists call the adverse-selection problem. Uninsured people with pre-existing conditions often face tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars in out-of-pocket medical costs annually. If insurers charged everyone the same rate, buying coverage would be far more attractive financially for people with chronic illnesses than for healthy people. And as healthy policyholders began dropping out of the insured pool, it would become increasingly composed of sick people, forcing insurers to raise their rates.
But higher rates make insurance even less attractive for healthy people, causing even more of them to drop out. Before long, coverage would become too expensive for almost everyone.
The adverse-selection problem explains why almost no countries leave health care provision to unregulated private insurance markets. It also predicts that requiring private insurance companies to charge the same rates to everyone will make it prohibitively expensive for most people to buy individual health insurance.
In the 1990s, lawmakers in New York State enacted just such a requirement, and the result was exactly as predicted. Rates for individual policies soared, making New Yorkers’ insurance among the most expensive in the nation. Now, rates quoted under the Obamacare exchanges place individual policies within reach for millions of New Yorkers. New York City residents who had been paying $1,000 a month for individual policies in the earlier environment, for example, will now be able to purchase similar coverage on the Obamacare exchanges for slightly more than $300 a month.
What’s changed? Insurers are able to offer more reasonable rates because the individual mandate — the requirement in Obamacare that everyone buy insurance or face financial penalties — is ensuring a high proportion of healthy people in the insured pool.
Early quotes for individual policies on the exchanges in several other states have exhibited a similar pattern. That’s true in California, for example, and in Maryland, the latest state to report, rates now compare favorably with those in employer group plans.
Despite this experience, many in Congress want to repeal the individual mandate. Some, such as Senator Marco Rubio of Florida, have even threatened to shut down the government unless Obamacare is repealed entirely.
What alternatives are there? One way of avoiding the adverse-selection problem would be to re-emphasize traditional employer-provided health plans. Adverse selection is less serious under such plans, because the favorable tax treatment they receive requires insurers to cover all employees irrespective of pre-existing conditions. (Insurers can meet the requirement because most people employed in any company are reasonably healthy.)
But Obamacare was enacted precisely because employer plans fell short in many other ways. Millions of people, for example, are ineligible for such plans because they don’t have jobs. And millions of others with chronic health problems are trapped in their current jobs, because leaving them would mean losing coverage.
Employer plans arose in the first place only because of a loophole created by wage controls during World War II. In an effort to curb the costs of the war effort, the government prohibited wage increases but, perhaps by oversight, did not prevent employers from offering additional fringe benefits as a way to combat labor shortages. Employer health plans proved an especially effective recruiting tool and had the additional advantage of not being taxed as implicit income.
BUT if universal access to health care is the goal, employer plans are not the solution. Because global competition has increased pressure to cut costs, the number of workers with such plans has been steadily declining for more than 40 years.
The challenge was to design a new system that could cover the more than 50 million Americans without health insurance. The Medicare-for-all proposal favored by many health economists was one approach that the administration considered.
But that approach would have required Americans to abandon their existing employer plans for something new and unfamiliar. In the light of survey evidence that most Americans were reasonably satisfied with their existing plans, it’s hard to second-guess President Obama’s conclusion that this step would have been politically infeasible (= not possible to do easily or conveniently; impracticable).
The only remaining option was to supplement existing employer plans with regulated private insurance markets. This approach had been carried out successfully in Switzerland, and in Massachusetts under Mitt Romney when he was governor. Individual mandates were an essential ingredient of that strategy. And given that many people could not afford to purchase insurance, it was also necessary to include subsidies for low-income buyers.
Obamacare, in any event, is now the law of the land. Even its most ardent supporters concede that the program will need to be amended as experience accumulates. But evidence from the emerging insurance exchanges vindicates*) the basic policy choices underlying the legislation.*) vindicate = show or prove to be right, reasonable, or justified
We must ask those who would repeal Obamacare how they propose to solve the adverse-selection problem. That problem is not an abstraction invented by economists to justify trampling individual liberties. As experience in most countries around the world has confirmed, it is a profound source of market failure that renders unregulated insurance markets a catastrophically ineffective way of providing access to health care.
Source: NYT
Written by Robert H. Frank, an economics professor at the Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management at Cornell University
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Article 2 of 2 (Article 1 of 2 next above)
Health law coverage may track
workplace cost shift
Detailed information of plan pricing - beneficial information for everyone
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President Barack Obama's health care law appears to mirror a trend in job-based insurance, where employees are being nudged into cost-saving plans that require them to pay a bigger share of their medical expenses.
Two independent studies out this week highlighted attractive prices for less-generous "bronze" plans that will offer low monthly premiums but require patients to pick up more of the cost if they get sick.
Consumers might avoid "rate shock" over premiums, but some could end up struggling with bigger bills for the care they receive.
The Obama plans will be available starting Oct. 1 for people who don't have access to coverage on the job.
Studies by the nonpartisan Kaiser Family Foundation and Avalere Health provided the first look at rates filed by insurers around the country, ahead of the Oct. 1 opening of new state insurance markets under the law.
Consumers will use the markets to find out whether they qualify for tax credits to help pay their premiums and to pick a private insurance plan from a range of coverage levels: bronze, silver, gold and platinum.
Come Jan. 1, virtually everyone in the United States will be required to have coverage, or face fines if they don't. At the same time, insurance companies no longer can turn away people in poor health.
"What was really striking as we dug into the numbers is how inexpensive the bronze plans are," said Larry Levitt, a Kaiser vice president.
Avalere, a private data analysis firm, found the average monthly premium for a bronze plan is $274, compared with $336 for the next level of coverage, a silver plan. The savings from going with bronze adds up to $744 annually, and that's off the sticker price, before federal tax credits that will reduce premiums for an estimated 4 out of 5 customers in the new markets.
It's "likely to entice healthier enrollees to opt for a less generous benefit package," said Caroline Pearson, a lead author of the study.
The law's tax credits will make low-cost plans even more appealing. The tax credits work by limiting what you pay for premiums to a given percentage of your income.
click:
Chart shows what health insurers are anticipated to charge in various states for coverage under the …
By pairing their tax credit with a bronze policy, some younger consumers can bring their premiums down to the range of $100 to $140 a month, the Kaiser study found. Older people can drive their monthly cost even lower — well below $100, and zero in some cases— if they are willing to take a chance with higher deductibles and copays.
It's a trade-off that some consumers unfamiliar with insurance might not fully grasp.
"A bronze plan is a very basic plan," explained Levitt. It "will enable consumers to pay very low premiums up front, zero in some cases. But when they actually need medical care, they will pay higher costs out of their own pockets." For the most part, you're stuck with the plan you pick until the next annual open enrollment season.
Job-based plans have been shifting costs to employees for some time. In 2009, when Obama took office, 22 percent of workers were in plans with an annual deductible of $1,000 or more for single coverage, according to Kaiser. By this year, the share had nearly doubled, to 38 percent, including 3 out of 5 employees of small companies.
Obama's law largely reflects what's already going on in the marketplace, but Pearson said over time it may accelerate the shift to plans with higher out-of-pocket costs.
Administration officials are pleased with the large number of low-cost options. Health and Human Services Department spokeswoman Joanne Peters said the administration is confident that consumers will be able to compare plans side by side in the new markets and make the right choices for themselves.
Avalere crunched the numbers on premiums filed by insurers in 11 states and Washington, D.C. Kaiser added another 6 states. Both studies included a mix of states running their own insurance markets and ones in which the federal government will take charge.
Under Obama's law, all plans on the new insurance markets must cover the same benefits, including preventive care at no charge to patients. Another similarity is a cap on total out-of-pocket costs at $6,350 for individuals, $12,700 for a family policy.
The main difference between plans is cost-sharing. Bronze plans cover 60 percent of expected medical costs, silver plans will cover 70 percent, gold will cover 80 percent and platinum 90 percent.
Midrange silver plans were considered the benchmark when the law was written more than three years ago. Lawmakers keyed the tax credits to the cost of the second-lowest-cost silver plan in a local area.
People with modest incomes may still come out ahead by sticking with a silver plan instead of going for bronze. That's because additional help with out-of-pocket costs such as copays will only be available to people enrolling in a silver plan.
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Source: Associated Press - NYT
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8 Less Quoted Effects of Obesity
More than 36 percent of Americans are now considered obese,
according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. An additional 34 percent are considered overweight.
Click: Centers for Disease Control and Preventionwww.cdc.gov/
Any amount of overweight will cause sickness of all kinds - endless amounts, step by step. 95 % of all sicknesses are caused by harmful lifestyle and improper nutrition.
These statistics are quoted so often that many people may no longer find them surprising. Yet what may still be surprising is how far the effects of obesity reach beyond clothing size and cardiovascular risks. In addition to health, it can also impact other aspects of your life, including family relationships and income.
Read on to learn about seven ways carrying those extra pounds may be influencing the way you live - there are many more- these 7 are not so often repeated.
More Migraines
A new study published in the journal Neurology revealed what a real headache carrying extra weight can be. Johns Hopkins researchers surveyed nearly 4,000 people to find that the higher their body mass index, the greater their chances were of having episodic migraines. Those who were obese were 81 percent more likely to experience at least 14 migraine headaches each month compared to people who were a healthy weight. Obese women over the age of 50 suffered from chronic headaches the most.
Neurologywww.neurology.org/ NEUROLOGY JOURNAL · CLINICAL PRACTICE JOURNAL · CONTINUUM · NEUROLOGY TODAY
More Cancer
The National Cancer Institute associates 34,000 new cases of cancer in men and 50,000 in women each year with obesity.
Right now the link between excess weight and cancer is purely circumstantial and not necessarily cause-and-effect, but experts have floated some theories as to why more body fat tracks with higher rates of cancer.
"It could be that excess fat cells increase hormonal activity or they increase growth factors that lead to tumor growth," said Dr. Raul Seballos, vice chairman of preventive medicine at the Cleveland Clinic.
Obese people are at higher risk for all cancers, Seballos said. They are often diagnosed in later stages of cancer than thinner people and are more likely to die from the disease. Some emerging data looking at weight-loss surgery patients suggests that some of this risk can be diminished by losing weight.
Infertility Increases
Overweight women have a harder time getting pregnant. One Indian study of 300 morbidly obese women found that over 90 percent of them developed polycystic ovarian disease, a condition associated with infertility, over a three-year period.
As with cancer, the association between obesity and infertility isn't entirely clear.
"Obesity is an inflammatory state and that alone might decrease fertility," noted Dr. Marc Bessler, director of the Center for Weight Loss and Metabolic Surgery at New York Presbyterian Hospital atColumbia University Medical Center. "It may also be the result of hormone changes produced by the fatty tissue."
Bessler said that many of his heavier patients experienced difficulty getting pregnant. And many infertility clinics don't accept female patients with high body mass indexes given their diminished chances of conceiving. However, Bessler said some of his patients become pregnant just months after weight-loss surgery once they had dropped a few pounds.
Premature Birth Risk
For heavier women who do get pregnant, the worries aren't over. A new study in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that obesity increases a woman's chance of having a pre-term baby, especially when her body mass index is 35 or higher. The study's authors speculate that having too much fat may inflame and weaken the uterine and cervical membranes. Whatever the reason, it can have devastating effects. Premature birth is the leading cause of infant death and long-term disabilities.
Less Shuteye
Sleep and excess weight do not make good bedfellows. Nearly 80 percent of older, obese Americans report having problems with sleep, a recent American Sleep Foundation survey found.
Poor sleep contributes to a host of diseases including diabetes, heart disease and, ironically, obesity itself. Numerous studies link short sleep to expanding waistlines, including the Harvard Nurses' Study, which found that those who slumbered less than five hours a night were 15 percent more likely to gain weight than those who enjoyed at least seven hours of sleep.
Dr. Donald Hensrud, a nutritionist and preventive medicine expert in the department of endocrinology, diabetes, metabolism and nutrition at the Mayo Clinic, said one of the most immediate health dangers for many obese people is sleep apnea, a condition in which a person gasps or stops breathing momentarily while asleep.
"Sleep apnea can be caused by increased fat around the neck area that presses down and closes off the soft tissues of the airways while a person is lying down, especially on his back," Hensrud said. "This means the person does not get good quality sleep, has less oxygen in the blood stream, and the heart has to work harder."
Tough Love
Though fat people are often the butt of the joke, obesity stigma is no laughing matter.
A Yale study found that weight is the number one reason people are bullied at any age and those who are bullied have lower self-esteem, higher levels of depression and increased risk of suicide.
The main source of ridicule, according to the Yale researchers: Loved ones.
"More than 40 percent of children who seek treatment for weight loss say they have been bullied or teased by a family member," said the study's lead author, Rebecca Puhl. "When we asked obese women who stigmatized them the most, 72 percent said it was someone in their family."
Puhl said discussions with loved ones about their burgeoning weight often come across as judgmental and derogatory, even when intentions are good. However, offering support and encouragement is the most effective approach to help someone struggling to drop off pounds.
Medical Gap
The number two source of stigma, after loved ones?
Puhl said her studies have found that 67 percent of overweight men and women report being shamed or bullied in the doctor's office. And 50 percent of doctors found that fat patients were "awkward, ugly, weak-willed and unlikely to comply with treatment" while 24 percent of nurses said they were repulsed by their obese patients.
A negative reception from a healthcare provider is especially detrimental to obese people, Puhl stressed, because they already contend with a greater number of health problems than average.
"Besides jeopardizing discussions between patients and healthcare providers, someone who is obese is more likely to avoid the doctor altogether even when they have a problem," she said.
However Puhl noted that the knife cuts both ways. Her studies reveal that people are less apt to follow doctor's orders and more likely to switch to a new provider if their physician is overweight.
Shrinking Wallet
Centers for Disease Control and Preventionwww.cdc.gov/
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Click the green title - if the link has expired search the web with the title: What Papa John's Doesn't Want
You to Know About Its Food U.S. News & World Report
Fast food chains boast fresh ingredients,
but don't actually reveal what's inside their food __________________________
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The Tongue patch "diet" (below) is not endorsed by STAF, Inc., time being:
more research needs to be shown for any long-term results & possible health risks
The article is placed as news
Date: August 2013
The tongue patch "diet"
It was pioneered in the United States by cosmetic surgeon Dr. Nikolas Chugay
He introduced the procedure four years ago after first seeing it done in Latin America
The tongue patch diet - plastic mesh, meant for hernia repair,
is sewn onto the tongue, making eating solid food painful, if not impossible
Video link below at the end
Click green for further info
How does the patch turn a tongue into a tormenting deterrent to dinner? It was pioneered in the United States by cosmetic surgeon Dr. Nikolas Chugay. He introduced the procedure four years ago after first seeing it done in Latin America.
“As you’re swallowing, say, a cheeseburger or something, that tongue is pushing things up against the roof of the mouth and back into the throat,” explained Chugay. “And so while it's doing that, it's going to basically be uncomfortable if you have that on top of the sutures, which are basically fishing line. So now you have two little sharp points on the tongue, rubbing up against the top of the mouth, and it’s going to be uncomfortable.”
The procedure takes about 10 minutes. Chugay said he has not encountered any risks or infections and no patients have swallowed the patch. The average weight loss is anywhere from 18 to 20 pounds. The price tag is $2,000.
His 81st patient is Lanuza. With the tongue patch in place, her customary greasy fried food is now off limits. It’s a strict 800-calorie per day liquid diet of juice, broth and protein shakes until the patch is removed in one month.
“I am actually terrified of eating solid food, just thinking about having that much pain,” she said.
But the tongue patch has its critics.
“I think it’s a barbaric procedure,” said Dr. Rob Huizenga, who specializes in long-term weight loss and has spent 14 seasons as an expert on the television program “The Biggest Loser.”
“This is so primitive an approach,” he continued. “You could hire somebody to hold a gun to your head and threaten to shoot you every time you eat. The idea that you put this patch in and every time you even take one morsel of solid food you get this stabbing pain, who the heck knows what the long-term consequences of that are.”
Dr. Huizenga also pointed to studies that show how most extreme dieters who lose weight rapidly eventually gain it all back – and more.
Dr. Chugay’s son and partner, Dr. Paul Chugay, did submit a study that claims 70 percent of their patients lost an average of 16 pounds and kept it off for 8 months. But the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery won’t publish it without more data.
Click: The Tongue Patch Diet: Effective or Crazy? | Video - ABC News
If the link has expired search the web with the title
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Source: ABC News
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Hypnosis - a proven method
for successful weight loss & motivation & all life success
No negative side effects
STAF, Inc. provides advanced hypnotherapy services in
(1) in weight loss, (2) stop smoking, (3) marriage happiness & (4) in a variety of other topics
in private & in group sessions
ALL STAF, Inc.'s (1) private & (2) group services (including all hypnotherapy services)
are result guaranteed for a lifetime with one-time fee only
No one anywhere gives a similar guarantee
STAF, Inc. also provides certification training and continuing education to future or experienced hypnotherapist
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The first article is a case report from England
Then a brief scientific look to the effectiveness of hypnotherapy
WEIGHT LOSS HYPNOTHERAPY
Ask Amber, a 30-year-old communications specialist from Olympia, Washington, about the gastric-band surgery she had last July, and she'll describe it in detail: the sound of her gurney (= a wheeled stretcher) being wheeled into the operating room, the acrid smell of anesthetic, the tight feeling in her stomach that she awoke with afterward. The procedure's success became evident as she dropped 82 pounds over the next six months: "I lost 10 inches from my waist and went from a 42DD to a 36C bra size," she says. "It was a real transformation."
However, the surgery never really happened and there was no risk for life-threatening experiences.
Amber underwent Gastric Mind Band (trademarked as GmB), a sort of virtual-reality hypnosis session—complete with hospital-mimicking sound effects, odors, and temperature control—during which patients "experience" the implanting of a stomach-shrinking apparatus.
The hypnotherapy client do believe they've had gastric band surgery, but most know they haven't. All of the successful cases, however, walk away feeling as though their stomachs are smaller and can't hold much food, just like those who've had the real operation. More than 1 000 patients have been treated since 2008, and there is currently a three-month waiting list—despite the $2,950 price tag.
Brief scientific look to the effectiveness of hypnotherapy
There is clear evidence that the brain's powers of visualization can affect the motivation to eat or not-to-eat.
In a recent study conducted at Carnegie Mellon University (continues under the CMU website link)
click: Carnegie Mellon University | CMUwww.cmu.eduCarnegie Mellon University (CMU) is a global research university recognized for world-class arts and technology programs
researchers found that people who imagined eating 30 M&Ms consumed less of the actual candy when it was offered to them afterward than those who visualized feeding 30 quarters into a laundry machine. "There's a lot of research to show that imagination and experience overlap," says Joachim Vosgerau, PhD, who was on the study team. "Whether I think about seeing a spider or really do see a spider, the same reaction will occur in my brain. The way the brain imagines things is by stimulating the regions that would be involved in experiencing something." Then there's the well-documented placebo effect, which is believed to explain why up to 75 percent of subjects derive some benefit from taking dummy pills in FDA trials of new drugs. Though its parameters haven't been studied across all areas of medicine, the effect might apply to some minor surgeries: In a clinical trial conducted by Houston-based orthopedic surgeon Bruce Moseley, MD, and published in The New England Journal of Medicine, (NEJM - Official Site - The New England Journal of Medicinewww.nejm.org/)
patients with arthritic knees who were taken into an operating room and given incisions but no surgical intervention showed as much improvement in mobility and pain relief as those who underwent arthroscopic surgery.
The hypnotic placebo effect has also been shown to work on subjects who know the "medicine" they're being given isn't real; similarly, hypnotism relies on a tacit compliance from patients—if they choose to believe it works, it's more likely to. Despite vaguely vaudevillian specters of pocket-watch-swinging quacks intoning "You are getting very skinny...," studies show that hypnotherapy can legitimately assist weight loss. A study published in Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology®www.apa.org/journals/ccp.html
showed that among a group of 60 obese women following the same diet plan, those using hypnosis shed an average of 17 pounds, while the others (not given any hypnotherapy) lost an average of only 0.5 pounds, and a 1996 meta-analysis published in the same journal demonstrated that adding hypnosis to a range of weight-loss treatments increased their effectiveness by an average of 97 percent.
During hypnosis, suggestions—such as reinforcing the idea that the subject doesn't need to clear her plate—are "planted" into the brain when it's most relaxed and receptive. It's logical to target the subconscious when trying to quell the urge to pig out: As Susan Roberts, PhD, a Tufts University nutritionist and coauthor of The Instinct Diet, says, "The feelings of reward for eating and hunger are in the lower, unconscious part of our brains."
Even Shirran, however, doesn't believe that hypnosis alone is enough to conjure a sustained slim-down. The "surgery" in GmB is actually the culmination of a four-day intensive program during which patients are given "forensic questionnaires" to parse their relationship to food, shown videos of gastric-band surgery being performed, and taken through guided-imagery sessions in which they envision their stomachs deflating from the size of a melon to that of a golf ball. Hypnotist Hazel Newsom, who practices GmB at her office near Seattle (and who recently appeared on Good Morning America with a patient who had lost 125 pounds, purportedly from GmB), says, "One of the components is cognitive-behavioral therapy. We're teaching people to think about the way they think." Even the vocabulary of dieting is reconfigured to be more positive: You don't lose weight, you "release" it, as if those extra 15 or 50 pounds were just hanging around, waiting for permission to leave. By the time GmB subjects "go under" for the faux operation, they've already begun to unknot the tangle of physical and psychological impulses that led to their weight problem in the first place.
"I've read about a lot of people who've had gastric-band surgery," says Amber, the GmB believer, "and it's been a failure because they weren't able to change the behaviors behind their eating patterns. What's worked for me is the package deal: The physical sensation of my stomach being smaller only lasted a few weeks, but I had the education about calories and portion control to fall back on."
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Source: STAF, Inc.'s training archives
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The More Effective Way to Lose Weight
Easy & Brings the results
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Tried losing weight a million times but never had much success? You might be going at it the wrong way: Learning how to maintain your current weight helps women stick to healthier lifestyles and lost weight, according to a new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association Internal Medicine.
In the study, overweight African American women were put in a program that gave them weight-maintenance (not weight-loss) pointers, such as to skip fast food, watch less TV, and cut their daily caloric intake by just 200 calories a day. They were also taught skills such as how to read nutrition labels and how to find low-calorie dishes on restaurant menus. After 12 months, 62 percent of the women were either at or below their original weight. On average, the women had dropped about two pounds each.
So why did this "maintain, don't gain" method work? One reason could be that it's simply easier to stick with healthy habits that control your current weight rather than those that are actively designed to drop pounds, says study author Gary Bennett, Ph.D., associate professor of psychology, global health, and medicine at Duke University. Cutting only 200 calories from your daily diet is a lot more doable than cutting 500 calories, after all.
"If you're a person who's been unsuccessful at losing weight, the best thing you can do is try not to gain any," says Bennett, who notes that even a small amount of weight gain can pose a major health risk. So skip soda and drink water instead, or order a side salad with your meal instead of French fries--the simpler the change, the more likely you'll continue doing it and eventually keep off (or lose) weight.
10 Things That Slow Your Metabolism
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Source: Journal of the American Medical Association Internal Medicine
Click: American Medical Associationama-assn.org/
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For a healthier life
Shopping Help for Weight Loss and Healthier Life
New Methods for Smarter Choices at The Grocery Store
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Samuel Pulido walked into his local grocery store on a sweltering day, greeted by cool air and the fantasy-world ambience of the modern supermarket.
Soft music drifted. Neon-bright colors turned his head this way and that. “WOW!!!” gasped the posters hanging from entranceway racks, heralding the sugary drinks, wavy chips and Berry Colossal Crunch being thrust his way.
Then he looked down at his grocery cart and felt quite a different tug. Inside the front of the buggy, hooked onto its red steel frame, was a mirror. It stretched nearly a foot across, and as Mr. Pulido gripped the cart a little more tightly, it filled with the reflection of his startled face.
The sight was meant to be a splash of reality in the otherwise anonymous la-la land of food shopping, a reminder of who he was, how he looked and perhaps what he had come in for. And if the spell cast by the store wasn’t entirely broken, it seemed to have lost at least some of its grip.
“I’m looking at myself, and thinking, ‘O.K., now what?’ ” he said.
The mirror is part of an effort to get Americans to change their eating habits, by two social scientists outmaneuvering the processed-food giants on their own turf, using their own tricks: the distracting little nudges and cues that confront a supermarket shopper at every turn. The researchers, like many government agencies and healthy-food advocates these days, are out to increase consumption of fruits and vegetables. But instead of preaching about diabetes or slapping taxes on junk food, they gently prod shoppers — so gently, in fact, that it’s hard to believe the results.
In one early test at a store in Virginia, grocery carts carried a strip of yellow duct tape that divided the baskets neatly in half; a flier instructed shoppers to put their fruits and vegetables in the front half of the cart. Average produce sales per customer jumped to $8.85 from $3.99.
Here in El Paso a few months ago, the researchers focused on the floor, laying down large plastic mats bearing huge green arrows that pointed shoppers to the produce aisle. The outcome surprised no one more than the grocer.
“In retail, the customer tends to go to the right,” said Tim Taylor, the produce director for Lowe’s, Pay and Save, a regional grocery chain that let the scientists in to experiment with their arrows and mirrors. “But I watched when the arrows were down, pointing left, and that’s where people went: left, 9 out of 10.”
With those same guinea-pig customers, the scientists tinkered again with the cart, creating a glossy placard that hung inside the baskets like the mirrors. In English and Spanish, the signs told shoppers how much produce the average customer was buying (five items a visit), and which fruits and vegetables were the biggest sellers (bananas, limes and avocados) — information that, in scientific parlance, conveys social norms, or acceptable behavior.
By the second week, produce sales had jumped 10 percent, with a whopping 91 percent rise for those participating in the government nutrition program called Women, Infants and Children. Lowe’s was so excited that it now plans to put the placards in every cart at its 22 stores in El Paso and nearby Las Cruces, N.M., and perhaps later at all 146 of its stores.
For grocers, there is one potential glitch: While produce sales climbed in these trials, the store’s total sales remained mostly the same. That meant shoppers spent less on nonproduce items. “They’re moving preference from one side of the store to the other, which is wonderful,” said Michael Kelly, a senior program officer at the Paso Del Norte Health Foundation, which is financing the research. “People still stay on their budgets, get more nutrients and less of the processed — well, let’s just say bad — stuff.”
But the owners of Lowe’s are smiling, too, because along with the meat counter, the produce aisle is one of the most profitable parts of a grocery store, with large volumes and higher-than-average markups from the wholesale cost. So even if sales of frozen pizza and potato chips dip, the grocer’s net profit will rise if zucchini gains.
Finding a profit motive in social policy fits well with the politically conservative views of the researchers engaged in this supermarket manipulation: two Republican-leaning academics at New Mexico State University in Las Cruces.
One, Collin R. Payne, a 38-year-old associate professor, graduated from Brigham Young University and then worked on a string of groundbreaking studies at the Food and Brand Lab at Cornell University that affirmed a concept known as mindful eating: the notion that if you put food on a smaller plate, you’ll probably eat less.
The same idea, he says, extends to shopping. “The more mindless you are when you shop, the more you are going to be poked and prodded to buy the manufacturer’s products,” Mr. Payne said. “We’re trying to give consumers the same power the companies have.”
His colleague, a Romanian émigré named Mihai Niculescu, 37, came up with the mirror idea by marrying his own specialty in business marketing, known as behavioral choice, with research done by others on self-image. Over a fully loaded Mexican meal at the famed L & J Cafe here, he said his own sizable belly gave him an insider’s edge when studying the marketing cues that lead to overconsumption. “Eating this, I don’t realize I’m overweight, until I look at myself,” he said.
A paper the two men wrote last year for The Agricultural and Resource Economics Review said the conventional methods promoted in Washington and elsewhere to encourage Americans to eat more fruits and vegetables have either failed, or require taxpayer money at a time when food stamps are at political risk. These efforts include ads and store display signs promoting produce as healthful, and reducing its cost through tools like additional vouchers for low-income women.
By contrast, Mr. Payne and Mr. Niculescu are pursuing a strategy that behavioral scientists call nudge marketing, an idea popularized by the 2008 book “Nudge,” by the former Obama administration regulatory affairs administrator Cass R. Sunstein and the University of Chicago professor Richard H. Thaler.
Nudge marketing calls for applying just the right amount of pressure to persuade: not too little, not too much. In the El Paso grocery trials, using both the green arrows on the floor with the green placards in the carts caused produce sales to fall.
“It nudged too hard,” Mr. Payne said.
By several measures, El Paso is one tough testing ground for these studies. Thirty-two percent of the city’s adults are obese, and 12.2 percent have diabetes, exceeding the statewide average, according to Texas health department estimates. The fast-growing Hispanic population has become a favorite marketing target for processed-food manufacturers.
Much of that was evident at the Lowe’s store where Mr. Pulido and other shoppers encountered the mirrors. Many of its customers are significantly overweight, and gravitate toward the chip and soda aisles. As in many supermarkets, the store’s produce section, while decently stocked with eye-pleasing displays, gets only about 10 percent of the total space and none of the prime real estate that drives the most sales: the front-of-the-store display towers, which companies rent from the store, and spots by the checkout lanes.
“That’s Frito-Lay, that’s Frito-Lay, that’s Frito-Lay,” said the manager, Gloria Narro, spinning around in the center of the store to point out all the displays for that company’s snacks. “We’re all trying to eat healthier, but there’s so much competition for us,” she said. “Right next door is a store known for its fresh meat. Walmart is down the street. Walgreens and CVS just opened up, carrying whatever you need in food.”
The scientists have other tricks up their sleeves. They recently gave Lowe’s a research paper with 56 ideas for increasing produce sales, like putting a rack of onions near the meat counter, for making fajitas.
But it’s their retooling of shopping carts that is drawing the interest of marketing and obesity experts alike.
“I think what they’re doing is very innovative and clever,” said Michael R. Lowe, a Drexel University psychology professor and longtime researcher on weight control. “If you put up some cues that remind people of their weight or healthy eating, without hitting them over the head, they will go and choose healthier items. The mirror might do that, but the question will be, ‘What kind of memory association will their body elicit?’ And that is hard to know beforehand. For those who are overweight, it might elicit the sense of, ‘Oh, I need to lose weight.’ Or, ‘I don’t like to see myself because I’m so big,’ which might lead to choosing healthier food.”
Mr. Payne and Mr. Niculescu acknowledge that the mirror is still an unproven tool and hope to conduct a formal trial later this year.
They started by placing a full-length mirror just inside the store’s entrance, which shoppers either ignored or used for some impromptu primping. The mirrored cart was more arresting, as Kathy Saenz, one of the store’s customer service representatives, noticed when she tried the cart out. “My hair looks that bad?” she asked.
Mr. Pulido, who was surprised to see his face in the mirror, didn’t comment on his physique, which is fairly trim. But noting the general condition of his fellow customers, he offered researchers a suggestion.
“You should hang it a little lower,” he said, “so you show people’s bellies.”
(Buy Me!)
Scientists are beginning to study ways to get shoppers to buy more produce, but grocers and their suppliers have already spent years perfecting strategies to sell processed foods. Here’s a sampling of tactics:
THE SWEETEST ITEMS are sold at eye level, midway along aisles, where shoppers’ attention lingers longest.
THE ENDS OF AISLES are huge revenue generators, especially for soda, which makes 45 percent of its sales through racks there, according to the Coca-Cola Retailing Research Council.
IMPULSE PURCHASES (60 percent of purchases are unplanned) can be encouraged by placing items next to checkouts.
FREE-STANDING DISPLAYS are also effective toward the rear of the supermarket and on the left side of aisles. Research cited by the Coca-Cola council shows that shoppers move through the store counterclockwise, from the back to the front; in the aisles, they buy items mostly from shelves to their left.
SPRINKLING THE SAME PRODUCT throughout the store, rather than grouping it in one spot, will boost sales through repetitive exposure.
GROUPING THE INGREDIENTS for a meal in one spot can attract home cooks pressed for time.
POSTING HEALTH-RELATED INFORMATION — online, and on kiosks and shelf tags — can link groceries to good health in shoppers’ minds, even though only 23 percent of them say they always look for nutritional information on labels.
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Source: NYT
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Important info for everyone
Study this and start eating avocados
Avocados: The World's Most Perfect Food?
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Not only do avocados protect vision, reduced heart attack risk,
and potentially ward off cancer, but they can also slim your waist
and keep extra pounds off, according to new research
In fact, this nutrient-packed green superfruit has such an amazing bounty of health benefits that it’s been called “the world’s most perfect food.” Here’s a look at why avocados—not just apples—might just be your best bet for keeping the doctor away.
Stay Leaner and Lighter
Although avocados are high in fat (the healthy kind), people who eat them regularly are actually thinner than those who don’t, according to a new study published in Nutrition Journal. When the researchers crunched numbers from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), they discovered that avocado eaters had a lower average weight (7.5 pounds less), smaller waistline (1.6 inches less), and lower BMI than non-consumers. For dozens of delicious ways to enjoy the creamy green fruit—from soups and dips to sandwiches, salads, breakfasts and even desserts-- visit the California Avocado Growers website.
10 Best Foods for Beautiful Skin
Reduced Heart Attack and Diabetes Risk
What’s more, the same study found that avocado eaters also had lower risk for metabolic syndrome. Fifty million Americans, many of whom are undiagnosed, suffer from this dangerous cluster of abnormalities that quintuple risk for type 2 diabetes and triple it for heart attack. To be diagnosed with metabolic syndrome, you must have at least three of these disorders: a large waistline (also called an “apple shape.”), high blood pressure, high blood sugar, low HDL (good) cholesterol, and high triglycerides.
More Youthful Skin and Fewer Wrinkles
Foods that are high in carotenoids, such as avocados, may slow down skin aging, protect against damage from UV rays, and even protect against sunburn, according to (click) a new paper published in Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition. The researchers also report that eating a diet high in green and yellow veggies is linked to fewer wrinkles, while one that’s high in healthy fats is linked to greater skin elasticity. Most remarkably, several preclinical studies suggest that compounds in avocado may also enhance wound healing.
The Best Diet to Prevent Migraine Headaches
Anti-Inflammatory Benefits
In a small study (click) published in Food & Function, healthy men who ate a hamburger with a slice of avocado had reduced inflammation and blood vessel reactivity two hours later, compared to men who only ate a hamburger.
(click) As reported recently, chronic inflammation has been linked to an increasingly long list of diseases, from Alzheimer’s to heart attacks, strokes, diabetes, sleep apnea, and cancer. Some scientists even theorize that this fiery process may underlie all chronic diseases. Two groundbreaking studies recently (click) published in Lancet were the first to show a cause-and-effect relationship between inflammation in the artery wall and heart disease risk.
Possible Protection Against Cancer
Also known as alligator pears, avocados have a high concentration of phytochemicals that may have cancer-combatting powers. In lab tests (click) Ohio State University researchers found that these compounds killed oral cancer cells, but not normal cells from the lining of the mouth, by doubling or even tripling apoptosis (= the process of programmed cell self-destruction). The same team also (click) reported that, “phytochemicals from the avocado fruit may offer an advantageous dietary strategy in cancer prevention.” (click) UCLA scientists have also found that an avocado extract inhibited growth of prostate cancer cells. However, since these studies are based on effects on cells in test tubes, it’s not yet known if the same effect will be seen in human trials.
Tomato-Rich Recipes Lower Your Risk of Stroke
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Source: (1) Nutrition Journal - (2) Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition (3) The Lancet www.thelancet.com/ The Lancet is the world's leading general medical journal and specialty journals in Oncology, Neurology and Infectious Diseases. Available online first
Past Issues - The Lancet - Authors - Specialty Collections
(4) Food & Function
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Article 1 of 3 (Articles 2 -3 next below)
All Fruit Is Healthy to Eat -
Some Fruit Help Better to Avoid Type 2 Diabetes
See also the avocado article next above
A new wide study published in the BMJ - British Medical Journal The analysis appears online in BMJ - and is placed below after this and the second article
Quotation "To stay healthy you need to eat what your body wants - not what you want" (Dr. Christian, STAF, Inc.)
Quotation "Eat food, mostly fruit & vegetables - not too much" (Michael Pollan - Wikipedia)
Quotation "If it came from a plant, eat it - if it was made in a plant, don't" (Michael Pollan - Wikipedia)
Quotation "Knowledge is no power - only applied knowledge is power" (Dr. Christian. STAF, Inc.)
Apply the information you learn in this STAF, Inc.'s website - it covers all needed for a long, healthy, happy life
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Eating fruits is good for you, but new research suggests:
(1) some fruits may be better than others to avoid Type 2 diabetes & (2) fruit juice is not a good substitute.
Having a fruit with all its parts is the best. Yes - all, including the skin & seeds.
Recent studies have found that eating a greater variety, but not a greater quantity, of fruit significantly reduces the risk for Type 2 diabetes. This made researchers wonder whether some fruits might have a stronger effect than others.
The modern fruit handling uses chemicals on the skin to avoid spoiling during transportation. The peels & skins must be washed properly with soap (dish washing soap works best), brushed well when possible and rinsed well.
How to handle the seeds, peels & skins, (all eatable and nutritious with proper preparation & correct cooking) search the web or download the STAF, Inc.'s new DOPA-Diet™ e-book , easy loading - the e-book has all information for every food item.
STAF, Inc.'s nutritionists developed the new Healthy Lifestyle & Correct Nutrition Program for the U.S. Gov. use to be introduced to the whole nation as the solution to our rampant sickness level. The DOPA-Diet™ is the most economical, yet gives abundantanly, in large quantities and plentifully all necessary nutrients you and any human needs - yet: the monthly cost for ALL food items is ONLY about $90 only, per month for one adult.
The bigger the family, the less per person. No other complete nutrition program is as low in expenses. Invest every month the saved money (it is "found money") and have a goal to become a millionaire (you can with STAF, Inc.'s guidance to reliable investment company connections).
You buy the food items in any good supermarket based on STAF, Inc.'s Dopa-Diet™ - program's detailed shopping instructions and prepare your food in your own home kitchen. Have your children (and adults) involved in the food preparation - then everyone enjoys the eating much more. By involving your children they will create healthy eating habits for life and avoid overweight, obesity & sicknesses. Over 90 % of all sicknesses is caused by unhealthy nutrition as fast-food (= bad-food), processed food (= chemicalized, dead non-food), and by other less nutritious items sold as food but are only imitations causing more harm in the human body than any good.
Next below as the article 2 of 3 a copy of the article STAF, Inc. places on the internet daily as a comment to all suitable articles appearing in the internet.
Recent studies have found that eating a greater variety, but not a greater quantity, of fruit significantly reduces the risk for Type 2 diabetes. This made researchers wonder whether some fruits might have a stronger effect on Type 2 diabetes avoidance than others.
Using data from three large health studies, they tracked diet and disease prospectively over a 12-year period in more than 185,000 people, of whom 12,198 developed Type 2 diabetes. The analysis appears online in BMJ.
Click: BMJ Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia - BMJ = British Medical Journal - BMJ is an open-access peer-reviewed medical journal. Originally called the British Medical Journal, the title was officially shortened to BMJ in 1988.
Back to the fruit & nutrition article:
After controlling for many health and behavioral factors, researchers found that some fruits — strawberries, oranges, peaches, plums and apricots — had no significant effect on the risk for Type 2 diabetes. NOTICE: the effect on the risk for Type 2 diabetes. THIS DOES NOT MEAN that eating strawberries, oranges,peaches, plums and apricots HAS OTHER values and are good for the human health. They have vitamins, fiber, minerals, etc. good nutrition in plenty.
But eating grapes, apples and grapefruit all significantly reduced the risk for Type 2 diabetes. The big winner: blueberries. Eating one to three servings a month decreased the risk by about 11 percent, and having five servings a week reduced it by 26 percent. ONCE MORE: read correctly - all fruits and vegetables have good values for our health.
Substituting fruit juice for whole fruits significantly increased the risk for TYPE 2 diabetes
Juice has all most important missing; the pulp - the pulp of any fruit has 80 % of all its nutrition.
Juicing any fruit and not eating the pulp is throwing 80 % of the nutrition & vitamins & mineral, etc. out.
“Increasing whole fruit consumption, especially blueberries, apples and grapes to avoid Type 2 Diabetes, is important,” said Dr. Qi Sun, an assistant professor of medicine at Harvard and the senior author of the study. “But I don’t want to leave the impression that fruit is the only magic. An overall healthy lifestyle is essential too.” __________________________________________
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Article 2 of 3 (Article 3 of 3 next below)
This article next below is placed daily in the internet
as a comment to tens of daily articles - read - study - apply
Comment by Save The American Family - STAF, Inc., -not-for-profit-
By Dr. Christian von Christophers, Ph.D., N.D.
This info will save trillions in health care costs
America must learn the #1 skill: Healthy Lifestyle & Correct Nutrition
Avoid big food bills, big bellies & big sickness costs
Quote: "To stay healthy you need to eat what your body wants, not what you want"
STAF, Inc. has a new Healthy Lifestyle & Correct Nutrition Program for the U.S. government's use - fits every nation worldwide.
Totally it took 26 years to develop, first 19 years worldwide research & the past 7 years to modify it for the U.S. needs. This program covers, for the first time ever, all necessary elements to get the lasting results in all family related challenges & in our rampant obesity, overweight & sickness levels. Its nutritional program leading to health & to a longer life is at the same time an automatic weight loss program: nothing to buy, no calories to count, no unreasonable portion control - eat as needed; just follow the easy instructions.
The biggest news is this: the correct, health-restoring & health-maintaining food with all necessary daily nutrients in the correct combination costs ONLY about $95 per one (adult) person monthly. The new program guides you to buy your food ingredients in your local supermarket & prepare your food in your own kitchen based on the new, delicious recipes. The bigger the family, the less $ per/person. Only a program everyone can afford is a solution to our nation's health challenges.
Your food expenses, time being, are probably many times more than in this new STAF, Inc.'s results bringing program. Everyone can afford this amazing program whether one works on the minimum salary or lives on the social security or similar.
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STAF, Inc.'s presence is needed in D.C. in the U.S. Congress (House & Senate). STAF, Inc.'s founding President is planning (1) to seek a seat in D.C. Congress/Senate to provide the necessary information to the D.C. lawmakers and (2) to establish a new federal agency, Healthy Lifestyle & Family Success Agency & to be named its first federal director. New legislation & training for all these matters are needed in a results-bringing manner.
STAF, Inc.'s slogan: Less suffering - more life™
Our website page tops have a link to study the original STAF, Inc.'s founding documents to see its mission statements.
Save The American Family - STAF, Inc., -not-for-profit, needs donations to widen its important work for your & your family's richer, healthier & safer future.
Mail any size of donation in any currency as paper money to: STAF, Inc., GPO 339, New York, NY 10116-0339, USA. In the envelope enclose your name & email address - STAF, Inc. will email you a tax deductible confirmation receipt.100 % of donations will be used for STAF, Inc.'s help operations in reducing sickness & promoting healthy lifestyle.
Listen to STAF, Inc.'s popular Radio Shows - you'll get free CEU & College-University credits nationwide or worldwide. To visit STAF, Inc.'s extensive website, search the internet with: "Save The American Family - STAF, Inc.- Home" - (one 'F' in STAF, Inc.).
Respectfully,
Christian von Christophers, Ph.D., N.D.
STAF. Inc.'s founding President
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Article 3 of 3 (Articles 1 - 2 next above)
A new wide study published in the BMJ - British Medical Journal
The full analysis appears online in BMJ - and is placed below
Fruit consumption and risk of type 2 diabetes: results from three prospective longitudinal cohort studies
Web definitions - click colored link words:
A cohort study or panel study is a form of longitudinal study (a type of observational study) used in medicine, econometrics, actuarial science and ecology. ...
Click: Econometrics Click: Actuarial science
Objective To determine whether individual fruits are differentially associated with risk of type 2 diabetes.
Design Prospective longitudinal cohort study.
Setting Health professionals in the United States.
Participants 66 105 women from the Nurses’ Health Study (1984-2008), 85 104 women from the Nurses’ Health Study II (1991-2009), and 36 173 men from the Health Professionals Follow-up Study (1986-2008) who were free of major chronic diseases at baseline in these studies.
Main outcome measure Incident cases of type 2 diabetes, identified through self report and confirmed by supplementary questionnaires.
Results During 3 464 641 person years of follow-up, 12 198 participants developed type 2 diabetes. After adjustment for personal, lifestyle, and dietary risk factors of diabetes, the pooled hazard ratio of type 2 diabetes for every three servings/week of total whole fruit consumption was 0.98 (95% confidence interval 0.96 to 0.99). With mutual adjustment of individual fruits, the pooled hazard ratios of type 2 diabetes for every three servings/week were 0.74 (0.66 to 0.83) for blueberries, 0.88 (0.83 to 0.93) for grapes and raisins, 0.89 (0.79 to 1.01) for prunes, 0.93 (0.90 to 0.96) for apples and pears, 0.95 (0.91 to 0.98) for bananas, 0.95 (0.91 to 0.99) for grapefruit, 0.97 (0.92 to 1.02) for peaches, plums, and apricots, 0.99 (0.95 to 1.03) for oranges, 1.03 (0.96 to 1.10) for strawberries, and 1.10 (1.02 to 1.18) for cantaloupe. The pooled hazard ratio for the same increment in fruit juice consumption was 1.08 (1.05 to 1.11). The associations with risk of type 2 diabetes differed significantly among individual fruits (P<0.001 in all cohorts).
Conclusion Our findings suggest the presence of heterogeneity in the associations between individual fruit consumption and risk of type 2 diabetes. Greater consumption of specific whole fruits, particularly blueberries, grapes, and apples, is significantly associated with a lower risk of type 2 diabetes, whereas greater consumption of fruit juice is associated with a higher risk.
Introduction
Fruits are rich in fibre, antioxidants, and phytochemicals that may have beneficial health effects. Increasing fruit consumption has been recommended for the primary prevention of many chronic diseases, including type 2 diabetes,1 although epidemiologic studies have generated somewhat mixed results regarding the link with risk of type 2 diabetes.2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 The inconsistency among these studies may be explained by differences in types of fruits consumed in different study populations as well as difference in participants’ characteristics, study design, and assessment methods, although a meta-analysis did not show that the associations differed by sex, study design, or location.10 Furthermore, in a recent study, the greater variety, but not quantity, of fruits consumed was associated with a lower risk of type 2 diabetes.4 This finding suggested that individual fruits might not be equally associated with risk of type 2 diabetes in that fruits have highly variable contents of fibre, antioxidants, other nutrients, and phytochemicals that jointly may influence the risk.11 12 Additionally, the glycemic index, which represents the quality of carbohydrate, or glycemic load, which represents the quality and quantity of carbohydrate and their interaction, vary substantially for individual fruits.13
We examined the associations of individual fruit consumption in relation to risk of type 2 diabetes using data from three prospective cohort studies in US adults. Moreover, we estimated substitution effects of individual fruits for fruit juice in relation to risk of type 2 diabetes. Secondarily, we examined the associations of fruit groups based on their glycemic index and glycemic load values with risk of type 2 diabetes.
Methods - Study population
We used data from the Nurses’ Health Study (established in 1976; n=121 700), the Nurses’ Health Study II (established in 1989; n=116 671), and the Health Professionals Follow-up Study (established in 1986; n=51 529). These cohort studies are discussed in detail elsewhere.14 15 16 Every two years since baseline, follow-up questionnaires have been mailed to the participants to collect and update information on lifestyle practices and occurrence of chronic diseases. In all three cohorts the follow-up rates are approximately 90%.
We excluded participants who reported a diagnosis of diabetes (including types 1 and 2 and gestational diabetes), cardiovascular disease, or cancer at baseline (n=10 134 for the Nurses’ Health Study, 6155 for the Nurses’ Health Study II, and 6707 for the Health Professionals Follow-up Study), those who had missing data for individual fruits and fruit juice or an unusual level of total energy intake (<500 or >3500 kcal/day for the Nurses’ Health Study and the Nurses’ Health Study II and <800 or >4200 kcal/day for the Health Professionals Follow-up Study) (n=4765 for the Nurses’ Health Study, 5647 for the Nurses’ Health Study II, and 5750 for the Health Professionals Follow-up Study), those whose diagnosis date of type 2 diabetes was unclear (n=200 for Health Professionals Follow-up Study), and those who completed only the baseline questionnaire (n=719 for the Nurses’ Health Study, 699 for the Nurses’ Health Study II, and 1103 for the Health Professionals Follow-up Study). After excluding these participants, 66 105 women in the Nurses’ Health Study, 85 104 women in the Nurses’ Health Study II, and 36 173 men in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study were available for the analysis.
Assessment of fruit consumption
In 1984 a 118 item food frequency questionnaire was sent to the participants of the Nurses’ Health Study to assess their habitual diet in the past year. In 1986 and every four years thereafter, a similar but expanded questionnaire was sent to the participants to update their dietary information. The expanded questionnaire was also administered every four years to assess diet among the participants in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study since 1986 and those in the Nurses’ Health Study II since 1991. In all food frequency questionnaires we asked the participants how often, on average, they consumed each food in a standard portion size. Participants could choose from nine possible responses, ranging from “never, or less than once per month” to “six or more times per day.” We consistently asked about 10 individual fruits since baseline: grapes or raisins; peaches, plums, or apricots; prunes; bananas; cantaloupe; apples or pears; oranges; grapefruit; strawberries; and blueberries. We calculated total whole fruit consumption by summing the consumption levels of the 10 individual fruits and watermelon, which we inquired about sporadically during follow-up. Fruit juice included apple, orange, grapefruit, and other juices. The food frequency questionnaires were validated against diet records among 173 participants in the Nurses’ Health Study in 1980 and 127 participants in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study in 1986.17 18 19Corrected correlation coefficients between food frequency questionnaire and diet record assessments of individual fruit consumption were 0.80 for apples, 0.79 for bananas, and 0.74 for oranges in women,17 and 0.67 for total whole fruits, 0.76 for fruit juice, 0.95 for bananas, 0.84 for grapefruit, 0.76 for oranges, 0.70 for apples and pears, 0.59 for raisins and grapes, and 0.38 for strawberries in men.18 19 For some individual fruits, the corrected correlation coefficients were not available owing to large within person variability in the comparison methods.
Assessment of covariates - In statistics, a covariate is a variable that is possibly predictive of the outcome under study. A covariate may be of direct interest or it may be a confounding or interacting variable click: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Covariate Covariate
In the follow-up questionnaires administered every two years, we inquired and updated information on anthropometric and lifestyle factors for chronic diseases, including body height and weight, cigarette smoking, physical activity, multivitamin use, and family history of diabetes. Among participants in the Nurses’ Health Study and Nurses’ Health Study II, we ascertained menopausal status, post-menopausal hormone use, and oral contraceptive use (Nurses’ Health Study II only). Estimates of total physical activity levels were calculated by multiplying the energy expenditure in metabolic equivalent tasks (METs) measured in hours per week of each activity by hours spent on the activity and summing the values of all activities. Each MET hour is the caloric need per kilogram of body weight per hour of an activity, divided by the caloric need per kilogram of weight per hour at rest. Based on the food frequency questionnaire, we derived a score of the alternate healthy eating index, an indicator of adherence to healthy eating behavior, described in detail elsewhere.20 In brief, the alternate healthy eating index score summarizes the consumption of 11 foods or nutrients (including consumption of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, sugar sweetened beverages and fruit juice, nuts and legumes, red and processed meat,trans fat, long chain n-3 fat, polyunsaturated fat, sodium, and alcohol). Each component was scored on a scale of 0 to 10. In the current analysis, we excluded fruits and fruit juice when calculating the alternate healthy eating index score.
Assessment of diabetes and death
In all three cohorts, to inquire about symptoms, diagnostic tests, and diabetes drug use we mailed a supplementary questionnaire to participants who reported physician diagnosed diabetes in the follow-up questionnaires. A type 2 diabetes diagnosis was confirmed if participants met at least one of the following National Diabetes Data Group criteria21: one or more classic symptoms (excessive thirst, polyuria, weight loss, and hunger) plus raised blood glucose levels (fasting levels ≥140 mg/dL (7.8 mmol/L), random blood levels ≥200 mg/dL (11.1 mmol/L), and/or two hour blood glucose levels ≥200 mg/dL during oral glucose tolerance testing), raised blood glucose levels on two different occasions in the absence of symptoms, or treatment with antidiabetic drugs (insulin or oral antidiabetic agent). The diagnostic criteria changed in June 1998 and a fasting blood glucose level of 126 mg/dL (7.0 mmol/L) instead of 140 mg/dL was considered the threshold for the diagnosis of diabetes.22 The validity of the supplementary questionnaire for the diagnosis of diabetes has been examined in validation studies.23 24 Of 62 self reported cases of type 2 diabetes randomly selected in the Nurses’ Health Study, 61 (98%) were confirmed after an endocrinologist reviewed the medical records without the information from the supplementary questionnaire23; and in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study, 57 of 59 self reported cases of type 2 diabetes (97%) were confirmed by a review of medical records.24
Deaths were identified by reports from next of kin or postal authorities, or by searching the national death index. At least 98% of deaths were identified among the participants.25
Statistical analysis
We calculated each participant’s person years from the return date of the baseline food frequency questionnaire to the date of the type 2 diabetes diagnosis, date of death, last return of a valid follow-up questionnaire, or end of follow-up (2008 for the Nurses’ Health Study and Health Professionals Follow-up Study, or 2009 for the Nurses’ Health Study II), whichever came first. To represent long term dietary intake and minimize within person variation, we calculated and used the cumulative average of dietary intake based on valid assessments from baseline to the end of follow-up.26 To minimize the effects of chronic diseases diagnosed during follow-up on subsequent diet, we stopped updating dietary information after self reported diagnosis of hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, gestational diabetes, cardiovascular disease, or cancer, since these chronic diseases may lead to changes of fruit consumption levels in the cohorts.27 To reduce the effect of potential outliers and to pool the results from the three cohorts, we used the same cut-off points to categorize consumption levels in these studies. The highest two consumption levels were combined for prunes, cantaloupe, and blueberries owing to the small number of participants with high consumption levels of these fruits.
To minimize missing covariates, we replaced missing data on body mass index and physical activity with the last valid values. For missing data on body mass index and physical activity at baseline, we created a dummy variable when making categories for these two continuous covariates. Similarly, we also used missing indicator variables to include participants with missing categorical variables, including cigarette smoking, oral contraceptive use (Nurses’ Health Study II only), menopausal status, and post-menopausal hormone use. The overall percentages of missing data for body mass index and physical activity were, respectively, 6.8% and 9.5% in the Nurses’ Health Study, 6.7% and 8.5% in the Nurses’ Health Study II, and 12.8% and 14.0% in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study. The overall percentages of missing values during follow-up ranged from 0.6% (for cigarette smoking) to 5.1% (for menopausal status and post-menopausal hormone use) in the Nurses’ Health Study, from 0.3% (for cigarette smoking) to 4.7% (for menopausal status and post-menopausal hormone use) in the Nurses’ Health Study II, and from 0.1% (for physical activity) to 12.2% (for cigarette smoking) in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study.
Using Cox proportional hazard regression, we estimated the hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals of type 2 diabetes for fruit consumption. We tested the proportional hazard assumption by including interaction terms between individual fruit consumption and duration of follow-up, and the assumption was unlikely violated (P>0.05 for all tests). We examined linear trend by modelling the median values for fruit consumption categories as a continuous variable. Using a fixed effects model, we pooled multivariable adjusted hazard ratios from three cohorts, and we used the Cochrane Q statistic and the I2 statistic to examine the heterogeneity of associations among the cohorts.
To examine whether the associations with risk of type 2 diabetes were heterogeneous among individual fruits, we fitted two fully adjusted models: one with total fruit consumption and the other with total fruit consumption plus consumption of individual fruits excluding oranges (which had the most similar association as the total fruit consumption) to avoid over-fitting. Then we used the likelihood ratio test to examine whether the model including individual fruits had better fit than that including total fruit consumption only.
We also estimated potential effects of substituting specific fruit consumption for fruit juice consumption by examining the median values for consumption categories of individual fruits and fruit juice in the same multivariate model; the hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals for substitution effects were calculated based on the differences in point estimates, and the variance and covariance for the regression coefficients of specific fruits and fruit juice.28 To examine the robustness of our findings, we also conducted four sensitivity analyses: evaluating the influence of adjustment for major dietary variables including polyunsaturated to saturated fat ratio, and intakes of trans fat, red meat, fish, whole grains, sugar sweetened beverages, coffee, and nuts (all in fifths) instead of the modified alternate healthy eating index score; adjusting for baseline body mass index instead of updated body mass index to estimate the impact of potential over-adjustment; using baseline consumption levels as an exposure instead of cumulative average of intake levels; and stopping updating diet after diagnosis of gestational diabetes, cardiovascular disease, or cancer only when calculating the cumulative averages.
We further examined whether the associations of individual fruit consumption with risk of type 2 diabetes depended on the glycemic index/glycemic load values of fruits. We calculated the glycemic load values per serving for individual fruits based on the glycemic index values from the international glycemic index database13 and the amount of carbohydrate in fruits from the USDA nutritional database11 (see supplementary table 1). We categorized individual fruits into three groups based on their glycemic load values per serving: prunes, bananas, grapes, raisins, apples, and pears for high glycemic load fruits (glycemic load 8.1-19.2); cantaloupe, blueberries, and oranges for moderate glycemic load fruits (5.7-8.0); and peaches, plums, apricots, strawberries, and grapefruit for low glycemic load fruits (1.3-5.6). In terms of the categorization of fruits by the glycemic index values, high glycemic index fruits included cantaloupe, bananas, grapes, raisins (glycemic index 60-70); moderate glycemic index fruits included prunes, blueberries, and grapefruit (47-59); and low glycemic index fruits included apples, pears, oranges, peaches, plums, apricots, and strawberries (34-46). Moreover, to estimate the degree to which the observed associations were explained by flavonoid intake, in a secondary analysis we further adjusted for intake of flavonoid subtypes (flavonols, flavones, flavanones, flavan-3-ols, and anthocyanins).
The analysis was stratified jointly by age and calendar year and adjusted for body mass index (kg/m2; <23, 23.0-24.9, 25.0-26.9, 27.0-28.9, 29.0-30.9, 31.0-32.9, 33.0-34.9, 35.0-36.9, 37.0-38.9, 39.0-40.9, 41.0-42.9, 43.0-44.9, ≥45.0, or missing), ethnicity (white, African-American, Hispanic, or Asian), physical activity (MET hours/week; <3, 3.0-8.9, 9.0-17.9, 18.0-26.9, ≥27.0, or missing), cigarette smoking (never, former, currently smoke 1-14 cigarettes/day, currently smoke 15-24 cigarettes/day, or currently smoke ≥25 cigarettes/day, or missing), multivitamin use (yes or no), family history of diabetes (yes or no), menopausal status and post-menopausal hormone use (premenopause, post-menopause (never, former, or current hormone use), or missing) (for women), oral contraceptive use (yes, no, or missing) (Nurses’ Health Study II only), total energy intake (kcal/day), fruit juice consumption (fifths), and the modified alternate healthy eating index score (fifths).20When examining the association for total whole fruit, we included total fruit consumption in the multivariate model without further adjusting for individual fruits. Likewise, when examining the associations for individual fruits or fruit groups based on their glycemic index/glycemic load values, we included consumption levels of all other individual fruits or fruit groups instead of total fruit consumption in the final model.
Statistical analyses were performed with SAS 9.2. All P values were two sided, and statistical significance was defined as P<0.05.
Results
During 3 464 641 person years of follow-up, 12 198 participants developed type 2 diabetes (Nurses’ Health Study: 6358 cases/1 394 127 person years; Nurses’ Health Study II: 3153 cases/1 416 111 person years; Health Professionals Follow-up Study: 2687 cases/654 403 person years). The rate of loss to follow-up was low and similar between extreme comparison groups of total fruit consumption levels: the average rate of loss to follow-up for each two year follow-up cycle was 0.8% for <4 servings/week and 0.7% for ≥3 servings/day of total fruit consumption in the Nurses’ Health Study. These values were 0.1% and 0.1% in the Nurses’ Health Study II and 1.0% and 1.1% in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study, respectively.
In all three cohorts, total whole fruit consumption was positively correlated with age, physical activity, multivitamin use, total energy intake, fruit juice consumption, and the modified alternate health eating index score, and was inversely associated with body mass index and current smoking (table 1⇓). Whole fruit consumption was associated with an increased probability of using post-menopausal hormones in the Nurses’ Health Study and with a reduced probability of using oral contraceptives in the Nurses’ Health Study II. Individual fruits were correlated with each other weakly to moderately; the highest Spearman correlation coefficients were 0.44 between apples and oranges in the Nurses’ Health Study, 0.47 between strawberries and peaches in the Nurses’ Health Study II, and 0.48 between strawberries and blueberries in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study (see supplementary table 2). The Spearman correlation coefficients for total whole fruits in relation to the modified alternate healthy eating index score were 0.22 for the Nurses’ Health Study, 0.29 for the Nurses’ Health Study II, and 0.28 for the Health Professionals Follow-up Study; those for individual fruits ranged from 0.09 (for bananas) to 0.23 (for apples and pears) in the Nurses’ Health Study, from 0.13 (for bananas) to 0.24 (for apples and pears) in the Nurses’ Health Study II, and from 0.09 (for peaches, plums, and apricots) to 0.24 (for apples and pears) in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study.
View this table:
Total whole fruit consumption was weakly associated with a lower risk of type 2 diabetes: the hazard ratio (95% confidence interval) of type 2 diabetes for every three servings/week of whole fruit consumption was 0.98 (0.96 to 0.99) (table 2⇓). In the age adjusted model, each individual fruit consumption was inversely associated with risk of type 2 diabetes in all cohorts (all P<0.001) (see supplementary table 3). Adjustment for personal factors, lifestyle, fruit juice consumption, and the modified alternate health eating index score attenuated these associations. The inverse association for cantaloupe consumption was no longer statistically significant after multivariable adjustments of the aforementioned covariates. Further adjustment for other individual fruit consumption changed the associations to various degrees (table 3⇓). The inverse associations for grapes and blueberries were attenuated, albeit remaining statistically significant. In contrast, associations for strawberries were attenuated toward the null, and cantaloupe consumption was associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes after adjustment for other individual fruits. For every three servings/week, the pooled hazard ratios (95% confidence intervals) of risk for type 2 diabetes was 0.74 (0.66 to 0.83) for blueberries, 0.88 (0.83 to 0.93) for grapes and raisins, 0.93 (0.90 to 0.96) for apples and pears, 0.95 (0.91 to 0.98) for bananas, and 0.95 (0.91 to 0.99) for grapefruit. In contrast, the pooled hazard ratio (95% confidence interval) of risk for type 2 diabetes for the same increment in cantaloupe consumption was 1.10 (1.02 to 1.18). A test for heterogeneity among three cohorts was significant for the associations of bananas and strawberries (P for heterogeneity <0.001 for bananas and 0.01 for strawberries). In the Nurses’ Health Study II and Health Professionals Follow-up Study, banana consumption was associated with a lower risk of type 2 diabetes, whereas in the Nurses’ Health Study a non-significant positive association was found. The association for strawberry consumption was significantly positive in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study but was non-significant and inverse in the Nurses’ Health Study. Further adjustment for intake levels of flavonoid subtypes (flavonols, flavones, flavanones, flavan-3-ols, and anthocyanins) in the final model did not appreciably attenuate the associations for individual fruits (see supplementary table 4).
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Table 2 Pooled hazard ratios (95% confidence intervals) of type 2 diabetes for total whole fruit consumption in Nurses’ Health Study, Nurses’ Health Study II, and Health Professionals Follow-up Study
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Table 3 Pooled hazard ratios (95% confidence intervals) of type 2 diabetes for individual whole fruit consumption in Nurses’ Health Study, Nurses’ Health Study II, and Health Professionals Follow-up Study
The goodness of fit of model was significantly improved by adding consumption of individual fruits to the model with total whole fruit consumption and other covariates (P<0.001 for likelihood ratio test in each cohort), indicating that heterogeneity in the associations with risk of type 2 diabetes among individual fruits was significant.
In the sensitivity analyses, the associations for individual fruits did not change appreciably with adjustment for major dietary factors instead of the modified alternate healthy eating index score, or using baseline consumption levels of individual fruits instead of cumulative average of intake levels (see supplementary table 5). When we adjusted for baseline body mass index instead of updated body mass index or stopped updating diet after diagnosis of gestational diabetes, cardiovascular disease, or cancer when calculating the cumulative average of dietary intake, the inverse associations became weaker, although the associations for blueberries, grapes and raisins, and apples and pears remained statistically significant.
In the secondary analysis examining the associations between fruit consumption and risk of type 2 diabetes by glycemic index/glycemic load values of fruits, greater consumption of high glycemic load fruits was associated with a lower risk of type 2 diabetes, but not moderate and low glycemic load fruits (table 4⇓). In contrast, greater consumption of moderate glycemic index fruits, but not high and low glycemic index fruits, was inversely associated with risk of type 2 diabetes. Fruit juice consumption was associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes. The associations for low glycemic load fruits were heterogeneous among cohorts (P for heterogeneity =0.04): a significant, inverse association was found in the Nurses’ Health Study, but not in the other two cohorts.
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Table 4 Pooled hazard ratios (95% confidence intervals) of type 2 diabetes* for consumption of fruit juice and fruits grouped by their glycemic index/glycemic load in Nurses’ Health Study, Nurses’ Health Study II, and Health Professionals Follow-up Study
Replacing each three servings/week of fruit juice consumption with the same amount of total or individual whole fruits, the risk of type 2 diabetes in the pooled analysis was 7% (95% confidence interval 4% to 9%) lower for total whole fruits, 33% (24% to 40%) lower for blueberries, 19% (14% to 24%) lower for grapes and raisins, 14% (11% to 18%) lower for apples and pears, 13% (9% to 16%) lower for bananas, and 12% (8% to 17%) lower for grapefruit after adjustment for personal factors, lifestyle, and the modified alternate health eating index score (figure⇓). Additionally, we found that replacing fruit juice with oranges, peaches, plums, and apricots was also associated with a lower risk of type 2 diabetes: 18% (8% to 28%) lower for prunes, 11% (5% to 16%) lower for peaches, plums, and apricots, and 8% (4% to 12%) lower for oranges.
View larger version:
Pooled multivariate adjusted hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals (error bars) of type 2 diabetes for substituting three servings/week of total or specific fruit for the same amount of fruit juice
Discussion
In three prospective cohorts of US men and women, we found that the associations with risk of type 2 diabetes differed significantly among individual fruits: greater consumption of blueberries, grapes, apples, bananas, and grapefruit were significantly associated with a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes. Most of these associations were quite consistent among three cohorts. Additionally, differences in the glycemic index/glycemic load values of fruits did not account for the association of specific fruits with risk of type 2 diabetes. Moreover, greater fruit juice consumption was associated with an increased risk, and substitution of whole fruits for fruit juice was associated with a lower risk, except for strawberries and cantaloupe.
Results in relation to other studies
In eight previous prospective studies, the association between total fruit consumption and risk of type 2 diabetes was examined,2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 and the results were mixed. Similar to previous analyses in the Nurses’ Health Study3 and the Finnish Mobile Clinic Health Examination Survey study,2 the current findings supported an inverse association between total fruit consumption and risk of type 2 diabetes, but not in other studies.4 5 6 7 8 9 In contrast to total fruit consumption, evidence on consumption of individual fruits or fruit groups with risk of type 2 diabetes is limited and incomplete. In four prospective studies, consumption of citrus fruit was not associated with a lower risk of type 2 diabetes.5 6 7 8 Apple consumption was inversely associated with risk in the Women’s Health Study29and in the Finnish study,30 but not in the Iowa Women’s Health Study.31 In addition, greater consumption of berries was associated with a lower risk in the Finnish study,2 but not in the Iowa Women’s Health Study.31 In our previous analyses that focused on anthocyanin rich fruits, intakes of blueberries, strawberries, and apples were associated with a lower risk of type 2 diabetes.32Consistently, in a clinical trial, increased consumption of berries improved glycemic control among people with diabetes.33 Our current investigation extended the evidence in this regard and found novel, inverse associations for grapes, bananas, and grapefruit.
The different associations of individual fruits with diabetes risk may be due to the heterogeneous composition of these foods. Firstly, blueberries, apples, and red or black grapes contain high levels of anthocyanins.12 In mice with diabetes, bilberry extract rich in anthocyanins can activate adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase, enhance glucose uptake and utilization in white adipose tissue and skeletal muscle, and reduce glucose production in the liver.34 Our previous analyses also showed that levels of anthocyanin intake were inversely associated with risk of type 2 diabetes.32 In the current study, further adjustment for anthocyanins did not substantially change the associations for individual fruits, suggesting that the inverse associations of individual fruits are likely due to other constituents of these foods. Both red and white grapes contain high levels of resveratrol in skin.35 In mice, a high fat diet with 0.04% resveratrol increased insulin sensitivity at 24 months compared with the same diet without resveratrol.36However, randomized controlled trials examining the effects of supplementation of resveratrol on glucose metabolism have generated inconsistent results.37 38 39Prunes, peaches, plums, apricots, and apples contain chlorogenic acid,40 41 4243 which may potentially mediate the beneficial effects of coffee consumption on diabetes risk.44 In rats, chlorogenic acid reduces glucose dependent insulinotropic peptide secretion by slowing glucose absorption in the intestine.45 Moreover, chlorogenic acid increases muscle glucose uptake in mice with diabetes.46 Finally, grapefruits contain high amounts of naringin.12 In rats, naringin inhibits dipeptidyl peptidase 4 similarly to sitagliptin, a dipeptidyl peptidase 4 inhibitor used for the treatment of diabetes.47 Inhibition of dipeptidyl peptidase 4 increases glucagon-like peptide 1, which subsequently leads to improved glucose tolerance.48 In contrast to these specific fruits mentioned above, cantaloupe was associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes in the current analysis. Melons have lower levels of phytochemicals than the aforementioned fruits.12 None the less, little evidence exists regarding the effects of melons on glucose metabolism. Although other fruits may also be beneficial for glucose metabolism, significant associations between other specific fruits and risk of type 2 diabetes were not found in the current and previous investigations.5 6 7 8
The glycemic index/glycemic load values Glycemic Indexwww.glycemicindex.com/
of fruits did not seem to be the factor that determined their association with type 2 diabetes in the current study, although in a clinical trial, increased consumption of low glycemic index fruits improved glycemic control among people with diabetes.33 In recent meta-analyses, a higher dietary glycemic index/glycemic load was associated with a greater risk of type 2 diabetes.49 50 In the Nurses’ Health Study and Health Professionals Follow-up Study, the associations between dietary glycemic index and risk of type 2 diabetes were positive, although the associations for dietary glycemic load were not significant.51 52 53 None the less, the contribution of total fruit consumption to dietary glycemic load was rather small (about 10%) in these populations. Of individual fruits, the top three contributors to dietary glycemic load were bananas (3-4%), apples (2%), and grapes (1%). In contrast, the relatively high glycemic load values of fruit juices13 along with reduced levels of beneficial nutrients through juicing processes11 12 (for example, the glycemic load values per serving are 6.2 for raw oranges and 13.4 for orange juice, and fibre levels per serving are 3.1 g and 0.5 g, respectively) may explain the positive associations between fruit juice consumption and risk of type 2 diabetes. Moreover, the difference in the viscosity of foods is also an important factor affecting postprandial blood glucose dynamics. Fluids pass through the stomach to the intestine more rapidly than solids even if nutritional content is similar.54 For example, fruit juices lead to more rapid and larger changes in serum levels of glucose and insulin than whole fruits.55 56Although these mechanisms may potentially explain the diverse associations for individual fruits, further research is apparently needed to confirm our findings on specific fruits in relation to type 2 diabetes and to further elucidate underlying mechanisms.
Strengths and limitations of this study
The present study has several limitations. Firstly, measurement errors were inevitable in the estimates of fruit consumption, especially for individual fruits with lower consumption levels.17 18 Adjustment for energy intake and use of cumulatively averaged intake levels can reduce the magnitude of measurement errors to some extent.26 Generally, random errors in exposure assessments attenuate true associations toward the null. Secondly, the possibility of false positive findings may exist because we examined the associations of multiple fruits in the current investigation without adjusting for multiple comparisons based on a priori hypotheses. Meanwhile, most associations were consistent across three cohorts, and the associations for blueberries, grapes, and apples remained statistically significant even after applying the Bonferroni correction, a conservative method correcting for multiple comparisons. Thirdly, in our food frequency questionnaires, intakes of some individual fruits (apples and pears; peaches, plums, and apricots) were combined because these fruits have similar nutrient profiles. Therefore we could not determine whether the associations for these combined fruits can be ascribed to a specific individual fruit. Fourthly, we cannot exclude the possibility of recall bias in the assessments of diet based on the food frequency questionnaires. However, the prospective study design and exclusion of participants with chronic diseases at baseline should minimize such bias. Fifthly, although in the multivariable analysis we considered a multitude of lifestyle and dietary factors, including other individual fruits, residual or unmeasured confounding may still exist. Finally, our study populations primarily consist of health professionals with European ancestry. Thus our findings may not be generalized to other populations.
Conclusions
Our findings suggest that there is significant heterogeneity in the associations between individual fruits and risk of type 2 diabetes. Greater consumption of specific whole fruits, particularly blueberries, grapes, and apples, was significantly associated with a lower risk of type 2 diabetes, whereas greater fruit juice consumption was associated with a higher risk. The differences in the associations between individual fruits were not accounted for by variation in the glycemic index/glycemic load values of individual fruits. Overall, these results support recommendations on increasing consumption of a variety of whole fruits, especially blueberries, grapes, and apples, as a measure for diabetes prevention.
What is already known on this topic
What this study adds
Footnotes
References
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Study this and start eating avocados
Avocados: The World's Most Perfect Food?
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Not only do avocados protect vision, reduced heart attack risk,
and potentially ward off cancer, but they can also slim your waist
and keep extra pounds off, according to new research
In fact, this nutrient-packed green superfruit has such an amazing bounty of health benefits that it’s been called “the world’s most perfect food.” Here’s a look at why avocados—not just apples—might just be your best bet for keeping the doctor away.
Stay Leaner and Lighter
Although avocados are high in fat (the healthy kind), people who eat them regularly are actually thinner than those who don’t, according to a new study published in Nutrition Journal. When the researchers crunched numbers from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), they discovered that avocado eaters had a lower average weight (7.5 pounds less), smaller waistline (1.6 inches less), and lower BMI than non-consumers. For dozens of delicious ways to enjoy the creamy green fruit—from soups and dips to sandwiches, salads, breakfasts and even desserts-- visit the California Avocado Growers website.
10 Best Foods for Beautiful Skin
Reduced Heart Attack and Diabetes Risk
What’s more, the same study found that avocado eaters also had lower risk for metabolic syndrome. Fifty million Americans, many of whom are undiagnosed, suffer from this dangerous cluster of abnormalities that quintuple risk for type 2 diabetes and triple it for heart attack. To be diagnosed with metabolic syndrome, you must have at least three of these disorders: a large waistline (also called an “apple shape.”), high blood pressure, high blood sugar, low HDL (good) cholesterol, and high triglycerides.
More Youthful Skin and Fewer Wrinkles
Foods that are high in carotenoids, such as avocados, may slow down skin aging, protect against damage from UV rays, and even protect against sunburn, according to (click) a new paper published in Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition. The researchers also report that eating a diet high in green and yellow veggies is linked to fewer wrinkles, while one that’s high in healthy fats is linked to greater skin elasticity. Most remarkably, several preclinical studies suggest that compounds in avocado may also enhance wound healing.
The Best Diet to Prevent Migraine Headaches
Anti-Inflammatory Benefits
In a small study (click) published in Food & Function, healthy men who ate a hamburger with a slice of avocado had reduced inflammation and blood vessel reactivity two hours later, compared to men who only ate a hamburger.
(click) As reported recently, chronic inflammation has been linked to an increasingly long list of diseases, from Alzheimer’s to heart attacks, strokes, diabetes, sleep apnea, and cancer. Some scientists even theorize that this fiery process may underlie all chronic diseases. Two groundbreaking studies recently (click) published in Lancet were the first to show a cause-and-effect relationship between inflammation in the artery wall and heart disease risk.
Possible Protection Against Cancer
Also known as alligator pears, avocados have a high concentration of phytochemicals that may have cancer-combatting powers. In lab tests (click) Ohio State University researchers found that these compounds killed oral cancer cells, but not normal cells from the lining of the mouth, by doubling or even tripling apoptosis (= the process of programmed cell self-destruction). The same team also (click) reported that, “phytochemicals from the avocado fruit may offer an advantageous dietary strategy in cancer prevention.” (click) UCLA scientists have also found that an avocado extract inhibited growth of prostate cancer cells. However, since these studies are based on effects on cells in test tubes, it’s not yet known if the same effect will be seen in human trials.
Tomato-Rich Recipes Lower Your Risk of Stroke
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Source: (1) Nutrition Journal - (2) Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition (3) The Lancet www.thelancet.com/ The Lancet is the world's leading general medical journal and specialty journals in Oncology, Neurology and Infectious Diseases. Available online first
Past Issues - The Lancet - Authors - Specialty Collections
(4) Food & Function
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Article 1 of 3 (Articles 2 -3 next below)
All Fruit Is Healthy to Eat -
Some Fruit Help Better to Avoid Type 2 Diabetes
See also the avocado article next above
A new wide study published in the BMJ - British Medical Journal The analysis appears online in BMJ - and is placed below after this and the second article
Quotation "To stay healthy you need to eat what your body wants - not what you want" (Dr. Christian, STAF, Inc.)
Quotation "Eat food, mostly fruit & vegetables - not too much" (Michael Pollan - Wikipedia)
Quotation "If it came from a plant, eat it - if it was made in a plant, don't" (Michael Pollan - Wikipedia)
Quotation "Knowledge is no power - only applied knowledge is power" (Dr. Christian. STAF, Inc.)
Apply the information you learn in this STAF, Inc.'s website - it covers all needed for a long, healthy, happy life
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Eating fruits is good for you, but new research suggests:
(1) some fruits may be better than others to avoid Type 2 diabetes & (2) fruit juice is not a good substitute.
Having a fruit with all its parts is the best. Yes - all, including the skin & seeds.
Recent studies have found that eating a greater variety, but not a greater quantity, of fruit significantly reduces the risk for Type 2 diabetes. This made researchers wonder whether some fruits might have a stronger effect than others.
The modern fruit handling uses chemicals on the skin to avoid spoiling during transportation. The peels & skins must be washed properly with soap (dish washing soap works best), brushed well when possible and rinsed well.
How to handle the seeds, peels & skins, (all eatable and nutritious with proper preparation & correct cooking) search the web or download the STAF, Inc.'s new DOPA-Diet™ e-book , easy loading - the e-book has all information for every food item.
STAF, Inc.'s nutritionists developed the new Healthy Lifestyle & Correct Nutrition Program for the U.S. Gov. use to be introduced to the whole nation as the solution to our rampant sickness level. The DOPA-Diet™ is the most economical, yet gives abundantanly, in large quantities and plentifully all necessary nutrients you and any human needs - yet: the monthly cost for ALL food items is ONLY about $90 only, per month for one adult.
The bigger the family, the less per person. No other complete nutrition program is as low in expenses. Invest every month the saved money (it is "found money") and have a goal to become a millionaire (you can with STAF, Inc.'s guidance to reliable investment company connections).
You buy the food items in any good supermarket based on STAF, Inc.'s Dopa-Diet™ - program's detailed shopping instructions and prepare your food in your own home kitchen. Have your children (and adults) involved in the food preparation - then everyone enjoys the eating much more. By involving your children they will create healthy eating habits for life and avoid overweight, obesity & sicknesses. Over 90 % of all sicknesses is caused by unhealthy nutrition as fast-food (= bad-food), processed food (= chemicalized, dead non-food), and by other less nutritious items sold as food but are only imitations causing more harm in the human body than any good.
Next below as the article 2 of 3 a copy of the article STAF, Inc. places on the internet daily as a comment to all suitable articles appearing in the internet.
Recent studies have found that eating a greater variety, but not a greater quantity, of fruit significantly reduces the risk for Type 2 diabetes. This made researchers wonder whether some fruits might have a stronger effect on Type 2 diabetes avoidance than others.
Using data from three large health studies, they tracked diet and disease prospectively over a 12-year period in more than 185,000 people, of whom 12,198 developed Type 2 diabetes. The analysis appears online in BMJ.
Click: BMJ Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia - BMJ = British Medical Journal - BMJ is an open-access peer-reviewed medical journal. Originally called the British Medical Journal, the title was officially shortened to BMJ in 1988.
Back to the fruit & nutrition article:
After controlling for many health and behavioral factors, researchers found that some fruits — strawberries, oranges, peaches, plums and apricots — had no significant effect on the risk for Type 2 diabetes. NOTICE: the effect on the risk for Type 2 diabetes. THIS DOES NOT MEAN that eating strawberries, oranges,peaches, plums and apricots HAS OTHER values and are good for the human health. They have vitamins, fiber, minerals, etc. good nutrition in plenty.
But eating grapes, apples and grapefruit all significantly reduced the risk for Type 2 diabetes. The big winner: blueberries. Eating one to three servings a month decreased the risk by about 11 percent, and having five servings a week reduced it by 26 percent. ONCE MORE: read correctly - all fruits and vegetables have good values for our health.
Substituting fruit juice for whole fruits significantly increased the risk for TYPE 2 diabetes
Juice has all most important missing; the pulp - the pulp of any fruit has 80 % of all its nutrition.
Juicing any fruit and not eating the pulp is throwing 80 % of the nutrition & vitamins & mineral, etc. out.
“Increasing whole fruit consumption, especially blueberries, apples and grapes to avoid Type 2 Diabetes, is important,” said Dr. Qi Sun, an assistant professor of medicine at Harvard and the senior author of the study. “But I don’t want to leave the impression that fruit is the only magic. An overall healthy lifestyle is essential too.” __________________________________________
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Article 2 of 3 (Article 3 of 3 next below)
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Article 3 of 3 (Articles 1 - 2 next above)
A new wide study published in the BMJ - British Medical Journal
The full analysis appears online in BMJ - and is placed below
Fruit consumption and risk of type 2 diabetes: results from three prospective longitudinal cohort studies
Web definitions - click colored link words:
A cohort study or panel study is a form of longitudinal study (a type of observational study) used in medicine, econometrics, actuarial science and ecology. ...
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Definition of cohort study: Analytical study in which a group having one or more similar characteristics (such as habit of smoking or a particular disease) is ...
Cohort study - Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaen.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cohort_study
The cohort cannot therefore be defined as a group of people who already have the disease. Prospective (longitudinal) cohort studies between exposure and ...Prospective cohort study - Retrospective cohort study - Cross-sectional studies
Objective To determine whether individual fruits are differentially associated with risk of type 2 diabetes.
Design Prospective longitudinal cohort study.
Setting Health professionals in the United States.
Participants 66 105 women from the Nurses’ Health Study (1984-2008), 85 104 women from the Nurses’ Health Study II (1991-2009), and 36 173 men from the Health Professionals Follow-up Study (1986-2008) who were free of major chronic diseases at baseline in these studies.
Main outcome measure Incident cases of type 2 diabetes, identified through self report and confirmed by supplementary questionnaires.
Results During 3 464 641 person years of follow-up, 12 198 participants developed type 2 diabetes. After adjustment for personal, lifestyle, and dietary risk factors of diabetes, the pooled hazard ratio of type 2 diabetes for every three servings/week of total whole fruit consumption was 0.98 (95% confidence interval 0.96 to 0.99). With mutual adjustment of individual fruits, the pooled hazard ratios of type 2 diabetes for every three servings/week were 0.74 (0.66 to 0.83) for blueberries, 0.88 (0.83 to 0.93) for grapes and raisins, 0.89 (0.79 to 1.01) for prunes, 0.93 (0.90 to 0.96) for apples and pears, 0.95 (0.91 to 0.98) for bananas, 0.95 (0.91 to 0.99) for grapefruit, 0.97 (0.92 to 1.02) for peaches, plums, and apricots, 0.99 (0.95 to 1.03) for oranges, 1.03 (0.96 to 1.10) for strawberries, and 1.10 (1.02 to 1.18) for cantaloupe. The pooled hazard ratio for the same increment in fruit juice consumption was 1.08 (1.05 to 1.11). The associations with risk of type 2 diabetes differed significantly among individual fruits (P<0.001 in all cohorts).
Conclusion Our findings suggest the presence of heterogeneity in the associations between individual fruit consumption and risk of type 2 diabetes. Greater consumption of specific whole fruits, particularly blueberries, grapes, and apples, is significantly associated with a lower risk of type 2 diabetes, whereas greater consumption of fruit juice is associated with a higher risk.
Introduction
Fruits are rich in fibre, antioxidants, and phytochemicals that may have beneficial health effects. Increasing fruit consumption has been recommended for the primary prevention of many chronic diseases, including type 2 diabetes,1 although epidemiologic studies have generated somewhat mixed results regarding the link with risk of type 2 diabetes.2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 The inconsistency among these studies may be explained by differences in types of fruits consumed in different study populations as well as difference in participants’ characteristics, study design, and assessment methods, although a meta-analysis did not show that the associations differed by sex, study design, or location.10 Furthermore, in a recent study, the greater variety, but not quantity, of fruits consumed was associated with a lower risk of type 2 diabetes.4 This finding suggested that individual fruits might not be equally associated with risk of type 2 diabetes in that fruits have highly variable contents of fibre, antioxidants, other nutrients, and phytochemicals that jointly may influence the risk.11 12 Additionally, the glycemic index, which represents the quality of carbohydrate, or glycemic load, which represents the quality and quantity of carbohydrate and their interaction, vary substantially for individual fruits.13
We examined the associations of individual fruit consumption in relation to risk of type 2 diabetes using data from three prospective cohort studies in US adults. Moreover, we estimated substitution effects of individual fruits for fruit juice in relation to risk of type 2 diabetes. Secondarily, we examined the associations of fruit groups based on their glycemic index and glycemic load values with risk of type 2 diabetes.
Methods - Study population
We used data from the Nurses’ Health Study (established in 1976; n=121 700), the Nurses’ Health Study II (established in 1989; n=116 671), and the Health Professionals Follow-up Study (established in 1986; n=51 529). These cohort studies are discussed in detail elsewhere.14 15 16 Every two years since baseline, follow-up questionnaires have been mailed to the participants to collect and update information on lifestyle practices and occurrence of chronic diseases. In all three cohorts the follow-up rates are approximately 90%.
We excluded participants who reported a diagnosis of diabetes (including types 1 and 2 and gestational diabetes), cardiovascular disease, or cancer at baseline (n=10 134 for the Nurses’ Health Study, 6155 for the Nurses’ Health Study II, and 6707 for the Health Professionals Follow-up Study), those who had missing data for individual fruits and fruit juice or an unusual level of total energy intake (<500 or >3500 kcal/day for the Nurses’ Health Study and the Nurses’ Health Study II and <800 or >4200 kcal/day for the Health Professionals Follow-up Study) (n=4765 for the Nurses’ Health Study, 5647 for the Nurses’ Health Study II, and 5750 for the Health Professionals Follow-up Study), those whose diagnosis date of type 2 diabetes was unclear (n=200 for Health Professionals Follow-up Study), and those who completed only the baseline questionnaire (n=719 for the Nurses’ Health Study, 699 for the Nurses’ Health Study II, and 1103 for the Health Professionals Follow-up Study). After excluding these participants, 66 105 women in the Nurses’ Health Study, 85 104 women in the Nurses’ Health Study II, and 36 173 men in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study were available for the analysis.
Assessment of fruit consumption
In 1984 a 118 item food frequency questionnaire was sent to the participants of the Nurses’ Health Study to assess their habitual diet in the past year. In 1986 and every four years thereafter, a similar but expanded questionnaire was sent to the participants to update their dietary information. The expanded questionnaire was also administered every four years to assess diet among the participants in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study since 1986 and those in the Nurses’ Health Study II since 1991. In all food frequency questionnaires we asked the participants how often, on average, they consumed each food in a standard portion size. Participants could choose from nine possible responses, ranging from “never, or less than once per month” to “six or more times per day.” We consistently asked about 10 individual fruits since baseline: grapes or raisins; peaches, plums, or apricots; prunes; bananas; cantaloupe; apples or pears; oranges; grapefruit; strawberries; and blueberries. We calculated total whole fruit consumption by summing the consumption levels of the 10 individual fruits and watermelon, which we inquired about sporadically during follow-up. Fruit juice included apple, orange, grapefruit, and other juices. The food frequency questionnaires were validated against diet records among 173 participants in the Nurses’ Health Study in 1980 and 127 participants in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study in 1986.17 18 19Corrected correlation coefficients between food frequency questionnaire and diet record assessments of individual fruit consumption were 0.80 for apples, 0.79 for bananas, and 0.74 for oranges in women,17 and 0.67 for total whole fruits, 0.76 for fruit juice, 0.95 for bananas, 0.84 for grapefruit, 0.76 for oranges, 0.70 for apples and pears, 0.59 for raisins and grapes, and 0.38 for strawberries in men.18 19 For some individual fruits, the corrected correlation coefficients were not available owing to large within person variability in the comparison methods.
Assessment of covariates - In statistics, a covariate is a variable that is possibly predictive of the outcome under study. A covariate may be of direct interest or it may be a confounding or interacting variable click: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Covariate Covariate
In the follow-up questionnaires administered every two years, we inquired and updated information on anthropometric and lifestyle factors for chronic diseases, including body height and weight, cigarette smoking, physical activity, multivitamin use, and family history of diabetes. Among participants in the Nurses’ Health Study and Nurses’ Health Study II, we ascertained menopausal status, post-menopausal hormone use, and oral contraceptive use (Nurses’ Health Study II only). Estimates of total physical activity levels were calculated by multiplying the energy expenditure in metabolic equivalent tasks (METs) measured in hours per week of each activity by hours spent on the activity and summing the values of all activities. Each MET hour is the caloric need per kilogram of body weight per hour of an activity, divided by the caloric need per kilogram of weight per hour at rest. Based on the food frequency questionnaire, we derived a score of the alternate healthy eating index, an indicator of adherence to healthy eating behavior, described in detail elsewhere.20 In brief, the alternate healthy eating index score summarizes the consumption of 11 foods or nutrients (including consumption of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, sugar sweetened beverages and fruit juice, nuts and legumes, red and processed meat,trans fat, long chain n-3 fat, polyunsaturated fat, sodium, and alcohol). Each component was scored on a scale of 0 to 10. In the current analysis, we excluded fruits and fruit juice when calculating the alternate healthy eating index score.
Assessment of diabetes and death
In all three cohorts, to inquire about symptoms, diagnostic tests, and diabetes drug use we mailed a supplementary questionnaire to participants who reported physician diagnosed diabetes in the follow-up questionnaires. A type 2 diabetes diagnosis was confirmed if participants met at least one of the following National Diabetes Data Group criteria21: one or more classic symptoms (excessive thirst, polyuria, weight loss, and hunger) plus raised blood glucose levels (fasting levels ≥140 mg/dL (7.8 mmol/L), random blood levels ≥200 mg/dL (11.1 mmol/L), and/or two hour blood glucose levels ≥200 mg/dL during oral glucose tolerance testing), raised blood glucose levels on two different occasions in the absence of symptoms, or treatment with antidiabetic drugs (insulin or oral antidiabetic agent). The diagnostic criteria changed in June 1998 and a fasting blood glucose level of 126 mg/dL (7.0 mmol/L) instead of 140 mg/dL was considered the threshold for the diagnosis of diabetes.22 The validity of the supplementary questionnaire for the diagnosis of diabetes has been examined in validation studies.23 24 Of 62 self reported cases of type 2 diabetes randomly selected in the Nurses’ Health Study, 61 (98%) were confirmed after an endocrinologist reviewed the medical records without the information from the supplementary questionnaire23; and in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study, 57 of 59 self reported cases of type 2 diabetes (97%) were confirmed by a review of medical records.24
Deaths were identified by reports from next of kin or postal authorities, or by searching the national death index. At least 98% of deaths were identified among the participants.25
Statistical analysis
We calculated each participant’s person years from the return date of the baseline food frequency questionnaire to the date of the type 2 diabetes diagnosis, date of death, last return of a valid follow-up questionnaire, or end of follow-up (2008 for the Nurses’ Health Study and Health Professionals Follow-up Study, or 2009 for the Nurses’ Health Study II), whichever came first. To represent long term dietary intake and minimize within person variation, we calculated and used the cumulative average of dietary intake based on valid assessments from baseline to the end of follow-up.26 To minimize the effects of chronic diseases diagnosed during follow-up on subsequent diet, we stopped updating dietary information after self reported diagnosis of hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, gestational diabetes, cardiovascular disease, or cancer, since these chronic diseases may lead to changes of fruit consumption levels in the cohorts.27 To reduce the effect of potential outliers and to pool the results from the three cohorts, we used the same cut-off points to categorize consumption levels in these studies. The highest two consumption levels were combined for prunes, cantaloupe, and blueberries owing to the small number of participants with high consumption levels of these fruits.
To minimize missing covariates, we replaced missing data on body mass index and physical activity with the last valid values. For missing data on body mass index and physical activity at baseline, we created a dummy variable when making categories for these two continuous covariates. Similarly, we also used missing indicator variables to include participants with missing categorical variables, including cigarette smoking, oral contraceptive use (Nurses’ Health Study II only), menopausal status, and post-menopausal hormone use. The overall percentages of missing data for body mass index and physical activity were, respectively, 6.8% and 9.5% in the Nurses’ Health Study, 6.7% and 8.5% in the Nurses’ Health Study II, and 12.8% and 14.0% in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study. The overall percentages of missing values during follow-up ranged from 0.6% (for cigarette smoking) to 5.1% (for menopausal status and post-menopausal hormone use) in the Nurses’ Health Study, from 0.3% (for cigarette smoking) to 4.7% (for menopausal status and post-menopausal hormone use) in the Nurses’ Health Study II, and from 0.1% (for physical activity) to 12.2% (for cigarette smoking) in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study.
Using Cox proportional hazard regression, we estimated the hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals of type 2 diabetes for fruit consumption. We tested the proportional hazard assumption by including interaction terms between individual fruit consumption and duration of follow-up, and the assumption was unlikely violated (P>0.05 for all tests). We examined linear trend by modelling the median values for fruit consumption categories as a continuous variable. Using a fixed effects model, we pooled multivariable adjusted hazard ratios from three cohorts, and we used the Cochrane Q statistic and the I2 statistic to examine the heterogeneity of associations among the cohorts.
To examine whether the associations with risk of type 2 diabetes were heterogeneous among individual fruits, we fitted two fully adjusted models: one with total fruit consumption and the other with total fruit consumption plus consumption of individual fruits excluding oranges (which had the most similar association as the total fruit consumption) to avoid over-fitting. Then we used the likelihood ratio test to examine whether the model including individual fruits had better fit than that including total fruit consumption only.
We also estimated potential effects of substituting specific fruit consumption for fruit juice consumption by examining the median values for consumption categories of individual fruits and fruit juice in the same multivariate model; the hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals for substitution effects were calculated based on the differences in point estimates, and the variance and covariance for the regression coefficients of specific fruits and fruit juice.28 To examine the robustness of our findings, we also conducted four sensitivity analyses: evaluating the influence of adjustment for major dietary variables including polyunsaturated to saturated fat ratio, and intakes of trans fat, red meat, fish, whole grains, sugar sweetened beverages, coffee, and nuts (all in fifths) instead of the modified alternate healthy eating index score; adjusting for baseline body mass index instead of updated body mass index to estimate the impact of potential over-adjustment; using baseline consumption levels as an exposure instead of cumulative average of intake levels; and stopping updating diet after diagnosis of gestational diabetes, cardiovascular disease, or cancer only when calculating the cumulative averages.
We further examined whether the associations of individual fruit consumption with risk of type 2 diabetes depended on the glycemic index/glycemic load values of fruits. We calculated the glycemic load values per serving for individual fruits based on the glycemic index values from the international glycemic index database13 and the amount of carbohydrate in fruits from the USDA nutritional database11 (see supplementary table 1). We categorized individual fruits into three groups based on their glycemic load values per serving: prunes, bananas, grapes, raisins, apples, and pears for high glycemic load fruits (glycemic load 8.1-19.2); cantaloupe, blueberries, and oranges for moderate glycemic load fruits (5.7-8.0); and peaches, plums, apricots, strawberries, and grapefruit for low glycemic load fruits (1.3-5.6). In terms of the categorization of fruits by the glycemic index values, high glycemic index fruits included cantaloupe, bananas, grapes, raisins (glycemic index 60-70); moderate glycemic index fruits included prunes, blueberries, and grapefruit (47-59); and low glycemic index fruits included apples, pears, oranges, peaches, plums, apricots, and strawberries (34-46). Moreover, to estimate the degree to which the observed associations were explained by flavonoid intake, in a secondary analysis we further adjusted for intake of flavonoid subtypes (flavonols, flavones, flavanones, flavan-3-ols, and anthocyanins).
The analysis was stratified jointly by age and calendar year and adjusted for body mass index (kg/m2; <23, 23.0-24.9, 25.0-26.9, 27.0-28.9, 29.0-30.9, 31.0-32.9, 33.0-34.9, 35.0-36.9, 37.0-38.9, 39.0-40.9, 41.0-42.9, 43.0-44.9, ≥45.0, or missing), ethnicity (white, African-American, Hispanic, or Asian), physical activity (MET hours/week; <3, 3.0-8.9, 9.0-17.9, 18.0-26.9, ≥27.0, or missing), cigarette smoking (never, former, currently smoke 1-14 cigarettes/day, currently smoke 15-24 cigarettes/day, or currently smoke ≥25 cigarettes/day, or missing), multivitamin use (yes or no), family history of diabetes (yes or no), menopausal status and post-menopausal hormone use (premenopause, post-menopause (never, former, or current hormone use), or missing) (for women), oral contraceptive use (yes, no, or missing) (Nurses’ Health Study II only), total energy intake (kcal/day), fruit juice consumption (fifths), and the modified alternate healthy eating index score (fifths).20When examining the association for total whole fruit, we included total fruit consumption in the multivariate model without further adjusting for individual fruits. Likewise, when examining the associations for individual fruits or fruit groups based on their glycemic index/glycemic load values, we included consumption levels of all other individual fruits or fruit groups instead of total fruit consumption in the final model.
Statistical analyses were performed with SAS 9.2. All P values were two sided, and statistical significance was defined as P<0.05.
Results
During 3 464 641 person years of follow-up, 12 198 participants developed type 2 diabetes (Nurses’ Health Study: 6358 cases/1 394 127 person years; Nurses’ Health Study II: 3153 cases/1 416 111 person years; Health Professionals Follow-up Study: 2687 cases/654 403 person years). The rate of loss to follow-up was low and similar between extreme comparison groups of total fruit consumption levels: the average rate of loss to follow-up for each two year follow-up cycle was 0.8% for <4 servings/week and 0.7% for ≥3 servings/day of total fruit consumption in the Nurses’ Health Study. These values were 0.1% and 0.1% in the Nurses’ Health Study II and 1.0% and 1.1% in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study, respectively.
In all three cohorts, total whole fruit consumption was positively correlated with age, physical activity, multivitamin use, total energy intake, fruit juice consumption, and the modified alternate health eating index score, and was inversely associated with body mass index and current smoking (table 1⇓). Whole fruit consumption was associated with an increased probability of using post-menopausal hormones in the Nurses’ Health Study and with a reduced probability of using oral contraceptives in the Nurses’ Health Study II. Individual fruits were correlated with each other weakly to moderately; the highest Spearman correlation coefficients were 0.44 between apples and oranges in the Nurses’ Health Study, 0.47 between strawberries and peaches in the Nurses’ Health Study II, and 0.48 between strawberries and blueberries in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study (see supplementary table 2). The Spearman correlation coefficients for total whole fruits in relation to the modified alternate healthy eating index score were 0.22 for the Nurses’ Health Study, 0.29 for the Nurses’ Health Study II, and 0.28 for the Health Professionals Follow-up Study; those for individual fruits ranged from 0.09 (for bananas) to 0.23 (for apples and pears) in the Nurses’ Health Study, from 0.13 (for bananas) to 0.24 (for apples and pears) in the Nurses’ Health Study II, and from 0.09 (for peaches, plums, and apricots) to 0.24 (for apples and pears) in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study.
View this table:
Total whole fruit consumption was weakly associated with a lower risk of type 2 diabetes: the hazard ratio (95% confidence interval) of type 2 diabetes for every three servings/week of whole fruit consumption was 0.98 (0.96 to 0.99) (table 2⇓). In the age adjusted model, each individual fruit consumption was inversely associated with risk of type 2 diabetes in all cohorts (all P<0.001) (see supplementary table 3). Adjustment for personal factors, lifestyle, fruit juice consumption, and the modified alternate health eating index score attenuated these associations. The inverse association for cantaloupe consumption was no longer statistically significant after multivariable adjustments of the aforementioned covariates. Further adjustment for other individual fruit consumption changed the associations to various degrees (table 3⇓). The inverse associations for grapes and blueberries were attenuated, albeit remaining statistically significant. In contrast, associations for strawberries were attenuated toward the null, and cantaloupe consumption was associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes after adjustment for other individual fruits. For every three servings/week, the pooled hazard ratios (95% confidence intervals) of risk for type 2 diabetes was 0.74 (0.66 to 0.83) for blueberries, 0.88 (0.83 to 0.93) for grapes and raisins, 0.93 (0.90 to 0.96) for apples and pears, 0.95 (0.91 to 0.98) for bananas, and 0.95 (0.91 to 0.99) for grapefruit. In contrast, the pooled hazard ratio (95% confidence interval) of risk for type 2 diabetes for the same increment in cantaloupe consumption was 1.10 (1.02 to 1.18). A test for heterogeneity among three cohorts was significant for the associations of bananas and strawberries (P for heterogeneity <0.001 for bananas and 0.01 for strawberries). In the Nurses’ Health Study II and Health Professionals Follow-up Study, banana consumption was associated with a lower risk of type 2 diabetes, whereas in the Nurses’ Health Study a non-significant positive association was found. The association for strawberry consumption was significantly positive in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study but was non-significant and inverse in the Nurses’ Health Study. Further adjustment for intake levels of flavonoid subtypes (flavonols, flavones, flavanones, flavan-3-ols, and anthocyanins) in the final model did not appreciably attenuate the associations for individual fruits (see supplementary table 4).
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Table 2 Pooled hazard ratios (95% confidence intervals) of type 2 diabetes for total whole fruit consumption in Nurses’ Health Study, Nurses’ Health Study II, and Health Professionals Follow-up Study
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Table 3 Pooled hazard ratios (95% confidence intervals) of type 2 diabetes for individual whole fruit consumption in Nurses’ Health Study, Nurses’ Health Study II, and Health Professionals Follow-up Study
The goodness of fit of model was significantly improved by adding consumption of individual fruits to the model with total whole fruit consumption and other covariates (P<0.001 for likelihood ratio test in each cohort), indicating that heterogeneity in the associations with risk of type 2 diabetes among individual fruits was significant.
In the sensitivity analyses, the associations for individual fruits did not change appreciably with adjustment for major dietary factors instead of the modified alternate healthy eating index score, or using baseline consumption levels of individual fruits instead of cumulative average of intake levels (see supplementary table 5). When we adjusted for baseline body mass index instead of updated body mass index or stopped updating diet after diagnosis of gestational diabetes, cardiovascular disease, or cancer when calculating the cumulative average of dietary intake, the inverse associations became weaker, although the associations for blueberries, grapes and raisins, and apples and pears remained statistically significant.
In the secondary analysis examining the associations between fruit consumption and risk of type 2 diabetes by glycemic index/glycemic load values of fruits, greater consumption of high glycemic load fruits was associated with a lower risk of type 2 diabetes, but not moderate and low glycemic load fruits (table 4⇓). In contrast, greater consumption of moderate glycemic index fruits, but not high and low glycemic index fruits, was inversely associated with risk of type 2 diabetes. Fruit juice consumption was associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes. The associations for low glycemic load fruits were heterogeneous among cohorts (P for heterogeneity =0.04): a significant, inverse association was found in the Nurses’ Health Study, but not in the other two cohorts.
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Table 4 Pooled hazard ratios (95% confidence intervals) of type 2 diabetes* for consumption of fruit juice and fruits grouped by their glycemic index/glycemic load in Nurses’ Health Study, Nurses’ Health Study II, and Health Professionals Follow-up Study
Replacing each three servings/week of fruit juice consumption with the same amount of total or individual whole fruits, the risk of type 2 diabetes in the pooled analysis was 7% (95% confidence interval 4% to 9%) lower for total whole fruits, 33% (24% to 40%) lower for blueberries, 19% (14% to 24%) lower for grapes and raisins, 14% (11% to 18%) lower for apples and pears, 13% (9% to 16%) lower for bananas, and 12% (8% to 17%) lower for grapefruit after adjustment for personal factors, lifestyle, and the modified alternate health eating index score (figure⇓). Additionally, we found that replacing fruit juice with oranges, peaches, plums, and apricots was also associated with a lower risk of type 2 diabetes: 18% (8% to 28%) lower for prunes, 11% (5% to 16%) lower for peaches, plums, and apricots, and 8% (4% to 12%) lower for oranges.
View larger version:
Pooled multivariate adjusted hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals (error bars) of type 2 diabetes for substituting three servings/week of total or specific fruit for the same amount of fruit juice
Discussion
In three prospective cohorts of US men and women, we found that the associations with risk of type 2 diabetes differed significantly among individual fruits: greater consumption of blueberries, grapes, apples, bananas, and grapefruit were significantly associated with a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes. Most of these associations were quite consistent among three cohorts. Additionally, differences in the glycemic index/glycemic load values of fruits did not account for the association of specific fruits with risk of type 2 diabetes. Moreover, greater fruit juice consumption was associated with an increased risk, and substitution of whole fruits for fruit juice was associated with a lower risk, except for strawberries and cantaloupe.
Results in relation to other studies
In eight previous prospective studies, the association between total fruit consumption and risk of type 2 diabetes was examined,2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 and the results were mixed. Similar to previous analyses in the Nurses’ Health Study3 and the Finnish Mobile Clinic Health Examination Survey study,2 the current findings supported an inverse association between total fruit consumption and risk of type 2 diabetes, but not in other studies.4 5 6 7 8 9 In contrast to total fruit consumption, evidence on consumption of individual fruits or fruit groups with risk of type 2 diabetes is limited and incomplete. In four prospective studies, consumption of citrus fruit was not associated with a lower risk of type 2 diabetes.5 6 7 8 Apple consumption was inversely associated with risk in the Women’s Health Study29and in the Finnish study,30 but not in the Iowa Women’s Health Study.31 In addition, greater consumption of berries was associated with a lower risk in the Finnish study,2 but not in the Iowa Women’s Health Study.31 In our previous analyses that focused on anthocyanin rich fruits, intakes of blueberries, strawberries, and apples were associated with a lower risk of type 2 diabetes.32Consistently, in a clinical trial, increased consumption of berries improved glycemic control among people with diabetes.33 Our current investigation extended the evidence in this regard and found novel, inverse associations for grapes, bananas, and grapefruit.
The different associations of individual fruits with diabetes risk may be due to the heterogeneous composition of these foods. Firstly, blueberries, apples, and red or black grapes contain high levels of anthocyanins.12 In mice with diabetes, bilberry extract rich in anthocyanins can activate adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase, enhance glucose uptake and utilization in white adipose tissue and skeletal muscle, and reduce glucose production in the liver.34 Our previous analyses also showed that levels of anthocyanin intake were inversely associated with risk of type 2 diabetes.32 In the current study, further adjustment for anthocyanins did not substantially change the associations for individual fruits, suggesting that the inverse associations of individual fruits are likely due to other constituents of these foods. Both red and white grapes contain high levels of resveratrol in skin.35 In mice, a high fat diet with 0.04% resveratrol increased insulin sensitivity at 24 months compared with the same diet without resveratrol.36However, randomized controlled trials examining the effects of supplementation of resveratrol on glucose metabolism have generated inconsistent results.37 38 39Prunes, peaches, plums, apricots, and apples contain chlorogenic acid,40 41 4243 which may potentially mediate the beneficial effects of coffee consumption on diabetes risk.44 In rats, chlorogenic acid reduces glucose dependent insulinotropic peptide secretion by slowing glucose absorption in the intestine.45 Moreover, chlorogenic acid increases muscle glucose uptake in mice with diabetes.46 Finally, grapefruits contain high amounts of naringin.12 In rats, naringin inhibits dipeptidyl peptidase 4 similarly to sitagliptin, a dipeptidyl peptidase 4 inhibitor used for the treatment of diabetes.47 Inhibition of dipeptidyl peptidase 4 increases glucagon-like peptide 1, which subsequently leads to improved glucose tolerance.48 In contrast to these specific fruits mentioned above, cantaloupe was associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes in the current analysis. Melons have lower levels of phytochemicals than the aforementioned fruits.12 None the less, little evidence exists regarding the effects of melons on glucose metabolism. Although other fruits may also be beneficial for glucose metabolism, significant associations between other specific fruits and risk of type 2 diabetes were not found in the current and previous investigations.5 6 7 8
The glycemic index/glycemic load values Glycemic Indexwww.glycemicindex.com/
of fruits did not seem to be the factor that determined their association with type 2 diabetes in the current study, although in a clinical trial, increased consumption of low glycemic index fruits improved glycemic control among people with diabetes.33 In recent meta-analyses, a higher dietary glycemic index/glycemic load was associated with a greater risk of type 2 diabetes.49 50 In the Nurses’ Health Study and Health Professionals Follow-up Study, the associations between dietary glycemic index and risk of type 2 diabetes were positive, although the associations for dietary glycemic load were not significant.51 52 53 None the less, the contribution of total fruit consumption to dietary glycemic load was rather small (about 10%) in these populations. Of individual fruits, the top three contributors to dietary glycemic load were bananas (3-4%), apples (2%), and grapes (1%). In contrast, the relatively high glycemic load values of fruit juices13 along with reduced levels of beneficial nutrients through juicing processes11 12 (for example, the glycemic load values per serving are 6.2 for raw oranges and 13.4 for orange juice, and fibre levels per serving are 3.1 g and 0.5 g, respectively) may explain the positive associations between fruit juice consumption and risk of type 2 diabetes. Moreover, the difference in the viscosity of foods is also an important factor affecting postprandial blood glucose dynamics. Fluids pass through the stomach to the intestine more rapidly than solids even if nutritional content is similar.54 For example, fruit juices lead to more rapid and larger changes in serum levels of glucose and insulin than whole fruits.55 56Although these mechanisms may potentially explain the diverse associations for individual fruits, further research is apparently needed to confirm our findings on specific fruits in relation to type 2 diabetes and to further elucidate underlying mechanisms.
Strengths and limitations of this study
The present study has several limitations. Firstly, measurement errors were inevitable in the estimates of fruit consumption, especially for individual fruits with lower consumption levels.17 18 Adjustment for energy intake and use of cumulatively averaged intake levels can reduce the magnitude of measurement errors to some extent.26 Generally, random errors in exposure assessments attenuate true associations toward the null. Secondly, the possibility of false positive findings may exist because we examined the associations of multiple fruits in the current investigation without adjusting for multiple comparisons based on a priori hypotheses. Meanwhile, most associations were consistent across three cohorts, and the associations for blueberries, grapes, and apples remained statistically significant even after applying the Bonferroni correction, a conservative method correcting for multiple comparisons. Thirdly, in our food frequency questionnaires, intakes of some individual fruits (apples and pears; peaches, plums, and apricots) were combined because these fruits have similar nutrient profiles. Therefore we could not determine whether the associations for these combined fruits can be ascribed to a specific individual fruit. Fourthly, we cannot exclude the possibility of recall bias in the assessments of diet based on the food frequency questionnaires. However, the prospective study design and exclusion of participants with chronic diseases at baseline should minimize such bias. Fifthly, although in the multivariable analysis we considered a multitude of lifestyle and dietary factors, including other individual fruits, residual or unmeasured confounding may still exist. Finally, our study populations primarily consist of health professionals with European ancestry. Thus our findings may not be generalized to other populations.
Conclusions
Our findings suggest that there is significant heterogeneity in the associations between individual fruits and risk of type 2 diabetes. Greater consumption of specific whole fruits, particularly blueberries, grapes, and apples, was significantly associated with a lower risk of type 2 diabetes, whereas greater fruit juice consumption was associated with a higher risk. The differences in the associations between individual fruits were not accounted for by variation in the glycemic index/glycemic load values of individual fruits. Overall, these results support recommendations on increasing consumption of a variety of whole fruits, especially blueberries, grapes, and apples, as a measure for diabetes prevention.
What is already known on this topic
- Total fruit consumption is not consistently associated with a lower risk of type 2 diabetes
- The possible heterogeneity among individual fruits regarding the associations with risk of type 2 diabetes has not been examined
What this study adds
- The associations with risk of type 2 diabetes are different among individual fruits
- Greater consumption of specific whole fruits, particularly blueberries, grapes, and apples, is significantly associated with a lower risk of type 2 diabetes, whereas increased consumption of fruit juices has the opposite association
- In addition, the associations of individual fruits are not determined by their glycemic index or glycemic load values
Footnotes
- Contributors: RMvD, FBH, and WC obtained funding from the National Institutes of Health. IM, RMvD, and QS designed this study. RMvD, QS, JEM, FBH, and WCW were involved in data collection. IM, FI, QS, and RMvD provided statistical expertise. IM analysed the data and wrote the first draft of the manuscript. All authors contributed to the interpretation of the results and critical revision of the manuscript for important intellectual content and approved the final version of the manuscript. IM and QS are the guarantors of this investigation.
- Funding: This study was funded by research grants CA87969, CA176726, CA55075, CA50385, CA167552, DK58845, and DK082486 from the National Institutes of Health. Dr. Sun was supported by a career development award R00HL098459 from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. The funding sources had no role in study design; in the collection, analysis, and interpretation of data; in the writing of the report; or in the decision to submit the article for publication. The authors are not affiliated with the funding institutions.
- Competing interests: All authors have completed the ICMJE uniform disclosure form at www.icmje.org/coi_disclosure.pdf (available on request from the corresponding author) and declare: no support from any organisation for the submitted work; no financial relationships with any organisations that might have an interest in the submitted work in the previous three years, no other relationships or activities that could appear to have influenced the submitted work.
- Ethical approval: The study protocol was approved by the institutional review boards of the Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and the Harvard School of Public Health. The completion of the self administered questionnaire was considered to imply informed consent.
- Data sharing: No additional data available.
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Abstract/FREE Full Text
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Date: July 15, 2013
Community health centers & Obama-Care
expect to sign up millions of newly insured patients under President Barack Obama's health reform law, but U.S. budget cuts just as they need to beef up services
may make it hard to keep the newcomers
Community health centers never turn away patients for lack of insurance
Click green for further info
The federally funded centers have been a safety net in the nation's poorest areas since 1965, offering primary care and mental health services to 22 million people, more than a third of them without insurance.
When the Affordable Care Act, popularly known as Obamacare, takes full effect on Jan. 1, the 1,200 clinics plan to help enroll many of the newly insured. That campaign is expected to bring 10 million new patients within a year.
But with scant funding to improve their services and level of care, the centers are scrambling to ensure they can keep the new patients. The fear is that, over time, many of the insured patients will look for better service at private practices and hospitals, diverting a fresh source of much-needed income for the centers.
"There's a big competitive reality coming for us," said Don Blanchon, executive director of Whitman-Walker Health, a community health center in Washington. "We're finally getting to the point where this is really about how good we provide care, and it's about outcomes."
That is precisely what worries Raymond Martins, chief medical officer at Whitman-Walker.
"If patients have to wait too long or can't get an appointment, they'll go somewhere else," Martins said. "The care model that the health centers operate sure needs to be able to compete with private practice and hospital-based doctors."
The wait time for an appointment at Whitman-Walker is typically between three weeks to six weeks, but at many other centers it can take months. To prepare for the health reform influx, Whitman-Walker hopes to rent more space, doubling its exam room capacity and tripling the number of dental chairs.
Health center directors said they want to become a preferred provider for patients with options, rather than a last resort.
A provision of the healthcare law provides incentives for them to become registered Patient Centered Medical Homes. A PCMH is a healthcare model in which a team, led by a primary care physician, provides comprehensive care throughout a patient's lifetime.
Along those lines, Whitman-Walker plans to give each patient access to a care team. There are also plans to hire two more medical practitioners and at least one more dentist and dental hygienist. Martins believes the efforts will help build a loyal following.
SPECIALIZED EXPERTISE
Many patients at the community health centers value the convenience of their neighborhood locations and their services for health issues affecting low-income areas, including nutrition counseling and crime victims' support groups.
"I guess I could switch but won't because of the cost and accessibility of coming here," said Adam, a Blue Cross Blue Shield insurance patient who received an HIV test at Whitman-Walker in June. He requested only his first name be used.
Community health centers never turn away patients for lack of insurance. Those who earn up to two times the federal poverty level - amounting to $11,490 for one person and $23,550 for a family of four - pay on a sliding scale or have fees waived.
But the centers are struggling with a more than 5 percent chop to their base funding under across-the-board U.S. government budget cuts. That means the centers will be able to serve 900,000 fewer patients and accommodate 3 million fewer visits this year, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation.
There were 400 applications from around the country this year for new health centers under the healthcare law but the budget cuts meant only 25 could be accepted.
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act in 2010 earmarked $11 billion over five years to bolster community health centers, but only $3 billion has made it through Congress so far.
That means the centers are counting on enrolling patients having some insurance from Obamacare, whether through government subsidies to individuals who will buy coverage or an expansion of the Medicaid program for the poor.
ENROLLMENT DRIVE
Aurelia Jones-Taylor, chief executive of Aaron E. Henry Community Health Center in Clarksdale, Mississippi, said the clinic is anticipating a 25 percent increase in patients at the beginning of the calendar year.
It is hiring two more employees to help people understand their options in a community where nearly 95 percent live below the federal poverty line, Jones-Taylor said.
The clinic also needs two nurse practitioners and two physicians. It can hire the practitioners but doesn't have the money for new doctors.
Beatrice Bostick, chief executive of Alliance Medical Center in Healdsburg, California, faces a similar situation. The clinic currently sees 12,000 patients a year, and expects that figure to reach at least 14,000 next year.
Bostick said she needs three more doctors, but for now hopes to hire one by September and a second by January.
Her center has ambitious goals for drawing in eligible members. It has two staff members helping people sign up for health insurance and plans to hire two more.
The Department of Health and Human Services has provided a $150 million grant to help the centers explain the new law to patients and sign them up for insurance benefits.
The clinic hopes to enroll half of its community's eligible population by December, three months after people can begin signing up for the government insurance exchanges under Obamacare. It wants to enroll another 60 percent of the remaining uninsured by April 2014.
Many of those who are eligible need help in enrolling, says Dan Hawkins, the National Association for Community Health Center's senior vice president of public policy and research.
"You get folks that work like heck to keep a roof over their heads and put food on the table for their families and don't have a lot of time to go through this stuff," he said.
Source: Community care centers
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GMOs, or Genetically Modified Organisms
Article 1 of 2
Article 2 of 2 (next below) "Yellow Rice..." is also important to read
GMOs - How safe are they?
(1) Many countries have banned GMO crops exported from the United States
(2) 70% to 75% of processed food is genetically modified
(3) A recent poll conducted by ABC News revealed that 93% of people feel the government should require labeling of GMO foods as 53% feel they are unsafe and 13 percent are unsure of their safety
Click green for further info
Many people in the U.S. have food on their brains these days. Specifically, many people are wondering how safe is the food supply, and a new movement to read labels and buy local also has people wondering if GMOs, or Genetically Modified Organisms are safe.
Genetically modified foods means that a plant is altered or enhanced in a way that wouldn't happen in nature, says Bob Quinn, who is an organic farmer with a Ph.D. in plant biochemistry.
"They are taking the genes of one thing and forcing it into the cells of a target species," says Quinn. "The result is an organism that didn't exist before."
Many countries have banned GMO crops exported from the United States, as evidenced by the recent controversy in which Japan refused to accept wheat from the U.S. since non-FDA*) approved GMO wheat, which was tested by Monsanto, was found in a field in Oregon earlier this year.
*) FDA - U S Food and Drug Administration Home Pagewww.fda.gov/
According to Dave Murphy, founder of Food Democracy Now!*) 70% to 75% of processed food is genetically modified.
*) Food Democracy Nowwww.fooddemocracynow.org/
"The ways to avoid GMOs is to not eat processed food, and when eating fruits and vegetables, buy organic," says Murphy.
Dr. Michael Wald, director of Human Health, Integrated Medicine of Mount Kisco*) in Mount Kisco, New York, says that buying organic could mean a 20% to 100% percent higher grocery bill.
*) Integrated Medicine of Mount Kisco ... - Chappaqua Patchchappaqua.patch.com/listings/integrated-medicine-of-mount-kisco
According to a study released by the RMCOS Institute, the projected growth of the organic industry was expected to increase by 12.2% each year from 2010-2014.
Still, the increased cost of organic food, which Wald says is due to the fact the organic food industry doesn't use pesticide and therefore crop yields are substantially less, makes buying organic simply out of reach for the poor and families struggling with their budget.
The real question is whether GMOs are safe and if buying organic is worth the extra cost.
It's What They Aren't Telling the Public
Genetically Modified Crops as we know them today were introduced in the 1990s. These plants can be infused with nutrients, such as vitamin A, that have proven to help malnourished children in developing countries. The biotech industry also contends that GMOs increase yield, which will help meet the growing demand for food, especially in developing nations.
However, it is the infusion of pesticides and creation of pest resistant crops that have many people worried. Some geneticists have sounded the alarm that the long term effects of some of these crops have been studied, not only for our health, but for that of the environment.
According to an opinion piece published as "A Seedy Practice" in 2009 by the editors of Scientific American, it's what the biotech industry is not allowing and not telling the public that has most people concerned about genetically modified crops.
The controversy surrounds intellectual property and who owns the seed. According to the piece in SA, the biotech industry that owns the seed (which includes Monsanto, a company that has become the face of the industry) must approve any research on GMOs and then also approve the findings, which excludes scientific testing outside of the reach of the industry.
"Research on genetically modified seeds is still published, of course," the SAarticle read. "But only studies that the seed companies have approved ever see the light of a peer-reviewed journal. In a number of cases, experiments that had the implicit go-ahead from the seed company were later blocked from publication because the results were not flattering."
The piece concludes that the biotech industry should remove the research restriction and the EPA*) should demand independent testing before new seeds are put on the market.*) US Environmental Protection Agencywww.epa.gov/
Dr. Martina Newell-McGloughlin director of international biotechnology at UC-Davis*), says that there are independent studies that have been conducted in university setting but did not cite any that weren't funded by the intellectual property rights owners in the biotech industry. Still, she says, the outcome of those studies was not influenced by the industry.
*) University of California, Davis - Wikipedia
Newell-McGloughlin says the only studies that supposedly showed negative results for health concerns were flawed. She points to a French study widely reported in which rats developed tumors after being fed GMO food.
She says the experiment was flawed as it used nine times more test subjects than controls and used rats in a long-term, two-year study on a type of rat that is shown to develop tumors in old age. "Long-term studies are typically not done on rats as they will develop tumors as they age," says Newell-McGloughlin. "Rats are typically not used in studies lasting longer than six months and then they are euthanized as to not suffer with the tumors they develop."
She adds that 400 agencies worldwide have endorsed GMOs as safe. Jeffrey Smith, executive director for the Institute of Responsible Technology and an author and speaker against GMOs, claims all of the research that has gotten through the biotech industry's long arm, has been the subject of targeted and coordinated attacks.
"The French study used the same rats as the Monsanto study, " says Smith. As for the claim that the lead French scientist has a financial interest in the organic industry? "I think it's odd that it's O.K. for the biotech industry to have a financial interest in the outcome of the research, but not the scientist, who has done long term studies on pesticides."
Solving the Problem with Labeling
As the biotech industry and academics clash with some geneticists and food advocates who say that more long term independent studies need to be conducted on GMOS, why not just label GMOs and allow consumers to drive the market?
A recent poll conducted by ABC News revealed that 93% of people feel the government should require labeling of GMO foods as 53% feel they are unsafe and 13 percent are unsure of their safety.
Newell-McGloughlin doesn't believe in labeling, saying that it would provide no specific nutrient information about the food and would levy a tax on all families to pay for the increased cost of labeling.
The biotech industry has thrown millions of dollars into fighting labeling campaigns, most notably in California's, which was defeated.
They've also accused the organic industry and holistic practitioners of pushing a campaign of hysteria over GMOs for their own gain.
That is a claim Quinn, the third-generation farmer who converted his 4,000 acres to organic farming in Montana for what he says is concerns about the industry, denies.
He says it is ridiculous to think that the organic industry and farmers would support labeling initiatives as buying organic is actually the only way Americans know right now that their food is not a GMO. "If labeling initiatives pass, it will give the consumer a choice whether to buy organic or not, our industry will actually most likely lose market share," says Quinn. "We think if they have to label, they will also be forced into independent studies."
Wald also dismisses that holistic practitioners are in it for the money. "The GMO issue is one of world health and safety," says Wald. "No reputable healthcare provider would accept any alteration of the food chain without proper scientific basis; in the case of GMOs such studies have not been conducted."
Even the Center for Food Integrity*) in Kansas City, which is a nonprofit whose mission it is to build trust in the food industry, says the GMO issues is confusing, at best, for consumers.
"We have seen GMOs used on a wide scale without any documented health impact since 1996," says Charlie Arnot, CEO. "CFI does believe consumers have a right to know, the question is what way the food industry can provide that information so that consumers can make informed choices and so that it neither promotes or demonizes."
Arnot says it is best if consumers do their own research into GMOS and only rely on trusted sources when determining if they feel they are safe for their family.
Click green for further info
Source: Internet news
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Article 2 of 2 (Article 1 of 2 next above - important also to read)
Golden Rice:
Lifesaver of millions ?
Important for everyone to read - this is GMO - genetically modified food - in reality it feeds millions of empty stomachs in the developing countries at a low price and with much vitamin A - that saves millions of children's eye sight
Lack of vitamin A causes blindness in children and in adults - this GMO yellow rice saves lives
Something to think about for all of us no matter what our opinion about GMO
Read this article - you'll be happy you did
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ONE bright morning this month, 400 protesters smashed down the high fences surrounding a field in the Bicol region of the Philippines and uprooted the genetically modified rice plants growing inside.
Had the plants survived long enough to flower, they would have betrayed a distinctly yellow tint in the otherwise white part of the grain. That is because the rice is endowed with a gene from corn and another from a bacterium, making it the only variety in existence to produce beta carotene, the source of vitamin A.
Its developers call it “Golden Rice.”
The concerns voiced by the participants in the Aug. 8 act of vandalism — that Golden Rice could pose unforeseen risks to human health and the environment, that it would ultimately profit big agrochemical companies — are a familiar refrain in the long-running controversy over the merits of genetically engineered crops. They are driving the desire among some Americans for mandatory “G.M.O.” labels on food with ingredients made from crops whose DNA has been altered in a laboratory. And they have motivated similar attacks on trials of other genetically modified crops in recent years: grapes designed to fight off a deadly virus in France, wheat designed to have a lower glycemic index in Australia, sugar beets in Oregon designed to tolerate a herbicide, to name a few.
“We do not want our people, especially our children, to be used in these experiments,” a farmer who was a leader of the protest told the Philippine newspaper Remate.
But Golden Rice, which appeared on the cover of Time Magazine in 2000 before it was quite ready for prime time, is unlike any of the genetically engineered crops in wide use today, designed to either withstand herbicides sold by Monsanto and other chemical companies or resist insect attacks, with benefits for farmers but not directly for consumers.
And a looming decision by the Philippine government about whether to allow Golden Rice to be grown beyond its four remaining field trials has added a new dimension to the debate over the technology’s merits.
Not owned by any company, Golden Rice is being developed by a nonprofit group called the International Rice Research Institute with the aim of providing a new source of vitamin A to people both in the Philippines, where most households get most of their calories from rice, and eventually in many other places in a world where rice is eaten every day by half the population. Lack of the vital nutrient causes blindness in a quarter-million to a half-million children each year. It affects millions of people in Asia and Africa and so weakens the immune system that some two million die each year of diseases they would otherwise survive.
The destruction of the field trial, and the reasons given for it, touched a nerve among scientists around the world, spurring them to counter assertions of the technology’s health and environmental risks. On a petition supporting Golden Rice circulated among scientists and signed by several thousand, many vented a simmering frustration with activist organizations like Greenpeace, which they see as playing on misplaced fears of genetic engineering in both the developing and the developed worlds. Some took to other channels to convey to American foodies and Filipino farmers alike the broad scientific consensus that G.M.O.’s are not intrinsically more risky than other crops and can be reliably tested.
At stake, they say, is not just the future of biofortified rice but also a rational means to evaluate a technology whose potential to improve nutrition in developing countries, and developed ones, may otherwise go unrealized.
“There’s so much misinformation floating around about G.M.O.’s that is taken as fact by people,” said Michael D. Purugganan, a professor of genomics and biology and the dean for science at New York University, who sought to calm health-risk concerns in a primer on GMA News Online, a media outlet in the Philippines: “The genes they inserted to make the vitamin are not some weird manufactured material,” he wrote, “but are also found in squash, carrots and melons.”
Mr. Purugganan, who studies plant evolution, does not work on genetically engineered crops, and until recently had not participated in the public debates over the risks and benefits of G.M.O.’s. But having been raised in a middle-class family in Manila, he felt compelled to weigh in on Golden Rice. “A lot of the criticism of G.M.O.’s in the Western world suffers from a lack of understanding of how really dire the situation is in developing countries,” he said.
Some proponents of G.M.O.’s say that more critical questions, like where biotechnology should fall as a priority in the efforts to address the root causes of hunger and malnutrition and how to prevent a few companies from controlling it, would be easier to address were they not lumped together with unfounded fears by those who oppose G.M.O.’s.
“It is long past time for scientists to stand up and shout, ‘No more lies — no more fear-mongering,’ ” said Nina V. Fedoroff, a professor at the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology in Saudi Arabia and a former science adviser to the American secretary of state, who helped spearhead the petition. “We’re talking about saving millions of lives here.”
Precisely because of its seemingly high-minded purpose, Golden Rice has drawn suspicion from biotechnology skeptics beyond the demonstrators who forced their way into the field trial. Many countries ban the cultivation of all genetically modified crops, and after the rice’s media debut early in the last decade, Vandana Shiva, an Indian environmentalist, called it a “Trojan horse” whose purpose was to gain public support for all manner of genetically modified crops that would benefit multinational corporations at the expense of poor farmers and consumers.
In a 2001 article, “The Great Yellow Hype,” the author Michael Pollan, a critic of industrial agriculture, suggested that it might have been developed to “win an argument rather than solve a public-health problem.” He cited biotechnology industry advertisements that featured the virtues of the rice, which at the time had to be ingested in large quantities to deliver a meaningful dose of vitamin A.
But the rice has since been retooled: a bowl now provides 60 percent of the daily requirement of vitamin A for healthy children. And Gerard Barry, the Golden Rice project leader at the International Rice Research Institute — and, it must be said, a former senior scientist and executive at Monsanto — suggests that attempts to discredit Golden Rice discount the suffering it could alleviate if successful. He said, too, that critics who suggest encouraging poor families to simply eat fruits and vegetables that contain beta carotene disregard the expense and logistical difficulties that would thwart such efforts.
Identified in the infancy of genetic engineering as having the potential for the biggest impact for the world’s poor, beta-carotene-producing rice was initially funded by the Rockefeller Foundation and the European Union. In a decade of work culminating in 1999, two academic scientists, Ingo Potrykus and Peter Beyer, finally switched on the production of beta carotene by adding daffodil and bacteria DNA to the rice’s genome. They licensed their patent rights to the agribusiness company that later became Syngenta, on the condition that the technology and any improvements to it would be made freely available to poor farmers in the developing world. With the company retaining the right to use it in developed countries, potentially as an alternative to vitamin supplements, Syngenta scientists later improved the amount of beta carotene produced by substituting a gene from corn for the one from daffodil.
If the rice gains the Philippine government’s approval, it will cost no more than other rice for poor farmers, who will be free to save seeds and replant them, Dr. Barry said. It has no known allergens or toxins, and the new proteins produced by the rice have been shown to break down quickly in simulated gastric fluid, as required by World Health Organization guidelines. A mouse feeding study is under way in a laboratory in the United States. The potential that the Golden Rice would cross-pollinate with other varieties, sometimes called “genetic contamination,” has been studied and found to be limited, because rice is typically self-pollinated. And its production of beta carotene does not appear to provide a competitive advantage — or disadvantage — that could affect the survival of wild varieties with which it might mix.
If Golden Rice is a Trojan horse, it now has some company. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which is supporting the final testing of Golden Rice, is also underwriting the development of crops tailored for sub-Saharan Africa, like cassava that can resist the viruses that routinely wipe out a third of the harvest, bananas that contain higher levels of iron and corn that uses nitrogen more efficiently. Other groups are developing a pest-resistant black-eyed pea and a “Golden Banana” that would also deliver vitamin A.
Beyond the fear of corporate control of agriculture, perhaps the most cited objection to G.M.O.’s is that they may hold risks that may not be understood. The decision to grow or eat them relies, like many other decisions, on a cost-benefit analysis.
How food consumers around the world weigh that calculation will probably have far-reaching consequences. Such crops, Scientific American declared in an editorial last week, will make it to people’s plates “only with public support.”
Greenpeace, for one, dismisses the benefits of vitamin supplementation through G.M.O.’s and has said it will continue to oppose all uses of biotechnology in agriculture. As Daniel Ocampo, a campaigner for the organization in the Philippines, put it, “We would rather err on the side of caution.”
For others, the potential of crops like Golden Rice to alleviate suffering is all that matters. “This technology can save lives,” one of the petition’s signers, Javier Delgado of Mexico, wrote. “But false fears can destroy it.”
Click green for further info
Source: NYT
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Planning to lose weight?
Ditch calorie-rich rewards after exercise
to ditch = to get rid of; discard: ex.: ditched the old habit
Trough out this website, STAF, Inc.'s editors give meaning to certain words or sayings
that may be unfamiliar to the speakers of English as their second language
_________
Learn to eat correct nutrition (in this extensive website you'll find everything you need to know),
do not drink soda (sugary or diet), drink plain water, sleep 7 - 8 hours, walk daily
as much as your time allows, walk stairs up & down
If you're spending more time running, walking or pumping iron in the gym and still not losing weight, fitness experts say it could be due to too big a reward for still too little exercise.
Although fitness has indisputable health benefits, it takes a lot of walking or running to burn off the calories in a donut.
"There's a war between exercise and nutrition in our heads," said American Council on Exercise spokesperson Jonathan Ross. "People tend to overestimate the amount of physical activity they get. They work out a little bit and treat themselves a lot."
A report by the University of Washington's Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation showed that although Americans say they are more active, it has not made much of a dent in the obesity epidemic that affects more than one-third of U.S. adults.
Ross, a personal trainer based outside Washington, D.C., said exercise can play a role in weight reduction, but without broader lifestyle and nutritional changes, that role is limited.
"We put exercise in a box and once that exercise box is filled in we don't do much the rest of the day," he explained, adding that a post-workout calorie-dense treat doesn't help.
"Some (weight-loss) programs stress nutrition, some stress exercise," he said. "But the two together are greater than the parts."
The National Weight Control Registry, which gathers information from people who have successfully lost at least 30 pounds and kept it off for a least one year, reports that 90 percent of its members exercise, on average, about one hour per day.
U.S. health officials recommend that healthy adults get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity a week, or around 20 minutes a day.
Dr. Joseph E. Donnelly, an exercise physiologist with the American College of Sports Medicine said the U.S. government guidelines are for cardio vascular fitness, not weight loss.
"It was never intended for weight management," said Donnelly, a researcher who focuses on obesity at the University of Kansas. "People have misused it."
He added that studies suggest 250 to 300 minutes of exercise per week may be the minimum to lose weight.
"At 150 (minutes) the best you can hope for is weight maintenance."
Donnelly said if there's a success story for the role of exercise in weight control, it's in maintenance.
"Even among the naysayers who feel you can't lose much weight through exercise, most people agree it seems important to maintain weight," he said.
Dr. Michele Olson, professor of exercise physiology at Auburn University Montgomery, in Alabama, said it is difficult to shed pounds through exercise alone.
"One pound of fat has 3,500 calories," she explained. "If you ran a 26-mile marathon, where you burn about 100 calories per mile, you would burn 2600 calories, falling 900 calories short of burning one pound of fat."
She added that people must be physically active regardless of their size or whether they are losing weight.
"Moderately intense exercise done in as few as 10-minute increments two to three times a day markedly reduces our risk of all causes of mortality, heart disease most effectively but all other causes, including cancers, deaths due to hypertension and strokes, etc.," she said.
Ross said for many of his clients the goal is to maintain vitality and capability.
"For anyone out there who is frustrated about not losing weight, try to focus instead on what you love about your life," he said. "The No. 1 goal is to feel better in your body. That's what exercising is good for."
Source: Dr. Michele Olson, professor of exercise physiology at Auburn University Montgomery, in Alabama
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Important info in both articles 1/2 & 2/2- new to most
Article 1 of 2 (Article 2 of 2 next below)
FVRx for short
FV = fruits, vegetables
Rx = ℞, symbol used at the beginning of a prescription
New York Hospitals Prescribing Fruits, Veggies
July 2013
Dr. Lisa Bajpayee reports:
This prescription program seems to be having an effect on health:
37.8 percent of child participants decreased their body mass index, or BMI = lost weight
At the end of this article you'll find info how to calculate your
(1) BMI - body mass index;
(2) your body shape index(determined by Waist-to-Height Ratio);
(3) other calculators for improving health and longevity
The Article
An apple a day keeps the doctor away, so the saying goes. But for many living in New York City, that apple might come by prescription.
Two of the city's hospitals - (1) Lincoln Medical Center and (2) Harlem Hospital - have joined a national experiment:
click: the Fruit and Vegetable Prescription Program, or FVRx for short. The hospitals serve some of New York's lower-income families. And according to Wholesome Wave* - see at the end), the organization spearheading the experiment, those families face the biggest hurdles when it comes to healthy eating.
The prescriptions come in the form of "health bucks" - coupons - $1 per day for each member of the family. That means a family of four would get $28 worth of coupons per week to be used at local farmers' markets for fresh fruits and vegetables.
The program has seen a success in other metro areas, including Boston.
"It was a great way to start the conversation about eating healthy," said Dr. Suki Tepperberg, lead physician for the program at Codman Square Health Center in Boston. "It motivated families to make a change. It even motivated families to make clinic appointments and to keep their appointments because they knew they were getting fruits and vegetables."
"By the end of it," Tepperberg added, "more kids ate fruits and vegetables."
Click: Hungry Shoppers Eat Worse All Week Long, Study Finds
New York joins seven (in 2013 & growing) other states testing the Wholesome Wave plan.
According to the organization's end-of-market survey, participants reported
a 93 percent increase in fruit and vegetable consumption in 2012.
And it seems to be having an effect on health: 37.8 percent of child participants decreased their body mass index, or BMI = lost weight.
"This looks like an excellent program," said Dr. Donald Hensrud of the Mayo Clinic. "Increasing fruit and vegetable intake is associated with decreased risk of heart disease, cancer, obesity and even overall mortality."
Cost is one of the biggest barriers to increasing fruit and vegetable consumption. But Hensrud said "behavioral inertia*)" - the tendency to eat what we're used to eating - also stands in the way.
*) inertia = A tendency to do nothing or to remain unchanged
"Change is sometimes difficult, including eating new foods," he said.
'Self-Medicating' With Fruits and Vegetables
Even if you are not in a place where prescriptions for fruits and vegetables have begun, there are affordable ways to increase your intake. United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) guidelines recommend 2 ½ cups of vegetables and 2 cups of fruit per day - a "dose" estimated to cost about $2.25 per day.
NOTICE:
STAF, Inc. has a new program ALL daily food for an adult costs about $3 / day - it includes all fruits & vegetables AND all other food in that price - STAF, Inc.'s program is based on home-cooking and on ingredients available in every supermarket. This new Healthy Lifestyle & Correct Nutrition Program is based on a worldwide research project, took 26 years to create & test and will, in a televised event, be introduced in D.C. to the whole nation as the solution to our rampant sickness level. The same program is fit for every nation's use worldwide.
Here are a few tips that can help:
Buy frozen: Research has shown that frozen fruits and vegetables have the same amount of nutrition as fresh produce. Frozen produce is often half the price of fresh produce and won't go bad as quickly. Buy mostly when on sale as fresh and as frozen.
Buy in season: Food grown in season is cheaper and tastes better.
Grow your own: Growing your own fruits and veggies can be very satisfying. Not only is homegrown produce tastier but it's cost-effective too.
And buy in bulk: It's cheaper to purchase fruits and vegetables such as apples, oranges, grapefruit, potatoes and onions by the bag, not by the piece. You'll fill more lunch bags and cover more meals.
IMPORTANT HINT by STAF, Inc.:
Look for "Manager's Specials" in the supermarket: prices are 50 - 90 % less and the quality is good enough for consuming - buy as much as you can as "manager's specials" - start small and you will learn in a few days what is good enough and then keep it on. Manager's specials are products somewhat riper, etc. & the manager has to sell them fast.
In the U.S. about 45 % of eatable food is thrown into the garbage can - how is it with your family? Take corrective actions if needed.
Click green for further info
Source:
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Click green for further info
Wholesome Wavewholesomewave.org/
Wholesome Wave fosters strong linkages between local agriculture and under-served communities. Our goal is a more vibrant and equitable food system for all ...
Healthy Food Commerce In 2011, Wholesome Wave launched the Healthy Food ...
Employment Are you passionate about making our current food system ...
Our Team At Wholesome Wave, our team is dedicated to the success of ...
About About Wholesome Wave. Mission. Wholesome Wave's mission is ...
Programs Wholesome Wave programs increase access to affordable ...
Fruit & Vegetable Prescription The fruit and vegetable prescription program fosters ...
More results from wholesomewave.org »
Click green for further info
Source: (Article 2 of 2 next below)
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Important info, new to most
Article 2 of 2 (Article 1 of 2 above next)
For a Healthier Diet, Go "Wild"
Click green for further info
Virtually everyone agrees that Americans should eat more fruits and vegetables, but Jo Robinson, food activist and author of the new book "Eating on the Wild Side," wants consumers to know that not all fruits and vegetables are created equal.
(STAF, Inc. endorses the book by Jo Robinson(Jun 4, 2013) click: "Eating on the Wild Side: The Missing Link to Optimum Health" - connects to Amazon.com books) = order it now, read & apply.
Many wild plants left a bitter, sour or astringent*) taste in the mouths of our ancestors, Robinson explained, so when people began farming instead of foraging about 10,000 years ago, we bred our favorite fruits and veggies to be sweet and tasty. *) Definition of astringent : You know that vinegar-like liquid teens put on their faces in order to tighten their pores and dry up their pimples? That's astringent.
While they are certainly more delicious (less astringent), Robinson said that most domestic plants had far fewer phytonutrients -- the healthful compounds that studies find can help reduce the risk of diabetes, heart disease, obesity and cancer -- than the wild varieties of edible plants. The stronger the taste, the more phytonutrients (a basic principle)
"Phytonutrients have antioxidant properties that curb the inflammation at the root of many diseases," Robinson said. "Some wild plants contain 20 or 30 phytonutrients for a really strong, health-enhancing effect."
It's not as if Robinson is advocating an outrageously expensive or restrictive diet. Nor is she suggesting anyone stride into the forest and start ripping up plants by the roots to toss into a salad. Instead, she recommends that consumers get educated about which foods are high in phytonutrients so they can add them into their diets.
Some of the best sources of phytonutrients are surprising.
"Even though we've been taught that bright, colorful foods are the healthiest, this isn't always the case," Robinson said.
BUT: most of the time it is and the darker the color the healthier (STAF, Inc.'s comment)
Peaches with white flesh, for example, have five times the phytochemicals of peaches with yellow flesh. Green Granny Smith apples are a far richer source of phytochemicals than red apples.
She also said many of the most phytochemical-rich plants are hiding in plain sight at the supermarket.
Scallions, for instance, contain five times more phytonutrients than many common onions if you use both the bulbs and green tendrils. And fresh herbs, long valued for their intense flavors and aroma, have escaped the flavor makeover given to other plant foods, and remain excellent sources of phytonutrients. Both are plentiful and inexpensive.
"They can be chopped up and added to a salad, soup or casserole," Robinson said.
Changing the color of various staples can also provide an instant extra dose of phytonutrients. According to Robinson, purple potatoes native to Peru have 28 times more of the cancer-fighting phytonutrient anthocyanin than common russet potatoes. Likewise, blue, red and purple corn meals have more of the substance than the plain white versions.
Robinson said that wild dandelions, which most of us consider nothing more than a lawn nuisance, have seven times more phytonutrients than the "superfood" spinach. If you prefer not to pluck them directly from your lawn, they can now be found in many supermarkets.
Then there are artichoke hearts. According to Robinson, the canned variety -- spiny, pale and watery -- have more antioxidants than just about any food in the supermarket.
There are also some simple tricks consumers can use to ensure they eat food at the peak of its nutritional value, according to Robinson. Buying cherries and grapes with green rather than brown or black stems, checking the freshness dates on bagged lettuce and leaving watermelons and tomatoes on the counter rather than in the refrigerator, are just a few.
Not everyone is entirely on board with Robinson's theories. Michael Mazourek, an assistant professor of plant breeding and genetics at Cornell University, said he applauded any effort to get Americans to eat their greens but finds Robinson's explanation of phytonutrients a bit simplistic.
(STAF, Inc.'s professionals agree with Professor Michael Mazourek - however, both are partially right.)
"Many phytochemicals are toxic or unpalatable, so it's a good thing they've been engineered out of our food," he said. "By breeding out the unsafe aspects, we've created healthy fruits and vegetables that are appealing enough to be consumed in large quantities," he explained. (STAF, Inc.'s comment: yes, but: both statements are partially correct.)
Peppers with the fiery hot phytochemical capsaicin bred out of them allow people to enjoy the benefit of the vitamins, minerals and fiber packed into the peppers without burning their mouths, Mazourek said. And whereas only the seeds of wild squash can be eaten safely, domestic breeds such as acorn squash, zucchini and pumpkin don't possess any deadly phytochemicals, so the fleshy parts can be enjoyed as well.
But Mazourek said that despite what he considers some misinterpretations, he believed Robinson was on the right track (= STAF, Inc. agrees with this statement)
"If aiming for more phytonutrients in the diet gets people eating more and a greater variety of fruits and vegetables, then have at it," he said.
Click green for further info
Source: Wholesome Waves & internet
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When Doctors Discriminate
Click green for further info
THE first time it was an ear, nose and throat doctor. I had an emergency visit for an ear infection, which was causing a level of pain I hadn’t experienced since giving birth. He looked at the list of drugs I was taking for my bipolar disorder and closed my chart.
“I don’t feel comfortable prescribing anything,” he said. “Not with everything else you’re on.” He said it was probably safe to take Tylenol and politely but firmly indicated it was time for me to go. The next day my eardrum ruptured and I was left with minor but permanent hearing loss.
Another time I was lying on the examining table when a gastroenterologist I was seeing for the first time looked at my list of drugs and shook her finger in my face. “You better get yourself together psychologically,” she said, “or your stomach is never going to get any better.”
If you met me, you’d never know I was mentally ill. In fact, I’ve gone through most of my adult life without anyone ever knowing — except when I’ve had to reveal it to a doctor. And that revelation changes everything. It wipes clean the rest of my résumé, my education, my accomplishments, reduces me to a diagnosis.
I was surprised when, after one of these run-ins, my psychopharmacologist said this sort of behavior was all too common. At least 14 studies have shown that patients with a serious mental illness receive worse medical care than “normal” people. Last year the World Health Organization called the stigma and discrimination endured by people with mental health conditions “a hidden human rights emergency.”
I never knew it until I started poking around, but this particular kind of discriminatory doctoring has a name. It’s called “diagnostic overshadowing.”
According to a review of studies done by the Institute of Psychiatry at King’s College, London, it happens a lot. As a result, people with a serious mental illness — including bipolar disorder, major depression, schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder — end up with wrong diagnoses and are under-treated.
That is a problem, because if you are given one of these diagnoses you probably also suffer from one or more chronic physical conditions: though no one quite knows why, migraines, irritable bowel syndrome and mitral valve prolapse often go hand in hand with bipolar disorder.
Less mysterious is the weight gain associated with most of the drugs used to treat bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, which can easily snowball into diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and cardiovascular disease. The drugs can also sedate you into a state of zombiedom, which can make going to the gym — or even getting off your couch — virtually impossible.
It’s little wonder that many people with a serious mental illness don’t seek medical attention when they need it. As a result, many of us end up in emergency rooms — where doctors, confronted with an endless stream of drug addicts who come to their door looking for an easy fix — are often all too willing to equate mental illness with drug-seeking behavior and refuse to prescribe pain medication.
I should know: a few years ago I had a persistent migraine, and after weeks trying to get an appointment with any of the handful ofheadache specialists in New York City, I broke down and went to the E.R. My husband filled out paperwork and gave the nurse my list of drugs. The doctors finally agreed to give me something stronger than what my psychopharmacologist could prescribe for the pain and hooked me up to an IV.
I lay there for hours wearing sunglasses to block out the fluorescent light, waiting for the pain relievers to kick in. But the headache continued. “They gave you saline and electrolytes,” my psychopharmacologist said later. “Welcome to being bipolar.”
When I finally saw the specialist two weeks later (during which time my symptoms included numbness and muscle weakness), she accused me of being “a serious cocaine user” (I don’t touch the stuff) and of displaying symptoms of “la belle indifference,” a 19th-century term for a kind of hysteria in which the patient converts emotional symptoms into physical ones — i.e., it was all in my head.
Indeed, given my experience over the last two decades, I shouldn’t have been surprised by the statistics I found in the exhaustive report “Morbidity and Mortality in People with Serious Mental Illness,” a review of studies published in 2006 that provides an overview of recommendations and general call to arms by the National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors. The take-away: people who suffer from a serious mental illness and use the public health care system die 25 years earlier than those without one.
True, suicide is a big factor, accounting for 30 to 40 percent of early deaths. But 60 percent die of preventable or treatable conditions. First on the list is, unsurprisingly, cardiovascular disease. Two studies showed that patients with both a mental illness and a cardiovascular condition received about half the number of follow-up interventions, like bypass surgery or cardiac catheterization, after having a heart attack than did the “normal” cardiac patients.
The report also contains a list of policy recommendations, including designating patients with serious mental illnesses as a high-priority population; coordinating and integrating mental and physical health care for such people; education for health care workers and patients; and a quality-improvement process that supports increased access to physical health care and ensures appropriate prevention, screening and treatment services.
Such changes, if implemented, might make a real difference. And after seven years of no change, signs of movement are popping up, particularly among academic programs aimed at increasing awareness of mental health issues. Several major medical schools now have programs in the medical humanities, an emerging field that draws on diverse disciplines including the visual arts, humanities, music and science to make medical students think differently about their patients. And Johns Hopkins offers a doctor of public health with a specialization in mental health.
Perhaps the most notable of these efforts — and so far the only one of its kind — is the narrative medicine program at Columbia University Medical Center, which starts with the premise that there is a disconnect between health care and patients and that health care workers need to start listening to what their patients are telling them, and not just looking at what’s written on their charts.
According to the program’s mission statement, “The effective practice of health care requires the ability to recognize, absorb, interpret, and act on the stories and plights of others. Medicine practiced with narrative competence is a model for humane and effective medical practice.”
We can only hope that humanizing programs like this one become a requirement for all health care workers. Maybe then “first, do no harm” will apply to everyone, even the mentally ill.
Click green for further info
Source: NYT & Juliann Garey, The author of the novel “Too Bright to Hear Too Loud to See” and a co-editor of “Voices of Bipolar Disorder: The Healing Companion.”
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Community health centers & Obama-Care
expect to sign up millions of newly insured patients under President Barack Obama's health reform law, but U.S. budget cuts just as they need to beef up services
may make it hard to keep the newcomers
Community health centers never turn away patients for lack of insurance
Click green for further info
The federally funded centers have been a safety net in the nation's poorest areas since 1965, offering primary care and mental health services to 22 million people, more than a third of them without insurance.
When the Affordable Care Act, popularly known as Obamacare, takes full effect on Jan. 1, the 1,200 clinics plan to help enroll many of the newly insured. That campaign is expected to bring 10 million new patients within a year.
But with scant funding to improve their services and level of care, the centers are scrambling to ensure they can keep the new patients. The fear is that, over time, many of the insured patients will look for better service at private practices and hospitals, diverting a fresh source of much-needed income for the centers.
"There's a big competitive reality coming for us," said Don Blanchon, executive director of Whitman-Walker Health, a community health center in Washington. "We're finally getting to the point where this is really about how good we provide care, and it's about outcomes."
That is precisely what worries Raymond Martins, chief medical officer at Whitman-Walker.
"If patients have to wait too long or can't get an appointment, they'll go somewhere else," Martins said. "The care model that the health centers operate sure needs to be able to compete with private practice and hospital-based doctors."
The wait time for an appointment at Whitman-Walker is typically between three weeks to six weeks, but at many other centers it can take months. To prepare for the health reform influx, Whitman-Walker hopes to rent more space, doubling its exam room capacity and tripling the number of dental chairs.
Health center directors said they want to become a preferred provider for patients with options, rather than a last resort.
A provision of the healthcare law provides incentives for them to become registered Patient Centered Medical Homes. A PCMH is a healthcare model in which a team, led by a primary care physician, provides comprehensive care throughout a patient's lifetime.
Along those lines, Whitman-Walker plans to give each patient access to a care team. There are also plans to hire two more medical practitioners and at least one more dentist and dental hygienist. Martins believes the efforts will help build a loyal following.
SPECIALIZED EXPERTISE
Many patients at the community health centers value the convenience of their neighborhood locations and their services for health issues affecting low-income areas, including nutrition counseling and crime victims' support groups.
"I guess I could switch but won't because of the cost and accessibility of coming here," said Adam, a Blue Cross Blue Shield insurance patient who received an HIV test at Whitman-Walker in June. He requested only his first name be used.
Community health centers never turn away patients for lack of insurance. Those who earn up to two times the federal poverty level - amounting to $11,490 for one person and $23,550 for a family of four - pay on a sliding scale or have fees waived.
But the centers are struggling with a more than 5 percent chop to their base funding under across-the-board U.S. government budget cuts. That means the centers will be able to serve 900,000 fewer patients and accommodate 3 million fewer visits this year, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation.
There were 400 applications from around the country this year for new health centers under the healthcare law but the budget cuts meant only 25 could be accepted.
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act in 2010 earmarked $11 billion over five years to bolster community health centers, but only $3 billion has made it through Congress so far.
That means the centers are counting on enrolling patients having some insurance from Obamacare, whether through government subsidies to individuals who will buy coverage or an expansion of the Medicaid program for the poor.
ENROLLMENT DRIVE
Aurelia Jones-Taylor, chief executive of Aaron E. Henry Community Health Center in Clarksdale, Mississippi, said the clinic is anticipating a 25 percent increase in patients at the beginning of the calendar year.
It is hiring two more employees to help people understand their options in a community where nearly 95 percent live below the federal poverty line, Jones-Taylor said.
The clinic also needs two nurse practitioners and two physicians. It can hire the practitioners but doesn't have the money for new doctors.
Beatrice Bostick, chief executive of Alliance Medical Center in Healdsburg, California, faces a similar situation. The clinic currently sees 12,000 patients a year, and expects that figure to reach at least 14,000 next year.
Bostick said she needs three more doctors, but for now hopes to hire one by September and a second by January.
Her center has ambitious goals for drawing in eligible members. It has two staff members helping people sign up for health insurance and plans to hire two more.
The Department of Health and Human Services has provided a $150 million grant to help the centers explain the new law to patients and sign them up for insurance benefits.
The clinic hopes to enroll half of its community's eligible population by December, three months after people can begin signing up for the government insurance exchanges under Obamacare. It wants to enroll another 60 percent of the remaining uninsured by April 2014.
Many of those who are eligible need help in enrolling, says Dan Hawkins, the National Association for Community Health Center's senior vice president of public policy and research.
"You get folks that work like heck to keep a roof over their heads and put food on the table for their families and don't have a lot of time to go through this stuff," he said.
Source: Community care centers
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GMOs, or Genetically Modified Organisms
Article 1 of 2
Article 2 of 2 (next below) "Yellow Rice..." is also important to read
GMOs - How safe are they?
(1) Many countries have banned GMO crops exported from the United States
(2) 70% to 75% of processed food is genetically modified
(3) A recent poll conducted by ABC News revealed that 93% of people feel the government should require labeling of GMO foods as 53% feel they are unsafe and 13 percent are unsure of their safety
Click green for further info
Many people in the U.S. have food on their brains these days. Specifically, many people are wondering how safe is the food supply, and a new movement to read labels and buy local also has people wondering if GMOs, or Genetically Modified Organisms are safe.
Genetically modified foods means that a plant is altered or enhanced in a way that wouldn't happen in nature, says Bob Quinn, who is an organic farmer with a Ph.D. in plant biochemistry.
"They are taking the genes of one thing and forcing it into the cells of a target species," says Quinn. "The result is an organism that didn't exist before."
Many countries have banned GMO crops exported from the United States, as evidenced by the recent controversy in which Japan refused to accept wheat from the U.S. since non-FDA*) approved GMO wheat, which was tested by Monsanto, was found in a field in Oregon earlier this year.
*) FDA - U S Food and Drug Administration Home Pagewww.fda.gov/
According to Dave Murphy, founder of Food Democracy Now!*) 70% to 75% of processed food is genetically modified.
*) Food Democracy Nowwww.fooddemocracynow.org/
"The ways to avoid GMOs is to not eat processed food, and when eating fruits and vegetables, buy organic," says Murphy.
Dr. Michael Wald, director of Human Health, Integrated Medicine of Mount Kisco*) in Mount Kisco, New York, says that buying organic could mean a 20% to 100% percent higher grocery bill.
*) Integrated Medicine of Mount Kisco ... - Chappaqua Patchchappaqua.patch.com/listings/integrated-medicine-of-mount-kisco
According to a study released by the RMCOS Institute, the projected growth of the organic industry was expected to increase by 12.2% each year from 2010-2014.
Still, the increased cost of organic food, which Wald says is due to the fact the organic food industry doesn't use pesticide and therefore crop yields are substantially less, makes buying organic simply out of reach for the poor and families struggling with their budget.
The real question is whether GMOs are safe and if buying organic is worth the extra cost.
It's What They Aren't Telling the Public
Genetically Modified Crops as we know them today were introduced in the 1990s. These plants can be infused with nutrients, such as vitamin A, that have proven to help malnourished children in developing countries. The biotech industry also contends that GMOs increase yield, which will help meet the growing demand for food, especially in developing nations.
However, it is the infusion of pesticides and creation of pest resistant crops that have many people worried. Some geneticists have sounded the alarm that the long term effects of some of these crops have been studied, not only for our health, but for that of the environment.
According to an opinion piece published as "A Seedy Practice" in 2009 by the editors of Scientific American, it's what the biotech industry is not allowing and not telling the public that has most people concerned about genetically modified crops.
The controversy surrounds intellectual property and who owns the seed. According to the piece in SA, the biotech industry that owns the seed (which includes Monsanto, a company that has become the face of the industry) must approve any research on GMOs and then also approve the findings, which excludes scientific testing outside of the reach of the industry.
"Research on genetically modified seeds is still published, of course," the SAarticle read. "But only studies that the seed companies have approved ever see the light of a peer-reviewed journal. In a number of cases, experiments that had the implicit go-ahead from the seed company were later blocked from publication because the results were not flattering."
The piece concludes that the biotech industry should remove the research restriction and the EPA*) should demand independent testing before new seeds are put on the market.*) US Environmental Protection Agencywww.epa.gov/
Dr. Martina Newell-McGloughlin director of international biotechnology at UC-Davis*), says that there are independent studies that have been conducted in university setting but did not cite any that weren't funded by the intellectual property rights owners in the biotech industry. Still, she says, the outcome of those studies was not influenced by the industry.
*) University of California, Davis - Wikipedia
Newell-McGloughlin says the only studies that supposedly showed negative results for health concerns were flawed. She points to a French study widely reported in which rats developed tumors after being fed GMO food.
She says the experiment was flawed as it used nine times more test subjects than controls and used rats in a long-term, two-year study on a type of rat that is shown to develop tumors in old age. "Long-term studies are typically not done on rats as they will develop tumors as they age," says Newell-McGloughlin. "Rats are typically not used in studies lasting longer than six months and then they are euthanized as to not suffer with the tumors they develop."
She adds that 400 agencies worldwide have endorsed GMOs as safe. Jeffrey Smith, executive director for the Institute of Responsible Technology and an author and speaker against GMOs, claims all of the research that has gotten through the biotech industry's long arm, has been the subject of targeted and coordinated attacks.
"The French study used the same rats as the Monsanto study, " says Smith. As for the claim that the lead French scientist has a financial interest in the organic industry? "I think it's odd that it's O.K. for the biotech industry to have a financial interest in the outcome of the research, but not the scientist, who has done long term studies on pesticides."
Solving the Problem with Labeling
As the biotech industry and academics clash with some geneticists and food advocates who say that more long term independent studies need to be conducted on GMOS, why not just label GMOs and allow consumers to drive the market?
A recent poll conducted by ABC News revealed that 93% of people feel the government should require labeling of GMO foods as 53% feel they are unsafe and 13 percent are unsure of their safety.
Newell-McGloughlin doesn't believe in labeling, saying that it would provide no specific nutrient information about the food and would levy a tax on all families to pay for the increased cost of labeling.
The biotech industry has thrown millions of dollars into fighting labeling campaigns, most notably in California's, which was defeated.
They've also accused the organic industry and holistic practitioners of pushing a campaign of hysteria over GMOs for their own gain.
That is a claim Quinn, the third-generation farmer who converted his 4,000 acres to organic farming in Montana for what he says is concerns about the industry, denies.
He says it is ridiculous to think that the organic industry and farmers would support labeling initiatives as buying organic is actually the only way Americans know right now that their food is not a GMO. "If labeling initiatives pass, it will give the consumer a choice whether to buy organic or not, our industry will actually most likely lose market share," says Quinn. "We think if they have to label, they will also be forced into independent studies."
Wald also dismisses that holistic practitioners are in it for the money. "The GMO issue is one of world health and safety," says Wald. "No reputable healthcare provider would accept any alteration of the food chain without proper scientific basis; in the case of GMOs such studies have not been conducted."
Even the Center for Food Integrity*) in Kansas City, which is a nonprofit whose mission it is to build trust in the food industry, says the GMO issues is confusing, at best, for consumers.
"We have seen GMOs used on a wide scale without any documented health impact since 1996," says Charlie Arnot, CEO. "CFI does believe consumers have a right to know, the question is what way the food industry can provide that information so that consumers can make informed choices and so that it neither promotes or demonizes."
Arnot says it is best if consumers do their own research into GMOS and only rely on trusted sources when determining if they feel they are safe for their family.
Click green for further info
Source: Internet news
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Article 2 of 2 (Article 1 of 2 next above - important also to read)
Golden Rice:
Lifesaver of millions ?
Important for everyone to read - this is GMO - genetically modified food - in reality it feeds millions of empty stomachs in the developing countries at a low price and with much vitamin A - that saves millions of children's eye sight
Lack of vitamin A causes blindness in children and in adults - this GMO yellow rice saves lives
Something to think about for all of us no matter what our opinion about GMO
Read this article - you'll be happy you did
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ONE bright morning this month, 400 protesters smashed down the high fences surrounding a field in the Bicol region of the Philippines and uprooted the genetically modified rice plants growing inside.
Had the plants survived long enough to flower, they would have betrayed a distinctly yellow tint in the otherwise white part of the grain. That is because the rice is endowed with a gene from corn and another from a bacterium, making it the only variety in existence to produce beta carotene, the source of vitamin A.
Its developers call it “Golden Rice.”
The concerns voiced by the participants in the Aug. 8 act of vandalism — that Golden Rice could pose unforeseen risks to human health and the environment, that it would ultimately profit big agrochemical companies — are a familiar refrain in the long-running controversy over the merits of genetically engineered crops. They are driving the desire among some Americans for mandatory “G.M.O.” labels on food with ingredients made from crops whose DNA has been altered in a laboratory. And they have motivated similar attacks on trials of other genetically modified crops in recent years: grapes designed to fight off a deadly virus in France, wheat designed to have a lower glycemic index in Australia, sugar beets in Oregon designed to tolerate a herbicide, to name a few.
“We do not want our people, especially our children, to be used in these experiments,” a farmer who was a leader of the protest told the Philippine newspaper Remate.
But Golden Rice, which appeared on the cover of Time Magazine in 2000 before it was quite ready for prime time, is unlike any of the genetically engineered crops in wide use today, designed to either withstand herbicides sold by Monsanto and other chemical companies or resist insect attacks, with benefits for farmers but not directly for consumers.
And a looming decision by the Philippine government about whether to allow Golden Rice to be grown beyond its four remaining field trials has added a new dimension to the debate over the technology’s merits.
Not owned by any company, Golden Rice is being developed by a nonprofit group called the International Rice Research Institute with the aim of providing a new source of vitamin A to people both in the Philippines, where most households get most of their calories from rice, and eventually in many other places in a world where rice is eaten every day by half the population. Lack of the vital nutrient causes blindness in a quarter-million to a half-million children each year. It affects millions of people in Asia and Africa and so weakens the immune system that some two million die each year of diseases they would otherwise survive.
The destruction of the field trial, and the reasons given for it, touched a nerve among scientists around the world, spurring them to counter assertions of the technology’s health and environmental risks. On a petition supporting Golden Rice circulated among scientists and signed by several thousand, many vented a simmering frustration with activist organizations like Greenpeace, which they see as playing on misplaced fears of genetic engineering in both the developing and the developed worlds. Some took to other channels to convey to American foodies and Filipino farmers alike the broad scientific consensus that G.M.O.’s are not intrinsically more risky than other crops and can be reliably tested.
At stake, they say, is not just the future of biofortified rice but also a rational means to evaluate a technology whose potential to improve nutrition in developing countries, and developed ones, may otherwise go unrealized.
“There’s so much misinformation floating around about G.M.O.’s that is taken as fact by people,” said Michael D. Purugganan, a professor of genomics and biology and the dean for science at New York University, who sought to calm health-risk concerns in a primer on GMA News Online, a media outlet in the Philippines: “The genes they inserted to make the vitamin are not some weird manufactured material,” he wrote, “but are also found in squash, carrots and melons.”
Mr. Purugganan, who studies plant evolution, does not work on genetically engineered crops, and until recently had not participated in the public debates over the risks and benefits of G.M.O.’s. But having been raised in a middle-class family in Manila, he felt compelled to weigh in on Golden Rice. “A lot of the criticism of G.M.O.’s in the Western world suffers from a lack of understanding of how really dire the situation is in developing countries,” he said.
Some proponents of G.M.O.’s say that more critical questions, like where biotechnology should fall as a priority in the efforts to address the root causes of hunger and malnutrition and how to prevent a few companies from controlling it, would be easier to address were they not lumped together with unfounded fears by those who oppose G.M.O.’s.
“It is long past time for scientists to stand up and shout, ‘No more lies — no more fear-mongering,’ ” said Nina V. Fedoroff, a professor at the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology in Saudi Arabia and a former science adviser to the American secretary of state, who helped spearhead the petition. “We’re talking about saving millions of lives here.”
Precisely because of its seemingly high-minded purpose, Golden Rice has drawn suspicion from biotechnology skeptics beyond the demonstrators who forced their way into the field trial. Many countries ban the cultivation of all genetically modified crops, and after the rice’s media debut early in the last decade, Vandana Shiva, an Indian environmentalist, called it a “Trojan horse” whose purpose was to gain public support for all manner of genetically modified crops that would benefit multinational corporations at the expense of poor farmers and consumers.
In a 2001 article, “The Great Yellow Hype,” the author Michael Pollan, a critic of industrial agriculture, suggested that it might have been developed to “win an argument rather than solve a public-health problem.” He cited biotechnology industry advertisements that featured the virtues of the rice, which at the time had to be ingested in large quantities to deliver a meaningful dose of vitamin A.
But the rice has since been retooled: a bowl now provides 60 percent of the daily requirement of vitamin A for healthy children. And Gerard Barry, the Golden Rice project leader at the International Rice Research Institute — and, it must be said, a former senior scientist and executive at Monsanto — suggests that attempts to discredit Golden Rice discount the suffering it could alleviate if successful. He said, too, that critics who suggest encouraging poor families to simply eat fruits and vegetables that contain beta carotene disregard the expense and logistical difficulties that would thwart such efforts.
Identified in the infancy of genetic engineering as having the potential for the biggest impact for the world’s poor, beta-carotene-producing rice was initially funded by the Rockefeller Foundation and the European Union. In a decade of work culminating in 1999, two academic scientists, Ingo Potrykus and Peter Beyer, finally switched on the production of beta carotene by adding daffodil and bacteria DNA to the rice’s genome. They licensed their patent rights to the agribusiness company that later became Syngenta, on the condition that the technology and any improvements to it would be made freely available to poor farmers in the developing world. With the company retaining the right to use it in developed countries, potentially as an alternative to vitamin supplements, Syngenta scientists later improved the amount of beta carotene produced by substituting a gene from corn for the one from daffodil.
If the rice gains the Philippine government’s approval, it will cost no more than other rice for poor farmers, who will be free to save seeds and replant them, Dr. Barry said. It has no known allergens or toxins, and the new proteins produced by the rice have been shown to break down quickly in simulated gastric fluid, as required by World Health Organization guidelines. A mouse feeding study is under way in a laboratory in the United States. The potential that the Golden Rice would cross-pollinate with other varieties, sometimes called “genetic contamination,” has been studied and found to be limited, because rice is typically self-pollinated. And its production of beta carotene does not appear to provide a competitive advantage — or disadvantage — that could affect the survival of wild varieties with which it might mix.
If Golden Rice is a Trojan horse, it now has some company. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which is supporting the final testing of Golden Rice, is also underwriting the development of crops tailored for sub-Saharan Africa, like cassava that can resist the viruses that routinely wipe out a third of the harvest, bananas that contain higher levels of iron and corn that uses nitrogen more efficiently. Other groups are developing a pest-resistant black-eyed pea and a “Golden Banana” that would also deliver vitamin A.
Beyond the fear of corporate control of agriculture, perhaps the most cited objection to G.M.O.’s is that they may hold risks that may not be understood. The decision to grow or eat them relies, like many other decisions, on a cost-benefit analysis.
How food consumers around the world weigh that calculation will probably have far-reaching consequences. Such crops, Scientific American declared in an editorial last week, will make it to people’s plates “only with public support.”
Greenpeace, for one, dismisses the benefits of vitamin supplementation through G.M.O.’s and has said it will continue to oppose all uses of biotechnology in agriculture. As Daniel Ocampo, a campaigner for the organization in the Philippines, put it, “We would rather err on the side of caution.”
For others, the potential of crops like Golden Rice to alleviate suffering is all that matters. “This technology can save lives,” one of the petition’s signers, Javier Delgado of Mexico, wrote. “But false fears can destroy it.”
Click green for further info
Source: NYT
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Planning to lose weight?
Ditch calorie-rich rewards after exercise
to ditch = to get rid of; discard: ex.: ditched the old habit
Trough out this website, STAF, Inc.'s editors give meaning to certain words or sayings
that may be unfamiliar to the speakers of English as their second language
_________
Learn to eat correct nutrition (in this extensive website you'll find everything you need to know),
do not drink soda (sugary or diet), drink plain water, sleep 7 - 8 hours, walk daily
as much as your time allows, walk stairs up & down
If you're spending more time running, walking or pumping iron in the gym and still not losing weight, fitness experts say it could be due to too big a reward for still too little exercise.
Although fitness has indisputable health benefits, it takes a lot of walking or running to burn off the calories in a donut.
"There's a war between exercise and nutrition in our heads," said American Council on Exercise spokesperson Jonathan Ross. "People tend to overestimate the amount of physical activity they get. They work out a little bit and treat themselves a lot."
A report by the University of Washington's Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation showed that although Americans say they are more active, it has not made much of a dent in the obesity epidemic that affects more than one-third of U.S. adults.
Ross, a personal trainer based outside Washington, D.C., said exercise can play a role in weight reduction, but without broader lifestyle and nutritional changes, that role is limited.
"We put exercise in a box and once that exercise box is filled in we don't do much the rest of the day," he explained, adding that a post-workout calorie-dense treat doesn't help.
"Some (weight-loss) programs stress nutrition, some stress exercise," he said. "But the two together are greater than the parts."
The National Weight Control Registry, which gathers information from people who have successfully lost at least 30 pounds and kept it off for a least one year, reports that 90 percent of its members exercise, on average, about one hour per day.
U.S. health officials recommend that healthy adults get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity a week, or around 20 minutes a day.
Dr. Joseph E. Donnelly, an exercise physiologist with the American College of Sports Medicine said the U.S. government guidelines are for cardio vascular fitness, not weight loss.
"It was never intended for weight management," said Donnelly, a researcher who focuses on obesity at the University of Kansas. "People have misused it."
He added that studies suggest 250 to 300 minutes of exercise per week may be the minimum to lose weight.
"At 150 (minutes) the best you can hope for is weight maintenance."
Donnelly said if there's a success story for the role of exercise in weight control, it's in maintenance.
"Even among the naysayers who feel you can't lose much weight through exercise, most people agree it seems important to maintain weight," he said.
Dr. Michele Olson, professor of exercise physiology at Auburn University Montgomery, in Alabama, said it is difficult to shed pounds through exercise alone.
"One pound of fat has 3,500 calories," she explained. "If you ran a 26-mile marathon, where you burn about 100 calories per mile, you would burn 2600 calories, falling 900 calories short of burning one pound of fat."
She added that people must be physically active regardless of their size or whether they are losing weight.
"Moderately intense exercise done in as few as 10-minute increments two to three times a day markedly reduces our risk of all causes of mortality, heart disease most effectively but all other causes, including cancers, deaths due to hypertension and strokes, etc.," she said.
Ross said for many of his clients the goal is to maintain vitality and capability.
"For anyone out there who is frustrated about not losing weight, try to focus instead on what you love about your life," he said. "The No. 1 goal is to feel better in your body. That's what exercising is good for."
Source: Dr. Michele Olson, professor of exercise physiology at Auburn University Montgomery, in Alabama
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Important info in both articles 1/2 & 2/2- new to most
Article 1 of 2 (Article 2 of 2 next below)
FVRx for short
FV = fruits, vegetables
Rx = ℞, symbol used at the beginning of a prescription
New York Hospitals Prescribing Fruits, Veggies
July 2013
Dr. Lisa Bajpayee reports:
This prescription program seems to be having an effect on health:
37.8 percent of child participants decreased their body mass index, or BMI = lost weight
At the end of this article you'll find info how to calculate your
(1) BMI - body mass index;
(2) your body shape index(determined by Waist-to-Height Ratio);
(3) other calculators for improving health and longevity
The Article
An apple a day keeps the doctor away, so the saying goes. But for many living in New York City, that apple might come by prescription.
Two of the city's hospitals - (1) Lincoln Medical Center and (2) Harlem Hospital - have joined a national experiment:
click: the Fruit and Vegetable Prescription Program, or FVRx for short. The hospitals serve some of New York's lower-income families. And according to Wholesome Wave* - see at the end), the organization spearheading the experiment, those families face the biggest hurdles when it comes to healthy eating.
The prescriptions come in the form of "health bucks" - coupons - $1 per day for each member of the family. That means a family of four would get $28 worth of coupons per week to be used at local farmers' markets for fresh fruits and vegetables.
The program has seen a success in other metro areas, including Boston.
"It was a great way to start the conversation about eating healthy," said Dr. Suki Tepperberg, lead physician for the program at Codman Square Health Center in Boston. "It motivated families to make a change. It even motivated families to make clinic appointments and to keep their appointments because they knew they were getting fruits and vegetables."
"By the end of it," Tepperberg added, "more kids ate fruits and vegetables."
Click: Hungry Shoppers Eat Worse All Week Long, Study Finds
New York joins seven (in 2013 & growing) other states testing the Wholesome Wave plan.
According to the organization's end-of-market survey, participants reported
a 93 percent increase in fruit and vegetable consumption in 2012.
And it seems to be having an effect on health: 37.8 percent of child participants decreased their body mass index, or BMI = lost weight.
"This looks like an excellent program," said Dr. Donald Hensrud of the Mayo Clinic. "Increasing fruit and vegetable intake is associated with decreased risk of heart disease, cancer, obesity and even overall mortality."
Cost is one of the biggest barriers to increasing fruit and vegetable consumption. But Hensrud said "behavioral inertia*)" - the tendency to eat what we're used to eating - also stands in the way.
*) inertia = A tendency to do nothing or to remain unchanged
"Change is sometimes difficult, including eating new foods," he said.
'Self-Medicating' With Fruits and Vegetables
Even if you are not in a place where prescriptions for fruits and vegetables have begun, there are affordable ways to increase your intake. United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) guidelines recommend 2 ½ cups of vegetables and 2 cups of fruit per day - a "dose" estimated to cost about $2.25 per day.
NOTICE:
STAF, Inc. has a new program ALL daily food for an adult costs about $3 / day - it includes all fruits & vegetables AND all other food in that price - STAF, Inc.'s program is based on home-cooking and on ingredients available in every supermarket. This new Healthy Lifestyle & Correct Nutrition Program is based on a worldwide research project, took 26 years to create & test and will, in a televised event, be introduced in D.C. to the whole nation as the solution to our rampant sickness level. The same program is fit for every nation's use worldwide.
Here are a few tips that can help:
Buy frozen: Research has shown that frozen fruits and vegetables have the same amount of nutrition as fresh produce. Frozen produce is often half the price of fresh produce and won't go bad as quickly. Buy mostly when on sale as fresh and as frozen.
Buy in season: Food grown in season is cheaper and tastes better.
Grow your own: Growing your own fruits and veggies can be very satisfying. Not only is homegrown produce tastier but it's cost-effective too.
And buy in bulk: It's cheaper to purchase fruits and vegetables such as apples, oranges, grapefruit, potatoes and onions by the bag, not by the piece. You'll fill more lunch bags and cover more meals.
IMPORTANT HINT by STAF, Inc.:
Look for "Manager's Specials" in the supermarket: prices are 50 - 90 % less and the quality is good enough for consuming - buy as much as you can as "manager's specials" - start small and you will learn in a few days what is good enough and then keep it on. Manager's specials are products somewhat riper, etc. & the manager has to sell them fast.
In the U.S. about 45 % of eatable food is thrown into the garbage can - how is it with your family? Take corrective actions if needed.
- BMI – Body Mass Index BMI is used to find out if a person is underweight, normal weight, overweight, or obese
- Waist-to-Height Ratio Body shape (determined by Waist-to-Height Ratio) is often considered to be the best indicator of health related to weight. Click: http://www.health-calc.com Click green below:
- BMI Calculator Plus: Personalized BMI for Your Body Type and ...www.webmd.com/diet/calc- WebMD's free BMI Calculator Plus gives you personalized body mass index and health results based on 6 different weight and fitness ...
- Adult BMI Calculator - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention www.cdc.gov/.../assessing/bmi/...bmi/...bmi_calculator/bmi_calculator.ht...
(1) Use this calculator for adults, 20 years old and older. (2) For children and teens, 2 through 19 years old, use the BMI Calculator for Children and ..
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Source:
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Wholesome Wavewholesomewave.org/
Wholesome Wave fosters strong linkages between local agriculture and under-served communities. Our goal is a more vibrant and equitable food system for all ...
Healthy Food Commerce In 2011, Wholesome Wave launched the Healthy Food ...
Employment Are you passionate about making our current food system ...
Our Team At Wholesome Wave, our team is dedicated to the success of ...
About About Wholesome Wave. Mission. Wholesome Wave's mission is ...
Programs Wholesome Wave programs increase access to affordable ...
Fruit & Vegetable Prescription The fruit and vegetable prescription program fosters ...
More results from wholesomewave.org »
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Source: (Article 2 of 2 next below)
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Important info, new to most
Article 2 of 2 (Article 1 of 2 above next)
For a Healthier Diet, Go "Wild"
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Virtually everyone agrees that Americans should eat more fruits and vegetables, but Jo Robinson, food activist and author of the new book "Eating on the Wild Side," wants consumers to know that not all fruits and vegetables are created equal.
(STAF, Inc. endorses the book by Jo Robinson(Jun 4, 2013) click: "Eating on the Wild Side: The Missing Link to Optimum Health" - connects to Amazon.com books) = order it now, read & apply.
Many wild plants left a bitter, sour or astringent*) taste in the mouths of our ancestors, Robinson explained, so when people began farming instead of foraging about 10,000 years ago, we bred our favorite fruits and veggies to be sweet and tasty. *) Definition of astringent : You know that vinegar-like liquid teens put on their faces in order to tighten their pores and dry up their pimples? That's astringent.
While they are certainly more delicious (less astringent), Robinson said that most domestic plants had far fewer phytonutrients -- the healthful compounds that studies find can help reduce the risk of diabetes, heart disease, obesity and cancer -- than the wild varieties of edible plants. The stronger the taste, the more phytonutrients (a basic principle)
"Phytonutrients have antioxidant properties that curb the inflammation at the root of many diseases," Robinson said. "Some wild plants contain 20 or 30 phytonutrients for a really strong, health-enhancing effect."
It's not as if Robinson is advocating an outrageously expensive or restrictive diet. Nor is she suggesting anyone stride into the forest and start ripping up plants by the roots to toss into a salad. Instead, she recommends that consumers get educated about which foods are high in phytonutrients so they can add them into their diets.
Some of the best sources of phytonutrients are surprising.
"Even though we've been taught that bright, colorful foods are the healthiest, this isn't always the case," Robinson said.
BUT: most of the time it is and the darker the color the healthier (STAF, Inc.'s comment)
Peaches with white flesh, for example, have five times the phytochemicals of peaches with yellow flesh. Green Granny Smith apples are a far richer source of phytochemicals than red apples.
She also said many of the most phytochemical-rich plants are hiding in plain sight at the supermarket.
Scallions, for instance, contain five times more phytonutrients than many common onions if you use both the bulbs and green tendrils. And fresh herbs, long valued for their intense flavors and aroma, have escaped the flavor makeover given to other plant foods, and remain excellent sources of phytonutrients. Both are plentiful and inexpensive.
"They can be chopped up and added to a salad, soup or casserole," Robinson said.
Changing the color of various staples can also provide an instant extra dose of phytonutrients. According to Robinson, purple potatoes native to Peru have 28 times more of the cancer-fighting phytonutrient anthocyanin than common russet potatoes. Likewise, blue, red and purple corn meals have more of the substance than the plain white versions.
Robinson said that wild dandelions, which most of us consider nothing more than a lawn nuisance, have seven times more phytonutrients than the "superfood" spinach. If you prefer not to pluck them directly from your lawn, they can now be found in many supermarkets.
Then there are artichoke hearts. According to Robinson, the canned variety -- spiny, pale and watery -- have more antioxidants than just about any food in the supermarket.
There are also some simple tricks consumers can use to ensure they eat food at the peak of its nutritional value, according to Robinson. Buying cherries and grapes with green rather than brown or black stems, checking the freshness dates on bagged lettuce and leaving watermelons and tomatoes on the counter rather than in the refrigerator, are just a few.
Not everyone is entirely on board with Robinson's theories. Michael Mazourek, an assistant professor of plant breeding and genetics at Cornell University, said he applauded any effort to get Americans to eat their greens but finds Robinson's explanation of phytonutrients a bit simplistic.
(STAF, Inc.'s professionals agree with Professor Michael Mazourek - however, both are partially right.)
"Many phytochemicals are toxic or unpalatable, so it's a good thing they've been engineered out of our food," he said. "By breeding out the unsafe aspects, we've created healthy fruits and vegetables that are appealing enough to be consumed in large quantities," he explained. (STAF, Inc.'s comment: yes, but: both statements are partially correct.)
Peppers with the fiery hot phytochemical capsaicin bred out of them allow people to enjoy the benefit of the vitamins, minerals and fiber packed into the peppers without burning their mouths, Mazourek said. And whereas only the seeds of wild squash can be eaten safely, domestic breeds such as acorn squash, zucchini and pumpkin don't possess any deadly phytochemicals, so the fleshy parts can be enjoyed as well.
But Mazourek said that despite what he considers some misinterpretations, he believed Robinson was on the right track (= STAF, Inc. agrees with this statement)
"If aiming for more phytonutrients in the diet gets people eating more and a greater variety of fruits and vegetables, then have at it," he said.
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Source: Wholesome Waves & internet
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When Doctors Discriminate
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THE first time it was an ear, nose and throat doctor. I had an emergency visit for an ear infection, which was causing a level of pain I hadn’t experienced since giving birth. He looked at the list of drugs I was taking for my bipolar disorder and closed my chart.
“I don’t feel comfortable prescribing anything,” he said. “Not with everything else you’re on.” He said it was probably safe to take Tylenol and politely but firmly indicated it was time for me to go. The next day my eardrum ruptured and I was left with minor but permanent hearing loss.
Another time I was lying on the examining table when a gastroenterologist I was seeing for the first time looked at my list of drugs and shook her finger in my face. “You better get yourself together psychologically,” she said, “or your stomach is never going to get any better.”
If you met me, you’d never know I was mentally ill. In fact, I’ve gone through most of my adult life without anyone ever knowing — except when I’ve had to reveal it to a doctor. And that revelation changes everything. It wipes clean the rest of my résumé, my education, my accomplishments, reduces me to a diagnosis.
I was surprised when, after one of these run-ins, my psychopharmacologist said this sort of behavior was all too common. At least 14 studies have shown that patients with a serious mental illness receive worse medical care than “normal” people. Last year the World Health Organization called the stigma and discrimination endured by people with mental health conditions “a hidden human rights emergency.”
I never knew it until I started poking around, but this particular kind of discriminatory doctoring has a name. It’s called “diagnostic overshadowing.”
According to a review of studies done by the Institute of Psychiatry at King’s College, London, it happens a lot. As a result, people with a serious mental illness — including bipolar disorder, major depression, schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder — end up with wrong diagnoses and are under-treated.
That is a problem, because if you are given one of these diagnoses you probably also suffer from one or more chronic physical conditions: though no one quite knows why, migraines, irritable bowel syndrome and mitral valve prolapse often go hand in hand with bipolar disorder.
Less mysterious is the weight gain associated with most of the drugs used to treat bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, which can easily snowball into diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and cardiovascular disease. The drugs can also sedate you into a state of zombiedom, which can make going to the gym — or even getting off your couch — virtually impossible.
It’s little wonder that many people with a serious mental illness don’t seek medical attention when they need it. As a result, many of us end up in emergency rooms — where doctors, confronted with an endless stream of drug addicts who come to their door looking for an easy fix — are often all too willing to equate mental illness with drug-seeking behavior and refuse to prescribe pain medication.
I should know: a few years ago I had a persistent migraine, and after weeks trying to get an appointment with any of the handful ofheadache specialists in New York City, I broke down and went to the E.R. My husband filled out paperwork and gave the nurse my list of drugs. The doctors finally agreed to give me something stronger than what my psychopharmacologist could prescribe for the pain and hooked me up to an IV.
I lay there for hours wearing sunglasses to block out the fluorescent light, waiting for the pain relievers to kick in. But the headache continued. “They gave you saline and electrolytes,” my psychopharmacologist said later. “Welcome to being bipolar.”
When I finally saw the specialist two weeks later (during which time my symptoms included numbness and muscle weakness), she accused me of being “a serious cocaine user” (I don’t touch the stuff) and of displaying symptoms of “la belle indifference,” a 19th-century term for a kind of hysteria in which the patient converts emotional symptoms into physical ones — i.e., it was all in my head.
Indeed, given my experience over the last two decades, I shouldn’t have been surprised by the statistics I found in the exhaustive report “Morbidity and Mortality in People with Serious Mental Illness,” a review of studies published in 2006 that provides an overview of recommendations and general call to arms by the National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors. The take-away: people who suffer from a serious mental illness and use the public health care system die 25 years earlier than those without one.
True, suicide is a big factor, accounting for 30 to 40 percent of early deaths. But 60 percent die of preventable or treatable conditions. First on the list is, unsurprisingly, cardiovascular disease. Two studies showed that patients with both a mental illness and a cardiovascular condition received about half the number of follow-up interventions, like bypass surgery or cardiac catheterization, after having a heart attack than did the “normal” cardiac patients.
The report also contains a list of policy recommendations, including designating patients with serious mental illnesses as a high-priority population; coordinating and integrating mental and physical health care for such people; education for health care workers and patients; and a quality-improvement process that supports increased access to physical health care and ensures appropriate prevention, screening and treatment services.
Such changes, if implemented, might make a real difference. And after seven years of no change, signs of movement are popping up, particularly among academic programs aimed at increasing awareness of mental health issues. Several major medical schools now have programs in the medical humanities, an emerging field that draws on diverse disciplines including the visual arts, humanities, music and science to make medical students think differently about their patients. And Johns Hopkins offers a doctor of public health with a specialization in mental health.
Perhaps the most notable of these efforts — and so far the only one of its kind — is the narrative medicine program at Columbia University Medical Center, which starts with the premise that there is a disconnect between health care and patients and that health care workers need to start listening to what their patients are telling them, and not just looking at what’s written on their charts.
According to the program’s mission statement, “The effective practice of health care requires the ability to recognize, absorb, interpret, and act on the stories and plights of others. Medicine practiced with narrative competence is a model for humane and effective medical practice.”
We can only hope that humanizing programs like this one become a requirement for all health care workers. Maybe then “first, do no harm” will apply to everyone, even the mentally ill.
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Source: NYT & Juliann Garey, The author of the novel “Too Bright to Hear Too Loud to See” and a co-editor of “Voices of Bipolar Disorder: The Healing Companion.”
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The Health Toll of Immigrating to America
Becoming an American can be bad for your health
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This is how the world's smallest country, The Republic of Nauru, became the world's fattest nation in a few years when the American business men came to Nauru to dig the newly-found mineral riches in Nauru. Now 95 % of the population in Nauru are overweight, 80 % have diabetes and other sicknesses caused by a wrong eating and by an unhealthy lifestyle.
Before the Americans came to their island country, basically 100 % of Nauru's population were fully healthy as they ate natural, health-maintaining nutrition. The Americans introduced in Nauru the American fast food (= bad food) , the processed food (= killing food), and other chemicalized sickness causing food.
Click for info: Nauru - Wikipedia
It is the same wrong eating system as most Americans use daily. Is it a wonder that America is among the sickest nations in the world even though American health/sickness care costs are among the highest in the world.
Click: Fat and fatter: the world's 10 fattest countries 2010 - Fat and fatter: the world's 10 fattest countries 2010 ...The tiny island of Nauru tops the world's fattest list, and is one of the eight ...
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Here, in the NYT article below, another good example what we in America have to do.
We have to learn to eat health-restoring and health-maintaining food and also otherwise learn to live in healthy manner. Save The American Family - STAF, Inc., -not-for-profit-, has developed a real results-bringing solution for America (fit for every nation worldwide). This fully new Healthy Lifestyle & Correct Nutrition program took 26 years to develop. It is at the same time an automatic weight loss program. Everyone can afford, learn and adapt this program as its monthly food expenses per an adult are under $100 (the bigger the family the less per person). Based on the program's guidance you buy your food ingredients in your local supermarket and prepare your food in your own kitchen for your family. This website throughout has detailed information of this program. The program will be introduced to Americans in D.C. in a televised program.
The NYT article, dated May, 2013, below
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The Health Toll of Immigrating to America
Becoming an American can be bad for your health
Date: May 2013
Important information for everyone
BROWNSVILLE, Tex. — Becoming an American can be bad for your health.
A growing body of mortality research on immigrants has shown that the longer they live in this country, the worse their rates of heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes. And while their American-born children may have more money, they tend to live shorter lives than the parents.
The pattern goes against any notion that moving to America improves every aspect of life. It also demonstrates that at least in terms of health, worries about assimilation for the country’s 11 million illegal immigrants are mistaken. In fact, it is happening all too quickly.
“There’s something about life in the United States that is not conducive to good health across generations,” said Robert A. Hummer, a social demographer at the University of Texas at Austin.
For Hispanics, now the nation’s largest immigrant group, the foreign-born live about three years longer than their American-born counterparts, several studies have found.
Why does life in the United States — despite its sophisticated health care system and high per capita wages — lead to worse health? New research is showing that the immigrant advantage wears off with the adoption of American behaviors — smoking, drinking, high-calorie diets and sedentary lifestyles.
Here in Brownsville, a worn border city studded with fast-food restaurants, immigrants say that happens slowly, almost imperceptibly. In America, foods like ham and bread that are not supposed to be sweet are. And children lose their taste for traditional Mexican foods like cactus and beans.
For the recently arrived, the quantity and accessibility of food speaks to the boundless promise of the United States. Esther Angeles remembers being amazed at the size of hamburgers — as big as dinner plates — when she first came to the United States from Mexico 15 years ago.
“I thought, this is really a country of opportunity,” she said. “Look at the size of the food!”
Fast-food fare not only tasted good, but was also a sign of success, a family treat that new earnings put in reach.
“The crispiness was delicious,” said Juan Muniz, 62, recalling his first visit to Church’s Chicken with his family in the late 1970s. “I was proud and excited to eat out. I’d tell them: ‘Let’s go eat. We can afford it now.’ ”
For others, supersize deals appealed.
“You work so hard, you want to use your money in a smart way,” said Aris Ramirez, a community health worker in Brownsville, explaining the thinking. “So when they hear ‘twice the fries for an extra 49 cents,’ people think, ‘That’s economical.’ ”
For Ms. Angeles, the excitement of big food eventually wore off, and the frantic pace of the modern American workplace took over. She found herself eating hamburgers more because they were convenient and she was busy in her 78-hour-a-week job as a housekeeper. What is more, she lost control over her daughter’s diet because, as a single mother, she was rarely with her at mealtimes.
Robert O. Valdez, a professor of family and community medicine and economics at the University of New Mexico, said, “All the things we tell people to do from a clinical perspective today — a lot of fiber and less meat — were exactly the lifestyle habits that immigrants were normally keeping.”
As early as the 1970s, researchers found that immigrants lived several years longer than American-born whites even though they tended to have less education and lower income, factors usually associated with worse health. That gap has grown since 1980. Less clear, however, was what happened to immigrants and their American-born offspring after a lifetime in the United States.
Evidence is mounting that the second generation does worse. Elizabeth Arias, a demographer at the National Center for Health Statistics, has made exploratory estimates based on data from 2007 to 2009, which show that Hispanic immigrants live 2.9 years longer than American-born Hispanics. The finding, which has not yet been published, is similar to those in earlier studies.
Still, the data does not break down by generation. Ms. Arias cautioned that subsequent generations — for example, grandchildren and great-grandchildren — may indeed improve as they rise in socioeconomic status, which in the United States is strongly correlated with better health.
Other research suggests that some of the difference has to do with variation among American-born Hispanics, most of whom still do better than the rest of the American population. Puerto Ricans born in the continental United States, for example, have some of the shortest life spans and even do worse than whites born in the United States, according to research by Professor Hummer, dragging down the numbers for American-born Hispanics. But Mexican immigrant men live about two years longer than Mexican-American men, according to the estimates by Ms. Arias.
Why is a harder question to answer, researchers say. Some point to smoking. Andrew Fenelon, a researcher at Brown University, found in 2011 that half of the three-year life expectancy advantage that Hispanic immigrants had over American-born Hispanics was because they smoked less. The children of immigrants adopt health behaviors typical of Americans in their socioeconomic group. For second-generation Hispanics, the group tends to be lower income, with higher rates of smoking and drinking.
Other researchers say culture contributes. Foreign-born Hispanics are less likely than American-born Hispanics to be raising children alone, and more likely to be part of large kinship networks that insulate them from harsh American economic realities that can lead to poor health.
“I’d love to have my wife at home taking care of the kids and making sure they eat right, but I can’t afford to,” said Camilo Garza, a 34-year-old plumber and maintenance worker whose grandfather immigrated from Mexico. “It costs money to live in the land of the free. It means both parents have to work.”
As a result, his family eats out almost every night, leaving his dining table abandoned.
“It’s a decoration,” said Mr. Garza, who is overweight and a smoker. “It’s a place where we set groceries before sticking them in the refrigerator.”
The lifestyle takes its toll. The county in which Brownsville is situated, Cameron, has some of the highest rates of obesity and diabetes in the country. The numbers are made worse by a lack of physical activity, including walking. Immigrants said they felt so conspicuous during early attempts to walk along the shoulder of the roads that they feared people would suspect they were here illegally. Ms. Angeles recalled that strolling to a dollar store provoked so many stares that she felt like “a bean in rice.”
“In Mexico, we ate healthily and didn’t even know it,” said Ms. Angeles, who has since developed diabetes. “Here, we know the food we eat is bad for us. We feel guilty. But we eat it anyway.”
Still, immigrants have better health outcomes than the American-born. A 2006 analysis by Gopal K. Singh, a researcher at the Department of Health and Human Services, and Robert A. Hiatt, a professor of epidemiology and biostatistics at the University of California, San Francisco, found that immigrants had at least a 20 percent lower overall cancer mortality rate than their American-born counterparts.
Mortality rates from heart disease were about 16 percent lower, for kidney disease 18 percent lower, and for liver cirrhosis 24 percent lower.
“When my daughter was born, my doctor told me that if I wanted to see her 15th birthday I needed to lose the weight,” said Gerry Ortiz, 37, a first-generation Mexican-American in Brownsville. He managed to lose 75 pounds, motivated in part by his grandfather, a farmer in rural Mexico who at 93 still rides his bicycle every day. He stares down at the family from a black-and-white photograph hanging in Mr. Ortiz’s living room. Four of the family’s six siblings are obese and have diabetes.
And health habits in Mexico are starting to look a lot like those in the United States. Researchers are beginning to wonder how long better numbers for the foreign-born will last. Up to 40 percent of the diet of rural Mexicans now comes from packaged foods, according to Professor Valdez.
“We are seeing a huge shift away from traditional diets,” he said. “People are no longer growing what they are eating. They are increasingly going to the market, and that market is changing.”
Joseph B. McCormick, the regional dean of the University of Texas School of Public Health in Brownsville, said, “The U.S. culture has crept across the border.”
Perhaps more immediate is the declining state of Hispanic health in the United States. Nearly twice as many Hispanic adults as non-Hispanic white adults have diabetes that has been diagnosed, a rate that researchers now say may have a genetic component, particularly in those whose ancestry is Amerindian from Central and South America, Dr. McCormick said.
Hispanic adults are also 14 percent more likely to be obese, according to 2010 data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The rate is even higher for Hispanic children, who are 51 percent more likely to be obese than non-Hispanic white children.
“We have a time bomb that’s going to go off,” said Dr. Amelie G. Ramirez, a professor of epidemiology and biostatistics at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio. “Obesity rates are increasing. Diabetes is exploding. The cultural protection Hispanics had is being eroded.”
But at least for now, the older generation is still enjoying its advantage. In the De Angeles snack bar, a favorite meeting place for elderly Brownsvillians, one regular who is 101 still walks across the bridge to Mexico. Maria De La Cruz, a 73-year-old who immigrated to the United States in her 40s, says her secret is raw garlic, cooked cactus and exercise, all habits she acquired from her father, a tailor who died at 98.
“He had very pretty legs, like mine,” she said, laughing. “You want to see them?”
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Source: NYT
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Important fish info
Fish - what to eat, what not?
Protein content: 28 g per 4 oz
Whether it's salmon, mackerel, sardines seafood is a great catch.
Aim for 3 to 5 servings a week - at least 2 to 3
BEWARE: Not all fish are healthy. Here are
(click) 12 Fish You Should Never, Ever Eat.
(not every fish on the link list of 12 to eat is healthy - it is otherwise a good list. Compare the info below what is healthty to eat: basically easiest and most economical are: (1) mackerel, (2) Atlantic salmon (in cans, e.g. from Alaska),
(2) sardines
(1) do NOT eat farm-raised fish - too polluted
(2) eat only fish that is small in size (less pollution), is wild caught (can be in cans) Atlantic salmon (Alaska, etc. wild caught), mackerel, sardines (wild caught)
(3) eat only fish that has (when alive swimming):
(1) scales & (2) backbone
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Important info for everyone
Eating 5 servings a day fruits & vegetables
tied to a better health and to a longer life
According to the study authors,
few very large studies have looked at the effect of eating fruit and vegetables on a person's chance of dying early Date: June 2013
Comment from the public:
"I wish studies would stop looking at life expectancy and look at HEALTH. Who cares how long you live if you are sick for years, or decades, before dying? I care most about how to get as many HEALTHY years as possible, where I can actually live and enjoy the things I like to do in life."
STAF, Inc. agrees with the person giving this opinion. The key is our good health - yet, logically: a healthy person with a healthy lifestyle lives longer
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Eating fewer than five servings of fruit and vegetables each day is linked with a higher chance of dying early, according to a large study from Sweden.
People who said they never ate fruit and vegetables died an average of three years sooner than those who ate plenty of apples, carrots and tomatoes, researchers found.
Many public health organizations worldwide recommend eating five servings of fruit and vegetables a day, but previous studies have been inconclusive on whether meeting that guideline helps improve health and by how much, researchers said.
The new study, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, shows the five-a-day recommendations are optimal, said Alicja Wolk, who worked on the research at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm.
Her team did not find any improvement in survival for people who ate more than five servings of fruit and vegetables each day, compared to those who just met the guideline.
The results are based on data collected from more than 71,000 Swedes, aged 45 to 83, who were followed for 13 years.
Participants were surveyed about their diets in 1997 and 1998 and reported how often they ate fruit - including oranges, apples, bananas and berries - and vegetables, such as carrots, beets, lettuce, cabbage, tomatoes and pea soup.
Nearly 11,500 of those enrolled had died by December 2010.
Wolk's team found that people who had reported eating no fruit or vegetables at the start of the study were 53 percent more likely to die during the follow-up period than those who got their five daily servings.
Participants who ate at least one serving of fruit daily lived 19 months longer than those who never ate fruit, on average. And those who ate at least three servings of vegetables per day lived 32 months longer than people who reported not eating vegetables.
Fruits and vegetables contain different types of vitamins, and fruit is generally higher in calories, Wolk noted.
Most diet discussions consider them as a combined group. "But when I speak to lay people I actually say, ‘Eat vegetables more than fruit, but eat both.'"
Women in the study tended to eat more fruit and vegetables than men.
People who said they ate fewer fruits and vegetables were more likely to smoke and tended to be less educated and eat more red meat, high-fat dairy products, sweets and snacks. On the other hand, those who ate a lot of fruit and vegetables tended to take in more calories per day overall than those who did not, Wolk noted.
The study cannot prove that eating fruits and vegetables lengthened lifespans, and there could have been other differences between those who ate produce and those who didn't.
But when the researchers accounted for gender, smoking, exercise, alcohol consumption and body weight, the overall results did not change.
Few very large studies have looked at the effect of eating fruit and vegetables on a person's chance of dying early, according to the study authors.
Those that have showed contradictory results, said Kelly L. Pritchett, a registered dietician from Central Washington University in Ellensburg and a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Larger studies have suggested there is no clear benefit, but "smaller studies found a stronger decrease in mortality risk," she said.
This study "falls right in line with the recommendations," Pritchett, who wasn't involved in the new research, told Reuters Health.
Still, one weakness of the study, the Karolinska researchers noted, is that diet information was reported by the participants - rather than measured independently - and people may not always report what they eat accurately.
SOURCE: American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, online June 26, 2013
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Stomach Bug Sickens People in 8 States
A parasite has sickened 269 people from eight states since last month, but health officials still don't know where it originated,according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Cyclospora, the one-celled parasite that causes diarrhea, stomach cramps and other symptoms normally associated with a viral stomach bug, is common in tropical regions like Latin America, but isn't typically seen in the United States, according to the CDC. Most of the people affected were in Iowa, Nebraska and Texas, but Wisconsin, Georgia, Connecticut, Illinois and Kansas have had a few cases, as well.
"CDC really has their hands full with this one," said Dr. Richard Besser, chief health medical correspondent for ABC News. "It's hard to pick up so there's probably a lot more of this disease out there."
Because the illness doesn't spread from person to person, it's possible it came from contaminated food or water, said Dr. Nicole Bouvier, an infectious diseases professor at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City. It's curable.
Cyclospora can seem like a stomach bug, but instead of going away within a few days, it hangs around. If you think you have it, Besser suggested alerting your doctor because he or she can do specific tests and prescribe an antibiotic that will rid your body of the microscopic pest.
"Doctors can diagnose it by looking for either the parasite itself or eggs of the parasite in a stool sample," Bouvier said. "They have to do it with a microscope because it's tiny. You can't see it with your naked eye. It's not like a worm."
People with deficient immune systems should be extra careful, but it doesn't transmit person-to-person because it doesn't live on hands, Bouvier said. Therefore, if a whole family has cyclospora, it's because they ate or drank the same thing, not because they infected each other.
"The CDC has to find a connection between these people and, so far, they haven't figure out what links all these people together," Besser said. The CDC and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration are investigating.
Source:
Click: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Click: U S Food and Drug Administration Home Pagewww.fda.gov
Click green for further info
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Click green:
You'll find the solution - all cockroaches will be gone - click the green below:
- GettingRidofcockroaches ThriftyFun www.thriftyfun.com/tf/Pest_Control/.../Getting-Rid-of-Cockroaches.html
- Cockroaches are disgusting pests and can be very tough to get rid of. ... Read and rate the best solutions by giving them a "thumbs up". ..... in the back corners of your kitchen/bathroom cabinets, behind appliances, pull your .... ______________________________________________________________________________
Omega-3s May Raise Prostate Cancer Risk
Omega-3 fatty acids have been shown to have many health benefits. But they may have risks as well, including an increased risk for prostate cancer.
In a nine-year prospective study, scientists at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle took annual blood samples from 834 men diagnosed with prostate cancer and 1,393 men who were cancer free. The study, published online in The Journal of the National Cancer Institute, controlled for more than a dozen cancer risk factors.
Compared with men in the lowest one-quarter for omega-3 levels, those in the highest one-quarter had a 44 percent increased risk for low-grade prostate cancer and a 71 percent increased risk for high-grade cancer. They found the association with three different omega-3’s — eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and docosapentaenoic acid (DPA), which are all found in fish and fish oil supplements — but not with alpha-linolenic acid, which comes from flax seed.
The findings are an association and do not imply causation. But according to the lead author, Theodore M. Brasky, now at The Ohio State University, omega-3’s can affect gene expression and, in high doses, be pro-oxidative or suppress immunity, all of which could promote cancer.
Still, he added, the possible “increase in prostate cancer risk doesn’t preclude a beneficial effect for other diseases.”
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Source: The Journal of the National Cancer Institute ________________________________________
Pancreatic Cancer: Bacteria May Play a Role Bacterial infections may play a role in triggering pancreatic cancer, according to recent research
Infections are caused by wrong nutrition (= fast-food (= bad-food), processed food (= bad) and otherwise by
a wrong lifestyle (e.g. not sleeping enough = 6 - 8 h), lack of exercise (= walking 30K + steps daily; use a pedometer), etc.
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A growing number of studies suggest a role for infections —primarily of the stomach and gums —
in pancreatic cancer. The disease is a particularly deadly cancer, which the American Cancer Society estimates will kill nearly 38,500 Americans in 2013.
"Pancreatic cancer is the worst form of cancer that people can have," said Dr. Wasif Saif, director of the gastrointestinal oncology program at Tufts Medical Center in Boston.
"It's the cancer with the highest mortality rate – 96 percent mortality," he said.
Although pancreatic cancer is extremely fatal, researchers don't really know its main causes, Saif said. The known major risk factors account for less than 40 percent of all cases.
Known risk factors for the disease include tobacco smoking, obesity, Type 2 diabetes, alcoholism and chronic pancreatitis, which is inflammation of the pancreas.
"The major finding of this research is the possibility that bacterial infection may be leading to pancreatic cancer," said Saif, who was not involved in the study.
Click: Why Is Pancreatic Cancer So Deadly?
The findings were published online July 10 in the journal Carcinogenesis, and they were authored by Dominique Michaud, a professor of epidemiology at Brown University in Providence, R.I.
Infections linked to cancer
According to the study, two bacterial infections in particular have been strongly linked to pancreatic cancer in the scientific literature.
Data suggest that people who have been infected with Helicobacter pylori, a bacteria that is linked with stomach cancer and peptic ulcers, and Porphyrmomonas gingivalis, an infection involved in gum disease and poor dental hygiene, may be more prone to developing pancreatic cancer.
Several theories aim to explain why these infections may be contributing to the progression of pancreatic cancer, Saif said. One is that the infections cause bodywide inflammation, which is known to play a role in pancreatic cancer.
A second possible mechanism is that these bacterial infections lead to changes in the immune system. When the immune system is weakened or altered by infection, it doesn't work as well to defend the body against cancer.
What's more, risk factors for pancreatic cancer, such as smoking, obesity and diabetes, may further suppress immune response, opening the door to opportunistic infections, according to the study.
Other theories proposed in the paper are that these bacterial infections may directly activate pancreatic tumor signaling pathways, such as those that promote the growth of new blood cells that feed a tumor. Another possibility is that infections indirectly activate pancreatic cancer pathways that trigger an immune response in the environment surrounding the cancer, but not in the tumor itself.
Practical implications
The idea that some bacterial infections can lead to certain cancers is not a new concept, Saif said. Researchers have been looking into this connection over the last decade, and have seen evidence of this association in blood cancers and solid tumors, he explained.
Cancers known to be linked with infections include liver cancer, which is linked to the hepatitis B and C viruses; cervical cancer, which is closely tied to the human papilloma (HPV) virus; and cancer in the nose and upper throat, which is associated with the Epstein-Barr virus.
A better understanding of the role of bacterial infections in pancreatic cancer may provide new opportunities for early detection and treatment, the paper suggests.
These findings may help pancreatic cancer patients who often want to know, "Why me?" Dr. Saif said.
And family members may listen and help out more when patients are asked to change their lifestyle habits, such as not smoking or improving poor dental hygiene.
Click: 7 Cancers You Can Ward Off with Exercise
In addition, these findings "open new doors to research to look into pathways that may develop new therapies to treat this cancer," Dr. Saif said.
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Source: American Cancer Society
American Cancer Society | Information and Resources for Cancer ...www.cancer.org/
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Is Your Kitchen a Health Hazard?
By Dr. Neil Izenberg, M.D.,
the founder of KidsHealth.org
and a pediatrician at Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children
OUR kitchens may be killing us — slowly. Not so much with radon or gas leaks, but with kindness and proximity.
When my 1840 Philadelphia row house was built for its seafaring owners, the kitchen was in the basement — like every other home on the block. If the family wanted a hot meal, someone had to tramp downstairs and stoke up the fire.
Fire and smoke inhalation were chief among the many health hazards the 19th-century kitchen presented. In an era without refrigeration, food poisoning was a constant danger. Home-preserved foods filled in dietary gaps, but if stored improperly botulism became a real — and deadly — risk.
The widespread introduction of the icebox, around the time my house was built, led to big changes. Insulated iceboxes — some of them fashionable furniture — greatly extended the shelf lives of fresh foods. The electric refrigerator, with small but handy freezers, appeared in houses in the first decades of the 20th century. Ice block delivery by horse-drawn cart was no longer needed.
When safer natural gas and electricity entered our lives, kitchens moved from basement exile into the main area of homes. As part of an ambitious 1934 modernization, the previous owner of my Philadelphia house moved the huge gas stove upstairs and into its own small kitchen at the back of the house.
Similarly, the kitchen of my childhood home in Metuchen, N.J., was its own single-purpose dedicated room. Back then, when my family’s evening meal was over (in our case, usually after 20 minutes of near-silent eating), our kitchen was declared “closed,” its function complete.
But now our kitchens, like our girths, have grown substantially, in terms of size and of function. They’ve become part of expansive entertainment complexes in our homes. A recent survey by the National Association of Home Builders reports that three out of four new-home buyers want their kitchen and family room to be a combined space.
That makes sense. People like to hang out and socialize in their kitchens. Now great spaces are full of wonderful, convenient devices — with super-size refrigerators, stoves that could service a restaurant and large enough cabinets to store provisions for a small army. Even our dinner plates are bigger than they used to be. Comfy chairs, computer stations and a large-screen TV — virtual necessities — round out the picture.
Sure, not everyone can afford these gastronomic wonderlands — but a glance at shows like “House Hunters” and “My First Place” on HGTV give you a pretty good idea of what the ruling cultural ideal looks like.
Almost 80 years after its last major upgrade, my old home deserves its own entertainment-eating zone, too. So I’m expanding my new kitchen complex into my garden — with all the gizmos I could want. I didn’t order some of the now-common kitchen options: second refrigerators, separate free-standing freezers, pasta faucets, bread makers, warming drawers, cappuccino bars, home pizza ovens or a built-in deep fryer and beer tap. So I guess, by some standards, I’m roughing it.
Soon I’ll be able to amble (or, more likely, roll) a mere five feet from my kitchen counter stool to my couch to watch “Chopped,” “Top Chef” or “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.” The refrigerator, pantry and containers of food will remain alluringly in sight (and all beautifully lighted, I might add). I won’t even have to leave the room during a commercial. And why would I leave at all? The kitchen has Wi-Fi.
Many of the safety issues of yesterday’s kitchens are gone. No one in my family is likely to tumble into an open hearth. But new kitchens pose a more subtle danger to our health by doubling as a comfortable social, entertainment and eating hub. Retail marketers have long known that when tempting food is within close range of our eyes or nose, we tend to eat more of it. In our new kitchens, it’s just too darn easy to get to addictive snacks and calorie-rich drinks.
My newly expanded kitchen should be done in a few weeks. Despite its increased storage capacity, I plan to stock fewer carbohydrate-laden products and tempting treats. An extra handful or two of easily accessible daily snacks can make the difference between maintaining my weight and adding a few pounds each year.
There are, of course, many reasons for the nation’s obesity epidemic, with its staggering health implications. But surely modern home design plays an important and underappreciated role.
Perhaps there is one more kitchen option I should get: a neon sign that says “Kitchen Closed.” After dinner, I’ll turn it on.
Source:
NYT
Dr. Neil Izenberg, M.D.,
the founder of KidsHealth.org
and a pediatrician at Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children
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Important information for every coffee lover
83% of Americans prefer to make their own cup
How to brew the best coffee at home
best taste & best price
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Brewing a delicious homemade cup of coffee takes more than the right bean.
It’s no surprise you can save big by brewing your coffee at home. In fact 83% of Americans already prefer to make their own cup.
The best store-bought ground beans are sometimes the cheapest like this one from (click: Wal-mart for just $3.38 for an 11 ounce can (August 2013 price).
Also See: Kids Taste Test: Generic vs. Brand Name
But there’s yet another ingredient that creates the best home-brewed results: the right machine. Coffee experts suggest purchasing coffeemakers that can reach high temperatures of between 195 – 205 degrees Farenheight while brewing.
For example, this $300 Cusinart allows me to adjust the temperature to three settings: Regular, Hot and X-Hot. The hotter the brew – the better the taste.
But you don’t have to spend $100 or more for the perfect temperature. Consumer Reports recommends brands for $40 or less like Mr. Coffee, Black and Decker and Bella Dots Collection 12-cup.
For example, this $300 Cusinart allows me to adjust the temperature to three settings: Regular, Hot and X-Hot. The hotter the brew – the better the taste.
But you don’t have to spend $100 or more for the perfect temperature. Consumer Reports recommends brands for $40 or less like Mr. Coffee, Black and Decker and Bella Dots Collection 12-cup.
What coffee brand has the taste?
Consider grinding your own beans for a fresher flavor
Nothing like a strong cup of tasting cup of Joe to get the day started – and while it’s no surprise that brewing your own cup at home is cheaper than making a daily run to the coffee shop, we want to know: which store bought brand taste best? Does price dictate quality?
To find out, we camped out in New York’s Bryant Park to conduct our own Savvy Spender coffee taste test.
Also See: Save $1,500 in a Year
First, our methodology: We selected five store brought grounds and used the same brewing method for all. Then, in a blind taste test we asked coffee lovers to rank the brands (A-E) based on taste and strength, from one to five, with five being the highest score. Here’s what we brewed:
(A) Starbucks House Blend Medium Roast
(B) Dunkin Donuts Original Blend Medium Roast
(C) Folger’s Classic Roast
(D) Gevalia House Blend
(E) Walmart Great Value Arabica Medium Roast
Ahead of our informal test we found that Consumer Reports and its team of experts have given some thought to this question, as well. They conducted their own study and tested 75 brands of coffee. They found that for about 25 cents per 6-oz cup, Starbucks House Blend came in with a rating of 57 out of 100. But, for 15 cents less per cup, Folger’s came in close with a rating of 41, which were both considered “good.”
Click: Impulse Buys That Make You Fat
The overall winners in our Savvy Spender taste test?
#1 (E) Wal-mart. Great Value Arabica Medium Roast. This brand averaged #1 for both strength and taste. Best of all this was our cheapest brand at just $3.38 for 11 ounces (2013 price)
#2 (A) Starbucks House Blend Medium Roast. It turns out America’s #1 coffee joint also makes an impressive house blend.
#3 (D) Gevalia. Testers say the taste was better than it’s strength.
#4 (C) Folgers. The opposite was true. Strength surpassed taste.
#5 (B) Dunkin Donuts. Taste testers complained it just wasn’t strong enough.
No matter which coffee brand you prefer Consumer Reports suggests the following considerations when buying coffee.
1. Consider how you like it. Milk and sugar can sometimes go a long way.
2. Choose a good coffee maker. Temperatures that reach 195 to 205 degrees help to avoid a weak or bitter brew.
3. Consider grinding your own beans for a fresher flavor.
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Source: Various internet sites
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Good-to-know info
Why are some people mosquito magnets?
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If you feel as if every mosquito in a 50-mile radius has you locked in its sights, while your friends are rarely bitten, you could be right. Up to 20 percent of us are highly alluring to mosquitoes—and scientists have discovered some reasons. The male mosquitoes don’t bite - only the female mosquitoes bite.
“Both your metabolism and your unique body chemistry—which is as distinctive as a fingerprint--play an important role in determining whether or not you’re a mosquito magnet,” says University of Florida entomology professor Dr. Phil Koehler. “Also, there’s evidence that your degree of attractiveness to mosquitoes can change over time.”
*) Entomology = The branch of zoology concerned with the study of insects. Synonyms: insectology
Here are some intriguing discoveries about why some of us are particularly tasty targets for the tiny vampires:
Mosquitos prefer blood type O In their quest for a meal, mosquitoes are nearly twice as likely to land on people with type 0 blood than those with type A, according to a Japanese study. Indeed, the biting pests consider type 0 more delectable than any other blood type, the researchers reported. Most people secrete substances that allow mosquitoes to identify blood type before they bite.
Beer drinkers beware Swigging just one bottle of beer can significantly boost your risk of being bitten, according to a study published in Journal of the American Mosquito Control Association. The researchers reported that, “Mosquito landing on volunteers significantly increased after beer ingestion compared with before ingestion.”
Watch out for the full moon The tiny bloodsuckers are 500 times more active when the moon is full, reports the American Mosquito Control Association (AMCA). Overall, the highest risk times for mosquito bites are dusk and dawn, with the females of some species migrating up to 40 miles in pursuit of a meal. (Male mosquitoes don’t bite.)
Keep your socks on The pungent aroma of dirty feet is apparently irresistible to mosquitoes, as a brave scientist, Bart Knols, discovered when he sat in a lab in his underwear to find out which parts of the body the pests are most likely to target. He found that 75 percent of the bugs homed in on his feet, but after he washed them with deodorant soap, the mosquitos bit randomly. His team also reported that stinky cheeses, such as Limburger—which has the same odoriferous compound responsible for foot odor—also draws mosquitoes. *) pungent = sharply strong taste or smell
Mosquitos know if you’re expecting Moms-to-be get bitten about twice as often as women who aren’t pregnant, increasing their risk for bug-borne diseases, according to a study conducted in Gambia. The researchers hypothesized that since women in the later stages of pregnancy exhale 21 percent more volume, mosquitos were drawn in by the moisture and carbon dioxide in their breath. They also found that pregnant women's abdomens are nearly one degree warmer, which may cause more volatile substances—released in sweat and attractive to mosquitos—to be present on their skin. Not only do several other studies have similar findings, says Dr. Koehler, but “there’s also evidence that women are more attractive to mosquitoes during certain phases of the ovulation cycle.” Studies have mixed results as to whether men or women are more likely to get bitten, he adds.
Running won’t help you Both the carbon dioxide we exhale and substances in sweat, such as lactic acid, help mosquitoes home in on their prey. As a result, Dr. Koehler reports. “You’re more likely to be bitten if you’re running or exercising than when you’re at rest, since you’re breathing harder and sweating more.” In fact, physical activity ups risk for bites by as much as 50 percent, according to AMCA.
Like vampires, they prefer dark clothes Dark-colored clothing can increase your risk of falling victim to the little bloodsuckers, compared to lighter-colored garments, says Dr. Koehler. In one study comparing the appeal of various hues to mosquitoes, the researchers reported the following results: black (most attractive); red (very attractive); grey and blue (neutral); khaki, green, light khaki, and yellow (less attractive).
Click: 10 Natural Ways to Sleep Better Click: Are You Bug Savvy? Learn How to Prevent Head Lice
Head Lice: Prevent the Spread Everyone in the household should change their clothing and bed linens. Wash these items—as well as any hats, scarves, coats, and gloves—in hot water (at least 140 degrees Fahrenheit). Dry them with heat for at least 20 minutes. If something is not machine-washable, take it to the dry cleaner. Just be sure to warn them about the reason the items need to be cleaned. Vacuum all chairs, sofas, headboards, and anything that may have contacted anyone’s head. Study the whole information: click: Are You Bug Savvy? Learn How to Prevent Head Lice
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Source: CDC.gov - Centers for Disease Control & Prevention
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Common Acid Reflux Drugs May Lead
To Heart Disease, New Research Suggests
In a healthy person heartburn is the result of (1) overeating & (2) not following the food combining science principles. To ease heartburn eat fresh cucumber or fresh celery - they neutralize the stomach acid fast with no negative side effects.
Heartburn = Acid reflux = A form of indigestion caused by acid regurgitation (= backflow) from stomach into the esophagus (= the part of the alimentary canal that connects the throat to the stomach).
alimentary canal = the passage (including the esophagus, stomach, and intestines) along which food passes through the body from mouth to anus.
Acid reflux and heartburn are often used interchangeably. Acid reflux is the movement, the action of stomach acids going up from the stomach, while heartburn refers to the burning sensation.
As the official condition title (click: GERD (= gastroesophageal reflux disease) is used for the condition.
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The Article
An extremely popular class of drugs taken by millions of people with acid reflux, heartburn, and GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease), may raise the risk of heart disease and heart attack, according to a new study published in the current issue of Circulation, the journal of the American Heart Association .
Research by John P. Cooke, clinical professor and chair of the department of cardiovascular sciences at Houston Methodist Hospital, found that stomach acid-suppressing proton pump inhibitors (brand names Prilosec, Nexium, Prevacid) may cause blood vessels to constrict, reducing blood flow.
Studying both mouse and human tissue cultures, the researchers found that PPIs led to an approximately 25 percent increase in a chemical messenger called ADMA (asymmetric dimethylarginine), considered a cardiovascular risk factor.
ADMA suppresses blood vessels’ ability to produce nitric oxide, a relaxant that protects artery walls. Nitric oxide is so important to cardiovascular health that its discovery was honored with a Nobel Prize in 1998.
In the study, PPIs reduced the ability of mouse blood vessels to relax by an average of more than 30 percent. “We also found the same effect in human blood vessels,” says Cooke. “This is very important because blood vessels need to be able to contract and open up to control blood flow.”
Of course, mouse studies can only take us so far, and may not extend to humans. The researchers call for a large-scale study to determine if PPIs pose a risk to heart health. “Of concern, this adverse mechanism is also likely to extend to the general population using PPIs,” read the study’s conclusions.
Cooke and colleagues have been conducting additional research, not yet published, which he believes will back up the study’s assertions. “There’s going to be more information coming out that will, in my opinion, raise concerns about the long-term effects of proton pump inhibitors and risk of heart damage,” Cooke says.
The research is convincing enough that people who regularly take PPIs should discuss the potential risks with their doctors, Cooke says. It’s likely to be a difficult choice: If you have a family history of GERD, Barrett’s esophagus, and esophageal cancer, then PPIs are probably a good idea. But if you have heart disease risk factors or a family history of heart disease, then you might reconsider using PPIs.
“I’d tell people, if there’s something else they could be taking that would effectively control their symptoms, such as Zantac or Tagamet, maybe that would be better,”says Cooke, who until recently was professor of cardiovascular medicine Stanford University School of Medicine and associate director of the Stanford Cardiovascular Institute before moving his lab to Houston. The published study involved teams from Stanford, Houston Methodist Hospital, and Imperial College London.
“We used several different model systems, including whole human blood vessels, and saw the same effect in each of these situations.” In addition, his team’s research is “consistent with other signals that have been coming from the literature for some time.”
Cooke is referring to previous studies such as this one, published in theJournal of the Canadian Medical Association, and this one, published in 2011 in the British Medical Journal that have linked PPIs with increased risk of heart attack and heart damage in people who’ve already had a prior cardiovascular event. These studies have pointed to the possibility that PPIs are interfering with the action of blood thinners such as aspirin and clopidogrel (brand name Plavix), preventing them from performing their important anti-clotting function.
At the moment, the American Heart Association considers proton pump inhibitors safe. In 2010, the AHA issued a joint statement with the American College of Cardiology and the American College of Gastroenterology reaffirming the safety of PPIs with clopidogrel and other anti-clotting drugs for people considered “at risk for upper GI bleeds.” But the professional groups did not recommend “routine use” of PPIs for patients taking clopidogrel or aspirin.
Which Drugs Are Cause for Concern?
The most commonly taken PPI drugs are sold over the counter and by prescription, both as brand names and generics. In addition to Prilosec (AstraZeneca AZN -0.04%), Prevacid (Takeda), and Nexium (AstraZeneca), popular PPI brands include Protonix (Wyeth), Zegerid (Santarus SNTS +0.93%), Aciphex (Eisai /Johnson & Johnson), and new arrival Dexilant (Takeda), and generics include lansoprazole, omeprazole, pantoprazole, esomeprazole, and dexlansoprazole.
Proton pump inhibitors are very big business; in 2009 they passed cholesterol-lowering medications to become the second-largest class of drugs sold in the U.S. with total sales of 13.6 billion, according to IMS Health. Nexium alone brought $6.3 billion in sales to maker AstraZeneca in 2009.
Other Risks from PPIs:
According to Consumer Reports, several studies have linked PPIs to a higher risk of pneumonia and infection with the bacteria Clostridium difficile which causes severe diarrhea and intestinal infection, particularly in the elderly. Other studies have linked long-term use of PPIs with an increased risk of fractures.
The FDA has issued two warnings for PPIs in the past three years, according to Harvard Health Publications. In April 2011 the agency warned that long-term (more than one year) use of PPIs could lead to lower than normal levels of magnesium, increasing the risk of arhythmias, seizures, and muscle spasms; in 2010 the FDA issued a warning about PPIs and fracture risk.
The FDA considers PPIs safe in relation to heart disease. In 2007, the FDA conducted a safety review in response to two small studies showing increased risk of heart attack, heart failure and heart disease from the PPIs Prilosec and Nexium (both made by AstraZeneca) and determined there was no causal link. The FDA probably will not revisit the question of PPIs and heart disease risk at this time, Cooke says, but will wait until larger studies are done.
The research on PPIs and heart disease risk is an ongoing story, Cooke says, with more to come in the near future. While he can’t say much about forthcoming research, Cooke adds, “This is a story that’s still emerging.”
Source: July 2013 issue of Circulation, the journal of the American Heart Association
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You will have an easier time to lose weight when .......
Article 1 of 2
You will have an easier time to lose weight and eat reasonable portions and put in reasonable amount in physical
exercise (walking is good - at least 30 000 steps daily; use a pedometer), when you apply the following information.
How? It all comes down to eating the right combination of foods--foods that will shift your body out of fat-storage mode and into fat-melting mode. Specific vitamins and nutrients can actually help to flip an internal switch that signals cells throughout your body to burn more calories, wasting many of those calories as heat. Without these important nutrients, the opposite happens. Your body holds onto fat. Your metabolism slows and your weight-loss efforts become an exercise in futility.
Optimize these critical fat-melting nutrients so you can finally drop those stubborn pounds and keep them off for good. In this way, you can still consume reasonable portions and put in a reasonable amount of exercise. Yes, you still have to watch your portions. Yes, exercise is still important. But fat-melting foods work in your favor so you can eat and move in a way that is reasonable, effective, and realistic for life.
Vitamin D
How It Melts Fat: Study after study shows that vitamin D helps to ensure body cells listen and respond to insulin, a hormone secreted from your pancreas. One of its jobs is to help glucose get into body cells, which burn glucose for energy. How well insulin pushes glucose into cells is called "insulin sensitivity." The more sensitive your cells are to insulin, the better. The less sensitive they are to insulin, the more likely the calories you eat will end up in your fat cells.
When levels of D are low, levels of parathyroid hormone (PTH) rise. Higher than normal levels of PTH trigger a series of reactions that eventually lead to fat cells converting sugar into fat and hoarding fat rather than releasing it to be burned, explains Michael B. Zemel, PhD, director of the Nutrition Institute at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville.
A lack of vitamin D may also interfere with leptin, a hormone that signals your brain to stop eating. Your body doesn't know when it's full, so you continue to eat.
Calcium
How It Melts Fat: Calcium is a mineral that works in tandem with D to help you shed fat. Calcium is stored in fat cells, and researchers think that the more calcium a fat cell has, the more fat that cell will release to be burned. Calcium also promotes weight loss by binding to fat in your GI tract, preventing some of it from getting absorbed into your bloodstream.
RELATED: Rev Your Metabolism in 8 Minutes
Protein
How It Melt Fat: In addition to keeping hunger in check, eating protein at every meal helps to keep body composition--the amount of fat relative to muscle--in better proportion. Along with calcium and D, protein helps you to preserve muscle mass as you drop pounds. A recent study out of the University of Illinois found that women who consumed protein twice daily lost 3.9 percent more weight than women who consumed less of it on a diet. They not only lost more weight, they also got stronger as they did so, with their thigh muscles alone ending up with 5.8 percent more protein at the end of the diet than before.
Omega-3 Fatty Acids
How They Melt Fat: omega-3s enable weight loss by switching on enzymes that trigger fat-burning in cells. They also help to boost mood, which may help reduce emotional eating. And omega 3s might improve leptin signaling in the brain, causing the brain to turn up fat burning and turn down appetite. Fatty fish like salmon (which are also high in vitamin D) are one of the richest sources of this fat. Other foods, such as some nuts and seeds, contain a type of fat that can be converted into omega-3s after ingestion.
Monounsaturated Fatty Acids (MUFAs)
How They Melt Fat: One Danish study of 26 men and women found that a diet that included 20 percent of its calories from MUFAs, a type of fat found in olive oil, nuts, seeds, avocados, peanut butter, and chocolate, improved 24-hour calorie burning by 0.1 percent and fat burning by 0.04 percent after 6 months. Other research shows that MUFAs zero in on belly fat. Specific foods that are high in MUFAs--especially peanuts, tree nuts, and olive oil--have been shown to keep blood sugar steady and reduce appetite, too.
Click: 5 Fatty Foods That Make You Skinny
Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA)
How It Burns Fat: CLAs are potent fat burners that are found, along with D and calcium, in dairy products. They are fatty acids that are created when bacteria ferments the food in the first part of the stomach of cows, sheep, and other ruminant animals. The CLA that is created through fermentation then makes its way into the meat and milk of these animals.
When we consume these foods, the CLA helps blood glucose enter body cells, so CLA can be burned for energy and not stored as fat. CLA also helps to promote fat burning, especially in muscles, where the bulk of our calorie burning takes place.
Note: There's a downside to this fat melter. Most of these studies involving CLA were performed using huge amounts of CLA--amounts that you'd only be able to consume if you ate 40 pounds of beef at once. (We don't know about you, but we certainly can't eat 40 pounds of beef for dinner.) While you might not be able to consume enough of it through food alone to melt off a huge amount of fat, but you can consume enough of it to help nudge your metabolism into a fat-burning state. And when you add it to the other fat melters--especially the D, calcium, and protein--you will create the perfect environment for total-body fat burning.
Polyphenols
How They Melt Fat: Polyphenols are the antioxidants that give green tea its health-and metabolism-boosting punch. Research shows they boost resting metabolic rate by up to a whopping 17 percent, helping the body to burn more fat. One recent study done on rats found that EGCG, the polyphenol in green tea, blocked weight gain and prevented metabolic syndrome when rats were fed a high-fat diet. You can actually feel this effect after you drink the tea. Your body will literally heat up as your cells waste calories as heat. Green tea is a great winter elixir for that reason. Drink a cup whenever you feel chilled and are tempted to eat even though you are not really that hungry. The tea will warm and soothe you, reducing hunger and cravings.
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Article 2 of 2
3 Important facts
for successful weight loss
Fact No. 1: You use the word but There is a saying: "If ANDS and BUTS were candy & nuts every day would be Christmas" One of the biggest challenges many face: ending negative thoughts and excuses. Any time you use the word but, you completely discount whatever comes before it. For example: “I am going to cook at home this week, but I don’t know if that will work because I have a really busy week.” Try substituting it for the word and. “I am going to cook at home this week, and I have a really busy week.” Now those two things can coexist. Other words that should be on your no-say list? Try, kinda, and sorta. Trying is not doing it - it is passive.
“They’re a good indicator that your mind isn’t where it needs to be. Stop using these words, and you’ll stop giving yourself an excuse and undermining your progress. Turn “I’ll try to get to the gym three times this week” into “I will get to the gym three times this week,” for example. Once you start to change your patterns, it’ll become easier to stay on track.
Fact No. 2: You go it alone
“At our gym, everything is in a small group setting", says one gym owner. “We found that when we switched from doing private one-on-one training to a small group setting, our results went up.” That’s because social support is an important motivator. A 1999 study done in Pennsylvania looked at the benefits of increased social support for weight loss and maintenance and determined that those who recruited friends had better results at the end of the four-month study. They were also more likely to maintain their weight loss for the long-term. “You need to have people you can brag to, or share that you did something good for yourself and they’re happy for you”. Get those people involved in the changes you’re making—that can really help guarantee success.
Fact No. 3: You don’t keep journal on your habits
Get a journal to log your daily nutrition, your thoughts, and your workouts. “As long as you are writing down what you are eating and your workouts, you are on-task and getting great results”. As soon as you stop keeping track and start to, basically, mentally check out, you'll get further and further from the plan and further and further from getting results.” Tracking your progress will keep you motivated and accountable.
Source:
Click green for further info
Source for articles 1 of 2 and 2 of 2
Adapted from Drop Two Sizes, by Rachel Cosgrove (Rodale, 2013)
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This is an important article - study well & apply How to Quit Your Diet Soda Habit for Good Quote "Knowledge is NO power - only applied knowledge is power" (Dr. Christian, STAF, Inc. CEO)
This drink has no calories but other serious health dangers lurk
How to Quit Your Diet Soda Habit for Good
Touted as a healthy alternative this beverage can make you (1) gain weight,
cause: (2) high blood pressure, (3) heart disease, (4) heart attack, (5) stroke, (6) diabetes type 1 & 2, (7) cancer,
(8) depression and (9) other sicknesses - The unnatural chemicals will do all this harm
Sugary sodas do the same, energy drinks are even more dangerous.
Care about your health, your life?
Drink only plain, clean water.
Frosty and fizzy diet soda may seem refreshing when the weather is hot, but diet drinks have been tied to weight gain, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and high blood pressure, according to an article published by a Purdue professor and researcher in the journal Trends in Endocrinology & Metabolism in July, 2013.
Click: Study: Diet Soda Increases the Risk of Diabetes and We Still Drink This Stuff?
Artificial sweeteners (such as aspartame, sucralose, and saccharin) present in trendy zero-calorie drinks, energy drinks, and diet sodas might seem like a smart alternative when compared to their sugary counterparts, but that’s often a false perception. “We’re taught that diet beverages are tools to help prevent health conditions such as obesity and diabetes, but the reality is, people who drink full-calorie soda have about the same health outcome of people who drink diet soda,” lead author (click: Susan E. Swithers, PhD, professor of behavioral neuroscience at Purdue University, told.
Click: Diet Soda Linked to Heart Disease Risk
Based on her review of recent scientific studies, Swithers sees a ‘health halo effect,’ or an unhealthy pattern of thinking, in regular soda drinkers. “People often give themselves permission to indulge in fatty foods because they've consumed a diet beverage,” said Swithers. “But if they do it enough, they’ll develop consistent unhealthy eating habits.”
Artificial sugar also pulls a bait-and-switch on the body that changes the way it processes food. “Sugar isn’t always bad for you—for example, there are natural sugars in fruit and vegetables that benefit your body,” says Swithers. “When you eat real NATURAL sugar in fruits, the body releases hormones that activate the metabolism, creating feelings of satiation, regulating blood sugar, and protecting the heart. (Do NOT start eating refined white sugars (unhealthy), eat fruit & vegetables to get good, natural, healthy sugars.
However, when you consume artificial sweeteners, your body initially recognizes their sweet taste, then quickly gets confused, suppressing those hormones your body needs to function.”
What’s more, people who consume lots of artificial sweeteners actually alter patterns in their brain’s “pleasure centers” in response to them. According to Swither's paper, that process suggests that artificial sweeteners may not even satisfy one’s sweet tooth.
The takeaway, she said, is that public health campaigns for limiting sugar in soda and packaged foods should also extend to limiting artificial sugars. Recently, diet soda has been linked to a slew of health problems—the Journal of General Internal Medicine found that daily consumption of the stuff was linked to an increased risk for heart attack and stroke; also, the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that drinking artificially sweetened beverages raises one's risk of type 2 diabetes.
But what if you can’t envision powering through the day without your afternoon diet soda? You would be in good company—according to an article published in the New York Times, Bill Clinton, Harvey Weinstein, and Elton John have all professed their love for Diet Coke. Victoria Beckham even reportedly told Newsweek that she drinks it all the time because she doesn’t like the taste of water - that's crazy - any adult can easily understand that plain water is healthiest and making these kinds of statements publicly hurts our addicted soda drinkers causing them only more sicknesses ! “The good news is, you don’t have to quit artificial sweeteners cold turkey," Patricia Bannan, registered dietician and author of Eat Right When Time is Tight told.
“It’s true: There’s nothing like the feeling of that first sip of diet soda, but when you taper off your consumption, you’ll be surprised at how many chemicals you taste if you even have one sip,” said Bannan.
If you’re drinking one soda per day, Bannan suggests slashing your intake to one every two days, and then one every three days and so forth. “You’ll feel uncomfortable at first but you can learn to drink plain, clean water - it saves your life. Adding a splash of 100 percent fruit juice or a lemon or lime wedge can also satisfy your sweet tooth.
Another option: Brew tea. “People are often drawn to diet soda because of the caffeine, not necessarily the taste,” she says. “Black, green, white, and oolong tea all contain an amino acid called 'L-theanine' which sends the body into a calming yet alert state.”
Also, be aware that many habits are formed when people associate behaviors with their activities. If you hit the vending machine daily for your diet soda fix, you could break your dependency by simply rejiggering your schedule: When the urge strikes, swap the vending machine take a bottle of clean water, visit for a walk around the block (walking releases feel-good endorphins & dopmine that may quell your craving) or make a point to schedule a meeting during that time so your mind is otherwise occupied. Have a water bottle in the meeting - have a clean water bottle with you "always".
Also, try this mind trick: “The next time you reach for a diet beverage, take a look at the list of ingredients on the back,” says Bannan. “The more ingredients a product has, the more artificial it probably is. If you can’t pronounce it, do you really want to drink it?"
Click: Diet Soda as Bad for Your Teeth as a Meth Addiction
Click: Diet Soda May Increase Risk of Depression
Click green for further info Source: (1) the journal Trends in Endocrinology & Metabolism in July, 2013, (2) other sources mentioned in the article See the next article below ______________________________________________________________________________________
Healthy Lifestyle Ads From Big Soda: Hypocritical or Helpful? Article 1 of 2 Article 2 of 2 next below For years now, the soda and fast food industry, blamed for rising obesity rates in the U.S., have been battling an image problem. Will promoting healthy lifestyles redeem them? Click green for further info Social responsibility campaigns are nothing new to corporations — especially those whose actions or products don’t exactly promote admirable or healthy goals (think liquor companies that admonish their consumers to drink responsibly or tobacco companies that fund programs to fight poverty and hunger.) But do these tactics work? Can doing good offset the negative impact that sugared sodas or calorie-dense processed foods, for example, have on the national waistline?
While perusing the slate of studies released this week, I came across research on how healthy eating improves dieters’ self control. It was funded by The Coca-Cola Company. On their face, the results were interesting — seeing, smelling and eating healthy food can reinforce the appeal of these foods and help dieters to lower the number of calories they take in. But should the fact that Coca-Cola sponsored the study color the results in some way? That led me to think about the heavy rotation of ads on television and on billboards I’ve been seeing recently of active people outside, enjoying a Coke or a bag of Lays — which seemed incongruous, if not hypocritical.
Not surprisingly, soda and fast food companies like to depict healthy, vibrant people who are slim and active and enjoying their products. And in doing so, they are sending the subtle message that if consumers gain weight, it’s not the beverage makers’ fault, for example, but the drinker’s fault for not being more physically active. In 2012, Andrew Cheyne, a researcher at the Berkeley Media Studies Group in California published an editorial in PLoS Medicine arguing that such social responsibility campaigns and advertising are effective ways of diverting and shifting responsibility away from corporations that make sugared beverages. While Pepsi committed $20 million in 2010 to consumer-voted projects such as refurbishing parks and reinvigorating local arts programs, it allowed voters who purchased specially marked cans of soda more voting power. Likewise, a healthy living educational initiative sponsored by Coca-Cola was advertised on smaller-sized containers of its best-selling product.
Study: How Soda Companies’ Social Responsibility Campaigns Are Harming Your Health
“These corporate social responsibility methods shift the emphasis from the product and practices of the industry onto individual consumers themselves,” says Cheyne. “This is important because we know from other industries like Big Tobacco and oil that corporate responsibility tactics like funding campaigns and studies creates the impression they are acting responsibly and there is not a need for government or public intervention.” Take Coke’s “Together for Good” campaign released this year, which suggests that the company is taking the problem of obesity seriously by making calorie counts visible, using zero-calorie sweeteners and offering smaller-sized servings. Cheyne says a closer look at its message shows, however, that the company is sidestepping its role in producing high-calorie products and focuses instead on how obesity is an individual’s responsibility, resulting from a mismatch between the calories coming in via proper diet, and the calories going out through exercise.
Marion Nestle, a a nutrition professor at New York University and the author of Food Politics, tracks the various obesity-related campaigns Coca-Cola pushes. The company bought full page ads in the New York Times to promote its commitment to fight obesity, but Nestle says its claims fall flat, calling it a publicity ploy. “Coke promises to get people moving, [but] divert[s] attention from the caloric effects of sodas,” she writes.
Industry groups also make some dramatic claims about the positive impact their social responsibility campaigns are having, but when it comes to lowering obesity rates and improving people’s health, Kantha Shelke, a food scientist at Corvus Blue LLC and spokesperson for the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) says the evidence is relatively thin. In May, for example, the Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation, a national CEO-led organization that aims to reduce obesity in the U.S., announced that its member companies, including Coca Cola, exceeded their stated goal of reducing some 1.5 trillion calories in the marketplace in the US. The Foundation credits offering healthier, lower calorie options with accomplishing this goal, but that doesn’t seem to have translated into a drop in obesity rates, Shelke points out.
“The only way Coke can really help address obesity and poor diets is to sell less soda—the one thing its stockholders will not allow. And the company is doing everything it can to fight city and state soda taxes, portion size caps, or anything else that might reduce sales,” says Shelke. “In the 200-plus countries where Coca-Cola advertises, it promises to offer low or no-calorie drinks in every market, but the advertising appears to be largely focused on the sugar-laden drinks. They say they will provide transparent nutrition information, listing calories on the front of all packages, but consumers continue to be confused because Coca-Cola declares the nutritional info on a per serving basis, and most people consume the entire can, which is incidentally not re-closeable. Such a move does not seem transparent to me.”
(MORE: The New York City Soda Ban, and a Brief History of Bloomberg’s Nudges)
The beverage industry, however, maintains that it does give consumers all the information they need to make educated and healthy eating choices. The American Beverage Association partnered with former President Bill Clinton and the American Heart Association in 2005 to remove full-calorie soft drinks out of schools and replace them with healthier choices such as water and milk, which has cut the total number of beverage calories available in schools by 90%. They’ve also added calorie labels to drinks and reminder messages on vending machines for consumers to check the calories on their beverage of choice.
Still, the fact remains that soda companies sell a product that is in direct conflict with anti-obesity initiatives. So are their do-good efforts worth doing? Nutrition experts are divided over whether these forays into socially responsible programs, or healthy eating campaigns, are helping people, or whether they simply whitewash the bigger harms the products are generating in the form of obesity and chronic diseases. “There is the group of nutritionists and physicians who prefer to work with, rather than against, the ‘military industrial establishment,’ and embrace all ‘efforts’ by large industry elements to be part of the solution,” says Dr. David Katz, the director of the Yale University Prevention Research Center. Keri Gans, a registered dietitian and author of The Small Change Diet, applauds the soda companies for their efforts. “It is a very positive step on their behalf for consumers by educating them on healthy eating. Soda is a choice. The same way a person has a choice to eat fruits and vegetables. Not everyone eats them, even though we know it’s good for us,” she says.
At the other end of the spectrum are those who hold these companies responsible for the obesity epidemic, and find it hard to see any effort on their part to promote healthy messages as anything but hypocritical.
And there are those who see a practical need to make the most of the system we have. “I am something of a centrist,” Katz says of his own view of industry-sponsored ads and campaigns. “I refer to myself as a ‘public health pragmatist.’ I don’t believe we should make perfect the enemy of the good, but I don’t think we should all fawn over lipstick on a pig, either.”
So when it comes to addressing obesity, what should these companies do? “Clearly, they can’t just declare themselves the bad guy and commit ceremonial corporate suicide. So, they either need to acknowledge, or ignore the problem; acknowledging the problem is better,” says Katz. Having the company recognize that it is part of the issue–along with the public’s recognition of the part it plays in choosing to drink their products–can be positive. For example, Shelke says companies like Coca-Cola could have a bigger impact on obesity rates if it educated consumers on how sugar, as an occasional treat, can be part of a healthy lifestyle. Traditionally, corporations would have no reason to play a role in how consumers choose to use their products, but finding more ways of working with the public and with nutritionists about consuming foods and beverages in appropriate amounts could help the food industry promote better eating habits without jeopardizing their business.
“Soda is a business…and they have the financial ability to actually help consumers.” says Gans. It’s just a matter of promoting the right messages. Source: Time: Health&Family Article 2 of 2 next below relating to the same topic _____________________________________________________________________________________ Article 2 of 2 Article 1 of 2 next above Study: How Soda Companies’ Social Responsibility Campaigns Are Harming Your Health Media and public-health researchers argue that social responsibility campaigns launched by the soda industry are dangerously similar to those used by the tobacco industry to counter public health concerns.
Click green for further info - if any link has expired (text or video) search the web with the title
In the battle against obesity, public health experts and politicians have recently made sugary soda Public Enemy No. 1. New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg proposed a citywide ban on all large-sized sugared beverages, and other community leaders are following suit.
The soda industry has fought back, arguing that soda is not exclusively to blame for America’s obesity problem, and that soft drinks have been unfairly singled out. “Consumption of added sugars is going down,” Karen Hanretty, vice president of public affairs for the American Beverage Association (ABA), told CNN in April. “Soda consumption has declined, even as obesity has increased. To say that sugar is solely responsible for obesity, doesn’t make sense.”
But the soda industry’s efforts to burnish its image run much deeper than PR statements — in ways the public may not even realize, say media and public-health experts writing in the journal PLoS Medicine. In their new paper, one of a series of reports called “Big Food” that examines the activities and influence of the food and beverage industry, they shine light on the elaborate and expensive corporate social responsibility (CSR) campaigns that they say major soda manufacturers are using to dodge public health scrutiny. (to dodge = avoid, evade)
These CSR campaigns are similar to tactics employed by the tobacco industry when it came under attack in the 1950s, the authors argue, and they’re just as dangerous to public health.
MORE: Meet Big Soda — as Bad as Big Tobacco
The researchers examined CSR initiatives by industry bigwigs like PepsiCo and Coca-Cola and found that — like similar campaigns launched by the tobacco industry in response to health concerns — they were designed to refocus responsibility from corporations back onto consumers, to increase the popularity of the companies’ products, and to prevent government regulation. They also explicitly aimed to increase sales, especially among teens, something that tobacco companies’ CSR campaigns didn’t attempt.
“Soda CSR initiatives have to be put in perspective. They’re using them to distract the public and policy makers from their main business, which is selling sugary and caffeinated drinks to as many people as possible,” says Andrew Cheyne, a study co-author and a researcher at the Berkeley Media Studies Group in California.
Examples of soda industry’s campaigns include:
Pepsi Refresh Project: In 2010, PepsiCo refrained from advertising during the Super Bowl, for the first time in 23 years, and instead launched the Pepsi Refresh Project, a social media marketing campaign in which Pepsi solicited consumer ideas for worthy projects — like community arts or refreshing parklands — and then donated a total of $20 million to the projects that garnered the most votes each month.
The initiative directly bolstered product sales by offering people up to 100 additional ‘‘Power Votes’’ if they purchased specially marked Pepsi beverages. It also targeted young people not only through social media, but also by hiring a marketing firm to conduct a multicity tour featuring popular musicians to inform youth about the initiative, the authors write.
“PepsiCo considers millennials — those aged 11 to 31 — a ‘key cohort’ for the Pepsi Refresh initiative. The company applied specific marketing metrics to measure the positive effect the campaign had on the intent of millennials to buy PepsiCo products,” says Cheyne.
PepsiCo, for its part, doesn’t deny that it’s blending charity with moneymaking. The authors quote Shiv Singh, a marketing officer for the Refresh Project, who notes that the campaign is ‘‘not a traditional non-profit corporate philanthropy effort that we just go write checks. It’s putting the DNA of doing and feeling good at the core of a brand marketing effort.’’
Live Positively: Coca-Cola’s CSR initiatives fall under the Live Positively banner, the authors write. The company has launched educational campaigns like ‘‘Balanced Living’’ and ‘‘Exercise is Medicine’’ to urge consumers to achieve healthy lifestyles, support charitable projects, like the refurbishment of basketball courts and school athletic fields in underserved communities. Among the many avenues through which Coca-Cola promotes Live Positively is on its line of 7.5-oz. mini-cans of Coke — a product that Slate’s William Saletan has called “the new light cigarette.”
“It appears that the soda CSR campaigns reinforce the idea that obesity is caused by customers’ ‘bad’ behavior, diverting attention from soda’s contribution to rising obesity rates,” the authors write.
“[Coca-Cola] claimed their goal is to double the number of servings by 2010. To do that, it needs to be seen as a good corporate citizen,” says Cheyne. “But Coca-Cola’s goal is at odds with what we need in the middle of a health crisis.”
VIDEO: Does Targeting Fast Food Joints Actually Help Combat Obesity
The authors go so far as to compare the harms of sugared beverages to those of cigarettes. “Emerging science on the addictiveness of sugar, especially when combined with the known addictive properties of caffeine found in many sugary beverages, should further heighten awareness of the product’s public health threat similar to the understanding about the addictiveness of tobacco products,” they write.
The American Beverage Association (ABA) responded to the report in an open statement:
“There is simply no comparison between soda and tobacco — not among our products, nor our business practices. Tobacco in and of itself is harmful — in any amount; our beverages are not. They can be enjoyed as part of a balanced, active and healthy lifestyle. Furthermore, despite the authors’ suggestions, corporate social responsibility programs are not unique to our industry. They are widely recognized and embraced by leading businesses around the globe. To suggest otherwise is not only untrue, but shines a light on the inherent bias of this opinion piece.
The ABA notes also that the report did not include perspective from the industry on its role in global health, and point out that beverage companies are now delivering more choices, smaller portions and lower-calorie, more clearly labeled products.
MORE: Sugary Drinks Linked to Heart Risk in Men
This is far from the first time the soda industry has come under fire for manipulating its public image in response to health concerns. Last year, Kelly Brownell, director of Yale’s Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity, compared “Big Soda” to “Big Tobacco” on TIME’s Ideas blog:
The tobacco industry paid scientists who did research disputing links between smoking and lung cancer, the addictive nature of nicotine, and the dangers of secondhand smoke. The soda industry funds scientists who reliably produce research showing no link between [sugar-sweetened beverage] consumption and health. The tobacco industry bought favor from community and national organizations by giving large donations. In an ironic twist, Coca Cola and PepsiCo are corporate sponsors of the American Dietetic Association.
Much is known about the tobacco industry’s machinations because of internal company documents made public through litigation. “We don’t have the same type of internal documents to describe the intent of the soda industry, but we know that soda companies took similar actions at a time when they are facing increasing pressure over their products,” says Cheyne. ”We also found that unlike the tobacco industry, which had been somewhat discredited by the time they turned to CSR practices, the soda industry has quickly turned to CSR programs.”
To counter these campaigns, the authors say it’s imperative that public health officials and advocates, as well as policy makers, take it upon themselves to educate the public and protect them from the dangers of sugary drinks — just as they did with tobacco. “It’s not a matter of what should be done as much as what is being done. Communities around the country are concerned about sugary drinks, and are beginning to take steps to protect themselves from these harmful products,” says Cheyne.
Click green for further info Source: Time: Health & Family, Date: July 2013 _____________________________________________________________________
Danger Lurking in Energy Drinks?
Date: March 22, 2013
A new study presented at a meeting of the American Heart Association analyzed seven earlier studies of the effects of energy drinks and found evidence that the beverages appear to affect a consumer’s natural heart rhythm and may lead to increased blood pressure, irregular heartbeat or even death. The high caffeine content of the drinks could be to blame. Energy drink maker Monster Beverage Corp. (NASDAQ: MNST), along with privately held firms like Living Essentials (makers of 5-hour Energy drinks) and Red Bull have been subject to U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) investigations in response to complaints that the drinks are linked to hospitalizations and death.The new study’s lead author avoids sweeping conclusions however. Bloomberg cites him:
We need to look at the effects of long-term energy drinks consumption and see what the consequences are. Everything is good in moderation. Drink them within the limits that have been provided and be vigilant of what else you’re consuming with it.
Because the drinks are often sold as dietary supplements, they are unregulated by the FDA, even though they may contain up to 700 milligrams of caffeine, nearly 10 times the amount in a 12-ounce can of soda.
Monster Beverage claims that its own investigators earlier this month found no link between its drinks and the death of a teenager last year. The company still faces a lawsuit for the girl’s death, however, based on the report of a Maryland medical examiner that the 14-year old was the victim of “caffeine toxicity.”
Shares of Monster plunged more than 8% this morning, but are now trading down about 2.2%, at $49.23 in a 52-week range of $39.99 to $83.96.
Source: Study presented at a meeting of the American Heart Association
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Restaurant Meal Named 'Worst in America'
Nutritionists have been telling us to eat more fish for years, but not all fish is prepared in a healthy way.
Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) has revealed the worst restaurant meal in the United States to Long John Silver's Big Catch. The consumer advocacy group stated:
When it comes to clogging arteries, @longjohnslvrs' #BigCatch is by far the worst restaurant meal in America.
The restaurant chain introduced the meal, which includes a piece of fried haddock, hush puppies, and onion rings, in late May for the bargain price of $4.99 writing in a press release, "The Big Catch is a premium menu item, with the classic taste that Long John Silver's is known for." While it may be a lot of food for a small amount of money, it's no great deal in terms of nutrition.
Hidden, Healthy Fast-Food Finds
According to the CSPI, which conducted its own lab tests, Big Catch contains 33 grams of trans fat, an additional 19 grams of saturated fat, and nearly 3,700 milligrams of sodium. The American Heart Association recommends that adults limit their consumption of trans fat to less than 2 grams a day and saturated fat to less than 16 grams per day. The latest recommendation for sodium is less than 1,500 milligrams per day. Trans fat and saturated fat are associated with higher bad cholesterol and increased risk of heart disease.
"Long John Silver's Big Catch meal deserves to be buried 20,000 leagues under the sea," said CSPI executive director Michael F. Jacobson in a press release. "This company is taking perfectly healthy fish and entombing it in a thick crust of batter and partially hydrogenated oil. The result? A heart attack on a hook. Instead of the Big Catch, I'd call it America's Deadliest Catch."
Walter C. Willett, chair of the nutrition department at the Harvard School of Public Health added, "It might have been defensible to use hydrogenated oil in the 1980s, before trans fat's harmfulness was discovered, but no longer."
Because Big Catch is a temporary menu item, Long John Silver's is not required to disclose its nutritional information. The CPSI estimates the meal contains 1,320 calories, roughly the same amount as in a McDonald's Big Mac, french fries, and milk shake combined.
The CSPI also asserts that Long John Silver's is telling a fish tale when it comes to the amount of haddock included in the meal. According to the restaurant, "It's the largest fish we have ever offered weighing in at 7-8 ounces of 100 percent premium Haddock caught in the icy waters of the North Atlantic." However, tests performed by the CSPI, reveal that that's a significant overstatement. "It turns out that when Long John Silver's says 7 to 8 ounces of 100 percent haddock, it's more like 60 percent haddock and 40 percent batter, paste & dough and grease," said Jacobson. "Nutrition aside, that's just plain piracy."
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Source: Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI)
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New York's Trans-Fat Ban Is Working: Study
New York City's restriction on the use of trans fats in foods served at restaurants is helping Big Apple residents cut down on the unhealthy fat, a new study shows.
Researchers compared purchase receipts from fast food restaurants in 2007, before the ban went into effect, to those from 2009, after it went into effect.
Trans-fat intake decreased, said researcher Christine Curtis, director of nutrition strategy at the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.
"It's a substantial drop," she noted.
The average drop in trans fats per purchase -- which included food for just one person -- dropped 2.4 grams, Curtis said. It started at 2.9 grams of trans fat per purchase and dropped to 0.5 grams.
Saturated fat increased a bit, to 0.55 grams per purchase. But overall, when the researchers looked at trans and saturated fats together, it was still a drop of 1.9 grams of unhealthy fats per person.
On average, the diners saw a decline in trans fats of about 21 calories per purchase, Curtis said.
That is enough to help heart health, experts think. "It's been estimated that 40 calories from trans fats per day increases the risk of coronary heart disease by 23 percent," Curtis said.
The study is published in the July 17, 2013, issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine.
The researchers also found that the number of meals that had no trans fat increased to 59 percent after the ban went into effect, compared with 32 percent before.
The greatest decline in trans fat purchases were seen at hamburger chains, followed by Mexican food chains and fried chicken restaurants.
For the study, Curtis and her team compared the trans fat and saturated fat content of 6,969 purchases in 2007 with 7,885 purchases in 2009. They went to 168 New York City locations of 11 fast-food chains at lunchtime.
They asked to look at diners' receipts as they left and asked them to complete a survey.
Although some protested the New York City ban on trans fats in restaurant food as akin to the nation's largest city becoming a ''nanny state," the new research suggests it is working to make city residents' diets more heart-healthy.
Saturated fats are solid fats found primarily in animal foods, including meat and dairy products, as well as in baked goods and fried foods. Trans fats are formed when processing a vegetable oil into a more solid fat like margarine or shortening, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
Some experts feared that with the ban, saturated fats would replace the trans fats, Curtis said. But their study suggests that did not happen. "The concern that saturated fats would increase the same amount [as the trans fats decreased] was not observed," she said.
Since the New York ban became effective, 15 other jurisdictions have launched similar bans, Curtis said, citing information from the Center for Science in the Public Interest.
The New York City regulation was phased in beginning July 2007. It was in full effect a year later. Under it, all food-service establishments are restricted from using, storing or serving foods that have partially hydrogenated vegetable oil with a total of 0.5 grams or more trans fat per serving.
In an editorial accompanying the study, Alice Lichtenstein, a distinguished professor of nutrition science at Tufts University, said that issues raised by the restaurant industry before the ban have not materialized.
One concern, for instance, was that the switch to heart-healthier oils would be expensive. In fact, the switch is cost neutral, she said.
The New York City trans fat ban, she said, suggests that well-planned and executed public health measures work well.
Lichtenstein said that it is difficult to predict success at an individual level due to the trans-fat ban. "For someone who regularly purchases foods affected by the ban, for example, fried foods, the effect on them is likely to be substantial. For some who rarely purchases food prepared outside the home, the effect of the ban on them is likely to be minimal."
The major public health challenge, she writes, is still one of excess, with many people simply eating too many calories on a daily basis.
Foods with several grams of trans fat per serving are still widely available at grocery stores and restaurants, according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest. In a report earlier this year, it listed some, including buttermilk biscuits, frozen pizzas and pies from chain restaurants.
To learn more about click trans fat bans, visit the Center for Science in the Public Interest
Click green for further info
Source: Annals of Internal Medicine
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Omega-3 in Fish May Reduce Breast Cancer Risk
Eat fish only that has (when alive): (1) scales & (2) a backbone -
a clear rule to know what fish is for us humans safely to eat.
Shrimps, oysters, snails, lobsters are not fish and would not qualify - their ecological purpose is to eat and
digest poisons in the oceans and provide cleaner waters to the fish to live in.
Continuously this wrong message "EAT FISH" is seen in every related article, even in the most precious publications as e.g. this time: The British Medical Journal.
IT IS NOT JUST FISH, IT IS NOT JUST ANY FISH, IT'S ONLY CERTAIN TYPE OF FISH THAT CAN PROVIDE ENOUGH BENEFICIAL OMEGA-3 OIL.
(Omega-6 is something else; omega-6 can be harmful in larger amounts)
THESE ARE THE MOST COMMON FISH WE ALL, YOU AND YOUR FAMILY, SHOULD EAT 2 - 4 OZ 2 - 3 TIMES EVERY WEEK as caught WILD, not raised:
(1) mackerel (avoid Jack Mackerel - too polluted);
(2) European sardines;
(3) Atlantic salmon.
All these 3 are available wild caught in cans for a reasonable price (cheaper than in the supermarket fish counter), are all cooked, ready to eat, healthy & delicious.
Here 6 more fish types with good amount of omega-3 oil, however these are more expensive and not available in cans (rarely) and are often farm-raised:
(1) Arctic Char, (2) Sablefish/Black Cod, (3) Anchovies, (4) Rainbow Trout, (5) Albacore Tuna (6) Pacific Halibut
About albacore tuna - not often, too much mercury - Make sure it’s caught from U.S. or Canadian fisheries, which use fishing methods that don't accidentally snag other species. (Most canned tuna comes from fisheries that use more wasteful methods). Kids up to age 6 should limit consumption to three meals a month because of moderate mercury contamination, the EDF says. Calorie count: 145 per 4-ounce serving of drained, canned, water-packed fish.
EDF = Environmental Defense Fund: Homewww.edf.org/
Click: Omega-3: How to Properly Increase Intake of Omega-3 with Krill Oil
Click: Omega-3 fatty acid - Wikipedia
Click: Omega-6 fatty acids | University of Maryland Medical Center
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The article
Omega-3 in Fish May Reduce Breast Cancer Risk
A large review of studies concludes that women who consume more omega-3 fatty acids by eating fish were at a lower risk of having breast cancer.
The researchers in China analyzed the results of 26 international studies involving almost 900,000 women, including 20,000 who had breast cancer. The scientists found that those women who had the consumed the highest levels of omega-3 fatty acids from fish were 14 percent less likely to have breast cancer, compared with those who ate the least.
The results also showed what researchers call a dose-response relationship: each 0.1-gram increase in omega-3 per day was linked with a 5 percent lower risk of having breast cancer. For comparison, a serving of an oily fish such as salmon contains about 4 grams of omega-3 fatty acids. Oily fish are those that have high concentrations of omega-3.
Consuming the type of omega-3 found in plants, however, did not appear to reduce the risk.
Omega-3 fatty acids, a type of polyunsaturated fat, have been touted for years for their potential benefits in preventing heart disease and cancer. But not all studies have been able to confirm these claims.
Researchers who conducted a large review of 48 studiesin 2009 concluded that it was not clear whether consuming omega-3 fats, in either the diet or by taking supplements, changed a person's risk of heart problems or cancer. However, those reviewers also said that there wasn't enough evidence to recommend that people should stop eating foods that are rich sources of omega-3.
Other studies have suggested that it's not just the amount of omega-3 that one consumes that matters —the ratio of omega-3s to other fatty acids in foods is important, too. In a 2002 review study, researchers found that women who consumed a balanced ratio of omega-3s to omega-6s (an unhealthy type of fat) were less likely to develop breast cancer.
In the new analysis, researchers looked at studies that measured omega-3 intake in two different ways; either by measuring omega-3 levels with blood tests, or by assessing how much fish people ate.
When looking only at studies that assessed fish diet, the researchers found there was not a significant relationship between eating fish and reduced risk of breast cancer. However, in Asian populations,fish intake did tend to be linked to a lower breast cancer risk, compared with Western populations.
The researchers said perhaps fish intake in Western populations is too low to detect a protective effect against breast cancer.
Other factors may have influenced the findings, too, including differences between sources of omega-3, the researchers said. It is not clear whether eating fish and taking omega-3 supplements have equal benefits.
It is possible too, that other compounds found in fish, such as pesticides and heavy metals from environmental pollution, may reduce the protective effects of omega-3, they said.
The study is published today (June 27) in the British Medical Journal.
Email Bahar Gholipour or follow her @alterwired. Follow LiveScience @livescience, Facebook &Google+. Original article on LiveScience.com.
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- 5 Things Women Should Know About Ovarian Cancer
- Top 10 Cancer-Fighting Foods
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Important and useful links - click - study - apply
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- visit:www.montereybayaquarium.org
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See also:
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- Conservation status
- Overfishing
- Sustainable seafood advisory lists and certification
- Seafood Choices Alliance
- Mercury in fish ________________________________________
Another American "Food" Curse for Our Nation's Health
80% of Pre-Packaged Foods in America
Are Banned in Other Countries
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If you or your kids enjoy pre-packaged convenience foods commonly found in grocery stores across the U.S. such as Froot Loops, Swanson dinners, Mountain Dew, and frozen potato and bread products, you may think twice before purchasing them after hearing what they contain: dangerous chemicals that other countries around the globe have deemed toxic to the point that they're illegal, and companies are fined hundreds of thousands of dollars for including them in food products.
In a new book Rich Food, Poor Food, authors Mira and Jason Calton provide a list of what they term "Banned Bad Boys" - ingredients commonly used in up to 80% of all American convenience food that have been banned by other countries, with information about which countries banned each substance and why.
And though it might not surprise you to hear that Olestra (= a synthetic cooking oil used as a calorie-free fat substitute in various foods; Olestra lost its popularity due to side effects, but products containing the ingredient can still be purchased at grocery stores in some countries) - - commonly used in low/no-fat snack foods and known to cause serious gastrointestinal issues for those who consume it (understatement) - is on that list, having been banned in both the United Kingdom and Canada, you may be shocked to hear that Mountain Dew, Fresca and Squirt all contain brominated vegetable oil, a substance that has been banned in more than 100 countries "because it has been linked to basically every form of thyroid disease - from cancer to autoimmune diseases - known to man."
Click The 25 healthiest foods for under $1
If the link has expired search the web with the title
You might also be upset to hear that the food coloring used to make your kid's delicious Mac & Cheese dinner visually appealing - yellow #5 and yellow #6, namely - is made from coal tar, which among other things is an active ingredient in lice shampoo and has been linked to allergies, ADHD, and cancer in animals.
Then there's azodicarbonamide - commonly found in frozen dinners and frozen potato and bread products - which is used make things like bleach and foamed plastics like those found in yoga mats (tasty!). Azodicarbonamide has been banned in most European countries because it's known to induce asthma, and is in fact deemed so dangerous that in Singapore its use carries a hefty $500,00 fine and up to 15 years in prison.
Yet, according to the FDA, it's SO TOTALLY FINE for us to keep shoveling it into our kid's faceholes: "[Azodicarbonamide] is approved to be a bleaching agent in cereal flour and is permitted for direct addition to food for human consumption."
Finally, there's butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) - found in Post, Kelloggs and Quaker brand cereals - which is made from petroleum and is a known cancer-causing agent. It's been banned in Europe and Japan, and in other countries. In the U.S. we can keep right on serving up to our children for breakfast and destroy their health, physical & mental.
Click: For the 11 worst pre-packaged foods for kids - listed on the next 2 lines
Chicken Nuggets - Cheese and Sandwich Crackers - Box Mac and Cheese - Cereal Bars - Canned Tuna - Yogurt Smoothies Hot Dogs - Pre-made Lunch Kits - Sport or Fruit Drinks
Although some other fish species are higher in mercury, tuna is of particular concern because it is high in mercury and the most widely consumed fish in the United States. Mercury's not good for anyone - but it's especially bad for fetuses, babies, and children because it impedes brain development.
To get Natural Resources Defence Counsil information about tuna click green: The Natural Resources Defense Council publishes a list that offers guidelines on how much tuna is safe to eat depending on weight, but some research suggests that there may be more mercury in tuna than assumed and the amount can vary greatly from can to can.
As alternative for tuna, use cans of skinless, boneless salmon (wild caught), mackerel (wild caught), or sardines (wild caught) Sardines offer heart-healthy oils. Where many larger fish populations are suffering from overfishing, the smaller fishes like mackerel, sardines, and anchovies, remain well regulated and highly healthful.
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Another dangerous food additive banned worldwide, allowed in the U.S. Brominated vegetable oil — or BVO
is a food additive sometimes used to keep citrus flavoring from separating out in sodas and sports drinks, such as Fanta, Mountain Dew and Gatorade. Controversy has long surrounded the use of BVO. It's banned as a food additive in Europe and Japan and many other countries but not in the U.S.
Brominated vegetable oil (BVO) is vegetable oil, derived from corn or soy, bonded with the element bromine. It's added as an emulsifier, to prevent the flavoring from separating and floating to the surface. The FDA limits the amount of BVO allowed in fruit-flavored beverages to 15 parts per million.
Bromines are common endocrine disruptors, and are part of the halide family, a group of elements that includes fluorine, chlorine and iodine. What makes it so dangerous is that it competes for the same receptors that are used to capture iodine. If you are exposed to a lot of bromine, your body will not hold on to the iodine that it needs. And iodine affects every tissue in your body, not just your thyroid.
Although the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) originally categorized BVO as "generally recognized as safe," the agency later reversed that decision. Currently, under certain conditions and on an interim basis pending more research, the FDA allows BVO to be used as a food additive.
Health concerns about BVO stem from the fact that it contains bromine, the element found in brominated flame retardants. Only a few studies have looked at possible safety issues, but it appears that bromine builds up in the body. There also have been a few reports of people experiencing memory loss and skin and nerve problems after drinking excessive amounts (more than 2 liters a day) of soda containing BVO. Some beverage manufacturers are even considering taking BVO out of their products. Some have done it already based on the public cry.
So what should you do? Don't drink large amounts of BVO-containing beverages. Better yet, take it one step further and cut back on all sugary drinks. Opt instead for healthier choices, such as water, low-fat milk and an occasional glass of 100-percent fruit juice.
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The Myth of Healthy Processed Food
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The Egg McMuffin Delight I ate for breakfast this morning was fluffy on the inside and doughy and springy on the outside. It was a quick and satisfying (if temporarily) way to start the day, offering a subtle mix of savory flavors. But most importantly, it was healthy. Made with egg whites only and delivering just 150 calories and 7 grams of fat, this new addition to McDonald's menu stands as a prime example of a cheap, hyper-available, healthy processed food.
Or so argues David Freedman in The Atlantic's July/August cover story entitled "How Junk Food Can End Obesity." In this 10,000-word piece, Freedman tries to make the case for why the food industry - specifically the processed food industry - is the answer to our prayers for a less obese and less-disease stricken nation. His view is that the arugula-munching elitists in the food movement are deluding themselves into thinking that the "obese masses," as he puts it, are going to put down their large fries and Doritos Locos Taco Supremes and start eating kale and grilled salmon any time soon.
It's a fun, contrarian argument - too much so for it's own good. In his defense of processed food, Freedman relies on a flawed understanding of nutrition, food processing and what the so-called food elites, "the Pollanites," really stand for. As a result, his argument comes off as naïve as he accuses real foodists of being.
Take that Egg McMuffin Delight. Why exactly is this healthy? Although it was once thought that eggs were bad because of the fat and cholesterol concentrated in their yolks, that thinking no longer has any scientific validity. Eggs are incredibly nutritious, loaded with vitamins B12 and B2, choline and the antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthin - all of it in the yolks that McDonald's has discarded to make their healthier sandwich. Freedman (and perhaps McDonald's) appears stuck in a 1980s understanding of fats. We now know that just because something has had the fat taken out does mean it's healthy. In fact, many fats are considered beneficial - those in peanut butter, almonds and avocados, for instance. Even the once dreaded saturated animal fats are no longer considered so hostile to our health. And it turns out that cholesterol in food, the substance that once helped demonize eggs, is likely to have little bearing on cholesterol levels found in your blood.
The same goes for calories. Just because something is low in calories doesn't make it nutritious or a good idea for weight loss. Freedman talks quite a lot about the need for reducing calories in the food we eat, and while this can be a useful goal, it's not a silver bullet. Weight loss isn't a simple game of calorie math. If it were, diet soda would help people lose weight; it doesn't. When it comes to calories, quality is just as important as quantity. Low calorie food needs to be satiating (a quality known to be inherent to many whole foods, but the mechanisms of which are not well understood by scientists), otherwise people will just replace the calories later.
Freedman also veers off course when he talks about food processing and the effect it has on nutrition. He writes:
"The fact is, there is simply no clear, credible evidence that any aspect of food processing or storage makes a food uniquely unhealthy."
This is flat out wrong. While not all aspects of food processing are problematic, there are some industrial processes that unquestionably are. And sometimes it's the cumulative effect of many manipulations that make processed food a nutritional disaster. A few examples:
Trans fat. The process that creates this incredibly unhealthy, artificial type of fat is called partial hydrogenation. Again, it's a process. On its own, vegetable oil is not artery hardening, but heat it to high temperatures, stick nickel into it and bubble hydrogen gas through it, as the food industry has done for decades, and voila - trans fats.
Vitamins and fiber. Ask any food scientist and they will acknowledge that manufacturing and processing is often destructive to vitamins like A, B1, C, E and folic acid, as well as dietary fiber. When faced with intense heat and disfiguring processes like extrusion, these healthful components of food don't fare well. Time and oxygen are also enemies for vitamins, and since most packaged foods need to have long shelf lives, this presents an inherent conflict for packaged food manufacturers that want to sell healthy processed food.
High fructose corn syrup. This stuff, along with other forms of sugar, is one of the worst health offenders in our food, but the corn it started out as isn't. While not the most nutritionally endowed vegetable, corn nonetheless has fiber, vitamin C, vitamin B1 and magnesium. In the space between ears of real corn and HFCS is oodles of processing.
I'm not saying that it's impossible to create healthy processed food. But there are real limitations on what packaged food manufacturers like Pepsi, General Mills, ConAgra and Kellogg's can do. That's whyexamples of "healthy" processed supermarket foods are often laughable - Baked Lays, vitaminwater, Keebler Right Bites cookies, Rice Krispies, and most infamously, Froot Loops. Restaurants, on the other hand, stand a fighting chance because they can, at least in theory, work with fresher ingredients. In his article, Freeman confesses his devotion to Carl's Jr.'s Charbroiled Cod Sandwich, a product that I agree represents a step in the right direction, albeit a small one. Carl's Jr. also has a new Cranberry Apple Walnut Grilled Chicken salad, which is a great choice. And McDonald's has its new, 420-calorie Premium Chicken Ranch McWraps with grilled chicken, lettuce, tomato and cucumbers.
Yet the fallacy of relying on the food industry to get America eating healthy becomes clear when you realize that these products are outliers and half steps. The honey wheat bun in Carl's Jr.'s cod sandwich has little more than a dusting of whole wheat (the addition of caramel coloring makes it look like it has more). McDonald's wraps have no whole wheat at all, delivering a wallop of unhealthy refined carbs. And surely it's possible to make these products without brewing together 70 or more ingredients, includingflammable chemicals. Up to this point, food scientists haven't focused much on how to reduce their impact on food - preserving, not trampling all over, its natural goodness. I'd love to see them try.
In the meantime, there are fresh and healthy foods already available to most Americans, including many of those "obese masses" Freedman talks about. And they aren't just found at Whole Foods and farmer's markets, but at the most pedestrian and non-elitist of stores - Walmart, Target, Safeway, Price Chopper, Kroger and the thousands of grocery stores that populate American towns and cities.[1] And the foods they offer are not the kale, yellow beets, heirloom tomatoes and organic squash blossoms that Freedman uses to caricature and misrepresent the food movement. It's basic stuff like bananas (just 30 to 90 cents per pound!), bags of baby carrots, spears of broccoli, fresh lean meat, plain yogurt teeming with beneficial bacteria, cartons of eggs, canned beans, bags of nuts, brown rice and frozen peas. Freedman would call me na?ve, but I believe that it's essential to find ways to get people to consume more of these affordable, tasty and basic foods.
Doing this is not the least bit easy or immediate, but that doesn't mean we should abandon the effort. During research for the book I wrote on processed food (which Freedman was not a big fan of), I sat in on a series of free cooking classes offered to low income people. Run by a national organization called Cooking Matters, they struck me as a great model for the sorts of programs we should be thinking about for improving America's eating habits. All of Cooking Matters' recipes cost no more than $10 for a family of four.
But while the solution has to do with education, some government regulation, reform of the perverse farm subsidy system and perhaps taxation, it doesn't have to be an either-or proposition. The food industry can also play a role, though a supporting one. Ceding over the goals of public health to McDonald's and Kraft only seems like a good idea to those who believe that things like Baked Lays and egg white sandwiches with processed cheese are healthy.
Yes, there are food deserts and it's a problem that needs to be addressed, but there probably aren't as many people living in them as you think. The 30 million people the USDA defines as living in a food desert have to travel more than one mile to a grocery store. Is it too much to ask people to drive two or three miles?
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Source: U.S. News
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One Diabetes Death every 90 Minutes in New York City
Are you obese? - Are you the next in this statistics?
Your choice - get rid of your extra weight
STAF, Inc.'s weight loss program is the only program guaranteed for a lifetime results
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One Diabetes Death every 90 Minutes in New York City
With a judge set to hear the New York City's appeal on the soda ban ruling, officials released new figures showing an alarming increase in diabetes-related deaths.
The proportion of diabetes-related deaths out of the total number of deaths citywide increased nearly 5% between 1990 and 2011, according to data released by the city’s health department.
Health officials and experts say the increase, which is greater in some higher poverty neighborhoods, could be turned around.
"It is linked to our epidemic of obesity, and like obesity, it can be prevented,"
Health Commissioner Thomas Farley said in a statement.
In 2011, there were 5,695 deaths related to diabetes, an all-time high, compared to 4,436 in 1990, according to the data. Overall, the disease leads to one death every 90 minutes in the city, the Health Department said.
By comparison, overall deaths in the city dropped 28.5% during the same period from 73,855 to 52,789.
The city released the numbers one day before it was set to appeal the lawsuit that blocked its controversial ban on large sugary sodas.
Maria Moriarty, a Queens nutritionist and dietitian, said she wasn't surprised by the report because many New Yorkers are simply not educated when it comes to a healthy diet.
She added that economics plays a huge factor when it comes to battling diabetes saying many sufferers "don't have access to doctors or facilities that can cut down on the factors for a healthy lifestyle."
The Health Department's study showed a major discrepancy among New York neighborhoods. The majority of the top 10 neighborhoods with the highest rates of diabetes-related deaths in 2011 were in Brooklyn and the Bronx, with the highest being in Brownsville where 177 per 100,000 people perished from the disease.
Viola Greene-Walker, the district manager Community Board 16 in Brownsville, said the numbers troubled her but said the city has been working to find ways to get her residents healthier.
Aside from new health department advertisements and programs that promoted staying away from fatty foods, Greene-Walker said her community has needs to band to together to come up with solutions.
"We encourage folks to growing their own vegetables in the local gardens, it's become more popular," she said.
City Councilwoman Jessica Lappin -- one of the elected officials for Murray Hill, the neighborhood with the lowest diabetes death rate with 19 deaths per 100,000 people -- added that the city should continue to push for similar programs especially among the youth.
Lappin noted a pilot program at a Manhattan middle school called "Healthy Kids, Healthy Schools" that teaches kids the benefits of growing and eating fruits and vegetables is doing well and could easily be instituted in classrooms across the city.
"The goal is to teach these kids how to live healthier and that idea grows as they become adults," the councilwoman said.
Source: Internet News
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A.M.A. Recognizes Obesity as a Disease
American Medical Association - A.M.A.
Date: June 2013
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The American Medical Association has officially recognized obesity as a disease, a move that could induce physicians to pay more attention to the condition and spur more insurers to pay for treatments.
In making the decision, delegates at the association’s annual meeting in Chicago overrode a recommendation against doing so by a committee that had studied the matter.
“Recognizing obesity as a disease will help change the way the medical community tackles this complex issue that affects approximately one in three Americans,” Dr. Patrice Harris, a member of the association’s board, said in a statement. She suggested the new definition would help in the fight against Type 2 diabetes and heart disease, which are linked to obesity.
To some extent, the question of whether obesity is a disease or not is a semantic one, since there is not even a universally agreed upon definition of what constitutes a disease. And the A.M.A.’s decision has no legal authority.
Still, some doctors and obesity advocates said that having the nation’s largest physician group make the declaration would focus more attention on obesity. And it could help improve reimbursement for obesity drugs, surgery and counseling.
“I think you will probably see from this physicians taking obesity more seriously, counseling their patients about it,” said Morgan Downey, an advocate for obese people and publisher of the online Downey Obesity Report. “Companies marketing the products will be able to take this to physicians and point to it and say, ‘Look, the mother ship has now recognized obesity as a disease.’ ”
Two new obesity drugs — Qsymia from Vivus, and Belviq from Arena Pharmaceuticals and Eisai — have entered the market in the last year.
Qsymia has not sold well for a variety of reasons, including poor reimbursement and distribution restrictions imposed because of concerns that the drug can cause birth defects. Those restrictions are now being relaxed. Belviq went on sale only about a week ago, so it is too early to tell how it is doing.
Whether obesity should be called a disease has long been debated. The Obesity Society officially issued its support for classifying obesity as a disease in 2008, with Mr. Downey as one of the authors of the paper.
The Internal Revenue Service has said that obesity treatments can qualify for tax deductions. In 2004, Medicare removed language from its coverage manual saying obesity was not a disease.
Still, Medicare Part D, the prescription drug benefit, includes weight loss drugs among those it will not pay for, along with drugs for hair growth and erectile dysfunction.
The vote of the A.M.A. House of Delegates went against the conclusions of the association’s Council on Science and Public Health, which had studied the issue over the last year. The council said that obesity should not be considered a disease mainly because the measure usually used to define obesity, the body mass index, is simplistic and flawed.
Some people with a B.M.I. above the level that usually defines obesity are perfectly healthy while others below it can have dangerous levels of body fat and metabolic problems associated with obesity.
“Given the existing limitations of B.M.I. to diagnose obesity in clinical practice, it is unclear that recognizing obesity as a disease, as opposed to a ‘condition’ or ‘disorder,’ will result in improved health outcomes,” the council wrote.
The council summarized the arguments for and against calling obesity a disease.
One reason in favor, it said, was that it would reduce the stigma of obesity that stems from the widespread perception that it is simply the result of eating too much or exercising too little. Some doctors say that people do not have full control over their weight.
Supporters of the disease classification also say it fits some medical criteria of a disease, such as impairing body function.
Those arguing against it say that there are no specific symptoms associated with it and that it is more a risk factor for other conditions than a disease in its own right.
They also say that “medicalizing” obesity by declaring it a disease would define one-third of Americans as being ill and could lead to more reliance on costly drugs and surgery rather than lifestyle changes. Some people might be overtreated because their B.M.I. was above a line designating them as having a disease, even though they were healthy.
The delegates rejected the conclusion of the council and voted instead in favor of a resolution pushed by the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists, the American College of Cardiology and some other organizations.
This resolution argued that obesity was a “multimetabolic and hormonal disease state” that leads to unfavorable outcomes like Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
“The suggestion that obesity is not a disease but rather a consequence of a chosen lifestyle exemplified by overeating and/or inactivity is equivalent to suggesting that lung cancer is not a disease because it was brought about by individual choice to smoke cigarettes,” the resolution said.
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Source: NYT & click: American Medical Association
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Below an article where obese people respond to the above article
A.M.A. Recognizes Obesity as a Disease
I’m fat, and it’s my fault
and other reactions to calling obesity a disease
(1) Hearing his doctor utter the "o" word pushed Steven Bryan to shed weight
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At 6 feet and 287 pounds, he was morbidly obese, his doctor warned him in November 2011. That news forced the 50-year-old Anaheim, Calif., resident to re-examine his habits. He made some changes, dropped below 250 and now hovers around 257. His body mass index, however, is 34.9, which, according to the medical establishment, still makes him obese.
“I'm fat, and it's my fault,” Bryan says.
It’s no surprise, then, that he criticizes last week’s decision by the American Medical Association to classify obesity as a disease. Some experts say the decision increases the chance that doctors and insurance companies could more effectively treat the 78 million adults and 12 million children in the United States with BMIs above 30.
To Bryan, that wrongly fashions the medical establishment as a crutch—one with more meds and more billings for more doctor appointments.
He is one of several obese Americans who wrote this week on Yahoo News about their struggles with weight and their views on the AMA’s declaration. To see how they perceive their condition—described as “a disability,” “a disease,” “a choice,” “a wake-up call” or simply “a challenge”—we asked them the following questions: Does the AMA’s definition alter their outlook on obesity? Does calling it a disease help or hinder their personal weight battles? Is this a positive or negative step in battling the country’s bulge?
Bryan says the answer is clear. “The AMA's declaration is nothing more than a happy pill designed to make overweight people like myself shift the blame for our own bad habits,” he writes.
“I ate what I wanted when I wanted: cookies, ice cream, chips, and other comfort foods. I overindulged to fill emotional voids in my life. In many ways, I followed the guidelines of Miss Piggy, the Muppet who said, ‘Never eat anything you can’t lift.’”
The key, he says, was his “obnoxious and brutally honest” doctor, who encouraged him to trade in cookies for carrots.
He adds that his doctor had him recite what he ate the previous day and explained how his choices—for instance, “an innocent bowl of unsweetened cereal” for breakfast—boosted the chance he’d snack immediately when arriving at work.
He now eats in moderation. He notes the occasional chocolate-frosted doughnut is OK and, importantly, his choice.
“The AMA gets a big fat ‘F’ from me for their enabling declaration,” Bryan says. “If I want to change [my life], it's up to me. Over the last year, I made some lifestyle changes and have been keeping my weight under control, but I have more work to do.”
(2) Can a ‘squishier’ physique possibly be contagious?
Alyce Wilson plugged her numbers into a BMI calculator and read the result: 32.6.
“Imagine my joy when I learned that,” she says in jest.
So, she rounded up her actual height by a half-inch, to 5 foot 5 inches. “Hey, I had to try,” she says.
Her BMI fell slightly—to 31.6. “Depending on which height I use, I'd have to lose 10 to 15 pounds just to be considered overweight.”
Wilson, a 42-year-old mom who lives in Philadelphia, is on the fence about the obesity designation. She writes somewhat tongue in cheek that her newfound obesity “disease” is a chronic condition that could kill her if left untreated.
The cause of her condition? Bad genes? Too many muffins? An out-of-whack thyroid? Nope.
“Much as I love him, I have my toddler to blame,” she says.
Before her pregnancy, Wilson dropped 70 pounds over five years and kept if off. “But I was not one of those pregnant women who look like a snake that swallowed a basketball,” she says. “I packed on 58 pounds and became an ancient fertility figure.”
Now, three years after the birth of her son, she’s halfway to losing her “baby fat,” as she calls it. “If only reading books aloud or changing diapers burned more calories.”
And when she plugged her numbers into the BMI calculator, she worried about what her “squishier” composition will entail.
“What will this new ‘disease’ designation mean? Will people avoid me, fearing my fat is contagious?” she asks. “It's also startling—and annoying—to learn I'm no longer considered healthy, especially when that isn't true. Two years ago, growing frustrated with the glacial pace of my postpartum weight loss, I consulted my physician. She ran a series of diagnostic tests that determined I was in the healthy range for everything she tested. Some obese people have associated health problems, but I'm not one of them.”
She does hope, however, that the AMA’s decision will expand coverage for weight-loss treatments and prevention and increase insurers’ leeway.
“I'm cautiously optimistic,” Wilson says.
(3) Looking forward to a healthy future—with assistance
Tagging obesity as a choice ignores its complexity, Laura Cushing says.
Cushing, 43, carries 324 pounds on her nearly 6-foot frame. She’s down from 390 three years ago. “While morbid obesity doesn't have a pleasant ring to it,” the West Berlin, N.J., resident writes, “it's certainly preferable to some of the names I've been called in reference to my body size.”
Compounding her frustration over losing weight are the myriad costs. See the doctor? That’s a co-pay. Meet with a nutritionist? Another co-pay. Blood tests and body exams set her back even more. Weight Watchers, at $65 for three months of online tools and $15 for in-person meetings, is too pricey. The $400 annual gym membership is out of her budget.
And because Cushing is unsure about the exact cause of her being overweight, losing the pounds hasn’t been easy.
“Is my obesity a ‘self-inflicted’ disease?” she asks. “I can pinpoint a number of factors: My father and his side of the family were all obese, meaning it is partially genetic. I have had limited access to healthy foods at times during my life that doubtlessly contributed. I suffered a crippling car accident that impeded my ability to be active for quite a while. And, yes, there's also just that I enjoy eating and haven't always made the best choices.”
She thus welcomes a change in how the country views obesity. “But other steps are needed,” she argues. “Education, individual action, and community support must be achieved as well. I am hoping that instead of pushing an agenda of diet drugs and surgeries, there will be more focus on treatments that include healthy eating and exercise.”
“It is a slow process,” she acknowledges.
Read more stories about personal battles with obesity:
Obesity's classified as a disease, but losing weight is on me
My obesity is my disease and my problem
Obesity disease classification will lead to overmedication
Does your BMI make you ill?
Being called fat was bad enough; now I am obese
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Article 1 of 5 Information we all need
Diet Vs. Exercise: Which Matters Most?
In a perfect world, everyone would work out enough and eat right all the time. But that's not always possible, so we turned to several experts to find out what really matters most--dieting or exercise--for losing weight, fighting disease, and boosting overall well-being. Here, we crown the champ in each category.
TO LOSE WEIGHT
The winner: Diet
The reason: As research makes clear, trimming calories from your diet is the most direct route to a smaller dress size. "It's much easier to cut 500 calories than to spend an hour in the gym burning 500 calories every day," says Timothy Church, M.D., Ph.D., director of preventive medicine research at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center at Louisiana State University. However, both diet and exercise are essential for keeping that weight off.
TO BOOST ENERGY
The winner: Exercise
The reason: Exercise causes the brain to pour out invigorating neurotransmitters like dopamine and norepinephrine, says Patrick O'Connor, Ph.D., an exercise psychologist at the University of Georgia. People who train consistently report surges in energy, according to some 70 studies.
RELATED: Rev Your Metabolism in 8 Minutes
TO REDUCE RISK OF HEART DISEASE
The winner: Diet
The reason: "If you had to focus on one nutrient*), that would lower your heart disease risk, it would be omega-3 fatty acids," says William Harris, Ph.D., director of the cardiovascular health research center at the University of South Dakota. In studies, omega-3s from oily fish lower heart disease risk by up to 64 percent. That said, working out does strengthen your cardiovascular system. *) (there is no such a thing as "one" of anything - everything is always a combination of many elements)
TO PREVENT DIABETES
The winner: Exercise
The reason: Nearly 10 million American women have diabetes. Achieving a healthy weight through diet and exercise is the strongest defense against the disease, but physical activity has a slight edge. Active muscles gobble up glucose from the blood for fuel, which helps keep blood-sugar levels stable.
TO PREVENT CANCER
The winner: Both diet and exercise
The reason: Eating a mostly plant-based diet and exercising regularly remain the gold standard for warding off cancer. Keep in mind: Studies have found the more consistently you work out, the greater the protection
TO IMPROVE MOOD
The winner: Exercise
The reason: A 20-minute sweat session can be enough to perk up your mood for a whopping 12 hours, reports a University of Vermont study. It may also be as effective as medication for treating depression in some people. And exercise can lead to changes in the brain that strengthen your resolve against stress.
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Source: The Pennington Biomedical Research Center at Louisiana State University
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Article 2 of 5 Important health info
How P90X Can Create Back Injuries
So, why did Mr. Lombardi end up in the hospital
when thousands of other individuals,
many without a background in athletic activity,
have a positive experience with P90X?
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Etymology for P90X = Power 90 Extreme, is a commercial home exercise regimen, known for its intensity.It is designed to take 90 days, and consists of a training program which uses cross-training (weight training,martial arts, yoga and calisthenics) and periodization*) , combined with a nutrition and dietary supplement plan.
*) Calisthenics are a form of exercise consisting of a variety of exercises, often rhythmical, movements, generally without using equipment or apparatus. They are intended to increase body strength and flexibility with movements such as bending, jumping, swinging, twisting or kicking, using only one's body weight for resistance. They are usually conducted in concert with stretches. Calisthenics when performed vigorously and with variety can benefit both muscular and cardiovascular fitness, in addition to improving psychomotor skills such as balance, agility and coordination.
Groups such as sports teams and military units often perform leader-directed group calisthenics as a form of synchronized physical training (often including a customized "call and response" routine) to increase group cohesion and discipline. Calisthenics are also popular as a component of physical education in primary and secondary schools over much of the globe.[1]
**) Periodization is the systematic planning of athletic or physical training.[1] It involves progressive cycling of various aspects of a training program during a specific period. It is a way of alternating training to its peak during season. The aim of periodization is to introduce new movements as one progresses through the macrocycle to specify one's training right up until the start of the season.
(click green: without taking proper precautions P90X poses a wide array of risks
Article 3 of 5
How P90X Can Create Back Injuries
The condition is commonly brought on by excessive physical activity
and results when excessive toxins are released into the bloodstream
How P90X Can Create Back Injuries?
Play video - in case the video link has expired, search the internet with the article title to find the video
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Man says one day of P90X sent him to the emergency room
The P90X workout is one of the biggest fitness trends in the past several years, with enthusiastic endorsements across the cultural spectrum, including everyone from singer Pink to 2012 Republican vice presidential nominee Paul Ryan.
But businessman Matt Lombardi says just one day of the program’s strenuous routine sent him into the emergency room with kidney failure.
“I simply wanted to get back in shape. I could have killed myself in the process,” Lombardi writes on his site,
College Spun.
Lombardi says he has “always been an athlete” and that he didn’t wander recklessly into the program. Instead, he says he wanted to try P90X to help lose the 20 pounds he had gained while developing College Spun.
After completing only half of the first day of workouts, Lombardi said he woke up the next morning feeling sore and ill.
“If you’ve done P90X, then you know that the first day (chest & back) is really, really difficult,” he writes. “You’re asked to do push-ups, then pull-ups, then push-ups, then pull-ups. I lost count of my how many of each I did — but it was a lot. Eventually, my muscles just shut down.”
Despite the pain, he decided to try day two of the program. Instead, he found himself back in bed. On the third day, he describes using the bathroom and being shocked when his urine “looked like Coca-Cola.”
After a quick Web search, Lombardi guessed he was experiencing rhabdomyolysis. The National Institutes of Health describes the condition as “the breakdown of muscle fibers that leads to the release of muscle fiber contents (myoglobin) into the bloodstream. Myoglobin is harmful to the kidney and often causes kidney damage.” The condition is commonly brought on by excessive physical activity and results when excessive toxins are released into the bloodstream.
Myoglobin = a red protein containing heme that carries and stores oxygen in muscle cells. It is structurally similar to a subunit of hemoglobin. Heme = An iron-containing compound of the porphyrin class that forms the nonprotein part of hemoglobin and some other biological molecules
So, why did Lombardi end up in the hospital when thousands of other individuals, many without a background in athletic activity, have a positive experience with P90X?
Several experts warn that jumping into P90X, or any intense workout routine, without taking proper precautions poses a wide array of risks.
Of course, like any other trendy exercise program, P90X is not without its critics.
In a YouTube video, (click for video: Dr. Jarod Carter, a personal trainer, jokes that the program has been great for his business, by increasing the number of patients who come to him with lower-back pain resulting from P90X.
If the video link has expired use the previous sentence in YouTube to find the recording
“I see a lot of people trying to do, or being asked to do, abdominal exercises that their abs are simply not strong enough to actually do,” he says in the video.
“I’ll be honest — P90X has a number of ‘warnings’ about what strenuous exercise can do to your body,” Lombardi wrote. “But if I’d specifically known about rhabdomyolysis*), I don’t think I’d have ever even taken the plunge.”
(to plunge = jump or dive quickly and energetically) *)Rhabdomyolysis /ˌræbdɵmaɪˈɒlɨsɪs/ is a condition in which damaged skeletal muscletissue (Greek: ῥαβδω rhabdo- striped μυς myo- muscle) breaks down (Greek: λύσις –lysis) rapidly. Breakdown products of damaged muscle cells are released into the bloodstream; some of these, such as the protein myoglobin, are harmful to the kidneys and may lead to kidney failure.
Lombardi then checked himself into an emergency room, where he says the levels of toxins in his bloodstream were literally off the charts.
“My blood test came back with a CPK (creatine phosphokinase) level of over 16,800 (the max they can test for),” he wrote. “Normal CPK levels, I was told, usually run between 10-200 micrograms per liter. These levels are a huge indicator of severe rhabdomylolysis.”
Doctors hooked him up to an IV, Lombardi wrote, and he spent the next several days under observation while doctors waited for the toxicity levels in his bloodstream to return to normal.
Going forward, he was told to approach future exercise routines with caution.
“My two biggest takeaways from the entire ordeal? You can’t put your muscles through a strenuous workout without leading up to it, and you need to recognize when you’re body is telling you that there is something wrong,” Lombardi writes. “The first could have killed me, while the second may have saved me.”
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Source: Yahoo News
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Article 4 of 5 Important health info
The Rise of the Minimalist Workout
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In an article under his byline for Sports Illustrated in December 1960, “The Soft American,” President-elect John F. Kennedy lamented the state of the nation’s fitness. As president he exhorted citizens to plunge into activities like 50-mile hikes.
As anyone sitting quietly and reading this article probably knows, that message did not resonate with most Americans. And these days, a majority get no planned exercise at all.
So at the recent annual meeting of the American College of Sports Medicine, one of the hottest topics was not how much exercise Americans should be completing, but how little.
Dozens of presentations and seminars examining a variety of activities concluded, essentially, that a few minutes of any strenuous exercise is sufficient to improve various measures of health and fitness.
“Everyone was talking” about those findings, said Linda S. Pescatello, a professor of kinesiology at the University of Connecticut, Storrs, who attended the conference, in Indianapolis. “It’s very appealing, obviously, the idea that you can get fit in a very short period of time.”
But she and other experts say there are still many unanswered questions about the long-term effects and efficacy of the wildly shrinking doses of exercise being studied and promoted by scientists and journalists, (including this writer).
“People have been trying to figure out forever what the right amount of exercise is,” said Dr. Paul Thompson, a cardiologist at Hartford Hospital in Connecticut, who has long studied exercise.
In the past, formal recommendations have called for a substantial amount of regular exercise. For example, published guidelinesfrom the Health and Human Services Department in 2008 suggested 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week — the equivalent of five 30-minute walks. The guidelines added that 75 minutes of vigorous exercise a week, like jogging, could be substituted.
These guidelines were based on a large body of science showing that 150 minutes of moderate exercise was associated with a longer life span and a reduced risk of heart disease, diabetes and other illnesses.
But in practical terms, the guidelines have not been a success. By most estimates, at least 80 percent of Americans don’t meet the recommendations. That has led to the quest to find a smaller amount of exercise that will produce health and fitness benefits without intimidating the millions who don’t work out.
And that, in turn, has resulted in the rise of interest in very brief, high-intensity interval training.
This approach to exercise started to take off in 2006, when Martin Gibala, a physiologist at McMaster University in Ontario, and his colleagues published a study showing that a three-minute sequence on an electronic stationary bicycle — 30 seconds of punishing, all-out pedaling followed by a brief rest, repeated five or six times — led to the same muscle-cell adaptations as 90 to 120 minutes of prolonged bike riding.
The study, which was published in The Journal of Physiology, soared to the top of the journal’s “most e-mailed” list and stayed there for years.
Since then, Dr. Gibala and his colleagues, as well as other groups of scientists, have been closely parsing the effects of brief bouts of intense exercise, trying to determine just what happens in the body when you work it very hard for a short period of time, and what dosage of such intense effort is likely to be most effective and tolerable for a majority of people.
The most recent research suggests that a few minutes per week of strenuous exercise can improve aerobic fitness, generally more quickly than moderate activity does.
In a representative study, which I wrote about this week, Norwegian scientists found that three four-minute runs a week — at a pace equivalent to 90 percent of a person’s maximal heart rate, an intensity that will feel, frankly, unpleasant — improved volunteers’ endurance capacity by about 10 percent after 10 weeks.
Other recent studies have shown that 16 to 30 minutes per week (depending on the study) of highly intense exercise also improves certain markers of health, with volunteers developing improved blood pressure and blood sugar levels after several weeks of these truncated workouts.
But so far, all the studies have been small, usually with only a few dozen volunteers, most of them men and often young. None have been longer than a few months.
“We know from some very good epidemiological studies,” said Dr. Thompson, “that 150 minutes of moderate exercise each week is clearly associated with improved health outcomes,” including longevity and reduced risk of many diseases. What we don’t know, he added, is whether that will be the case if people rely solely on a few minutes of intense exercise a week.
It’s particularly unclear whether short, hard workouts can help people maintain their weight. Weight maintenance means burning more calories than consumed, Dr. Thompson said, and “these short sessions do not result in much energy expenditure.”
Nor do they aid much in building muscle, Dr. Gibala said, adding that short, intense exercise “does not seem to stimulate the hypertrophic physiological pathways” that result in larger, stronger muscles.
What the new, abbreviated approach to exercise has going for it is brevity. In a 2011 study, eight male recreational runners in Britain reported preferring a workout of six three-minute intervals to one involving an easy 50-minute jog, because the interval session was soon over.
“It may not be the ideal form of exercise for everyone,” Dr. Gibala said. “And we have a lot more science to do.”
But he added: “I’m 45, with a family, and very busy,” and he has found the brief, intense sessions to be very helpful. So, he said, “this is how I work out now.”
Many scientists, in the United States and abroad, are conducting or planning additional studies of the effects of brief, intense training, Dr. Gibala said. But financing for large studies in this field is difficult to obtain, and results from long-term studies won’t, of course, be available for years.
For now, he says, if you’d like to try a high-intensity session, first visit a doctor for clearance, then simply push yourself very hard during your next workout, whether it is running, cycling or Zumba.
Researchers haven’t established a definitive period of time for an interval to provide maximum health benefits, Dr. Gibala said — although in his research and experience, a minute of hard effort followed by a minute of gentle recovery is effective.
Complete 10 such intervals three times a week for a total of 30 minutes of strenuous effort, he said, and “our data would indicate you’ll be in pretty good shape.”
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Source: the American College of Sports Medicine
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Article 5 of 5 A must-to-know info
The 6 Most Dangerous Workout- Exercise Moves
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1. The Jump Where You Land Like a Girl
The move: Box jumps (hopping up and down with both feet on platforms of various heights)
The risk: These trendy CrossFit moves (now coming to a gym near you) can be a great way to build power, says Vonda Wright, MD, a Pittsburgh-based orthopedic surgeon who specializes in injury prevention and mobility. However, they're notorious for causing injuries to the knee or Achilles tendon. Landing properly requires excellent form, and that can be tough to maintain when you're doing several in a row, says Wright. Most men land with their butt sticking out and their knees facing forward and deeply bent, which absorbs impact. But, Wright says, women tend to land with their legs straighter and their knees closer together, which can be hard on the joints (it could even cause a ruptured ACL).
Ruptured ACL - click: Anterior cruciate ligament injury - Wikipedia
The fix: Wright says to start with standing broad jumps until you perfect your form and are able to land without wobbling (= move unsteadily from side to side).
Increase the height very gradually, and consider stepping down to the ground instead of jumping.
2. The Hand Position You Learned to Do Wrong in Grade School
The move: Bench presses
The risk: These strengthen the shoulders, arms and chest, but Wright says she often sees people positioning their hands too far apart on the bar. The reason, she says, is that many of us started doing push-ups in PE class (usually for the President's Physical Fitness Challenge) with an exaggerated wide grip, and we've continued to use this position when doing upper-body work. This choice puts more emphasis on the chest and shoulders, and while it may be fine for a couple of push-ups, Wright says that wide-grip bench presses put stress on the soft tissue of the front shoulder and can cause a tear in your rotator cuff.
Click: Rotator cuff - Wikipedia click: Rotator cuff tear - Wikipedia
The fix: When doing bench presses, Wright says, your hands should be directly over your shoulders. Tell your workout partner (you always have a spotter for these, right?) to keep an eye on your arms: Elbows should be pulled down to your ribcage and not sticking out like chicken wings.
3. The Dance Move That Can Get a Little Too Dramatic
The move: Drop to one knee (a sudden fall from standing to kneeling, popular in contemporary dance fitness classes)
The risk: The cartilage around the knee is extremely pressure-sensitive, explains Wright. "If a 130-pound person comes down like dead weight directly on the knee, the pressure can permanently damage the kneecap."
The fix: Professional dancers know how to fall in a controlled way so that their knees don't even touch the ground. "If the right knee is coming down, most of the weight should be on your left quad and hamstring," says Simone De La Rue, a professional-dancer-turned-fitness-expert and creator of Body By Simone. "Use your core to keep your balance." If you don't have the core and quad strength to prevent your knee from slamming down, De La Rue says to only bend into a high lunge instead of a squat. "Create the drama by throwing your arms and head down."
4. The Ab Exercise That Can Be a Real Pain
The move: Bending sideways with dumbbells
The risk: Wright often sees people head straight for the 10- or 15-pound weights when doing this move for the first time. Unless your obliques are already strong, she says, you're likely to compensate by hyperextending your back (and the lower back tends to be one of the most injury-prone parts of the body).
The fix: Wright has patients put their hands on their hips and tells them to tense up like they're about to get a punch in the gut. Now that you can feel the muscles you're trying to work, lean to one side without leaning forward or backward. "Focus on isolating and working these muscles with just your body weight for resistance," she says. There are also plenty of other ways to work your obliques without weights.
5. The Common Exercise That Defeats Even Military Troops
The move: Power cleans (bodybuilder barbell lifts)
The risk: These are pretty standard in boot-camp classes, but they're very technical and require the precision (if not the strength) of an Olympic weight lifter. The military recently noted a surprising number of injuries from power cleans in CrossFit, Gym Jones Insanity and P90X sessions, resulting in lost duty time, medical treatment and rehab.
The fix: Try power cleans only under the supervision of a professional trainer or coach, who can scrutinize your form and help you select the appropriate weight. Instead, you can work your legs and hips with basic squats while holding a barbell across your shoulders, says Shirley Archer, a certified fitness expert and the author of Weight Training for Dummies. To work the upper body, she says that a stationary overhead press, in which you lift the bar from the shoulders to the ceiling, is safer than lifting it from the floor to the chest and then to the ceiling. (But that move also has risks--see below.)
6. The Lift That Throws People Off
The move: Overhead lifts
The risk: Anytime you lift a heavy weight over your head, you risk hurting your back, saysStephania Bell, a physical therapist and ESPN sports injury analyst. A common mistake is changing posture and arching the back to gain momentum. "If you're swaying back and forth, the weight is too heavy," Bell says.
The fix: Tighten your abs to control your posture, says Bell, and engage your leg muscles as well as your arms and core. Keep in mind that most injuries happen when the body is tired. That's why you might want to think twice before doing weight moves in an indoor cycling class, where balance and form are key. "Even lifting light weights while riding can put your lower back at risk," says Josh Taylor, an international master Spinning instructor. He suggests pushing yourself to the max during your cardio routine and saving the weights until you get off the bike.
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Source: Oprah.com
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Weight Loss research news: date June 2013
Eating 2 large meals a day yielded more weight loss
than consuming six mini-meals with the same numbers of calories,
according a study that challenges the common wisdom on appetite control
Over 12 weeks, people with Type 2 diabetes who ate just breakfast and lunch lost an average of 1.23 points in body mass index, or BMI (see 3 links below for adults and for children) compared with loss on 0.82 point for those who ate six smaller meals of the same nutritional and energy content.
The study builds on previous results disproving the theory that eating more frequently improves weight loss. That pattern, thought to work because it helps control appetite was shown to produce no more weight loss than three regular meals in a 2010 study published in the British Journal of Nutrition.
The latest report eliminates one additional meal.
Compare the BMI results based on each of the 3 links below:
- Calculate Your BMI - Standard BMI Calculator nhlbisupport.com/bmi/
National Institute of Health (NIH) page uses height and weight (English or metric) to determine amount of body fat. - Adult BMI Calculator - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention www.cdc.gov/.../assessing/bmi/...bmi/...bmi_calculator/bmi_calculator.ht...
Use this calculator for adults, 20 years old and older. For children and teens, 2 through 19 years old, use the BMI Calculator for Children and ... - BMI Calculator Plus: Personalized BMI for Your Body Type and ...www.webmd.com/diet/calc-bmi-plus
Nov 26, 2008 – WebMD's free BMI Calculator Plus gives you personalized body mass index and health results based on 6 different weight and fitness ...
Source: The American Diabetes Association meeting in Chicago, June 2013
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The skinny on three fad diets
Fad diet = a reducing diet that enjoys temporary popularity
Just about every day, our inboxes are flooded with news about the latest way to drop those extra pounds. But are they worth your efforts? We asked a few nutritionists to tell us about three diets we’ve recently come across.
The alkaline diet
What it is: What it is: Remember the pH scale from chemistry? It tells you how acidic or alkaline different substances are. Proponents of the Alkaline diet say that we should eat to keep our bodies’ pH level more alkaline than not in order to prevent illness and gaining weight. People on it go without grains, fish, meat, poultry, dairy and salt, and load up on fruits, green veggies, soy, lentils, seeds and nuts.
Pro: “Alkaline eating has been researched for over 12 years. Our bodies function best when in an alkaline state: Eating alkaline improves digestion, reduces constipation, improves mood, memory and cognitive function, clears skin problems, reduces inflammation, lowers blood pressure, lowers cholesterol, lowers heart disease, balances blood sugar levels, lowers diabetes incidence, balances hormones and levels out weight. Knowing all this, why would you not eat predominantly alkaline-forming food?” – Vicki Edgson, nutritional therapist and author of “Eating the Alkaline Way
Con: “I’m promoting the healthiest, most real foods, so if you’re eating that way, chances are the acidity of your body will fall into the right place. People are already confused enough about carbs, fats and protein that to start to get into talking about pH levels [is too much].” Keri Glassman, MS, RD, CDN author of “The New You and Improved Diet”
The 5:2 Bikini Diet
What it is: Get the swimsuit body of your dreams by cutting calories two days a week (women eat 500 calories per day, men eat 600)
Pro: “By eating only 500 calories two days a week you will not only get bikini-ready in no time and lose up to 14 pounds in four weeks, but you’ll also dramatically lower the risk of age-related illnesses such as Alzheimer’s, diabetes and heart disease.”—Jacqueline Whitehart, author of “The 5:2 Bikini Diet”
Con: “The first red flag whenever you hear about any fad diet is if it purports a quick fix. There’s no way you can safely lose a tremendous amount of weight in a short amount of time.” – Joan Salge Blake, MS, RD, LDN, a clinical associate professor of nutrition at Boston University.
The blood type diet
What it is: Your blood type is thought to have an impact on your digestive system — some fare better on plant-based diets, for example. Type As are tasked to go mostly vegetarian, allowing fish and poultry in small doses. Type Bs are supposed to load up on meat, dairy and produce. Type ABs—the newest and rarest blood type — should stay away from chicken and go easy on red meat and carbs, instead enjoying more dairy, seafood and veggies. And Type Os are encouraged to follow a high-protein/low-carb diet.
Pro: “Demi Moore, Courteney Cox, Tommy Hilfiger — there’s so many people who follow a blood type diet. If God forbid you go to the hospital and you get the wrong blood type, you’re gonna have a major problem. On that level, [though] less intense, if you don’t eat the correct foods, nor exercise the correct way, you’re not gonna yield as good results, so that’s really where the science is. Why would you consume food and do a workout that wasn’t unique [to you]? When you customize something you usually yield better results.”
-JB Berns, creator of the Blood Type Workout
Con: “There’s absolutely no science or research that your blood type has anything to do with your diet or losing weight,” Blake says. Adds Keri Gans, MS, RDN, CDN, author of “The Small Change Diet,” “Overall the foods suggested are healthy; however, it forces individuals into dietary restrictions without taking into consideration an individual’s personal needs, lifestyle or food tastes. Any diet that promotes restricting food groups will be hard to sustain in the long run.”
The only weight loss advice you’ll ever need
“When you need to lose weight, it’s a matter of cutting back on calories, expending more than you take in and going at a slow and steady pace,” STAF, Inc.'s specialists say. “If you need to lose weight, set your goal for losing for 15 percent of your body weight over six months. It takes into account where you’re starting at; somebody losing 100 pounds is gonna be able to do it a little faster.”
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Important information for weight loss
and restoring & maintaining good health
FIBER RULES & TIPS
Rule #1: You need 30 to 35 g of fiber per day
Think of it as your daily dose of detox that keeps you full, energized and your blood sugars leveled. It’s also amazing in lowering your odds of getting breast cancer, diabetes, and heart disease.
Weigh loss bonus points: every gram of fiber eaten, removes 7 calories, so eating 35 grams a day could knock about 245 calories off your daily intake.
Fiber Stats (in grams) - some examples
3 tomatoes = 4.5
4 c spinach = 4.8
2 cup mushrooms = 2
1 cup string beans = 3.2
½ cup cauliflower = 1.4
1 cup red cabbage = 2.8
2 cup lettuce = 1.8
3 apricots = 1.8
40 grapes = 1.8
2 grapefruits halves = 3.2
1 cup strawberries = 3
1 banana = 2.8
½ c blueberries = 1.7
5 plums = .9
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Total = 34.8g
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Compelling statistics show
the importance of fruits and vegetables
The latest statistics on health, longevity and disease shows that the number ONE killer (and cause for reduction of quality of life) is heart disease.
Knowing that heart disease is your greatest risk factor for early death and/or reduced quality of life, this article can motivate you to make fruit and vegetable consumption a priority this year.
According to a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, each increment of 3 daily servings of fruit and vegetables equate to a 22% decrease in risk of stroke!1
The average daily intake of fruits and vegetables in America ranges from 0 and three. Researchers showed that if you just increase your RAW fruit and vegetable consumption by 3 servings a day, you can reduce your risk of heart disease and stroke. Once you know this information, you can take a look at your daily intake and see how you compare.
At OHS, we recommend trying new fruits and vegetables to spice things up. Most grocery markets have sections for exotic fruits and vegetables. Right now in Arizona—where our corporate office is—we are enjoying the final crop of pomegranates and pumpkins, which are both rich in antioxidants. If you have problems finding fresh produce in your area or you just need help getting those extra servings of disease-lowering fruits and veggies, you can also look for RAW fruit and vegetable powders that can achieve the same benefit. Just make sure there are no additives or synthetics mixed in.
Below are some other great studies, and related information, from the Harvard Education Center. This research demonstrates that the importance of fruits and vegetables in reducing disease cannot be overstated.
Fruits, Vegetables, and Cardiovascular Disease
There is compelling evidence that a diet rich in fruits and vegetables can lower the risk of heart disease and stroke.
The largest and longest study to date, done as part of the Harvard-based Nurses' Health Study and Health Professionals Follow-up Study, included almost 110,000 men and women whose health and dietary habits were followed for 14 years. The higher the average daily intake of fruits and vegetables, the lower the chances of developing cardiovascular disease. Compared with those in the lowest category of fruit and vegetable intake (less than 1.5 servings a day), those who averaged 8 or more servings a day were 30% less likely to have had a heart attack or stroke.2
Although all fruits and vegetables likely contribute to this benefit, green leafy vegetables such as lettuce, spinach, Swiss chard, and mustard greens; cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, bok choy, and kale; and citrus fruits such as oranges, lemons, limes, and grapefruit (and their juices) make important contributions.
Fruits and Vegetables, Blood Pressure, and Cholesterol
High blood pressure is a primary risk factor for heart disease and stroke. As such, it's a condition that is very important to control. Diet can be a very effective tool for lowering blood pressure. One of the most convincing associations between diet and blood pressure was found in the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) study.3 This trial examined the effect on blood pressure of a diet that was rich in fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy products and that restricted the amount of saturated and total fat. The researchers found that people with high blood pressure who followed this diet reduced their systolic blood pressure (the upper number of a blood pressure reading) by about 11 mm Hg and their diastolic blood pressure (the lower number) by almost 6 mm Hg - as much as medications can achieve.
Eating more fruits and vegetables can also help lower cholesterol. In the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute's Family Heart Study, the 4466 subjects consumed on average a shade over 3 servings of fruits and vegetables a day. Men and women with the highest daily consumption (more than 4 servings a day) had significantly lower levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol than those with lower consumption.4 How fruits and vegetables lower cholesterol is still something of a mystery. It is possible that eating more fruits and vegetables means eating less meat and dairy products, and thus less cholesterol-boosting saturated fat. Soluble fiber in fruits and vegetables may also block the absorption of cholesterol from food.
Fruits, Vegetables, and Cancer
Numerous early studies revealed what appeared to be a strong link between eating fruits and vegetables and protection against cancer. But because many of these were case-control studies, it is possible that the results may have been skewed by problems inherent in these types of studies, such as recall bias and selection bias. Data from cohort studies that follow large groups of initially healthy individuals for years have not consistently shown that a diet rich in fruits and vegetables prevents cancer in general. Data from the Nurses' Health Study and Health Professionals Follow-up Study support this finding. Over a 14-year period, men and women with the highest intake of fruits and vegetables (8+ servings a day) were just as likely to have developed cancer as those who ate the fewest daily servings (under 1.5).2
A more likely possibility is that fruits and vegetables may protect against certain cancers. The International Agency for Research on Cancer, which is part of the World Health Organization, recently completed a monumental review of the best research on fruits, vegetables, and cancer. Here's what this 387-page tome concludes about studies in humans: "There is limited evidence for a cancer-preventive effect of consumption of fruit and of vegetables for cancers of the mouth and pharynx, esophagus, stomach, colon-rectum, larynx, lung, ovary (vegetables only), bladder (fruit only), and kidney. There is inadequate evidence for a cancer-preventive effect of consumption of fruit and of vegetables for all other sites."5 However, considering all evidence from human epidemiological, animal, and other types of studies, it appears that eating more fruit "probably lowers the risk of cancers of the esophagus, stomach and lung" and "possibly reduces the risk of cancers of the mouth, pharynx, colon-rectum, larynx, kidney, and urinary bladder." Eating more vegetables "probably lowers the risk of cancers of the esophagus and colon-rectum" and "possibly reduces the risk of cancers of the mouth, pharynx, stomach, larynx, lung, ovary and kidney."
Keep in mind that this is for total fruit and total vegetable consumption and that, as pointed out by the International Agency for Research on Cancer, specific fruits and vegetables may protect against specific types of cancer. For example, a line of research stemming from a finding from the Health Professionals Follow-up Study suggest that tomatoes may help protect men against prostate cancer, especially aggressive forms of it.6-8 One of the pigments that give tomatoes their red hue - lycopene - could be involved in this protective effect. Although several studies other than the Health Professionals' study have also demonstrated a link between tomatoes or lycopene and prostate cancer, others have not or have found only a weak connection. Taken as a whole, however, these studies suggest that increased consumption of tomato-based products (especially cooked tomato products) and other lycopene-containing foods may reduce the occurrence or progression of prostate cancer. But more research is needed before we know the exact relationship between fruits and vegetables, carotenoids, and prostate cancer.9
Fruits, Vegetables, and Gastrointestinal Health
One of the wonderful components of fruits and vegetables is their indigestible fiber. As fiber passes through the digestive system, it sops up water like a sponge and expands. This can calm the irritable bowel and, by triggering regular bowel movements, can relieve or prevent constipation.10 The bulking and softening action of insoluble fiber also decrease pressure inside the intestinal tract and so may help prevent diverticulosis (the development of tiny, easily irritated pouches inside the colon) and diverticulitis (the often painful inflammation of these pouches).(11)
Fruits, Vegetables, and Vision
Eating plenty of fruits and vegetables also keeps your eyes in good shape. You may have learned that the vitamin A in carrots aids night vision. Other fruits and vegetables help prevent two common aging-related eye diseases - cataract and macular degeneration - which afflict millions of Americans over age sixty-five. Cataract is the gradual clouding of the eye's lens, a disk of protein that focuses light on the light-sensitive retina. Macular degeneration is caused by cumulative damage to the macula, the center of the retina. It starts as a blurred spot in the center of what you see. As the degeneration spreads, vision shrinks.
Free radicals generated by sunlight, cigarette smoke, air pollution, infection, and metabolism cause much of this damage. Dark green leafy vegetables contain two pigments, lutein and zeaxanthin, that accumulate in the eye. These two appear to be able to snuff out free radicals before they can harm the eye's sensitive tissues.12
In general, a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains appears to reduce the chances of developing cataract or macular degeneration.13-15
The Bottom Line: Recommendations for Fruit and Vegetable Intake
Fruits and vegetables are clearly an important part of a good diet. Almost everyone can benefit from eating more of them, but variety is as important as quantity. No single fruit or vegetable provides all of the nutrients you need to be healthy. The key lies in the variety of different fruits and vegetables that you eat.
Some basic fruit and vegetable tips
Eat daily in all rainbow colors
= the color of the fruit or the vegetable
Red Orange Yellow Green Blue Indigo Violet
- Eat more fruits and vegetables—preferably 5 servings or more per day.
- Choose a variety of different fruits and vegetables. It's easy to get into a rut when it comes to the food you eat.
- Break out and try a wider variety - include dark-green, leafy vegetables, yellow, orange, and red fruits and vegetables; cooked tomatoes; and citrus fruits
- The darker the color in a vegetable or fruit, the more it has beneficial ingredients _________________________________
See more details for a rainbow - click: Rainbow - Wikipedia
References
1. Gillman JAMA. 1995:273;1113 Fruit and Vegetable consumption reduces risk of stroke.
2. Hung HC, Joshipura KJ, Jiang R, et al. Fruit and vegetable intake and risk of major chronic disease. J Natl Cancer Inst 2004; 96:1577-84.
3. Appel LJ, Moore TJ, Obarzanek E, et al. A clinical trial of the effects of dietary patterns on blood pressure. DASH Collaborative Research Group. N Engl J Med 1997; 336:1117-24.
4. Djousse L, Arnett DK, Coon H, Province MA, Moore LL, Ellison RC. Fruit and vegetable consumption and LDL cholesterol: the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Family Heart Study. Am J Clin Nutr 2004; 79:213-7.
5. Vainio H, Bianchini F. IARC Handbooks of Cancer Prevention: Fruit and Vegetables. Vol. 8. Lyon, France, 2003.
6. Giovannucci E, Ascherio A, Rimm EB, Stampfer MJ, Colditz GA, Willett WC. Intake of carotenoids and retinol in relation to risk of prostate cancer. J Natl Cancer Inst 1995; 87:1767-76.
7. Gann PH, Ma J, Giovannucci E, et al. Lower prostate cancer risk in men with elevated plasma lycopene levels: results of a prospective analysis. Cancer Res 1999; 59:1225-30.
8. Giovannucci E, Rimm EB, Liu Y, Stampfer MJ, Willett WC. A prospective study of tomato products, lycopene, and prostate cancer risk. J Natl Cancer Inst 2002; 94:391-8.
9. Etminan M, Takkouche B, Caamano-Isorna F. The role of tomato products and lycopene in the prevention of prostate cancer: a meta-analysis of observational studies. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2004; 13:340-5.
10. Lembo A, Camilleri M. Chronic constipation. N Engl J Med 2003; 349:1360-8.
11. Aldoori WH, Giovannucci EL, Rockett HR, Sampson L, Rimm EB, Willett WC. A prospective study of dietary fiber types and symptomatic diverticular disease in men. J Nutr 1998; 128:714-9.
12. Brown L, Rimm EB, Seddon JM, et al. A prospective study of carotenoid intake and risk of cataract extraction in US men. Am J Clin Nutr 1999; 70:517-24.
13. Moeller SM, Taylor A, Tucker KL, et al. Overall adherence to the dietary guidelines for americans is associated with reduced prevalence of early age-related nuclear lens opacities in women. J Nutr 2004; 134:1812-9.
14. Cho E, Seddon JM, Rosner B, Willett WC, Hankinson SE. Prospective study of intake of fruits, vegetables, vitamins, and carotenoids and risk of age-related maculopathy. Archives of Ophthalmology 2004; 122:883-92.
15. Krinsky NI, Landrum JT, Bone RA. Biologic mechanisms of the protective role of lutein and zeaxanthin in the eye. Annu Rev Nutr 2003; 23:171-201.
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Whom do YOU trust your weight loss guidance?
Learn to calculate your body-mass-index,
a BMI - link below
With more than two-thirds of Americans now overweight or obese, finding the best way to help improve diet and exercise is key for the nation's health. So who do you trust to help you lose weight? A svelte celebrity on a magazine cover? Your buffest friend? What about a super-fit physician?
Actually, if you have a body-mass-index, a BMI, of 25 or more, you’re more likely to take weight advice from an overweight doctor than a slim one. That’s according to a study of 600 overweight adults in the journal Preventive Medicine. [Sara Bleich et al, How does physician BMI impact patient trust and perceived stigma?]
More than half the patients in the study see a primary care physician who also has a too-high BMI.
BMI = click below for BMI-info
(1) The overweight patients may have a higher overall comfort level with docs of a similar weight class.
(2) But the downside is that previous research found that physicians who have above-normal BMIs can lack knowledge about solid weight-loss strategies.
(3) So when it comes to getting effective weight loss help, perhaps the best advice comes from the doc who can say, "Do as I say—and as I do."
Source: Journal Preventive Medicine
Click: Free BMI Calculator - Body Mass Index Calculator and Info www.aicr.org/bmi_calculator How to Measure Your Risk Learn More
Body Mass Index - BMI Calculator - BMI Description - BMI Math Formula
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8 Actions to take
to get the weight loss starting
Click green for further info
Related: The 10 Fiercest Fire-You-Up Fitness Commercials
1. Define Your Motivation
Weight loss is a three-part process: Exercising and cutting calories are vital, but your mental outlook can mean the difference between success and failure.
"Self-defeating thoughts are often the most overlooked factors when a dieter gets off track," says Jeffrey Wilbert, PhD, author of Fattitudes: Beat Self-Defeat and Win Your War with Weight (St. Martin's Press, 2000). "You feel disappointed when a quick fix turns out to be anything but, or weak if you succumb to an intense craving for ice cream." Without the resolve to overcome such thoughts, sticking with any major lifestyle change can be difficult, if not impossible.
The key is to adopt the right attitude before you start your plan. "If you're really serious about slimming down, you need to think long-term. That's why it helps to ready yourself emotionally to take on the challenge," says Daniel C. Stettner, PhD, a behavioral-medicine specialist at Northpointe Health Center in Berkley, Michigan. These eight strategies will help strengthen your mind-set.
You probably have lots of reasons for wanting to lose weight. Not all, however, may be good ones. "If your decision develops primarily out of pressure from someone else, your conviction to succeed could diminish over time," says Stettner. "To ensure success, you need to develop the will to improve your life, not someone else's vision of it."
Start by listing all the reasons you can think of for slimming down. Highlight any that include other people. Rewrite the list, omitting the highlighted items. Next, inspect each one for phrases like "have to" or "must." Such words imply obligation, not desire; eventually, they'll also invite the instinct to rebel. (Test the theory: Stand in front of a piece of chocolate cake and tell yourself over and over that you must refuse it. You'll instantly want to dig in.) Translate each "have to" into a "want to." If your reasons lose their relevance, pare down the list again, until you find two or three of the most compelling motivations.
2. Choose an Attainable Goal
"Studies show that most dieters expect to lose as much as four times what they really can in a six-month period," says Stettner.
Think smaller: Count on losing just 10 percent of your weight within six months, and focus on keeping it off for more than a year. But be careful about relying solely on figures. "A number on the scale isn't a goal; it's a measurement of success," says Bonnie Goodman, a psychotherapist based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, who specializes in behavioral therapy. Instead, focus on behaviors you wish to change: to reduce your daily fat intake to below 35 percent, or to cut out your afternoon soda or vending-machine snack. Also, consider setting non-weight-related goals, such as entering a 5K race. The pounds you'll automatically lose in the process will seem like a bonus.
3. Design Your Own Plan
Rather than trying every new diet fad, create your own plan that will fit your lifestyle. You need to cut out only 150 calories a day to lose 15 pounds in a year, so start small.
"Little changes to your current eating style, like downsizing portions or preparing foods differently, can add up to big results," says Stettner.
Think about the foods you can -- and can't -- live without, then try to work your diet around them. Love chocolate? Have a small piece every day. If you're a born snacker, divide your daily calories into six or seven mini meals so you always feel like you're having a nibble. Whatever you do, don't give up your favorite foods. You'll inevitably feel deprived, which will only make your cravings stronger -- and your willpower weaker.
4. Visualize the New You
A mental dress rehearsal prepares you to recognize and accept success. "Close your eyes, breathe deeply, and picture yourself healthier and slimmer," suggests Goodman. How do you walk? With your head held high. How do you dress? More boldly. How do you feel? More confident, energized, and proud of your achievements.
Related: 9 Steps to Reach Any Goal
5. Get Your Priorities Straight
Start by making "commitment appointments." First thing in the morning, set your goal for the day, whether it's to spend an hour at the gym or to cook a healthy meal. Before the beginning of every month, decide which days you'll work out and what you'll do. Shop for healthy foods once a week, always on the same day if possible.
Stettner also recommends planning ahead for any obstacles you might encounter, such as a visit from the in-laws or a weekend getaway. If your mother-in-law stresses you out (and leaves you raiding the fridge after everyone's gone to bed), schedule private time during her visit to unwind. Going away? Book a hotel with a fitness center, or plan an active outing. Keep an exercise record and a food diary (noting not just what you eat, but when and why), and schedule a time to make entries.
6. Uncover Emotional Obstacles
Sadness and anger are two of the most common reasons women overeat, but food won't quell either one. Your diary can provide valuable insights into what may be causing you to binge occasionally. Once you start evaluating your eating triggers, you'll be able to develop more effective strategies to deal with the underlying emotions. Keep in mind, too, that the very act of committing to a diet plan can bring its own challenges.
"Fear of change is a particularly formidable enemy," says Wilbert. "Altering your lifestyle involves taking a risk, and that can dredge up insecurity."
As your body changes, so will the way others perceive you, which can be unnerving. The best way to combat any type of fear is to face it head-on. Keep reminding yourself that every change you make brings you one step closer to becoming a bolder, more confident woman.
7. Celebrate Every Achievement
"Rewards reinforce positive behavior, but only if they're meaningful," says Goodman. "When you reach a milestone in your weight-loss or exercise routine, treat yourself to something that celebrates the particular goal you achieved and helps further your progress."
Logging an extra mile a week on the treadmill? Invest in a pair of top-of-the-line running shoes. If you've dropped a dress size, buy an outfit that highlights your new figure.
Related: Get Fitter, Firmer, Faster! 18 Fitness Shortcuts
8. Forgive Yourself
"If you make an unhealthy diet choice, admit that you're fallible, but don't drown in a sea of judgmental thoughts," says Wilbert.
Berating yourself won't foster the courage you need to dust off those cookie crumbs and move on. A momentary slip won't register on the scale. An egregious misstep, like a no-holds-barred vacation binge, may delay your weight loss slightly, but it isn't likely to undo every bit of progress you've made. Think about what else you did on vacation, then focus on the positive. For instance, lounging by the pool relieved stress, while sampling the buffets exposed you to new flavors you can incorporate into your own low-cal cooking. Turning negative thoughts into encouraging ones will propel you to keep at it until you finally reach your goal weight.
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The Facts About Running Vs. Walking for Weight Loss
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The whole question of what kind of exercise is best for weight loss or weight control is a tangled and complicated one. Does the exercise burn mostly fat or carbs? Does it stimulate "afterburn" after the workout is done? Does it leave you feeling extra-hungry so that you overcompensate by eating too much? All these factors are very hard to control in the lab over long periods of time, so there's something to be said for "free-living" experiments, where you simply observe a very large number of people over many years and try to figure out which behaviors led to which outcomes. (This approach has problems too, of course, like distinguishing cause from correlation--no single approach is perfect.)
RELATED: Why Walking is Important for Exercise
Anyway, that's a long-winded intro to a new study from Paul Williams at Berkeley National Lab. He's the man behind the National Runners' Health Study, which has been following more than 120,000 runners going back to 1991. His latest study, just published online in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, compares a cohort of 32,000 runners from that study with 15,000 walkers from the related National Walkers' Health Study, with an average follow-up time of just over six years. The goal: look at how much the subjects increased or decreased the amount of walking or running they did during that time, and see how it affected their weight.
Of course, you can't directly compare running and walking through time spent or even distance covered, because they're at different intensities. Walking is typically classified as "moderate" exercise, at 3-6 METs (1 MET is the amount of energy you burn while lying around on the sofa); running is typically classified as "vigorous," at more than 6 METs. In theory, though, you'd expect that if you compare a similar change in METs burned, the weight loss should be similar regardless of whether you're walking or running.
TRY THIS: The World's Easiest Walk-Run Weight Loss Plan
That's not what Williams found. An increase or decrease in METs burned through running produced a significantly greater loss or gain, respectively, of weight compared to the same increase or decrease in walking METs. In particular, for the heaviest 25% of subjects in the study, calories burned through running led to 90% more weight loss than calories burned through walking.
Why is this? This study can't answer that question, but Williams suggests a few possibilities--it's well established that vigorous exercise stimulates more "afterburn" than moderate exercise, for example. He also notes studies that have found that post-exercise appetite suppression is greater after vigorous exercise, though my impression is that some other studies have found precisely the opposite. The data certainly isn't perfect, so don't take this study as the "last word" on weight loss and exercise intensity.
Source: Written by Alex Hutchinson, Runner's World Peak Performance Column
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Why Walking is Important for Exercise
Click green for further info
Walking is the ideal form of exercise for those just starting out. Use a pedometer- walk every day at least 30 000 steps= some days more when your time allows. Walk in the nature.
Many aspiring runners dismiss “walk” as a four-letter word, as if it’s cheating, quitting, or not really exercising.
But walking is actually the ideal form of exercise for most people who are starting out. It’s free, and you can do it anytime in any place; no special skill, pricey membership, or equipment (except good shoes!) is required. It is the best way to build strong bones, muscles, and tendons without getting hurt. And it’s the easiest way to develop the fitness you need to run down the road.
Here’s more on the power of walking:
It builds your foundation for running. Walking puts your legs and arms through the same general range of motion as running, but without the same impact on your bones and joints, and without the same risk of getting hurt. Plus it gives you an opportunity to explore convenient, safe, traffic-free routes, which will become super important as you get into a routine.
It keeps you healthy and injury-free. When you’re running, at some point both feet come off the ground at the same time, and when you land, the impact can be up to two to three times your body weight- that's a lot or pressure on your knees and other joints. But when you’re walking, one foot is on the ground at all times. That drastically reduces the impact on your bones and joints compared with running.
Form is important. Most walkers find an upright posture to be the most natural and comfortable. Take short steps to avoid overstriding, which can cause aches and pains in your legs, feet, and hips. Keep your feet low to the ground and step lightly.
STAF, Inc.'s specialists say: run less, walk more - save your knees & joints.
Especially running on a hard surface can ruin your knees. Walking is better. Run in the nature, in park to feel the speed but walk as your primary moving exercise. Running on a city street you will inhale more traffic pollution & ruin your knees on the hard surface.
Walk to Strengthen Muscles
Slow down = walk to get stronger and go longer
Never underestimate the power of a good walk--and not just as a midrun break. Going for a "pure" walk (no running at all) allows your body to make small adaptations that strengthen your feet, knees, and hips. Long, brisk walks can help boost your endurance. And walking as a means of cross-training gives your joints and running muscles a well-deserved break, which can help reduce or eliminate the aches and pains caused by running. Here's how (and when) to add walks to your routine to become a fitter runner.
Pay Attention to Form
Most walkers find an upright posture to be the most natural and comfortable. Take short steps to avoid overstriding, which can cause aches and pains in your legs, feet, and hips. Keep your feet low to the ground and step lightly.
Walk on a Running Day
When you're substituting a walk for a run, take the number of minutes you would have run and double it. So for example, if you were going to do 30 minutes of running, walk for 60 minutes. You don't have to complete the workout all at once--you can break it into two- -three parts, going for a walk in the morning, say, then again in the evening.
Or Walk to Cross-Train
Walking on your non running days is an efficient way of burning fat and increasing blood flow to aid recovery. It's also a great way to break up your routine, stave off injury, and enjoy time with friends or family who may not run (yet!). On cross-training days, walk 30 to 60 minutes continuously or do five- to 10-minute segments throughout the day, as time allows. Keep the pace quick but conversational.
Change up Terrain
As with running, the more varied your walking route, the better workout you'll get. If weather permits, walk a few hills (or walk the same hill a few times) or do several repeats of stairs at stadiums, campuses, or parks. When it's too cold or slippery out, stair-wells are great venues for exercise. Do several flights a day--several times a day when possible--to build leg strength.
RELATED ARTICLES
Why Walking is Important for Exercise
Walking is the ideal form of exercise for those just starting out.
Start Walking Overview: How to Get Moving
If you're just getting off the couch, here's how to get in the exercise habit.
Talk to Your Doctor Before Exercising It's important to consult a physician before beginning a new exercise program.
How I Lost 150 Pounds I weighed 400 pounds and needed to make a change.
This article speaks about running - running when your weight is 450 lbs, adds 1500 - 2000 lbs on your knees every time your foot hits the ground - running is dangerous & risky INSTEAD W A L K - almost no risk- walk instead of running
Source: Several internet sources
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How to Lose Weight Without Dieting
Click green for further info
Six years ago New York Times food writer and columnist Mark Bittman decided to change his eating habits for good. He was 40 pounds overweight and was diagnosed with high blood sugar and high cholesterol. Bittman knew that his risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes would increase if he continued to eat the way he had been over the last 57 years. So he came up with a new strategy to get fit and be healthy without taking drugs. He emphasized plants, whole grains and fruits instead of meat and processed foods in his diet and watched as the weight melted away.
Bittman has shared his new food mantra with the masses in his latest book “VB6: Eat Vegan Before 6:00." It’s a simple plan that anyone can follow, he says in an interview with The Daily Ticker.
“What the science is really telling us is that we don’t eat enough plants,” he says. “We eat too much junk food. We eat too much meat. We eat too many animal products in general. The whole strategy is shifting a portion of your diet – not all of it – but a tolerable part of it to plants.”
Related: Michael Pollan: Home Cooking Will Solve America's Obesity Epidemic
The article below -- the above link may also work for both
Bittman promises that his “VB6” diet is not another weight-loss gimmick. Breads and carbs are allowed (whole grains preferred) and dessert can be eaten – as long as it’s after 6pm.
“You’re delaying gratification but not eliminating it,” Bittman notes. “This is a really good diet.”
The prevalence of obesity in the U.S. and the world has become one of the most serious health issues facing governments and health officials. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly 60 million U.S. adults, or 30% of the adult population, are now obese. About 17% of U.S. children and adolescents are obese. The American Journal of Preventive Medicine estimates that the national obesity rate could jump to 42% by 2032 and a 2012 study by Trust for America’s Health found that the projected increase in obesity rates will cost the U.S. $550 billion between now and 2030.
Related: How Food Companies Trick Consumers Into Eating Their Unhealthy Products
The article + video below The above link may also work for both
Bittman believes his part-time vegan diet could help individuals drop the weight, improve their overall health and restore their energy. “It’s a commitment for life,” he says, but if you “emphasize low-calorie foods you’re going to lose weight."
In the video above, watch as Bittman reveals the one non-vegan guilty pleasure that he just can't give up.
Click green for further info
Source: NYT
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Some nutrition related news June 2013
(1) The San Diego Unified School District Board of Education voted to implement meat-free menus on Mondays at some school cafeterias beginning fall 2013.
(2) Note by the Academic Senate of the University of California at San Francisco, over 650,000 meals served to hospital patients each year will no longer contain meat that has been treated with antibiotics.
(3)An influential committee of MPs has asked the British population to cut down on meat to help ease the food crises in the developing world and mitigate rampant food price inflation.
(4) The 40 percent of food that Americans throw out every year is terrible for the climate, and the U.S.D.A. and E.P.A. are taking some initial steps to mitigate waste. Meanwhile in Switzerland, melting glaciers are putting a small village at risk.
Click green for further info
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Important information
How Food Companies Trick Consumers
Into Eating Their Unhealthy Products
For an interview video click the link at the end of this article
Click green for further info
According to Michael Moss, the Pulitzer prizing-winning reporter and author
of the new book Salt Sugar Fat: How the Food Giants Hooked Us, executives at the major food behemoths – Kraft (KRFT), General Mills (GIS) and Nestle – have known for years that the sugar, salt and fat added to their cereals, soups, tomato sauces and hundreds of other food products have put millions of individuals’ health at risk. But the quest for bigger profits and a larger share of the consumer market has compelled the processed food industry to turn a blind eye to the dangers and consequences of eating those very products.
Moss’ book exposes the inner workings of the food industry and details how these food giants spend millions of dollars to make the food we eat more addictive. After reading his book, which took Moss four years to write and report, one may never want to consume another Cheez-It cracker or Lunchable again.
How do the food giants trick consumers? Moss gives several examples:
- “At Cargill, scientists are altering the physical shape of salt, pulverizing it into a fine powder to hit the taste buds faster and harder, improving what the company calls its ‘flavor burst.’”
- “Scientists at Nestle are currently fiddling with the distribution and shape of fat globules to affect their absorption rate and, as it’s known in the industry, ‘their mouthfeel.’”
- “To make a new soda guaranteed to create a craving requires the high math of regression analysis and intricate charts to plot what industry insiders call the “bliss point,” or the precise amount of sugar or fat that will send consumers over the moon.”
Even though consumers may think food companies are trying to help their waistlines by offering “low fat” or “low sodium” items, that’s not actually the case. Companies will add extra sugar to “low fat” products and “low sodium” offerings tend to have both higher quantities of sugar and fat.
Processed foods are designed “to make people feel hungrier,” Moss writes. “The processed food industry has helped foster over-consumption. Salt, sugar and fat are the foundation of processed food.”
Rising obesity rates are a global problem. In the U.S. alone, two-thirds of adults are either obese or overweight. The Centers for Disease Control estimates that nearly half of American adults will be obese by 2030. One in six American children is obese today.
Related: Obesity to Cost Taxpayers 'Billions of Dollars': Weight Watchers CEO
Overeating and lack of exercise are the two culprits blamed for weight gain. But cheap food and the general convenience and availability of it have also contributed to the obesity crisis.
Moss provides startling evidence of just how much food people are consuming these days:
- The average American eats 33 pounds of cheese every year, triple what we ate in 1970.
- Americans ingest 8,500 milligrams of salt a day, double the recommended amount.
- We consume 71 pounds of caloric sweeteners each year, equivalent to 22 teaspoons of sugar per person, per day.
“It costs more money to use real herbs and spices,” Moss says. "Economics drive companies to spend as little money as possible in making processed foods. That’s the dilemma.”
Related: Why We’re Fat: It’s the Government and Wall Street’s Fault: Marion Nestle Says
But food executives need to seriously start examining the consequences of their actions, Moss warns.
“They’re coming under increasing pressure from consumers,” he argues. “We care more and more about what we’re putting into our mouths and bodies. The food industry is...where tobacco was in the 1990s – at the verge of losing the public trust. That’s a very dangerous spot for the food industry to be in.”
- How Food Companies Trick Consumers Into Eating Their Unhealthy ...
► 5:21► 5:21
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Mar 1, 2013
Watch the video How Food Companies Trick Consumers Into Eating Their Unhealthy Products on Yahoo ... IF the link to the video has expired, search the web with the title: How Food Companies Trick Consumers Into Eating Their Unhealthy Product
Source: NYT
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Important info
Home Cooking Will Solve America’s Obesity Epidemic
For a video interview click the green link below OR if the link has expired seek the video with the above title - searching wit the above title may also
- Michael Pollan: Home Cooking Will Solve America's Obesity Epidemic
finance.yahoo.com/.../michael-pollan-home-cooking-solve-ame...
by Aaron Task - in 20 Google+ circles
Apr 25, 2013 – From the blog Daily Ticker: In his previous best-sellers such as The Omnivore's Dilemma, In Defense of Food and Food Rules, Michael Pollan ...
Michael Pollan says:
“The best diet is: eat anything you want as long as you
cook it yourself”
STAF, Inc. says "YES"
- but: watch what you eat -
cooking everything yourself is the safest
Click green for further info
In his previous best-sellers such as The Omnivore’s Dilemma, In Defense of Food and Food Rules, Michael Pollan examined America’s diet and summed up a very complicated issue in seven words: Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.
In his latest work, Cooked: A Natural History of Transformation, Pollan turns the focus from what we’re eating to how it’s prepared and concludes that cooking at home may be the most important part of our diet...and potentially a solution to America’s obesity epidemic.
“The most important thing about your diet is not any particular nutrient but that activity,” he says of cooking.
And, yes, this is very much an economic story when you consider rising health care costs are the number one driver of America’s long-term deficit -- and rising obesity rates are the biggest contributor to the overall increase in health care spending.
Since the Great Recession of 2008, Pollan notes that more Americans are cooking at home, bulk food sales are up and obesity rates have started to level off; the author and Berkeley professor does not believe that’s a coincidence.
“Cook at home [and] get soda out of your house and obesity is taken care of,” he declares. “The most important thing you can do for your kids’ long-term health is to teach them to cook.”
Related: How Food Companies Trick Consumers Into Eating Their Unhealthy Products
While that may sound like a gross oversimplification and the book describes his personal cooking experiences, Pollan cites scientific studies that show poor women who cook at home have better diets than wealthy women who don’t.
Michael Pollan says: “The best diet is: eat anything you want as long as you cook it yourself”
Again, turning this to the realm of economics and public policy, Pollan argues that cooking is a “political act” with the potential to change America’s agriculture policy, which currently favors agri-businesses over small farmers.
Related: Why We’re Fat: It’s the Government and Wall Street’s Fault, Marion Nestle Says
“If you’re going to pay someone to process your food, you’re going to pay a premium for that," he says. “Of your food, 90% is going to someone other than the farmer. If we cook more you care about the quality of ingredients…that’s why I do think it’s a political act. It connects you to the farmer and the land [and] you take back control of the diet.”
Of course, the flip side of this argument is that it’s more expensive to buy fresh produce – particularly from local farmers or organic markets– and that Americans don’t have time to cook, especially in families with two working parents.
As you’ll see in the accompanying video, Pollan addresses these issues head on, arguing that so-called convenience foods save neither time nor money. And while sensitive to the “no time to cook” argument, he notes Americans spent thousands of hours per week watching other people cook on TV and says cooking is “so important and pleasurable we need to make time for it.” And it gives better family ties.
Click green for further info
Source: NYT
___________________________
Important info for your & everyone's good health
The world obesity map
Calculate Your BMI - the internet calculator link below
Scientists warn:
The world is facing a "population emergency" as soaring rates of
obesity threaten a pandemic of cardiovascular disease
More than one in 10 of the world's population is obese
– more than half a billion adults –
and rates have doubled since 1980
The biggest increases are in the richer nations but almost every
country has seen rates rise
WORLDWIDE the rates of obesity have soared
as fast as the surge in the fast food restaurants is widening
Billions of world population suffer of sicknesses caused by the
fast-food industry (= bad-food industry)
Billions of world population have a shorter lifespan because of the
fast-food consumption
fast-food = bad-food
Some critics are now calling for a junk food tax to be imposed
STAF, Inc. demands that all fast-food (= bad-food) industry will be doomed illegal - It can be done because there is much misleading information given about the quality & ingredients in their fast-food (= bad-food). STAF, Inc. demands that every school has to teach Healthy Lifestyle & Correct Nutrition program to every student. Such a program, suitable for every school nationwide & worldwide, exists.
The program is developed by STAF, Inc.'s specialists
It took 26 years to develop and fits worldwide for every nation's use
It will save trillions in sickness care costs and saves billions of human
See below (after this article) STAF, Inc.'s description of the program:
STAF, Inc.'s comment to the weight loss, lifestyle & nutrition related articles
appearing in the internet
___________________
Fattest on earth: Nauru
Among the developed nations
(1) Mexico is the fattest and (2) the U.S. is the second
Both Mexico and the U.S. almost on the same level - just 1 % difference
Nearly a third of Mexican adults (32.8 percent) are considered obese—people aged 20 and older whose body mass index (BMI) is 30 and above. That edges out the United States, where 31.8 percent of American adults are considered obese.
The difference between the USA and Mexico is ONLY one (1) percent.
Nauru is the world's fattest country, with an
average BMI of 34 to 35. Located in the south Pacific it is the smallest island nation, with a population of less than 10,000. Obesity has grown as a result of the importation of Western foods paid for with proceeds from phosphate mining. The most popular dish is fried chicken and cola.
Click: Calculate Your BMI - Standard BMI Calculator - nhlbisupport.com/bmi/National Institute of Health (NIH) page uses height and weight (English or metric) to determine amount of body fat.
The spread of Western fast food was blamed as the tiny Pacific nation of Nauru was named as the fattest in the world. Its average Body Mass Index is between 34 and 35, 70 per cent higher than in some countries in South-east Asia and sub-Saharan Africa.
World's thinnest: Bangladesh
Bangladesh is the world's thinnest nation, with an average BMI of 20.5 for women and 20.4 for men. Rice is the staple diet and millions go without enough to eat. More than half of children - more than 9 million - are underweight and have stunted growth.
Other countries below
Only (1) Bangladesh, (2) the Democratic Republic of Congo and (3) a few countries in sub-Saharan Africa and east and south Asia have escaped the rise. Yet even in these regions neighboring countries have had widely differing experiences. The women of Southern Africa are among the fattest in the world.
The rise is being driven by increasing urbanization, the growth of sedentary, office-based lifestyles and the substitution of Western-style fast foods for traditional diets. Researchers from Imperial College London and McMaster University in Canada, writing in The Lancet*), describe it as a "tsunami**) of obesity that will eventually affect all regions of the world".
*) The Lancet is the world's leading general medical journal
* *) tsunami = catastrophic wave
In its wake comes an epidemic of heart disease and stroke, linked with high blood pressure and raised cholesterol levels. Remarkably, high-income countries such as Finland, the US and UK have managed to avoid this
___________________________________
America no longer world’s fattest developed nation, UN report says
See above: The Republic of Nauru still the fattest - the American wrong lifestyle made Nauru the fattest - before they learned the American way, the whole Nauru was fully healthy, now 95 % is sick - the same way sick as most Americans are
We did it, America!
According to (click: a new report from the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization, the United States is no longer the world's fattest developed nation―Mexico is.
Nearly a third of Mexican adults (32.8 percent) are considered obese—people aged 20 and older whose body mass index (BMI) is 30 and above. That edges out the United States, where 31.8 percent of American adults are considered obese.
The difference between the USA and Mexico is ONLY one (1) percent.
Syria at 31.6 percent, is the third fattest among developed countries, while Venezuela and Libya are tied for fourth at 30.8 percent.
Mexico's urban lifestyle and rising income levels coupled with malnourishment among the country's poor have helped it claim this unhealthy title.
“The same people who are malnourished are the ones who are becoming obese,” Abelardo Avila, a physician with Mexico's National Nutrition Institute, told the Global Post. “In the poor classes we have obese parents and malnourished children. The worst thing is the children are becoming programmed for obesity. It's a very serious epidemic.”
Diabetes kills an estimated 70,000 people a year in Mexico—"or roughly equal to the deaths authorities say are caused by more than six years of the country's gangland wars," the Post noted.
About 12 percent of the world's total population is obese, according to the U.N. report.
The world's fattest nation overall is Nauru, a South Pacific island where a staggering 71.1 percent of its 10,000 inhabitants are obese.
The U.N. report does not include data for American Samoa, which has been tabbed in the past as the world's fattest country. According to a 2010 World Health Organization report, nearly all of that Pacific island's inhabitants (95 percent) are considered overweight.
On the other end of the scale is Japan, the thinnest developed country. Just 4.5 of Japanese adults are considered obese, the U.N. says.
Prevalence of obesity among adults in developed countries (% obese)
Rank - Country - Rate:
1Mexico32.82United States31.83Syria31.64Venezuela30.84Libya30.86Trinidad & Tobago30.07Vanuatu29.88Iraq29.48Argentina29.410Turkey29.311Chile29.112Czech Republic28.713Lebanon28.214New Zealand27.014Slovenia27.016El Salvador26.917Malta26.618Panama25.818Antigua25.820Israel25.521Australia25.121Saint Vincent25.122Dominica25.023United Kingdom24.923Russia24.925Hungary24.8
Source: United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization's 2013 State of Food and Agriculture Report
_______________________________________
See above: The Republic of Nauru still the fattest - the American wrong lifestyle made Nauru the fattest - before they learned the American way, the whole Nauru was fully healthy, now 95 % is sick - the same way sick as most Americans are
We did it, America!
According to (click: a new report from the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization, the United States is no longer the world's fattest developed nation―Mexico is.
Nearly a third of Mexican adults (32.8 percent) are considered obese—people aged 20 and older whose body mass index (BMI) is 30 and above. That edges out the United States, where 31.8 percent of American adults are considered obese.
The difference between the USA and Mexico is ONLY one (1) percent.
Syria at 31.6 percent, is the third fattest among developed countries, while Venezuela and Libya are tied for fourth at 30.8 percent.
Mexico's urban lifestyle and rising income levels coupled with malnourishment among the country's poor have helped it claim this unhealthy title.
“The same people who are malnourished are the ones who are becoming obese,” Abelardo Avila, a physician with Mexico's National Nutrition Institute, told the Global Post. “In the poor classes we have obese parents and malnourished children. The worst thing is the children are becoming programmed for obesity. It's a very serious epidemic.”
Diabetes kills an estimated 70,000 people a year in Mexico—"or roughly equal to the deaths authorities say are caused by more than six years of the country's gangland wars," the Post noted.
About 12 percent of the world's total population is obese, according to the U.N. report.
The world's fattest nation overall is Nauru, a South Pacific island where a staggering 71.1 percent of its 10,000 inhabitants are obese.
The U.N. report does not include data for American Samoa, which has been tabbed in the past as the world's fattest country. According to a 2010 World Health Organization report, nearly all of that Pacific island's inhabitants (95 percent) are considered overweight.
On the other end of the scale is Japan, the thinnest developed country. Just 4.5 of Japanese adults are considered obese, the U.N. says.
Prevalence of obesity among adults in developed countries (% obese)
Rank - Country - Rate:
1Mexico32.82United States31.83Syria31.64Venezuela30.84Libya30.86Trinidad & Tobago30.07Vanuatu29.88Iraq29.48Argentina29.410Turkey29.311Chile29.112Czech Republic28.713Lebanon28.214New Zealand27.014Slovenia27.016El Salvador26.917Malta26.618Panama25.818Antigua25.820Israel25.521Australia25.121Saint Vincent25.122Dominica25.023United Kingdom24.923Russia24.925Hungary24.8
Source: United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization's 2013 State of Food and Agriculture Report
_______________________________________
STAF, Inc.'s comment to the weight loss, lifestyle & nutrition related articles appearing in the internet
Comment by Save The American Family - STAF, Inc., -not-for-profit-
By Dr. Christian von Christophers, Ph.D., N.D.
This info will save trillions in health care costs
America & the wole world must learn the #1 skill: Healthy Lifestyle & Correct Nutrition
Avoid big food bills, big bellies & big sickness costs
Quote: "To stay healthy you need to eat what your body wants, not what you want"
STAF, Inc. has a new Healthy Lifestyle & Correct Nutrition Program for the U.S. government's use - fits every nation worldwide.
Totally it took 26 years to develop, first 19 years worldwide research & the past 7 years to modify it for the U.S. needs. This program covers, for the first time ever, all necessary elements to get the lasting results in all family related challenges & in our rampant obesity, overweight & sickness levels. Its nutritional program leading to health & to a longer life is at the same time an automatic weight loss program: nothing to buy, no calories to count, no unreasonable portion control - eat as needed; just follow the easy instructions.
The biggest news is this: the correct, health-restoring & health-maintaining food with all necessary daily nutrients in the correct combination costs ONLY about $95 per one (adult) person monthly. The new program guides you to buy your food ingredients in your local supermarket & prepare your food in your own kitchen based on the new, delicious recipes. The bigger the family, the less $ per/person. Only a program everyone can afford is a solution to our nation's health challenges.
Your food expenses, time being, are probably many times more than in this new STAF, Inc.'s results bringing program. Everyone can afford this amazing program whether one works on the minimum salary or lives on the social security or similar.
The saved money this new STAF, Inc. program guides you to place in safe investments - STAF, Inc. endorses only a few investment adviser companies as reliable. With the saved money your family can create substantial wealth within time. Also a millionaire?
STAF, Inc.has 10 private services given a unique lifetime result-guarantee with only a one-time fee - see website.
The new Healthy Lifestyle & Correct Nutrition program will, in a televised D.C. event, be introduced to our nation, to The W.H., The President, The U.S. Congress & Senate & to all related federal agencies.
STAF, Inc.'s presence is needed in D.C. in the U.S. Congress (House & Senate). STAF, Inc.'s founding President is planning (1) to seek a seat in D.C. Congress/Senate to provide the necessary information to the D.C. lawmakers and (2) to establish a new federal agency, Healthy Lifestyle & Family Success Agency & to be named its first federal director. New legislation & training for all these matters are needed in a results-bringing manner.
STAF, Inc.'s slogan: Less suffering - more life™
Our website page tops have a link to study the original STAF, Inc.'s founding documents to see its mission statements.
Save The American Family - STAF, Inc., -not-for-profit, needs donations to widen its important work for your & your family's richer, healthier & safer future.
Mail any size of donation in any currency as paper money to: STAF, Inc., GPO 339, New York, NY 10116-0339, USA. In the envelope enclose your name & email address - STAF, Inc. will email you a tax deductible confirmation receipt.100 % of donations will be used for STAF, Inc.'s help operations in reducing sickness & promoting healthy lifestyle.
Listen to STAF, Inc.'s popular Radio Shows - you'll get free CEU & College-University credits nationwide or worldwide. To visit STAF, Inc.'s extensive website, search the internet with: "Save The American Family - STAF, Inc.- Home" - (one 'F' in STAF, Inc.).
Respectfully,
Christian von Christophers, Ph.D., N.D.
STAF. Inc.'s founding President
__________________________________________________
Comment by Save The American Family - STAF, Inc., -not-for-profit-
By Dr. Christian von Christophers, Ph.D., N.D.
This info will save trillions in health care costs
America & the wole world must learn the #1 skill: Healthy Lifestyle & Correct Nutrition
Avoid big food bills, big bellies & big sickness costs
Quote: "To stay healthy you need to eat what your body wants, not what you want"
STAF, Inc. has a new Healthy Lifestyle & Correct Nutrition Program for the U.S. government's use - fits every nation worldwide.
Totally it took 26 years to develop, first 19 years worldwide research & the past 7 years to modify it for the U.S. needs. This program covers, for the first time ever, all necessary elements to get the lasting results in all family related challenges & in our rampant obesity, overweight & sickness levels. Its nutritional program leading to health & to a longer life is at the same time an automatic weight loss program: nothing to buy, no calories to count, no unreasonable portion control - eat as needed; just follow the easy instructions.
The biggest news is this: the correct, health-restoring & health-maintaining food with all necessary daily nutrients in the correct combination costs ONLY about $95 per one (adult) person monthly. The new program guides you to buy your food ingredients in your local supermarket & prepare your food in your own kitchen based on the new, delicious recipes. The bigger the family, the less $ per/person. Only a program everyone can afford is a solution to our nation's health challenges.
Your food expenses, time being, are probably many times more than in this new STAF, Inc.'s results bringing program. Everyone can afford this amazing program whether one works on the minimum salary or lives on the social security or similar.
The saved money this new STAF, Inc. program guides you to place in safe investments - STAF, Inc. endorses only a few investment adviser companies as reliable. With the saved money your family can create substantial wealth within time. Also a millionaire?
STAF, Inc.has 10 private services given a unique lifetime result-guarantee with only a one-time fee - see website.
The new Healthy Lifestyle & Correct Nutrition program will, in a televised D.C. event, be introduced to our nation, to The W.H., The President, The U.S. Congress & Senate & to all related federal agencies.
STAF, Inc.'s presence is needed in D.C. in the U.S. Congress (House & Senate). STAF, Inc.'s founding President is planning (1) to seek a seat in D.C. Congress/Senate to provide the necessary information to the D.C. lawmakers and (2) to establish a new federal agency, Healthy Lifestyle & Family Success Agency & to be named its first federal director. New legislation & training for all these matters are needed in a results-bringing manner.
STAF, Inc.'s slogan: Less suffering - more life™
Our website page tops have a link to study the original STAF, Inc.'s founding documents to see its mission statements.
Save The American Family - STAF, Inc., -not-for-profit, needs donations to widen its important work for your & your family's richer, healthier & safer future.
Mail any size of donation in any currency as paper money to: STAF, Inc., GPO 339, New York, NY 10116-0339, USA. In the envelope enclose your name & email address - STAF, Inc. will email you a tax deductible confirmation receipt.100 % of donations will be used for STAF, Inc.'s help operations in reducing sickness & promoting healthy lifestyle.
Listen to STAF, Inc.'s popular Radio Shows - you'll get free CEU & College-University credits nationwide or worldwide. To visit STAF, Inc.'s extensive website, search the internet with: "Save The American Family - STAF, Inc.- Home" - (one 'F' in STAF, Inc.).
Respectfully,
Christian von Christophers, Ph.D., N.D.
STAF. Inc.'s founding President
__________________________________________________
New information - study this article
More than 36 percent of Americans are now considered obese,
according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
In addition, 34 percent are considered overweight
That's together 70 % of the U.S. population - all in a serious health trouble
These statistics are quoted so often, most people no longer find them surprising. Yet what may be surprising is how far the effects of obesity reach beyond clothing size and cardiovascular risks.
It can impact every area of your life including health, family and income.
Learn about seven ways carrying the extra
pounds may be influencing the way you live
More Cancer
The National Cancer Institute associates 34,000 new cases of cancer in men and 50,000 in women each year with obesity.
Right now the link between excess weight and cancer is purely circumstantial and not necessarily cause-and-effect, but experts have floated some theories as to why more fat tracks with higher rates of cancer.
"It could be that excess fat cells increase hormonal activity or they increase growth factors that lead to tumor growth," said Dr. Raul Seballos, vice chairman of preventive medicine at the Cleveland Clinic.
Obese people are at higher risk for all cancers, Seballos said. They are often diagnosed in later stages of cancer than thinner people and are more likely to die from the disease. Some emerging data looking at weight-loss-surgery patients suggests that some of this risk can be diminished by losing weight.
Infertility Increases
Overweight women have a harder time getting pregnant. One Indian study of 300 morbidly obese women found that over 90 percent of them developed polycystic ovarian disease, a condition associated with infertility, over a three-year period.
As with cancer, the association between obesity and infertility isn't entirely clear.
"Obesity is an inflammatory state and that alone might decrease fertility," noted Dr. Marc Bessler, director of Center for Weight Loss and Metabolic Surgery at New York Presbyterian Hospital at Columbia University Medical Center.
"It may also be the result of hormone changes produced by the fatty tissue."
Bessler said that many of his heavier patients experienced difficulty getting pregnant. And many infertility clinics don't accept female patients with high body mass indexes given their diminished chances of conceiving. However, Bessler said some of his patients become pregnant just months after weight- loss surgery once they had dropped a few pounds.
Premature Birth Risk
For heavier women who do get pregnant, the worries aren't over. A new Journal of the American Medical Association study found that obesity increases a woman's chance of having a preterm baby, especially when her body mass index is 35 or higher. The study's authors speculate that having too much fat may inflame and weaken the uterine and cervical membranes. Whatever the reason, it can have devastating effects. Premature birth is the leading cause of infant death and long-term disabilities.
Less Shuteye
Sleep and excess weight do not make good bedfellows. Nearly 80 percent of older, obese Americans report having problems with sleep, a recent American Sleep Foundation survey found.
Poor sleep contributes to a host of diseases including diabetes, heart disease and, ironically, obesity itself. Numerous studies link short sleep to expanding waistlines, including the Harvard Nurses' Study, which found that those who slumbered less than five hours a night were 15 percent more likely to gain weight than those who enjoyed at least seven hours of sleep.
Dr. Donald Hensrud, a nutritionist and preventive medicine expert in the department of endocrinology, diabetes, metabolism and nutrition at the Mayo Clinic, said one of the most immediate health dangers for many obese people is sleep apnea, a condition in which a person gasps or stops breathing momentarily while asleep.
Click: What Is Sleep Apnea? - NHLBI, NIHwww.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/sleepapnea/
"Sleep apnea can be caused by increased fat around the neck area that presses down and closes off the soft tissues of the airways while a person is lying down, especially on his back," Hensrud said. "This means the person does not get good quality sleep, has less oxygen in the blood stream, and the heart has to work harder."
Click: What Is Sleep Apnea? - NHLBI, NIHwww.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/sleepapnea/
Tough Love
Although fat people are often the butt of the joke, obesity stigma is no laughing matter.
A Yale study found that weight is the number one reason people are bullied at any age and those who are bullied have lower self-esteem, higher levels of depression and increased risk of suicide.
The main source of ridicule, according to the Yale researchers? Loved ones.
"More than 40 percent of children who seek treatment for weight loss say they have been bullied or teased by a family member," said the study's lead author, Rebecca Puhl. "When we asked obese women who stigmatized them the most, 72 percent said it was someone in their family."
Puhl said discussions with loved ones about their burgeoning weight often come across as judgmental and derogatory, even when intentions are good. However, offering support and encouragement is the most effective approach to help someone struggling to drop off pounds.
Medical Gap
The number two source of stigma, after loved ones?
Puhl said her studies have found that 67 percent of overweight men and women report being shamed or bullied in the doctor's office. And 50 percent of doctors found that fat patients were "awkward, ugly, weak-willed and unlikely to comply with treatment" while 24 percent of nurses said they were repulsed by their obese patients.
A negative reception from a healthcare provider is especially detrimental to obese people, Puhl stressed, because they already contend with a greater number of health problems than average.
"Besides jeopardizing discussions between patients and healthcare providers, someone who is obese is more likely to avoid the doctor altogether even when they have a problem," she said.
However Puhl noted that the knife cuts both ways. Her studies reveal that people are less apt to follow doctor's orders and more likely to switch to a new provider if their physician is overweight.
Shrinking Wallet
Wider waistbands seem to widen the pay gap.
One George Washington University School of Public Health study found a strong connection between greater obesity and shrinking wages. Examining data from the 2004 National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, the researchers discovered that wages among the obese were $8,666 less for females and $4,772 lower for males compared with their thinner counterparts. In 2008, the researchers found wages were $5,826 less for obese females -- a 14.6 percent penalty over normal-weight females.
Slimmer females, especially, do seem to have fatter wallets. In a University of Florida study, women who weighed 25 pounds less than the group average, earned $15,572 a year more than women of normal weight and women who tipped the scales at 25 pounds above the average weight earned an average of $13,847 less than an average-weight female. They found no such disparity among men.
Source: The National Cancer Institute
_______________________________________________________
More than 36 percent of Americans are now considered obese,
according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
In addition, 34 percent are considered overweight
That's together 70 % of the U.S. population - all in a serious health trouble
These statistics are quoted so often, most people no longer find them surprising. Yet what may be surprising is how far the effects of obesity reach beyond clothing size and cardiovascular risks.
It can impact every area of your life including health, family and income.
Learn about seven ways carrying the extra
pounds may be influencing the way you live
More Cancer
The National Cancer Institute associates 34,000 new cases of cancer in men and 50,000 in women each year with obesity.
Right now the link between excess weight and cancer is purely circumstantial and not necessarily cause-and-effect, but experts have floated some theories as to why more fat tracks with higher rates of cancer.
"It could be that excess fat cells increase hormonal activity or they increase growth factors that lead to tumor growth," said Dr. Raul Seballos, vice chairman of preventive medicine at the Cleveland Clinic.
Obese people are at higher risk for all cancers, Seballos said. They are often diagnosed in later stages of cancer than thinner people and are more likely to die from the disease. Some emerging data looking at weight-loss-surgery patients suggests that some of this risk can be diminished by losing weight.
Infertility Increases
Overweight women have a harder time getting pregnant. One Indian study of 300 morbidly obese women found that over 90 percent of them developed polycystic ovarian disease, a condition associated with infertility, over a three-year period.
As with cancer, the association between obesity and infertility isn't entirely clear.
"Obesity is an inflammatory state and that alone might decrease fertility," noted Dr. Marc Bessler, director of Center for Weight Loss and Metabolic Surgery at New York Presbyterian Hospital at Columbia University Medical Center.
"It may also be the result of hormone changes produced by the fatty tissue."
Bessler said that many of his heavier patients experienced difficulty getting pregnant. And many infertility clinics don't accept female patients with high body mass indexes given their diminished chances of conceiving. However, Bessler said some of his patients become pregnant just months after weight- loss surgery once they had dropped a few pounds.
Premature Birth Risk
For heavier women who do get pregnant, the worries aren't over. A new Journal of the American Medical Association study found that obesity increases a woman's chance of having a preterm baby, especially when her body mass index is 35 or higher. The study's authors speculate that having too much fat may inflame and weaken the uterine and cervical membranes. Whatever the reason, it can have devastating effects. Premature birth is the leading cause of infant death and long-term disabilities.
Less Shuteye
Sleep and excess weight do not make good bedfellows. Nearly 80 percent of older, obese Americans report having problems with sleep, a recent American Sleep Foundation survey found.
Poor sleep contributes to a host of diseases including diabetes, heart disease and, ironically, obesity itself. Numerous studies link short sleep to expanding waistlines, including the Harvard Nurses' Study, which found that those who slumbered less than five hours a night were 15 percent more likely to gain weight than those who enjoyed at least seven hours of sleep.
Dr. Donald Hensrud, a nutritionist and preventive medicine expert in the department of endocrinology, diabetes, metabolism and nutrition at the Mayo Clinic, said one of the most immediate health dangers for many obese people is sleep apnea, a condition in which a person gasps or stops breathing momentarily while asleep.
Click: What Is Sleep Apnea? - NHLBI, NIHwww.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/sleepapnea/
"Sleep apnea can be caused by increased fat around the neck area that presses down and closes off the soft tissues of the airways while a person is lying down, especially on his back," Hensrud said. "This means the person does not get good quality sleep, has less oxygen in the blood stream, and the heart has to work harder."
Click: What Is Sleep Apnea? - NHLBI, NIHwww.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/sleepapnea/
Tough Love
Although fat people are often the butt of the joke, obesity stigma is no laughing matter.
A Yale study found that weight is the number one reason people are bullied at any age and those who are bullied have lower self-esteem, higher levels of depression and increased risk of suicide.
The main source of ridicule, according to the Yale researchers? Loved ones.
"More than 40 percent of children who seek treatment for weight loss say they have been bullied or teased by a family member," said the study's lead author, Rebecca Puhl. "When we asked obese women who stigmatized them the most, 72 percent said it was someone in their family."
Puhl said discussions with loved ones about their burgeoning weight often come across as judgmental and derogatory, even when intentions are good. However, offering support and encouragement is the most effective approach to help someone struggling to drop off pounds.
Medical Gap
The number two source of stigma, after loved ones?
Puhl said her studies have found that 67 percent of overweight men and women report being shamed or bullied in the doctor's office. And 50 percent of doctors found that fat patients were "awkward, ugly, weak-willed and unlikely to comply with treatment" while 24 percent of nurses said they were repulsed by their obese patients.
A negative reception from a healthcare provider is especially detrimental to obese people, Puhl stressed, because they already contend with a greater number of health problems than average.
"Besides jeopardizing discussions between patients and healthcare providers, someone who is obese is more likely to avoid the doctor altogether even when they have a problem," she said.
However Puhl noted that the knife cuts both ways. Her studies reveal that people are less apt to follow doctor's orders and more likely to switch to a new provider if their physician is overweight.
Shrinking Wallet
Wider waistbands seem to widen the pay gap.
One George Washington University School of Public Health study found a strong connection between greater obesity and shrinking wages. Examining data from the 2004 National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, the researchers discovered that wages among the obese were $8,666 less for females and $4,772 lower for males compared with their thinner counterparts. In 2008, the researchers found wages were $5,826 less for obese females -- a 14.6 percent penalty over normal-weight females.
Slimmer females, especially, do seem to have fatter wallets. In a University of Florida study, women who weighed 25 pounds less than the group average, earned $15,572 a year more than women of normal weight and women who tipped the scales at 25 pounds above the average weight earned an average of $13,847 less than an average-weight female. They found no such disparity among men.
Source: The National Cancer Institute
_______________________________________________________
Acc0rding to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, type 2 diabetes affects 25.8 million Americans. It's the leading cause of kidney failure, lower limb amputations that aren't because of accident trauma, and new cases of blindness among adults in the United States. Diabetes is a major cause of heart disease and stroke - and, all by itself, is the seventh leading cause of death in the United States.
(1) Type 2 - American Diabetes Association www.diabetes.org › Diabetes Basic Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes. In type 2 diabetes, either the body does not produce enough insulin or the cells ignore the insulin. Insulin ...
(2) Type 2 diabetes - MayoClinic.comwww.mayoclinic.com/health/type-2-diabetes/DS0058
Type 2 diabetes — Comprehensive overview covers symptoms, treatment, prevention of this often weight-related condition.Symptoms - Treatments and drugs - Causes - Complications
(3) Diabetes Type 2: MedlinePlus www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/diabetestype2.html
Diabetes means your blood glucose, or blood sugar, levels are too high. With type 2 diabetes, the more common type, your body does not make or use insulin ...
How to walk away from diabetes
A 15-minute walk after every meal
a new study says can lower blood sugar
and the risk of type 2 diabetes
What's more, it's better than 45 minutes of sustained walking in the morning or afternoon
Elevated blood sugars, particularly after meals, can lead to diabetes, which doctors are expecting to see more and more of as the overweight age.
One Soda Per Day Raises Diabetes Risk, Study Suggests - see the next article below
In a study published in the journal Diabetes Care, researchers monitored blood sugar levels in healthy adults with an average age of 70 who were at risk of impaired glucose intolerance, a precursor of diabetes. Each study participant tried out three different exercise regimens on different days: Some did a 15-minute, post-meal walk (three meals per day, three walks per day), one 45-minute morning walk and a 45-minute afternoon walk.
The winner in terms of lower blood glucose levels? The after-meal walk.
"A post meal walk is timed to when blood glucose just starts to climb," said Dr. Loretta DiPietro, lead author of the study and chair of the Department of Exercise Science at The George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services. "The muscle activity and the muscle contractions help to clear glucose."
"It's like another set of hands to help the pancreas halt the surge of glucose."
Click: What Is The Normal Range For Blood Sugar Levels?
Blood sugar levels are the highest after meals, and as we age our pancreas is less effective in releasing insulin, a hormone that helps lower blood sugar. That leads to even higher blood sugars that can increase the risk of diabetes.
This type of short, low-stress exercise is not going to make you aerobically fit.
"This [post-meal walking] most benefits middle-aged, obese people who are showing signs of pre-diabetes, or older people [for whom] one giant bout of exercise may be too stressful," DiPietro said. "It also has applications to pregnant women at risk of gestational diabetes, especially later in term when it may be difficult for 45 sustained minutes of activity."
She stressed that because of the low level of exercise, it must be maintained at least three times every day.
"People will not get the benefit if they miss times," DiPietro said.
Other specialists were more cautious in their interpretations of the study's findings.
"Exercise three or four times a day may be better, but it is not practical for all patients," warned Dr. Joel Zonszein, a professor at Albert Einstein College of Medicine and director of the Clinical Diabetes Center at Montefiore Medical Center.
In addition to the difficulty of maintaining that level of frequency of exercise, Zonszein pointed out that for some patients the large metabolic activity used by the gastrointestinal system following a meal may make it more difficult to exercise. He suggested patients, "stay within their means."
He highlighted that exercise and diet are more effective in the elderly to prevent diabetes and stressed the most important suggestion is "to keep on moving" regardless of the timing of the exercise.
Doctor's Take
Short walks of 15 minutes may be better at reducing the risk of developing diabetes, but it is most important to exercise daily, regardless of its timing.
Tips
Exercise daily, even if for short periods. Multiple short walks are as effective as, or even more so than, one long walk;
Schedule your errands, dog walks or other activities after meals;
Look to incorporate others. A walk with a friend or spouse makes it more enjoyable and increases the likelihood you will continue;
Stay within your abilities to avoid injury.
Source: Journal Diabetes Care
_________________________________________________
One Soda Per Day Raises Diabetes Risk, Study Suggests
Here’s yet another reason for giving up soda: A new study suggests that just one 12 ounce serving of a sugar-sweetened beverage can raise the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by up to 22 percent. Diet soda has the same negative effects.
Since most research on the evils of soda has looked at North American populations, researchers at the Imperial College of London wanted to see if they could establish a link between sugary drink consumption and type 2 diabetes in Europeans, too.
To test their theory, the researchers combed through over 15 years of data on sugar-sweetened beverage consumption that included more than 27,000 people from seven European countries. During that time period more than 40 percent developed type 2 diabetes, with those who said they drank at least one soda or some other sweet drink each day showing an 18 percent higher risk of developing the disease. When factors like body weight and body mass index weren’t controlled for, the risk rose to 22 percent.
This is consistent with findings from U.S. studies that find that soda drinking is associated with a 25 percent increased diabetes risk.
Notably, even diet soda drinkers had to worry about developing diabetes. However, when body weight and exercise levels were factored in, the link disappeared. In other words, healthy-weight, exercising diet soda drinkers were no more likely to develop type two diabetes than non-soda drinkers. STILL: some studies show that diet soda, because its harmful chemical content, will cause sickness in the human body. Drink water minimum (or more)
50% in ounces of your non-overweight amount -
Why is sipping just one small can of soda daily so damaging to health? Sweetened drinks are the largest contributor of empty calories and processed sugar in both the American and European diet according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest. It’s been pegged as a major contributor to a variety of health issues.
“Aside from sugar, there are nine other potentially dangerous ingredients in soda (diet & sugary soda), including carcinogenic artificial colors and phosphoric acid, which can contribute to everything from obesity to cancer to the depletion of micronutrients essential for strong bones,” noted Jayson Calton, co-author of Rich Food, Poor Food, a book that explains the hidden dangers in food and beverages.
The British study is not without issues. Each country’s study center analyzed their data a little differently which might have introduced errors. It’s also what scientists call an association study, meaning the information is culled from self-reported drinking patterns – a technique that always chances inaccuracies.
However, it does seem to reinforce the clear message that sugary drinks have an unhealthy effect, not only on the waistline, but on overall health.
Source: The Imperial College of London
_____________________________________________
(1) Type 2 - American Diabetes Association www.diabetes.org › Diabetes Basic Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes. In type 2 diabetes, either the body does not produce enough insulin or the cells ignore the insulin. Insulin ...
(2) Type 2 diabetes - MayoClinic.comwww.mayoclinic.com/health/type-2-diabetes/DS0058
Type 2 diabetes — Comprehensive overview covers symptoms, treatment, prevention of this often weight-related condition.Symptoms - Treatments and drugs - Causes - Complications
(3) Diabetes Type 2: MedlinePlus www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/diabetestype2.html
Diabetes means your blood glucose, or blood sugar, levels are too high. With type 2 diabetes, the more common type, your body does not make or use insulin ...
How to walk away from diabetes
A 15-minute walk after every meal
a new study says can lower blood sugar
and the risk of type 2 diabetes
What's more, it's better than 45 minutes of sustained walking in the morning or afternoon
Elevated blood sugars, particularly after meals, can lead to diabetes, which doctors are expecting to see more and more of as the overweight age.
One Soda Per Day Raises Diabetes Risk, Study Suggests - see the next article below
In a study published in the journal Diabetes Care, researchers monitored blood sugar levels in healthy adults with an average age of 70 who were at risk of impaired glucose intolerance, a precursor of diabetes. Each study participant tried out three different exercise regimens on different days: Some did a 15-minute, post-meal walk (three meals per day, three walks per day), one 45-minute morning walk and a 45-minute afternoon walk.
The winner in terms of lower blood glucose levels? The after-meal walk.
"A post meal walk is timed to when blood glucose just starts to climb," said Dr. Loretta DiPietro, lead author of the study and chair of the Department of Exercise Science at The George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services. "The muscle activity and the muscle contractions help to clear glucose."
"It's like another set of hands to help the pancreas halt the surge of glucose."
Click: What Is The Normal Range For Blood Sugar Levels?
Blood sugar levels are the highest after meals, and as we age our pancreas is less effective in releasing insulin, a hormone that helps lower blood sugar. That leads to even higher blood sugars that can increase the risk of diabetes.
This type of short, low-stress exercise is not going to make you aerobically fit.
"This [post-meal walking] most benefits middle-aged, obese people who are showing signs of pre-diabetes, or older people [for whom] one giant bout of exercise may be too stressful," DiPietro said. "It also has applications to pregnant women at risk of gestational diabetes, especially later in term when it may be difficult for 45 sustained minutes of activity."
She stressed that because of the low level of exercise, it must be maintained at least three times every day.
"People will not get the benefit if they miss times," DiPietro said.
Other specialists were more cautious in their interpretations of the study's findings.
"Exercise three or four times a day may be better, but it is not practical for all patients," warned Dr. Joel Zonszein, a professor at Albert Einstein College of Medicine and director of the Clinical Diabetes Center at Montefiore Medical Center.
In addition to the difficulty of maintaining that level of frequency of exercise, Zonszein pointed out that for some patients the large metabolic activity used by the gastrointestinal system following a meal may make it more difficult to exercise. He suggested patients, "stay within their means."
He highlighted that exercise and diet are more effective in the elderly to prevent diabetes and stressed the most important suggestion is "to keep on moving" regardless of the timing of the exercise.
Doctor's Take
Short walks of 15 minutes may be better at reducing the risk of developing diabetes, but it is most important to exercise daily, regardless of its timing.
Tips
Exercise daily, even if for short periods. Multiple short walks are as effective as, or even more so than, one long walk;
Schedule your errands, dog walks or other activities after meals;
Look to incorporate others. A walk with a friend or spouse makes it more enjoyable and increases the likelihood you will continue;
Stay within your abilities to avoid injury.
Source: Journal Diabetes Care
_________________________________________________
One Soda Per Day Raises Diabetes Risk, Study Suggests
Here’s yet another reason for giving up soda: A new study suggests that just one 12 ounce serving of a sugar-sweetened beverage can raise the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by up to 22 percent. Diet soda has the same negative effects.
Since most research on the evils of soda has looked at North American populations, researchers at the Imperial College of London wanted to see if they could establish a link between sugary drink consumption and type 2 diabetes in Europeans, too.
To test their theory, the researchers combed through over 15 years of data on sugar-sweetened beverage consumption that included more than 27,000 people from seven European countries. During that time period more than 40 percent developed type 2 diabetes, with those who said they drank at least one soda or some other sweet drink each day showing an 18 percent higher risk of developing the disease. When factors like body weight and body mass index weren’t controlled for, the risk rose to 22 percent.
This is consistent with findings from U.S. studies that find that soda drinking is associated with a 25 percent increased diabetes risk.
Notably, even diet soda drinkers had to worry about developing diabetes. However, when body weight and exercise levels were factored in, the link disappeared. In other words, healthy-weight, exercising diet soda drinkers were no more likely to develop type two diabetes than non-soda drinkers. STILL: some studies show that diet soda, because its harmful chemical content, will cause sickness in the human body. Drink water minimum (or more)
50% in ounces of your non-overweight amount -
Why is sipping just one small can of soda daily so damaging to health? Sweetened drinks are the largest contributor of empty calories and processed sugar in both the American and European diet according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest. It’s been pegged as a major contributor to a variety of health issues.
“Aside from sugar, there are nine other potentially dangerous ingredients in soda (diet & sugary soda), including carcinogenic artificial colors and phosphoric acid, which can contribute to everything from obesity to cancer to the depletion of micronutrients essential for strong bones,” noted Jayson Calton, co-author of Rich Food, Poor Food, a book that explains the hidden dangers in food and beverages.
The British study is not without issues. Each country’s study center analyzed their data a little differently which might have introduced errors. It’s also what scientists call an association study, meaning the information is culled from self-reported drinking patterns – a technique that always chances inaccuracies.
However, it does seem to reinforce the clear message that sugary drinks have an unhealthy effect, not only on the waistline, but on overall health.
Source: The Imperial College of London
_____________________________________________
Life-saving information
Woman Drinks Only Soda About 2 liters a day
= about 2 quarts for 16 Years, Suffers Heart Problems
Half of the American soda users
drink about the same = 2 quarts (or more) of soda every day
Drink plain water daily, during the whole day, about the same amount in ounces as your normal,
healthy weight is in lbs. Drink the water mostly in an empty stomach
to avoid it diluting the digestive fluids in your stomach
Click green for further info
A 31-year old woman's heart problems and fainting might have had something to do with the fact that she drank only soda for about half her life, according to a report of her case.
The woman, who lives in Monaco, a small country near southern France, was brought to a hospital after she fainted. A blood test showed she had severely low potassium levels. And a test of her heart's electrical activity revealed she had a condition called long QT syndrome, which can cause erratic heart beats.
The woman did not have a family history of heart or hormone problems. But she told her doctors that, since the age of 15, she had not drunk any water — soda (specifically cola) was the only liquid she consumed. She drank about 2 liters (2 quarts) of cola daily, she said.
After abstaining from soda for just one week, the woman's potassium levels and heart electrical activity returned to normal.
Drinking too much cola may cause excess water to enter the bowels, which in turn leads to diarrhea, and loss of potassium, the researchers said. High amounts of caffeine can also increase urine production and decrease potassium reabsorption, the researchers said. Potassium plays a role in helping a person's heartbeat, and low levels of potassium may cause heart rhythm problems.
After searching for other similar cases, the researchers found six reports of excessive cola consumption that were thought to be related to adverse medical problems, including heart rhythm problems.
"One of the take-home messages is that cardiologists need to be aware of the connection between cola consumption and potassium loss, and should ask patients found to have QT prolongation about beverage habits," said study researcher
Dr. Naima Zarqane, of Princess Grace Hospital Centre in Monaco.
Future studies should examine whether those who drink cola excessively have lower potassium levels than people who don't drink cola, the researchers said.
Excessive soda consumption can also lead to weight gain, which is a risk factor for heart disease, the researchers said.
Source:
The case report was presented in June, 2013 at the European Heart Rhythm Association meeting in Athens, Greece.
It has not been published in a peer-reviewed journal.
_______________________________________
Woman Drinks Only Soda About 2 liters a day
= about 2 quarts for 16 Years, Suffers Heart Problems
Half of the American soda users
drink about the same = 2 quarts (or more) of soda every day
Drink plain water daily, during the whole day, about the same amount in ounces as your normal,
healthy weight is in lbs. Drink the water mostly in an empty stomach
to avoid it diluting the digestive fluids in your stomach
Click green for further info
A 31-year old woman's heart problems and fainting might have had something to do with the fact that she drank only soda for about half her life, according to a report of her case.
The woman, who lives in Monaco, a small country near southern France, was brought to a hospital after she fainted. A blood test showed she had severely low potassium levels. And a test of her heart's electrical activity revealed she had a condition called long QT syndrome, which can cause erratic heart beats.
The woman did not have a family history of heart or hormone problems. But she told her doctors that, since the age of 15, she had not drunk any water — soda (specifically cola) was the only liquid she consumed. She drank about 2 liters (2 quarts) of cola daily, she said.
After abstaining from soda for just one week, the woman's potassium levels and heart electrical activity returned to normal.
Drinking too much cola may cause excess water to enter the bowels, which in turn leads to diarrhea, and loss of potassium, the researchers said. High amounts of caffeine can also increase urine production and decrease potassium reabsorption, the researchers said. Potassium plays a role in helping a person's heartbeat, and low levels of potassium may cause heart rhythm problems.
After searching for other similar cases, the researchers found six reports of excessive cola consumption that were thought to be related to adverse medical problems, including heart rhythm problems.
"One of the take-home messages is that cardiologists need to be aware of the connection between cola consumption and potassium loss, and should ask patients found to have QT prolongation about beverage habits," said study researcher
Dr. Naima Zarqane, of Princess Grace Hospital Centre in Monaco.
Future studies should examine whether those who drink cola excessively have lower potassium levels than people who don't drink cola, the researchers said.
Excessive soda consumption can also lead to weight gain, which is a risk factor for heart disease, the researchers said.
Source:
The case report was presented in June, 2013 at the European Heart Rhythm Association meeting in Athens, Greece.
It has not been published in a peer-reviewed journal.
_______________________________________
Article 1 of 2
(Article 2 of 2 next below)
An inspiring true story-article
Papa Joe Aviance Lost 250 Pounds on the '99-Cent Diet'
This article shows the results-bringing principles of a correct, low-priced weight loss technique costing about $50/week, $200/month
Price/nutritients-wise STAF, Inc. has something even better
with a guaranteed weight loss: $31/w, $93/m
STAF, Inc. is the new, leading organization in all family challenges and is the only one developing
a New Healthy Lifestyle & Correct Nutrition Program for the U.S. government use to be included in the new
health care legislation as the solution to our enormous overweight & obesity level and to our rampant
sickness level. For additional info See STAF, Inc.'s internet comment below after this article.
The article: Papa Joe Aviance Lost 250 Pounds on the '99-Cent Diet'
Ask anyone who’s lost a large amount of weight what jumpstarted their journey to better health, and they’ll probably tell you about their “light bulb moment,” the instant that they decided they’d had enough and were willing to do whatever it took to change. For LA-based musician and clothing designer Papa Joe Aviance, that moment arrived in 2009 when his first house music release, “Last Night a DJ Saved my Life,” hit #6 on the Billboard Magazine Dance Charts. When he saw the music video for the song—which at that time was playing on MTV and VH1—he couldn’t get over how large he’d become. “I was 450 pounds—I was two cheeseburgers away from diabetes or high cholesterol,” recalls Aviance. “I had been big for pretty much all of my life, and I was sick of hating myself. It was now or never.”
To start, he trashed nearly all the contents of his kitchen. “I cleared everything out of my fridge that was going to get in the way of me losing weight—cookies, candy, sodas,” he says. “I was only going to drink water or unsweetened iced tea, and no more fast food. At that point, I’d been drinking a two-liter bottle of Mountain Dew every day, and if I went through any local drive-thru, they knew my name—that’s how often I used to eat that stuff.”
But he had a roadblock to contend with—at the time, he was broke. Aviance, who was then pursuing music and clothing design on the side, had recently been laid off work. “I was unemployed and couldn’t afford a gym membership or fancy diets,” says Aviance. “I realized that walking was the easiest exercise I could do and it cost nothing. So I grabbed my dance music and tennis shoes, and started walking.”
(Walk off the weight with these 14 walking workouts to burn fat and boost energy!)
At first, his walks were short—to the end of his block and back to grab the daily Billboard. “The first time around the block—I couldn’t even do it, it was just mounds of sweat,” he says. But he kept at it. One trip around the block became two, and soon he was walking a few miles every day.
Only $50 Per Week for Food STAF, Inc.' is only $31/w and $93/m.
While he was determined to eat better, Aviance had to find a way to do it on a shoestring budget. “A friend told me I should check out the 99-Cent Store. Since I couldn’t afford Whole Foods or Trader Joe's, I decided to see what they had.” Aviance was pleasantly surprised to find that the 99-Cent Store in his neighborhood had plenty of healthy foods to choose from. “Oatmeal, raisins, nuts, bananas, apples, oranges, bell peppers, spinach, salad dressing, tuna fish, eggs… I was shocked. I was blown away,” recalls Aviance. “It was a huge savings. I literally spent no more than $50 a week on food.” (Feeding a family? You can still do it on the (healthy) cheap—here are 20 ways to feed your family for $100 a week.)
Comment: STAF,. Inc.'s new Healthy Lifestyle & Correct Nutrition Program for the whole does even better: about $80/week - with real healthy& delicious food - without any gimmicks
Within three to four weeks, Aviance started to see changes. “And within 3 months, I was like ‘Hey, this is working!” he laughs. “I started to take all of my clothes to a seamstress so she could take everything in. I was still too broke to go out and buy new clothes, but I didn’t care. I was on a mission.”
Aviance’s morning walks become so regular, that people in his neighborhood started to take notice. “Since I walk every morning, people have started giving me high fives. I felt like a mini rock star in my community. I’ve even had people stop me and tell them I motivated and inspired them to start walking.”
Low-Cost Healthy Meals
Papa Joe was able to prepare a variety of healthy meals using ingredients he purchased at the 99-Cent Store. Here are a several examples of what he ate on his diet.
Breakfasts
1. 3 egg omelette with spinach, green pepper, tomatoes, and 2 slices of wheat toast
2. Cottage cheese with fresh fruit (oranges, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, or apples)
Snacks (1 or 2 items)
1. Trail Mix
2. Peanut Butter and Jelly on Whole Wheat
3. Raisins
4. Snack Size Peanut M&M’s (For cheat day only) – Keeping it real!
Lunches
1. Yogurt with fresh fruit (Cantaloupe, Mango, Banana, or Honeydew)
2. Salad with tuna or salmon and balsamic dressing
Dinners
1. Chicken Pot Pie with a side of potatoes, squash, or mixed vegetables (broccoli, string beans, cauliflower, carrots)
2. Quiche (eggs, spinach, mixed vegetables) with beans and rice
Health Risks Disappeared
Within 18 months, Aviance lost 250 pounds, and a visit to his doctor confirmed that he was no longer at risk for diabetes, elevated cholesterol, or high blood pressure. “I’ve always been a very happy guy who would kid around with anyone, but when I was heavy, I felt like I had to be that way because I thought people were judging me based on my size. But now it’s a happiness that is really shining from the inside out.” To speed along his transformation, he started to incorporate breaks for pushups and other strength moves during his walks. “I do pushups right in the street—the city is my gym,” he says. (Try these simple strength-training moves you can do anywhere, anytime.)
Today, Aviance is a health and wellness expert touring the country to inspire obese children and adults to start moving. “I want people to be as happy as I am, and part of that is being healthy. The sidewalk is my treadmill. Every morning I walk right outside my door and go. They can do it, too.”
___________________________________
Article 2 of 2 - (1 of 2 just above)
STAF, Inc.'s comment to the weight loss, lifestyle & nutrition related articles
appearing in the internet
Comment by Save The American Family - STAF, Inc., -not-for-profit-
By Dr. Christian von Christophers, Ph.D., N.D.
This info will save trillions in health care costs
America must learn the #1 skill: Healthy Lifestyle & Correct Nutrition
Avoid big food bills, big bellies & big sickness costs
Quote: "To stay healthy you need to eat what your body wants, not what you want"
STAF, Inc. has a new Healthy Lifestyle & Correct Nutrition Program for the U.S. government's use - fits every nation worldwide.
Totally it took 26 years to develop, first 19 years worldwide research & the past 7 years to modify it for the U.S. needs. This program covers, for the first time ever, all necessary elements to get the lasting results in all family related challenges & in our rampant obesity, overweight & sickness levels. Its nutritional program leading to health & to a longer life is at the same time an automatic weight loss program: nothing to buy, no calories to count, no unreasonable portion control - eat as needed; just follow the easy instructions.
The biggest news is this: the correct, health-restoring & health-maintaining food with all necessary daily nutrients in the correct combination costs ONLY about $95 per one (adult) person monthly. The new program guides you to buy your food ingredients in your local supermarket & prepare your food in your own kitchen based on the new, delicious recipes. The bigger the family, the less $ per/person. Only a program everyone can afford is a solution to our nation's health challenges.
Your food expenses, time being, are probably many times more than in this new STAF, Inc.'s results bringing program. Everyone can afford this amazing program whether one works on the minimum salary or lives on the social security or similar.
The saved money this new STAF, Inc. program guides you to place in safe investments - STAF, Inc. endorses only a few investment adviser companies as reliable. With the saved money your family can create substantial wealth within time. Also a millionaire?
STAF, Inc.has 10 private services given a unique lifetime result-guarantee with only a one-time fee - see website.
The new Healthy Lifestyle & Correct Nutrition program will, in a televised D.C. event, be introduced to our nation, to The W.H., The President, The U.S. Congress & Senate & to all related federal agencies.
STAF, Inc.'s presence is needed in D.C. in the U.S. Congress (House & Senate). STAF, Inc.'s founding President is planning (1) to seek a seat in D.C. Congress/Senate to provide the necessary information to the D.C. lawmakers and (2) to establish a new federal agency, Healthy Lifestyle & Family Success Agency & to be named its first federal director. New legislation & training for all these matters are needed in a results-bringing manner.
STAF, Inc.'s slogan: Less suffering - more life™
Our website page tops have a link to study the original STAF, Inc.'s founding documents to see its mission statements.
Save The American Family - STAF, Inc., -not-for-profit, needs donations to widen its important work for your & your family's richer, healthier & safer future.
Mail any size of donation in any currency as paper money to: STAF, Inc., GPO 339, New York, NY 10116-0339, USA. In the envelope enclose your name & email address - STAF, Inc. will email you a tax deductible confirmation receipt.100 % of donations will be used for STAF, Inc.'s help operations in reducing sickness & promoting healthy lifestyle.
Listen to STAF, Inc.'s popular Radio Shows - you'll get free CEU & College-University credits nationwide or worldwide. To visit STAF, Inc.'s extensive website, search the internet with: "Save The American Family - STAF, Inc.- Home" - (one 'F' in STAF, Inc.).
Respectfully,
Christian von Christophers, Ph.D., N.D.
STAF. Inc.'s founding President
__________________________________________________
(Article 2 of 2 next below)
An inspiring true story-article
Papa Joe Aviance Lost 250 Pounds on the '99-Cent Diet'
This article shows the results-bringing principles of a correct, low-priced weight loss technique costing about $50/week, $200/month
Price/nutritients-wise STAF, Inc. has something even better
with a guaranteed weight loss: $31/w, $93/m
STAF, Inc. is the new, leading organization in all family challenges and is the only one developing
a New Healthy Lifestyle & Correct Nutrition Program for the U.S. government use to be included in the new
health care legislation as the solution to our enormous overweight & obesity level and to our rampant
sickness level. For additional info See STAF, Inc.'s internet comment below after this article.
The article: Papa Joe Aviance Lost 250 Pounds on the '99-Cent Diet'
Ask anyone who’s lost a large amount of weight what jumpstarted their journey to better health, and they’ll probably tell you about their “light bulb moment,” the instant that they decided they’d had enough and were willing to do whatever it took to change. For LA-based musician and clothing designer Papa Joe Aviance, that moment arrived in 2009 when his first house music release, “Last Night a DJ Saved my Life,” hit #6 on the Billboard Magazine Dance Charts. When he saw the music video for the song—which at that time was playing on MTV and VH1—he couldn’t get over how large he’d become. “I was 450 pounds—I was two cheeseburgers away from diabetes or high cholesterol,” recalls Aviance. “I had been big for pretty much all of my life, and I was sick of hating myself. It was now or never.”
To start, he trashed nearly all the contents of his kitchen. “I cleared everything out of my fridge that was going to get in the way of me losing weight—cookies, candy, sodas,” he says. “I was only going to drink water or unsweetened iced tea, and no more fast food. At that point, I’d been drinking a two-liter bottle of Mountain Dew every day, and if I went through any local drive-thru, they knew my name—that’s how often I used to eat that stuff.”
But he had a roadblock to contend with—at the time, he was broke. Aviance, who was then pursuing music and clothing design on the side, had recently been laid off work. “I was unemployed and couldn’t afford a gym membership or fancy diets,” says Aviance. “I realized that walking was the easiest exercise I could do and it cost nothing. So I grabbed my dance music and tennis shoes, and started walking.”
(Walk off the weight with these 14 walking workouts to burn fat and boost energy!)
At first, his walks were short—to the end of his block and back to grab the daily Billboard. “The first time around the block—I couldn’t even do it, it was just mounds of sweat,” he says. But he kept at it. One trip around the block became two, and soon he was walking a few miles every day.
Only $50 Per Week for Food STAF, Inc.' is only $31/w and $93/m.
While he was determined to eat better, Aviance had to find a way to do it on a shoestring budget. “A friend told me I should check out the 99-Cent Store. Since I couldn’t afford Whole Foods or Trader Joe's, I decided to see what they had.” Aviance was pleasantly surprised to find that the 99-Cent Store in his neighborhood had plenty of healthy foods to choose from. “Oatmeal, raisins, nuts, bananas, apples, oranges, bell peppers, spinach, salad dressing, tuna fish, eggs… I was shocked. I was blown away,” recalls Aviance. “It was a huge savings. I literally spent no more than $50 a week on food.” (Feeding a family? You can still do it on the (healthy) cheap—here are 20 ways to feed your family for $100 a week.)
Comment: STAF,. Inc.'s new Healthy Lifestyle & Correct Nutrition Program for the whole does even better: about $80/week - with real healthy& delicious food - without any gimmicks
Within three to four weeks, Aviance started to see changes. “And within 3 months, I was like ‘Hey, this is working!” he laughs. “I started to take all of my clothes to a seamstress so she could take everything in. I was still too broke to go out and buy new clothes, but I didn’t care. I was on a mission.”
Aviance’s morning walks become so regular, that people in his neighborhood started to take notice. “Since I walk every morning, people have started giving me high fives. I felt like a mini rock star in my community. I’ve even had people stop me and tell them I motivated and inspired them to start walking.”
Low-Cost Healthy Meals
Papa Joe was able to prepare a variety of healthy meals using ingredients he purchased at the 99-Cent Store. Here are a several examples of what he ate on his diet.
Breakfasts
1. 3 egg omelette with spinach, green pepper, tomatoes, and 2 slices of wheat toast
2. Cottage cheese with fresh fruit (oranges, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, or apples)
Snacks (1 or 2 items)
1. Trail Mix
2. Peanut Butter and Jelly on Whole Wheat
3. Raisins
4. Snack Size Peanut M&M’s (For cheat day only) – Keeping it real!
Lunches
1. Yogurt with fresh fruit (Cantaloupe, Mango, Banana, or Honeydew)
2. Salad with tuna or salmon and balsamic dressing
Dinners
1. Chicken Pot Pie with a side of potatoes, squash, or mixed vegetables (broccoli, string beans, cauliflower, carrots)
2. Quiche (eggs, spinach, mixed vegetables) with beans and rice
Health Risks Disappeared
Within 18 months, Aviance lost 250 pounds, and a visit to his doctor confirmed that he was no longer at risk for diabetes, elevated cholesterol, or high blood pressure. “I’ve always been a very happy guy who would kid around with anyone, but when I was heavy, I felt like I had to be that way because I thought people were judging me based on my size. But now it’s a happiness that is really shining from the inside out.” To speed along his transformation, he started to incorporate breaks for pushups and other strength moves during his walks. “I do pushups right in the street—the city is my gym,” he says. (Try these simple strength-training moves you can do anywhere, anytime.)
Today, Aviance is a health and wellness expert touring the country to inspire obese children and adults to start moving. “I want people to be as happy as I am, and part of that is being healthy. The sidewalk is my treadmill. Every morning I walk right outside my door and go. They can do it, too.”
___________________________________
Article 2 of 2 - (1 of 2 just above)
STAF, Inc.'s comment to the weight loss, lifestyle & nutrition related articles
appearing in the internet
Comment by Save The American Family - STAF, Inc., -not-for-profit-
By Dr. Christian von Christophers, Ph.D., N.D.
This info will save trillions in health care costs
America must learn the #1 skill: Healthy Lifestyle & Correct Nutrition
Avoid big food bills, big bellies & big sickness costs
Quote: "To stay healthy you need to eat what your body wants, not what you want"
STAF, Inc. has a new Healthy Lifestyle & Correct Nutrition Program for the U.S. government's use - fits every nation worldwide.
Totally it took 26 years to develop, first 19 years worldwide research & the past 7 years to modify it for the U.S. needs. This program covers, for the first time ever, all necessary elements to get the lasting results in all family related challenges & in our rampant obesity, overweight & sickness levels. Its nutritional program leading to health & to a longer life is at the same time an automatic weight loss program: nothing to buy, no calories to count, no unreasonable portion control - eat as needed; just follow the easy instructions.
The biggest news is this: the correct, health-restoring & health-maintaining food with all necessary daily nutrients in the correct combination costs ONLY about $95 per one (adult) person monthly. The new program guides you to buy your food ingredients in your local supermarket & prepare your food in your own kitchen based on the new, delicious recipes. The bigger the family, the less $ per/person. Only a program everyone can afford is a solution to our nation's health challenges.
Your food expenses, time being, are probably many times more than in this new STAF, Inc.'s results bringing program. Everyone can afford this amazing program whether one works on the minimum salary or lives on the social security or similar.
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The new Healthy Lifestyle & Correct Nutrition program will, in a televised D.C. event, be introduced to our nation, to The W.H., The President, The U.S. Congress & Senate & to all related federal agencies.
STAF, Inc.'s presence is needed in D.C. in the U.S. Congress (House & Senate). STAF, Inc.'s founding President is planning (1) to seek a seat in D.C. Congress/Senate to provide the necessary information to the D.C. lawmakers and (2) to establish a new federal agency, Healthy Lifestyle & Family Success Agency & to be named its first federal director. New legislation & training for all these matters are needed in a results-bringing manner.
STAF, Inc.'s slogan: Less suffering - more life™
Our website page tops have a link to study the original STAF, Inc.'s founding documents to see its mission statements.
Save The American Family - STAF, Inc., -not-for-profit, needs donations to widen its important work for your & your family's richer, healthier & safer future.
Mail any size of donation in any currency as paper money to: STAF, Inc., GPO 339, New York, NY 10116-0339, USA. In the envelope enclose your name & email address - STAF, Inc. will email you a tax deductible confirmation receipt.100 % of donations will be used for STAF, Inc.'s help operations in reducing sickness & promoting healthy lifestyle.
Listen to STAF, Inc.'s popular Radio Shows - you'll get free CEU & College-University credits nationwide or worldwide. To visit STAF, Inc.'s extensive website, search the internet with: "Save The American Family - STAF, Inc.- Home" - (one 'F' in STAF, Inc.).
Respectfully,
Christian von Christophers, Ph.D., N.D.
STAF. Inc.'s founding President
__________________________________________________
Be careful not to abuse this information - to satisfy your "sweet-tooth"
Diabetics: follow your plan
Top Off Breakfast With - - "Chocolate Cake" = Loose weight
Not a joke - this is serious science info
Feb. 7, 2012 — When it comes to diets, cookies and cake are off the menu. Now, in a recent discovery, researchers from Tel Aviv University, Israel have found that dessert, as part of a balanced 600-calorie breakfast that also includes proteins and carbohydrates, can help dieters to lose more weight -- and keep it off in the long run.
They key is to indulge in the morning, when (1) the body's metabolism is at its most active and (2) we are better able to work off the extra calories throughout the day, say Prof. Daniela Jakubowicz, Dr. Julio Wainstein and Dr. Mona Boaz of Tel Aviv University's Sackler Faculty of Medicine and the Diabetes Unit at Wolfson Medical Center, and Prof. Oren Froy of Hebrew University Jerusalem.
Attempting to avoid sweets entirely can create a psychological addiction to these same foods in the long-term, explains Prof. Jakubowicz.
Adding dessert items to breakfast can control cravings throughout the rest of the day. Over the course of a 32 week-long study, detailed in the journal Steroids, participants who added dessert to their breakfast -- cookies, cake, or chocolate -- lost an average of 40 lbs. more than a group that avoided such foods. What's more, they kept off the pounds longer.
The scale tells the tale
A meal in the morning provides energy for the day's tasks, aids in brain functioning, and kick-starts the body's metabolism, making it crucial for weight loss and maintenance. And breakfast is the meal that most successfully regulates ghrelin, the hormone that increases hunger, explains Prof. Jakubowicz. While the level of ghrelin rises before every meal, it is suppressed most effectively at breakfast time.
Basing their study on this fact, the researchers hoped to determine whether meal time and composition impacted weight loss in the short and long term, says Prof. Jakubowicz, or if it was a simple matter of calorie count.
One hundred and ninety three clinically obese, non-diabetic adults were randomly assigned to one of two diet groups with identical caloric intake -- the men consumed 1600 calories per day and the women 1400. However, the first group was given a low carbohydrate diet including a small 300 calorie breakfast, and the second was given a 600 calorie breakfast high in protein and carbohydrates, always including a dessert item (i.e. chocolate).
Halfway through the study, participants in both groups had lost an average of 33 lbs. per person. But in the second half of the study, results differed drastically. The participants in the low-carbohydrate group regained an average of 22 lbs. per person, but participants in the group with a larger breakfast lost another 15 lbs. each. At the end of the 32 weeks, those who had consumed a 600 calorie breakfast had lost an average of 40 lbs. more per person than their peers.
Realistic in the long run
One of the biggest challenges that people face is keeping weight off in the long-term, says Prof. Jakubowicz. Ingesting a higher proportion of our daily calories at breakfast makes sense. It's not only good for body function, but it also alleviates cravings. Highly restrictive diets that forbid desserts and carbohydrates are initially effective, but often cause dieters to stray from their food plans as a result of withdrawal-like symptoms. They wind up regaining much of the weight they lost during the diet proper.
Though they consumed the same daily amount of calories, "the participants in the low carbohydrate diet group had less satisfaction, and felt that they were not full," she says, noting that their cravings for sugars and carbohydrates were more intense and eventually caused them to cheat on the diet plan. "But the group that consumed a bigger breakfast, including dessert, experienced few if any cravings for these foods later in the day."
Ultimately, this shows that a diet must be realistic to be adopted as part of a new lifestyle. Curbing cravings is better than deprivation for weight loss success, Prof. Jakubowicz concludes.
Click green for further info
Source: Tel Aviv University, Israel & Journal Steroids
_________________________________
Dark Chocolate Is More Filling Than Milk Chocolate And Lessens Cravings
Dec. 23, 2008 — New research at the Faculty of Life Sciences (LIFE) at the University of Copenhagen – shows that dark chocolate is far more filling than milk chocolate, lessening our craving for sweet, salty and fatty foods. In other words, eating dark chocolate may be an efficient way to keep your weight down year round including over the holidays.
We have known for a long time that it is healthier to eat dark chocolate, preferably with over 70 % cocoa, but now scientists at the Department of Human Nutrition at LIFE, University of Copenhagen, have found that dark chocolate also gives more of a feeling of satiety than milk chocolate.
Chocolate experiment
To compare the effects of dark and milk chocolate on both appetite and subsequent calorie intake, 16 young and healthy men of normal weight who all liked both dark and milk chocolate took part in a so-called crossover experiment. This meant that they reported for two separate sessions, the first time testing the dark chocolate, and the second time the milk chocolate.
They had all fasted for 12 hours beforehand and were offered 100g of chocolate, which they consumed in the course of 15 minutes. The calorific content was virtually the same for the milk and dark chocolate.
During the following 5 hours, participants were asked to register their appetite every half hour, i.e. their hunger, satiety, craving for special foods and how they liked the chocolate.
Results
Two and a half hours after eating the chocolate, participants were offered pizza ad lib. They were instructed to eat until they felt comfortably satiated. After the meal, the individuals’ calorie intake was registered.
The results were significant. The calorie intake at the subsequent meal where they could eat as much pizza as they liked was 15 per cent lower when they had eaten dark chocolate beforehand.
The participants also stated that the plain chocolate made them feel less like eating sweet, salty or fatty foods.
So apart from providing us with the healthier fatty acids and many antioxidants, dark chocolate, preferably with more than 70 % of cocoa, can now also help us steer clear of all the sweet, salty and fattening foods.
Click green for further info
Source: Faculty of Life Sciences (LIFE) at the University of Copenhagen
____________________________________________
Important health information - apply
Quotation "Knowledge is no power - only applied knowledge is power"
(Dr Christian - STAF, Inc.)
The Link Between Stress and Weight Gain
When you read about weight loss techniques, it often seems so simple. Exercise more and consume fewer calories.
But sometimes, no matter how many miles you run, or how healthy your diet is, you just can’t seem to get the weight off!
What’s going on there?
It could be a number of factors, from what medication you’re taking to the quality of your sleep or the health of your gut—or it could simply boil down to your level of stress.
According to Dr. Libby Weaver, author of “Rushing Woman’s Syndrome” and “Accidentally Overweight,” living under a constant state of low-grade stress causes your body to release the hormone cortisol.
Unfortunately, having too much cortisol in the body will cause weight gain in the belly, back, and behind the arms. The extra fat would help keep you alive if you were facing a famine. But instead of a famine, what you are facing are more emails, errands, and responsibilities than you can keep up with, so you end up in a constant state of feeling that there is simply not enough time.
So when your body gets the signal you are not safe, the only way to bring it out of this protective mode of retaining fat is to slow down and relax.
Slowing Down
Often, stress is a result of having a to-do list that is longer than you can finish in one day. A simple way to reduce stress is through better planning.
Think about how much time things will take you, and how much energy you have to get it done. If you end up planning far more things than you actually have the time and energy for, you will likely end up feeling stressed out at the end of the day.
When you add too much to your to-do list at the expense of self-care, your mind will force you to slow down. That’s usually when you’ll crave a smoke, coffee, soda, sugar, or some kind of five-hour energy drink. These stimulants only serve to fuel more stress.
You end up making mistakes, living in a chaotic environment of clutter and unfinished projects, and lacking the wisdom you need to get things done well.
Instead, create time for slowing down. For example, if you eat breakfast in five minutes, then take 10 minutes. If you eat it in 10 minutes, take 15 minutes.
Take at least a full 30 minutes for lunch and dinner. Refrain from multi-tasking as you eat. See what happens if you just sit and eat. Pause between bites, and chew each bite thoroughly.
What is likely to happen is that you will feel more energy at the end of the meal because you will have kept your stress levels at bay, and taken the time to break each bite down by thoroughly chewing it.
Chewing thoroughly ensures that food gets broken down before entering the stomach organ, and powerful digestive enzymes get released. Your body won’t have to spend as much energy breaking the food down in the stomach, and will feel energized from the food rather than drained.
Paying Attention
When you pay attention to eating rather than multitasking through your meal, you may notice ways in which you use chaos and stress in your life to deal with underlying attachments.
When we are busy we don’t need to face ourselves, but when we slow down and get really present, suddenly it’s just us and … a void, or a pain, or a discomfort. Who wants to sit with that? Isn’t it easier to be busy? Temporarily it is easier, but we will never really feel at peace when we chronically run away from discomfort.
If you commit to paying more attention during set periods of time throughout your day, you begin to notice times when you may lack ease. Take a step back and observe that discomfort with an objective eye. No need to fix it, just notice it, and get curious about what the discomfort is about. Breathe slowly and deeply as you do that to help keep your stress levels calm.
The more you do that, the stronger your muscle for tolerance gets.You’ll become more self aware, and more clear about what you need to do to handle your emotional stressors.
When you no longer live under a chronic umbrella of stress, your cortisol levels will go down. As a result, your body no longer needs to retain fat like it did when in the stressed state, and you can start to drop the weight.
Tysan Lerner is a certified health coach and personal trainer. She helps women attain their body and beauty goals without starving themselves or spending hours at the gym. Her website is www.lavendermamas.com
Source: The Epoc Times Health
_________________________________________________
Quotation "Knowledge is no power - only applied knowledge is power"
(Dr Christian - STAF, Inc.)
The Link Between Stress and Weight Gain
When you read about weight loss techniques, it often seems so simple. Exercise more and consume fewer calories.
But sometimes, no matter how many miles you run, or how healthy your diet is, you just can’t seem to get the weight off!
What’s going on there?
It could be a number of factors, from what medication you’re taking to the quality of your sleep or the health of your gut—or it could simply boil down to your level of stress.
According to Dr. Libby Weaver, author of “Rushing Woman’s Syndrome” and “Accidentally Overweight,” living under a constant state of low-grade stress causes your body to release the hormone cortisol.
Unfortunately, having too much cortisol in the body will cause weight gain in the belly, back, and behind the arms. The extra fat would help keep you alive if you were facing a famine. But instead of a famine, what you are facing are more emails, errands, and responsibilities than you can keep up with, so you end up in a constant state of feeling that there is simply not enough time.
So when your body gets the signal you are not safe, the only way to bring it out of this protective mode of retaining fat is to slow down and relax.
Slowing Down
Often, stress is a result of having a to-do list that is longer than you can finish in one day. A simple way to reduce stress is through better planning.
Think about how much time things will take you, and how much energy you have to get it done. If you end up planning far more things than you actually have the time and energy for, you will likely end up feeling stressed out at the end of the day.
When you add too much to your to-do list at the expense of self-care, your mind will force you to slow down. That’s usually when you’ll crave a smoke, coffee, soda, sugar, or some kind of five-hour energy drink. These stimulants only serve to fuel more stress.
You end up making mistakes, living in a chaotic environment of clutter and unfinished projects, and lacking the wisdom you need to get things done well.
Instead, create time for slowing down. For example, if you eat breakfast in five minutes, then take 10 minutes. If you eat it in 10 minutes, take 15 minutes.
Take at least a full 30 minutes for lunch and dinner. Refrain from multi-tasking as you eat. See what happens if you just sit and eat. Pause between bites, and chew each bite thoroughly.
What is likely to happen is that you will feel more energy at the end of the meal because you will have kept your stress levels at bay, and taken the time to break each bite down by thoroughly chewing it.
Chewing thoroughly ensures that food gets broken down before entering the stomach organ, and powerful digestive enzymes get released. Your body won’t have to spend as much energy breaking the food down in the stomach, and will feel energized from the food rather than drained.
Paying Attention
When you pay attention to eating rather than multitasking through your meal, you may notice ways in which you use chaos and stress in your life to deal with underlying attachments.
When we are busy we don’t need to face ourselves, but when we slow down and get really present, suddenly it’s just us and … a void, or a pain, or a discomfort. Who wants to sit with that? Isn’t it easier to be busy? Temporarily it is easier, but we will never really feel at peace when we chronically run away from discomfort.
If you commit to paying more attention during set periods of time throughout your day, you begin to notice times when you may lack ease. Take a step back and observe that discomfort with an objective eye. No need to fix it, just notice it, and get curious about what the discomfort is about. Breathe slowly and deeply as you do that to help keep your stress levels calm.
The more you do that, the stronger your muscle for tolerance gets.You’ll become more self aware, and more clear about what you need to do to handle your emotional stressors.
When you no longer live under a chronic umbrella of stress, your cortisol levels will go down. As a result, your body no longer needs to retain fat like it did when in the stressed state, and you can start to drop the weight.
Tysan Lerner is a certified health coach and personal trainer. She helps women attain their body and beauty goals without starving themselves or spending hours at the gym. Her website is www.lavendermamas.com
Source: The Epoc Times Health
_________________________________________________
Important health info
Some doctors balk at the idea of trying to change
patient's personality, but a new study suggests
that they're doing it already
Click green for further info
The results show that talk therapy or psychiatric medications can change personality in healthy people and those with psychological disorders. What's more, changes can be relativity rapid, occurring over a four- to seven-month period, and long-lasting, continuing years after therapy, according to the study.
Most mental health professionals don't think about psychiatric treatments as a means of changing personality — they view treatments as a way to change behavior, said study researcher Brent Roberts, a professor of psychology at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
The findings are provocative, the researchers say, because for a long time, psychologists thought personality traits were static. While some recent research suggests that personality traits can change over time, most had assumed this change was difficult and incremental — not a quick process.
A lot of people get upset by the idea of changing personality because "they feel like you're screwing with somebody's intrinsic nature," Roberts said. But, "We're already changing [patient's] personality traits, whether we like it or not."
The findings present a new way of looking at how psychiatric therapies work, and raise the question of whether interventions should more directly target personality. Personality traits affect many different areas of life — including relationships, and school and work success —although their consequences often go unnoticed, Roberts said.
"We know that people who are less anxious and more conscientiousness*) do better in school and the labor market," Roberts said. Perhaps by doing an intervention on young people, to make them more conscientiousness, "you may make them more successful in their jobs at 40," he said.
*) the state of being thorough, careful, or vigilant; it implies a desire to do a task well
Click: Conscientiousness - Wikipedia
Unintentional personality change
In the study, Roberts and colleagues reviewed 144 studies involving more than 15,000 people. The studies all employed some type of intervention — such as talk therapy, antidepressant medications, meditation, or cognitive training — and an assessment of personality traits. But none intentionally tried to change personality.
There was a significant change in the personalities of people who underwent interventions, compared with people in control groups in the studies, who did not, the researchers found. The biggest changes were seen in people with psychiatric disorders, such as depression and anxiety. But even healthy people had personality changes, most noticeably if they took medication, Roberts said.
The personality traits that changed the most were neuroticism, a tendency to experience negative emotions such as anxiety and depressed mood; and extroversion, a tendency to be sociable, outgoing and experience more positive emotions.
In some ways, it is not surprising these treatments would change personality because there is overlap between personality traits and mental disorders. For instance, a lot of the characteristics of the trait of neuroticism can be symptoms of depression, said Thomas F. Oltmanns, a psychologist at Washington University in St. Louis, Mo.
Early results from Roberts' study were presented in May 2013 at the Association for Psychological Science meeting in Washington D.C. The study has not yet been published in a peer-reviewed journal.
Personality and health
Doctors who treat physical health conditions might also want to think more critically about the role of personality, Oltmanns said. Unhealthy habits, such as smoking, drinking, physical inactivity and overeating, are related to personality traits, he said.
Some studies show that when people quit smoking, they also exercise more and lose weight, Roberts said, indicating that an aspect of their personality may have changed and affected multiple behaviors. Studies also suggest that weight gain is linked with personality change.
While psychiatric treatments may improve neuroticism, more research is needed to understand how to improve other personality traits, such as conscientiousness, that may have an effect on health, Roberts said.
More research needed
However, before researchers know for sure how much personality change can improve lives, they need to get better at measuring people's personalities and behaviors, experts say.
"I think understanding personality, personality change and personality stability is crucial for the mental health field, yet do not think we are at a point to make prescriptions on what clients or clinicians should be doing yet," said Christopher Nave at psychologist at Rutgers University in New Jersey.
Some studies suggest that problems with assessing personality may have led to an overestimation of how much personality really changes over time.
"An anecdote would be that you never hear someone say it was a lot easier to change [their] partner/spouse's personality than they initially thought," Nave said.
Other studies show that, when researchers examine people's own reports of their personality traits, the traits improve over time, but if researchers examine their spouses' reports, the traits get worse, Oltmanns said. So including partners' reports as well as self-reports in personality trait assessment may help doctors better understand the role personality plays in different aspects of life, Oltmanns said.
Nave said researchers are also not very good at measuring behavior outside of a laboratory. "To make a determination of whether clinicians can focus more on changing personality versus behavior requires a more systematic examination of what people actually do," Nave said.
Click green for further info
Some doctors balk at the idea of trying to change
patient's personality, but a new study suggests
that they're doing it already
Click green for further info
The results show that talk therapy or psychiatric medications can change personality in healthy people and those with psychological disorders. What's more, changes can be relativity rapid, occurring over a four- to seven-month period, and long-lasting, continuing years after therapy, according to the study.
Most mental health professionals don't think about psychiatric treatments as a means of changing personality — they view treatments as a way to change behavior, said study researcher Brent Roberts, a professor of psychology at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
The findings are provocative, the researchers say, because for a long time, psychologists thought personality traits were static. While some recent research suggests that personality traits can change over time, most had assumed this change was difficult and incremental — not a quick process.
A lot of people get upset by the idea of changing personality because "they feel like you're screwing with somebody's intrinsic nature," Roberts said. But, "We're already changing [patient's] personality traits, whether we like it or not."
The findings present a new way of looking at how psychiatric therapies work, and raise the question of whether interventions should more directly target personality. Personality traits affect many different areas of life — including relationships, and school and work success —although their consequences often go unnoticed, Roberts said.
"We know that people who are less anxious and more conscientiousness*) do better in school and the labor market," Roberts said. Perhaps by doing an intervention on young people, to make them more conscientiousness, "you may make them more successful in their jobs at 40," he said.
*) the state of being thorough, careful, or vigilant; it implies a desire to do a task well
Click: Conscientiousness - Wikipedia
Unintentional personality change
In the study, Roberts and colleagues reviewed 144 studies involving more than 15,000 people. The studies all employed some type of intervention — such as talk therapy, antidepressant medications, meditation, or cognitive training — and an assessment of personality traits. But none intentionally tried to change personality.
There was a significant change in the personalities of people who underwent interventions, compared with people in control groups in the studies, who did not, the researchers found. The biggest changes were seen in people with psychiatric disorders, such as depression and anxiety. But even healthy people had personality changes, most noticeably if they took medication, Roberts said.
The personality traits that changed the most were neuroticism, a tendency to experience negative emotions such as anxiety and depressed mood; and extroversion, a tendency to be sociable, outgoing and experience more positive emotions.
In some ways, it is not surprising these treatments would change personality because there is overlap between personality traits and mental disorders. For instance, a lot of the characteristics of the trait of neuroticism can be symptoms of depression, said Thomas F. Oltmanns, a psychologist at Washington University in St. Louis, Mo.
Early results from Roberts' study were presented in May 2013 at the Association for Psychological Science meeting in Washington D.C. The study has not yet been published in a peer-reviewed journal.
Personality and health
Doctors who treat physical health conditions might also want to think more critically about the role of personality, Oltmanns said. Unhealthy habits, such as smoking, drinking, physical inactivity and overeating, are related to personality traits, he said.
Some studies show that when people quit smoking, they also exercise more and lose weight, Roberts said, indicating that an aspect of their personality may have changed and affected multiple behaviors. Studies also suggest that weight gain is linked with personality change.
While psychiatric treatments may improve neuroticism, more research is needed to understand how to improve other personality traits, such as conscientiousness, that may have an effect on health, Roberts said.
More research needed
However, before researchers know for sure how much personality change can improve lives, they need to get better at measuring people's personalities and behaviors, experts say.
"I think understanding personality, personality change and personality stability is crucial for the mental health field, yet do not think we are at a point to make prescriptions on what clients or clinicians should be doing yet," said Christopher Nave at psychologist at Rutgers University in New Jersey.
Some studies suggest that problems with assessing personality may have led to an overestimation of how much personality really changes over time.
"An anecdote would be that you never hear someone say it was a lot easier to change [their] partner/spouse's personality than they initially thought," Nave said.
Other studies show that, when researchers examine people's own reports of their personality traits, the traits improve over time, but if researchers examine their spouses' reports, the traits get worse, Oltmanns said. So including partners' reports as well as self-reports in personality trait assessment may help doctors better understand the role personality plays in different aspects of life, Oltmanns said.
Nave said researchers are also not very good at measuring behavior outside of a laboratory. "To make a determination of whether clinicians can focus more on changing personality versus behavior requires a more systematic examination of what people actually do," Nave said.
Click green for further info
- 5 Controversial Mental Health Treatments
- 7 Ways the Mind and Body Change With Age
- 10 Easy Paths to Self Destruction Source: Early results from Roberts' study were presented in May 2013 at the Association for Psychological Science meeting in Washington D.C. Study the article below: Weight Gain May Change Personality __________________________________________________________________________________________
Weight Gain May Change Personality
Putting on pounds might not only change your physical appearance; it could change your personality, too
Click green for further info
After gaining a significant amount of weight, people may grow more self-conscious about their choices, while at the same time being weaker in the face of temptation, a new study finds.
Researchers already have an idea about how personality traits contribute to weight gain. For instance, people pleasers tend to eat more at parties, conscientious folk are more likely to have a regular exercise routine, and those with a Type A personality may be at increased risk for health problems like weight gain and heart disease. These are all averages, of course, and every person with a certain personality won't fall into the associated health group.
"What we don't know is whether significant changes in weight are associated with changes in our core personality traits," Angelina Sutin of the Florida State University College of Medicine said in a statement. "Weight can be such an emotional issue, we thought that weight gain may lead to long-term changes in psychological functioning."
[The 7 Biggest Diet Myths Debunked]
Sutin and her colleagues at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) looked at data on the personality traits and weights of more than 1,900 people at two time points, nearly a decade apart.
During that period, those who gained more than 10 percent of their body weight became more impulsive and were more likely to give in to temptations compared with those whose weight remained stable, the researchers found.
At the same time, weight gain was also associated with increased thoughtfulness in decision making. These results held regardless of how much participants weighed, specifically their body mass index (BMI, or a measure of body fatness) at the beginning of the study.
The researchers speculate that people who have put on pounds might feel more self-conscious about their actions because of negative comments they've received about their weight. But they may still have trouble keeping temptations at bay even as they become more aware of their choices, and those effects can snowball, the researchers say.
"The inability to control cravings may reinforce a vicious cycle that weakens the self-control muscle," the researchers wrote on April 29 in the journal Psychological Science. "Yielding to temptation today may reduce the ability to resist cravings tomorrow. Thus, individuals who gain weight may have increased risk for additional weight gain through changes in their personality."
Click green for further info
Source:
The study drew from NIH's Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging, whose participants ranged from middle to older age with an average age of about 59 at the study's start, and the Baltimore Epidemiologic Catchment Area study, whose participants were younger, with an average age of about 45 at the study's start.
______________________________________________
Putting on pounds might not only change your physical appearance; it could change your personality, too
Click green for further info
After gaining a significant amount of weight, people may grow more self-conscious about their choices, while at the same time being weaker in the face of temptation, a new study finds.
Researchers already have an idea about how personality traits contribute to weight gain. For instance, people pleasers tend to eat more at parties, conscientious folk are more likely to have a regular exercise routine, and those with a Type A personality may be at increased risk for health problems like weight gain and heart disease. These are all averages, of course, and every person with a certain personality won't fall into the associated health group.
"What we don't know is whether significant changes in weight are associated with changes in our core personality traits," Angelina Sutin of the Florida State University College of Medicine said in a statement. "Weight can be such an emotional issue, we thought that weight gain may lead to long-term changes in psychological functioning."
[The 7 Biggest Diet Myths Debunked]
Sutin and her colleagues at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) looked at data on the personality traits and weights of more than 1,900 people at two time points, nearly a decade apart.
During that period, those who gained more than 10 percent of their body weight became more impulsive and were more likely to give in to temptations compared with those whose weight remained stable, the researchers found.
At the same time, weight gain was also associated with increased thoughtfulness in decision making. These results held regardless of how much participants weighed, specifically their body mass index (BMI, or a measure of body fatness) at the beginning of the study.
The researchers speculate that people who have put on pounds might feel more self-conscious about their actions because of negative comments they've received about their weight. But they may still have trouble keeping temptations at bay even as they become more aware of their choices, and those effects can snowball, the researchers say.
"The inability to control cravings may reinforce a vicious cycle that weakens the self-control muscle," the researchers wrote on April 29 in the journal Psychological Science. "Yielding to temptation today may reduce the ability to resist cravings tomorrow. Thus, individuals who gain weight may have increased risk for additional weight gain through changes in their personality."
Click green for further info
Source:
The study drew from NIH's Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging, whose participants ranged from middle to older age with an average age of about 59 at the study's start, and the Baltimore Epidemiologic Catchment Area study, whose participants were younger, with an average age of about 45 at the study's start.
______________________________________________
Tongue Patch Surgery:
Risky Weight Loss Procedure Draws Criticism
STAF, Inc. does not endorse this solution, the tongue patch surgery - the risks are too many.
Instead get involved the healthy choice developed by STAF, Inc.
See the article 2 of 2 just above "STAF Inc.'s comment to internet articles
Click green for further info
There is a dangerous weight loss fad in Beverly Hills, and it's not pretty. In order to lose as many as 30 pounds in a single month, patients are having postage-stamp size pieces of rough plastic sewn onto their tongues, making it impossible for them to eat.
The plastic is attached with six stitches and left in place for up to one month. It makes eating solid food so painful that the patient is forced to drink only liquids, which which causes rapid weight loss. The procedure was developed by Dr. Nikolas Chugay, whose California clinic is the only place in the United States that offers the surgery, which has not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration.
"I see no harm in a minimally invasive procedure to help that overweight/obese patient," wrote Dr. Chugay, who calls it a "Miracle Patch" in response to critics on YouTube. "This procedure is not the solution to the person's problems but a way in which we can create a pattern to interrupt and help that patient get back on course." He pairs the procedure with a special 800-calorie liquid diet to maximize weight loss.
He may call it minimally invasive, but the plastic patch is still plenty risky. On his website, Dr. Chugay warns that patients may experience tongue swelling for one to two days after the operation, and that "speech may be affected during this time." The patch is made of marlex, a material usually used during hernia repair, and must be removed after a month otherwise the tongue starts to grow around and into it.
Dangerous weight loss trends are nothing new -- and they don't really help you lose much weight. When people wired their mouths shut in order to avoid eating solid foods, they ended up drinking milkshakes and other high-calorie foods anyway. Juice fasts are popular right now, but you lose out on fiber, can end up undernourished, and your metabolism slows down, which makes it harder to fight the fat. Ultra-low calorie diets that focus on just one type of food (think the Cabbage Diet and the Grapefruit Diet) and pretty much any diet followed by Victoria's Secret models is almost certain to be dangerous in the long run.
Dr. Richard Chaffoo, plastic surgeon in La Jolla, California, who holds certifications from the American Board of Plastic Surgery, American Board of Otolaryngology (= the study of diseases of the ear, nose, and throat - also called "ENT"), and American Board of Facial and Plastic Reconstructive Surgery, called the tongue patch procedure dangerous, flawed, and unethical.
"Basically, this is a sham, an unethical procedure," he told in a telephone interview. "You're swallowing all the time, every day. Every time you yawn, you move, you open your mouth. Your tongue doesn't just sit there until you eat something. So I think the basic theory is flawed."
The potential problems from such a surgery go beyond what Dr. Chugay discloses on his website, Dr. Chaffoo told Yahoo! Shine.
"With any kind of thing you put in there and suture into the tongue, you run the risk of getting an infection," Dr. Chaffoo explained. "You're going to be drooling a lot, it's going to be really painful. Anything that's in there that shouldn't be there is going to rub the surface raw. You could get an ulcer, an infection. It could dislodge and go down your throat and cause an airway obstruction."
The 800-calorie-a-day liquid diet that goes with the tongue patch is also problematic, Dr. Chaffoo told Yahoo! Shine.
"What will happen is the body will actually begin to eat it's own tissue," he explained. "You'll have muscle loss. You'll starve yourself to death."
Dr. Chugay says he's consulted with about 100 people and performed the procedure on about 60 of them since 2009. Chuguy's procedure is becoming a craze in Venezuela. Ana Maria Parra of Obesiesbel, a clinic in Caracas, Venezuela, told Time that she has seen about 900 potential patients each month since she started offering the patch in 2011. There, the surgery is much less expensive—just $150, compared to $2,000 at Dr. Chugay's clinic in California. Time points out that the cheap cost could encourage plastic surgery tourism for the dicey operation.
Yomaira Zamora of Charallave, Venezuela, confirmed that the patch is as painful as it looks. "At the start you can’t even move your tongue for the pain. I’ve tried to eat solid food but it’s impossible," she told Time. "It’s a huge inconvenience, but I’m doing it to feel better about myself. I was very fat."
Her aunt, Vilmaris Ojeda, got the tongue patch surgery at the same time. "It seems extreme," she admits. "But the challenge is going to come once they take it out. Not eating is easy when you physically can't."
Experts like Dr. Chaffoo agree.
"Weight loss is really a change in your lifestyle". "You really have to decide how being overweight or eating the incorrect foods impacts you and impacts yourself. If you don't change your lifestyle, you're going to go back to eating that way anyway."
*) Otolaryngology: A medical and surgical specialty concerned with the diagnosis, management, and treatment of diseases and disorders of the ear, nose, throat (ENT) and related structures of the head and neck, including the sinuses, larynx (voice box), oral cavity, and upper pharynx (mouth and throat). Subspecialty areas within otolaryngology include pediatric otolaryngology (children), otology/neurotology (ears, balance, andtinnitus), allergy, facial plastic and reconstructive surgery, head and neck, laryngology (throat), and rhinology (nose). Some otolaryngologists limit their practices to one or more of these seven areas. Otolaryngology is commonly called ENT. It is the oldest medical specialty in the US.
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____________________________________________________________
Article 1 of 2 2 of 2 next below has the same topic presented by the Mayo clinic - study both well & apply
Food Poisoning
Quotation "Knowledge is no power - only applied knowledge is power"
(Dr Christian, STAF,Inc. President)
How to avoid food poisoning
Click green for further info
Each year, more than 76 million Americans are sickened by foodborne illnesses,
which affect all age, ethnic and income groups
Although we're quick to point fingers at restaurants and food companies for causing uncomfortable side
effects, it's our own responsibility to take action by keep ourselves from getting sick from food
Especially in a warm climate,
it's important to be vigilant about how food is handled
Here are some food-safety measures you can practice (1) at home and keep in mind (2) when traveling:
• Keep hot food hot (temperatures between 160 degrees to 212 degrees Fahrenheit destroy most bacteria).
• Keep cold food cold (40 degrees Fahrenheit or below = 3 - 6 Celcius).
• If you're watching your weight, it could be a good practice to leave some food over, but leftovers should not stay out of the refrigerator for longer than two hours. In hot weather (90 degrees Fahrenheit or above), this time is reduced to one hour.
• Cook food thoroughly, following the food safety label found on packages. A food thermometer is an inexpensive investment that could save you money in doctor bills.
• Keep raw food, such as meat and poultry, separate from produce and cooked foods to prevent cross-contamination, and keep work surfaces clean. The use of color-coded cutting boards makes this a simple practice.
• Be aware of the tools used during cooking. Never use the same utensils for raw meat, poultry or seafood as you would use to prepare produce or ready-to-eat foods without thoroughly washing them.
• Be sure to wash your hands before, during and after handling food. Proper hand-washing may eliminate nearly half of all cases of food poisoning, and can even significantly reduce the spread of the common cold and flu.
• For more on why it's so important to clean, separate, cook and chill, visit (click green)
(1) foodsafety.gov, (2) HomeFoodSafety.org and
(3) cdc.gov/foodsafety/diseases.
Perhaps it's also important to take a closer look at your eating behaviors, and not just look at the foods you're eating. No one will remember how great their food tasted if they got sick after it was swallowed.
What to eat to stay healthy and to avoid overweight, obesity & sickness? The quotations below have the answer.
Put both of the on your refrigerator door t o see them every day and every time you visit your kitchen.
Study food related article in this page & University & College page & Radio/TV show pages as well as the Home page.
Quotation: "If it came from a plant, eat it - if it was made in a plant don't - it kills"
Quotation: "To stay healthy you need to eat what your body wants, not what you want"
Dr Christian (STAF, Inc. President)
Source:
Click: cdc.gov/foodsafety/diseases
____________________________________________
Article 2 of 2 By Mayo Clinic staff
Food Poisoning
Click green above to connect to Mayo Clinic
Here are steps you can take
to prevent food poisoning at home:
Food poisoning is especially serious and potentially life-threatening for young children, pregnant women and their fetuses, older adults, and people with weakened immune systems.
These individuals should take extra precautions by avoiding the following foods:
_________________________________
Important info
Pregnancy nutrition:
Foods to avoid during pregnancy
By Mayo Clinic staff
More foods can affect your health or your baby's health than you might realize
Find out what foods to avoid during pregnancy. You want what's best for your baby
That's why you add sliced fruit to your fortified breakfast cereal, top your salads with chickpeas and snack on soy nuts
But: do you know what foods to avoid during pregnancy?
Here the answers
Start with the basics in pregnancy nutrition. Understanding what foods to avoid during pregnancy can help you make the healthiest choices for you and your baby.
Avoid seafood high in mercury - avoid all farm-raised they are filthy most of them fed with man-made pellets containing chemicals. Farm-raised fish in many cases literally swim in their on feces.
The bigger the fish the more mercury & other poisons because the bigger fish has been eating much smaller fish that are more or less contaminated with the same poisons.
Seafood can be a great source of protein, and the omega-3 fatty acids in many fish can promote your baby's brain development. However, some fish and shellfish contain potentially dangerous levels of mercury. Too much mercury could damage your baby's developing nervous system.
The bigger and older the fish, the more mercury it's likely to contain. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) encourage pregnant women to avoid:
up to 12 ounces (340 grams) a week.
Similarly, the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend 8 to 12 ounces of seafood a week for pregnant women. That's about two average meals of:
Avoid raw, undercooked or contaminated seafood
To avoid harmful bacteria or viruses in seafood:
During pregnancy, you're at increased risk of bacterial food poisoning. Your reaction might be more severe than if you weren't pregnant. Rarely, food poisoning affects the baby, too.
To prevent foodborne illness:
Avoid unpasteurized foods
Many low-fat dairy products — such as skim milk, mozzarella cheese and cottage cheese — can be a healthy part of your diet. Anything containing unpasteurized milk, however, is a no-no. These products could lead to foodborne illness.
Unless these soft cheeses are clearly labeled as being pasteurized or made with pasteurized milk, don't eat:
Avoid unwashed fruits and vegetables
To eliminate any harmful bacteria, thoroughly wash all raw fruits and vegetables and cut away damaged portions. Avoid raw sprouts of any kind — including alfalfa, clover, radish and mung bean — which also might contain disease-causing bacteria. Be sure to cook sprouts thoroughly.
Avoid large quantities of vitamin A
Too much vitamin A can cause birth defects. The Institute of Medicine recommends that pregnant women age 19 and older get 2,565 international units (IU) of vitamin A daily. For perspective, 3 ounces of cooked beef liver contains 27,185 IU and 3 ounces of cooked chicken liver contains 12,325 IU.
Avoid excess caffeine
Caffeine can cross the placenta and affect your baby's heart rate. While further research is needed, some studies suggest that drinking too much caffeine during pregnancy might be associated with an increased risk of miscarriage. Because of the potential effects on your developing baby, your health care provider might recommend limiting the amount of caffeine in your diet to less than 200 milligrams a day during pregnancy. For perspective, an 8-ounce cup of brewed coffee contains about 95 milligrams of caffeine, an 8-ounce cup of brewed tea contains about 47 milligrams and a 12-ounce caffeinated cola soft drink contains about 29 milligrams.
Avoid herbal tea
There's little data on the effects of specific herbs on developing babies. As a result, avoid drinking herbal tea unless your health care provider says it's OK — even the types of herbal tea marketed specifically to pregnant women.
Avoid alcohol
One drink isn't likely to hurt your baby, but no level of alcohol has been proved safe during pregnancy. The safest bet is to avoid alcohol entirely.
Consider the risks. Mothers who drink alcohol have a higher risk of miscarriage and stillbirth. Too much alcohol during pregnancy can result in fetal alcohol syndrome, which can cause facial deformities, heart problems, low birth weight and mental retardation. Even moderate drinking can impact your baby's brain development.
If you're concerned about alcohol you drank before you knew you were pregnant or you think you need help to stop drinking, consult your health care provider.
______________________
PR00109May 28, 2011
© 1998-2013 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research (MFMER). All rights reserved. A single copy of these materials may be reprinted for noncommercial personal use only. "Mayo," "Mayo Clinic," "MayoClinic.com," "EmbodyHealth," "Enhance your life," and the triple-shield Mayo Clinic logo are trademarks of Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research.
_________________________________
Food Poisoning
Quotation "Knowledge is no power - only applied knowledge is power"
(Dr Christian, STAF,Inc. President)
How to avoid food poisoning
Click green for further info
Each year, more than 76 million Americans are sickened by foodborne illnesses,
which affect all age, ethnic and income groups
Although we're quick to point fingers at restaurants and food companies for causing uncomfortable side
effects, it's our own responsibility to take action by keep ourselves from getting sick from food
Especially in a warm climate,
it's important to be vigilant about how food is handled
Here are some food-safety measures you can practice (1) at home and keep in mind (2) when traveling:
• Keep hot food hot (temperatures between 160 degrees to 212 degrees Fahrenheit destroy most bacteria).
• Keep cold food cold (40 degrees Fahrenheit or below = 3 - 6 Celcius).
• If you're watching your weight, it could be a good practice to leave some food over, but leftovers should not stay out of the refrigerator for longer than two hours. In hot weather (90 degrees Fahrenheit or above), this time is reduced to one hour.
• Cook food thoroughly, following the food safety label found on packages. A food thermometer is an inexpensive investment that could save you money in doctor bills.
• Keep raw food, such as meat and poultry, separate from produce and cooked foods to prevent cross-contamination, and keep work surfaces clean. The use of color-coded cutting boards makes this a simple practice.
• Be aware of the tools used during cooking. Never use the same utensils for raw meat, poultry or seafood as you would use to prepare produce or ready-to-eat foods without thoroughly washing them.
• Be sure to wash your hands before, during and after handling food. Proper hand-washing may eliminate nearly half of all cases of food poisoning, and can even significantly reduce the spread of the common cold and flu.
• For more on why it's so important to clean, separate, cook and chill, visit (click green)
(1) foodsafety.gov, (2) HomeFoodSafety.org and
(3) cdc.gov/foodsafety/diseases.
Perhaps it's also important to take a closer look at your eating behaviors, and not just look at the foods you're eating. No one will remember how great their food tasted if they got sick after it was swallowed.
What to eat to stay healthy and to avoid overweight, obesity & sickness? The quotations below have the answer.
Put both of the on your refrigerator door t o see them every day and every time you visit your kitchen.
Study food related article in this page & University & College page & Radio/TV show pages as well as the Home page.
Quotation: "If it came from a plant, eat it - if it was made in a plant don't - it kills"
Quotation: "To stay healthy you need to eat what your body wants, not what you want"
Dr Christian (STAF, Inc. President)
Source:
Click: cdc.gov/foodsafety/diseases
____________________________________________
Article 2 of 2 By Mayo Clinic staff
Food Poisoning
Click green above to connect to Mayo Clinic
Here are steps you can take
to prevent food poisoning at home:
- Wash your hands, utensils and food surfaces often. Wash your hands well with warm, soapy water before and after handling or preparing food. Use hot, soapy water to wash the utensils, cutting board and other surfaces you use.
- Keep raw foods separate from ready-to-eat foods. When shopping, preparing food or storing food, keep raw meat, poultry, fish and shellfish away from other foods. This prevents cross-contamination.
- Cook foods to a safe temperature. The best way to tell if foods are cooked to a safe temperature is to use a food thermometer. You can kill harmful organisms in most foods by cooking them to the right temperature. Ground beef should be cooked to 160 F (71.1 C), while steaks and roasts should be cooked to at least 145 F (62.8 C). Pork needs to be cooked to at least 160 F (71.1C), and chicken and turkey need to be cooked to 165 F (73.9 C). Fish is generally well-cooked at 145 F (62.8 C).
- Refrigerate or freeze perishable foods promptly. Refrigerate or freeze perishable foods within two hours of purchasing or preparing them. If the room temperature is above 90 F (32.2 C), refrigerate perishable foods within one hour.
- Defrost food safely. Do not thaw foods at room temperature. The safest way to thaw foods is to defrost foods in the refrigerator or to microwave the food using the "defrost" or "50 percent power" setting. Running cold water over the food also safely thaws the food.
- Throw it out when in doubt. If you aren't sure if a food has been prepared, served or stored safely, discard it. Food left at room temperature too long may contain bacteria or toxins that can't be destroyed by cooking. Don't taste food that you're unsure about — just throw it out. Even if it looks and smells fine, it may not be safe to eat.
Food poisoning is especially serious and potentially life-threatening for young children, pregnant women and their fetuses, older adults, and people with weakened immune systems.
These individuals should take extra precautions by avoiding the following foods:
- Raw or rare meat and poultry
- Raw or undercooked fish or shellfish, including oysters, clams, mussels and scallops
- Raw or undercooked eggs or foods that may contain them, such as cookie dough and homemade ice cream
- Raw sprouts, such as alfalfa, bean, clover or radish sprouts
- Unpasteurized juices and ciders
- Unpasteurized milk and milk products
- Soft cheeses (such as feta, Brie and Camembert), blue-veined cheese and unpasteurized cheese
- Refrigerated pates and meat spreads
- Uncooked hot dogs, luncheon meats and deli meats
- Mayo Clinic products and services
- Book: Mayo Clinic Family Health Book, 4th Edition
- Newsletter: Mayo Clinic Health Letter
_________________________________
Important info
Pregnancy nutrition:
Foods to avoid during pregnancy
By Mayo Clinic staff
More foods can affect your health or your baby's health than you might realize
Find out what foods to avoid during pregnancy. You want what's best for your baby
That's why you add sliced fruit to your fortified breakfast cereal, top your salads with chickpeas and snack on soy nuts
But: do you know what foods to avoid during pregnancy?
Here the answers
Start with the basics in pregnancy nutrition. Understanding what foods to avoid during pregnancy can help you make the healthiest choices for you and your baby.
Avoid seafood high in mercury - avoid all farm-raised they are filthy most of them fed with man-made pellets containing chemicals. Farm-raised fish in many cases literally swim in their on feces.
The bigger the fish the more mercury & other poisons because the bigger fish has been eating much smaller fish that are more or less contaminated with the same poisons.
Seafood can be a great source of protein, and the omega-3 fatty acids in many fish can promote your baby's brain development. However, some fish and shellfish contain potentially dangerous levels of mercury. Too much mercury could damage your baby's developing nervous system.
The bigger and older the fish, the more mercury it's likely to contain. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) encourage pregnant women to avoid:
- Swordfish
- Shark
- King mackerel (but NOT the smaller mackerel - called just "mackerel"
- Tilefish
up to 12 ounces (340 grams) a week.
Similarly, the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend 8 to 12 ounces of seafood a week for pregnant women. That's about two average meals of:
- Shrimp
- Crab
- Canned light tuna (limit albacore tuna, chunk white tuna and tuna steak to no more than 6 ounces, or 170 grams, a week)
- Salmon
- Pollock
- Catfish
- Cod
- Tilapia
Avoid raw, undercooked or contaminated seafood
To avoid harmful bacteria or viruses in seafood:
- Avoid raw fish and shellfish. It's especially important to avoid oysters and clams.
- Avoid refrigerated smoked seafood, such as lox. It's OK to eat smoked seafood if it's an ingredient in a casserole or other cooked dish. Canned and shelf-stable versions also are safe.
- Understand local fish advisories. If you eat fish from local waters, pay attention to local fish advisories — especially if water pollution is a concern. If advice isn't available, limit the amount of fish from local waters you eat to 6 ounces (170 grams) a week and don't eat other fish that week.
- Cook seafood properly. Cook most fish to an internal temperature of 145 F (63 C). The fish is done when it separates into flakes and appears opaque throughout. Cook shrimp, lobster and scallops until they're milky white. Cook clams, mussels and oysters until their shells open. Discard any that don't open.
During pregnancy, you're at increased risk of bacterial food poisoning. Your reaction might be more severe than if you weren't pregnant. Rarely, food poisoning affects the baby, too.
To prevent foodborne illness:
- Fully cook all meats and poultry before eating. Use a meat thermometer to make sure.
- Cook hot dogs and processed deli meats, such as bologna, until they're steaming hot — or avoid them completely. They can be sources of a rare but potentially serious foodborne illness known as listeriosis.
- Avoid refrigerated pates and meat spreads. Canned and shelf-stable versions, however, are OK.
- Don't buy raw poultry that's been pre-stuffed. Raw juice that mixes with the stuffing can cause bacterial growth. Frozen poultry that's been pre-stuffed is safe when cooked from its frozen state.
- Cook eggs until the egg yolks and whites are firm. Raw eggs can be contaminated with the harmful bacteria salmonella. Avoid foods made with raw or partially cooked eggs, such as eggnog, raw batter, hollandaise sauce and Caesar salad dressing.
Avoid unpasteurized foods
Many low-fat dairy products — such as skim milk, mozzarella cheese and cottage cheese — can be a healthy part of your diet. Anything containing unpasteurized milk, however, is a no-no. These products could lead to foodborne illness.
Unless these soft cheeses are clearly labeled as being pasteurized or made with pasteurized milk, don't eat:
- Brie
- Feta
- Camembert
- Blue cheese
- Mexican-style cheeses, such as queso blanco, queso fresco and panela
Avoid unwashed fruits and vegetables
To eliminate any harmful bacteria, thoroughly wash all raw fruits and vegetables and cut away damaged portions. Avoid raw sprouts of any kind — including alfalfa, clover, radish and mung bean — which also might contain disease-causing bacteria. Be sure to cook sprouts thoroughly.
Avoid large quantities of vitamin A
Too much vitamin A can cause birth defects. The Institute of Medicine recommends that pregnant women age 19 and older get 2,565 international units (IU) of vitamin A daily. For perspective, 3 ounces of cooked beef liver contains 27,185 IU and 3 ounces of cooked chicken liver contains 12,325 IU.
Avoid excess caffeine
Caffeine can cross the placenta and affect your baby's heart rate. While further research is needed, some studies suggest that drinking too much caffeine during pregnancy might be associated with an increased risk of miscarriage. Because of the potential effects on your developing baby, your health care provider might recommend limiting the amount of caffeine in your diet to less than 200 milligrams a day during pregnancy. For perspective, an 8-ounce cup of brewed coffee contains about 95 milligrams of caffeine, an 8-ounce cup of brewed tea contains about 47 milligrams and a 12-ounce caffeinated cola soft drink contains about 29 milligrams.
Avoid herbal tea
There's little data on the effects of specific herbs on developing babies. As a result, avoid drinking herbal tea unless your health care provider says it's OK — even the types of herbal tea marketed specifically to pregnant women.
Avoid alcohol
One drink isn't likely to hurt your baby, but no level of alcohol has been proved safe during pregnancy. The safest bet is to avoid alcohol entirely.
Consider the risks. Mothers who drink alcohol have a higher risk of miscarriage and stillbirth. Too much alcohol during pregnancy can result in fetal alcohol syndrome, which can cause facial deformities, heart problems, low birth weight and mental retardation. Even moderate drinking can impact your baby's brain development.
If you're concerned about alcohol you drank before you knew you were pregnant or you think you need help to stop drinking, consult your health care provider.
______________________
- Article topics relating to pregnancy
- Click the green topic for further info
- Back pain during pregnancy: 7 tips for relief
- Sleep during pregnancy: Follow these tips
- Prenatal yoga: What you need to know
- Prenatal testing: Quick guide to common tests
- Prenatal testing: Is it right for you?
- Sex during pregnancy: What's OK, what's not
- Prenatal vitamins: Why they matter, how to choose
- Placenta: How it works, what's normal
- Smoking and pregnancy: Understand the risks
- Twin pregnancy: What multiples mean for mom
- Pregnancy nutrition: Healthy-eating basics
- Childbirth classes: Get ready for labor and delivery
- Working during pregnancy: Do's and don'ts
- Pregnancy weight gain: What's healthy?
- Pregnancy diet: Focus on these essential nutrients
- Pregnancy and fish: What's safe to eat?
- Pregnancy and exercise: Baby, let's move!
- Leg cramps during pregnancy: Preventable?
- Vaccines during pregnancy: Are they safe?
- Air travel during pregnancy: Is it safe?
- Flu shot in pregnancy: Is it safe?
- Pregnancy and hot tubs: What's the risk?
- Baby brain: Does it exist?
- Aspirin during pregnancy: Is it safe?
- Slide show: Fetal ultrasound
- Headaches during pregnancy: What's the best treatment?
- Flu and pregnancy: Is antiviral medication safe?
- Breast-feeding while pregnant: Is it safe?
- X-ray during pregnancy: Is it safe?
- Allergy medications and pregnancy: What's safe?
- Prenatal genetic screening: Is it right for you?
- Pregnancy acne: What's the best treatment?
- Antibiotics and pregnancy: What's safe?
- Ankle swelling during pregnancy: What helps?
- Hair dye and pregnancy: A concern?
- Exercise during pregnancy: Is heart rate a concern?
- Pregnancy constipation: Are stool softeners safe?
- Couvade syndrome: Is sympathetic pregnancy real?
- H1N1 flu (swine flu) vaccine Q & A
- New sibling: Preparing your older child
- Gas in pregnancy: Why it happens, what to do
- Prenatal visits: Do you bring support?
- Tdap vaccine: Now recommended during pregnancy
- Flu during pregnancy: What to do?
- Video: Fetal ultrasound
- Pregnancy and flu: Had your flu shot yet?
- Start early to encourage healthy eating
- Skin changes during pregnancy: What to expect
- Pregnancy spacing: What's best?
- Slide show: 5 main dish vegetable recipes
- Ultrasound in pregnancy: A cultural phenomenon?
- Pregnancy due date calculator
- Does eating fish make children smarter?
PR00109May 28, 2011
© 1998-2013 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research (MFMER). All rights reserved. A single copy of these materials may be reprinted for noncommercial personal use only. "Mayo," "Mayo Clinic," "MayoClinic.com," "EmbodyHealth," "Enhance your life," and the triple-shield Mayo Clinic logo are trademarks of Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research.
_________________________________
Strong Bones Start in the Womb - Healthy Lifestyle &
Correct Nutrition give you a healthy baby
Click green for further info
Source: The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
Children born to mothers who get more vitamins from their diets develop stronger bones even years later, a new study shows.
The research followed nearly 3,000 women during their pregnancies and then looked at whether their diets were linked to bone mass in their children later on. The scientists had the women record what they ate each day and measured concentrations of vitamins in their blood. Then, when the children were roughly 6 years old, the researchers carried out imaging tests to assess their bone mass.
The study found that the children whose mothers consumed more protein, phosphorus and vitamin B12 when they were pregnant had the greatest bone mass and bone mineral content. The researchers also found that higher consumption of carbohydrates and greater blood concentrations of homocysteine – an amino acid that accumulates in response to a deficiency in B vitamins – were associated with lower bone mass and mineral content.
The study, which was published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, could not rule out the possibility that expectant mothers who ate more vitamin-rich foods simply went on to provide their young children with more healthful diets. But the researchers said they suspected that there was a more direct relationship and that “fetal nutritional exposures may permanently influence bone development.”
Click green for further info
Source: Click green: The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
________________________________________________
Expanding Kids' Taste Buds to learn to eat healthy food
Date: 2013
School lunch programs
are required to meet the five sub-groups at least once a week
The new federal guidelines & requirement separate vegetables into five sub-groups
(1) leafy greens, (2) red/orange, (3) beans and legumes, (4) starchy, (5) “other”
SHEBOYGAN, Wis.—Some may grimace at the thought of eating Brussels sprouts, but not Jamie Hansen.
The Parkview Elementary School fourth grader didn’t shy away from trying the vegetable when it was offered at her school a couple months ago as part of the “Harvest of the Month” food sampling that Plymouth School District dietitian Jessica Mella began offering to students—mainly at the elementary level—last school year.
Each month this school year, Mella visited the three Plymouth elementary schools and gave students the chance to try a potentially new food, including sugar snap peas, sweet potatoes and mangoes.
“Sometimes I’m a picky eater, but some foods I like,” Hansen said. “My favorite [Harvest of the Month food sample] was probably all of them. I liked the sweet potatoes, I liked Brussels sprouts … and then I also liked the mangoes.”
The samples are meant to encourage student participation in the lunch program by exposing them to healthy and fresh food options, Mella told Sheboygan Press Media.
“We really just give the kids a chance to try the foods during the month and then we also offer it on the menu,” Mella said. “We really want to give them a chance to try foods before they’re on the menu.”
Along with Plymouth, other schools in Sheboygan County are making efforts to offer healthier school lunches in an effort to meet new federal guidelines, as well as increase participation.
The new guidelines were introduced in 2012 by first lady Michelle Obama and require that students are offered both fruits and vegetables every day of the week, that offerings of whole grain foods are increased and that caloric intake is regulated.
The changes went into effect at the beginning of 2013 school year, said Duchaine.
As a result, Sheboygan Area School District dietitian Meredith Duchaine—who was just hired this year—also is working on plans to introduce a variety of foods to students, including using salad bars.
The main challenge has been meeting the vegetable requirement, Duchaine said.
The new requirement separates vegetables into five sub-groups—leafy greens, red/orange, beans and legumes, starchy, and “other”—and lunch programs are required to meet the five sub-groups at least once a week. So while the district could serve potatoes as a vegetable all week last year, potatoes can only be served once a week since it falls in the “starchy” category.
“It’s especially been a problem with the beans because green beans are not included in that,” Duchaine said. “We’ve just been trying to come up with some more creative ways of serving them though.”
The guidelines have caused a decrease in lunch program participation for some schools, although the Sheboygan school district has seen a slight uptick in its lunch program participation, she said.
“It’s hard because the kids are not used to it yet,” Duchaine said, “but I think over time the kids will get accustomed to it if we use—for example, the salad bar—if we use it as a tool to educate them that these are healthy, good foods for you and expose them to new things. I think eventually they’re going to try them and like them and eat them.”
Mella said the Plymouth School District hasn’t seen a decrease in participation as a result of the new federal regulations. Some students have complained of still being hungry as a result of smaller portions of foods with higher calories though, she said.
“Some of the kids are still hungry because they have really set portion sizes more rigidly than in the past,” Mella said. “However, fruits and vegetables are not limited so we’re trying to get that message out to kids as well that while this may be a smaller portion than maybe what you were hoping for, you can still have fruits and vegetables.”
A salad bar was introduced last week on a trial basis at Pigeon River Elementary School in Sheboygan that Duchaine said she hopes to add to every elementary school lunch room next year.
The salad bar gives students the chance to choose from among three vegetable options, like a cup of baby carrots, a salad or applesauce.
Duchaine said the hope is that will result in less waste since students currently are given pre-packaged options whether they want them or not. That results in a lot of food being thrown away.
Students in the high school were also given the reins this year when they had opportunity to vote for which pizza the district should serve.
In an effort to comply with the new federal health guidelines, Duchaine said the district changed the pizza offering to one with a whole grain crust. She noticed, however, that participation decreased on the days they served pizza and so lunch program officials came up with the idea to offer samples of two different pizzas and allow students to vote on their favorite.
In addition to offering more choices for students, Duchaine said she feels it’s important to continue to expose students to new foods and educate them about what’s healthy.
That’s something that Mella strives to do as well. Every month Mella features the “Harvest of the Month” on the district website, along with some information for parents to view at home.
She said she’s also planning to include local produce to the Harvest of the Month selections next year to continue to provide fresher options for students.
“If [the students] don’t like what’s there [on the menu] that makes it a little tougher,” Mella said, “but we’re hoping that as we talk about it … and the more they see those new foods, the more it becomes part of the normal for them and it’s not as scary.”
Source: The Epoc Times Health
_________________________________________
Date: 2013
School lunch programs
are required to meet the five sub-groups at least once a week
The new federal guidelines & requirement separate vegetables into five sub-groups
(1) leafy greens, (2) red/orange, (3) beans and legumes, (4) starchy, (5) “other”
SHEBOYGAN, Wis.—Some may grimace at the thought of eating Brussels sprouts, but not Jamie Hansen.
The Parkview Elementary School fourth grader didn’t shy away from trying the vegetable when it was offered at her school a couple months ago as part of the “Harvest of the Month” food sampling that Plymouth School District dietitian Jessica Mella began offering to students—mainly at the elementary level—last school year.
Each month this school year, Mella visited the three Plymouth elementary schools and gave students the chance to try a potentially new food, including sugar snap peas, sweet potatoes and mangoes.
“Sometimes I’m a picky eater, but some foods I like,” Hansen said. “My favorite [Harvest of the Month food sample] was probably all of them. I liked the sweet potatoes, I liked Brussels sprouts … and then I also liked the mangoes.”
The samples are meant to encourage student participation in the lunch program by exposing them to healthy and fresh food options, Mella told Sheboygan Press Media.
“We really just give the kids a chance to try the foods during the month and then we also offer it on the menu,” Mella said. “We really want to give them a chance to try foods before they’re on the menu.”
Along with Plymouth, other schools in Sheboygan County are making efforts to offer healthier school lunches in an effort to meet new federal guidelines, as well as increase participation.
The new guidelines were introduced in 2012 by first lady Michelle Obama and require that students are offered both fruits and vegetables every day of the week, that offerings of whole grain foods are increased and that caloric intake is regulated.
The changes went into effect at the beginning of 2013 school year, said Duchaine.
As a result, Sheboygan Area School District dietitian Meredith Duchaine—who was just hired this year—also is working on plans to introduce a variety of foods to students, including using salad bars.
The main challenge has been meeting the vegetable requirement, Duchaine said.
The new requirement separates vegetables into five sub-groups—leafy greens, red/orange, beans and legumes, starchy, and “other”—and lunch programs are required to meet the five sub-groups at least once a week. So while the district could serve potatoes as a vegetable all week last year, potatoes can only be served once a week since it falls in the “starchy” category.
“It’s especially been a problem with the beans because green beans are not included in that,” Duchaine said. “We’ve just been trying to come up with some more creative ways of serving them though.”
The guidelines have caused a decrease in lunch program participation for some schools, although the Sheboygan school district has seen a slight uptick in its lunch program participation, she said.
“It’s hard because the kids are not used to it yet,” Duchaine said, “but I think over time the kids will get accustomed to it if we use—for example, the salad bar—if we use it as a tool to educate them that these are healthy, good foods for you and expose them to new things. I think eventually they’re going to try them and like them and eat them.”
Mella said the Plymouth School District hasn’t seen a decrease in participation as a result of the new federal regulations. Some students have complained of still being hungry as a result of smaller portions of foods with higher calories though, she said.
“Some of the kids are still hungry because they have really set portion sizes more rigidly than in the past,” Mella said. “However, fruits and vegetables are not limited so we’re trying to get that message out to kids as well that while this may be a smaller portion than maybe what you were hoping for, you can still have fruits and vegetables.”
A salad bar was introduced last week on a trial basis at Pigeon River Elementary School in Sheboygan that Duchaine said she hopes to add to every elementary school lunch room next year.
The salad bar gives students the chance to choose from among three vegetable options, like a cup of baby carrots, a salad or applesauce.
Duchaine said the hope is that will result in less waste since students currently are given pre-packaged options whether they want them or not. That results in a lot of food being thrown away.
Students in the high school were also given the reins this year when they had opportunity to vote for which pizza the district should serve.
In an effort to comply with the new federal health guidelines, Duchaine said the district changed the pizza offering to one with a whole grain crust. She noticed, however, that participation decreased on the days they served pizza and so lunch program officials came up with the idea to offer samples of two different pizzas and allow students to vote on their favorite.
In addition to offering more choices for students, Duchaine said she feels it’s important to continue to expose students to new foods and educate them about what’s healthy.
That’s something that Mella strives to do as well. Every month Mella features the “Harvest of the Month” on the district website, along with some information for parents to view at home.
She said she’s also planning to include local produce to the Harvest of the Month selections next year to continue to provide fresher options for students.
“If [the students] don’t like what’s there [on the menu] that makes it a little tougher,” Mella said, “but we’re hoping that as we talk about it … and the more they see those new foods, the more it becomes part of the normal for them and it’s not as scary.”
Source: The Epoc Times Health
_________________________________________
Overweight and obesity will cause arthritis, will eat your knees & joints, will cause diabetes, cancer, psoriasis & many other serious health challenges - finally your leg(s) & arms may be amputated.
Is it reasonable to keep eating wrong food and keep overeating when you can have professional help to save your life by learning healthy lifestyle & correct nutrition.
Contact Save The American Family - STAF, Inc. is the leading new organization to guide you
to a healthy lifestyle & correct nutrition.
As a reminder, here on example for the implants - they cause other health challenges and give pain
Overweight & obesity are the biggest reason for the human body breaking down
Everyone has a choice
(1) eat wrong "food" with low quality and get sick and suffer
(2) eat food that keeps & returnds our heathuntil ou diefor reversing health challenges and for maint
Artificial Hip or Knee Implants
Q. When you get a joint replacement, like a knee or hip, how exactly is the muscle attached to the artificial implant?
A. Ordinarily, “no muscle attaches to any hip or knee implant,” said Dr. Mathias P. Bostrom, a joint replacement surgeon who is director of the orthopedic residency program at the Hospital for Special Surgery in Manhattan. In general, he said, the only human tissue that adheres to an implanted joint is bone, which does it quite well.
The link is made either with cement or directly to the bone. When the connection is direct, the bone-producing cells grow new material that forms a bond with the implant, a process called osseointegration.
“A lot of knee implants use a kind of cement, really more of a grout, that fixes to the bone itself,” Dr. Bostrom said. “It is an acrylic, similar to Plexiglas, called PMMA, for polymethyl methacrylate.”
In the case of a tumor prosthesis for a bone like the femur — in which a lot of bone is removed and large segments are replaced with metal — there may be some linkage of muscle and tendon to implant, he said.
In most joint implants, however, the muscle is still attached to the bone via the tendon, and the surgeon especially tries to avoid detaching any muscle insertion in the hip or knee.
“We want the tendon’s attachment to the bone to be intact,” Dr. Bostrom said.
Source: Science, NYT
________________________________________
Is it reasonable to keep eating wrong food and keep overeating when you can have professional help to save your life by learning healthy lifestyle & correct nutrition.
Contact Save The American Family - STAF, Inc. is the leading new organization to guide you
to a healthy lifestyle & correct nutrition.
As a reminder, here on example for the implants - they cause other health challenges and give pain
Overweight & obesity are the biggest reason for the human body breaking down
Everyone has a choice
(1) eat wrong "food" with low quality and get sick and suffer
(2) eat food that keeps & returnds our heathuntil ou diefor reversing health challenges and for maint
Artificial Hip or Knee Implants
Q. When you get a joint replacement, like a knee or hip, how exactly is the muscle attached to the artificial implant?
A. Ordinarily, “no muscle attaches to any hip or knee implant,” said Dr. Mathias P. Bostrom, a joint replacement surgeon who is director of the orthopedic residency program at the Hospital for Special Surgery in Manhattan. In general, he said, the only human tissue that adheres to an implanted joint is bone, which does it quite well.
The link is made either with cement or directly to the bone. When the connection is direct, the bone-producing cells grow new material that forms a bond with the implant, a process called osseointegration.
“A lot of knee implants use a kind of cement, really more of a grout, that fixes to the bone itself,” Dr. Bostrom said. “It is an acrylic, similar to Plexiglas, called PMMA, for polymethyl methacrylate.”
In the case of a tumor prosthesis for a bone like the femur — in which a lot of bone is removed and large segments are replaced with metal — there may be some linkage of muscle and tendon to implant, he said.
In most joint implants, however, the muscle is still attached to the bone via the tendon, and the surgeon especially tries to avoid detaching any muscle insertion in the hip or knee.
“We want the tendon’s attachment to the bone to be intact,” Dr. Bostrom said.
Source: Science, NYT
________________________________________
Part one Weight Loss May Ease Psoriasis
Click green for further info
Source:
JAMA Dermatology - Journal of American Medical Association
Losing weight may help reduce symptoms of psoriasis, a new study shows.
The research followed a large group of obese people who had psoriasis, a chronic skin condition, over four months; a
bout half of them were randomly assigned to a low-calorie diet. Those in the diet group, who lost about 34 more pounds on average than their peers, had less skin irritation and reported improvement in their overall quality of life.
Psoriasis, an autoimmune condition, causes red, scaly patches on the skin. A growing number of studies have found that those with the condition are at increased risk of being overweight or obese and more likely to develop heart disease.
The authors of the new study, published in JAMA Dermatology, said the link between obesity and psoriasis may be explained in part by a common denominator: inflammation. Obesity is associated with inflammation, and psoriasis, once thought to affect only the skin, is now known to be a reflection of systemic and chronic immune-related inflammation.
Losing weight may improve psoriasis by quelling inflammation, the authors said, and it should be part of an approach “to effectively treat both the skin condition and its associated comorbid conditions in overweight patients.”
Q: Is it really more important to stay overweight or obese when there is a real choice to get rid of all your extra weight which will cause pain and sickness and give you a shorter life?
Contact STAF, Inc. to get help - Save The American Family - STAF, Inc. is the new leading organizati0n in healthy lifestyle & correct nutrition
__________________
Part two Psoriasis - Science details:
Psoriasis is lifelong and is believed to be not curable - that may not be the final word
Although it is also marked by rapid cell growth, psoriasis is neither cancerous nor contagious.
STAF, Inc.'s comment: We at the STAF, Inc. believe that all sicknesses a person is NOT born with but is caused by a wrong lifestyle, can be healed by learning Healthy Lifestyle & Correct Nutrition.
STAF, Inc. is the leading new organization in all Healthy Lifestyle & Correct Nutrition - contact STAF, Inc. for help
Science details:
In general, studies report the following features of its course:
The emotional and social consequences of psoriasis should not be underestimated.
Some patients, particularly men, use alcohol and smoking as self-medication to reduce the emotional consequences of psoriasis. In fact, studies have found that people with psoriasis have higher mortality rates, mostly from heavy drinking. Smoking has also been cited as a major risk, particularly for pustular psoriasis. Some experts believe that drinking and smoking may actually cause biological damage that contributes to psoriasis.
PHYSICAL AND MEDICAL COMPLICATIONS OF PSORIASIS - Folate Deficiency in Severe Psoriasis.
Severe psoriasis can cause folate deficiency. Folate is a B vitamin that is important for blood cell formation and preventing birth defects. It also prevents elevations of homocysteine, a factor that may play a critical role in heart disease.
Skin Cancers. Patients with severe psoriasis who receive medications that affect the whole body may be at higher-than-normal risk for developing cancers, primarily skin cancers and lymphomas. The risk is not any higher in patients with milder psoriasis. There is some indication, however, that patients with psoriasis have a higher risk for non-melanoma
skin cancers, regardless of their treatments.
Obesity, diabetes, and heart risks: Psoriasis has been linked to an increased risk of heart attack and cardiovascular disease. Patients with psoriasis are much more likely to have hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis) and other blood vessel diseases than people without psoriasis. These conditions are also related to inflammation, which may be why women with psoriasis are more likely to develop diabetes and high blood pressure than women without the condition. It is not yet known whether there are genetic links between psoriasis and some of these conditions. The connection may also have to do with shared risk factors, such as smoking and obesity. Patients with moderate-to-severe psoriasis should be screened, and possibly treated, for cardiovascular risks.
COMPLICATIONS OF ERYTHRODERMIC AND PUSTULAR PSORIASIS
Impaired Temperature Regulation. Erythrodermic psoriasis (in which psoriasis covers the entire skin) can cause abnormalities in the body's ability to regulate temperature.
Zumbusch Psoriasis. A combination of erythrodermic and pustular psoriasis causes a serious condition called Zumbusch psoriasis:
Q: Is it really more important to stay overweight or obese when there is a real choice to get rid of all your extra weight which will cause pain and sickness and give you a shorter life?
Contact STAF, Inc. to get help - Save The American Family - STAF, Inc. is the new leading organizati0n in healthy lifestyle & correct nutrition
_____________________________________________
Click green for further info
Source:
JAMA Dermatology - Journal of American Medical Association
Losing weight may help reduce symptoms of psoriasis, a new study shows.
The research followed a large group of obese people who had psoriasis, a chronic skin condition, over four months; a
bout half of them were randomly assigned to a low-calorie diet. Those in the diet group, who lost about 34 more pounds on average than their peers, had less skin irritation and reported improvement in their overall quality of life.
Psoriasis, an autoimmune condition, causes red, scaly patches on the skin. A growing number of studies have found that those with the condition are at increased risk of being overweight or obese and more likely to develop heart disease.
The authors of the new study, published in JAMA Dermatology, said the link between obesity and psoriasis may be explained in part by a common denominator: inflammation. Obesity is associated with inflammation, and psoriasis, once thought to affect only the skin, is now known to be a reflection of systemic and chronic immune-related inflammation.
Losing weight may improve psoriasis by quelling inflammation, the authors said, and it should be part of an approach “to effectively treat both the skin condition and its associated comorbid conditions in overweight patients.”
Q: Is it really more important to stay overweight or obese when there is a real choice to get rid of all your extra weight which will cause pain and sickness and give you a shorter life?
Contact STAF, Inc. to get help - Save The American Family - STAF, Inc. is the new leading organizati0n in healthy lifestyle & correct nutrition
__________________
Part two Psoriasis - Science details:
Psoriasis is lifelong and is believed to be not curable - that may not be the final word
Although it is also marked by rapid cell growth, psoriasis is neither cancerous nor contagious.
STAF, Inc.'s comment: We at the STAF, Inc. believe that all sicknesses a person is NOT born with but is caused by a wrong lifestyle, can be healed by learning Healthy Lifestyle & Correct Nutrition.
STAF, Inc. is the leading new organization in all Healthy Lifestyle & Correct Nutrition - contact STAF, Inc. for help
Science details:
In general, studies report the following features of its course:
- The condition almost always relapses. In a few cases, large areas of plaque can persist for years.
- Psoriasis nearly always goes into remission, however, often clearing on its own.
- Increased levels of estrogen may be responsible for this improvement. Relapse may occur after a woman gives birth.
The emotional and social consequences of psoriasis should not be underestimated.
- Many patients have severe humiliation and depression if plaques are visible. Some even withdraw from society and become isolated.
- Some patients are forced to leave their jobs and go on disability if the condition becomes incapacitating.
- Surveys of patients with psoriasis report a negative mental and physical impact that is nearly equivalent to that of other major chronic conditions, including cancer, high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, and depression.
- In one study, 75% of patients reported that psoriasis hurt their confidence.
- Another study reported that 8% of people with psoriasis felt their life was not worth living.
Some patients, particularly men, use alcohol and smoking as self-medication to reduce the emotional consequences of psoriasis. In fact, studies have found that people with psoriasis have higher mortality rates, mostly from heavy drinking. Smoking has also been cited as a major risk, particularly for pustular psoriasis. Some experts believe that drinking and smoking may actually cause biological damage that contributes to psoriasis.
PHYSICAL AND MEDICAL COMPLICATIONS OF PSORIASIS - Folate Deficiency in Severe Psoriasis.
Severe psoriasis can cause folate deficiency. Folate is a B vitamin that is important for blood cell formation and preventing birth defects. It also prevents elevations of homocysteine, a factor that may play a critical role in heart disease.
Skin Cancers. Patients with severe psoriasis who receive medications that affect the whole body may be at higher-than-normal risk for developing cancers, primarily skin cancers and lymphomas. The risk is not any higher in patients with milder psoriasis. There is some indication, however, that patients with psoriasis have a higher risk for non-melanoma
skin cancers, regardless of their treatments.
Obesity, diabetes, and heart risks: Psoriasis has been linked to an increased risk of heart attack and cardiovascular disease. Patients with psoriasis are much more likely to have hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis) and other blood vessel diseases than people without psoriasis. These conditions are also related to inflammation, which may be why women with psoriasis are more likely to develop diabetes and high blood pressure than women without the condition. It is not yet known whether there are genetic links between psoriasis and some of these conditions. The connection may also have to do with shared risk factors, such as smoking and obesity. Patients with moderate-to-severe psoriasis should be screened, and possibly treated, for cardiovascular risks.
COMPLICATIONS OF ERYTHRODERMIC AND PUSTULAR PSORIASIS
Impaired Temperature Regulation. Erythrodermic psoriasis (in which psoriasis covers the entire skin) can cause abnormalities in the body's ability to regulate temperature.
Zumbusch Psoriasis. A combination of erythrodermic and pustular psoriasis causes a serious condition called Zumbusch psoriasis:
- The condition can develop abruptly.
- Symptoms can include fever, chills, weight loss, and muscle weakness.
- Patients may develop excessive fluid build-up, protein loss, and electrolyte imbalances. In such cases, hospitalization is required. Fluid and chemical balances must be restored and temperature stabilized as soon as possible.
Q: Is it really more important to stay overweight or obese when there is a real choice to get rid of all your extra weight which will cause pain and sickness and give you a shorter life?
Contact STAF, Inc. to get help - Save The American Family - STAF, Inc. is the new leading organizati0n in healthy lifestyle & correct nutrition
_____________________________________________
Treating Depression
With Ketamine Infusions
Click green for further info
Ketamine - Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaen.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ketamine
Ketamine is a drug used in human and veterinary medicine, primarily for the induction and maintenance of general anesthesia, usually in combination with a ...
_________
NEW YORK, 2013, June —Dr. Glen Z. Brooks lost his son in 1999 when the 18-year-old committed suicide, while suffering depression.
After the initial shock and his own depression that followed, Brooks began looking into depression treatments that could have saved his son.
Through his research, Brooks found ketamine.
Ketamine, a general anesthetic administered intravenously or intramuscularly, was first used by the U.S. military during the Vietnam war. It is now widely used in veterinary clinics as an FDA-approved anesthetic. It has also become a problem as a recreational drug among young people called “Special-K.”
Used in small, subanesthetic doses, though, ketamine has been found effective in treating neurological pain and mood disorders.
A recently published study concluded ketamine is an effective treatment for severe and drug-resistant depression.
The study looked at 72 patients who had previously failed to respond to at least two medications.
“After 24 hours, the response rate was 63.8 percent in the ketamine group compared to 28 percent in the placebo group,” read a press release from Mt. Sinai Hospital, where the study was conducted. “The response to ketamine was durable after seven days, with a 45.7 percent response in the ketamine group versus 18.2 percent in the placebo group.”
For long-suffering patients of severe depression, ketamine may represent a new hope. The drug has been known for about 50 years, so why we are hearing about its use for depression only now?
“The reason it’s not more popular is that there’s nobody around to do it,” said Brooks, one of a few doctors in the country who administer ketamine for depression. “Psychiatrists don’t touch people. Most of them haven’t touched an IV line since medical school, nor are their offices set up for it [intravenous infusions].
“The only people who are comfortable with ketamine are anesthesiologists like me. And the number of anesthesiologists interested in treating psychiatric patients in the city of New York, you can count on one hand.”
Now Brooks, trained as an anesthesiologist, runs a private practice in New York City dedicated to ketamine infusions for depression and neurological pain.
Because of ketamine’s efficacy on severe depression including post-partum and bi-polar depression, Brooks started getting calls from psychiatrists in the city. The patients referred to him tend to be “treatment resistant,” meaning they have tried all the conventional therapies with little improvement.
Brooks estimates that after ketamine infusions, 50 percent of his patients experience dramatic improvement in mood, 25 percent experience significant improvement, and another 25 percent don’t respond at all.
Ketamine can cause hallucinations, temporary dizziness, nausea and vomiting, according to multiple health sources.
A Different Healing MechanismAbout one in 10 Americans takes an antidepressant, now the most commonly prescribed type of drug in the U.S., according to research published in 2009 in the Archives of General Psychiatry.
Ketamine is seen as a viable solution when antidepressants fail to work.
In 2011, the journal “Nature” reported that “depressed patients report the alleviation of major depressive disorder symptoms within two hours of a single, low-dose intravenous infusion of ketamine, with effects lasting up to two weeks, unlike traditional antidepressants (serotonin re-uptake inhibitors), which take weeks to reach efficacy.”
Ketamine acts on repairing the brain’s structures rather than regulating the supply of neurotransmitters as antidepressants typically do.
“You have to think of depression and post-traumatic stress and even extreme anxiety in terms of brain damage,” Brooks said. “There are many parts of the brain that need to communicate with each other for normal mentation. The brain damage is associated with depression, post-traumatic stress, and anxiety, is a result of the loss of communication between these various brain centers.”
While it’s unclear how the brain damage initially occurs, it is usually sparked by some emotionally traumatic event in the patient’s life.
“Pretty much all the medication people take for depression have an effect on the neurotransmitters that go back and forth between different parts of the brain, so you can increase the neurotransmitters but you’re not really repairing the brain damage.”
In contrast, ketamine works on the receptors, promotes the growth of the synapses, and lets the brain heal itself, reversing the structural causes of depression, according to Brooks. Because of these associations with neuroplasticity, researchers are beginning to look into the effect of ketamine on Alzheimer’s.
Source: The Epoc Times Health
____________________________________
With Ketamine Infusions
Click green for further info
Ketamine - Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaen.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ketamine
Ketamine is a drug used in human and veterinary medicine, primarily for the induction and maintenance of general anesthesia, usually in combination with a ...
_________
NEW YORK, 2013, June —Dr. Glen Z. Brooks lost his son in 1999 when the 18-year-old committed suicide, while suffering depression.
After the initial shock and his own depression that followed, Brooks began looking into depression treatments that could have saved his son.
Through his research, Brooks found ketamine.
Ketamine, a general anesthetic administered intravenously or intramuscularly, was first used by the U.S. military during the Vietnam war. It is now widely used in veterinary clinics as an FDA-approved anesthetic. It has also become a problem as a recreational drug among young people called “Special-K.”
Used in small, subanesthetic doses, though, ketamine has been found effective in treating neurological pain and mood disorders.
A recently published study concluded ketamine is an effective treatment for severe and drug-resistant depression.
The study looked at 72 patients who had previously failed to respond to at least two medications.
“After 24 hours, the response rate was 63.8 percent in the ketamine group compared to 28 percent in the placebo group,” read a press release from Mt. Sinai Hospital, where the study was conducted. “The response to ketamine was durable after seven days, with a 45.7 percent response in the ketamine group versus 18.2 percent in the placebo group.”
For long-suffering patients of severe depression, ketamine may represent a new hope. The drug has been known for about 50 years, so why we are hearing about its use for depression only now?
“The reason it’s not more popular is that there’s nobody around to do it,” said Brooks, one of a few doctors in the country who administer ketamine for depression. “Psychiatrists don’t touch people. Most of them haven’t touched an IV line since medical school, nor are their offices set up for it [intravenous infusions].
“The only people who are comfortable with ketamine are anesthesiologists like me. And the number of anesthesiologists interested in treating psychiatric patients in the city of New York, you can count on one hand.”
Now Brooks, trained as an anesthesiologist, runs a private practice in New York City dedicated to ketamine infusions for depression and neurological pain.
Because of ketamine’s efficacy on severe depression including post-partum and bi-polar depression, Brooks started getting calls from psychiatrists in the city. The patients referred to him tend to be “treatment resistant,” meaning they have tried all the conventional therapies with little improvement.
Brooks estimates that after ketamine infusions, 50 percent of his patients experience dramatic improvement in mood, 25 percent experience significant improvement, and another 25 percent don’t respond at all.
Ketamine can cause hallucinations, temporary dizziness, nausea and vomiting, according to multiple health sources.
A Different Healing MechanismAbout one in 10 Americans takes an antidepressant, now the most commonly prescribed type of drug in the U.S., according to research published in 2009 in the Archives of General Psychiatry.
Ketamine is seen as a viable solution when antidepressants fail to work.
In 2011, the journal “Nature” reported that “depressed patients report the alleviation of major depressive disorder symptoms within two hours of a single, low-dose intravenous infusion of ketamine, with effects lasting up to two weeks, unlike traditional antidepressants (serotonin re-uptake inhibitors), which take weeks to reach efficacy.”
Ketamine acts on repairing the brain’s structures rather than regulating the supply of neurotransmitters as antidepressants typically do.
“You have to think of depression and post-traumatic stress and even extreme anxiety in terms of brain damage,” Brooks said. “There are many parts of the brain that need to communicate with each other for normal mentation. The brain damage is associated with depression, post-traumatic stress, and anxiety, is a result of the loss of communication between these various brain centers.”
While it’s unclear how the brain damage initially occurs, it is usually sparked by some emotionally traumatic event in the patient’s life.
“Pretty much all the medication people take for depression have an effect on the neurotransmitters that go back and forth between different parts of the brain, so you can increase the neurotransmitters but you’re not really repairing the brain damage.”
In contrast, ketamine works on the receptors, promotes the growth of the synapses, and lets the brain heal itself, reversing the structural causes of depression, according to Brooks. Because of these associations with neuroplasticity, researchers are beginning to look into the effect of ketamine on Alzheimer’s.
Source: The Epoc Times Health
____________________________________
Valuable info
10 Ways to Burn Fat Faster
Click green for further info
Stock up on green tea (or any tea - all teas are from the same plant - just the way they are processed is different)
Green tea isn't known only for its cancer-fighting benefits: It may help boost your metabolism, too. People who took green-tea extract three times a day saw their metabolic rate increase by about 4 percent, according to a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. (Translation: You could burn an extra 60 calories a day, which equals about six pounds a year!) It may be because green tea contains catechins, which increase levels of the metabolism-speeding brain chemical norepinephrine, says Joy Bauer, a New York City nutritionist and author of Cooking with Joy.
Pump iron
Weight training is the ultimate way to burn calories fast. "A pound of muscle burns up to nine times the calories of a pound of fat," explains Richard Cotton, M.A., chief exercise physiologist for myexerciseplan.com. Weight training increases your resting metabolic rate, which is the number of calories you burn while sitting on your butt. What's more, it gives your metabolism an added boost after you exercise: It remains in overdrive for up to two hours after the last bench press, according to a study published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. Strapped for time? Try these quick moves: squats, bench step-ups, lunges, push-ups, pull-ups and crunches. In a pinch, just do single sets of 10 for each exercise - you'll get optimal results for the time invested.
Related: 25 Lazy Ways to Stay Skinny
Eat iron
Yeah, we just told you to pump iron, but you also need to eat it. "If you don't have enough of this mineral, your body can't get enough oxygen to your cells, which slows down your metabolism," explains Samantha Heller, R.D., a nutritionist at the New York University Medical Center. Most multivitamins contain around 18 mg (the RDA for adults); you can also get your fill by eating three to four daily servings of foods rich in iron, such as lean red meat, chicken, fortified cereal and soy nuts. If you are feeling symptoms such as fatigue and weakness, ask your doctor to test you for anemia (it's a simple blood test) at your next physical.
Order water - and ask for a refill
A German study found that when you drink 17 ounces of water (about two glasses) within a certain time frame, your metabolic rate shoots up by about 30 percent. Using these results, they estimate that by increasing your current water intake by 1.5 liters a day, a person would burn an extra 17,400 calories a year, resulting in about a five-pound weight loss.
Get your thyroid checked
Suspect you have a sluggish metabolism? You might have hypothyroidism, or an underactive thyroid gland, which afflicts about 25 percent of American women - many of whom don't know they have the condition, according to the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists. "The thyroid gland controls your body's metabolism, so one of the first signs that it may be off is an inability to lose weight," explains Pamela Peeke, M.D., professor of medicine at the University of Maryland and author of Fight Fat After Forty. Your doctor can determine if you're suffering from hypothyroidism by running a blood test. If you do have an underactive thyroid, you'll be treated with a synthetic thyroid supplement, which you will need to take for the rest of your life (it will return your metabolism to normal, so it should be easier to lose weight).
Related: 8 Ways to Lose Weight Without Eating Less
Avoid alcohol
Want to keep your favorite meals from going straight to your hips (thighs, belly)? Wash them down with water, not wine. Alcohol slows your metabolism by depressing the central nervous system. A British study found that when alcohol was added to a high-fat, high-calorie meal, less dietary fat was burned off and more was stored as body fat.
Rev up workouts
Interval training - in which you add bursts of high-intensity moves into your workout - is a surefire metabolism booster, says Glenn Gaesser, Ph.D., director of the Kinesiology Program at the University of Virginia and author of The Spark. Researchers at Laval University in Quebec foundthat high-intensity interval training burns more fat than regular, consistent aerobic exercise. If you usually jog at a 10-minute-mile pace, for example, add a 30-second sprint every five minutes. Or add a one-minute incline to your treadmill workout every five minutes. "Even if you just have 10 minutes for a quick workout, you can walk at a normal pace and then add in a 30-second bout of speed-walking every three minutes," recommends Gaesser.
Do more dairy = be careful with this "dairy" info - it can cause allergies and clock our system with mucus and clock your arteries with cholesterol - in addition casein in milk may prevent all nutrient from being absorbed by your body
People who ate low-fat dairy products, such as nonfat yogurt and low-fat cheese, three to four times a day lost 70 percent more fat than low-dairy dieters, according to a (click: study published in the journal Obesity Research. "Calcium serves as a switch that tells your body to burn excess fat faster," explains study author Michael Zemel, M.D., director of the Nutrition Institute at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. Sorry, but you won't reap the same benefits from calcium-fortified O.J. (= orange juice). Research shows that you get the best results from dairy products themselves, not fortified foods. Aim for 1,200 mg, which includes about three servings of dairy a day. There are other sources to get calcium: vegetables, fresh fruit - test these choices and find out how your body reacts. Have your cholesterol, minerals, and related tested by medical professionals (most insurance pay for preventive care). Only by studying how YOU and YOUR body reacts, you can find out what's healthiest for you.
(Click: Casein - Wikipedia
Related: 9 Sneaky Ways Your Job Can Make You Gain Weight
Take up a new sport
Are you like Old Faithful when it comes to your morning walk or evening jog? Know this: The more you do an activity, the more your body adapts to it, so you burn fewer calories. If you want to light a fire under your metabolism, consider cross-training. For example, if you normally walk, try biking also - walking, though, is the best exercise. "Since you're not used to working all those different muscles, it's a more intense workout, which can translate into a greater metabolic after-burn because your body is working harder to recover and get oxygen to all your tissues," says Carol Espel, M.S., an exercise physiologist for Equinox Fitness Clubs in New York City.
Go fish
Break out the lemon wedges: Regular fish eaters tend to have lower levels of the hormone leptin - good because high levels of leptin have been linked to low metabolism and obesity, says Louis Aronne, M.D., an obesity specialist at the New York Presbyterian Weill Cornell Medical Center. Try to consume three to four servings of a fatty fish, such as salmon, tuna or mackerel, each week.
Click green for further info
Source: Redbook, Internet
________________________________
10 Ways to Burn Fat Faster
Click green for further info
Stock up on green tea (or any tea - all teas are from the same plant - just the way they are processed is different)
Green tea isn't known only for its cancer-fighting benefits: It may help boost your metabolism, too. People who took green-tea extract three times a day saw their metabolic rate increase by about 4 percent, according to a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. (Translation: You could burn an extra 60 calories a day, which equals about six pounds a year!) It may be because green tea contains catechins, which increase levels of the metabolism-speeding brain chemical norepinephrine, says Joy Bauer, a New York City nutritionist and author of Cooking with Joy.
Pump iron
Weight training is the ultimate way to burn calories fast. "A pound of muscle burns up to nine times the calories of a pound of fat," explains Richard Cotton, M.A., chief exercise physiologist for myexerciseplan.com. Weight training increases your resting metabolic rate, which is the number of calories you burn while sitting on your butt. What's more, it gives your metabolism an added boost after you exercise: It remains in overdrive for up to two hours after the last bench press, according to a study published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. Strapped for time? Try these quick moves: squats, bench step-ups, lunges, push-ups, pull-ups and crunches. In a pinch, just do single sets of 10 for each exercise - you'll get optimal results for the time invested.
Related: 25 Lazy Ways to Stay Skinny
Eat iron
Yeah, we just told you to pump iron, but you also need to eat it. "If you don't have enough of this mineral, your body can't get enough oxygen to your cells, which slows down your metabolism," explains Samantha Heller, R.D., a nutritionist at the New York University Medical Center. Most multivitamins contain around 18 mg (the RDA for adults); you can also get your fill by eating three to four daily servings of foods rich in iron, such as lean red meat, chicken, fortified cereal and soy nuts. If you are feeling symptoms such as fatigue and weakness, ask your doctor to test you for anemia (it's a simple blood test) at your next physical.
Order water - and ask for a refill
A German study found that when you drink 17 ounces of water (about two glasses) within a certain time frame, your metabolic rate shoots up by about 30 percent. Using these results, they estimate that by increasing your current water intake by 1.5 liters a day, a person would burn an extra 17,400 calories a year, resulting in about a five-pound weight loss.
Get your thyroid checked
Suspect you have a sluggish metabolism? You might have hypothyroidism, or an underactive thyroid gland, which afflicts about 25 percent of American women - many of whom don't know they have the condition, according to the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists. "The thyroid gland controls your body's metabolism, so one of the first signs that it may be off is an inability to lose weight," explains Pamela Peeke, M.D., professor of medicine at the University of Maryland and author of Fight Fat After Forty. Your doctor can determine if you're suffering from hypothyroidism by running a blood test. If you do have an underactive thyroid, you'll be treated with a synthetic thyroid supplement, which you will need to take for the rest of your life (it will return your metabolism to normal, so it should be easier to lose weight).
Related: 8 Ways to Lose Weight Without Eating Less
Avoid alcohol
Want to keep your favorite meals from going straight to your hips (thighs, belly)? Wash them down with water, not wine. Alcohol slows your metabolism by depressing the central nervous system. A British study found that when alcohol was added to a high-fat, high-calorie meal, less dietary fat was burned off and more was stored as body fat.
Rev up workouts
Interval training - in which you add bursts of high-intensity moves into your workout - is a surefire metabolism booster, says Glenn Gaesser, Ph.D., director of the Kinesiology Program at the University of Virginia and author of The Spark. Researchers at Laval University in Quebec foundthat high-intensity interval training burns more fat than regular, consistent aerobic exercise. If you usually jog at a 10-minute-mile pace, for example, add a 30-second sprint every five minutes. Or add a one-minute incline to your treadmill workout every five minutes. "Even if you just have 10 minutes for a quick workout, you can walk at a normal pace and then add in a 30-second bout of speed-walking every three minutes," recommends Gaesser.
Do more dairy = be careful with this "dairy" info - it can cause allergies and clock our system with mucus and clock your arteries with cholesterol - in addition casein in milk may prevent all nutrient from being absorbed by your body
People who ate low-fat dairy products, such as nonfat yogurt and low-fat cheese, three to four times a day lost 70 percent more fat than low-dairy dieters, according to a (click: study published in the journal Obesity Research. "Calcium serves as a switch that tells your body to burn excess fat faster," explains study author Michael Zemel, M.D., director of the Nutrition Institute at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. Sorry, but you won't reap the same benefits from calcium-fortified O.J. (= orange juice). Research shows that you get the best results from dairy products themselves, not fortified foods. Aim for 1,200 mg, which includes about three servings of dairy a day. There are other sources to get calcium: vegetables, fresh fruit - test these choices and find out how your body reacts. Have your cholesterol, minerals, and related tested by medical professionals (most insurance pay for preventive care). Only by studying how YOU and YOUR body reacts, you can find out what's healthiest for you.
(Click: Casein - Wikipedia
Related: 9 Sneaky Ways Your Job Can Make You Gain Weight
Take up a new sport
Are you like Old Faithful when it comes to your morning walk or evening jog? Know this: The more you do an activity, the more your body adapts to it, so you burn fewer calories. If you want to light a fire under your metabolism, consider cross-training. For example, if you normally walk, try biking also - walking, though, is the best exercise. "Since you're not used to working all those different muscles, it's a more intense workout, which can translate into a greater metabolic after-burn because your body is working harder to recover and get oxygen to all your tissues," says Carol Espel, M.S., an exercise physiologist for Equinox Fitness Clubs in New York City.
Go fish
Break out the lemon wedges: Regular fish eaters tend to have lower levels of the hormone leptin - good because high levels of leptin have been linked to low metabolism and obesity, says Louis Aronne, M.D., an obesity specialist at the New York Presbyterian Weill Cornell Medical Center. Try to consume three to four servings of a fatty fish, such as salmon, tuna or mackerel, each week.
Click green for further info
Source: Redbook, Internet
________________________________
Necessary info - study & apply
The Brain: Our Food-Traffic Controller
Click green for further info
IMAGINE that, instead of this article, you were staring at a plate of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies. The mere sight and smell of them would likely make your mouth water. The first bite would be enough to wake up brain areas that control reward, pleasure and emotion — and perhaps trigger memories of when you tasted cookies like these as a child.
That first bite would also stimulate hormones signaling your brain that fuel was available. The brain would integrate these diverse messages with information from your surroundings and make a decision as to what to do next: keep on chewing, gobble down the cookie and grab another, or walk away.
Studying the complex brain response to such sweet temptations has offered clues as to how we might one day control a profound health problem in the country: the obesity epidemic.
The answer may partly lie in a primitive brain region called the hypothalamus. The hypothalamus, which monitors the body’s available energy supply, is at the center of the brain’s snack-food signal processing. It keeps track of how much long-term energy is stored in fat by detecting levels of the fat-derived hormone leptin — and it also monitors the body’s levels of blood glucose, minute-to-minute, along with other metabolic fuels and hormones that influence satiety. When you eat a cookie, the hypothalamus sends out signals that make you less hungry. Conversely, when food is restricted, the hypothalamus sends signals that increase your desire to ingest high-calorie foods. The hypothalamus is also wired to other brain areas that control taste, reward, memory, emotion and higher-level decision making. These brain regions form an integrated circuit that was designed to control the drive to eat.
With sophisticated brain-imaging techniques, we can now even see how our brains respond to specific nutrients (glucose, for example) and environmental stimuli (like the sight of food). Our research team, for example, recently conducted a study to see if the human brain responds in different ways to consumption of two types of simple sugar: glucose and fructose.
Glucose is a critical energy source for our body, particularly the brain. Even tiny changes in blood glucose can be detected by specialized glucose-sensing nerve cells in the hypothalamus. The hypothalamus’s exquisite sensitivity to glucose is especially important because the brain requires a continuous supply of glucose to meet its high-energy needs.
Fructose, a close relative of glucose, molecularly speaking, has the same number of calories but is sweeter than its cousin. Unlike glucose, though, fructose is almost entirely removed from the blood by the liver. Thus, very little of it actually reaches the brain.
The notion that these two sugars affect the brain differently is supported by animal studies. When glucose and fructose are injected directly into the brains of mice they have different effects: glucose blunts hunger signals, whereas fructose stimulates them.
We set out to see if the brains in healthy people would likewise respond differently to these two types of sugar. They did. Blood flow and activity in brain areas controlling appetite, emotion and reward decreased after consuming a drink with glucose, and participants reported greater feelings of fullness. In contrast, after drinking fructose, the brain appetite and reward areas continued to stay active, and participants did not report feeling full.
People don’t typically drink glucose and fructose separately; they are generally found together in foods and beverages. Table sugar is made of 50 percent glucose and 50 percent fructose molecules bound together. High-fructose corn syrup is made of unbound glucose and fructose molecules, usually in a ratio of 45 percent glucose to 55 percent fructose. We don’t yet know whether table sugar and high-fructose corn syrup affect the brain differently, or if they have different effects on body weight over time.
In today’s food-rich environment, we are surrounded with tantalizing food advertisements that sometimes stimulate eating, even in the absence of hunger. Brain imaging studies have shown us why. Pictures of mouthwatering foods can activate brain-reward pathways and stimulate the urge to eat — a response that is often countered by simultaneous suppression signals from “executive control” centers elsewhere in the brain. In obese individuals, though, the ability to suppress the initial brain-reward signals is often impaired. Thus, biological changes in the brain’s capacity to control our drive to eat might serve to perpetuate obesity.
Our brains were designed for a time when food was scarce and starvation was a common cause of death. While too much hunger remains in modern times, most people in the United States face a challenge opposite to what our distant ancestors faced. Natural selection has not wired us for a scenario in which food is abundant, relatively inexpensive and often high in calories.
Tackling this problem won’t be easy. But if we’re going to stop obesity in its tracks, we first need to understand how our brains influence what we eat.
Click green for further info
Source: NYT
&
Kathleen A. Page is an assistant professor at the University of Southern California’s Keck School of Medicine.
Robert S. Sherwin, a professor of medicine at Yale, is director of the Yale Center for Clinical Investigation and the Yale Diabetes Research Center.
_________________________________________________________________
The Brain: Our Food-Traffic Controller
Click green for further info
IMAGINE that, instead of this article, you were staring at a plate of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies. The mere sight and smell of them would likely make your mouth water. The first bite would be enough to wake up brain areas that control reward, pleasure and emotion — and perhaps trigger memories of when you tasted cookies like these as a child.
That first bite would also stimulate hormones signaling your brain that fuel was available. The brain would integrate these diverse messages with information from your surroundings and make a decision as to what to do next: keep on chewing, gobble down the cookie and grab another, or walk away.
Studying the complex brain response to such sweet temptations has offered clues as to how we might one day control a profound health problem in the country: the obesity epidemic.
The answer may partly lie in a primitive brain region called the hypothalamus. The hypothalamus, which monitors the body’s available energy supply, is at the center of the brain’s snack-food signal processing. It keeps track of how much long-term energy is stored in fat by detecting levels of the fat-derived hormone leptin — and it also monitors the body’s levels of blood glucose, minute-to-minute, along with other metabolic fuels and hormones that influence satiety. When you eat a cookie, the hypothalamus sends out signals that make you less hungry. Conversely, when food is restricted, the hypothalamus sends signals that increase your desire to ingest high-calorie foods. The hypothalamus is also wired to other brain areas that control taste, reward, memory, emotion and higher-level decision making. These brain regions form an integrated circuit that was designed to control the drive to eat.
With sophisticated brain-imaging techniques, we can now even see how our brains respond to specific nutrients (glucose, for example) and environmental stimuli (like the sight of food). Our research team, for example, recently conducted a study to see if the human brain responds in different ways to consumption of two types of simple sugar: glucose and fructose.
Glucose is a critical energy source for our body, particularly the brain. Even tiny changes in blood glucose can be detected by specialized glucose-sensing nerve cells in the hypothalamus. The hypothalamus’s exquisite sensitivity to glucose is especially important because the brain requires a continuous supply of glucose to meet its high-energy needs.
Fructose, a close relative of glucose, molecularly speaking, has the same number of calories but is sweeter than its cousin. Unlike glucose, though, fructose is almost entirely removed from the blood by the liver. Thus, very little of it actually reaches the brain.
The notion that these two sugars affect the brain differently is supported by animal studies. When glucose and fructose are injected directly into the brains of mice they have different effects: glucose blunts hunger signals, whereas fructose stimulates them.
We set out to see if the brains in healthy people would likewise respond differently to these two types of sugar. They did. Blood flow and activity in brain areas controlling appetite, emotion and reward decreased after consuming a drink with glucose, and participants reported greater feelings of fullness. In contrast, after drinking fructose, the brain appetite and reward areas continued to stay active, and participants did not report feeling full.
People don’t typically drink glucose and fructose separately; they are generally found together in foods and beverages. Table sugar is made of 50 percent glucose and 50 percent fructose molecules bound together. High-fructose corn syrup is made of unbound glucose and fructose molecules, usually in a ratio of 45 percent glucose to 55 percent fructose. We don’t yet know whether table sugar and high-fructose corn syrup affect the brain differently, or if they have different effects on body weight over time.
In today’s food-rich environment, we are surrounded with tantalizing food advertisements that sometimes stimulate eating, even in the absence of hunger. Brain imaging studies have shown us why. Pictures of mouthwatering foods can activate brain-reward pathways and stimulate the urge to eat — a response that is often countered by simultaneous suppression signals from “executive control” centers elsewhere in the brain. In obese individuals, though, the ability to suppress the initial brain-reward signals is often impaired. Thus, biological changes in the brain’s capacity to control our drive to eat might serve to perpetuate obesity.
Our brains were designed for a time when food was scarce and starvation was a common cause of death. While too much hunger remains in modern times, most people in the United States face a challenge opposite to what our distant ancestors faced. Natural selection has not wired us for a scenario in which food is abundant, relatively inexpensive and often high in calories.
Tackling this problem won’t be easy. But if we’re going to stop obesity in its tracks, we first need to understand how our brains influence what we eat.
Click green for further info
Source: NYT
&
Kathleen A. Page is an assistant professor at the University of Southern California’s Keck School of Medicine.
Robert S. Sherwin, a professor of medicine at Yale, is director of the Yale Center for Clinical Investigation and the Yale Diabetes Research Center.
_________________________________________________________________
Important info
Is Your Kitchen a Health Hazard?
OUR kitchens may be killing us — slowly
Not so much with radon or gas leaks, but with kindness and proximity
By Neil Izenberg
Neil Izenberg is the founder of KidsHealth.org and a pediatrician at Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children
When my 1840 Philadelphia row house was built for its seafaring owners, the kitchen was in the basement — like every other home on the block. If the family wanted a hot meal, someone had to tramp downstairs and stoke up the fire.
Fire and smoke inhalation were chief among the many health hazards the 19th-century kitchen presented. In an era without refrigeration, food poisoning was a constant danger. Home-preserved foods filled in dietary gaps, but if stored improperly botulism became a real — and deadly — risk.
The widespread introduction of the icebox, around the time my house was built, led to big changes. Insulated iceboxes — some of them fashionable furniture — greatly extended the shelf lives of fresh foods. The electric refrigerator, with small but handy freezers, appeared in houses in the first decades of the 20th century. Ice block delivery by horse-drawn cart was no longer needed.
When safer natural gas and electricity entered our lives, kitchens moved from basement exile into the main area of homes. As part of an ambitious 1934 modernization, the previous owner of my Philadelphia house moved the huge gas stove upstairs and into its own small kitchen at the back of the house.
Similarly, the kitchen of my childhood home in Metuchen, N.J., was its own single-purpose dedicated room. Back then, when my family’s evening meal was over (in our case, usually after 20 minutes of near-silent eating), our kitchen was declared “closed,” its function complete.
But now our kitchens, like our girths, have grown substantially, in terms of size and of function. They’ve become part of expansive entertainment complexes in our homes. A recent survey by the National Association of Home Builders reports that three out of four new-home buyers want their kitchen and family room to be a combined space.
That makes sense. People like to hang out and socialize in their kitchens. Now great spaces are full of wonderful, convenient devices — with super-size refrigerators, stoves that could service a restaurant and large enough cabinets to store provisions for a small army. Even our dinner plates are bigger than they used to be. Comfy chairs, computer stations and a large-screen TV — virtual necessities — round out the picture.
Sure, not everyone can afford these gastronomic wonderlands — but a glance at shows like “House Hunters” and “My First Place” on HGTV give you a pretty good idea of what the ruling cultural ideal looks like.
Almost 80 years after its last major upgrade, my old home deserves its own entertainment-eating zone, too. So I’m expanding my new kitchen complex into my garden — with all the gizmos I could want. I didn’t order some of the now-common kitchen options: second refrigerators, separate free-standing freezers, pasta faucets, bread makers, warming drawers, cappuccino bars, home pizza ovens or a built-in deep fryer and beer tap. So I guess, by some standards, I’m roughing it.
Soon I’ll be able to amble (or, more likely, roll) a mere five feet from my kitchen counter stool to my couch to watch “Chopped,” “Top Chef” or “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.” The refrigerator, pantry and containers of food will remain alluringly in sight (and all beautifully lighted, I might add). I won’t even have to leave the room during a commercial. And why would I leave at all? The kitchen has Wi-Fi.
Many of the safety issues of yesterday’s kitchens are gone. No one in my family is likely to tumble into an open hearth. But new kitchens pose a more subtle danger to our health by doubling as a comfortable social, entertainment and eating hub. Retail marketers have long known that when tempting food is within close range of our eyes or nose, we tend to eat more of it. In our new kitchens, it’s just too darn easy to get to addictive snacks and calorie-rich drinks.
My newly expanded kitchen should be done in a few weeks. Despite its increased storage capacity, I plan to stock fewer carbohydrate-laden products and tempting treats. An extra handful or two of easily accessible daily snacks can make the difference between maintaining my weight and adding a few pounds each year.
There are, of course, many reasons for the nation’s obesity epidemic, with its staggering health implications. But surely modern home design plays an important and underappreciated role.
Perhaps there is one more kitchen option I should get: a neon sign that says “Kitchen Closed.” After dinner, I’ll turn it on.
Source: NYT
By Neil Izenberg is the founder of KidsHealth.org and a pediatrician at Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children
________________________________________
Is Your Kitchen a Health Hazard?
OUR kitchens may be killing us — slowly
Not so much with radon or gas leaks, but with kindness and proximity
By Neil Izenberg
Neil Izenberg is the founder of KidsHealth.org and a pediatrician at Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children
When my 1840 Philadelphia row house was built for its seafaring owners, the kitchen was in the basement — like every other home on the block. If the family wanted a hot meal, someone had to tramp downstairs and stoke up the fire.
Fire and smoke inhalation were chief among the many health hazards the 19th-century kitchen presented. In an era without refrigeration, food poisoning was a constant danger. Home-preserved foods filled in dietary gaps, but if stored improperly botulism became a real — and deadly — risk.
The widespread introduction of the icebox, around the time my house was built, led to big changes. Insulated iceboxes — some of them fashionable furniture — greatly extended the shelf lives of fresh foods. The electric refrigerator, with small but handy freezers, appeared in houses in the first decades of the 20th century. Ice block delivery by horse-drawn cart was no longer needed.
When safer natural gas and electricity entered our lives, kitchens moved from basement exile into the main area of homes. As part of an ambitious 1934 modernization, the previous owner of my Philadelphia house moved the huge gas stove upstairs and into its own small kitchen at the back of the house.
Similarly, the kitchen of my childhood home in Metuchen, N.J., was its own single-purpose dedicated room. Back then, when my family’s evening meal was over (in our case, usually after 20 minutes of near-silent eating), our kitchen was declared “closed,” its function complete.
But now our kitchens, like our girths, have grown substantially, in terms of size and of function. They’ve become part of expansive entertainment complexes in our homes. A recent survey by the National Association of Home Builders reports that three out of four new-home buyers want their kitchen and family room to be a combined space.
That makes sense. People like to hang out and socialize in their kitchens. Now great spaces are full of wonderful, convenient devices — with super-size refrigerators, stoves that could service a restaurant and large enough cabinets to store provisions for a small army. Even our dinner plates are bigger than they used to be. Comfy chairs, computer stations and a large-screen TV — virtual necessities — round out the picture.
Sure, not everyone can afford these gastronomic wonderlands — but a glance at shows like “House Hunters” and “My First Place” on HGTV give you a pretty good idea of what the ruling cultural ideal looks like.
Almost 80 years after its last major upgrade, my old home deserves its own entertainment-eating zone, too. So I’m expanding my new kitchen complex into my garden — with all the gizmos I could want. I didn’t order some of the now-common kitchen options: second refrigerators, separate free-standing freezers, pasta faucets, bread makers, warming drawers, cappuccino bars, home pizza ovens or a built-in deep fryer and beer tap. So I guess, by some standards, I’m roughing it.
Soon I’ll be able to amble (or, more likely, roll) a mere five feet from my kitchen counter stool to my couch to watch “Chopped,” “Top Chef” or “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.” The refrigerator, pantry and containers of food will remain alluringly in sight (and all beautifully lighted, I might add). I won’t even have to leave the room during a commercial. And why would I leave at all? The kitchen has Wi-Fi.
Many of the safety issues of yesterday’s kitchens are gone. No one in my family is likely to tumble into an open hearth. But new kitchens pose a more subtle danger to our health by doubling as a comfortable social, entertainment and eating hub. Retail marketers have long known that when tempting food is within close range of our eyes or nose, we tend to eat more of it. In our new kitchens, it’s just too darn easy to get to addictive snacks and calorie-rich drinks.
My newly expanded kitchen should be done in a few weeks. Despite its increased storage capacity, I plan to stock fewer carbohydrate-laden products and tempting treats. An extra handful or two of easily accessible daily snacks can make the difference between maintaining my weight and adding a few pounds each year.
There are, of course, many reasons for the nation’s obesity epidemic, with its staggering health implications. But surely modern home design plays an important and underappreciated role.
Perhaps there is one more kitchen option I should get: a neon sign that says “Kitchen Closed.” After dinner, I’ll turn it on.
Source: NYT
By Neil Izenberg is the founder of KidsHealth.org and a pediatrician at Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children
________________________________________
Save The American Family - STAF, Inc. has developed for the U.S. government's use a new Healthy Lifestyle & Correct Nutrition Program as the first real solution to our nation's rampant overweight & obesity level and wide sickness level coming out from wrong eating. The same program is fit for every nation's use worldwide. It took totally 26 years to create, test, finalize and modify for the U.S. use.
The article below gives some examples, collected from round the world, as examples of healthier eating style.
The World's Healthiest Diets
In nations with low obesity rates, women know how to eat right and enjoy every bite. "The diets they follow often place an emphasis on whole grains and legumes and use meat sparingly," says Daphne Miller, MD, the author of The Jungle Effect: The Healthiest Diets from Around the World. They're a far cry from the typical U.S. diet, a processed, produce-deficient carb-fest. Although I can no longer use the excuse that I'm a broke college student, I still live on lattes, burgers, and apple cobbler. So I embarked on a 30-day culinary experiment, borrowing secrets from some of the world's healthiest places to slim my 170-pound frame.
Related: 10 Strategies to Lose Fat and Keep It Off for Good
Week One: France
Despite baguettes and Brie, French women have the lowest average body mass index in Europe. "It's true that the French eat for pleasure, but they enjoy cream, cheese, and wine in moderation," says Mary Brighton, RD, a health and food blogger who lives in Pau, France.
Slimming Secrets
Eat slowly. The length of the average French meal has decreased in recent years, but it still clocks in at a leisurely 42 minutes. Brighton has a suggestion to help me slow down the pace at which I stuff my face: "Adopt the French habit of eating a three-course meal to savor food and to recognize satiety cues." When I started with salad, I began to feel full a few bites into my second course, pasta, and I left a bit of it on the plate, rounding out my meal with an apple. Something else that worked: listening to music and making meals last for five or six songs. That's about 20 minutes, or the amount of time it takes your brain to register that your stomach is full.
Make lunch the main event. French breakfasts are small, but lunch is a big deal and might include soup, salad, a chicken entrée with at least one vegetable, and a light dessert, like sorbet, says Steven Jonas, MD, a coauthor of 30 Secrets of the World's Healthiest Cuisines. Supper is lighter and later, usually eaten around 8 or 9. "Because the body uses lunchtime calories for the rest of the day, fewer go into storage and turn into body fat," he explains. My midday meal is often coffee and crackers, so I had to take extreme measures to bulk it up. Each night I cooked twice as much as I normally would for dinner and packed about two-thirds of it for lunch the next day. The new portions were perfect; I wasn't starving by supper.
Treat yourself. This I can do: I never met a pint of Ben & Jerry's I didn't like. But that's not the French way. Instead, they enjoy a petite treat at the end of each meal -- a piece of dark chocolate, an espresso, or an after-dinner drink. "It signals your brain that it's time to stop eating," Brighton explains. "Having occasional small treats throughout the day also makes you less likely to binge later." I bought a bar of dark chocolate and ate a square after each meal. At first it wasn't easy to stop at one, but I let it melt in my mouth and reminded myself that I had another to look forward to in a few hours. So long, snack attacks!
Week Two: Japan
It's no surprise that the obesity rate in Japan is less than 4 percent: The country's traditional diet has long been touted as one of the healthiest in the world. "People who live in the Okinawa region of Japan, specifically, are four to five times more likely than Americans to live to 100," Dr. Miller says.
Slimming Secrets
Start with soup. Miso soup is part of most meals, including breakfast. "Broth-based soup can help you feel full longer and regulate your calorie intake for the day," says Rebecca Scritchfield, RD, a nutrition counselor in Washington, D.C. A study of more than 5,000 people found that women who ate soup five to six times a week were more likely to have healthy BMIs than those who sipped it less frequently. Sure enough, I was less hungry during the day when I started every meal -- even breakfast -- with a bowl of miso. Can't get down with soup in the morning? Start lunch or dinner with a bowl (just steer clear of creamy kinds, which can be high in fat and calories).
Brighten up your plate. There's a proverb in Japan that says, "Not dressing up the meal with color is like sending someone out of the house without clothes." The Japanese try to incorporate five hues -- red, blue-green, yellow, white, and black -- into every meal, says Lalita Kaul, PhD, RD, the author of Healthy Heart South Asian Diet. Adding different shades to your plate (Skittles don't count!) means you'll take in more low-cal, high-fiber fruits and veggies. When I incorporated a rainbow of produce into my diet -- plums and peaches for a snack, tomatoes and lettuce on turkey sandwiches, berries atop low-fat pudding -- I found that all the fiber kept me full longer.
Stop while you're ahead. Unlike me (I can still hear my mom saying, "We don't waste food!"), Japanese people don't belong to the clean-plate club. In Okinawa, there's a popular saying, "Hara hachi bu," which means "Eat until you're 80 percent full."
"This helps explain why most Okinawans maintain a stable weight between ages 20 and 100, while the average American gains a pound a year after 30," Dr. Miller says. Putting this approach into practice is easier said than done. But this advice from Scritchfield helped: "Serve yourself only half as much as you normally would. Then wait five minutes once you've finished to determine if you still need more food."
Related: How to Avoid Life's Big Fat Traps
Week Three: The Nordic Region
People in Sweden, Norway, and Denmark have long had one of the lowest obesity rates in Europe. Only 13.4 percent of the Danish population and 10 percent of Norwegians are obese, and Icelanders have a 50 percent lower death rate from heart disease and diabetes than North Americans, Dr. Miller says.
Slimming Secrets
Better your bread. In Scandinavia the most beloved loaf is rye. "There are two types of fiber: soluble, found in rye, and insoluble, found in wheat," explains Katherine Tallmadge, RD, the author of Diet Simple. "Both make you feel full, but the soluble kind also lowers cholesterol and glycemic response, causing less glucose in the bloodstream, which means fewer blood sugar spikes and cravings." When I ate my turkey sandwich on a single slice of rye (a typical Scandinavian sammie is open-faced), the bread was so substantial that I didn't miss the second slice.
Go fish. Danish people consume more than twice as much fish as Americans, says Arne Astrup, MD, PhD, the nutrition department head at the University of Copenhagen. "Seafood is lower in calories and fat than other protein sources," Scritchfield says. And much of the fat in the fish that's popular in Scandinavia -- herring, tuna, salmon, mackerel, and cod -- is heart-healthy omega-3s. In an eight-week study, researchers from the University of Iceland found that overweight people who ate three to five servings of cod a week lost more weight than those who scorned seafood. So I ate tuna salad (made with salsa instead of mayo) for lunch a couple of times a week, and I grilled salmon frequently.
Hit the farmers' market. But not just in the summer. The Nordic diet is full of cold-climate vegetables -- cabbage, cauliflower, kale, and brussels sprouts -- and mushrooms, the kind of produce that is loaded with flavor and makes a lean meal feel heftier, Dr. Astrup says. I've typically drenched them in salt and creamy dressing, but I loved Scritchfield's suggestions: roasted beets with grapefruit and basil, and stir-fried brussels sprouts with low-sodium soy sauce and honey.
Related: 6 Reasons You're Not Losing Weight
Week Four: The Mediterranean
In one study, people who consumed the traditional diet of the Mediterranean (key elements include produce, healthy fats, whole grains, lean protein, and red wine) for 25 weeks lost an average of 8 percent of their body weight.
Slimming Secrets
Get an oil change. Extra virgin olive oil, a cornerstone of the Mediterranean diet, may help control your appetite. A study from the University of California, Irvine, found that the oleic acid it contains triggers the production of a hunger-curbing compound in the small intestine. I've always used the golden oil in dressing, but I also marinated meat in it with salt and pepper. And because I learned from Mary Flynn, PhD, RD, a coauthor of Low-Fat Lies: High-Fat Frauds and the Healthiest Diet in the World, that the body needs fat to absorb the beneficial compounds in produce, veggies roasted in olive oil became my go-to side dish.
Spice things up. Mediterranean cooks are all about fresh herbs -- basil, dill, bay leaf, fennel, and mint -- and spices. These weight-loss secret weapons pack serious flavor, allowing you to cut back on high-cal ingredients. Alas, in the kitchen I'm more Paula Deen than Giada De Laurentiis: I use a lot of salt, sugar, and butter. "Buy at least one fresh herb a week and add it to your meals," Scritchfield suggests. I learned to love cilantro in chili, where it made my usual dollop of sour cream unnecessary.
Use meat sparingly. Supersized steak dinners are uncommon in the traditional Mediterranean diet; meat plays a supporting role and is used to add flavor. "The amount of meat consumed by Americans is a large contributor to excess weight," says Flynn, who notes that it's also linked to heart disease and cancer. I found some new vegetarian faves: portobello burgers and baked spaghetti squash. I never felt weighed down after dinner, and -- bonus! -- I saved cash. "Meat is probably the most expensive part of the grocery bill," Flynn says.
The Wrap-Up
This four-week staycation has been better for my waistline than any vacay I've taken. I dropped five pounds! And some of the healthy changes have stuck: I planted an herb garden on my balcony; meatless Mondays (Thursdays, too) are a staple in my household; and my pantry is stocked with dark chocolate so rich that I don't want to stuff the whole bar in my mouth. Turns out, a bit of global inspiration was just what I needed to shake up my all-too-American eating habits.
Source:
Various internet locations
____________________________________________________________
The article below gives some examples, collected from round the world, as examples of healthier eating style.
The World's Healthiest Diets
In nations with low obesity rates, women know how to eat right and enjoy every bite. "The diets they follow often place an emphasis on whole grains and legumes and use meat sparingly," says Daphne Miller, MD, the author of The Jungle Effect: The Healthiest Diets from Around the World. They're a far cry from the typical U.S. diet, a processed, produce-deficient carb-fest. Although I can no longer use the excuse that I'm a broke college student, I still live on lattes, burgers, and apple cobbler. So I embarked on a 30-day culinary experiment, borrowing secrets from some of the world's healthiest places to slim my 170-pound frame.
Related: 10 Strategies to Lose Fat and Keep It Off for Good
Week One: France
Despite baguettes and Brie, French women have the lowest average body mass index in Europe. "It's true that the French eat for pleasure, but they enjoy cream, cheese, and wine in moderation," says Mary Brighton, RD, a health and food blogger who lives in Pau, France.
Slimming Secrets
Eat slowly. The length of the average French meal has decreased in recent years, but it still clocks in at a leisurely 42 minutes. Brighton has a suggestion to help me slow down the pace at which I stuff my face: "Adopt the French habit of eating a three-course meal to savor food and to recognize satiety cues." When I started with salad, I began to feel full a few bites into my second course, pasta, and I left a bit of it on the plate, rounding out my meal with an apple. Something else that worked: listening to music and making meals last for five or six songs. That's about 20 minutes, or the amount of time it takes your brain to register that your stomach is full.
Make lunch the main event. French breakfasts are small, but lunch is a big deal and might include soup, salad, a chicken entrée with at least one vegetable, and a light dessert, like sorbet, says Steven Jonas, MD, a coauthor of 30 Secrets of the World's Healthiest Cuisines. Supper is lighter and later, usually eaten around 8 or 9. "Because the body uses lunchtime calories for the rest of the day, fewer go into storage and turn into body fat," he explains. My midday meal is often coffee and crackers, so I had to take extreme measures to bulk it up. Each night I cooked twice as much as I normally would for dinner and packed about two-thirds of it for lunch the next day. The new portions were perfect; I wasn't starving by supper.
Treat yourself. This I can do: I never met a pint of Ben & Jerry's I didn't like. But that's not the French way. Instead, they enjoy a petite treat at the end of each meal -- a piece of dark chocolate, an espresso, or an after-dinner drink. "It signals your brain that it's time to stop eating," Brighton explains. "Having occasional small treats throughout the day also makes you less likely to binge later." I bought a bar of dark chocolate and ate a square after each meal. At first it wasn't easy to stop at one, but I let it melt in my mouth and reminded myself that I had another to look forward to in a few hours. So long, snack attacks!
Week Two: Japan
It's no surprise that the obesity rate in Japan is less than 4 percent: The country's traditional diet has long been touted as one of the healthiest in the world. "People who live in the Okinawa region of Japan, specifically, are four to five times more likely than Americans to live to 100," Dr. Miller says.
Slimming Secrets
Start with soup. Miso soup is part of most meals, including breakfast. "Broth-based soup can help you feel full longer and regulate your calorie intake for the day," says Rebecca Scritchfield, RD, a nutrition counselor in Washington, D.C. A study of more than 5,000 people found that women who ate soup five to six times a week were more likely to have healthy BMIs than those who sipped it less frequently. Sure enough, I was less hungry during the day when I started every meal -- even breakfast -- with a bowl of miso. Can't get down with soup in the morning? Start lunch or dinner with a bowl (just steer clear of creamy kinds, which can be high in fat and calories).
Brighten up your plate. There's a proverb in Japan that says, "Not dressing up the meal with color is like sending someone out of the house without clothes." The Japanese try to incorporate five hues -- red, blue-green, yellow, white, and black -- into every meal, says Lalita Kaul, PhD, RD, the author of Healthy Heart South Asian Diet. Adding different shades to your plate (Skittles don't count!) means you'll take in more low-cal, high-fiber fruits and veggies. When I incorporated a rainbow of produce into my diet -- plums and peaches for a snack, tomatoes and lettuce on turkey sandwiches, berries atop low-fat pudding -- I found that all the fiber kept me full longer.
Stop while you're ahead. Unlike me (I can still hear my mom saying, "We don't waste food!"), Japanese people don't belong to the clean-plate club. In Okinawa, there's a popular saying, "Hara hachi bu," which means "Eat until you're 80 percent full."
"This helps explain why most Okinawans maintain a stable weight between ages 20 and 100, while the average American gains a pound a year after 30," Dr. Miller says. Putting this approach into practice is easier said than done. But this advice from Scritchfield helped: "Serve yourself only half as much as you normally would. Then wait five minutes once you've finished to determine if you still need more food."
Related: How to Avoid Life's Big Fat Traps
Week Three: The Nordic Region
People in Sweden, Norway, and Denmark have long had one of the lowest obesity rates in Europe. Only 13.4 percent of the Danish population and 10 percent of Norwegians are obese, and Icelanders have a 50 percent lower death rate from heart disease and diabetes than North Americans, Dr. Miller says.
Slimming Secrets
Better your bread. In Scandinavia the most beloved loaf is rye. "There are two types of fiber: soluble, found in rye, and insoluble, found in wheat," explains Katherine Tallmadge, RD, the author of Diet Simple. "Both make you feel full, but the soluble kind also lowers cholesterol and glycemic response, causing less glucose in the bloodstream, which means fewer blood sugar spikes and cravings." When I ate my turkey sandwich on a single slice of rye (a typical Scandinavian sammie is open-faced), the bread was so substantial that I didn't miss the second slice.
Go fish. Danish people consume more than twice as much fish as Americans, says Arne Astrup, MD, PhD, the nutrition department head at the University of Copenhagen. "Seafood is lower in calories and fat than other protein sources," Scritchfield says. And much of the fat in the fish that's popular in Scandinavia -- herring, tuna, salmon, mackerel, and cod -- is heart-healthy omega-3s. In an eight-week study, researchers from the University of Iceland found that overweight people who ate three to five servings of cod a week lost more weight than those who scorned seafood. So I ate tuna salad (made with salsa instead of mayo) for lunch a couple of times a week, and I grilled salmon frequently.
Hit the farmers' market. But not just in the summer. The Nordic diet is full of cold-climate vegetables -- cabbage, cauliflower, kale, and brussels sprouts -- and mushrooms, the kind of produce that is loaded with flavor and makes a lean meal feel heftier, Dr. Astrup says. I've typically drenched them in salt and creamy dressing, but I loved Scritchfield's suggestions: roasted beets with grapefruit and basil, and stir-fried brussels sprouts with low-sodium soy sauce and honey.
Related: 6 Reasons You're Not Losing Weight
Week Four: The Mediterranean
In one study, people who consumed the traditional diet of the Mediterranean (key elements include produce, healthy fats, whole grains, lean protein, and red wine) for 25 weeks lost an average of 8 percent of their body weight.
Slimming Secrets
Get an oil change. Extra virgin olive oil, a cornerstone of the Mediterranean diet, may help control your appetite. A study from the University of California, Irvine, found that the oleic acid it contains triggers the production of a hunger-curbing compound in the small intestine. I've always used the golden oil in dressing, but I also marinated meat in it with salt and pepper. And because I learned from Mary Flynn, PhD, RD, a coauthor of Low-Fat Lies: High-Fat Frauds and the Healthiest Diet in the World, that the body needs fat to absorb the beneficial compounds in produce, veggies roasted in olive oil became my go-to side dish.
Spice things up. Mediterranean cooks are all about fresh herbs -- basil, dill, bay leaf, fennel, and mint -- and spices. These weight-loss secret weapons pack serious flavor, allowing you to cut back on high-cal ingredients. Alas, in the kitchen I'm more Paula Deen than Giada De Laurentiis: I use a lot of salt, sugar, and butter. "Buy at least one fresh herb a week and add it to your meals," Scritchfield suggests. I learned to love cilantro in chili, where it made my usual dollop of sour cream unnecessary.
Use meat sparingly. Supersized steak dinners are uncommon in the traditional Mediterranean diet; meat plays a supporting role and is used to add flavor. "The amount of meat consumed by Americans is a large contributor to excess weight," says Flynn, who notes that it's also linked to heart disease and cancer. I found some new vegetarian faves: portobello burgers and baked spaghetti squash. I never felt weighed down after dinner, and -- bonus! -- I saved cash. "Meat is probably the most expensive part of the grocery bill," Flynn says.
The Wrap-Up
This four-week staycation has been better for my waistline than any vacay I've taken. I dropped five pounds! And some of the healthy changes have stuck: I planted an herb garden on my balcony; meatless Mondays (Thursdays, too) are a staple in my household; and my pantry is stocked with dark chocolate so rich that I don't want to stuff the whole bar in my mouth. Turns out, a bit of global inspiration was just what I needed to shake up my all-too-American eating habits.
Source:
Various internet locations
____________________________________________________________
Important info
More than 40 million Americans don't get enough sleep,
according to the CDC - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
And what they're doing about it might not be so helpful either
___________
This sleep info is placed next to the weight loss guidance
because sleep deprivation can prevent successful weight loss
Sleep deprivation can also initiate different malfunctions in the human
body & mind and cause any serious, life-threatening sickness
At the end of tis article 3 links to additional sleep deprivation info
10 things the sleep-aid industry won’t tell you
Click green for further info
1. Money can’t buy you sleep.
With more than 40 million people—roughly a third of working Americans—not getting enough shut-eye, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, it’s no wonder that industries ranging from furniture makers to pharmaceutical companies are making big money by offering to help people get the recommended seven to nine hours a night. The sleep-aid industry encompasses everything from specialty mattresses and high-tech pillows to new medications and at-home tests that promise to help the sleep-deprived measure and improve their z’s. And many bleary-eyed Americans are taking the bait, ponying up not only for these products but also noise machines, scented candles and more. “It’s a lot easier to buy something than it is to develop good sleep habits,” says Kit Yarrow, chair of the psychology department at Golden Gate University and a speaker on consumer psychology.
Click green to Play video
What sleep-aid industry won’t say
More than 40 million Americans don't get enough sleep, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And what they're doing about it might not be so helpful either.
Video discusses sleep-aid industry secrets.
But specialists say not all the products designed to improve sleep actually work. A 2012 Consumer Reports study that reviewed several drugs commonly used to treat insomnia found that while such sleeping pills generally help people fall asleep faster, it is not clear how well they help people stay asleep.
Experts also caution against relying too much on natural supplements. Melatonin, which the body produces at night to induce sleep, can help people reset their body clocks after travel, doctors say. And some botanical extracts may help people unwind at night. But some studies show melatonin may not be more effective than a placebo, according to the National Sleep Foundation. And if you have a medical reason for not sleeping, some of these herbal supplements may not be as effective, says Duffy MacKay, vice president of scientific and regulatory affairs at the Council for Responsible Nutrition, a dietary supplement trade group.
While some of these supplements, along with pillows, noise machines and measuring devices can be helpful, doctors say some of the most effective techniques for improving sleep — such as exercising, not eating before bed, limiting screen time at night and getting natural light in the morning — are free. The Consumer Reports analysis also recommended behavioral therapy, including relaxation techniques and limiting time in bed, for people with chronic insomnia. “The best solution is to make sure that you follow the rules of biology,” says Dr. Larry Kline, medical director for the Viterbi Family Sleep Center at the Scripps Clinic in San Diego. And those rules, he says, “were not made up by the pharmaceutical industry or someone making a pillow.”
2. What you do once you’re asleep is not our problem.
There were 58.5 million sleeping pill prescriptions issued in 2012, up 10% from 2007, according to IMS Health, a health-care technology and information company. And roughly two-thirds of the sleeping pill prescriptions issued last year were for zolpidem, the generic version of Ambien. (The majority of patients take the generic).
Click green to Play video
Why naps are better than sleep binges Can you catch up on lost sleep by bingeing on the weekend? Most experts say no, but naps may provide some relief, Heidi Mitchell reports.
But as much as they have been shown to help people fall asleep, sleep specialists and drug makers say patients taking sleeping pills are also reporting incidents of abnormal behavior — including sleep walking, making phone calls and going on other late-night escapades — with little or no memory of it the following day. Dr. Aparajitha Verma, medical director for the Sleep Disorders Center at the Methodist Neurological Institute in Houston, recalls one woman on sleeping pills who said her husband found her, fast asleep, shaking their baby in the middle of the night. “She had no recollection of how she got there and why she had picked up the child,” says Dr. Verma. Some patients using sleeping pills have also reported “sleep eating,” according to a study by the Scripps Clinic. Drug makers acknowledge that such adverse reactions have been associated with, but are not necessarily caused by, sleeping pills. Indeed, drug labels for the most common sleeping pills, including brand-name drugs Ambien, Lunesta, Sonata and Rozerem, warn that some patients may do things while they are not fully awake and not remember it the next morning.
The drowsiness can sometimes drag on to the next day. In a safety announcement released in January regarding sleeping pills, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration warned that all drugs taken for insomnia can impair someone’s ability to drive or do other activities that require alertness the morning after they’re taken. The risk of next-morning drowsiness is highest for people taking extended-release forms of zolpidem, which are designed to stay in the body longer, the announcement said.
Drug labels for major sleeping pills also list drowsiness as a common side effect and caution the risks of sleep driving and other behaviors increase with higher doses and when the drugs are taken with other depressants and alcohol. Directions say sleeping pills should be taken right before going to bed and only if people can get the recommended seven to eight hours of sleep. A spokesman for Sanofi, which makes Ambien, said patients should talk to their doctors about starting with the lowest effective dose. In a statement to MarketWatch, Takeda, which makes Rozerem, said Rozerem works with the body’s normal sleep-wake cycle to promote sleep and that individuals should discuss treatment with their doctors. Pfizer issued a statement saying Sonata is an effective short-term treatment option for people suffering from insomnia. Sunovion, which makes Lunesta, did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
3. If you’re a woman, or over age 65, less (medication) is more.
Specialists say women and individuals over age 65 are more likely to have adverse reactions to some sleep aids, such as daytime drowsiness, dizziness and hallucinations. For instance, women accounted for two-thirds of the nearly 19,500 emergency room visits made in 2010 by people having adverse reactions to zolpidem, according to a report released this month by the government’s Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. About a third of total visits, or 32%, involved patients aged 65 or older.
Part of the issue is that women and older people tend to have slower metabolisms, which can cause a drug to stay in their systems longer, compared with younger people and men, says Dr. Daniel Kripke, co-director for research at the Viterbi Family Sleep Center and lead author of a report that found sleeping pills are often linked with higher chances of death. In January, the Food and Drug Administration cut the recommended dose for the popular sleep aid zolpidem in half for women, to five milligrams a day for immediate release versions of the drug and 6.25 milligrams for extended release zolpidem, which is designed to stay in the body longer. The agency also recommended, but didn’t require, that the dose be cut in half for men. And the FDA also recommends the lower dose for older patients, typically those aged 65 or older.
Since sleeping pills have been shown to impair balance, memory and the ability to drive, seniors using sleeping pills are at a greater risk of slipping and fracturing their hips than they were prior to taking the medication, according to the report by Dr. Kripke. That said, while sleeping pills are “not for everyone,” they can be useful in helping men and women of all ages manage their sleep issues, sometimes in conjunction with behavioral treatments, says Dr. Russell Rosenberg, chairman of the National Sleep Foundation. Patients using sleeping pills should have regular talks with their doctors about how the medicine is making them feel and if their dosage should be altered, adds Peter Delany, director of the center for behavioral health statistics and quality at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. A spokesman for Sanofi, the maker of Ambien, says patients should talk to their doctor about using the lowest effective dose and says they should never take more than the prescribed dose.
4. Lack of sleep may be the least of your problems.
Bob Weigle, a CPA in Houston, started taking sleeping pills about a decade ago to help get him through the nights when his chronic back pain wouldn’t let him fall asleep. Despite the occasional nudge he would get from his wife for snoring too loud at night, Weigle felt he was getting plenty of rest. But when he was hospitalized for back surgery, doctors discovered Weigle not just snoring, but gasping for air roughly once a minute, a condition that made his heart rate spike while he was sleeping. After a sleep study and several appointments with a specialist, Weigle was diagnosed with two kinds of sleep apnea and has since been using a pressure machine that helps improve his breathing—and his sleep—at night. “I guess I didn’t know what rest was,” says Weigle. “I didn’t have any idea this was going on.”
While sleeping pills may help some people fall asleep during periods of acute stress or jet lag, patients who rely on medications over the long term may never get to the root of what is keeping them awake at night, says Dr. Verma of the Methodist Neurological Institute. “Once you stop the sleep aid, the insomnia is going to come back,” she warns. Some patients using sleep aids on a regular basis may ignore or worsen underlying conditions like sleep apnea, or mood disorders like depression or anxiety, increasing their risks of hypertension, diabetes, memory problems and mood disorders. Drug labels for sleeping pills like Ambien, Lunesta, Sonata and Rozerem say patients should be re-evaluated if they are still having insomnia after 7 to 10 days of using the drugs. Patients should talk to their doctors about lifestyle changes, behavioral therapy or other treatments that may help them fall asleep easier, Verma says.
5. We might cause the grumpiness you’re trying to cure.
Studies show sleeping pills may cause depression in the people who take them. A 2007 analysis of randomized medical trials found that people taking sleeping pills may have a greater chance of becoming depressed. The study, conducted by Kripke of the Viterbi Center, found that 2% of those people who received one of four drugs meant to treat insomnia, including zolpidem, eszopiclone, zaleplon and ramelteon, reported symptoms of depression, more than double the share of participants who received placebos. Kripke concluded that the drugs could be causing or worsening depression for some patients.
A common warning mentioned in the prescribing information for sleep aids like Ambien , Lunesta, Sonata and Rozerem is that people who are depressed could see a worsening of depression or have suicidal thoughts after using a sedative and that any new signs or symptoms should be evaluated immediately. People using sleeping pills should talk to their doctors about any negative reactions they may be having while on the medication, says Delany, the official at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Drug labels also warn it can rarely be determined with certainty that abnormal behaviors such as worsening of depression are caused by a drug or the result of an underlying disorder. A spokesman for Sanofi said people should talk to their doctor about any history of depression, mental illness or suicidal thoughts before taking zolpidem. Takeda said individuals should discuss treatment with their doctors and Pfizer said Sonata can be effective as a short-term treatment. Sunovion did not respond to requests for comment.
6. You might get hooked…
Doctors say patients taking sleeping pills for a prolonged period of time will often develop a tolerance, meaning they need more of the drug to feel its effects—and might increase their dosage without consulting their doctor. But higher doses also sometimes come with an increased risk of dependency and withdrawal symptoms, Verma says.
Indeed, prescription materials for sleeping pills warn that there have been reports of people experiencing withdrawal symptoms if they stop using the drugs abruptly, and they caution that patients should be monitored for tolerance, abuse and dependence. (Researchers say people who take sleeping pills at the recommended dose have a slimmer chance of becoming dependent on them.) Most sleeping pills are designed for short-term use, says Delany. People who find that sleeping pills aren’t helping them to get the rest they need should talk to their doctors before changing their dosage, he adds.
7. …or worse.
The number of emergency-room visits involving adverse reactions to zolpidem grew nearly 220% from 2005 to 2010, when 19,487 ER trips were tied to the drug, according to figures released in May by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (The number of people receiving sleeping pill prescriptions overall also grew by 40% over that same time period, according to IMS Health.) Half of those visits involved individuals who had also taken other drugs, including narcotic pain relievers and other medications used to treat anxiety and insomnia, and about 10% involved a combination of zolpidem and alcohol, but 40% were tied to zolpidem alone. The study didn’t break down what symptoms or injuries ultimately landed the patients in the emergency room, but common side effects include daytime drowsiness, dizziness, hallucinations and agitation, according to the report. Some people may have had accidents while under the influence of the drug, says Delany. Sanofi declined to comment on the findings in the ER study, but the product labels for Ambien and other insomnia drugs like Lunesta, Sonata and Rozerem warn patients should not take the medicine if they’ve had alcohol or another drug to help them sleep.
A separate study published last year by the Viterbi Center also found that taking common sleeping pills was associated with greater chances of death, even when taken in small amounts. The study followed 10,500 sleeping-pill users and 23,700 non-users in Pennsylvania between 2002 and 2006. The patients with prescriptions for sleeping pills were five times as likely to die during that time period compared with those not taking the pills. The heaviest users had about a 35% higher risk of developing a major cancer. The study found that sleeping pills were associated with, but don’t necessarily cause, higher incidents of car crashes, falling, hypertension, heart failure and other cardiovascular diseases. The researchers note, however, that they were unable to control for depression, anxiety and other emotional risk factors that may have affected patients. It is also possible that people taking sleeping pills may have received more medical testing overall, giving them a greater chance of detecting cancer than people who don’t take sleeping pills.
Drug labels for sleeping pills commonly warning that any new behavioral signs or symptoms should be evaluated immediately and that abnormal behaviors may be a sign of underlying psychiatric or physical disorder. Some people using the pills may also want to talk to their doctors or pharmacists if they are taking other medications that might have a negative interaction with their sleeping pills, says Delany.
8. Don’t bet on that fancy mattress.
Sales of specialty mattresses reached $1.5 billion in 2011, up 30% from the year before, according to the International Sleep Products Association, and trouncing the 3% growth for more common innerspring mattresses. Some of those pricier options, like memory foam mattresses, which can cost up to $7,500 for a queen, come with extra features like handles and edge support, according to mattress review site SleepLikeTheDead.com. Many of these special beds also last longer and have higher consumer satisfaction ratings, according to some reports.
But not everyone is a fan. When Jason Toy shelled out $800 last year for a mattress with a memory foam pillow top, he tossed and turned just as much at night as he did on his old bed, he says. “I thought maybe it would help a little,” says Toy, a 31 year-old software engineer in Boston. “But it was the same thing.”
Sleep specialists say the higher price tag might not do anything to help insomniacs. Claudia Toth, a psychologist certified in behavioral sleep medicine says it’s not uncommon for patients to have tried out three or four mattresses before deciding to seek professional help. And products meant to encourage more time in bed, including fancy pillows or specialty mattresses, may actually worsen insomnia for some people, she says, because going to bed too early can cause some insomniacs to associate their beds with the anxiety of laying around and waiting for sleep. Toth advises some of her patients to work on puzzles, read or listen to music until they are ready to fall asleep, instead of spending 10 to 12 hours in bed.
The Better Sleep Council, a nonprofit educational organization supported by the mattress industry, recommends evaluating mattresses for possible replacement every five to seven years. And a spokeswoman for the International Sleep Products Association, a trade group for the mattress industry, points out that a 2006 study from Oklahoma State University study that found sleeping on a new mattress can relieve lower back pain and improve sleep quality.
9. Sleep study: $550. Sleep diary: Priceless.
There are currently 2,537 accredited sleep disorder centers, according to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, a trade group for sleep specialists, up from 692 in 2003. While sleep tests may help detect conditions like sleep apnea, narcolepsy, or identify a patient’s tendency toward behaviors like sleepwalking, sleep paralysis or night terrors, some doctors say they are pricey and often not necessary for diagnosing insomnia. “Sometimes just hearing the signs and symptoms of someone’s sleep problem is adequate to determine what needs to be done,” says Russell Rosenberg, the chairman of the board for the National Sleep Foundation. Many patients get to the root of their sleep problems by keeping a diary of how much they’re exercising, how often they wake up at night and whether there are other symptoms like snoring, says Rosenberg.
Other people may find, after talking to their doctors, that issues like snoring and some cases of sleep apnea might be addressed if they make lifestyle changes, such as losing weight or sleeping on their sides, says Dr. Fred Holt, a sleep study consultant and medical director at Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina. “Not everybody who snores needs a sleep test,” says Holt.
A sleep study at a sleep lab may cost Medicare about $550 plus a $90 professional fee, according to the academy, while a private insurance company might pay $600 to $2,000 for an in-lab sleep study. An at-home sleep test is less expensive, costing roughly $100 to $300. Most large employers will cover a sleep study if it is medically appropriate and certain criteria are met, says Helen Darling, president and chief executive of the National Business Group on Health, a membership group that helps large employers with their health benefits. But even if more people use the less costly at-home exam, the rising popularity of sleep studies overall could push up some health care premiums, says Darling. Some health insurers are working to prevent overuse of sleep studies by requiring preauthorization from a specialist, she says.
Doctors who practice sleep medicine say sleep studies can offer legitimate value. In-lab sleep studies can still be the best way to diagnose chronic sleep disorders, says Dr. Sam Fleishman, president of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. At-home sleep tests can help confirm certain kinds of sleep apnea, he says.
10. There’s an app for that – but it won’t help you sleep.
One little known aspect of insomnia is that the seemingly sleep-deprived often underestimate (or overestimate) how much shut-eye they’re getting, says Matt Bianchi, director of the sleep division at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. “They could sleep seven hours in the sleep lab and they would say they didn’t sleep one minute,” says Bianchi, adding that many patients also wake up multiple times without remembering it. That disconnect has sparked numerous apps and gadgets that offer to help people gauge how much sleep their getting. For instance, tech firms Fitbit and Jawbone offer wrist bands people can wear at night that are supposed to measure movements to show how much time people spend sleeping, with the data being logged in a mobile app. And the Zeo Sleep Manager, by Zeo Inc., comes with a headband that measures brainwaves at night to track how much deep sleep a person is getting.
But some people using the gadgets say the data shouldn’t be taken as truth. Toy, the Boston area software engineer, turned to the Fitbit sleep tracker, a monitor that can be clipped to clothing or inserted into a wrist band that is supposed to measure how long a person sleeps. But the device would sometimes count time when he was lying still in bed trying to fall doze off as time spent sleeping, he says. And the Zeo headband would often slip off at night, leaving him with no new information in the morning, he says. A spokeswoman for Fitbit says the tool works well for most users, but that like other accelerometer-based sleep trackers, it may sometimes think a person is sleeping if they are lying very still. Zeo did not respond to requests for comment.
Doctors say the tools can be a step up from the old-school method of people self reporting how much they slept the night before, but they caution data offered by these tools can also be unreliable, potentially causing more harm than good if people use it to diagnose. “Let’s say that you actually have a sleep issue and this tool says you’re fine—then it delays diagnosis,” says Bianchi. He says some sleep specialists are looking for tools that can be used at home to measure sleep quality in conjunction with therapies and behavioral changes, like waking up at the same time every morning. The tools can be convenient, sending data wirelessly to smartphones and online accounts. And some of the products, like the Fitbit Flex wrist strap and Jawbone’s Up wristband, also track exercise and calories burned, to help people track how their overall health changes over time. Fitbit says some users went on to seek professional help from a sleep specialist after the tool helped them spot a sleep problem they didn’t know they had.
Additional info for sleep deprivation
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Article source: Internet - WSJ
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More than 40 million Americans don't get enough sleep,
according to the CDC - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
And what they're doing about it might not be so helpful either
___________
This sleep info is placed next to the weight loss guidance
because sleep deprivation can prevent successful weight loss
Sleep deprivation can also initiate different malfunctions in the human
body & mind and cause any serious, life-threatening sickness
At the end of tis article 3 links to additional sleep deprivation info
10 things the sleep-aid industry won’t tell you
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1. Money can’t buy you sleep.
With more than 40 million people—roughly a third of working Americans—not getting enough shut-eye, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, it’s no wonder that industries ranging from furniture makers to pharmaceutical companies are making big money by offering to help people get the recommended seven to nine hours a night. The sleep-aid industry encompasses everything from specialty mattresses and high-tech pillows to new medications and at-home tests that promise to help the sleep-deprived measure and improve their z’s. And many bleary-eyed Americans are taking the bait, ponying up not only for these products but also noise machines, scented candles and more. “It’s a lot easier to buy something than it is to develop good sleep habits,” says Kit Yarrow, chair of the psychology department at Golden Gate University and a speaker on consumer psychology.
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What sleep-aid industry won’t say
More than 40 million Americans don't get enough sleep, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And what they're doing about it might not be so helpful either.
Video discusses sleep-aid industry secrets.
But specialists say not all the products designed to improve sleep actually work. A 2012 Consumer Reports study that reviewed several drugs commonly used to treat insomnia found that while such sleeping pills generally help people fall asleep faster, it is not clear how well they help people stay asleep.
Experts also caution against relying too much on natural supplements. Melatonin, which the body produces at night to induce sleep, can help people reset their body clocks after travel, doctors say. And some botanical extracts may help people unwind at night. But some studies show melatonin may not be more effective than a placebo, according to the National Sleep Foundation. And if you have a medical reason for not sleeping, some of these herbal supplements may not be as effective, says Duffy MacKay, vice president of scientific and regulatory affairs at the Council for Responsible Nutrition, a dietary supplement trade group.
While some of these supplements, along with pillows, noise machines and measuring devices can be helpful, doctors say some of the most effective techniques for improving sleep — such as exercising, not eating before bed, limiting screen time at night and getting natural light in the morning — are free. The Consumer Reports analysis also recommended behavioral therapy, including relaxation techniques and limiting time in bed, for people with chronic insomnia. “The best solution is to make sure that you follow the rules of biology,” says Dr. Larry Kline, medical director for the Viterbi Family Sleep Center at the Scripps Clinic in San Diego. And those rules, he says, “were not made up by the pharmaceutical industry or someone making a pillow.”
2. What you do once you’re asleep is not our problem.
There were 58.5 million sleeping pill prescriptions issued in 2012, up 10% from 2007, according to IMS Health, a health-care technology and information company. And roughly two-thirds of the sleeping pill prescriptions issued last year were for zolpidem, the generic version of Ambien. (The majority of patients take the generic).
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Why naps are better than sleep binges Can you catch up on lost sleep by bingeing on the weekend? Most experts say no, but naps may provide some relief, Heidi Mitchell reports.
But as much as they have been shown to help people fall asleep, sleep specialists and drug makers say patients taking sleeping pills are also reporting incidents of abnormal behavior — including sleep walking, making phone calls and going on other late-night escapades — with little or no memory of it the following day. Dr. Aparajitha Verma, medical director for the Sleep Disorders Center at the Methodist Neurological Institute in Houston, recalls one woman on sleeping pills who said her husband found her, fast asleep, shaking their baby in the middle of the night. “She had no recollection of how she got there and why she had picked up the child,” says Dr. Verma. Some patients using sleeping pills have also reported “sleep eating,” according to a study by the Scripps Clinic. Drug makers acknowledge that such adverse reactions have been associated with, but are not necessarily caused by, sleeping pills. Indeed, drug labels for the most common sleeping pills, including brand-name drugs Ambien, Lunesta, Sonata and Rozerem, warn that some patients may do things while they are not fully awake and not remember it the next morning.
The drowsiness can sometimes drag on to the next day. In a safety announcement released in January regarding sleeping pills, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration warned that all drugs taken for insomnia can impair someone’s ability to drive or do other activities that require alertness the morning after they’re taken. The risk of next-morning drowsiness is highest for people taking extended-release forms of zolpidem, which are designed to stay in the body longer, the announcement said.
Drug labels for major sleeping pills also list drowsiness as a common side effect and caution the risks of sleep driving and other behaviors increase with higher doses and when the drugs are taken with other depressants and alcohol. Directions say sleeping pills should be taken right before going to bed and only if people can get the recommended seven to eight hours of sleep. A spokesman for Sanofi, which makes Ambien, said patients should talk to their doctors about starting with the lowest effective dose. In a statement to MarketWatch, Takeda, which makes Rozerem, said Rozerem works with the body’s normal sleep-wake cycle to promote sleep and that individuals should discuss treatment with their doctors. Pfizer issued a statement saying Sonata is an effective short-term treatment option for people suffering from insomnia. Sunovion, which makes Lunesta, did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
3. If you’re a woman, or over age 65, less (medication) is more.
Specialists say women and individuals over age 65 are more likely to have adverse reactions to some sleep aids, such as daytime drowsiness, dizziness and hallucinations. For instance, women accounted for two-thirds of the nearly 19,500 emergency room visits made in 2010 by people having adverse reactions to zolpidem, according to a report released this month by the government’s Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. About a third of total visits, or 32%, involved patients aged 65 or older.
Part of the issue is that women and older people tend to have slower metabolisms, which can cause a drug to stay in their systems longer, compared with younger people and men, says Dr. Daniel Kripke, co-director for research at the Viterbi Family Sleep Center and lead author of a report that found sleeping pills are often linked with higher chances of death. In January, the Food and Drug Administration cut the recommended dose for the popular sleep aid zolpidem in half for women, to five milligrams a day for immediate release versions of the drug and 6.25 milligrams for extended release zolpidem, which is designed to stay in the body longer. The agency also recommended, but didn’t require, that the dose be cut in half for men. And the FDA also recommends the lower dose for older patients, typically those aged 65 or older.
Since sleeping pills have been shown to impair balance, memory and the ability to drive, seniors using sleeping pills are at a greater risk of slipping and fracturing their hips than they were prior to taking the medication, according to the report by Dr. Kripke. That said, while sleeping pills are “not for everyone,” they can be useful in helping men and women of all ages manage their sleep issues, sometimes in conjunction with behavioral treatments, says Dr. Russell Rosenberg, chairman of the National Sleep Foundation. Patients using sleeping pills should have regular talks with their doctors about how the medicine is making them feel and if their dosage should be altered, adds Peter Delany, director of the center for behavioral health statistics and quality at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. A spokesman for Sanofi, the maker of Ambien, says patients should talk to their doctor about using the lowest effective dose and says they should never take more than the prescribed dose.
4. Lack of sleep may be the least of your problems.
Bob Weigle, a CPA in Houston, started taking sleeping pills about a decade ago to help get him through the nights when his chronic back pain wouldn’t let him fall asleep. Despite the occasional nudge he would get from his wife for snoring too loud at night, Weigle felt he was getting plenty of rest. But when he was hospitalized for back surgery, doctors discovered Weigle not just snoring, but gasping for air roughly once a minute, a condition that made his heart rate spike while he was sleeping. After a sleep study and several appointments with a specialist, Weigle was diagnosed with two kinds of sleep apnea and has since been using a pressure machine that helps improve his breathing—and his sleep—at night. “I guess I didn’t know what rest was,” says Weigle. “I didn’t have any idea this was going on.”
While sleeping pills may help some people fall asleep during periods of acute stress or jet lag, patients who rely on medications over the long term may never get to the root of what is keeping them awake at night, says Dr. Verma of the Methodist Neurological Institute. “Once you stop the sleep aid, the insomnia is going to come back,” she warns. Some patients using sleep aids on a regular basis may ignore or worsen underlying conditions like sleep apnea, or mood disorders like depression or anxiety, increasing their risks of hypertension, diabetes, memory problems and mood disorders. Drug labels for sleeping pills like Ambien, Lunesta, Sonata and Rozerem say patients should be re-evaluated if they are still having insomnia after 7 to 10 days of using the drugs. Patients should talk to their doctors about lifestyle changes, behavioral therapy or other treatments that may help them fall asleep easier, Verma says.
5. We might cause the grumpiness you’re trying to cure.
Studies show sleeping pills may cause depression in the people who take them. A 2007 analysis of randomized medical trials found that people taking sleeping pills may have a greater chance of becoming depressed. The study, conducted by Kripke of the Viterbi Center, found that 2% of those people who received one of four drugs meant to treat insomnia, including zolpidem, eszopiclone, zaleplon and ramelteon, reported symptoms of depression, more than double the share of participants who received placebos. Kripke concluded that the drugs could be causing or worsening depression for some patients.
A common warning mentioned in the prescribing information for sleep aids like Ambien , Lunesta, Sonata and Rozerem is that people who are depressed could see a worsening of depression or have suicidal thoughts after using a sedative and that any new signs or symptoms should be evaluated immediately. People using sleeping pills should talk to their doctors about any negative reactions they may be having while on the medication, says Delany, the official at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Drug labels also warn it can rarely be determined with certainty that abnormal behaviors such as worsening of depression are caused by a drug or the result of an underlying disorder. A spokesman for Sanofi said people should talk to their doctor about any history of depression, mental illness or suicidal thoughts before taking zolpidem. Takeda said individuals should discuss treatment with their doctors and Pfizer said Sonata can be effective as a short-term treatment. Sunovion did not respond to requests for comment.
6. You might get hooked…
Doctors say patients taking sleeping pills for a prolonged period of time will often develop a tolerance, meaning they need more of the drug to feel its effects—and might increase their dosage without consulting their doctor. But higher doses also sometimes come with an increased risk of dependency and withdrawal symptoms, Verma says.
Indeed, prescription materials for sleeping pills warn that there have been reports of people experiencing withdrawal symptoms if they stop using the drugs abruptly, and they caution that patients should be monitored for tolerance, abuse and dependence. (Researchers say people who take sleeping pills at the recommended dose have a slimmer chance of becoming dependent on them.) Most sleeping pills are designed for short-term use, says Delany. People who find that sleeping pills aren’t helping them to get the rest they need should talk to their doctors before changing their dosage, he adds.
7. …or worse.
The number of emergency-room visits involving adverse reactions to zolpidem grew nearly 220% from 2005 to 2010, when 19,487 ER trips were tied to the drug, according to figures released in May by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (The number of people receiving sleeping pill prescriptions overall also grew by 40% over that same time period, according to IMS Health.) Half of those visits involved individuals who had also taken other drugs, including narcotic pain relievers and other medications used to treat anxiety and insomnia, and about 10% involved a combination of zolpidem and alcohol, but 40% were tied to zolpidem alone. The study didn’t break down what symptoms or injuries ultimately landed the patients in the emergency room, but common side effects include daytime drowsiness, dizziness, hallucinations and agitation, according to the report. Some people may have had accidents while under the influence of the drug, says Delany. Sanofi declined to comment on the findings in the ER study, but the product labels for Ambien and other insomnia drugs like Lunesta, Sonata and Rozerem warn patients should not take the medicine if they’ve had alcohol or another drug to help them sleep.
A separate study published last year by the Viterbi Center also found that taking common sleeping pills was associated with greater chances of death, even when taken in small amounts. The study followed 10,500 sleeping-pill users and 23,700 non-users in Pennsylvania between 2002 and 2006. The patients with prescriptions for sleeping pills were five times as likely to die during that time period compared with those not taking the pills. The heaviest users had about a 35% higher risk of developing a major cancer. The study found that sleeping pills were associated with, but don’t necessarily cause, higher incidents of car crashes, falling, hypertension, heart failure and other cardiovascular diseases. The researchers note, however, that they were unable to control for depression, anxiety and other emotional risk factors that may have affected patients. It is also possible that people taking sleeping pills may have received more medical testing overall, giving them a greater chance of detecting cancer than people who don’t take sleeping pills.
Drug labels for sleeping pills commonly warning that any new behavioral signs or symptoms should be evaluated immediately and that abnormal behaviors may be a sign of underlying psychiatric or physical disorder. Some people using the pills may also want to talk to their doctors or pharmacists if they are taking other medications that might have a negative interaction with their sleeping pills, says Delany.
8. Don’t bet on that fancy mattress.
Sales of specialty mattresses reached $1.5 billion in 2011, up 30% from the year before, according to the International Sleep Products Association, and trouncing the 3% growth for more common innerspring mattresses. Some of those pricier options, like memory foam mattresses, which can cost up to $7,500 for a queen, come with extra features like handles and edge support, according to mattress review site SleepLikeTheDead.com. Many of these special beds also last longer and have higher consumer satisfaction ratings, according to some reports.
But not everyone is a fan. When Jason Toy shelled out $800 last year for a mattress with a memory foam pillow top, he tossed and turned just as much at night as he did on his old bed, he says. “I thought maybe it would help a little,” says Toy, a 31 year-old software engineer in Boston. “But it was the same thing.”
Sleep specialists say the higher price tag might not do anything to help insomniacs. Claudia Toth, a psychologist certified in behavioral sleep medicine says it’s not uncommon for patients to have tried out three or four mattresses before deciding to seek professional help. And products meant to encourage more time in bed, including fancy pillows or specialty mattresses, may actually worsen insomnia for some people, she says, because going to bed too early can cause some insomniacs to associate their beds with the anxiety of laying around and waiting for sleep. Toth advises some of her patients to work on puzzles, read or listen to music until they are ready to fall asleep, instead of spending 10 to 12 hours in bed.
The Better Sleep Council, a nonprofit educational organization supported by the mattress industry, recommends evaluating mattresses for possible replacement every five to seven years. And a spokeswoman for the International Sleep Products Association, a trade group for the mattress industry, points out that a 2006 study from Oklahoma State University study that found sleeping on a new mattress can relieve lower back pain and improve sleep quality.
9. Sleep study: $550. Sleep diary: Priceless.
There are currently 2,537 accredited sleep disorder centers, according to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, a trade group for sleep specialists, up from 692 in 2003. While sleep tests may help detect conditions like sleep apnea, narcolepsy, or identify a patient’s tendency toward behaviors like sleepwalking, sleep paralysis or night terrors, some doctors say they are pricey and often not necessary for diagnosing insomnia. “Sometimes just hearing the signs and symptoms of someone’s sleep problem is adequate to determine what needs to be done,” says Russell Rosenberg, the chairman of the board for the National Sleep Foundation. Many patients get to the root of their sleep problems by keeping a diary of how much they’re exercising, how often they wake up at night and whether there are other symptoms like snoring, says Rosenberg.
Other people may find, after talking to their doctors, that issues like snoring and some cases of sleep apnea might be addressed if they make lifestyle changes, such as losing weight or sleeping on their sides, says Dr. Fred Holt, a sleep study consultant and medical director at Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina. “Not everybody who snores needs a sleep test,” says Holt.
A sleep study at a sleep lab may cost Medicare about $550 plus a $90 professional fee, according to the academy, while a private insurance company might pay $600 to $2,000 for an in-lab sleep study. An at-home sleep test is less expensive, costing roughly $100 to $300. Most large employers will cover a sleep study if it is medically appropriate and certain criteria are met, says Helen Darling, president and chief executive of the National Business Group on Health, a membership group that helps large employers with their health benefits. But even if more people use the less costly at-home exam, the rising popularity of sleep studies overall could push up some health care premiums, says Darling. Some health insurers are working to prevent overuse of sleep studies by requiring preauthorization from a specialist, she says.
Doctors who practice sleep medicine say sleep studies can offer legitimate value. In-lab sleep studies can still be the best way to diagnose chronic sleep disorders, says Dr. Sam Fleishman, president of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. At-home sleep tests can help confirm certain kinds of sleep apnea, he says.
10. There’s an app for that – but it won’t help you sleep.
One little known aspect of insomnia is that the seemingly sleep-deprived often underestimate (or overestimate) how much shut-eye they’re getting, says Matt Bianchi, director of the sleep division at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. “They could sleep seven hours in the sleep lab and they would say they didn’t sleep one minute,” says Bianchi, adding that many patients also wake up multiple times without remembering it. That disconnect has sparked numerous apps and gadgets that offer to help people gauge how much sleep their getting. For instance, tech firms Fitbit and Jawbone offer wrist bands people can wear at night that are supposed to measure movements to show how much time people spend sleeping, with the data being logged in a mobile app. And the Zeo Sleep Manager, by Zeo Inc., comes with a headband that measures brainwaves at night to track how much deep sleep a person is getting.
But some people using the gadgets say the data shouldn’t be taken as truth. Toy, the Boston area software engineer, turned to the Fitbit sleep tracker, a monitor that can be clipped to clothing or inserted into a wrist band that is supposed to measure how long a person sleeps. But the device would sometimes count time when he was lying still in bed trying to fall doze off as time spent sleeping, he says. And the Zeo headband would often slip off at night, leaving him with no new information in the morning, he says. A spokeswoman for Fitbit says the tool works well for most users, but that like other accelerometer-based sleep trackers, it may sometimes think a person is sleeping if they are lying very still. Zeo did not respond to requests for comment.
Doctors say the tools can be a step up from the old-school method of people self reporting how much they slept the night before, but they caution data offered by these tools can also be unreliable, potentially causing more harm than good if people use it to diagnose. “Let’s say that you actually have a sleep issue and this tool says you’re fine—then it delays diagnosis,” says Bianchi. He says some sleep specialists are looking for tools that can be used at home to measure sleep quality in conjunction with therapies and behavioral changes, like waking up at the same time every morning. The tools can be convenient, sending data wirelessly to smartphones and online accounts. And some of the products, like the Fitbit Flex wrist strap and Jawbone’s Up wristband, also track exercise and calories burned, to help people track how their overall health changes over time. Fitbit says some users went on to seek professional help from a sleep specialist after the tool helped them spot a sleep problem they didn’t know they had.
Additional info for sleep deprivation
- Sleep Deprivation Directory: Find News, Features, and Pictures ...www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/sleep-deprivation-directory
Find WebMD's comprehensive coverage of sleep deprivation including medical reference, news, pictures, videos, and more. - Definition and consequences of sleep deprivation - UpToDate www.uptodate.com/ .../definition-and-consequences-of-sleep-deprivation
- Oct 1, 2012 – Clinical wisdom and supporting research suggest that most people require approximately eight hours of sleep nightly. However, there appears ...
- Sleep deprivation - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sleep_deprivation
Sleep deprivation is the condition of not having enough sleep; it can be either chronic or acute. A chronic sleep-restricted state can cause fatigue, daytime ...
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Article source: Internet - WSJ
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The average adult is supposed to get six, seven & to eight hours of sleep a night
15 Ways to Get Better Sleep Every Night
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Test these ideas - some of them may not help you, some may - use your own judgement
Among other things, growth hormone, important to our health; important to babies, to toddlers, teenagers & all adults, develops during a deep sleep. That's the reason the babies sleep first almost 24/7.
A well-rested life is a happy and healthy one, we've enlisted the help of specialists, doctors, nutritionists, yogis, acupuncturists, trainers, and more to nail down the best steps you can take throughout the day and night so you can get the most out of bedtime.
1. Catch 40 Winks
Power naps have gone pro with the help of sleep spas such as Yelo. David Edwards, YeloSpa's head of development, educated us on the business of napping. "A 20- to 40-minute nap during the day will actually help you sleep better at night," he said. "It prevents you from ingesting caffeine, helps you relax, makes you feel more alert during the day, and, hence, less anxious at night before you go to bed." But don't doze off for too long. "You have to keep the nap less than 40 minutes so that you don't fall into slow-wave sleep," he added. "If you do, you will experience sleep inertia*) and this will impact your nightly sleep."
*) Sleep inertia is a physiological state characterized by a decline in motor dexterity**) and a subjective feeling of grogginess immediately following an abrupt awakening. The impaired alertness may interfere with the ability to perform mental or physical tasks. Sleep inertia can also refer to the tendency of a person wanting to return to sleep.
**) dexterity 1. Skill and grace in physical movement, especially in the use of the hands; adroitness. 2. Mental skill or adroitness; cleverness. Mental dexterity - Manual dexterity - Dexterity - DEX
from Latin dexterits, from dexter, skillful;
2. Cut Down on Caffeine
It is okay to keep your Starbucks Gold card, as long as you put it away after your morning cup of coffee. Blue Print Cleanse nutritionist Julie Ruelle recommended not drinking anything caffeinated past noon (regardless of that post-lunch sleepy feeling). "Even if caffeine keeps you from falling asleep, it can also cause you to have restless sleep or wake you up in the middle of the night," she said. "Stick to non-caffeinated beverages like water, seltzer, or fresh-pressed juice." Noon too early to cut yourself off? No worries. Edwards recommends a more forgiving 3 p.m. cutoff time, adding, "Some people take longer to eliminate caffeine from their system, so you need to give your body time to cleanse."
3. Exercise
Exercise can improve every aspect of your life, including how you sleep. Celebrity trainer Josh Holland (who has been behind Madonna's physique for the last five years) gave us the skinny on working out and our sleep. "High-intensity training and exercise can help the body's need to recover," he said. "Sleep and recovery go together hand in hand. The harder you train, the more recovery and sleep your body requires, so it's important to first create a baseline as to how well you sleep. (Try using sleep trackers such as Jawbone Up or Zeo.) Then it's important to create variables and make changes throughout your day that affect your sleep quality at night." This means doing something like working out in the morning to relieve stress and improve your mood, resulting in longer and more sound sleep later at night. Also be sure not to break too much of a sweat right before bed. Working out vigorously within three hours of hitting the sack actually makes it harder to sleep.
Related: How I Learned to Love Exercise
4. Consume Melatonin
Melatonin is a hormone produced by your brain that helps control your sleep and wake cycles. It can be found in any number of foods, such as fish, fruit, grains, meat, and vegetables. Ruelle suggested you try fish for dinner, especially salmon and tuna. "These are rich in B6, which is vital to make the sleep-inducing hormone melatonin," she said. Chickpeas are also a good source of melatonin. If you're on the go, you can buy it as a supplement at your local grocery store.
5. Pop a 5-HTP
5-HTP is a supplement available in pill form that is said to aid in stress issues and sleep (note that there's still insufficient evidence as to its effectiveness and side effects). 5-HTP causes your brain to produce more serotonin, the body's neurotransmitter that affects your sleep (in addition to affecting your appetite, body temperature, and sexual behavior).
6. Try Acupuncture
Acupuncture pinpoints the root of your sleeping woes, literally. High stress, high anxiety, and digestive disorders are all culprits of insomnia, and are luckily all curable via this practice. "In Chinese medicine, there are many patterns or reasons that can lead to insomnia," said New York City-based acupuncturist Edith Lee. "These patterns are based on an individual's unique pulse and tongue diagnosis. Acupuncture combined with Chinese herb remedies can address the root of stress and anxiety, as well as aid in digestion."
7. Watch Your Diet
What you eat and how you digest it can affect how you sleep. Ruelle suggested eating an ounce of almonds or a tablespoon of almond butter about two hours before bed. "The protein in almonds will help keep blood sugar levels steady while you sleep," she said. "And it's believed that the magnesium in almonds may help you sleep soundly." Weak digestion can make falling asleep difficult so Lee said to avoid eating large, heavy meals late in the evening. You should also stay away from foods that are difficult to digest, such as spicy chili, hot peppers, and cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cabbage, and Brussels sprouts. You can prevent indigestion, however, by snacking on a rice cake or yogurt
Related: Health Eating Has Never Been Easier
8. Practice Yoga
A great way to clear your mind and relax your muscles before bedtime is by doing some yoga. "Yoga teaches us that in order to be present and productive in our lives, we have to create healthy habits and rituals," said Stefanie Eris, Exhale Spa's National Yoga Director. "Turning inward toward breath, love, and spirit allows us to feel more and think less, and therefore teaches us the importance of self-care." The exercises can involve something as simple as putting your legs up the wall for 10 minutes or taking 10 to 20 slow, deep breaths before bed. "Yoga helps to relieve stress and calm the nervous system, allowing us to shift from fight-or-flight mode to rest-and-digest mode," Eris explained. "When we practice yoga, we equip ourselves with tools to calm our spinning minds, allowing us to drift off to sleep and rest well." Just reading that explanation puts us at ease.
9. Unplug
Bright light, even in small quantities such as from your computer or smartphone screen, can be a sleep stealer as it prevents the body's production of melatonin. Dr. Lisa Shives, the medical director of the Linden Center for Sleep & Weight Management, gave us some sound advice on building a buffer zone between a busy day and bedtime. "Turn off all screens and unplug yourself at least one hour before bed so that you have some peaceful downtime in a dimly lit room before hitting the hay," she said. "This encourages sleep in many ways, including helping your neurotransmitters switch from wake to sleep. Light is the most powerful signal to the brain that it is time to get up and feed the chickens, and the light from your computer/smartphone is enough to trigger your brain to stay awake."
10. Have a Healthy Relationship
Love is a many splendored thing, but it can also cause you more pain than peace. Never go to bed angry; just go to bed. "Try to only use your bedroom for sleeping and love-making," Edwards said. "Try to not fight before going to bed or in bed, as strong emotions affect your ability to sleep well. Start winding down at least one hour before going to bed. And, no, playing video games or sending e-mails do not qualify as winding down."
11. Listen to a Book
What's happening outside is sometimes just as important as what's going on inside. If you're having trouble sleeping, the answer may be as simple as opening an audiobook. "Consider relaxing in the dark, listening to an audiobook for the hour before sleep or while you are in bed trying to fall asleep," said Shives. "This will help your brain switch to the drowsy mode. Be sure to listen to a story that you are familiar with, or one that is not too exciting.
12. Sip a Cup of Herb Tea - (not tea with caffeine)
Humans have been using tea to overcome insomnia for over two thousand years. Herbal teas are naturally caffeine-free and help you relax through a combination of aromatherapy and natural sleep-inducing chemicals. Try teas infused with valerian root, which has mild sedative properties. Also try drinking chamomile, lavender, or lemon balm teas before bed.
13. Take a Bedtime Bath
You can soak away the stress of the day and prepare yourself for a restful sleep with a nice, calm, relaxing bath. Add lavender essential oils, which can enhance the already calming properties of a bath. Herbal bath blends, like Lush Dreamtime, help you sleep and moisturize your skin
14. Tuck In With Sleep-Inducing Crystals
Not all jewels are for decoration; some have healing properties that can help you slumber. Try tucking rose quartz or amethyst under your pillow. Rose quartz is said to balance emotions and induce calm, while amethyst has a gentle sedative energy that promotes peace.
15. Drift Off to Binaural Beats (binaural = relating to, or used with both ears)Binaural beats, or binaural tones, are sounds that are said to activate certain areas of the brain. They can be used to increase focus, make you relax, or assist you in getting a good night's sleep as they help your brain reach that difficult stage where it produces delta waves at four hertz or below. That is where deep, restful sleep is obtained. You can download binaural beats for free, and all you'll need is a pair of headphones.
Click green for further info:
Source: several internet locations
______________________________________________________
15 Ways to Get Better Sleep Every Night
Click green for further info
Test these ideas - some of them may not help you, some may - use your own judgement
Among other things, growth hormone, important to our health; important to babies, to toddlers, teenagers & all adults, develops during a deep sleep. That's the reason the babies sleep first almost 24/7.
A well-rested life is a happy and healthy one, we've enlisted the help of specialists, doctors, nutritionists, yogis, acupuncturists, trainers, and more to nail down the best steps you can take throughout the day and night so you can get the most out of bedtime.
1. Catch 40 Winks
Power naps have gone pro with the help of sleep spas such as Yelo. David Edwards, YeloSpa's head of development, educated us on the business of napping. "A 20- to 40-minute nap during the day will actually help you sleep better at night," he said. "It prevents you from ingesting caffeine, helps you relax, makes you feel more alert during the day, and, hence, less anxious at night before you go to bed." But don't doze off for too long. "You have to keep the nap less than 40 minutes so that you don't fall into slow-wave sleep," he added. "If you do, you will experience sleep inertia*) and this will impact your nightly sleep."
*) Sleep inertia is a physiological state characterized by a decline in motor dexterity**) and a subjective feeling of grogginess immediately following an abrupt awakening. The impaired alertness may interfere with the ability to perform mental or physical tasks. Sleep inertia can also refer to the tendency of a person wanting to return to sleep.
**) dexterity 1. Skill and grace in physical movement, especially in the use of the hands; adroitness. 2. Mental skill or adroitness; cleverness. Mental dexterity - Manual dexterity - Dexterity - DEX
from Latin dexterits, from dexter, skillful;
2. Cut Down on Caffeine
It is okay to keep your Starbucks Gold card, as long as you put it away after your morning cup of coffee. Blue Print Cleanse nutritionist Julie Ruelle recommended not drinking anything caffeinated past noon (regardless of that post-lunch sleepy feeling). "Even if caffeine keeps you from falling asleep, it can also cause you to have restless sleep or wake you up in the middle of the night," she said. "Stick to non-caffeinated beverages like water, seltzer, or fresh-pressed juice." Noon too early to cut yourself off? No worries. Edwards recommends a more forgiving 3 p.m. cutoff time, adding, "Some people take longer to eliminate caffeine from their system, so you need to give your body time to cleanse."
3. Exercise
Exercise can improve every aspect of your life, including how you sleep. Celebrity trainer Josh Holland (who has been behind Madonna's physique for the last five years) gave us the skinny on working out and our sleep. "High-intensity training and exercise can help the body's need to recover," he said. "Sleep and recovery go together hand in hand. The harder you train, the more recovery and sleep your body requires, so it's important to first create a baseline as to how well you sleep. (Try using sleep trackers such as Jawbone Up or Zeo.) Then it's important to create variables and make changes throughout your day that affect your sleep quality at night." This means doing something like working out in the morning to relieve stress and improve your mood, resulting in longer and more sound sleep later at night. Also be sure not to break too much of a sweat right before bed. Working out vigorously within three hours of hitting the sack actually makes it harder to sleep.
Related: How I Learned to Love Exercise
4. Consume Melatonin
Melatonin is a hormone produced by your brain that helps control your sleep and wake cycles. It can be found in any number of foods, such as fish, fruit, grains, meat, and vegetables. Ruelle suggested you try fish for dinner, especially salmon and tuna. "These are rich in B6, which is vital to make the sleep-inducing hormone melatonin," she said. Chickpeas are also a good source of melatonin. If you're on the go, you can buy it as a supplement at your local grocery store.
5. Pop a 5-HTP
5-HTP is a supplement available in pill form that is said to aid in stress issues and sleep (note that there's still insufficient evidence as to its effectiveness and side effects). 5-HTP causes your brain to produce more serotonin, the body's neurotransmitter that affects your sleep (in addition to affecting your appetite, body temperature, and sexual behavior).
6. Try Acupuncture
Acupuncture pinpoints the root of your sleeping woes, literally. High stress, high anxiety, and digestive disorders are all culprits of insomnia, and are luckily all curable via this practice. "In Chinese medicine, there are many patterns or reasons that can lead to insomnia," said New York City-based acupuncturist Edith Lee. "These patterns are based on an individual's unique pulse and tongue diagnosis. Acupuncture combined with Chinese herb remedies can address the root of stress and anxiety, as well as aid in digestion."
7. Watch Your Diet
What you eat and how you digest it can affect how you sleep. Ruelle suggested eating an ounce of almonds or a tablespoon of almond butter about two hours before bed. "The protein in almonds will help keep blood sugar levels steady while you sleep," she said. "And it's believed that the magnesium in almonds may help you sleep soundly." Weak digestion can make falling asleep difficult so Lee said to avoid eating large, heavy meals late in the evening. You should also stay away from foods that are difficult to digest, such as spicy chili, hot peppers, and cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cabbage, and Brussels sprouts. You can prevent indigestion, however, by snacking on a rice cake or yogurt
Related: Health Eating Has Never Been Easier
8. Practice Yoga
A great way to clear your mind and relax your muscles before bedtime is by doing some yoga. "Yoga teaches us that in order to be present and productive in our lives, we have to create healthy habits and rituals," said Stefanie Eris, Exhale Spa's National Yoga Director. "Turning inward toward breath, love, and spirit allows us to feel more and think less, and therefore teaches us the importance of self-care." The exercises can involve something as simple as putting your legs up the wall for 10 minutes or taking 10 to 20 slow, deep breaths before bed. "Yoga helps to relieve stress and calm the nervous system, allowing us to shift from fight-or-flight mode to rest-and-digest mode," Eris explained. "When we practice yoga, we equip ourselves with tools to calm our spinning minds, allowing us to drift off to sleep and rest well." Just reading that explanation puts us at ease.
9. Unplug
Bright light, even in small quantities such as from your computer or smartphone screen, can be a sleep stealer as it prevents the body's production of melatonin. Dr. Lisa Shives, the medical director of the Linden Center for Sleep & Weight Management, gave us some sound advice on building a buffer zone between a busy day and bedtime. "Turn off all screens and unplug yourself at least one hour before bed so that you have some peaceful downtime in a dimly lit room before hitting the hay," she said. "This encourages sleep in many ways, including helping your neurotransmitters switch from wake to sleep. Light is the most powerful signal to the brain that it is time to get up and feed the chickens, and the light from your computer/smartphone is enough to trigger your brain to stay awake."
10. Have a Healthy Relationship
Love is a many splendored thing, but it can also cause you more pain than peace. Never go to bed angry; just go to bed. "Try to only use your bedroom for sleeping and love-making," Edwards said. "Try to not fight before going to bed or in bed, as strong emotions affect your ability to sleep well. Start winding down at least one hour before going to bed. And, no, playing video games or sending e-mails do not qualify as winding down."
11. Listen to a Book
What's happening outside is sometimes just as important as what's going on inside. If you're having trouble sleeping, the answer may be as simple as opening an audiobook. "Consider relaxing in the dark, listening to an audiobook for the hour before sleep or while you are in bed trying to fall asleep," said Shives. "This will help your brain switch to the drowsy mode. Be sure to listen to a story that you are familiar with, or one that is not too exciting.
12. Sip a Cup of Herb Tea - (not tea with caffeine)
Humans have been using tea to overcome insomnia for over two thousand years. Herbal teas are naturally caffeine-free and help you relax through a combination of aromatherapy and natural sleep-inducing chemicals. Try teas infused with valerian root, which has mild sedative properties. Also try drinking chamomile, lavender, or lemon balm teas before bed.
13. Take a Bedtime Bath
You can soak away the stress of the day and prepare yourself for a restful sleep with a nice, calm, relaxing bath. Add lavender essential oils, which can enhance the already calming properties of a bath. Herbal bath blends, like Lush Dreamtime, help you sleep and moisturize your skin
14. Tuck In With Sleep-Inducing Crystals
Not all jewels are for decoration; some have healing properties that can help you slumber. Try tucking rose quartz or amethyst under your pillow. Rose quartz is said to balance emotions and induce calm, while amethyst has a gentle sedative energy that promotes peace.
15. Drift Off to Binaural Beats (binaural = relating to, or used with both ears)Binaural beats, or binaural tones, are sounds that are said to activate certain areas of the brain. They can be used to increase focus, make you relax, or assist you in getting a good night's sleep as they help your brain reach that difficult stage where it produces delta waves at four hertz or below. That is where deep, restful sleep is obtained. You can download binaural beats for free, and all you'll need is a pair of headphones.
Click green for further info:
Source: several internet locations
______________________________________________________
Fluids may prevent constipation
better than fiber
SOURCE: http://bit.ly/17BY1oy American Journal of Gastroenterology, April 9, 2013
Everyone knows that getting enough fiber is a secret to staying "regular," but a large new study finds that people who got plenty of fluids were the least likely to suffer constipation.
The results highlight the importance of hydration, but shouldn't discount fiber or other lifestyle factors, according to lead author Alayne Markland, of the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Birmingham, Alabama.
"I still think that diet, fiber, exercise and increased fluid should remain the recommendations,"Markland told Reuters Health.
Estimates of how many people regularly experience constipation are as high as 14 percent worldwide, but they range widely. How researchers define the problem and ask people about it are partly to blame for inconsistent responses, Markland's team writes in the American Journal of Gastroenterology.
Often, constipation is defined as having fewer than three bowel movements a week, the researchers point out. But some studies have found that asking about stool consistency provides a more accurate measure of slow "transit times" of stool through the intestine, which is the source of uncomfortable blockages.
To determine how many people have "hard or lumpy stool consistency" - the type associated with slow transit - and what lifestyle factors might influence that, Markland and her colleagues analyzed responses from more than 8,000 men and women who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys in 2006 and 2008.
Based on survey responses about stool consistency, exercise habits and what participants ate, the researchers found that seven percent of the respondents fit the definition for constipation.
The problem was more common among women and less educated people, but it did not increase with age, as some other studies have suggested.
Neither vigorous exercise nor fiber intake was linked with a person's likelihood of having constipation.
But among the people who consumed the least amount of liquid daily from food and drinks, 8 percent of men and 13 percent of women were constipated, compared to 3 percent of men and 8 percent of women who got the most liquid.
"I scratch my head on that, it's interesting," Dr. Amy Foxx-Orenstein, of the Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, told Reuters Health.
Past research indicates that extra fluid only alleviates constipation if the person is dehydrated to begin with, but once you're adequately hydrated more fluid probably just makes you urinate more often, said Foxx-Orenstein, who was not involved in the study.
She encourages patients in her practice to drink enough water and try to get 25 to 30 grams of fiber daily, if not from food then from a supplement, and to eat a breakfast that includes caffeine shortly after waking, as those factors can stimulate bowel movements.
The new study included a large number of participants, but didn't distinguish between different types of fiber and when they were consumed or ask about physical activity in enough detail, Foxx-Orenstein said, and she thinks it's unlikely doctors will change what they tell patients based on these results.
Foxx-Orenstein agreed that the definition of constipation varies widely.
"We used stool consistency, so we took a validated scale and defined constipation as those with the hardest stool," Markland said. That could have made liquids in the diet, which influence stool consistency but not necessarily frequency or amount, seem more important, she acknowledged.
Exercise and fiber may have more of an impact on frequency, Markland added.
The study doesn't mean that those factors are "bogus," she said, just that future studies need to define the weekly thresholds where each factor becomes meaningful.
"It just begs for more research on the role of fiber," Markland said.
SOURCE: http://bit.ly/17BY1oy American Journal of Gastroenterology, April 9, 2013.
better than fiber
SOURCE: http://bit.ly/17BY1oy American Journal of Gastroenterology, April 9, 2013
Everyone knows that getting enough fiber is a secret to staying "regular," but a large new study finds that people who got plenty of fluids were the least likely to suffer constipation.
The results highlight the importance of hydration, but shouldn't discount fiber or other lifestyle factors, according to lead author Alayne Markland, of the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Birmingham, Alabama.
"I still think that diet, fiber, exercise and increased fluid should remain the recommendations,"Markland told Reuters Health.
Estimates of how many people regularly experience constipation are as high as 14 percent worldwide, but they range widely. How researchers define the problem and ask people about it are partly to blame for inconsistent responses, Markland's team writes in the American Journal of Gastroenterology.
Often, constipation is defined as having fewer than three bowel movements a week, the researchers point out. But some studies have found that asking about stool consistency provides a more accurate measure of slow "transit times" of stool through the intestine, which is the source of uncomfortable blockages.
To determine how many people have "hard or lumpy stool consistency" - the type associated with slow transit - and what lifestyle factors might influence that, Markland and her colleagues analyzed responses from more than 8,000 men and women who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys in 2006 and 2008.
Based on survey responses about stool consistency, exercise habits and what participants ate, the researchers found that seven percent of the respondents fit the definition for constipation.
The problem was more common among women and less educated people, but it did not increase with age, as some other studies have suggested.
Neither vigorous exercise nor fiber intake was linked with a person's likelihood of having constipation.
But among the people who consumed the least amount of liquid daily from food and drinks, 8 percent of men and 13 percent of women were constipated, compared to 3 percent of men and 8 percent of women who got the most liquid.
"I scratch my head on that, it's interesting," Dr. Amy Foxx-Orenstein, of the Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, told Reuters Health.
Past research indicates that extra fluid only alleviates constipation if the person is dehydrated to begin with, but once you're adequately hydrated more fluid probably just makes you urinate more often, said Foxx-Orenstein, who was not involved in the study.
She encourages patients in her practice to drink enough water and try to get 25 to 30 grams of fiber daily, if not from food then from a supplement, and to eat a breakfast that includes caffeine shortly after waking, as those factors can stimulate bowel movements.
The new study included a large number of participants, but didn't distinguish between different types of fiber and when they were consumed or ask about physical activity in enough detail, Foxx-Orenstein said, and she thinks it's unlikely doctors will change what they tell patients based on these results.
Foxx-Orenstein agreed that the definition of constipation varies widely.
"We used stool consistency, so we took a validated scale and defined constipation as those with the hardest stool," Markland said. That could have made liquids in the diet, which influence stool consistency but not necessarily frequency or amount, seem more important, she acknowledged.
Exercise and fiber may have more of an impact on frequency, Markland added.
The study doesn't mean that those factors are "bogus," she said, just that future studies need to define the weekly thresholds where each factor becomes meaningful.
"It just begs for more research on the role of fiber," Markland said.
SOURCE: http://bit.ly/17BY1oy American Journal of Gastroenterology, April 9, 2013.
Top 10 Healthy Ways to Improve Your Health & Get Rid of Overweight & Obesity
It is easy to lose weight if you fast or go on a super strict diet and exercise routine. But what if it doesn’t have to be that hard?
What if it doesn’t take a full-on cleanse, detox, or diet, but rather just a few small changes and commitments to taking care of your health and well-being?
Listed below are the top 10 things you can do to start to naturally detox your body, shed your weight, and feel great.
1. Start your day right—with water and lemon.
To have a healthy metabolism, you need good digestion, and to have a great digestion, you need to have an acidic stomach (contrary to popular belief). Adding lemon to your water, preferably at room temperature, will help prepare your digestion for breakfast, plus it is thirst quenching, high in vitamin C, and often helps ward off cravings.
Be sure to continue drinking water throughout your day. I like to follow a regular drinking protocol: one cup of water with each meal, and one cup between meals and snacks.
2. End your day right: dine before 8 p.m.
It is important to keep your body in sync with its natural body clock. According to traditional Chinese medicine, the best time of day to eat dinner is between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. After that, it is healthy to allow the body’s digestion to rest and not have to work while sleeping.
When you are sleeping, your body will be working on replenishing and healing all of your organ systems, allowing you to wake up feeling refreshed and balanced.
3. Slow down and chew
It takes about six minutes for food to travel from the mouth to the stomach. If you rush to swallow your food and do not chew well, it will be very easy for you to overeat before you realize you have.
So a great way to eat less without having to weigh, measure, and count your caloric intake is by simply slowing down, chewing more, and paying better attention.
Plus, eating too quickly is often a reflection of what is going on internally. Are you an anxious person? Are you feeling stressed out? Taking control of our stress levels, even if they are low, will inevitably speed up our metabolism and help you lose weight.
4. Try a meatless day
I am not a huge advocate of vegetarian eating, but as the weather gets warmer, it is so nice to go vegan every now and then. When you create a vegan meal, you need to focus on whole grains such as quinoa or millet; vegetables, such as carrots, kale, and broccoli; legumes, such as black beans or lentils; and good-quality fats, such as nuts, seeds, and avocados.
Get creative around desserts as well, often fruit-based ones. Think baked apples, or almond berry coconut crunch (yum).
It is important to note that it is easy to become a “junkitarian.” This kind of diet is made up of pasta, bread, processed meatless substitutes, and lacks fresh food. This will not make anyone feel better. Taking a break from meat feels good if you have been eating too much of it and not enough fresh, light produce-based foods.
5. Turn off the tube … or at least change the channel
According to ancient Chinese wisdom, the hours leading up to bedtime (specifically 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.) are best for you to put your thoughts and concerns to rest. Calming your mind, easing your thinking, and relaxing during this time will help you stay in balance, and have a deep restful sleep.
Television programs, news, and involved novels often over-stimulate our minds, creating sleep disorders, fatigue, and imbalance. Without a restful evening, it is easy to become susceptible to overeating, sugar cravings, and increased stress—all problems that lead to excess weight.
Instead, consider winding down at night with a warm bath, herbal tea, and meditation.
6. Enjoy real food
It’s no fun to go hungry or deprive yourself of delicious foods. If you can replace your food substitutes, low-fat foods, and artificially flavored foods with real—even rich—foods and savor each bite without the guilt, what you’ll find is that you no longer need to eat as much and will feel so much more satisfied, and as a result end up losing weight naturally.
7. Eat greens and sweet vegetables
Greens, greens, and more greens—I cannot emphasize this enough! Include at least two cups of dark leafy greens (such as kale, bok choy, or collard greens) and you will be sure to feel amazing. Feel free to add extra virgin olive oil to your greens since they have some fat-soluble vitamins that the oil will help you absorb.
Incorporating sweet vegetables such as sweet potato, butternut squash, or carrots into your meals will help cut sugar cravings by adding in a sweet component to your diet.
8. Move more, but not too much
Being active is essential to your health. It helps jumpstart your metabolism, balances your blood sugar levels, and improves your digestion.
That said, if you exercise too much, you might end up feeling fatigued, hungry, and burned out. So be sure to find that happy balance.
9. Get sunshine
So many people are deficient in vitamin D due to a lack of sunshine. This has been linked to depression (among other serious conditions such as diabetes and heart disease).
Any vitamin deficiency can cause food cravings, and depression can cause weight gain and lack of motivation to do anything about it. Be sure to get the naturally happy pill and go for a walk, ideally exposing your face and arms to the sun.
10. Love yourself
You heard it! Clearly many of us do not love ourselves enough (just check out the recent Dove soap commercial about how we view ourselves—you’ll likely relate as it went viral). It is so tough to make a change when it comes from a place of self-hating or a lack of confidence.
Think about all the successful people in the world who have to work really hard to get to the top. Do you think they did that from self-hatred, an overly judgmental mindset, or a lack of confidence? No, they did what they needed to do in honor of themselves and the belief that they could do it.
So take a deep breath, love yourself, and find it in you to believe you deserve to succeed.
Source: The Epoch Times
________________________________________
It is easy to lose weight if you fast or go on a super strict diet and exercise routine. But what if it doesn’t have to be that hard?
What if it doesn’t take a full-on cleanse, detox, or diet, but rather just a few small changes and commitments to taking care of your health and well-being?
Listed below are the top 10 things you can do to start to naturally detox your body, shed your weight, and feel great.
1. Start your day right—with water and lemon.
To have a healthy metabolism, you need good digestion, and to have a great digestion, you need to have an acidic stomach (contrary to popular belief). Adding lemon to your water, preferably at room temperature, will help prepare your digestion for breakfast, plus it is thirst quenching, high in vitamin C, and often helps ward off cravings.
Be sure to continue drinking water throughout your day. I like to follow a regular drinking protocol: one cup of water with each meal, and one cup between meals and snacks.
2. End your day right: dine before 8 p.m.
It is important to keep your body in sync with its natural body clock. According to traditional Chinese medicine, the best time of day to eat dinner is between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. After that, it is healthy to allow the body’s digestion to rest and not have to work while sleeping.
When you are sleeping, your body will be working on replenishing and healing all of your organ systems, allowing you to wake up feeling refreshed and balanced.
3. Slow down and chew
It takes about six minutes for food to travel from the mouth to the stomach. If you rush to swallow your food and do not chew well, it will be very easy for you to overeat before you realize you have.
So a great way to eat less without having to weigh, measure, and count your caloric intake is by simply slowing down, chewing more, and paying better attention.
Plus, eating too quickly is often a reflection of what is going on internally. Are you an anxious person? Are you feeling stressed out? Taking control of our stress levels, even if they are low, will inevitably speed up our metabolism and help you lose weight.
4. Try a meatless day
I am not a huge advocate of vegetarian eating, but as the weather gets warmer, it is so nice to go vegan every now and then. When you create a vegan meal, you need to focus on whole grains such as quinoa or millet; vegetables, such as carrots, kale, and broccoli; legumes, such as black beans or lentils; and good-quality fats, such as nuts, seeds, and avocados.
Get creative around desserts as well, often fruit-based ones. Think baked apples, or almond berry coconut crunch (yum).
It is important to note that it is easy to become a “junkitarian.” This kind of diet is made up of pasta, bread, processed meatless substitutes, and lacks fresh food. This will not make anyone feel better. Taking a break from meat feels good if you have been eating too much of it and not enough fresh, light produce-based foods.
5. Turn off the tube … or at least change the channel
According to ancient Chinese wisdom, the hours leading up to bedtime (specifically 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.) are best for you to put your thoughts and concerns to rest. Calming your mind, easing your thinking, and relaxing during this time will help you stay in balance, and have a deep restful sleep.
Television programs, news, and involved novels often over-stimulate our minds, creating sleep disorders, fatigue, and imbalance. Without a restful evening, it is easy to become susceptible to overeating, sugar cravings, and increased stress—all problems that lead to excess weight.
Instead, consider winding down at night with a warm bath, herbal tea, and meditation.
6. Enjoy real food
It’s no fun to go hungry or deprive yourself of delicious foods. If you can replace your food substitutes, low-fat foods, and artificially flavored foods with real—even rich—foods and savor each bite without the guilt, what you’ll find is that you no longer need to eat as much and will feel so much more satisfied, and as a result end up losing weight naturally.
7. Eat greens and sweet vegetables
Greens, greens, and more greens—I cannot emphasize this enough! Include at least two cups of dark leafy greens (such as kale, bok choy, or collard greens) and you will be sure to feel amazing. Feel free to add extra virgin olive oil to your greens since they have some fat-soluble vitamins that the oil will help you absorb.
Incorporating sweet vegetables such as sweet potato, butternut squash, or carrots into your meals will help cut sugar cravings by adding in a sweet component to your diet.
8. Move more, but not too much
Being active is essential to your health. It helps jumpstart your metabolism, balances your blood sugar levels, and improves your digestion.
That said, if you exercise too much, you might end up feeling fatigued, hungry, and burned out. So be sure to find that happy balance.
9. Get sunshine
So many people are deficient in vitamin D due to a lack of sunshine. This has been linked to depression (among other serious conditions such as diabetes and heart disease).
Any vitamin deficiency can cause food cravings, and depression can cause weight gain and lack of motivation to do anything about it. Be sure to get the naturally happy pill and go for a walk, ideally exposing your face and arms to the sun.
10. Love yourself
You heard it! Clearly many of us do not love ourselves enough (just check out the recent Dove soap commercial about how we view ourselves—you’ll likely relate as it went viral). It is so tough to make a change when it comes from a place of self-hating or a lack of confidence.
Think about all the successful people in the world who have to work really hard to get to the top. Do you think they did that from self-hatred, an overly judgmental mindset, or a lack of confidence? No, they did what they needed to do in honor of themselves and the belief that they could do it.
So take a deep breath, love yourself, and find it in you to believe you deserve to succeed.
Source: The Epoch Times
________________________________________
Reliable, excellent info - latest science statements - apply
9 Tips for a Longer Life that You Shouldn’t Be Following
Click green for further info
Extend Your Life
"Stop drinking coffee and alcohol." "Take an aspirin daily." How many times have you heard that advice for adding years to your life? Turns out, lots of long-held wisdom just isn't true. Read on to see which suggestions you should ignore and what actually ups longevity.
1. Lay off the java.
You've probably read that multiple cups of coffee a day can be bad for you (jitter city), but research published in the New England Journal of Medicine may prove the opposite. Male and female participants who had two or three cups a day and didn't smoke were 10% and 13% less likely, respectively, to have died during the 14-year-long study than those who never or rarely drank coffee. Men and women who drank a single daily cup were 6% and 5% less likely, respectively, to pass away. According to the researchers, more cups mean a lower risk of stroke, diabetes and heart and respiratory disease. But watch the cream and sugar-extra fat and calories could negate any longevity benefits.
Click: 8 Foods That Fight Stress and Anxiety
2. Get eight hours of sleep every night.
While research suggests snoozing fewer than six or more than nine hours a night raises your mortality risk, "everyone has different sleep needs," says Shelby Harris, PsyD, director of the behavioral sleep medicine program at Montefiore Medical Center in Bronx, NY. So if you wake naturally after only, say, six-and-a-half hours a night, forcing yourself to reach eight hours won't lengthen your life. To learn how much sleep you need, try awakening without an alarm for a week, if you can swing it. If you feel good and have enough energy most of the day, you've found your ideal amount of rest.
3. Lower your body mass index (BMI).
According to a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, weighing a little more can lengthen your life span. Adults with a BMI that qualified them as overweight but not obese (that's between 25 and 29.9) were 6% less likely than all others in their age groups to die. While BMI isn't always an accurate measurement of a person's health risks, registered dietitian Jen Brewer, author of Stop Dieting and Start Losing Weight, says if the extra weight comes from muscle mass, you're more likely to have lower cholesterol levels and a better ratio of HDL (good cholesterol) to LDL (bad cholesterol). It may also lower your risk for life-threatening heart disease, stroke and diabetes. And that's good for staying alive.
4. Don't worry, be happy.
Actually, being a glass-half-empty kind of person may keep you kicking longer. In a study published in Psychology and Aging, 65- to 96-year-olds who thought life would get worse outlived those who anticipated better days ahead. "Our findings revealed that being overly optimistic was associated with a greater risk of disability and death within the following decade," says lead author Frieder R. Lang, PhD, of the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg in Germany. "Pessimism about the future may encourage people to take health and safety precautions."
5. Take a daily aspirin.
Popping that pill can help you live longer by preventing heart attacks, strokes and even cancer-right? "If you're a healthy, 45-year-old female, it may not make a difference," says Nieca Goldberg, MD, medical director of the Joan H. Tisch Center for Women's Health at New York University's Langone Medical Center in New York City. In fact, taking a daily aspirin can lead to bleeding, allergies and upset stomach. Ask your doctor if you can skip the pill, suggests Dr. Goldberg.
Click: 9 Bad Habits That Are Actually Good For You
6. Drink 8 glasses of water a day.
Once believed to be the amount everyone needs for proper hydration, a longevity essential, a 2002 study from Dartmouth Medical School in Hanover, NH, debunked the 8X8 rule. As Dr. Goldberg explains, "there's no magic number of glasses," emphasizing it's more about getting fluids, not necessarily from straight-up H20. Herbal tea and juices are hydration helpers (though soda isn't), but fruits and vegetables (like celery and leafy greens) are an even healthier way to get your liquids.
7. Milk does the body good.
You're taught that drinking it by the glassful keeps bones healthy and prevents fatal injuries. Yet a12-year-long Harvard study found that women who drink milk three times a day break more bones than women who drink less than one glass of milk per week. While lowfat dairy may agree with you, calcium is what's key for strong bones. You can get it from leafy greens, beans, vitamin D (sunshine!) and even lifting weights.
8. Cut out booze.
A daily glass of wine not only can help your heart but also add years to your life. University of Texas at Austin researchers found that moderate drinking, such as a small glass of wine (about four ounces) a day, reduces mortality among older and middle-aged adults. Dr. Goldberg says it's because heart disease is the leading killer of women, and wine is chockfull of antioxidants, which prevent serious sickness. So fill 'er up-without overflowing that glass.
Related: Anti-Aging Treatments For Your Youngest Skin Ever
9. Take a multivitamin.
Even though half of all adults pop one, the 2011 Iowa Women's Health Study found that women taking multivitamins don't live longer than those who get their nutrients from food alone. Only calcium supplements are linked to a lower death risk, with 37% of users dying compared to 43% of nonusers in the study. Researchers' conclusion: Get the vitamins and minerals from fruit and vegetables, not capsules.
Click green title (if link expired - search the web with the title):
9 Fights to Have with Your Husband
25 Top Ways To Improve A Long-Term Relationship
6 All-Natural Beauty Fixes
8 Surprising Health Benefits of Sex
Click green for further info
_____________________________________________________
9 Tips for a Longer Life that You Shouldn’t Be Following
Click green for further info
Extend Your Life
"Stop drinking coffee and alcohol." "Take an aspirin daily." How many times have you heard that advice for adding years to your life? Turns out, lots of long-held wisdom just isn't true. Read on to see which suggestions you should ignore and what actually ups longevity.
1. Lay off the java.
You've probably read that multiple cups of coffee a day can be bad for you (jitter city), but research published in the New England Journal of Medicine may prove the opposite. Male and female participants who had two or three cups a day and didn't smoke were 10% and 13% less likely, respectively, to have died during the 14-year-long study than those who never or rarely drank coffee. Men and women who drank a single daily cup were 6% and 5% less likely, respectively, to pass away. According to the researchers, more cups mean a lower risk of stroke, diabetes and heart and respiratory disease. But watch the cream and sugar-extra fat and calories could negate any longevity benefits.
Click: 8 Foods That Fight Stress and Anxiety
2. Get eight hours of sleep every night.
While research suggests snoozing fewer than six or more than nine hours a night raises your mortality risk, "everyone has different sleep needs," says Shelby Harris, PsyD, director of the behavioral sleep medicine program at Montefiore Medical Center in Bronx, NY. So if you wake naturally after only, say, six-and-a-half hours a night, forcing yourself to reach eight hours won't lengthen your life. To learn how much sleep you need, try awakening without an alarm for a week, if you can swing it. If you feel good and have enough energy most of the day, you've found your ideal amount of rest.
3. Lower your body mass index (BMI).
According to a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, weighing a little more can lengthen your life span. Adults with a BMI that qualified them as overweight but not obese (that's between 25 and 29.9) were 6% less likely than all others in their age groups to die. While BMI isn't always an accurate measurement of a person's health risks, registered dietitian Jen Brewer, author of Stop Dieting and Start Losing Weight, says if the extra weight comes from muscle mass, you're more likely to have lower cholesterol levels and a better ratio of HDL (good cholesterol) to LDL (bad cholesterol). It may also lower your risk for life-threatening heart disease, stroke and diabetes. And that's good for staying alive.
4. Don't worry, be happy.
Actually, being a glass-half-empty kind of person may keep you kicking longer. In a study published in Psychology and Aging, 65- to 96-year-olds who thought life would get worse outlived those who anticipated better days ahead. "Our findings revealed that being overly optimistic was associated with a greater risk of disability and death within the following decade," says lead author Frieder R. Lang, PhD, of the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg in Germany. "Pessimism about the future may encourage people to take health and safety precautions."
5. Take a daily aspirin.
Popping that pill can help you live longer by preventing heart attacks, strokes and even cancer-right? "If you're a healthy, 45-year-old female, it may not make a difference," says Nieca Goldberg, MD, medical director of the Joan H. Tisch Center for Women's Health at New York University's Langone Medical Center in New York City. In fact, taking a daily aspirin can lead to bleeding, allergies and upset stomach. Ask your doctor if you can skip the pill, suggests Dr. Goldberg.
Click: 9 Bad Habits That Are Actually Good For You
6. Drink 8 glasses of water a day.
Once believed to be the amount everyone needs for proper hydration, a longevity essential, a 2002 study from Dartmouth Medical School in Hanover, NH, debunked the 8X8 rule. As Dr. Goldberg explains, "there's no magic number of glasses," emphasizing it's more about getting fluids, not necessarily from straight-up H20. Herbal tea and juices are hydration helpers (though soda isn't), but fruits and vegetables (like celery and leafy greens) are an even healthier way to get your liquids.
7. Milk does the body good.
You're taught that drinking it by the glassful keeps bones healthy and prevents fatal injuries. Yet a12-year-long Harvard study found that women who drink milk three times a day break more bones than women who drink less than one glass of milk per week. While lowfat dairy may agree with you, calcium is what's key for strong bones. You can get it from leafy greens, beans, vitamin D (sunshine!) and even lifting weights.
8. Cut out booze.
A daily glass of wine not only can help your heart but also add years to your life. University of Texas at Austin researchers found that moderate drinking, such as a small glass of wine (about four ounces) a day, reduces mortality among older and middle-aged adults. Dr. Goldberg says it's because heart disease is the leading killer of women, and wine is chockfull of antioxidants, which prevent serious sickness. So fill 'er up-without overflowing that glass.
Related: Anti-Aging Treatments For Your Youngest Skin Ever
9. Take a multivitamin.
Even though half of all adults pop one, the 2011 Iowa Women's Health Study found that women taking multivitamins don't live longer than those who get their nutrients from food alone. Only calcium supplements are linked to a lower death risk, with 37% of users dying compared to 43% of nonusers in the study. Researchers' conclusion: Get the vitamins and minerals from fruit and vegetables, not capsules.
Click green title (if link expired - search the web with the title):
9 Fights to Have with Your Husband
25 Top Ways To Improve A Long-Term Relationship
6 All-Natural Beauty Fixes
8 Surprising Health Benefits of Sex
Click green for further info
_____________________________________________________
Article 1 of 2
Fennel: An aid in digesting fat and sugar,
eliminating toxic particles & an aid in weight loss
"The ancient Greeks called fennel “marathon”, derived from the word “maraino”, meaning “to grow thin”
Chew fennel seeds to allay hunger pains and sweet cravings
Fennel is a natural flea repellent
Fennel is a strengthener for ailing eyesight
(see below for further instruction)
Fennel is a hardy perennial indigenous to the Mediterranean where it has been cultivated since ancient
times. It can be found growing wild over most of temperate Europe, and for that matter, in most of the world’s temperate climates where Italians have made their homes.
This tall, striking herb seems to follow civilisation, self-seeding on our inner-city wastelands and on the sides of our exhaust-choked highways. It thrives in the poorest and most polluted of conditions, offering up its virtues for those
who seek to maintain good health despite such circumstances. Fennel was traditionally included in the fish and meat dishes of both the Greeks and the Romans to aid digestion. The sturdy herb’s complex chemistry, which includes high concentrations of mineral salts and the volatile oil anethol, acts to stimulate and
balance the pancreas, providing efficient digestion of fats.
Accordingly, the ancient Greeks called fennel “marathon”, derived from the word “maraino”, meaning “
to grow thin”, which was no doubt in reference to the herb’s ability to aid the digestion of fats and sugars.
For this reason, fennel only aids weight loss if your excess weight stems from poor digestion and
assimilation of fats and sugars.
If you subsist on a diet of fatty takeout foods and sugary treats, fennel tea may well help you lose weight, and in the process reeducate your taste buds back to an appreciation of healthier foods such as fresh fruit and vegetables. Conversely, chew fennel seeds to allay hunger pains and sweet cravings.
Another attribute of fennel, well documented since ancient times, is its use as a strengthener for ailing eyesight. A fennel eye bath can provide symptomatic relief of eyes that are a foggy yellow or have pterygiums. The latter are abnormal tissue growth on the whites of the eyes due to sun exposure. Pterygiums also indicate poor absorption of fats. The eye bath is prepared by boiling fennel leaves in water until reduced by half and then allowing
the infusion to cool. Repeat this eye bath daily as required.
For the household pet suffering from fleas, fennel can also bring great relief. It is a natural flea repellent. Simply rub over the coat and place a handful of leaves under your pet’s bedding.
Source: Luke Hughes is a classical herbalist in the European tradition. He is based in Sydney, Australia.
(Article 2 of 2 just below)
_________________________
Fennel: An aid in digesting fat and sugar,
eliminating toxic particles & an aid in weight loss
"The ancient Greeks called fennel “marathon”, derived from the word “maraino”, meaning “to grow thin”
Chew fennel seeds to allay hunger pains and sweet cravings
Fennel is a natural flea repellent
Fennel is a strengthener for ailing eyesight
(see below for further instruction)
Fennel is a hardy perennial indigenous to the Mediterranean where it has been cultivated since ancient
times. It can be found growing wild over most of temperate Europe, and for that matter, in most of the world’s temperate climates where Italians have made their homes.
This tall, striking herb seems to follow civilisation, self-seeding on our inner-city wastelands and on the sides of our exhaust-choked highways. It thrives in the poorest and most polluted of conditions, offering up its virtues for those
who seek to maintain good health despite such circumstances. Fennel was traditionally included in the fish and meat dishes of both the Greeks and the Romans to aid digestion. The sturdy herb’s complex chemistry, which includes high concentrations of mineral salts and the volatile oil anethol, acts to stimulate and
balance the pancreas, providing efficient digestion of fats.
Accordingly, the ancient Greeks called fennel “marathon”, derived from the word “maraino”, meaning “
to grow thin”, which was no doubt in reference to the herb’s ability to aid the digestion of fats and sugars.
For this reason, fennel only aids weight loss if your excess weight stems from poor digestion and
assimilation of fats and sugars.
If you subsist on a diet of fatty takeout foods and sugary treats, fennel tea may well help you lose weight, and in the process reeducate your taste buds back to an appreciation of healthier foods such as fresh fruit and vegetables. Conversely, chew fennel seeds to allay hunger pains and sweet cravings.
Another attribute of fennel, well documented since ancient times, is its use as a strengthener for ailing eyesight. A fennel eye bath can provide symptomatic relief of eyes that are a foggy yellow or have pterygiums. The latter are abnormal tissue growth on the whites of the eyes due to sun exposure. Pterygiums also indicate poor absorption of fats. The eye bath is prepared by boiling fennel leaves in water until reduced by half and then allowing
the infusion to cool. Repeat this eye bath daily as required.
For the household pet suffering from fleas, fennel can also bring great relief. It is a natural flea repellent. Simply rub over the coat and place a handful of leaves under your pet’s bedding.
Source: Luke Hughes is a classical herbalist in the European tradition. He is based in Sydney, Australia.
(Article 2 of 2 just below)
_________________________
Article 2 of 2
(Article 1 of 2 just above)
Fennel: the 'Reducer'
Fennel is called the "reducer," because it stimulates one's metabolism
Fennel eliminates toxic particles & reduces weight
Here is a simple and unusual, delicious side dish. Try paper-thin slices of a fresh fennel bulb dressed with lemon juice, salt, and olive oil? This delightful culinary combination awakens the senses and is a fantastic complementary offering, augmenting any meal.
All parts of the fennel plant are edible: the stems, leaves (fronds), seeds, and of course, the bulb.
The chopped fern-like leaves make a sweet and savory herbal addition when used as a seasoning in salads or soups. Those who occasionally bake their own bread find the addition of minced fennel leaves or fennel seeds a welcome flavor enhancer. Some people add them to curries, savory pies, and fish dishes.
The bulb sliced, cooked, and seasoned is a delightful vegetable side dish. Coarsely grated raw fennel bulbs make a salad in themselves when dressed simply with olive oil, salt, and lemon juice.
Fennel is called the "reducer," because it stimulates one's metabolism. Try chewing a few fennel seeds as a snack to curb the desire for chocolate, rich pastries, and cakes. Fennel tea, or fennel leaves steeped as a tisane*), achieves the same appetite-curbing effect as the seeds. Such a tea regulates the metabolic liver and pancreatic functions during digestion of fats and sugars.
Another well-known fennel feature is its aid in digestive difficulties. Fennel reduces bloating, a sluggish colon, and constipation. Pregnant and lactating women know fennel for its ability to suppress nausea and to stimulate milk production during nursing.
Medieval people considered fennel to be a magical plant; it was customary to hang a fennel bundle above the front door to repel bad spirits. Fennel tea was a favorite beverage in the 19th century people believed the brew had psychotropic*) properties.
*) (psychotropic = relating to or denoting drugs that affect a person's mental state)
The yellow-flowering plants grow out in the open and can easily reach a height of two feet.
Australians and certain people in the United States consider fennel to be an invasive species because of the ease with which it reseeds itself.
When buying fennel, make certain the bulb is firm and clean, and is white to pale green in color. The stems and leaves (fronds) must be bright green. The presence of flower buds indicates the plant is overripe and no longer at its prime. Fennel ought to smell pleasant, somewhat reminiscent of anise or licorice.
The vegetable stores well in the refrigerator for about four days, but should be consumed as soon as possible after purchase to ensure the best flavor. Flavor is impacted if fennel is kept too long. Store dried fennel seeds in an airtight container in a cool, dry place or in the refrigerator for up to six months.
Click green for further info
*) tisane - definition: A beverage made from an infusion (steeping) or decoction (boiling) of herbs other than camellia Sinensis (= tea)- (for further info, click all blue in this footnote). Tisanes are also commonly known as "herbal teas," "herbal infusions" or "infusions," or "botanicals." They are not technically teas. Common tisanes include chamomile, mint and rooibos. Some tisanes are blended with actual teas to create tea blend Also Known As: herbal tea, botanical, herbal infusion, infusion
Source: internet, By Myrna Mack Epoch Times Germany
_________________________________________________
(Article 1 of 2 just above)
Fennel: the 'Reducer'
Fennel is called the "reducer," because it stimulates one's metabolism
Fennel eliminates toxic particles & reduces weight
Here is a simple and unusual, delicious side dish. Try paper-thin slices of a fresh fennel bulb dressed with lemon juice, salt, and olive oil? This delightful culinary combination awakens the senses and is a fantastic complementary offering, augmenting any meal.
All parts of the fennel plant are edible: the stems, leaves (fronds), seeds, and of course, the bulb.
The chopped fern-like leaves make a sweet and savory herbal addition when used as a seasoning in salads or soups. Those who occasionally bake their own bread find the addition of minced fennel leaves or fennel seeds a welcome flavor enhancer. Some people add them to curries, savory pies, and fish dishes.
The bulb sliced, cooked, and seasoned is a delightful vegetable side dish. Coarsely grated raw fennel bulbs make a salad in themselves when dressed simply with olive oil, salt, and lemon juice.
Fennel is called the "reducer," because it stimulates one's metabolism. Try chewing a few fennel seeds as a snack to curb the desire for chocolate, rich pastries, and cakes. Fennel tea, or fennel leaves steeped as a tisane*), achieves the same appetite-curbing effect as the seeds. Such a tea regulates the metabolic liver and pancreatic functions during digestion of fats and sugars.
Another well-known fennel feature is its aid in digestive difficulties. Fennel reduces bloating, a sluggish colon, and constipation. Pregnant and lactating women know fennel for its ability to suppress nausea and to stimulate milk production during nursing.
Medieval people considered fennel to be a magical plant; it was customary to hang a fennel bundle above the front door to repel bad spirits. Fennel tea was a favorite beverage in the 19th century people believed the brew had psychotropic*) properties.
*) (psychotropic = relating to or denoting drugs that affect a person's mental state)
The yellow-flowering plants grow out in the open and can easily reach a height of two feet.
Australians and certain people in the United States consider fennel to be an invasive species because of the ease with which it reseeds itself.
When buying fennel, make certain the bulb is firm and clean, and is white to pale green in color. The stems and leaves (fronds) must be bright green. The presence of flower buds indicates the plant is overripe and no longer at its prime. Fennel ought to smell pleasant, somewhat reminiscent of anise or licorice.
The vegetable stores well in the refrigerator for about four days, but should be consumed as soon as possible after purchase to ensure the best flavor. Flavor is impacted if fennel is kept too long. Store dried fennel seeds in an airtight container in a cool, dry place or in the refrigerator for up to six months.
Click green for further info
*) tisane - definition: A beverage made from an infusion (steeping) or decoction (boiling) of herbs other than camellia Sinensis (= tea)- (for further info, click all blue in this footnote). Tisanes are also commonly known as "herbal teas," "herbal infusions" or "infusions," or "botanicals." They are not technically teas. Common tisanes include chamomile, mint and rooibos. Some tisanes are blended with actual teas to create tea blend Also Known As: herbal tea, botanical, herbal infusion, infusion
Source: internet, By Myrna Mack Epoch Times Germany
_________________________________________________
Article 1 of 4
Keep your health - eat real food - not "fast food which is bad food"
Should you consume milk,
milk products, whole milk or skim milk - you want to stay healthy -
study & apply this information - then study the next longer article
The China Study
Avoid big food bills, big bellies & big sickness costs
Quotation:
"To stay healthy you need to eat what your body wants, not what you want"
(Dr. Christian, STAF, Inc.)
"If it comes from a plant, eat it - if it was made in a plant, do not - it kills"
_________________
You've heard the old slogan: Milk: It does a body good. The truth is, we don't know that for sure.
Strong data from laboratory tests and a major research effort called the China Study have revealed serious questions about whether or not milk is truly safe for humans. But what we do know is that whole milk products-cream and whole-fat cheese, yogurt and ice cream-do a body bad. Very bad.
The type of fat in dairy products is saturated fat, which is the kind that increases your risk of cardiovascular disease by damaging arteries and increasing the "bad" LDL cholesterol that clogs them up. Too much saturated fat (stick to no more than 20 grams per day) also makes you put on weight, which can lead to obesity and a host of health problems.
That's not all. A recent study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute found that women who often ate high-fat dairy were more likely to die from breast cancer than patients who opted for skim. This doesn't prove that whole milk causes cancer, but scientists believe that because most of the milk we drink comes from pregnant cows, it contains elevated levels of estrogen and progesterone, which get into our bodies and may increase the risk of hormone-related cancers, such as breast cancer. Since those hormones reside primarily in fat, the authors of this study hypothesize that choosing low-fat or skim milk cuts down on the potential danger.
MORE: The Skinny (and Not-So-Skinny) on Saturated Fats
It's important to realize that the women who participated in the study weren't moo-juice addicts chugging down glass after glass of whole milk. The researchers assessed regular intake of all types of dairy, including milk in cereal and cream in coffee, cheese and cottage cheese, yogurt and desserts such as pudding, custard and ice cream. Point is: It adds up.
If you're a fan of full-fat dairy, you probably think non-fat yogurt is boring and skim milk tastes like water. We understand. That's because fat is a learned taste. Once you learn to love it, it's hard to let go. But that also means you can unlearn to love it. Try this: Mix two percent milk with whole milk for one week, gradually changing the proportions until you're drinking a glass of entirely two percent milk. Then do the same thing by mixing one percent with two percent, then skim with one percent. By the end of about eight weeks, skim milk will taste normal and whole milk will eventually taste too fatty. Same thing with cheese, yogurt and your other preferred dairy products.
You'll still enjoy (lower-fat versions of) your favorite foods-and you'll be well on your way to better health.
Better, yet - follow the information in the longer article The China Study
The China Study changed how the whole world started eating - now it is your turn
Keep your health - eat real food - not "fast food which is bad food"
Should you consume milk,
milk products, whole milk or skim milk - you want to stay healthy -
study & apply this information - then study the next longer article
The China Study
Avoid big food bills, big bellies & big sickness costs
Quotation:
"To stay healthy you need to eat what your body wants, not what you want"
(Dr. Christian, STAF, Inc.)
"If it comes from a plant, eat it - if it was made in a plant, do not - it kills"
_________________
You've heard the old slogan: Milk: It does a body good. The truth is, we don't know that for sure.
Strong data from laboratory tests and a major research effort called the China Study have revealed serious questions about whether or not milk is truly safe for humans. But what we do know is that whole milk products-cream and whole-fat cheese, yogurt and ice cream-do a body bad. Very bad.
The type of fat in dairy products is saturated fat, which is the kind that increases your risk of cardiovascular disease by damaging arteries and increasing the "bad" LDL cholesterol that clogs them up. Too much saturated fat (stick to no more than 20 grams per day) also makes you put on weight, which can lead to obesity and a host of health problems.
That's not all. A recent study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute found that women who often ate high-fat dairy were more likely to die from breast cancer than patients who opted for skim. This doesn't prove that whole milk causes cancer, but scientists believe that because most of the milk we drink comes from pregnant cows, it contains elevated levels of estrogen and progesterone, which get into our bodies and may increase the risk of hormone-related cancers, such as breast cancer. Since those hormones reside primarily in fat, the authors of this study hypothesize that choosing low-fat or skim milk cuts down on the potential danger.
MORE: The Skinny (and Not-So-Skinny) on Saturated Fats
It's important to realize that the women who participated in the study weren't moo-juice addicts chugging down glass after glass of whole milk. The researchers assessed regular intake of all types of dairy, including milk in cereal and cream in coffee, cheese and cottage cheese, yogurt and desserts such as pudding, custard and ice cream. Point is: It adds up.
If you're a fan of full-fat dairy, you probably think non-fat yogurt is boring and skim milk tastes like water. We understand. That's because fat is a learned taste. Once you learn to love it, it's hard to let go. But that also means you can unlearn to love it. Try this: Mix two percent milk with whole milk for one week, gradually changing the proportions until you're drinking a glass of entirely two percent milk. Then do the same thing by mixing one percent with two percent, then skim with one percent. By the end of about eight weeks, skim milk will taste normal and whole milk will eventually taste too fatty. Same thing with cheese, yogurt and your other preferred dairy products.
You'll still enjoy (lower-fat versions of) your favorite foods-and you'll be well on your way to better health.
Better, yet - follow the information in the longer article The China Study
The China Study changed how the whole world started eating - now it is your turn
Article 2 of 4
The Saturated Fat Situation A run-down on how to navigate these bad fats so they don’t drag you down
Sat Fat Test, At a Glance The more solid your “liquid” food (dressings, sauces) becomes at room temperature, the more saturated fat it has! If the juices from your steak run off and harden on your plate, chances are it’s not a lean cut.
When we say saturated fats, you may think red meats like a juicy steak or dairy products like ice cream (with a dollop of whipped cream!). It’s true, foods from animals have “bad” fats, but there are some sources you may overlook. Even plants can age our bodies, with trans fats to boot! Get the skinny on these sneaky fats, which can up your heart disease risk if you overload.
TROPICAL OILS
Coconut oil: One tablespoon has 11.8 grams of saturated fat - 86 percent saturated fats.
Technically saturated fats aren’t “bad” if you’re able to control the amount. One rule of thumb? Have no more than 4 grams per hour. In excess, it can raise cholesterol levels in your blood.
THE DEAL WITH DAIRY
Real milk and cheese are loaded with saturated fats, but that doesn’t mean you have to cut dairy out of your diet (if you’re not lactose intolerant!). With low-fat or non-fat versions of yogurt and milk, you can get away with “low-fat”—the fat is simply skimmed off the top and not replaced with artificial or overly sugary additives.
A cup of regular yogurt has 5 grams of saturated fat, so that just exceeds the recommended limit for an hour. Trying a low-fat version will cut this in half. If you opt for plain, you won’t get artificial sweeteners or added sugar. Feel free to add a cup of berries or other fresh fruit to give it a little somethin’.
Why not go for the full-fledged dairy? A small ice cream at ice-cream-chain-not-to-be-named is 20 grams of saturated fat, nearly five times your hourly rate.
A cup of regular yogurt has 5 grams of saturated fat, so that just exceeds the recommended limit for an hour. Trying a low-fat version will cut this in half. If you opt for plain, you won’t get artificial sweeteners or added sugar. Feel free to add a cup of berries or other fresh fruit to give it a little somethin’.
Why not go for the full-fledged dairy? A small ice cream at ice-cream-chain-not-to-be-named is 20 grams of saturated fat, nearly five times your hourly rate.
CUT THE MEAT?
If you eat red meat, opt for “grass-fed” beef, which has multiple benefits. Aside from being lower in saturated fat, grass-fed cattle are more likely to live on local ranches in a more natural habitat.
Lean cuts have 4.5 grams of saturated fat (or less). For context, ten ounces of a rib eye or New York strip steak have three times the saturated fat of lean cuts. Burgers reach about 20 grams of saturated fat.
Poultry like chicken and turkey is usually a safer bet, so long as you’re not eating the skin. A chicken leg with skin triples the saturated fat content of skinless chicken breast to about 15 grams.
It’s easier for vegetarians to make smarter choices about saturated fats. Tempeh, tofu and other protein sources are generally OK on sat fats. Note: that doesn’t mean you're healthier-than-thou of you get your tofu deep fried or butter-soaked!
Click green for further info
__________________________________________________________
The Saturated Fat Situation A run-down on how to navigate these bad fats so they don’t drag you down
Sat Fat Test, At a Glance The more solid your “liquid” food (dressings, sauces) becomes at room temperature, the more saturated fat it has! If the juices from your steak run off and harden on your plate, chances are it’s not a lean cut.
When we say saturated fats, you may think red meats like a juicy steak or dairy products like ice cream (with a dollop of whipped cream!). It’s true, foods from animals have “bad” fats, but there are some sources you may overlook. Even plants can age our bodies, with trans fats to boot! Get the skinny on these sneaky fats, which can up your heart disease risk if you overload.
TROPICAL OILS
Coconut oil: One tablespoon has 11.8 grams of saturated fat - 86 percent saturated fats.
- Where you find it: Baked goods like cake, pie, macaroons.
- The scoop: Some nutritionists point out that the medium chain fatty acids in forms of coconut oil, like virgin coconut oil, are likely to be converted to energy instead of stored as fat. However, “partially hydrogenated coconut oil” has trans fats, which are artificially created and why the term "fat" gets a bad reputation. The double carbon bonding messes with your metabolism and, in excess, trans fats increase the hardening of arteries. It's worth checking which kind of coconut oil you're getting!
- Where you find it: Some chocolates, margarines and fried foods.
- The scoop: May be partially hydrogenated (aka, trans fats).
- Where you find it: Some peanut butters, pastries and fried foods.
- The scoop: As far as tropical oils go, this is a “healthier,” trans-fat free alternative. Still saturated fats make it easier for cholesterol levels to rise in the blood.
Technically saturated fats aren’t “bad” if you’re able to control the amount. One rule of thumb? Have no more than 4 grams per hour. In excess, it can raise cholesterol levels in your blood.
THE DEAL WITH DAIRY
Real milk and cheese are loaded with saturated fats, but that doesn’t mean you have to cut dairy out of your diet (if you’re not lactose intolerant!). With low-fat or non-fat versions of yogurt and milk, you can get away with “low-fat”—the fat is simply skimmed off the top and not replaced with artificial or overly sugary additives.
A cup of regular yogurt has 5 grams of saturated fat, so that just exceeds the recommended limit for an hour. Trying a low-fat version will cut this in half. If you opt for plain, you won’t get artificial sweeteners or added sugar. Feel free to add a cup of berries or other fresh fruit to give it a little somethin’.
Why not go for the full-fledged dairy? A small ice cream at ice-cream-chain-not-to-be-named is 20 grams of saturated fat, nearly five times your hourly rate.
A cup of regular yogurt has 5 grams of saturated fat, so that just exceeds the recommended limit for an hour. Trying a low-fat version will cut this in half. If you opt for plain, you won’t get artificial sweeteners or added sugar. Feel free to add a cup of berries or other fresh fruit to give it a little somethin’.
Why not go for the full-fledged dairy? A small ice cream at ice-cream-chain-not-to-be-named is 20 grams of saturated fat, nearly five times your hourly rate.
CUT THE MEAT?
If you eat red meat, opt for “grass-fed” beef, which has multiple benefits. Aside from being lower in saturated fat, grass-fed cattle are more likely to live on local ranches in a more natural habitat.
Lean cuts have 4.5 grams of saturated fat (or less). For context, ten ounces of a rib eye or New York strip steak have three times the saturated fat of lean cuts. Burgers reach about 20 grams of saturated fat.
Poultry like chicken and turkey is usually a safer bet, so long as you’re not eating the skin. A chicken leg with skin triples the saturated fat content of skinless chicken breast to about 15 grams.
It’s easier for vegetarians to make smarter choices about saturated fats. Tempeh, tofu and other protein sources are generally OK on sat fats. Note: that doesn’t mean you're healthier-than-thou of you get your tofu deep fried or butter-soaked!
Click green for further info
__________________________________________________________
Article 3 of 4
Dietary Supplements Terminology and Definitions
See the red line announcement a few lines below
Click green for further info
In 1994, Congress passed the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act, defining dietary supplements as products taken by mouth, containing ingredients intended to supplement the diet. What are those ingredients and how do they work? The following list of terms can help you understand what makes up the building blocks of the vitamins and supplements you take.
STAF, Inc.'s opinion is that in most cases eating healthy food is enough - additional vitamin pills, etc. are then not needed - they can be toxic & make you sick(er).
STAF, Inc. has developed a Healthy Lifestyle & Correct Nutrition Program for the U.S. government use as the solution to our rampant overweight, obesity & sickness level.
When you follow that program's guidance for what to eat and how to restore & maintain your health and get rid of all unnecessary overweight, then it is enough to apply what the new STAF, Inc.'s program guides to do.
Terminology and Definitions:
Dietary Supplements Terminology and Definitions
See the red line announcement a few lines below
Click green for further info
In 1994, Congress passed the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act, defining dietary supplements as products taken by mouth, containing ingredients intended to supplement the diet. What are those ingredients and how do they work? The following list of terms can help you understand what makes up the building blocks of the vitamins and supplements you take.
STAF, Inc.'s opinion is that in most cases eating healthy food is enough - additional vitamin pills, etc. are then not needed - they can be toxic & make you sick(er).
STAF, Inc. has developed a Healthy Lifestyle & Correct Nutrition Program for the U.S. government use as the solution to our rampant overweight, obesity & sickness level.
When you follow that program's guidance for what to eat and how to restore & maintain your health and get rid of all unnecessary overweight, then it is enough to apply what the new STAF, Inc.'s program guides to do.
Terminology and Definitions:
Minerals: Minerals are natural, inorganic chemical elements, such as calcium, iron, selenium and zinc. Dietary supplements are designed with either one mineral or a complex of minerals that work together.
Vitamins: Vitamins are natural, organic substances given letter designations (A, B1 to B12, C, D, E and K). Proper quantities of vitamins are essential to good health, and daily dietary supplements can help your body consistently get the vitamins it needs.
Amino acids: Amino acids are molecules that are the building blocks of protein, the substance that makes up a large portion of the human body. Amino acids in dietary supplements can also be helpful in boosting metabolism.
Herbs: Herbs, or botanicals, are plants that can provide certain therapeutic benefits for the human body when taken in limited doses. Common herbs found in dietary supplements include garlic, St. John's wort, flax, valerian and chamomile.
Nutraceuticals: nutraceuticals are isolated nutrients extracted from foods and added to dietary supplements for a medicinal effect. Examples of nutraceuticals include reserveratrol from red grapes, psyllium from seed husks, flavanoids from citrus fruits and sulforaphane from broccoli.
Fiber: Dietary fiber is made up of the soluble and insoluble non-digestible portions of plants. Nutritional supplements containing dietary fiber can benefit the digestive system, lower cholesterol and reduce the risk of colon cancer.
Antioxidants: Antioxidants are vitamins, nutraceuticals and other substances included in dietary supplements that block or inhibit free radicals -- molecules that can speed up the aging process and contribute to illness.
Probiotics and prebiotics: Both probiotics and prebiotics can promote a healthy balance of "good bacteria" in the gastrointestinal system. Probiotics are actual living organisms, such as acidophilus, that can be ingested through certain foods and dietary supplements. Prebiotics are non-digestible portions of food that stimulate the growth of existing bacteria in the gastrointestinal system.
Hormones: Hormones in are natural chemicals released by our bodies to create an effect in specific cells. In dietary supplements, either natural or synthetic hormones trigger certain effects in our bodies. DHEA, pregnenolone, pineal and melatonin are common hormones found in dietary supplements.
________________
- The content on this site is not intended to substitute for the advice of a qualified physician, pharmacist, or other licensed health-care professional. Contact your health-care provider immediately if you suspect that you have a medical problem. The use of dietary supplements may not have been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease or health condition ONCE MORE: Supplements are NOT needed - learn to eat healthy food with STAF, Inc.'s help. Supplements can make you sicker- supplements are more or less toxic - ________________________________________________________________________________________
Article 4 of 4
This can be the most important
article you ever read
The China Study
(2005) is a book by T. Colin Campbell, Jacob Gould Schurman Professor Emeritus of Nutritional Biochemistry at Cornell University, and his son Thomas M. Campbell II,
a physician.
It examines the relationship between the consumption of animal products and a variety of chronic illnesses, such as coronary heart disease,diabetes, and cancers of the breast, prostate and bowel. The book had sold 750,000 copies as of January 2013. It is one of America's best-selling books about nutrition.
The China Study of the title is taken from the China-Cornell-Oxford Project, a 20-year study that began in 1983 and was conducted jointly by the Chinese Academy of Preventive Medicine, Cornell University, and the University of Oxford. Colin Campbell was one of the directors of the project, described by The New York Times in 1990 as "the Grand Prix of epidemiology".
The study examined mortality rates from 48 forms of cancer and other chronic diseases from 1973 to 75 in 65 counties in China, and correlated them with 1983–84 dietary surveys and bloodwork from 6,500 people, 100 from each county. It concluded that counties with a high consumption of animal-based foods in 1983–84 were more likely to have had higher death rates from "Western" diseases as of 1973–75, while the opposite was true for counties that ate more plant foods in 1983–84. The study was conducted in those counties because they had genetically similar populations that tended, over generations, to live in the same way in the same place, and eat diets specific to those regions.
The authors conclude that people who eat a plant-based/vegan diet—avoiding animal products such as beef, pork, poultry, fish, eggs, cheese, and milk, and reducing their intake of processed foods and refined carbohydrates—will escape, reduce or reverse the development of chronic diseases. They also recommend adequate amounts of sunshine to maintain sufficient levels of vitamin D, and supplements of vitamin B12 in case of complete avoidance of animal products. They criticize low-carb diets, such as the Atkins diet, which include restrictions on the percentage of calories derived from complex carbohydrates.
Arguments and evidence[edit]Misinformation about nutritionThe authors argue that "most, but not all, of the confusion about nutrition is created in legal, fully disclosed ways and is disseminated by unsuspecting, well-intentioned people, whether they are researchers, politicians or journalists," and that there are powerful industries that stand to lose a lot if Americans shift to a plant-based diet. They write that those industries "do everything in their power to protect their profits and their shareholders."
They argue that earlier studies of nutrition (particularly the well-known Nurses' Health Study, which began in 1976) were flawed because they focused on the effects of varying amounts of individual nutrients among people who were consuming a uniformly high-risk, carnivorous (animal-based) diet. They write that "hardly any study has done more damage to the nutritional landscape than the Nurses' Health Study," and that it should "serve as a warning for the rest of science for what not to do."
[edit]Eight principles of food and healthThe authors describe their eight principles of food and health:
Background to the China-Cornell-Oxford Project
The China-Cornell-Oxford Project—the "China-Oxford-Cornell Study on Dietary, Lifestyle and Disease Mortality Characteristics in 65 Rural Chinese Counties," called in the book "the China Study"—was a comprehensive study of dietary and lifestyle factors associated with disease mortality in China, which compared the health consequences of diets rich in animal-based foods to diets rich in plant-based foods among people who are genetically similar.
The idea for the study began in 1980–81, during discussions between T. Colin Campbell at his laboratory in Cornell and Chen Junshi, Deputy Director of Institute of Nutrition and Food Hygiene at the Chinese Academy of Preventive Medicine. They were later joined by Richard Peto of the University of Oxford – Professor of Medical Statistics and Epidemiology as of 2012 – and Li Junyao of the China Cancer Institute.
In 1983, two villages were chosen at random in each of 65 rural counties in China and 50 families were chosen at random in each village. The dietary habits of one adult member of each family were examined – half male, half female – and the results compared to the death rates in those counties from around 48 forms of cancers and other diseases during 1973–75.
"Western" diseases correlated to concentration of blood cholesterol
The study included a comparison of the prevalence of Western diseases (coronary heart disease, diabetes, leukemia, and cancers of the colon, lung, breast, brain, stomach and liver) in each county, using 1973–75 death rates. The study collected diet and lifestyle variables (ignoring all other factors) from inhabitants of the same counties approximately 10 years later, and found that, as blood cholesterol levels rose, so did the prevalence of "Western" diseases recorded in those counties in 1973–75.
The study linked lower blood cholesterol levels to lower rates of heart disease and cancer.
As blood cholesterol levels decreased from 170 mg/dl to 90 mg/dl, the authors write that cancers of the liver, rectum, colon, lung, breast, childhood and adult leukemia, brain, stomach and esophagus (throat) decreased. Rates for some cancers varied by a factor of 100 from those counties with the highest rates to the counties with the lowest rates.
The authors write that "as blood cholesterol levels in rural China rose in certain counties the incidence of 'Western' diseases also increased. What made this so surprising was that Chinese levels were far lower than we had expected. The average level of blood cholesterol was only 127 mg/dl, which is almost 100 points less than the American average (215 mg/dl). ...Some counties had average levels as low as 94 mg/dl. ...For two groups of about twenty-five women in the inner part of China, average blood cholesterol was at the amazingly low level of 80 mg/dl."
Blood cholesterol levels correlated to diet, particularly animal protein
The authors write that "several studies have now shown, in both experimental animals and in humans, that consuming animal-based protein increases blood cholesterol levels. Saturated fat and dietary cholesterol also raise blood cholesterol, although these nutrients are not as effective at doing this as is animal protein. In contrast, plant-based foods contain no cholesterol and, in various other ways, help to decrease the amount of cholesterol made by the body." They write that "these disease associations with blood cholesterol were remarkable, because blood cholesterol and animal-based food consumption both were so low by American standards. In rural China, animal protein intake (for the same individual) averages only 7.1 grams per day whereas Americans average 70 grams per day."
They conclude that "the findings from the China Study indicate that the lower the percentage of animal-based foods that are consumed, the greater the health benefits—even when that percentage declines from 10% to 0% of calories. So it's not unreasonable to assume that the optimum percentage of animal-based products is zero, at least for anyone with a predisposition for a degenerative disease."
Mechanisms of action
Plants protect the body from disease, they argue, because many of them contain both a large concentration of and a large variety of antioxidants, which protect the body from damage caused by free radicals. Western diseases are correlated with growth, which is associated with the increased risk of initiation, promotion and progression of disease, and that growth is correlated with a diet high in animal protein. They argue that the consumption of animal protein increases the acidity of blood and tissues and that to neutralize this acid, calcium (a very effective base) is pulled from the bones.
They also state that higher concentrations of calcium in the blood inhibit the process by which the body activates vitamin D in the kidneys to calcitriol, a form that helps regulate the immune system.
Diseases linked to diet - Autoimmune diseases
They argue that the risk of developing Type I diabetes is strongly correlated with the consumption of cow's milk by infants. Autoimmune diseases such as Type I diabetes, multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis have certain common features and may share the same cause or causes. They say that autoimmune diseases are more prevalent among people who live at higher geographic latitudes, and also among people who consume a diet high in animal protein, particularly cow's milk. They argue that vitamin D is plausibly connected to both of these correlations. Vitamin D is important for the proper regulation of the immune system, and that for people who live at higher geographic latitudes, a lack of exposure to ultraviolet sunlight can result in a deficiency. The consumption of animal protein, especially casein in cow's milk, results in higher concentrations of calcium in the blood, which inhibits the process by which the body activates vitamin D in the kidneys to a form that helps repress the development of autoimmune diseases.
Brain diseases
They say that cognitive impairment and dementia, including Alzheimer's disease, are linked to hypertension, high blood cholesterol, and damage caused by free radicals, and that these risk factors can be controlled by diet.
Cancer
The authors link breast cancer to the long-term exposure to higher concentrations of female hormones, which in turn is associated with early menarche (age at first menstruation), late menopause, and a high concentration of blood cholesterol. They argue that all these risk factors are linked to a diet high in animal protein, particularly casein from cow milk. The average Chinese woman is exposed to 35–40 percent of the lifetime estrogen exposure of the average British or American woman, and the rate of breast cancer among Chinese women is about one-fifth of the rate among Western women. They also argue that lower rates of colorectal cancer are associated with the consumption of plants high in fiber, such as beans, leafy vegetables and whole grains.
Diabetes
The authors describe a diet study conducted by James D. Anderson, M.D., of 50 patients—25 with Type I diabetes and 25 with Type II diabetes—who were taking insulin to control their blood glucose concentrations. The authors reported that after these patients switched from the American-style diet recommended by the American Diabetes Association to a high-fiber, low-fat, plant-based diet, the patients with Type I diabetes were able to reduce their insulin by an average of 40 percent within three weeks of changing their diet, and 24 of the 25 patients with Type II diabetes were able to stop taking their insulin altogether within weeks.
Eye diseases
They argue that studies show a diet that includes carotenoids, which are found in colorful vegetables, provide protection from macular degeneration, an eye disease that can cause blindness, and that a diet that includes lutein, a particular antioxidant found in spinach, provides protection from cataracts.
Heart disease and obesity
They say studies show that eating plant protein has a greater power to lower cholesterol levels than reducing fat or cholesterol intake. At the time of their study, the death rate from coronary heart disease was seventeen times higher among American men than rural Chinese men. They write that "the average calorie intake per kilogram of body weight was 30 percent higher among the least active Chinese than among average Americans. Yet, body weight was 20 percent lower." The authors add that "consuming diets high in protein and fat transfers calories away from their conversion into body heat to their storage form as body fat (unless severe calorie restriction is causing weight loss.)" They argue that "diet can cause small shifts in calorie metabolism that lead to big shifts in body weight," adding that "the same low-animal protein, low-fat diet that helps prevent obesity also allows people to reach their full growth potential."
Kidney stones
The consumption of animal protein is linked to risk factors for the formation of kidney stones. They state that increased levels of calcium and oxalate in the blood may result in kidney stones, and that recent research shows that kidney stone formation may be initiated by free radicals.
Osteoporosis
The authors state that osteoporosis is linked to the consumption of animal protein because animal protein, unlike plant protein, increases the acidity of blood and tissues. They add that to neutralize this acid, calcium (a very effective base) is pulled from the bones, which weakens them and puts them at greater risk for fracture. The authors add that "in our rural China Study, where the animal to plant ratio [for protein] was about 10 percent, the fracture rate is only one-fifth that of the U.S."
Reception
Frank B Hu and Walter Willett of the Department of Nutrition, Harvard School of Public Health, wrote in a letter to the editor in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 2000, that the China-Cornell-Oxford Project – not the book – had not found a clear association between animal-product consumption and heart disease or major cancers, although in 2010, in an article, "Healthy eating guide," Willet encouraged people to choose plant-based proteins over animal sources.
Willett is the principal investigator of the "Nurses' Health Study II," established in 1989. Campbell is highly critical of the first Nurses' Health Study, established in 1976, calling it one of the chief sources of public misinformation about nutrition.
Wilfred Niels Arnold, professor of biochemistry at the University of Kansas Medical Center, reviewed the book in Leonardo in 2005: "Any serious challenge to the 'American Diet' is bound to elicit some academic, public, and food industry opposition ... the authors anticipate resistant and hostile sources, sail on with escalating enthusiasm, and furnish a working hypothesis that is valuable. In fact, the surprising data are difficult to interpret in any other way. Hal Harris of the University of Missouri–St. Louis's Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry recommended the book in 2006 in the Journal of Chemical Education: "The bottom line of this thoroughly-documented study is essentially that animal protein is not good for us—even milk, 'the perfect food."
In a written debate with Campbell in 2008, Loren Cordain, a professor in the Department of Health and Exercise Science at Colorado State University, argued that "the fundamental logic underlying Colin's hypothesis (that low [animal] protein diets improve human health) is untenable and inconsistent with the evolution of our own species", and that "a large body of experimental evidence now demonstrates a higher intake of lean animal protein reduces the risk for gout, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, dyslipidemia, obesity, insulin resistance, and osteoporosis while not impairing kidney function." Campbell responded by questioning the implications of the evidence Cordain noted, and argued that "diet-disease associations observed in contemporary times are far more meaningful than what might have occurred during evolutionary times—at least since the last 2.5 million years or so."
In a 2010 article titled "The China Study: Fact or Fallacy", blogger Denise Minger analyzed the original China Study data and sought to verify the results Campbell extracted from the data. Among her claims is that the data offers no uni-variate relationship between animal protein intake and the occurrence of cancer, even though Campbell speaks of a "direct association between animal protein and cholesterol and cholesterol and various forms of cancer". Minger's article caused wide-spread discussion among defenders of vegetarian and omnivorous lifestyles, including a response by Campbell himself. In his response, Cambell notes he is very puzzled "that someone with virtually no training in this science can do such a lengthy and detailed analysis in their supposedly spare time" and is left wondering "whether this young girl is anything other than who she says she is, but I find it very difficult to accept her statement that this was her innocent and objective reasoning, and hers alone".
American President Bill Clinton became a vocal supporter of The China Study. In 2010, after years of living with heart disease, he undertook the diet, eating legumes, vegetables, fruit and a protein shake every morning, effectively living as a vegan. Within a short period he had dropped 24 pounds, returning him to his college weight. Sanjay Gupta, CNN's chief medical correspondent, said in his documentary The Last Heart Attack in August 2011 that The China Study had changed the way people all over the world eat, including Gupta himself.
See also
________________________________________________________________________________
This can be the most important
article you ever read
The China Study
(2005) is a book by T. Colin Campbell, Jacob Gould Schurman Professor Emeritus of Nutritional Biochemistry at Cornell University, and his son Thomas M. Campbell II,
a physician.
It examines the relationship between the consumption of animal products and a variety of chronic illnesses, such as coronary heart disease,diabetes, and cancers of the breast, prostate and bowel. The book had sold 750,000 copies as of January 2013. It is one of America's best-selling books about nutrition.
The China Study of the title is taken from the China-Cornell-Oxford Project, a 20-year study that began in 1983 and was conducted jointly by the Chinese Academy of Preventive Medicine, Cornell University, and the University of Oxford. Colin Campbell was one of the directors of the project, described by The New York Times in 1990 as "the Grand Prix of epidemiology".
The study examined mortality rates from 48 forms of cancer and other chronic diseases from 1973 to 75 in 65 counties in China, and correlated them with 1983–84 dietary surveys and bloodwork from 6,500 people, 100 from each county. It concluded that counties with a high consumption of animal-based foods in 1983–84 were more likely to have had higher death rates from "Western" diseases as of 1973–75, while the opposite was true for counties that ate more plant foods in 1983–84. The study was conducted in those counties because they had genetically similar populations that tended, over generations, to live in the same way in the same place, and eat diets specific to those regions.
The authors conclude that people who eat a plant-based/vegan diet—avoiding animal products such as beef, pork, poultry, fish, eggs, cheese, and milk, and reducing their intake of processed foods and refined carbohydrates—will escape, reduce or reverse the development of chronic diseases. They also recommend adequate amounts of sunshine to maintain sufficient levels of vitamin D, and supplements of vitamin B12 in case of complete avoidance of animal products. They criticize low-carb diets, such as the Atkins diet, which include restrictions on the percentage of calories derived from complex carbohydrates.
Arguments and evidence[edit]Misinformation about nutritionThe authors argue that "most, but not all, of the confusion about nutrition is created in legal, fully disclosed ways and is disseminated by unsuspecting, well-intentioned people, whether they are researchers, politicians or journalists," and that there are powerful industries that stand to lose a lot if Americans shift to a plant-based diet. They write that those industries "do everything in their power to protect their profits and their shareholders."
They argue that earlier studies of nutrition (particularly the well-known Nurses' Health Study, which began in 1976) were flawed because they focused on the effects of varying amounts of individual nutrients among people who were consuming a uniformly high-risk, carnivorous (animal-based) diet. They write that "hardly any study has done more damage to the nutritional landscape than the Nurses' Health Study," and that it should "serve as a warning for the rest of science for what not to do."
[edit]Eight principles of food and healthThe authors describe their eight principles of food and health:
- Nutrition represents the combined activities of countless food substances. The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
- Vitamin supplements are not a panacea for good health.
- There are virtually no nutrients in animal-based foods that are not better provided by plants.
- Genes do not determine disease on their own. Genes function only by being activated, or expressed, and nutrition plays a critical role in determining which genes, good and bad, are expressed.
- Nutrition can substantially control the adverse effects of noxious chemicals.
- The same nutrition that prevents disease in its early stages can also halt or reverse it in its later stages.
- Nutrition that is truly beneficial for one chronic disease will support health across the board.
- Good nutrition creates health in all areas of our existence. All parts are interconnected.
Background to the China-Cornell-Oxford Project
The China-Cornell-Oxford Project—the "China-Oxford-Cornell Study on Dietary, Lifestyle and Disease Mortality Characteristics in 65 Rural Chinese Counties," called in the book "the China Study"—was a comprehensive study of dietary and lifestyle factors associated with disease mortality in China, which compared the health consequences of diets rich in animal-based foods to diets rich in plant-based foods among people who are genetically similar.
The idea for the study began in 1980–81, during discussions between T. Colin Campbell at his laboratory in Cornell and Chen Junshi, Deputy Director of Institute of Nutrition and Food Hygiene at the Chinese Academy of Preventive Medicine. They were later joined by Richard Peto of the University of Oxford – Professor of Medical Statistics and Epidemiology as of 2012 – and Li Junyao of the China Cancer Institute.
In 1983, two villages were chosen at random in each of 65 rural counties in China and 50 families were chosen at random in each village. The dietary habits of one adult member of each family were examined – half male, half female – and the results compared to the death rates in those counties from around 48 forms of cancers and other diseases during 1973–75.
"Western" diseases correlated to concentration of blood cholesterol
The study included a comparison of the prevalence of Western diseases (coronary heart disease, diabetes, leukemia, and cancers of the colon, lung, breast, brain, stomach and liver) in each county, using 1973–75 death rates. The study collected diet and lifestyle variables (ignoring all other factors) from inhabitants of the same counties approximately 10 years later, and found that, as blood cholesterol levels rose, so did the prevalence of "Western" diseases recorded in those counties in 1973–75.
The study linked lower blood cholesterol levels to lower rates of heart disease and cancer.
As blood cholesterol levels decreased from 170 mg/dl to 90 mg/dl, the authors write that cancers of the liver, rectum, colon, lung, breast, childhood and adult leukemia, brain, stomach and esophagus (throat) decreased. Rates for some cancers varied by a factor of 100 from those counties with the highest rates to the counties with the lowest rates.
The authors write that "as blood cholesterol levels in rural China rose in certain counties the incidence of 'Western' diseases also increased. What made this so surprising was that Chinese levels were far lower than we had expected. The average level of blood cholesterol was only 127 mg/dl, which is almost 100 points less than the American average (215 mg/dl). ...Some counties had average levels as low as 94 mg/dl. ...For two groups of about twenty-five women in the inner part of China, average blood cholesterol was at the amazingly low level of 80 mg/dl."
Blood cholesterol levels correlated to diet, particularly animal protein
The authors write that "several studies have now shown, in both experimental animals and in humans, that consuming animal-based protein increases blood cholesterol levels. Saturated fat and dietary cholesterol also raise blood cholesterol, although these nutrients are not as effective at doing this as is animal protein. In contrast, plant-based foods contain no cholesterol and, in various other ways, help to decrease the amount of cholesterol made by the body." They write that "these disease associations with blood cholesterol were remarkable, because blood cholesterol and animal-based food consumption both were so low by American standards. In rural China, animal protein intake (for the same individual) averages only 7.1 grams per day whereas Americans average 70 grams per day."
They conclude that "the findings from the China Study indicate that the lower the percentage of animal-based foods that are consumed, the greater the health benefits—even when that percentage declines from 10% to 0% of calories. So it's not unreasonable to assume that the optimum percentage of animal-based products is zero, at least for anyone with a predisposition for a degenerative disease."
Mechanisms of action
Plants protect the body from disease, they argue, because many of them contain both a large concentration of and a large variety of antioxidants, which protect the body from damage caused by free radicals. Western diseases are correlated with growth, which is associated with the increased risk of initiation, promotion and progression of disease, and that growth is correlated with a diet high in animal protein. They argue that the consumption of animal protein increases the acidity of blood and tissues and that to neutralize this acid, calcium (a very effective base) is pulled from the bones.
They also state that higher concentrations of calcium in the blood inhibit the process by which the body activates vitamin D in the kidneys to calcitriol, a form that helps regulate the immune system.
Diseases linked to diet - Autoimmune diseases
They argue that the risk of developing Type I diabetes is strongly correlated with the consumption of cow's milk by infants. Autoimmune diseases such as Type I diabetes, multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis have certain common features and may share the same cause or causes. They say that autoimmune diseases are more prevalent among people who live at higher geographic latitudes, and also among people who consume a diet high in animal protein, particularly cow's milk. They argue that vitamin D is plausibly connected to both of these correlations. Vitamin D is important for the proper regulation of the immune system, and that for people who live at higher geographic latitudes, a lack of exposure to ultraviolet sunlight can result in a deficiency. The consumption of animal protein, especially casein in cow's milk, results in higher concentrations of calcium in the blood, which inhibits the process by which the body activates vitamin D in the kidneys to a form that helps repress the development of autoimmune diseases.
Brain diseases
They say that cognitive impairment and dementia, including Alzheimer's disease, are linked to hypertension, high blood cholesterol, and damage caused by free radicals, and that these risk factors can be controlled by diet.
Cancer
The authors link breast cancer to the long-term exposure to higher concentrations of female hormones, which in turn is associated with early menarche (age at first menstruation), late menopause, and a high concentration of blood cholesterol. They argue that all these risk factors are linked to a diet high in animal protein, particularly casein from cow milk. The average Chinese woman is exposed to 35–40 percent of the lifetime estrogen exposure of the average British or American woman, and the rate of breast cancer among Chinese women is about one-fifth of the rate among Western women. They also argue that lower rates of colorectal cancer are associated with the consumption of plants high in fiber, such as beans, leafy vegetables and whole grains.
Diabetes
The authors describe a diet study conducted by James D. Anderson, M.D., of 50 patients—25 with Type I diabetes and 25 with Type II diabetes—who were taking insulin to control their blood glucose concentrations. The authors reported that after these patients switched from the American-style diet recommended by the American Diabetes Association to a high-fiber, low-fat, plant-based diet, the patients with Type I diabetes were able to reduce their insulin by an average of 40 percent within three weeks of changing their diet, and 24 of the 25 patients with Type II diabetes were able to stop taking their insulin altogether within weeks.
Eye diseases
They argue that studies show a diet that includes carotenoids, which are found in colorful vegetables, provide protection from macular degeneration, an eye disease that can cause blindness, and that a diet that includes lutein, a particular antioxidant found in spinach, provides protection from cataracts.
Heart disease and obesity
They say studies show that eating plant protein has a greater power to lower cholesterol levels than reducing fat or cholesterol intake. At the time of their study, the death rate from coronary heart disease was seventeen times higher among American men than rural Chinese men. They write that "the average calorie intake per kilogram of body weight was 30 percent higher among the least active Chinese than among average Americans. Yet, body weight was 20 percent lower." The authors add that "consuming diets high in protein and fat transfers calories away from their conversion into body heat to their storage form as body fat (unless severe calorie restriction is causing weight loss.)" They argue that "diet can cause small shifts in calorie metabolism that lead to big shifts in body weight," adding that "the same low-animal protein, low-fat diet that helps prevent obesity also allows people to reach their full growth potential."
Kidney stones
The consumption of animal protein is linked to risk factors for the formation of kidney stones. They state that increased levels of calcium and oxalate in the blood may result in kidney stones, and that recent research shows that kidney stone formation may be initiated by free radicals.
Osteoporosis
The authors state that osteoporosis is linked to the consumption of animal protein because animal protein, unlike plant protein, increases the acidity of blood and tissues. They add that to neutralize this acid, calcium (a very effective base) is pulled from the bones, which weakens them and puts them at greater risk for fracture. The authors add that "in our rural China Study, where the animal to plant ratio [for protein] was about 10 percent, the fracture rate is only one-fifth that of the U.S."
Reception
Frank B Hu and Walter Willett of the Department of Nutrition, Harvard School of Public Health, wrote in a letter to the editor in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 2000, that the China-Cornell-Oxford Project – not the book – had not found a clear association between animal-product consumption and heart disease or major cancers, although in 2010, in an article, "Healthy eating guide," Willet encouraged people to choose plant-based proteins over animal sources.
Willett is the principal investigator of the "Nurses' Health Study II," established in 1989. Campbell is highly critical of the first Nurses' Health Study, established in 1976, calling it one of the chief sources of public misinformation about nutrition.
Wilfred Niels Arnold, professor of biochemistry at the University of Kansas Medical Center, reviewed the book in Leonardo in 2005: "Any serious challenge to the 'American Diet' is bound to elicit some academic, public, and food industry opposition ... the authors anticipate resistant and hostile sources, sail on with escalating enthusiasm, and furnish a working hypothesis that is valuable. In fact, the surprising data are difficult to interpret in any other way. Hal Harris of the University of Missouri–St. Louis's Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry recommended the book in 2006 in the Journal of Chemical Education: "The bottom line of this thoroughly-documented study is essentially that animal protein is not good for us—even milk, 'the perfect food."
In a written debate with Campbell in 2008, Loren Cordain, a professor in the Department of Health and Exercise Science at Colorado State University, argued that "the fundamental logic underlying Colin's hypothesis (that low [animal] protein diets improve human health) is untenable and inconsistent with the evolution of our own species", and that "a large body of experimental evidence now demonstrates a higher intake of lean animal protein reduces the risk for gout, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, dyslipidemia, obesity, insulin resistance, and osteoporosis while not impairing kidney function." Campbell responded by questioning the implications of the evidence Cordain noted, and argued that "diet-disease associations observed in contemporary times are far more meaningful than what might have occurred during evolutionary times—at least since the last 2.5 million years or so."
In a 2010 article titled "The China Study: Fact or Fallacy", blogger Denise Minger analyzed the original China Study data and sought to verify the results Campbell extracted from the data. Among her claims is that the data offers no uni-variate relationship between animal protein intake and the occurrence of cancer, even though Campbell speaks of a "direct association between animal protein and cholesterol and cholesterol and various forms of cancer". Minger's article caused wide-spread discussion among defenders of vegetarian and omnivorous lifestyles, including a response by Campbell himself. In his response, Cambell notes he is very puzzled "that someone with virtually no training in this science can do such a lengthy and detailed analysis in their supposedly spare time" and is left wondering "whether this young girl is anything other than who she says she is, but I find it very difficult to accept her statement that this was her innocent and objective reasoning, and hers alone".
American President Bill Clinton became a vocal supporter of The China Study. In 2010, after years of living with heart disease, he undertook the diet, eating legumes, vegetables, fruit and a protein shake every morning, effectively living as a vegan. Within a short period he had dropped 24 pounds, returning him to his college weight. Sanjay Gupta, CNN's chief medical correspondent, said in his documentary The Last Heart Attack in August 2011 that The China Study had changed the way people all over the world eat, including Gupta himself.
See also
- Neal D. Barnard
- Caldwell Esselstyn
- Michael Greger
- John A. McDougall
- Dean Ornish
- Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine
- Vegan cuisine
- Vegetarian cuisine
- Vegetarian nutrition
- Vegetarianism in China
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Afraid of death? Pop a Tylenol
The common painkiller may help certain people deal with their own mortality
WARNING: STAF, Inc. is not promoting, not endorsing & not suggesting to start popping Tylenol
In case you do, you do it based on your own evaluation and on your own risk
Contact a competent therapist/counselor/Church Pastor/any other source as ( see link below):
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline – Suicide Prevention Crisis ...
www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org/
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-TALK (8255): Suicide hotline, 24/7 free and confidential, nationwide network of crisis centers.
Get Help - Reasons to Call - Crisis Centers - Get Involved
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If death's cold embrace is the kind of thing that keeps you up at night, researchers may have found just the thing for you. And, better still, it's probably in your medicine cabinet right now.
Tylenol
Yes, a team of psychologists from the University of British Columbia discovered that acetaminophen may help certain individuals overcome the crippling fear and anxiety they feel when contemplating their own mortality. For these special cases, the pain is palpable.
This study, says PsychCentral, "posits an expanded view of how the human brain processes different kinds of pain" — in this case, the psychological kind. Lead researcher Daniel Randles explains:
"Pain exists in many forms, including the distress that people feel when exposed to thoughts of existential uncertainty and death," says Randles. "Our study suggests these anxieties may be processed as 'pain' by the brain — but Tylenol seems to inhibit the signal telling the brain that something is wrong." [PsychCentral]
This isn't the first time Tylenol's pain-fighting powers have been tapped to nurse psychological trauma. Previous research suggests that the fever reducer may even help singles cope with the anguish of a newly broken heart.
Click green for further info
WARNING: STAF, Inc. is not promoting, not endorsing & not suggesting to start popping Tylenol
In case you do, you do it based on your own evaluation and on your own risk
_______________________________________________________
Concerned about the Vitamin D levels?
Do not take more vitamin D supplements as before suggested - see below.
This article m
Staying up to date on the latest vitamin D research is practically a full-time job--new studies come out so often. The latest findings? Consuming higher-than-recommended amounts of D may give your immune system a boost--potentially lowering their risk of some cancers, heart disease, and other conditions, according to research published online last week in the journal PLOS ONE. While previous studies have linked adequate vitamin D intake to increases in bone strength and decreases in cancer, depression, and autoimmune disorders such as Type I diabetes and multiple sclerosis, this is the first study to show that exceeding the minimum RDA could be key to better health, explains New York City nutritionist Stephanie Middleberg, RD. So does that mean you should start popping vitamin D like candy--or that a deficiency could be to blame for any health issues you might currently have?
RELATED: 17 Power Food Options
Not so fast. First, the PLOS ONE study was small; it included just eight subjects, and even its authors concede that more research needs to be done to back up their findings. What's more, vitamin D's link to cancer and heart disease is unclear:
A 2010 Institutes of Medicine report that investigated the connection uncovered mostly inconsistent or inconclusive results. That same report also stated that most people in the U.S. are already meeting their D needs--in part because our bodies are like vitamin D factories, absorbing UV light from the sun and synthesizing it into the nutrient. Odds are you're getting enough, but if you suffer from unexplained symptoms such as fatigue and bone or joint pain, you should consider seeing your MD for a blood test.
As for consuming more vitamin D than the 600 IU the average adult woman needs, be careful. Like many vitamins, D can become toxic if taken in large amounts, says Kassandra Munger, PhD, a research associate in the department of nutrition at Harvard University School of Public Health. And unfortunately, it's not exactly clear exactly how much qualifies as toxic.
RELATED: 8 Ingredients You Never Want to See on Your Nutrition Label
Bottom line: Though taking excess amounts might one day prove to be beneficial, for now, just make sure you meet the current daily D requirement of 600 IU. "Many foods pack decent amounts of it--for example, fatty fish like salmon, nuts, and fortified milk and orange juice--but this nutrient can be hard to get via your diet alone," says Munger. "Play it safe by taking a daily supplement, and you'll be covered."
And though our bodies ares designed to make vitamin D from sunlight, you don't want to rely on that. Depending on the time of year and your skin tone, it can take 10 to 20 minutes a day in the summer for UV rays to be turned into vitamin D. Problem is, for the UV rays to be absorbed, you likely have to forgo sunscreen, which increases your risk of skin cancer--not to mention fried, damaged skin.
The Verdict: Vitamin D holds promise as a key to improving immunity and preventing conditions such as cancer, heart disease, and diabetes. But until more research confirms vitamin D's health-boosting rep, don't OD on it--just make sure you get the recommended amount (600 IU), ideally through your diet and a daily supplement.
Click green fr further info
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Belly Fat: The most dangerous fat - a killer
How to Get Rid of It, for Good
Ah, the F word - fat. Tastes amazing, found in everything, loves to set up permanent residence on your ass and beyond. But, not all body fat is created equal. Take belly fat, for example - it's more dangerous than that dimpled fat on your thighs, and just as tricky to banish. But with a few tweaks to your lifestyle, you can conquer the muffin top that keeps you from quickly zipping up those skinny jeans.
Belly fat a.k.a. (= aka = also known as) that thickening middle that comes with age - as well as lower estrogen levels, shorter sleep cycles, and a not-so-hot diet - is mainly visceral fat. We're not talking cottage cheese, subcutaneous "just under the skin" fat; visceral fat is the nasty, hidden kind. When you put on extra pounds, the body runs out of safe places to store fat - so it starts accumulating around major organs, like the heart and liver.
Visceral fat can wreak all sorts of havoc on your health. "Too much of it in the abdominal area increases risk of problems, including cardiovascular disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, breast cancer, and, most recently found, colorectal cancer," says Dr. Jessica Fanzo, a nutritionist at Columbia University. "It's also thought to play a larger role in insulin resistance - which boosts risk of diabetes - than other fat." Sigh. Are you at risk? Dr. Fanzo recommends wrapping a measuring tape around your middle. "Women with a waist circumference more than 35 inches are at an increased risk."
So, you've identified your risk factor, but how do you banish the belly fat? Whole exercise empires have been built around just this quandary, and yet still we struggle with it. Well, that's probably because it's not just one thing that affects belly fat levels - it's a whole menagerie. Exercise, diet, sleep, and stress management are all pretty important when it comes to losing weight. The best exercise regime for losing visceral fat includes a lot of core stabilization, and lower abdominal training, a lot of walking. Sounds easy enough, right? But there's a catch.
You can get a ton of vigorous exercise, but it all goes back to what you're eating. We recommend clean eating...with balance. Don't set yourself up for failure. Don't eliminate birthday cake. Well, thank god, because sometimes we have to shove rich, high-glycemic carbs in our faces. Overall, stick to smaller portions of fresh fruits, vegetables, fiber (to keep you feeling full), and protein (to satiate those hunger pangs). We suggest a food journal to stay on track. Some of our decisions are based on compulsion. A food journal helps you to become more consciously aware of what you're consuming.
_________________________________________________________________
How to Get Rid of It, for Good
Ah, the F word - fat. Tastes amazing, found in everything, loves to set up permanent residence on your ass and beyond. But, not all body fat is created equal. Take belly fat, for example - it's more dangerous than that dimpled fat on your thighs, and just as tricky to banish. But with a few tweaks to your lifestyle, you can conquer the muffin top that keeps you from quickly zipping up those skinny jeans.
Belly fat a.k.a. (= aka = also known as) that thickening middle that comes with age - as well as lower estrogen levels, shorter sleep cycles, and a not-so-hot diet - is mainly visceral fat. We're not talking cottage cheese, subcutaneous "just under the skin" fat; visceral fat is the nasty, hidden kind. When you put on extra pounds, the body runs out of safe places to store fat - so it starts accumulating around major organs, like the heart and liver.
Visceral fat can wreak all sorts of havoc on your health. "Too much of it in the abdominal area increases risk of problems, including cardiovascular disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, breast cancer, and, most recently found, colorectal cancer," says Dr. Jessica Fanzo, a nutritionist at Columbia University. "It's also thought to play a larger role in insulin resistance - which boosts risk of diabetes - than other fat." Sigh. Are you at risk? Dr. Fanzo recommends wrapping a measuring tape around your middle. "Women with a waist circumference more than 35 inches are at an increased risk."
So, you've identified your risk factor, but how do you banish the belly fat? Whole exercise empires have been built around just this quandary, and yet still we struggle with it. Well, that's probably because it's not just one thing that affects belly fat levels - it's a whole menagerie. Exercise, diet, sleep, and stress management are all pretty important when it comes to losing weight. The best exercise regime for losing visceral fat includes a lot of core stabilization, and lower abdominal training, a lot of walking. Sounds easy enough, right? But there's a catch.
You can get a ton of vigorous exercise, but it all goes back to what you're eating. We recommend clean eating...with balance. Don't set yourself up for failure. Don't eliminate birthday cake. Well, thank god, because sometimes we have to shove rich, high-glycemic carbs in our faces. Overall, stick to smaller portions of fresh fruits, vegetables, fiber (to keep you feeling full), and protein (to satiate those hunger pangs). We suggest a food journal to stay on track. Some of our decisions are based on compulsion. A food journal helps you to become more consciously aware of what you're consuming.
_________________________________________________________________
5 Tasty Foods That Can Jumpstart Your Metabolism
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It seems like tons of people these days are semi-obsessed with how good (or bad) their metabolism is — and for good reason. Metabolism is the process of transforming food into energy for the body.
“It’s directly related to weight gain and weight loss and therefore to overall health.”
Some are simply born with a stellar metabolism — meaning even when they are doing nada, they are burning more calories than a less-fortunate someone else. But that won’t necessarily always be the case — as you and your friends have probably discussed ad nauseum, your ability to down a slice of greasy pizza, skip the gym, and not gain a pound is fading faster than a Taylor Swift relationship.
As you age, your metabolism naturally slows down — after the age of 20, it can decline dramatically with each decade. This is because the body loses lean muscle mass over the years, so as we get older, we tend to lose muscle and gain body fat. And lean muscle mass is more metabolically active than fat tissue, so when you lose muscle mass, your metabolism naturally slows down. Catch-22 much?
While you might not be able to get it back to what it once was, you can take it up a notch or two by, you guessed it, hitting the gym and building some lean muscle, which uses more energy than fat to just exist. The other metabolism game changer? Food. Here, the main metabolism boosters you’ll want to weave into your daily diet. Dig in.
Protein
There’s a reason why it’s a bodybuilder staple: Protein helps maintain and build muscle mass, a key component of a healthy metabolism. Protein is harder to digest than carbohydrates and fats, therefore it uses up more body energy to break it down. And it also take more time to be digested, which can keep you satisfied for longer.
You know the major protein powerhouses: fish, chicken, turkey, eggs and lean meat like bison.
Fiber
Fiber is a non-digestible carbohydrate that uses up energy and can boost metabolism in the process. Your biggest bang-for-your-fiber-buck: whole grains such as quinoa and wheat germ, fruits like berries, and veggies — especially carrots and leafy greens.
Thermogenic Foods
As in the foods that get you heated can also heat up your metabolism. Think: caffeine, hot peppers (which contain a unique compound called capsaicin), and some teas — green, white, and oolong. Research shows that these types of foods and molecules can uptick your calorie expenditure by four to five percent from just one serving.
Cinnamon
Always skip the cinnamon shaker at the Starbucks station? Not anymore. “It can affect your metabolic rate by helping the sugar in the blood to get into cells and to be used for energy, so less of it is stored as fat — and the less fat you have, the higher your metabolic rate is naturally,” explains Bauer. However, know that you want to be sure to monitor how much cinnamon you ingest daily as some studies show that it can turn toxic in large quantities — keep it in the one teaspoon or less per day range to be safe.
Coconut Oil
Bauer notes that coconut oil has been said to decrease the amount of fat being stored in fat cells, because the oil's molecules are very tiny and bypass the intestines, going straight to the liver where it will be metabolized as a carbohydrate, rather than fat. But, she also points out that studies around coconut oil and its effects on the metabolism are inconclusive, so take that info with a grain of salt, at least for now.
Click green for further info
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Click green for further info
It seems like tons of people these days are semi-obsessed with how good (or bad) their metabolism is — and for good reason. Metabolism is the process of transforming food into energy for the body.
“It’s directly related to weight gain and weight loss and therefore to overall health.”
Some are simply born with a stellar metabolism — meaning even when they are doing nada, they are burning more calories than a less-fortunate someone else. But that won’t necessarily always be the case — as you and your friends have probably discussed ad nauseum, your ability to down a slice of greasy pizza, skip the gym, and not gain a pound is fading faster than a Taylor Swift relationship.
As you age, your metabolism naturally slows down — after the age of 20, it can decline dramatically with each decade. This is because the body loses lean muscle mass over the years, so as we get older, we tend to lose muscle and gain body fat. And lean muscle mass is more metabolically active than fat tissue, so when you lose muscle mass, your metabolism naturally slows down. Catch-22 much?
While you might not be able to get it back to what it once was, you can take it up a notch or two by, you guessed it, hitting the gym and building some lean muscle, which uses more energy than fat to just exist. The other metabolism game changer? Food. Here, the main metabolism boosters you’ll want to weave into your daily diet. Dig in.
Protein
There’s a reason why it’s a bodybuilder staple: Protein helps maintain and build muscle mass, a key component of a healthy metabolism. Protein is harder to digest than carbohydrates and fats, therefore it uses up more body energy to break it down. And it also take more time to be digested, which can keep you satisfied for longer.
You know the major protein powerhouses: fish, chicken, turkey, eggs and lean meat like bison.
Fiber
Fiber is a non-digestible carbohydrate that uses up energy and can boost metabolism in the process. Your biggest bang-for-your-fiber-buck: whole grains such as quinoa and wheat germ, fruits like berries, and veggies — especially carrots and leafy greens.
Thermogenic Foods
As in the foods that get you heated can also heat up your metabolism. Think: caffeine, hot peppers (which contain a unique compound called capsaicin), and some teas — green, white, and oolong. Research shows that these types of foods and molecules can uptick your calorie expenditure by four to five percent from just one serving.
Cinnamon
Always skip the cinnamon shaker at the Starbucks station? Not anymore. “It can affect your metabolic rate by helping the sugar in the blood to get into cells and to be used for energy, so less of it is stored as fat — and the less fat you have, the higher your metabolic rate is naturally,” explains Bauer. However, know that you want to be sure to monitor how much cinnamon you ingest daily as some studies show that it can turn toxic in large quantities — keep it in the one teaspoon or less per day range to be safe.
Coconut Oil
Bauer notes that coconut oil has been said to decrease the amount of fat being stored in fat cells, because the oil's molecules are very tiny and bypass the intestines, going straight to the liver where it will be metabolized as a carbohydrate, rather than fat. But, she also points out that studies around coconut oil and its effects on the metabolism are inconclusive, so take that info with a grain of salt, at least for now.
Click green for further info
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10 Health Care Items Every Home Needs
Must-Have Items for Your Home
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Ever wonder what to use to stop the bleeding when you cut yourself shaving or how to soothe a nasty bug bite? We asked doctors and other experts what health items they stock in their own homes. All of the items are easy to find and you can buy the whole group for less than $60. These items are in addition to the basics you should already have on hand, such as bandages, a fever thermometer, an ice pack, and, for some people, a blood-pressure monitor or blood glucose meter
1. Aspirin
Why: It could be a lifesaver in the event of a heart attack, says Phillip Blanc, M.D., a resident emergency room physician at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City. “Aspirin is a blood thinner, so it impedes the process of blood-clot formation,” he says. If you think you’re having a heart attack, call 911 and unlock your door. Then chew four 81-milligram (low-dose) tablets or one 325-mg tablet while you wait for help.
(Use our calculator to estimate your risk of having a heart attack or stroke in the next 10 years.)
Price: About $3 for 36 low-dose tablets or $2 for 100 325-mg tablets.
Why: It’s 6:30 a.m., and you’re out of toothpaste. Wet your toothbrush and press some baking soda into it. Matthew Messina, D.D.S., a dentist in Cleveland and spokesman for the American Dental Association, says that baking soda makes a great toothpaste in a pinch because it’s a mild abrasive and will whiten teeth like a mild bleach. (Interested in the real thing? (See our buying guide for tooth whiteners.)
Price: About $3 for a 1-pound box.
3. Cigarette Rolling Papers
Why: Those little sheets can help stop the bleeding from shaving cuts, and they’re tidier than tissues or gauze, says Orly Avitzur, M.D., one of our medical advisers. (Avitzur, who has never smoked, tried the sheets after hearing about them from a friend.)
Price: About $1 per pack of 100 sheets.
4. Distilled White Vinegar
Why: A dab of undiluted vinegar can take the itch out of bug bites, says Marvin M. Lipman, M.D., Consumer Reports’ chief medical adviser. It also makes a great nontoxic cleaner when mixed with water or baking soda. (See our report on healthty spring cleaning.)
Price: $3 to $6 a gallon.
5. Measuring Tape
Why: Measuring your waist circumference (the area just above your hip bones) every few months is a great way to keep tabs on your weight and your risk for heart disease, says Tracy Stevens, M.D., a cardiologist at Saint Luke’s Mid- America Heart Institute in Kansas City, Mo. Men and women with waists measuring more than 40 inches and 35 inches, respectively, are at a higher risk for heart problems. See our advice on how to control our weight, as well as our buying guide and ratings for diet plans.
Price: About $4.
6. Meat Thermometer
Why: It’s a must-have to prevent foodborne illness from undercooked meat, says Linda Greene, a food scientist at Consumer Reports. She uses the Polder THM-360 meat thermometer ($22), the top-rated model in our most recent tests. Steaks and roasts should be cooked to an internal temperature of 145°F; ground meat and egg dishes, 160°F; and poultry, 165°F.
Price: $6 and up.
7. Neti Pot- also, study & apply the next article info below
Why: Rinsing your nasal passages with saline solution can help relieve congestion from allergies, says Cheryl Iglesia, M.D., an associate professor at Georgetown University’s School of Medicine. One caveat: The pots have been linked to a rare, deadly brain infection caused by contaminated tap water. So use yours only with a saline rinse, distilled water, or tap water that’s been boiled and cooled. Rinse the pot with the same type of water after use and dry it thoroughly.
Price: About $15 for a starter kit.
8. Plain Petroleum Jelly
Why: Dab it on minor cuts instead of an antibiotic ointment such as Neosporin, says Jessica Krant, M.D., a dermatologist in New York and member of our medical advisory board. It forms a barrier against infection without the risk of allergic reactions associated with topical antibiotics such as bacitracin zinc, neomycin sulfate, and polymyxin B.
9. Shea Butter
Why: It’s a great natural remedy for rashes and dry skin, says Urvashi Rangan, Ph.D., a toxicologist and director of consumer safety for Consumer Reports, and it’s less likely to irritate sensitive skin than moisturizers that have multiple ingredients. Check the ingredient list and make sure it doesn’t contain fragrance or any items other than shea butter.
Price: $10 to $40.
10. Witch Hazel
Why: It can relieve discomfort from hemorrhoids (and in fact is the active ingredient in drugstore remedies such as Tucks Medicated Cooling Pads), says Amy Newburger, M.D., director of Dermatology Consultants of Westchester in Scarsdale, N.Y. For the price of 40 Tucks pads, you can buy a big bottle of witch hazel, which can also be used to relieve stinging and swelling from bug bites.
Price: About $5 for a 16-ounce bottle.
Click green for further info
Source: Yahoo news
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Must-Have Items for Your Home
Click green for further info
Ever wonder what to use to stop the bleeding when you cut yourself shaving or how to soothe a nasty bug bite? We asked doctors and other experts what health items they stock in their own homes. All of the items are easy to find and you can buy the whole group for less than $60. These items are in addition to the basics you should already have on hand, such as bandages, a fever thermometer, an ice pack, and, for some people, a blood-pressure monitor or blood glucose meter
1. Aspirin
Why: It could be a lifesaver in the event of a heart attack, says Phillip Blanc, M.D., a resident emergency room physician at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City. “Aspirin is a blood thinner, so it impedes the process of blood-clot formation,” he says. If you think you’re having a heart attack, call 911 and unlock your door. Then chew four 81-milligram (low-dose) tablets or one 325-mg tablet while you wait for help.
(Use our calculator to estimate your risk of having a heart attack or stroke in the next 10 years.)
Price: About $3 for 36 low-dose tablets or $2 for 100 325-mg tablets.
- Expert, unbiased ratings and reviews
- Home improvement product recommendations
- Ten tips to healthier cooking
- Vitamins & Supplements - Vitamin D
- Checking for and preventing lead poisoning
Why: It’s 6:30 a.m., and you’re out of toothpaste. Wet your toothbrush and press some baking soda into it. Matthew Messina, D.D.S., a dentist in Cleveland and spokesman for the American Dental Association, says that baking soda makes a great toothpaste in a pinch because it’s a mild abrasive and will whiten teeth like a mild bleach. (Interested in the real thing? (See our buying guide for tooth whiteners.)
Price: About $3 for a 1-pound box.
3. Cigarette Rolling Papers
Why: Those little sheets can help stop the bleeding from shaving cuts, and they’re tidier than tissues or gauze, says Orly Avitzur, M.D., one of our medical advisers. (Avitzur, who has never smoked, tried the sheets after hearing about them from a friend.)
Price: About $1 per pack of 100 sheets.
4. Distilled White Vinegar
Why: A dab of undiluted vinegar can take the itch out of bug bites, says Marvin M. Lipman, M.D., Consumer Reports’ chief medical adviser. It also makes a great nontoxic cleaner when mixed with water or baking soda. (See our report on healthty spring cleaning.)
Price: $3 to $6 a gallon.
5. Measuring Tape
Why: Measuring your waist circumference (the area just above your hip bones) every few months is a great way to keep tabs on your weight and your risk for heart disease, says Tracy Stevens, M.D., a cardiologist at Saint Luke’s Mid- America Heart Institute in Kansas City, Mo. Men and women with waists measuring more than 40 inches and 35 inches, respectively, are at a higher risk for heart problems. See our advice on how to control our weight, as well as our buying guide and ratings for diet plans.
Price: About $4.
6. Meat Thermometer
Why: It’s a must-have to prevent foodborne illness from undercooked meat, says Linda Greene, a food scientist at Consumer Reports. She uses the Polder THM-360 meat thermometer ($22), the top-rated model in our most recent tests. Steaks and roasts should be cooked to an internal temperature of 145°F; ground meat and egg dishes, 160°F; and poultry, 165°F.
Price: $6 and up.
7. Neti Pot- also, study & apply the next article info below
Why: Rinsing your nasal passages with saline solution can help relieve congestion from allergies, says Cheryl Iglesia, M.D., an associate professor at Georgetown University’s School of Medicine. One caveat: The pots have been linked to a rare, deadly brain infection caused by contaminated tap water. So use yours only with a saline rinse, distilled water, or tap water that’s been boiled and cooled. Rinse the pot with the same type of water after use and dry it thoroughly.
Price: About $15 for a starter kit.
8. Plain Petroleum Jelly
Why: Dab it on minor cuts instead of an antibiotic ointment such as Neosporin, says Jessica Krant, M.D., a dermatologist in New York and member of our medical advisory board. It forms a barrier against infection without the risk of allergic reactions associated with topical antibiotics such as bacitracin zinc, neomycin sulfate, and polymyxin B.
9. Shea Butter
Why: It’s a great natural remedy for rashes and dry skin, says Urvashi Rangan, Ph.D., a toxicologist and director of consumer safety for Consumer Reports, and it’s less likely to irritate sensitive skin than moisturizers that have multiple ingredients. Check the ingredient list and make sure it doesn’t contain fragrance or any items other than shea butter.
Price: $10 to $40.
10. Witch Hazel
Why: It can relieve discomfort from hemorrhoids (and in fact is the active ingredient in drugstore remedies such as Tucks Medicated Cooling Pads), says Amy Newburger, M.D., director of Dermatology Consultants of Westchester in Scarsdale, N.Y. For the price of 40 Tucks pads, you can buy a big bottle of witch hazel, which can also be used to relieve stinging and swelling from bug bites.
Price: About $5 for a 16-ounce bottle.
Click green for further info
Source: Yahoo news
_____________________________________________
Nasal Saline Irrigation and Neti Pots
If you're one of the millions of Americans dealing with sinus problems, you know how miserable facial pain and clogged nasal passages can be. In their search for relief, many sinus sufferers have turned to nasal saline irrigation, a therapy that uses a salt and water solution to flush out the nasal passages.
Although several methods of nasal irrigation exist, one of the most popular is the Neti pot -- a ceramic pot that looks like a cross between a small teapot and Aladdin's magic lamp. Although nasal irrigation using the Neti pot has been around for centuries, its use is on the rise in the U.S., thanks to an appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show and a fair amount of news coverage. The Neti pot originally comes from the Ayurvedic/yoga medical tradition.
Does the Neti Pot Really Work?
Ear, nose, and throat surgeons recommend nasal irrigation with a Neti pot or other method for their patients who've undergone sinus surgery, to clear away crusting in the nasal passages. Many people with sinus symptoms from allergies and environmental irritants also have begun to regularly use the Neti pot or other nasal irrigation devices, claiming that these devices alleviate congestion, and facial pain and pressure. Research backs up these claims, finding that nasal irrigation can be an effective way to relieve sinus symptoms when used along with standard sinus treatments. For some people, nasal irrigation may bring relief of sinus symptoms without the use of medications.
The basic explanation of how the Neti pot works is that it thins mucus and helps flush it out of the nasal passages.
A more biological explanation for how the Neti pot works has to do with tiny, hair-like structures called cilia that line the inside of the nasal and sinus cavities. These cilia wave back and forth to push mucus either to the back of the throat where it can be swallowed, or to the nose to be blown out. Saline solution can help increase the speed and improve coordination of the cilia so that they may more effectively remove the allergens and other irritants that cause sinus problems.
How Do You Use the Neti Pot?
There aren't any official medical guidelines, but Neti pots usually come with an insert that explains how to use them. You might also want to ask your family doctor or an ear, nose, and throat specialist to talk you through the process so you can get comfortable with the Neti pot before trying it on your own.
Typically, to use the Neti pot or other nasal irrigation device you would mix about 16 ounces (1 pint) of lukewarm water with 1 teaspoon of salt. Some people add 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda to buffer the solution and make it gentler on the nose, but there isn't any real proof that this improves the experience. Use distilled, sterile, or previously boiled water to make up the irrigation solution.
Once you've filled the Neti pot, tilt your head over the sink at about a 45-degree angle. Place the spout into your top nostril, and gently pour the saline solution into that nostril.
The fluid will flow through your nasal cavity and out the other nostril. It may also run into your throat. If this occurs, just spit it out. Blow your nose to get rid of any remaining liquid, then refill the Neti pot and repeat the process on the other side. It’s important to rinse the irrigation device after each use and leave open to air dry.
How Often Do You Need to Use the Neti Pot?
In studies, people suffering from daily sinus symptoms found relief from using the Neti pot or other nasal irrigation system daily. Three times a week was often enough once symptoms subsided.
Is the Neti Pot Safe?
Research has found that the Neti pot is generally safe. About 10% of regular users experience mild side effects, such as nasal irritation and stinging. Nosebleeds can also occur, but they are rare. Reducing the amount of salt in the solution, adjusting the frequency of Neti pot use, and changing the temperature of the water appear to reduce side effects.
To prevent infection, it's important to properly care for your nasal irrigation device. Either wash the device thoroughly by hand, or put it in the dishwasher if it's dishwasher-safe. Follow by drying the device completely after each use.
Where Can I Find a Neti Pot?
Neti pots are available over-the-counter at many drug stores, health food stores, and online retailers. They usually cost between $10 and $20.
-____________________________________________________
If you're one of the millions of Americans dealing with sinus problems, you know how miserable facial pain and clogged nasal passages can be. In their search for relief, many sinus sufferers have turned to nasal saline irrigation, a therapy that uses a salt and water solution to flush out the nasal passages.
Although several methods of nasal irrigation exist, one of the most popular is the Neti pot -- a ceramic pot that looks like a cross between a small teapot and Aladdin's magic lamp. Although nasal irrigation using the Neti pot has been around for centuries, its use is on the rise in the U.S., thanks to an appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show and a fair amount of news coverage. The Neti pot originally comes from the Ayurvedic/yoga medical tradition.
Does the Neti Pot Really Work?
Ear, nose, and throat surgeons recommend nasal irrigation with a Neti pot or other method for their patients who've undergone sinus surgery, to clear away crusting in the nasal passages. Many people with sinus symptoms from allergies and environmental irritants also have begun to regularly use the Neti pot or other nasal irrigation devices, claiming that these devices alleviate congestion, and facial pain and pressure. Research backs up these claims, finding that nasal irrigation can be an effective way to relieve sinus symptoms when used along with standard sinus treatments. For some people, nasal irrigation may bring relief of sinus symptoms without the use of medications.
The basic explanation of how the Neti pot works is that it thins mucus and helps flush it out of the nasal passages.
A more biological explanation for how the Neti pot works has to do with tiny, hair-like structures called cilia that line the inside of the nasal and sinus cavities. These cilia wave back and forth to push mucus either to the back of the throat where it can be swallowed, or to the nose to be blown out. Saline solution can help increase the speed and improve coordination of the cilia so that they may more effectively remove the allergens and other irritants that cause sinus problems.
How Do You Use the Neti Pot?
There aren't any official medical guidelines, but Neti pots usually come with an insert that explains how to use them. You might also want to ask your family doctor or an ear, nose, and throat specialist to talk you through the process so you can get comfortable with the Neti pot before trying it on your own.
Typically, to use the Neti pot or other nasal irrigation device you would mix about 16 ounces (1 pint) of lukewarm water with 1 teaspoon of salt. Some people add 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda to buffer the solution and make it gentler on the nose, but there isn't any real proof that this improves the experience. Use distilled, sterile, or previously boiled water to make up the irrigation solution.
Once you've filled the Neti pot, tilt your head over the sink at about a 45-degree angle. Place the spout into your top nostril, and gently pour the saline solution into that nostril.
The fluid will flow through your nasal cavity and out the other nostril. It may also run into your throat. If this occurs, just spit it out. Blow your nose to get rid of any remaining liquid, then refill the Neti pot and repeat the process on the other side. It’s important to rinse the irrigation device after each use and leave open to air dry.
How Often Do You Need to Use the Neti Pot?
In studies, people suffering from daily sinus symptoms found relief from using the Neti pot or other nasal irrigation system daily. Three times a week was often enough once symptoms subsided.
Is the Neti Pot Safe?
Research has found that the Neti pot is generally safe. About 10% of regular users experience mild side effects, such as nasal irritation and stinging. Nosebleeds can also occur, but they are rare. Reducing the amount of salt in the solution, adjusting the frequency of Neti pot use, and changing the temperature of the water appear to reduce side effects.
To prevent infection, it's important to properly care for your nasal irrigation device. Either wash the device thoroughly by hand, or put it in the dishwasher if it's dishwasher-safe. Follow by drying the device completely after each use.
Where Can I Find a Neti Pot?
Neti pots are available over-the-counter at many drug stores, health food stores, and online retailers. They usually cost between $10 and $20.
-____________________________________________________
Tips to Ease Indoor Allergies at Home
Is your house filled with allergy triggers you cannot see?
Cleaner Crisis: Most vacuums don't pick up tiny allergens. They stir them up instead. Get a vacuum with a HEPA filter. It makes all the difference.
Duct Season: Before turning on heat the first time, get ducts cleaned. Otherwise, you'll get blasted with mold and other allergens.
Moldy Oldies: Mold grows on old bread -- but also on cheese, mushrooms, dried fruits, soy sauce, sour cream, and hot dogs. Got a mold allergy?
Cleaning Crisis: House cleaning is a good thing, but cleaning agents can cause serious airway irritations. Good ventilation is key.
Humidity. Too Much or Too Little: Mold and dust mites thrive in moist environments. Keep the humidity in your house between 40% and 20% to control allergens and still breathe comfortably.
Awake With Allergies: Stuffy nose, postnasal drip -- these allergy symptoms can wreak havoc on sleep. Could allergies be causing your insomnia?
Got You Covered: Your air vents push allergens into every room. Cover bedroom vents with cheesecloth -- and replace when soiled.
In Hot Water: Check your water heater. Wash sheets and pillowcases in hot water -- at least 130 F -- to kill dust mites.
Got Ragweed Allergy? Then you're likely sensitive to bananas, cucumbers, melons, zucchini, sunflower seeds, and chamomile tea.
Your "Om" Home: Stressed? Try meditation. Stress makes allergy symptoms worse -- and meditation is a fast-acting stress reliever.
Misery Mystery: If seasonal allergies are triggering sinus infections, it's time for allergy treatment. See an allergist.
Stuffed Up? Could it be a sinus infection? Facial pain -- and thick nasal discharge for over 7 days -- are a few symptoms.
Shower Spa: Stuffed up? Take a hot shower. A steamy bathroom helps to open and thin the mucus in your sinuses.
Dry, Itchy Skin? Eczema is common in people with allergies. Cold compresses can help relieve itching. Be sure to use lotions to keep skin moist.
Rip It Up: Carpets and throw rugs collect dust, mites, and mold. Rip up wall-to-wall carpeting. Make sure small rugs are washable.
Sweet Heat: Warm compresses on a child's face can help soothe sinus pressure and pain.
Wrap It Up: In fall, indoor allergens are our biggest pests. To control bedroom dust mites, wrap your pillows, mattress, and box springs in special allergen-proof covers.
Time to Winterize: Fixing leaks around windows and doors helps cut heating bills. It also keeps allergens outside.
Keep It Closed: Keep windows closed, even if temperatures are milder. You'll keep outdoor allergens where they should be -- outdoors.
Arid Home Air: Your home heating system dries indoor air, which can lead to sinus infections. A humidifier bumps humidity to 50%.
Tricked by Treats: Food allergies can cause a serious reaction. If your child is allergic to nuts or other foods, check candy carefully.
____________________________________________
Is your house filled with allergy triggers you cannot see?
Cleaner Crisis: Most vacuums don't pick up tiny allergens. They stir them up instead. Get a vacuum with a HEPA filter. It makes all the difference.
Duct Season: Before turning on heat the first time, get ducts cleaned. Otherwise, you'll get blasted with mold and other allergens.
Moldy Oldies: Mold grows on old bread -- but also on cheese, mushrooms, dried fruits, soy sauce, sour cream, and hot dogs. Got a mold allergy?
Cleaning Crisis: House cleaning is a good thing, but cleaning agents can cause serious airway irritations. Good ventilation is key.
Humidity. Too Much or Too Little: Mold and dust mites thrive in moist environments. Keep the humidity in your house between 40% and 20% to control allergens and still breathe comfortably.
Awake With Allergies: Stuffy nose, postnasal drip -- these allergy symptoms can wreak havoc on sleep. Could allergies be causing your insomnia?
Got You Covered: Your air vents push allergens into every room. Cover bedroom vents with cheesecloth -- and replace when soiled.
In Hot Water: Check your water heater. Wash sheets and pillowcases in hot water -- at least 130 F -- to kill dust mites.
Got Ragweed Allergy? Then you're likely sensitive to bananas, cucumbers, melons, zucchini, sunflower seeds, and chamomile tea.
Your "Om" Home: Stressed? Try meditation. Stress makes allergy symptoms worse -- and meditation is a fast-acting stress reliever.
Misery Mystery: If seasonal allergies are triggering sinus infections, it's time for allergy treatment. See an allergist.
Stuffed Up? Could it be a sinus infection? Facial pain -- and thick nasal discharge for over 7 days -- are a few symptoms.
Shower Spa: Stuffed up? Take a hot shower. A steamy bathroom helps to open and thin the mucus in your sinuses.
Dry, Itchy Skin? Eczema is common in people with allergies. Cold compresses can help relieve itching. Be sure to use lotions to keep skin moist.
Rip It Up: Carpets and throw rugs collect dust, mites, and mold. Rip up wall-to-wall carpeting. Make sure small rugs are washable.
Sweet Heat: Warm compresses on a child's face can help soothe sinus pressure and pain.
Wrap It Up: In fall, indoor allergens are our biggest pests. To control bedroom dust mites, wrap your pillows, mattress, and box springs in special allergen-proof covers.
Time to Winterize: Fixing leaks around windows and doors helps cut heating bills. It also keeps allergens outside.
Keep It Closed: Keep windows closed, even if temperatures are milder. You'll keep outdoor allergens where they should be -- outdoors.
Arid Home Air: Your home heating system dries indoor air, which can lead to sinus infections. A humidifier bumps humidity to 50%.
Tricked by Treats: Food allergies can cause a serious reaction. If your child is allergic to nuts or other foods, check candy carefully.
____________________________________________
How to Stop Diabetes
From Starting
STAF, Inc.'s comment placed to this article on the internet is next below
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a shocking statistic a few weeks ago: Eighty-nine percent of the 79 million Americans with pre-diabetes are not even aware they have the condition. In other words, there are 70.3 million Americans over the age of 20 at high risk for developing diabetes at any moment ... and they don't even know it.
This is troubling for several reasons. For starters, diabetes is a chronic condition associated with a reduced life expectancy; the average 50 year old with diabetes loses an estimated 8 1/2 years of longevity. Prevention, therefore, translates into increased likelihood of a substantially longer life--the end of which is less likely to be spent shuttling to and from doctor's offices and hospitals. Secondly, there are several established ways to delay--if not entirely prevent--the onset of diabetes in people with prediabetes.
But unless you know you're at risk, it's unlikely you'll stumble upon these preventive measures in time to halt the progression toward full-fledged diabetes. In any given year, about 11 percent of people with prediabetes "graduate" to developing diabetes.
[See Diet, Diabetes and Doubt: Is Preventive Medicine Lost in Space?
Prediabetes is a condition in which your ability to handle blood sugar is impaired, but not so impaired as to qualify for full-blown diabetes. It results from reduced sensitivity to the hormone insulin, which helps carry glucose from the blood into cells where it can be used for energy.
Importantly, pre-diabetes is reversible; glucose tolerance can improve when a person's metabolic state of affairs improves. Here's how:
-- Very moderate exercise. You don't need to spend hours every day sweating up a storm in a spin class to reap the diabetes-preventing effects of exercise. Heck, you don't even need to join a gym. Research suggests that 2 1/2 hours per week of even leisurely physical activity--like brisk walking--is enough to significantly improve glucose tolerance. This translates into a 30-minute walk five times per week--though of course, if you're up to the challenge, more is even better. Exercise works because muscles in action are able to take up glucose from the blood without the help of insulin, so get moving!
[See 7 Mind-Blowing Benefits of Exercise.]
-- Very modest weight loss. Evidence suggests that it only takes about a 5 to 7 percent weight loss to delay by several years the onset of diabetes among overweight people with prediabetes. To put that in perspective, a 5-foot-4-inch woman with pre-diabetes who weighs 160 pounds would only need to lose about 11 pounds to reduce her risk of developing diabetes. A five-foot-11-inch man weighing 220 pounds would need to lose about 15 pounds to hit this target. In other words, one doesn't have to drop dramatic, "The Biggest Loser"-scale amounts of weight to help protect against diabetes. In some people, small lifestyle changes like avoiding sweetened beverages or decreasing carb portions may be sufficient to promote this degree of weight loss.
[See When Science Met The Biggest Loser
In fact, research has shown that modest weight loss, coupled with 150 minutes of weekly exercise, reduced by 58 percent the risk of developing diabetes in a population of obese adults with prediabetes. Specifically, participants who started off weighing an average of 207 pounds lost about 12 pounds (or 5.7 percent of their body weight). Notably, this outcome was substantially moreeffective than using an insulin-sensitizing drug called metformin in preventing the onset of diabetes.
-- Curcumin supplements. Recent research out of Thailand that was published in Diabetes Care suggested that supplementing curcumin--the active ingredient in the bright yellow, anti-inflammatory spice turmeric--may be protective against diabetes among people with pre-diabetes.
Dr. Weil's Anti-Inflammatory Diet
Although it was only a single, small study (237 people), it was well designed and showed a very promising clinical benefit: Of the group randomly assigned to take 500 milligrams of curcumin supplements three times daily, none progressed to develop type 2 diabetes after nine months. By way of comparison, 16 percent of participants in the placebo group did develop type 2 diabetes in the same time period.
Since the research population was homogeneously Asian, it's not clear whether these results can be extrapolated to a general American population. And since the study was short, it's unclear whether the protective benefit would have extended past the nine months studied. Nonetheless, given how inexpensive and well-tolerated this natural supplement tends to be, it may be worth talking with your doctor or dietitian to see if curcumin is an appropriate supplement for you to consider.
With 70 million of us counted among the unknowing ranks of adults with pre-diabetes, it's statistically likely that you or someone you know belongs to this group. Risk factors for pre-diabetes include being overweight or obese; having a family history of diabetes; having a personal history of gestational diabetes in pregnancy; having given birth to a baby weighing more than nine pounds; and belonging to one of several ethnic groups, including African American, Hispanic, Asian American, Pacific Islander or Native American. If you fall into one of these categories, consider making an appointment for a check-up; prediabetes can be assessed with simple blood tests from your primary care doctor.
Knowing your status could make a huge difference in turning the tide against progression to diabetes before it's too late.
See 7 Things to Know if You've Received a Diabetes Diagnosis
Click green for further info
Source: U.S.News & World Report LP
_________________________
STAF, Inc.'s comment - FOOD below placed on the internet for the above article:
Comment by Save The American Family - STAF, Inc., -not-for-profit-
By Dr. Christian von Christophers, Ph.D., N.D.
Avoid big food bills, big bellies & big sickness costs
Quotation: "To stay healthy you need to eat what your body wants, not what you want"
(Dr. Christian, STAF, Inc.)
Some facts for good health & a long life are: healthy nutrition, enough sleep, fresh water daily 50 % - 100 % of your "healthy" weight in oz., (NO soda, sugary or non-sugary - both kill), physical activity, good social/family life, life with purposeful goals & our genetic factors (the negative ones can be beaten).
STAF, Inc. has developed a new Healthy Lifestyle & Correct Nutrition Program for the U.S. government's use - worldwide it fits for every nation's use.
Totally it took 26 years to develop, first 19 years worldwide research and the past 7 years to modify it for the U.S. needs. It is a program that, for the first time ever, covers all necessary elements to get the lasting results in all family related challenges and in our rampant obesity, overweight & sickness levels. Its nutritional program leading to health & to a longer life is at the same time an automatic weight loss program: nothing to buy, no calories to count, no unreasonable portion control - eat as needed; just follow the easy what-to-eat instructions.
You are not going to walk around hungry. You can even visit, now & then, a casino buffet, if you so wish.
The biggest news is this: the correct, health-restoring & health-maintaining food with all necessary daily nutrients in the correct combination costs ONLY about $95 per one (adult) person monthly. Based on the new program's detailed guidance, you buy your food ingredients in your local supermarket & prepare your food in your own kitchen based on the new, delicious recipes. The bigger the family, the less $ per/person. Only a program everyone can afford is a solution to our nation's health challenges.
How much are your food expenses time being? Probably many times more than in this new STAF, Inc.'s results bringing program. This means: everyone can afford this amazing program whether one works on the minimum salary or lives on the social security or similar. The saved money this new STAF, Inc. program guides you to place in safe investments - STAF, Inc. endorses only a few investment adviser companies as reliable. With the saved money your family can create substantial wealth within time. Also a millionaire?
STAF, Inc.has 10 private services given a unique lifetime result-guarantee with only a one-time fee. See the list in our website.
The new Healthy Lifestyle & Correct Nutrition program will, in a televised D.C. event, be introduced to our nation, to The W.H., The President & The First Lady, The U.S. Congress & Senate & to all related federal agencies.
STAF, Inc.'s presence is needed in D.C. in the U.S. Congress (House & Senate). STAF, Inc.'s founding President is planning (1) to seek a seat in D.C. Congress/Senate to provide the necessary information to the D.C. lawmakers and (2) to establish a new federal agency, Healthy Lifestyle & Family Success Agency & to be named its first federal director. New legislation & training for all these matters are needed in a results-bringing manner. STAF, Inc.'s slogan: Less suffering - more life™
On STAF, Inc.'s website page tops is a link to study the original STAF, Inc.'s founding documents to see its mission statements.
Listen to STAF, Inc.'s popular Radio Shows - you'll get free CEU & College-University credits nationwide or worldwide.
To visit STAF, Inc.'s extensive website, use its Radio Show title in the internet search - the lower & upper keys as here in the show title: DrDrCanYouHelpMe.
Respectfully,
Christian von Christophers, Ph.D., N.D.
STAF. Inc.'s founding President
__________________________________________________
From Starting
STAF, Inc.'s comment placed to this article on the internet is next below
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a shocking statistic a few weeks ago: Eighty-nine percent of the 79 million Americans with pre-diabetes are not even aware they have the condition. In other words, there are 70.3 million Americans over the age of 20 at high risk for developing diabetes at any moment ... and they don't even know it.
This is troubling for several reasons. For starters, diabetes is a chronic condition associated with a reduced life expectancy; the average 50 year old with diabetes loses an estimated 8 1/2 years of longevity. Prevention, therefore, translates into increased likelihood of a substantially longer life--the end of which is less likely to be spent shuttling to and from doctor's offices and hospitals. Secondly, there are several established ways to delay--if not entirely prevent--the onset of diabetes in people with prediabetes.
But unless you know you're at risk, it's unlikely you'll stumble upon these preventive measures in time to halt the progression toward full-fledged diabetes. In any given year, about 11 percent of people with prediabetes "graduate" to developing diabetes.
[See Diet, Diabetes and Doubt: Is Preventive Medicine Lost in Space?
Prediabetes is a condition in which your ability to handle blood sugar is impaired, but not so impaired as to qualify for full-blown diabetes. It results from reduced sensitivity to the hormone insulin, which helps carry glucose from the blood into cells where it can be used for energy.
Importantly, pre-diabetes is reversible; glucose tolerance can improve when a person's metabolic state of affairs improves. Here's how:
-- Very moderate exercise. You don't need to spend hours every day sweating up a storm in a spin class to reap the diabetes-preventing effects of exercise. Heck, you don't even need to join a gym. Research suggests that 2 1/2 hours per week of even leisurely physical activity--like brisk walking--is enough to significantly improve glucose tolerance. This translates into a 30-minute walk five times per week--though of course, if you're up to the challenge, more is even better. Exercise works because muscles in action are able to take up glucose from the blood without the help of insulin, so get moving!
[See 7 Mind-Blowing Benefits of Exercise.]
-- Very modest weight loss. Evidence suggests that it only takes about a 5 to 7 percent weight loss to delay by several years the onset of diabetes among overweight people with prediabetes. To put that in perspective, a 5-foot-4-inch woman with pre-diabetes who weighs 160 pounds would only need to lose about 11 pounds to reduce her risk of developing diabetes. A five-foot-11-inch man weighing 220 pounds would need to lose about 15 pounds to hit this target. In other words, one doesn't have to drop dramatic, "The Biggest Loser"-scale amounts of weight to help protect against diabetes. In some people, small lifestyle changes like avoiding sweetened beverages or decreasing carb portions may be sufficient to promote this degree of weight loss.
[See When Science Met The Biggest Loser
In fact, research has shown that modest weight loss, coupled with 150 minutes of weekly exercise, reduced by 58 percent the risk of developing diabetes in a population of obese adults with prediabetes. Specifically, participants who started off weighing an average of 207 pounds lost about 12 pounds (or 5.7 percent of their body weight). Notably, this outcome was substantially moreeffective than using an insulin-sensitizing drug called metformin in preventing the onset of diabetes.
-- Curcumin supplements. Recent research out of Thailand that was published in Diabetes Care suggested that supplementing curcumin--the active ingredient in the bright yellow, anti-inflammatory spice turmeric--may be protective against diabetes among people with pre-diabetes.
Dr. Weil's Anti-Inflammatory Diet
Although it was only a single, small study (237 people), it was well designed and showed a very promising clinical benefit: Of the group randomly assigned to take 500 milligrams of curcumin supplements three times daily, none progressed to develop type 2 diabetes after nine months. By way of comparison, 16 percent of participants in the placebo group did develop type 2 diabetes in the same time period.
Since the research population was homogeneously Asian, it's not clear whether these results can be extrapolated to a general American population. And since the study was short, it's unclear whether the protective benefit would have extended past the nine months studied. Nonetheless, given how inexpensive and well-tolerated this natural supplement tends to be, it may be worth talking with your doctor or dietitian to see if curcumin is an appropriate supplement for you to consider.
With 70 million of us counted among the unknowing ranks of adults with pre-diabetes, it's statistically likely that you or someone you know belongs to this group. Risk factors for pre-diabetes include being overweight or obese; having a family history of diabetes; having a personal history of gestational diabetes in pregnancy; having given birth to a baby weighing more than nine pounds; and belonging to one of several ethnic groups, including African American, Hispanic, Asian American, Pacific Islander or Native American. If you fall into one of these categories, consider making an appointment for a check-up; prediabetes can be assessed with simple blood tests from your primary care doctor.
Knowing your status could make a huge difference in turning the tide against progression to diabetes before it's too late.
See 7 Things to Know if You've Received a Diabetes Diagnosis
Click green for further info
Source: U.S.News & World Report LP
_________________________
STAF, Inc.'s comment - FOOD below placed on the internet for the above article:
Comment by Save The American Family - STAF, Inc., -not-for-profit-
By Dr. Christian von Christophers, Ph.D., N.D.
Avoid big food bills, big bellies & big sickness costs
Quotation: "To stay healthy you need to eat what your body wants, not what you want"
(Dr. Christian, STAF, Inc.)
Some facts for good health & a long life are: healthy nutrition, enough sleep, fresh water daily 50 % - 100 % of your "healthy" weight in oz., (NO soda, sugary or non-sugary - both kill), physical activity, good social/family life, life with purposeful goals & our genetic factors (the negative ones can be beaten).
STAF, Inc. has developed a new Healthy Lifestyle & Correct Nutrition Program for the U.S. government's use - worldwide it fits for every nation's use.
Totally it took 26 years to develop, first 19 years worldwide research and the past 7 years to modify it for the U.S. needs. It is a program that, for the first time ever, covers all necessary elements to get the lasting results in all family related challenges and in our rampant obesity, overweight & sickness levels. Its nutritional program leading to health & to a longer life is at the same time an automatic weight loss program: nothing to buy, no calories to count, no unreasonable portion control - eat as needed; just follow the easy what-to-eat instructions.
You are not going to walk around hungry. You can even visit, now & then, a casino buffet, if you so wish.
The biggest news is this: the correct, health-restoring & health-maintaining food with all necessary daily nutrients in the correct combination costs ONLY about $95 per one (adult) person monthly. Based on the new program's detailed guidance, you buy your food ingredients in your local supermarket & prepare your food in your own kitchen based on the new, delicious recipes. The bigger the family, the less $ per/person. Only a program everyone can afford is a solution to our nation's health challenges.
How much are your food expenses time being? Probably many times more than in this new STAF, Inc.'s results bringing program. This means: everyone can afford this amazing program whether one works on the minimum salary or lives on the social security or similar. The saved money this new STAF, Inc. program guides you to place in safe investments - STAF, Inc. endorses only a few investment adviser companies as reliable. With the saved money your family can create substantial wealth within time. Also a millionaire?
STAF, Inc.has 10 private services given a unique lifetime result-guarantee with only a one-time fee. See the list in our website.
The new Healthy Lifestyle & Correct Nutrition program will, in a televised D.C. event, be introduced to our nation, to The W.H., The President & The First Lady, The U.S. Congress & Senate & to all related federal agencies.
STAF, Inc.'s presence is needed in D.C. in the U.S. Congress (House & Senate). STAF, Inc.'s founding President is planning (1) to seek a seat in D.C. Congress/Senate to provide the necessary information to the D.C. lawmakers and (2) to establish a new federal agency, Healthy Lifestyle & Family Success Agency & to be named its first federal director. New legislation & training for all these matters are needed in a results-bringing manner. STAF, Inc.'s slogan: Less suffering - more life™
On STAF, Inc.'s website page tops is a link to study the original STAF, Inc.'s founding documents to see its mission statements.
Listen to STAF, Inc.'s popular Radio Shows - you'll get free CEU & College-University credits nationwide or worldwide.
To visit STAF, Inc.'s extensive website, use its Radio Show title in the internet search - the lower & upper keys as here in the show title: DrDrCanYouHelpMe.
Respectfully,
Christian von Christophers, Ph.D., N.D.
STAF. Inc.'s founding President
__________________________________________________
STAF, Inc.'s comment placed for the article on April 5, 2013 - Internet search for the article with the title
Was Obama's 'best-looking attorney general' comment a sexist gaffe?
1: our Commander-in-chief needs two new advisers: (1) manner watcher & planner for proper judgment ability & (2) spiritual leader.
2: Healthy Lifestyle & Correct Nutrition program
=====================================================
Comment by Save The American Family - STAF, Inc., -not-for-profit-
By Dr. Christian von Christophers, Ph.D., N.D.
1: President Obama desperately needs two new, more competent advisers than he has now: (1) manner watcher & planner for proper judgment ability & (2) spiritual leader.
STAF, Inc. is the leading, new organization in all matters relating to family & public life.
Seriously: STAF, Inc. will offer more qualified services to our Commander-in-chief.
We guide the homeless on the street, the celebrities, the royalty & everyone between.
2: Avoid big food bills, big bellies & big sickness costs
Quotation: "To stay healthy you need to eat what your body wants, not what you want"
(Dr. Christian, STAF, Inc.)
STAF, Inc. has developed a new Healthy Lifestyle & Correct Nutrition Program for the U.S. government's use - worldwide it fits for every nation's use.
Totally it took 26 years to develop, first 19 years worldwide research and the past 7 years to modify it for the U.S. needs. It is a program that, for the first time ever, covers all necessary elements to get the lasting results in all family related challenges and in our rampant obesity, overweight & sickness levels. Its nutritional program leading to health & to a longer life is at the same time an automatic weight loss program: nothing to buy, no calories to count, no unreasonable portion control - eat as needed; just follow the easy what-to-eat instructions.
The biggest news is this: the correct, health-restoring & health-maintaining food with all necessary daily nutrients in the correct combination costs ONLY about $95 per one (adult) person monthly. Based on the new program's detailed guidance, you buy your food ingredients in your local supermarket & prepare your food in your own kitchen based on the new, delicious recipes. The bigger the family, the less $ per/person. Only a program everyone can afford is a solution to our nation's health challenges.
How much are your food expenses time being? Probably many times more than in this new STAF, Inc.'s results bringing program. This means: everyone can afford this amazing program whether one works on the minimum salary or lives on the social security or similar.
The saved money this new STAF, Inc. program guides you to place in safe investments - STAF, Inc. endorses only a few investment adviser companies as reliable. With the saved money your family can create substantial wealth within time. Also a millionaire?
STAF, Inc.has 10 private services given a unique lifetime result-guarantee with only a one-time fee. See the list in our website.
The new Healthy Lifestyle & Correct Nutrition program will, in a televised D.C. event, be introduced to our nation, to The W.H., The President & The First Lady, The U.S. Congress & Senate & to all related federal agencies.
STAF, Inc.'s presence is needed in D.C. in the U.S. Congress (House & Senate). STAF, Inc.'s founding President is planning (1) to seek a seat in D.C. Congress/Senate to provide the necessary information to the D.C. lawmakers and (2) to establish a new federal agency, Healthy Lifestyle & Family Success Agency & to be named its first federal director. New legislation & training for all these matters are needed in a results-bringing manner. STAF, Inc.'s slogan: Less suffering - more life™
On STAF, Inc.'s website page tops is a link to study the original STAF, Inc.'s founding documents to see its mission statements.
Listen to STAF, Inc.'s popular Radio Shows - you'll get free CEU & College-University credits nationwide or worldwide.
To visit STAF, Inc.'s extensive website, use its Radio Show title in the internet search - the lower & upper keys as here in the show title: DrDrCanYouHelpMe.
Respectfully,
Christian von Christophers, Ph.D., N.D.
STAF. Inc.'s founding President
This part was left out to fit the above text:
Some facts for good health & a long life are: healthy nutrition, enough sleep, fresh water daily 50 % - 100 % of your "healthy" weight in oz., (NO soda, sugary or non-sugary - both kill), physical activity, good social/family life, life with purposeful goals & our genetic factors (the negative ones can be beaten).
You are not going to walk around hungry. You can even visit, now & then, a casino buffet, if you so wish.
_____________________________________________
Was Obama's 'best-looking attorney general' comment a sexist gaffe?
1: our Commander-in-chief needs two new advisers: (1) manner watcher & planner for proper judgment ability & (2) spiritual leader.
2: Healthy Lifestyle & Correct Nutrition program
=====================================================
Comment by Save The American Family - STAF, Inc., -not-for-profit-
By Dr. Christian von Christophers, Ph.D., N.D.
1: President Obama desperately needs two new, more competent advisers than he has now: (1) manner watcher & planner for proper judgment ability & (2) spiritual leader.
STAF, Inc. is the leading, new organization in all matters relating to family & public life.
Seriously: STAF, Inc. will offer more qualified services to our Commander-in-chief.
We guide the homeless on the street, the celebrities, the royalty & everyone between.
2: Avoid big food bills, big bellies & big sickness costs
Quotation: "To stay healthy you need to eat what your body wants, not what you want"
(Dr. Christian, STAF, Inc.)
STAF, Inc. has developed a new Healthy Lifestyle & Correct Nutrition Program for the U.S. government's use - worldwide it fits for every nation's use.
Totally it took 26 years to develop, first 19 years worldwide research and the past 7 years to modify it for the U.S. needs. It is a program that, for the first time ever, covers all necessary elements to get the lasting results in all family related challenges and in our rampant obesity, overweight & sickness levels. Its nutritional program leading to health & to a longer life is at the same time an automatic weight loss program: nothing to buy, no calories to count, no unreasonable portion control - eat as needed; just follow the easy what-to-eat instructions.
The biggest news is this: the correct, health-restoring & health-maintaining food with all necessary daily nutrients in the correct combination costs ONLY about $95 per one (adult) person monthly. Based on the new program's detailed guidance, you buy your food ingredients in your local supermarket & prepare your food in your own kitchen based on the new, delicious recipes. The bigger the family, the less $ per/person. Only a program everyone can afford is a solution to our nation's health challenges.
How much are your food expenses time being? Probably many times more than in this new STAF, Inc.'s results bringing program. This means: everyone can afford this amazing program whether one works on the minimum salary or lives on the social security or similar.
The saved money this new STAF, Inc. program guides you to place in safe investments - STAF, Inc. endorses only a few investment adviser companies as reliable. With the saved money your family can create substantial wealth within time. Also a millionaire?
STAF, Inc.has 10 private services given a unique lifetime result-guarantee with only a one-time fee. See the list in our website.
The new Healthy Lifestyle & Correct Nutrition program will, in a televised D.C. event, be introduced to our nation, to The W.H., The President & The First Lady, The U.S. Congress & Senate & to all related federal agencies.
STAF, Inc.'s presence is needed in D.C. in the U.S. Congress (House & Senate). STAF, Inc.'s founding President is planning (1) to seek a seat in D.C. Congress/Senate to provide the necessary information to the D.C. lawmakers and (2) to establish a new federal agency, Healthy Lifestyle & Family Success Agency & to be named its first federal director. New legislation & training for all these matters are needed in a results-bringing manner. STAF, Inc.'s slogan: Less suffering - more life™
On STAF, Inc.'s website page tops is a link to study the original STAF, Inc.'s founding documents to see its mission statements.
Listen to STAF, Inc.'s popular Radio Shows - you'll get free CEU & College-University credits nationwide or worldwide.
To visit STAF, Inc.'s extensive website, use its Radio Show title in the internet search - the lower & upper keys as here in the show title: DrDrCanYouHelpMe.
Respectfully,
Christian von Christophers, Ph.D., N.D.
STAF. Inc.'s founding President
This part was left out to fit the above text:
Some facts for good health & a long life are: healthy nutrition, enough sleep, fresh water daily 50 % - 100 % of your "healthy" weight in oz., (NO soda, sugary or non-sugary - both kill), physical activity, good social/family life, life with purposeful goals & our genetic factors (the negative ones can be beaten).
You are not going to walk around hungry. You can even visit, now & then, a casino buffet, if you so wish.
_____________________________________________
Compare the info in this article 1 of 2 with the info in article 2 of 2 below
Article 1 of 2:
Research paid by (1) the egg industry & (2) the Pork Industry, research done by MIU = University of Missouri
Article 2 of 2 Harvard University School of Public Health Nutrition - No payment by any interest group
Which one would you rather believe and trust your family's good health?
Article 1 of 2
High-Protein Breakfasts to Boost Weight Loss
See the comment above - STAF, Inc. is a leading nutrition specialist and has also prepared a new
Healthy Lifestyle & Correct Nutrition Program for the U.S. gov. use to be introduced to our whole nation
FOREWORD
to the article below
STAF, Inc.placed this article below "High-Protein Breakfast to Boost Weight Loss" as an example of research sources financed by some interest groups - in this case by (1) the egg industry & (2) the Pork Industry. Such an approach commonly gives results the finance provider wants. Thus, STAF, Inc. gives a warning to be suspicious.
Yes, 1 - 2 eggs in the morning (real eggs, no commercially prepared mixture) and small amount of real chicken or real turkey (not sausages) is acceptable. Some real grains (cook in larger amounts for a week or 2) oats, barley, wheat, brown or white (parboiled O.K. = partially boiled to be faster to prepare) - not commercially manufactured flakes
You have most likely heard it said that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Some research suggests breakfast is an important part of a healthy eating plan that can help you achieve and maintain your best weight. One study suggests that a protein-rich breakfast could also be a key to appetite control.
The study, conducted by assistant professor from the University of Missouri MU Department of Nutrition and Exercise and Physiology Heather Leidy and colleagues and funded by the National Pork Board and the American Egg Board-Egg Nutrition Center, found that a higher protein breakfast results in "improved daily satiety and evening appetite control."
The study examined the effects of both dietary protein and eating frequency and the influence on appetite and satiety during weight loss. Surprisingly, in the overweight/obese men in this study, eating six times a day did not significantly influence hunger, fullness, or overall desire to eat compared to eating only three times during the day. However, starting the day with a higher protein breakfast provided a decrease in desire for late night eating and preoccupation with food, which provided better appetite control and satiety when following controlled calorie intake for weight loss.
In the study, the normal protein breakfast contained 14 percent protein, 60 percent carbohydrate, and 26 percent fat compared to a high-protein meal of 25 percent protein, 49 percent carbohydrate, and 26 percent fat. A combination of the reduction in carbohydrates along with the higher protein intake from high biological value sources (pork and eggs) could have contributed to the increased feelings of satiety and appetite control. Regardless of the reason, this study supports our belief that meals balanced in macronutrients*) are beneficial to manage hunger while trying to lose weight.
*) Definition: MACRONUTRIENTS - Nutrients that the body uses in relatively large amounts - proteins, carbohydrates, and fats. This is as opposed to micronutrients, which the body requires in smaller amounts, such as vitamins and minerals. Macronutrients provide calories to the body as well as performing other functions.
Definition: Carbohydrates
A component of food that supplies energy (calories) to the body.
The three macronutrients: (1) carbohydrates, (2) proteins & (3) fats).
Three broad categories of carbohydrates are sugars (also called simple carbohydrates), starches (also called complex carbohydrates), and fiber. Except for fiber and resistant starch, carbohydrates cause more and faster blood glucose rises than the other macronutrients. Fiber and resistant starch are not digested in the small intestine, but have many positive effects.
_______________________________________
Important - Important - Important
info
Article 2 of 2
Source: Harvard University School of Public Health Nutrition
Choose good carbs, not no carbs*)
Whole grains are your best bet
*) use natural, unprocessed grains cooked and prepared by you in your own kitchen
Click green for further info
Don’t be misled by fad diets that make blanket pronouncements on the dangers of carbohydrates. Carbohydrates provide the body with fuel it needs for physical activity and for proper organ function, and they are an important part of a healthy diet. But some kinds of carbohydrates are far better than others.
The best sources of carbohydrates--whole grains (the less processed, the better), vegetables, fruits and beans—promote good health by delivering vitamins, minerals, fiber, and a host of important phytonutrients. Easily digested refined carbohydrates from white bread, white rice and other refined grains, pastries, sugared sodas, and other highly processed foods may contribute to weight gain, interfere with weight loss, and promote diabetes and heart disease.
Try these five quick tips for adding good carbs to your diet:
1. Start the day with whole grains. Try a hot cereal, like steel cut oats, or a cold cereal that lists a whole grain first on the ingredient list and is low in sugar. But finding sugar in cereals takes a bit of detective work. Learn how to be a savvy reader of breakfast cereal labels. STAF,Inc. comment DO NOT EAT OR GIVE YOUR CHILDREN any commercially made cereal flakes - they are too processed - eat ONLY home-cooked fresh cereal:
Combine: oats (fast cooking oats - cooks in 20 min.), parboiled rice (cooks in 20 min.), brown rice (takes 2 - 3 hours simmering), barley (takes 2 - 3 hours simmering), Cook every grain in a separate pan and when finished combine all together. Cook for 1 - 2 weeks time - keep refrigerated well. This is a very nutritious & delicious combination - adult and children love it.
2. Use whole grain breads for lunch or snacks. Confused about how to find a whole-grain bread? Look for bread that lists as the first ingredient whole wheat, whole rye, or some other whole grain —and even better, one that is made with only whole grains, such as 100 percent whole wheat bread. Or try this recipe for hearty whole grain bread.
3. Bag the potatoes. Instead, try brown rice, bulgur, wheat berries, whole wheat pasta, or another whole grain with your dinner. Read “Health Gains from Whole Grains” for a list of whole grains and their health benefits, or check out these whole grain recipes.
4. Choose whole fruit instead of juice. An orange has two times as much fiber and half as much sugar as a 12-ounce glass of orange juice. Looking for juice alternatives? See six ideas for low-sugar drinks, a recipe for a low-sugar fruit cooler, and a recipe for sugar-free sparkling iced tea.
5. Bring on the beans. Beans are an excellent source of slowly digested carbohydrates as well as a great source of protein.
Read more:
Terms of Use of the above information:
The aim of the Harvard University School of Public Health Nutrition Source & The Save The American Family - STAF, Inc.
is to provide timely information on diet and nutrition for clinicians, allied health professionals, and the public. The contents of this Web site are not intended to offer personal medical advice. You should seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this Web site. The information in this website does not mention brand names, nor does it endorse any particular products.
See next below
The Nutrition Source
Complete information in all details
_____________________________
info
Article 2 of 2
Source: Harvard University School of Public Health Nutrition
Choose good carbs, not no carbs*)
Whole grains are your best bet
*) use natural, unprocessed grains cooked and prepared by you in your own kitchen
Click green for further info
Don’t be misled by fad diets that make blanket pronouncements on the dangers of carbohydrates. Carbohydrates provide the body with fuel it needs for physical activity and for proper organ function, and they are an important part of a healthy diet. But some kinds of carbohydrates are far better than others.
The best sources of carbohydrates--whole grains (the less processed, the better), vegetables, fruits and beans—promote good health by delivering vitamins, minerals, fiber, and a host of important phytonutrients. Easily digested refined carbohydrates from white bread, white rice and other refined grains, pastries, sugared sodas, and other highly processed foods may contribute to weight gain, interfere with weight loss, and promote diabetes and heart disease.
Try these five quick tips for adding good carbs to your diet:
1. Start the day with whole grains. Try a hot cereal, like steel cut oats, or a cold cereal that lists a whole grain first on the ingredient list and is low in sugar. But finding sugar in cereals takes a bit of detective work. Learn how to be a savvy reader of breakfast cereal labels. STAF,Inc. comment DO NOT EAT OR GIVE YOUR CHILDREN any commercially made cereal flakes - they are too processed - eat ONLY home-cooked fresh cereal:
Combine: oats (fast cooking oats - cooks in 20 min.), parboiled rice (cooks in 20 min.), brown rice (takes 2 - 3 hours simmering), barley (takes 2 - 3 hours simmering), Cook every grain in a separate pan and when finished combine all together. Cook for 1 - 2 weeks time - keep refrigerated well. This is a very nutritious & delicious combination - adult and children love it.
2. Use whole grain breads for lunch or snacks. Confused about how to find a whole-grain bread? Look for bread that lists as the first ingredient whole wheat, whole rye, or some other whole grain —and even better, one that is made with only whole grains, such as 100 percent whole wheat bread. Or try this recipe for hearty whole grain bread.
3. Bag the potatoes. Instead, try brown rice, bulgur, wheat berries, whole wheat pasta, or another whole grain with your dinner. Read “Health Gains from Whole Grains” for a list of whole grains and their health benefits, or check out these whole grain recipes.
4. Choose whole fruit instead of juice. An orange has two times as much fiber and half as much sugar as a 12-ounce glass of orange juice. Looking for juice alternatives? See six ideas for low-sugar drinks, a recipe for a low-sugar fruit cooler, and a recipe for sugar-free sparkling iced tea.
5. Bring on the beans. Beans are an excellent source of slowly digested carbohydrates as well as a great source of protein.
Read more:
- Click green for further info
- the full story on carbohydrates
- what are carbohydrates?
- low-carb diets, weight, and health
- understanding insulin resistance and the metabolic syndrome
- the glycemic index, the glycemic load, and health
- healthy recipes for whole grains
- the link between sugary drinks, weight gain, and diabetes
- why diet drinks may not be the best alternative to sugary drinks
- how much sugar is in your favorite soft drink or sports drink
Terms of Use of the above information:
The aim of the Harvard University School of Public Health Nutrition Source & The Save The American Family - STAF, Inc.
is to provide timely information on diet and nutrition for clinicians, allied health professionals, and the public. The contents of this Web site are not intended to offer personal medical advice. You should seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this Web site. The information in this website does not mention brand names, nor does it endorse any particular products.
See next below
The Nutrition Source
Complete information in all details
_____________________________
The Nutrition Source
Source: (1) Harvard University of Public Health - (2) STAF, Inc., -not-for-profit
Quotation "Knowledge is no power - only applied knowledge is power"
(Dr. Christian, STAF, Inc.)
(1) Click every green topic, (2) study every topic & (3) apply all information
_________________________________________
Source: (1) Harvard University of Public Health - (2) STAF, Inc., -not-for-profit
Quotation "Knowledge is no power - only applied knowledge is power"
(Dr. Christian, STAF, Inc.)
(1) Click every green topic, (2) study every topic & (3) apply all information
- Home
- Nutrition A to Z
- Healthy Eating Plate
- What Should I Eat?
- Healthy Drinks
- Salt and Sodium
- Healthy Weight
- Staying Active
- Preventing Diabetes
- Recipes
- Healthy Food Service
- Your Nutrition Questions Answered
- Nutrition in the News
- Nutrition Books by Faculty
- More Information
- About Us
- Contact Us
_________________________________________
25,000 U.S. Deaths Linked to Sugary Drinks
Click green for further info
In a study that's sure to shake up the soda ban debate, Harvard researchers have linked the sugary drinks to 180,000 deaths a year worldwide, 25,000 in the United States alone.
"We know that sugar-sweetened beverages are linked to obesity, and that a large number of deaths are caused by obesity-related diseases. But until now, nobody had really put these pieces together," said Gitanjali Singh, a postdoctoral research fellow at the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston and lead author of the study presented today at the American Heart Association's annual meeting in New Orleans.
Singh and colleagues spent five years putting the pieces together. Using data from national health surveys around the world, the team tied sugar-sweetened beverages to 133,000 deaths from diabetes, 44,000 deaths from cardiovascular diseases and 6,000 deaths from cancer in 2010.
The study adds to mounting evidence that sugar-sweetened beverages, loaded with calories that carry little nutritional value, are a public health hazard.
"I think our findings should really impel policymakers to make effective policies to reduce sugary beverage consumption since it causes a significant number of deaths," said Singh, adding that she thinks "cause" is an appropriate word despite the limitations of the association study.
The American Beverage Association criticized the study, which has yet to be published in a peer-reviewed journal, calling it "more about sensationalism than science."
"It does not show that consuming sugar-sweetened beverages causes chronic diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease or cancer - the real causes of death among the studied subjects," the industry group said in a statement. "The researchers make a huge leap when they take beverage intake calculations from around the globe and allege that those beverages are the cause of deaths which the authors themselves acknowledge are due to chronic disease."
The study comes one week after a judge blocked New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg's proposed ban on supersized sodas, and one day after Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant signed a billpreventing municipalities from setting limits on soda and salt content.
"It is simply not the role of government to micro-regulate citizens' dietary decisions," Bryant said in a statement. "The responsibility for one's personal health depends on individual choices about a proper diet and appropriate exercise."
But some experts say evidence-based policies could curb soda consumption and save lives. Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian, senior author of the new study, said he now plans to study the effects of sugary drink regulation and taxation on health and health care costs.
"I think that's the kind of information that policymakers need," said Mozaffarian, who is an epidemiologist at the Harvard School of Public Health.
In the meantime, Americans can take steps on their own to cut sugary drinks and shed pounds.
"It may not be easy at first, but your body will thank you," said ABC News' chief health and medical editor Dr. Richard Besser. "Study after study links intake of sugary drinks to poor health effects."
"It is quite frightening to see the rise in chronic diseases as people around the world consume more and more sugary drinks," Besser added. "It reminds me of the way lung cancer is on the rise around the world as more and more people smoke cigarettes."
Click green for further info
Source: abc news
See next below: a comment placed on the internet for the above article
________________
Click green for further info
In a study that's sure to shake up the soda ban debate, Harvard researchers have linked the sugary drinks to 180,000 deaths a year worldwide, 25,000 in the United States alone.
"We know that sugar-sweetened beverages are linked to obesity, and that a large number of deaths are caused by obesity-related diseases. But until now, nobody had really put these pieces together," said Gitanjali Singh, a postdoctoral research fellow at the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston and lead author of the study presented today at the American Heart Association's annual meeting in New Orleans.
Singh and colleagues spent five years putting the pieces together. Using data from national health surveys around the world, the team tied sugar-sweetened beverages to 133,000 deaths from diabetes, 44,000 deaths from cardiovascular diseases and 6,000 deaths from cancer in 2010.
The study adds to mounting evidence that sugar-sweetened beverages, loaded with calories that carry little nutritional value, are a public health hazard.
"I think our findings should really impel policymakers to make effective policies to reduce sugary beverage consumption since it causes a significant number of deaths," said Singh, adding that she thinks "cause" is an appropriate word despite the limitations of the association study.
The American Beverage Association criticized the study, which has yet to be published in a peer-reviewed journal, calling it "more about sensationalism than science."
"It does not show that consuming sugar-sweetened beverages causes chronic diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease or cancer - the real causes of death among the studied subjects," the industry group said in a statement. "The researchers make a huge leap when they take beverage intake calculations from around the globe and allege that those beverages are the cause of deaths which the authors themselves acknowledge are due to chronic disease."
The study comes one week after a judge blocked New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg's proposed ban on supersized sodas, and one day after Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant signed a billpreventing municipalities from setting limits on soda and salt content.
"It is simply not the role of government to micro-regulate citizens' dietary decisions," Bryant said in a statement. "The responsibility for one's personal health depends on individual choices about a proper diet and appropriate exercise."
But some experts say evidence-based policies could curb soda consumption and save lives. Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian, senior author of the new study, said he now plans to study the effects of sugary drink regulation and taxation on health and health care costs.
"I think that's the kind of information that policymakers need," said Mozaffarian, who is an epidemiologist at the Harvard School of Public Health.
In the meantime, Americans can take steps on their own to cut sugary drinks and shed pounds.
"It may not be easy at first, but your body will thank you," said ABC News' chief health and medical editor Dr. Richard Besser. "Study after study links intake of sugary drinks to poor health effects."
"It is quite frightening to see the rise in chronic diseases as people around the world consume more and more sugary drinks," Besser added. "It reminds me of the way lung cancer is on the rise around the world as more and more people smoke cigarettes."
Click green for further info
Source: abc news
See next below: a comment placed on the internet for the above article
________________
This is a comment placed on the internet for the above article
25,000 U.S. Deaths Linked
to Sugary Drinks
Comment by Save The American Family - STAF, Inc., -not-for-profit-
By Dr. Christian von Christophers, Ph.D., N.D.
Quotation: "To stay healthy you need to eat what your body wants, not what you want"
(Dr. Christian, STAF, Inc.)
Another quotation: "If it came from a plant, eat it, if it was made in a plant, don't - it kills".
Some basic facts for good health & a long life are: healthy nutrition, enough sleep, enough fresh water daily (min. 50 % of your "healthy" weight in oz., max. 100 % & soda daily:
0 oz., sugary or non-sugary - both kill), physical activity, good social/family life, life with purposeful goals & our genetic factors (we can beat the negative ones quite well).
STAF, Inc. has developed a new Healthy Lifestyle & Correct Nutrition Program for the U.S. government's use. Worldwide, the same new program fits for every nation's use.
Totally it took 26 years to develop, first 19 years worldwide research and the past 7 years to modify it for the U.S. needs. It is a program that, for the first time ever, covers all necessary elements to get the lasting results in all family related challenges and in our rampant obesity, overweight & sickness levels. Its nutritional program leading to health and to a longer life is at the same time an automatic weight loss program: nothing to buy, no calories to count, no unreasonable portion control - eat as needed; just follow the easy what-to-eat instructions. All new recipes - delicious, delicious. You are not going to walk around feeling hungry. You can even visit, now & then, a casino buffet, if you so wish.
The biggest news is this: the correct, health-restoring & health-maintaining food with all necessary daily nutrients in the correct combination costs ONLY about $95 per one (adult) person monthly. Based on the new program's detailed guidance, you buy your food ingredients in your local supermarket & prepare your food in your own kitchen based on the new, delicious recipes. The bigger the family, the less $ per/person. Only a program everyone can afford is a solution to our nation's health challenges.
How much are your food expenses time being? Probably many times more than in this new STAF, Inc.'s results bringing program. This means: everyone can afford this amazing program whether one works on the minimum salary or lives on the social security or similar. The saved money this new STAF, Inc. program guides you to place in safe investments - STAF, Inc. endorses only a few investment adviser companies as reliable. With the saved money your family can create substantial wealth within time. Also a millionaire?
The new Healthy Lifestyle & Correct Nutrition program will, in a televised D.C. event, be introduced to our nation, to The W.H., The President & The First Lady, The U.S. Congress & Senate, and to all related federal agencies.
STAF, Inc.'s presence is needed in D.C. in the U.S. Congress (House & Senate). STAF, Inc.'s founding President is planning (1) to seek a seat in D.C. Congress/Senate to provide the necessary information to the D.C. lawmakers and (2) to establish a fully new federal agency, Healthy Lifestyle & Family Success Agency, and to be named its first federal director. New legislation & training for all these matters are needed in a results-bringing manner. STAF, Inc.'s slogan is: Less suffering - more life™
In STAF, Inc.'s website page tops is a link to study the original STAF, Inc.'s founding documents to see its mission statements.
Listen to STAF, Inc.'s popular Radio Shows - you'll get free CEU & College-University credits nationwide or worldwide.
To visit STAF, Inc.'s extensive website, use its Radio Show title in the internet search - the lower & upper keys as here in the show title: DrDrCanYouHelpMe.
Respectfully,
Christian von Christophers, Ph.D., N.D.
STAF. Inc.'s founding President
__________________________________________
25,000 U.S. Deaths Linked
to Sugary Drinks
Comment by Save The American Family - STAF, Inc., -not-for-profit-
By Dr. Christian von Christophers, Ph.D., N.D.
Quotation: "To stay healthy you need to eat what your body wants, not what you want"
(Dr. Christian, STAF, Inc.)
Another quotation: "If it came from a plant, eat it, if it was made in a plant, don't - it kills".
Some basic facts for good health & a long life are: healthy nutrition, enough sleep, enough fresh water daily (min. 50 % of your "healthy" weight in oz., max. 100 % & soda daily:
0 oz., sugary or non-sugary - both kill), physical activity, good social/family life, life with purposeful goals & our genetic factors (we can beat the negative ones quite well).
STAF, Inc. has developed a new Healthy Lifestyle & Correct Nutrition Program for the U.S. government's use. Worldwide, the same new program fits for every nation's use.
Totally it took 26 years to develop, first 19 years worldwide research and the past 7 years to modify it for the U.S. needs. It is a program that, for the first time ever, covers all necessary elements to get the lasting results in all family related challenges and in our rampant obesity, overweight & sickness levels. Its nutritional program leading to health and to a longer life is at the same time an automatic weight loss program: nothing to buy, no calories to count, no unreasonable portion control - eat as needed; just follow the easy what-to-eat instructions. All new recipes - delicious, delicious. You are not going to walk around feeling hungry. You can even visit, now & then, a casino buffet, if you so wish.
The biggest news is this: the correct, health-restoring & health-maintaining food with all necessary daily nutrients in the correct combination costs ONLY about $95 per one (adult) person monthly. Based on the new program's detailed guidance, you buy your food ingredients in your local supermarket & prepare your food in your own kitchen based on the new, delicious recipes. The bigger the family, the less $ per/person. Only a program everyone can afford is a solution to our nation's health challenges.
How much are your food expenses time being? Probably many times more than in this new STAF, Inc.'s results bringing program. This means: everyone can afford this amazing program whether one works on the minimum salary or lives on the social security or similar. The saved money this new STAF, Inc. program guides you to place in safe investments - STAF, Inc. endorses only a few investment adviser companies as reliable. With the saved money your family can create substantial wealth within time. Also a millionaire?
The new Healthy Lifestyle & Correct Nutrition program will, in a televised D.C. event, be introduced to our nation, to The W.H., The President & The First Lady, The U.S. Congress & Senate, and to all related federal agencies.
STAF, Inc.'s presence is needed in D.C. in the U.S. Congress (House & Senate). STAF, Inc.'s founding President is planning (1) to seek a seat in D.C. Congress/Senate to provide the necessary information to the D.C. lawmakers and (2) to establish a fully new federal agency, Healthy Lifestyle & Family Success Agency, and to be named its first federal director. New legislation & training for all these matters are needed in a results-bringing manner. STAF, Inc.'s slogan is: Less suffering - more life™
In STAF, Inc.'s website page tops is a link to study the original STAF, Inc.'s founding documents to see its mission statements.
Listen to STAF, Inc.'s popular Radio Shows - you'll get free CEU & College-University credits nationwide or worldwide.
To visit STAF, Inc.'s extensive website, use its Radio Show title in the internet search - the lower & upper keys as here in the show title: DrDrCanYouHelpMe.
Respectfully,
Christian von Christophers, Ph.D., N.D.
STAF. Inc.'s founding President
__________________________________________
Monster Beverage No Longer
Has to Report Deaths to Government
"Money talks death"
Article 1 of 2
So far there’s been no conclusive connection between energy drinks and death, but the number of reports and
investigations have increased since October 2012.
There have been three more cases of death and 14 injury reports that mention Monster as a possible cause.
The 5-Hour Energy shots have gotten five death cases and 38 injury cases since then.
For many Americans, energy drinks are getting harder to swallow
So is it to STAF, Inc., the leading, new, not-for-profit organization to restore America's lost health, bring new healthy, happy, prosperous life & guide every willing family to become a (multi-)millionaire entity through healthy investments. STAF, Inc. will connect your family to the 3 only investment advisor firms it endorses in the whole USA.
Monster Beverage producers could face the mirror and say "we are monsters - we kill people for money".
"Monster" is a good name for their products under these circumstances with proper evidence for these statements already existing and, for sure, more to be found. How irresponsible: to behave as if they were paid killers. The human life seems not to mean much to them - money means more.
In October 2012 the officials told the ingredients in these drinks aren’t properly disclosed, and how the FDA was investigating a series of deaths that may have been caused by Monster Energy drinks (click green for further info) .
Well, Monster found a solution to reporting deaths to the FDA – if they call their products “beverages” rather than “dietary supplements,” they don’t have to.
That makes all the difference to the government, reports (click: The New York Times. Now they won’t have to inform regulators of reports suggesting their products are risky. Of course, that’s not why Monster says they’re doing it…
A spokesman for Monster, Michael Sitrick, said the company had decided to market its products as beverages for several reasons. One was to stop what he described as “misguided criticism” that the company was selling its energy drinks as dietary supplements because of the belief that such products were more lightly regulated than beverages. Another consideration, he said, was that consumers can use government-subsidized food stamps to buy beverages.
Amazing: food stamps now buy Monster poison!
So Monster’s not scared of regulation (even though they’re dodging it), and they want people on a tight monthly food budget to buy their supplement, er, drink.
So far there’s been no conclusive connection between energy drinks and death, but the number of reports and investigations have increased since October 2012. There have been three more cases of death and 14 injury reports that mention Monster as a possible cause. The 5-Hour Energy shots have gotten five death cases and 38 injury cases since then.
This week a group of 18 doctors and scientific researchers told the FDA, “There is evidence in the published scientific literature that the caffeine levels in energy drinks pose serious potential health risks.” Meanwhile, experts have also recently concluded energy drinks don’t do anything coffee can’t.
This article was originally published on MoneyTalksNews.com as 'Monster Beverage No Longer Has to Report Deaths to Government'.
More from Money Talks News
Has to Report Deaths to Government
"Money talks death"
Article 1 of 2
So far there’s been no conclusive connection between energy drinks and death, but the number of reports and
investigations have increased since October 2012.
There have been three more cases of death and 14 injury reports that mention Monster as a possible cause.
The 5-Hour Energy shots have gotten five death cases and 38 injury cases since then.
For many Americans, energy drinks are getting harder to swallow
So is it to STAF, Inc., the leading, new, not-for-profit organization to restore America's lost health, bring new healthy, happy, prosperous life & guide every willing family to become a (multi-)millionaire entity through healthy investments. STAF, Inc. will connect your family to the 3 only investment advisor firms it endorses in the whole USA.
Monster Beverage producers could face the mirror and say "we are monsters - we kill people for money".
"Monster" is a good name for their products under these circumstances with proper evidence for these statements already existing and, for sure, more to be found. How irresponsible: to behave as if they were paid killers. The human life seems not to mean much to them - money means more.
In October 2012 the officials told the ingredients in these drinks aren’t properly disclosed, and how the FDA was investigating a series of deaths that may have been caused by Monster Energy drinks (click green for further info) .
Well, Monster found a solution to reporting deaths to the FDA – if they call their products “beverages” rather than “dietary supplements,” they don’t have to.
That makes all the difference to the government, reports (click: The New York Times. Now they won’t have to inform regulators of reports suggesting their products are risky. Of course, that’s not why Monster says they’re doing it…
A spokesman for Monster, Michael Sitrick, said the company had decided to market its products as beverages for several reasons. One was to stop what he described as “misguided criticism” that the company was selling its energy drinks as dietary supplements because of the belief that such products were more lightly regulated than beverages. Another consideration, he said, was that consumers can use government-subsidized food stamps to buy beverages.
Amazing: food stamps now buy Monster poison!
So Monster’s not scared of regulation (even though they’re dodging it), and they want people on a tight monthly food budget to buy their supplement, er, drink.
So far there’s been no conclusive connection between energy drinks and death, but the number of reports and investigations have increased since October 2012. There have been three more cases of death and 14 injury reports that mention Monster as a possible cause. The 5-Hour Energy shots have gotten five death cases and 38 injury cases since then.
This week a group of 18 doctors and scientific researchers told the FDA, “There is evidence in the published scientific literature that the caffeine levels in energy drinks pose serious potential health risks.” Meanwhile, experts have also recently concluded energy drinks don’t do anything coffee can’t.
This article was originally published on MoneyTalksNews.com as 'Monster Beverage No Longer Has to Report Deaths to Government'.
More from Money Talks News
- Are Energy Drinks Worse Than We Thought?
- 7 Controversial Celebrity Endorsements
- 10 Things Worth Paying More For ________________________________________________________
Article 2 of 2
Are Energy Drinks Worse Than We Thought?
As energy drink consumption soars, there are growing concerns about the safety of these beverages, as well as whether they're worth the hype and high price tags.
Energy drinks have recently come under fire for containing dangerously high levels of caffeine. The Food and Drug Administration is investigating five deaths since 2009 that may be linked to popular drink Monster Energy. One study suggests more than 13,000 people visit emergency rooms each year because of symptoms linked to energy drinks. And a Consumer Reports test revealed that some energy drinks contain twice the caffeine in a typical 8 ounce cup of coffee – per serving.
Popular brands like Red Bull, 5-hour Energy, and Monster Energy are marketing their beverages to those looking for a quick burst of energy – often at a price tag of $2 or more a pop. But what should consumers know about the estimated $8.1 billion energy drink market? Money Talks News founder Stacy Johnson starts off by weighing whether these pricey drinks actually fuel you up or if they’re just a drain on your wallet.
Now, let’s talk more about energy drink concerns and ways to be a safe and cost-conscious consumer…
More on safety concernsA Consumer Reports test turned up the following results: Energy drinks’ caffeine levels ranged from 6 milligrams to 242 milligrams per serving – with some drinks containing more than one serving. Five-hour Energy Extra Strength contained the highest level, and 5-hour Energy Decaf ranked lowest. For a look at the full chart, click here.
“By comparison, an 8-ounce cup of coffee has about 100 milligrams; a 16-ounce Starbucks Grande, 330 milligrams,” says Consumer Reports.
Caffeine consumption can be associated with adverse physical and mind-altering reactions. Symptoms can include restlessness, tremors, palpitations, nervousness, and life-threatening heart rhythm changes. People who have heart disease or high blood pressure are particularly at risk.
To add insult to injury, many energy drinks – 11 out of 27 in the Consumer Reports study – don’t list caffeine levels. Of the 16 drinks that did, five drinks – Arizona Energy, Clif Shot Turbo Energy Gel, Nestlé Jamba, Sambazon Organic Amazon Energy, and Venom Energy – had more than 20 percent above their labeled amount on average in the samples that were tested.
Extra ingredients with little energy benefitIf you’re expecting the additional ingredients in energy drinks – like vitamins, minerals, and other supplements – to take your energy up a notch, you may be disappointed.
B-vitamins are included in energy drinks’ cocktail of ingredients. With 5-hour Energy, you’ll take in an astounding 8,333 percent of the recommended dietary allowance of Vitamin B12 and 2,000 percent of Vitamin B6. The 8.3 ounce Red Bull contains 73 percent of your suggested daily dose of Vitamin B12 and 104 percent of B6.
While these doses of B-vitamins could potentially be good for your health (and even that’s a questionable claim), they’ll likely do nothing for your energy levels. The LA Times reports that there’s no research or scientific evidence to support claims that all these B-vitamins will boost your energy, and you likely get enough of these vitamins from other sources anyway.
Other ingredients don’t fare much better, according to experts’ opinions. WebMD points out that ingredients like taurine, ginseng, and guarana likely won’t give you extra energy, either.
Find cheaper and healthier alternativesEnergy drinks aren’t cheap. Popular brands, including Red Bull, 5-hour Energy, and Monster Energy, cost $2 to $4 for a single can at the convenience store.
Compared to other caffeinated options, like soda or coffee, you’re likely paying more for energy drinks. A can of soda often sells for a dollar or less, and a cup of coffee might cost 25 cents or less to brew at home.
According to Dr. Tod Cooperman, president of ConsumerLab.com, ”The caffeine may give you a good pickup, but it’s not going to give you energy.”
Dr. Cooperman says to start with more sleep. Mayo Clinic recommends seven to nine hours a night for adults, so don’t skimp and rely on stimulants like caffeine instead. Squeezing in a quick 10 to 30 minute nap in the afternoon might provide revitalization to power through the rest of the workday.
Don’t forget to look to foods that provide a natural source of energy in the form of calories. EcoSalon has several food options to stave off fatigue that also make great meals and snacks throughout the day. Options include nuts, apples, blueberries, and bananas.
If you’re still looking to keep some caffeine in the mix, look to cheaper alternatives to energy drinks. Tea and soda also have some caffeine and are typically cheaper than energy drinks.
Ads by Google
How Much is My USed Car
Worth? Free 60 Second Valuation to Find Out How Much Your Car is Worth
www.webuyanycar.com/how-much
Can’t get enough? Make your own energy drink
If you can’t kick energy drinks altogether, you can make your own cheaply from home – and by knowing exactly which ingredients are thrown into the mix, you can be sure that your drink is safe.
These energy drink recipes have just a few common ingredients: water, juice, and salt. You’ll get the benefits of sodium and potassium, which help retain fluids and increase hydration, and you’ll avoid paying for energy drinks with extra ingredients you just don’t need.
Related stories: (in case the link is not connecting, search the web with the title)
Are Energy Drinks Worse Than We Thought?
As energy drink consumption soars, there are growing concerns about the safety of these beverages, as well as whether they're worth the hype and high price tags.
Energy drinks have recently come under fire for containing dangerously high levels of caffeine. The Food and Drug Administration is investigating five deaths since 2009 that may be linked to popular drink Monster Energy. One study suggests more than 13,000 people visit emergency rooms each year because of symptoms linked to energy drinks. And a Consumer Reports test revealed that some energy drinks contain twice the caffeine in a typical 8 ounce cup of coffee – per serving.
Popular brands like Red Bull, 5-hour Energy, and Monster Energy are marketing their beverages to those looking for a quick burst of energy – often at a price tag of $2 or more a pop. But what should consumers know about the estimated $8.1 billion energy drink market? Money Talks News founder Stacy Johnson starts off by weighing whether these pricey drinks actually fuel you up or if they’re just a drain on your wallet.
Now, let’s talk more about energy drink concerns and ways to be a safe and cost-conscious consumer…
More on safety concernsA Consumer Reports test turned up the following results: Energy drinks’ caffeine levels ranged from 6 milligrams to 242 milligrams per serving – with some drinks containing more than one serving. Five-hour Energy Extra Strength contained the highest level, and 5-hour Energy Decaf ranked lowest. For a look at the full chart, click here.
“By comparison, an 8-ounce cup of coffee has about 100 milligrams; a 16-ounce Starbucks Grande, 330 milligrams,” says Consumer Reports.
Caffeine consumption can be associated with adverse physical and mind-altering reactions. Symptoms can include restlessness, tremors, palpitations, nervousness, and life-threatening heart rhythm changes. People who have heart disease or high blood pressure are particularly at risk.
To add insult to injury, many energy drinks – 11 out of 27 in the Consumer Reports study – don’t list caffeine levels. Of the 16 drinks that did, five drinks – Arizona Energy, Clif Shot Turbo Energy Gel, Nestlé Jamba, Sambazon Organic Amazon Energy, and Venom Energy – had more than 20 percent above their labeled amount on average in the samples that were tested.
Extra ingredients with little energy benefitIf you’re expecting the additional ingredients in energy drinks – like vitamins, minerals, and other supplements – to take your energy up a notch, you may be disappointed.
B-vitamins are included in energy drinks’ cocktail of ingredients. With 5-hour Energy, you’ll take in an astounding 8,333 percent of the recommended dietary allowance of Vitamin B12 and 2,000 percent of Vitamin B6. The 8.3 ounce Red Bull contains 73 percent of your suggested daily dose of Vitamin B12 and 104 percent of B6.
While these doses of B-vitamins could potentially be good for your health (and even that’s a questionable claim), they’ll likely do nothing for your energy levels. The LA Times reports that there’s no research or scientific evidence to support claims that all these B-vitamins will boost your energy, and you likely get enough of these vitamins from other sources anyway.
Other ingredients don’t fare much better, according to experts’ opinions. WebMD points out that ingredients like taurine, ginseng, and guarana likely won’t give you extra energy, either.
Find cheaper and healthier alternativesEnergy drinks aren’t cheap. Popular brands, including Red Bull, 5-hour Energy, and Monster Energy, cost $2 to $4 for a single can at the convenience store.
Compared to other caffeinated options, like soda or coffee, you’re likely paying more for energy drinks. A can of soda often sells for a dollar or less, and a cup of coffee might cost 25 cents or less to brew at home.
According to Dr. Tod Cooperman, president of ConsumerLab.com, ”The caffeine may give you a good pickup, but it’s not going to give you energy.”
Dr. Cooperman says to start with more sleep. Mayo Clinic recommends seven to nine hours a night for adults, so don’t skimp and rely on stimulants like caffeine instead. Squeezing in a quick 10 to 30 minute nap in the afternoon might provide revitalization to power through the rest of the workday.
Don’t forget to look to foods that provide a natural source of energy in the form of calories. EcoSalon has several food options to stave off fatigue that also make great meals and snacks throughout the day. Options include nuts, apples, blueberries, and bananas.
If you’re still looking to keep some caffeine in the mix, look to cheaper alternatives to energy drinks. Tea and soda also have some caffeine and are typically cheaper than energy drinks.
Ads by Google
How Much is My USed Car
Worth? Free 60 Second Valuation to Find Out How Much Your Car is Worth
www.webuyanycar.com/how-much
Can’t get enough? Make your own energy drink
If you can’t kick energy drinks altogether, you can make your own cheaply from home – and by knowing exactly which ingredients are thrown into the mix, you can be sure that your drink is safe.
These energy drink recipes have just a few common ingredients: water, juice, and salt. You’ll get the benefits of sodium and potassium, which help retain fluids and increase hydration, and you’ll avoid paying for energy drinks with extra ingredients you just don’t need.
Related stories: (in case the link is not connecting, search the web with the title)
- 20 Products With Giant Markups
- 7 Ways to Radically Reduce Your Restaurant Checks
- 21 Things You Should Never Pay For
- __________________________________
Important information
For the first time in the history of the world,
more people will die from overeating than under-eating
___________
Are we ready to make the fast-"food" (= bad food) industry illegal?
Are we ready to close all businesses producing harmful, fattening snacks & drinks?
Or is money more important than our human lives?
________
These 2 business areas are the reason for the very high obesity level in the U.S. and worldwide
The "bad-food" industry puts addictive chemicals in their products to make people eat, eat & eat
until the eaters drop dead
The "bad food" industry people do it knowingly and they know their products kill
Is their business model then the same as a planned murder for money?
For the first time in the history of the world,
more people will die from overeating than under-eating
Date: March 2013
New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg told David Letterman that “for the first time in the history of the world, more people
will die from overeating than under-eating this year.” After Letterman expressed surprise, Bloomberg added: “It’s all happened in the last 20 years.”
So, is obesity going to lead to more deaths than not getting enough food this year for the “first time” in history? No. Has there been a shift in such risk factors for deaths in the last 20 years? Yes.
Bloomberg, who has attracted national attention for attempting to ban the sale of sugary drinks over 16 ounces, has repeated this talking point several times since last summer.
But the change in mortality risk factors isn’t surprising to public health experts, who have been predicting this shift for a long time. In fact, obesity has been a greater risk factor for death than children being underweight worldwide since as early as 2005, according to the Institute for IHME - Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington. “People in public health, we’ve been talking about this for a long time,” Ali Mokdad, professor of global health at IHME, told us. “I’ve been saying, ‘It’s coming, it’s coming, it’s coming.’ ” (Adults can die from being underweight, too, but not in significant numbers — it’s the vulnerable population, kids, Mokdad said, that is affected.)
When we asked Bloomberg’s office about the mayor’s remarks, spokeswoman Samantha Levine told us that the mayor meant that this year, there would be a continuation of the years-long trend, not that this year would be the first time obesity-related deaths would outnumber underweight-related deaths. “The Mayor was noting that more people are dying from obesity than from hunger and that — over [the] course of human history — this is the only period of time that has occurred. This year that trend will continue,” she said in an email.
That point may be lost on viewers and listeners of Bloomberg’s interviews on this topic, particularly since he uses the future tense and the “first time” stipulation.
It’s unclear exactly when this change occurred for worldwide statistics, but it would be sometime between 1990 and 2005, according to figures provided to us by the IHME - Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, which publishes the Global Burden of Disease Study with the help of hundreds of coauthors. The study determined that in 1990, childhood underweight was the sixth leading risk factor for premature death worldwide while having a high body mass index (being overweight or obese) came in ninth. The institute told us that in 2005, childhood underweight had dropped to the 11th leading risk factor while high body mass index moved up to seventh.
In 2010, being overweight or obese moved up one more spot, to the sixth leading risk factor for death globally, and childhood underweight stayed in 11th place. The institute could not provide year-to-year statistics.
Note that these are risk factors for premature death, which would also include behaviors and conditions such as smoking, drinking alcohol or having high blood pressure. They are the factors that lead to death, but the causes that would be listed on death certificates would be heart disease, diabetes, cancer, cholera, pneumonia, malnutrition, and so on. For instance, being overweight could lead to death from heart disease. Being overweight is the risk factor; heart disease is what’s on the death certificate.
The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation told us that 2.3 million children worldwide died due to being underweight in 1990; in 2010, the number was 860,000. That’s a 63 percent drop. Similarly, 2 million deaths worldwide in 1990 can be attributed to high body mass index; that shot up to an estimated 3.4 million people in 2010, an increase of 70 percent.
The world’s population, of course, also increased during that time — from 5.3 billion in 1990 to 6.9 billion in 2010, a jump of 30 percent, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
The shift certainly means that obesity is a global problem, but it also shows that there have been great successes in fighting infectious diseases that affect underweight children. Those children can die from communicable diseases because they’re more susceptible to them.
Obesity has become more of an issue around the world at the same time that progress has been made in fighting childhood underweight deaths. “Deaths due to overweight/obesity are increasing, and deaths due to child underweight are decreasing rapidly,” Tarik Jasarevic, a spokesman for the World Health Organization, told us in an email. “The trends on child underweight are partly a result of successful efforts to combat childhood diseases that used to kill underweight children — now these children are more likely to receive proper treatment and survive.”
Mokdad at the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation said that the statistics show “a success story” for the fight against communicable diseases. “People who have been working on infectious diseases should be acknowledged that they have done a good job,” he said, explaining that much has been done to immunize children and make sure they are well nourished. But that means, naturally, another risk factor has popped up and needs that same kind of attention. “As a result, we’re paying for it with more chronic diseases.”
People are also living longer — another success story, Mokdad said. But as we’re living longer, chronic diseases become more of a problem, too.
We would note that groups that work on child hunger issues use much higher statistics than 860,000 underweight deaths, the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation’s 2010 figure. UNICEF’s child mortality report, for instance, says that 7.6 million kids under the age of 5 died in 2010 (down from 12 million in 1990), and the underlying cause was undernutrition in “more than a third” of them — or about 2.6 million kids. But “undernutrition” is not always the same thing as “underweight.” Plus, Mokdad said that in his group’s analysis, “total mortality has to add to 100 percent. We don’t have double-counting.” Advocacy groups use different numbers. “We’re neutral,” he said, “and people do it differently.”
Bloomberg’s office referred us to the WHO to back up his claim. A WHO fact sheet attributes at least 2.8 million adult deaths each year to obesity or being overweight and attributes certain percentages of health problems to high body mass, saying that “44% of the diabetes burden, 23% of the ischaemic heart disease burden and between 7% and 41% of certain cancer burdens are attributable to overweight and obesity.” But the WHO couldn’t provide more detailed data on overweight versus underweight deaths. It referred us to the institute at the University of Washington for the most up-to-date statistics.
The university’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation coordinated and published the Global Burden of Disease reports. The 2010 report, which was released in December 2012, found a “rapid transformation” in global health. People were living longer and countries made strides in preventing childhood deaths and infectious disease. “The leading causes of death and disability have changed from communicable diseases in children,” the report says, “to non-communicable diseases in adults. Eating too much has overtaken undernutrition as a leading risk factor for illness.”
The report looks not only at death but also ill health, using a measurement it calls disability-adjusted life years, or DALYs, which are years of life lost to premature death and disability. High body mass index, or BMI, was a major contributor to DALYs in 2010, as it was in 1990. But it increased dramatically and surpassed childhood underweight, which was a more significant risk factor in 1990.
The report notes, however, that such global rankings “mask important differences across countries and regions.” Childhood underweight in 2010 was still the leading risk factor for premature death and disability in most countries in sub-Saharan Africa. It was the No. 1 risk factor in 14 African nations and the second or third leading risk factor in six other countries.
However, Mokdad said it was correct for Bloomberg to say that obesity “has gone from a rich person’s disease to a poor person’s disease.” He said the problem, with the exception of some African nations, has spread throughout the world to both rich and poor communities. “It’s not the composition of your diet, how expensive it is,” he said. It’s how many calories one consumes.
Public health experts have been predicting for some time that unhealthy lifestyles would surpass infectious diseases as a major killer in the developing world. An April 6, 1993, United Press International report said that the WHO estimated that 45 percent of deaths in developing countries were due to unhealthy living, but that would increase to 60 percent by 2015. Unhealthy living would account for 75 percent of deaths in industrialized countries, the WHO said.
A few years later, in 1997, the WHO again said this shift in global health was occurring: “Indeed, overweight and obesity are now so common that they are replacing the more traditional public health concerns such as undernutrition and infectious diseases as some of the most significant contributors to ill health,” it said in a report on a 1997 meeting on obesity in Geneva. In a 2004 report, the organization said that “a profound shift” had happened in the causes of death and illness in developed countries and was under way in developing nations, as noncommunicable diseases increased.
That’s the shift the Global Burden of Disease Study noted in its 2010 report.
– Lori Robertson
For the first time in the history of the world,
more people will die from overeating than under-eating
___________
Are we ready to make the fast-"food" (= bad food) industry illegal?
Are we ready to close all businesses producing harmful, fattening snacks & drinks?
Or is money more important than our human lives?
________
These 2 business areas are the reason for the very high obesity level in the U.S. and worldwide
The "bad-food" industry puts addictive chemicals in their products to make people eat, eat & eat
until the eaters drop dead
The "bad food" industry people do it knowingly and they know their products kill
Is their business model then the same as a planned murder for money?
For the first time in the history of the world,
more people will die from overeating than under-eating
Date: March 2013
New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg told David Letterman that “for the first time in the history of the world, more people
will die from overeating than under-eating this year.” After Letterman expressed surprise, Bloomberg added: “It’s all happened in the last 20 years.”
So, is obesity going to lead to more deaths than not getting enough food this year for the “first time” in history? No. Has there been a shift in such risk factors for deaths in the last 20 years? Yes.
Bloomberg, who has attracted national attention for attempting to ban the sale of sugary drinks over 16 ounces, has repeated this talking point several times since last summer.
But the change in mortality risk factors isn’t surprising to public health experts, who have been predicting this shift for a long time. In fact, obesity has been a greater risk factor for death than children being underweight worldwide since as early as 2005, according to the Institute for IHME - Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington. “People in public health, we’ve been talking about this for a long time,” Ali Mokdad, professor of global health at IHME, told us. “I’ve been saying, ‘It’s coming, it’s coming, it’s coming.’ ” (Adults can die from being underweight, too, but not in significant numbers — it’s the vulnerable population, kids, Mokdad said, that is affected.)
When we asked Bloomberg’s office about the mayor’s remarks, spokeswoman Samantha Levine told us that the mayor meant that this year, there would be a continuation of the years-long trend, not that this year would be the first time obesity-related deaths would outnumber underweight-related deaths. “The Mayor was noting that more people are dying from obesity than from hunger and that — over [the] course of human history — this is the only period of time that has occurred. This year that trend will continue,” she said in an email.
That point may be lost on viewers and listeners of Bloomberg’s interviews on this topic, particularly since he uses the future tense and the “first time” stipulation.
It’s unclear exactly when this change occurred for worldwide statistics, but it would be sometime between 1990 and 2005, according to figures provided to us by the IHME - Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, which publishes the Global Burden of Disease Study with the help of hundreds of coauthors. The study determined that in 1990, childhood underweight was the sixth leading risk factor for premature death worldwide while having a high body mass index (being overweight or obese) came in ninth. The institute told us that in 2005, childhood underweight had dropped to the 11th leading risk factor while high body mass index moved up to seventh.
In 2010, being overweight or obese moved up one more spot, to the sixth leading risk factor for death globally, and childhood underweight stayed in 11th place. The institute could not provide year-to-year statistics.
Note that these are risk factors for premature death, which would also include behaviors and conditions such as smoking, drinking alcohol or having high blood pressure. They are the factors that lead to death, but the causes that would be listed on death certificates would be heart disease, diabetes, cancer, cholera, pneumonia, malnutrition, and so on. For instance, being overweight could lead to death from heart disease. Being overweight is the risk factor; heart disease is what’s on the death certificate.
The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation told us that 2.3 million children worldwide died due to being underweight in 1990; in 2010, the number was 860,000. That’s a 63 percent drop. Similarly, 2 million deaths worldwide in 1990 can be attributed to high body mass index; that shot up to an estimated 3.4 million people in 2010, an increase of 70 percent.
The world’s population, of course, also increased during that time — from 5.3 billion in 1990 to 6.9 billion in 2010, a jump of 30 percent, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
The shift certainly means that obesity is a global problem, but it also shows that there have been great successes in fighting infectious diseases that affect underweight children. Those children can die from communicable diseases because they’re more susceptible to them.
Obesity has become more of an issue around the world at the same time that progress has been made in fighting childhood underweight deaths. “Deaths due to overweight/obesity are increasing, and deaths due to child underweight are decreasing rapidly,” Tarik Jasarevic, a spokesman for the World Health Organization, told us in an email. “The trends on child underweight are partly a result of successful efforts to combat childhood diseases that used to kill underweight children — now these children are more likely to receive proper treatment and survive.”
Mokdad at the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation said that the statistics show “a success story” for the fight against communicable diseases. “People who have been working on infectious diseases should be acknowledged that they have done a good job,” he said, explaining that much has been done to immunize children and make sure they are well nourished. But that means, naturally, another risk factor has popped up and needs that same kind of attention. “As a result, we’re paying for it with more chronic diseases.”
People are also living longer — another success story, Mokdad said. But as we’re living longer, chronic diseases become more of a problem, too.
We would note that groups that work on child hunger issues use much higher statistics than 860,000 underweight deaths, the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation’s 2010 figure. UNICEF’s child mortality report, for instance, says that 7.6 million kids under the age of 5 died in 2010 (down from 12 million in 1990), and the underlying cause was undernutrition in “more than a third” of them — or about 2.6 million kids. But “undernutrition” is not always the same thing as “underweight.” Plus, Mokdad said that in his group’s analysis, “total mortality has to add to 100 percent. We don’t have double-counting.” Advocacy groups use different numbers. “We’re neutral,” he said, “and people do it differently.”
Bloomberg’s office referred us to the WHO to back up his claim. A WHO fact sheet attributes at least 2.8 million adult deaths each year to obesity or being overweight and attributes certain percentages of health problems to high body mass, saying that “44% of the diabetes burden, 23% of the ischaemic heart disease burden and between 7% and 41% of certain cancer burdens are attributable to overweight and obesity.” But the WHO couldn’t provide more detailed data on overweight versus underweight deaths. It referred us to the institute at the University of Washington for the most up-to-date statistics.
The university’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation coordinated and published the Global Burden of Disease reports. The 2010 report, which was released in December 2012, found a “rapid transformation” in global health. People were living longer and countries made strides in preventing childhood deaths and infectious disease. “The leading causes of death and disability have changed from communicable diseases in children,” the report says, “to non-communicable diseases in adults. Eating too much has overtaken undernutrition as a leading risk factor for illness.”
The report looks not only at death but also ill health, using a measurement it calls disability-adjusted life years, or DALYs, which are years of life lost to premature death and disability. High body mass index, or BMI, was a major contributor to DALYs in 2010, as it was in 1990. But it increased dramatically and surpassed childhood underweight, which was a more significant risk factor in 1990.
The report notes, however, that such global rankings “mask important differences across countries and regions.” Childhood underweight in 2010 was still the leading risk factor for premature death and disability in most countries in sub-Saharan Africa. It was the No. 1 risk factor in 14 African nations and the second or third leading risk factor in six other countries.
However, Mokdad said it was correct for Bloomberg to say that obesity “has gone from a rich person’s disease to a poor person’s disease.” He said the problem, with the exception of some African nations, has spread throughout the world to both rich and poor communities. “It’s not the composition of your diet, how expensive it is,” he said. It’s how many calories one consumes.
Public health experts have been predicting for some time that unhealthy lifestyles would surpass infectious diseases as a major killer in the developing world. An April 6, 1993, United Press International report said that the WHO estimated that 45 percent of deaths in developing countries were due to unhealthy living, but that would increase to 60 percent by 2015. Unhealthy living would account for 75 percent of deaths in industrialized countries, the WHO said.
A few years later, in 1997, the WHO again said this shift in global health was occurring: “Indeed, overweight and obesity are now so common that they are replacing the more traditional public health concerns such as undernutrition and infectious diseases as some of the most significant contributors to ill health,” it said in a report on a 1997 meeting on obesity in Geneva. In a 2004 report, the organization said that “a profound shift” had happened in the causes of death and illness in developed countries and was under way in developing nations, as noncommunicable diseases increased.
That’s the shift the Global Burden of Disease Study noted in its 2010 report.
– Lori Robertson
Necessary info for every person
Too many drug types
are compromising heart health: say doctors
About 80 million Americans suffer from heart disease, the nation's No. 1 killer, and most are on multiple drugs.
Some cardiologists think prescribing has gotten out of hand.
The criticism was voiced by a number of leading heart doctors who attended the annual scientific sessions of the American College of Cardiology, held on March 9-11 in San Francisco. They said eliminating certain drugs could potentially improve care without compromising treatment. Evidence is growing that some medications are not effective.
Patients who need multiple daily doses of a given drug often fail to take them, said Dr. Steven Nissen, head of cardiology at the Cleveland Clinic and a past president of the ACC. "There is also the question about whether the benefits are additive."
Among the medications cardiologists are giving a second look: AbbVie's Niaspan, or prescription niacin, which aims to raise good cholesterol; so-called fenofibrate such as top-selling branded drug TriCor (also from AbbVie), which lowers blood fats called triglycerides; and beta-blockers, most of which are inexpensive, older generics.
'EAGER TO ADD, RELUCTANT TO TAKE AWAY'
A person who has had a heart attack typically leaves the hospital on a beta-blocker to slow the heart, an ACE inhibitor to reduce blood pressure, clopidogrel and aspirin to thin the blood and prevent clots, and a statin to reduce cholesterol, said Dr. Micah Eimer, a cardiologist with Northwestern Medicine in suburban Chicago.
"That's a minimum of five medications, and each one has a proven mortality benefit. It's practically malpractice if you don't prescribe those," Eimer said. "But we have no data on when it's advantageous to take (patients) off."
Many patients are on many more drugs, according to research by Dr. Harlan Krumholz, a Yale University professor of cardiology and public health. Using Medicare data, he found that heart failure patients, those whose hearts are too weak to pump blood sufficiently, were prescribed an average of 12 drugs; some were on 30.
"We are eager to add medicines and reluctant to take them away," said Krumholz, who heads the Yale-New Haven Hospital Center for Outcomes Research and Evaluation and is a frequent critic of how drugs are sold and used. "So people accrue medications over time."
Many drugs are prescribed widely, even though evidence they actually work is weak, he said.
Unexpected serious side effects arose in a huge study of a Merck & Co long-acting niacin drug aimed at raising good HDL cholesterol, according to data released at the conference on Saturday. The study enrolled more than 25,000 people. Patients had significantly more bleeding and a higher number of infections than researchers had expected. A Merck spokesman said there "was nothing to add."
When it was announced that the drug, Tredaptive, had failed to prevent heart attacks, strokes and death in heart patients also taking drugs to lower bad LDL cholesterol, Merck said it would not seek U.S. approval and would stop selling it in the dozens of other countries where it was already available.
Fenofibrate, including AbbVie's TriCor, has also failed to show benefit in two separate studies, Krumholz said. The $2 billion-a-year drug is used to lower low-density lipoprotein, or LDL, the unhealthy cholesterol, and triglycerides and to raise high-density lipoprotein, or HDL, the healthy cholesterol.
AbbVie's cardiovascular products "help patients with abnormal cholesterol levels reach their cholesterol treatment goals," the company said in an emailed statement. "Physicians need to consider the results of clinical trials, available treatment guidelines, and each patient's cardiovascular and benefit/risk profile to determine the best possible treatment regimen."
Other drug companies including Sanofi, Bristol-Myers Squibb Co and Pfizer declined to comment.
BLOCK THAT BLOCKER?
Beta-blockers are absolutely necessary for some patients, said Dr. Sripal Bangalore, a cardiologist at New York University, but are probably prescribed too widely and for too long a period of time. Examining three distinct patient groups from a data registry of 44,000 patients, he said the drug did not reduce the risk of heart attack, stroke or death after 3.5 years.
Yet the American Heart Association (AHA) and American College of Cardiology guidelines recommend heart attack survivors take beta-blockers for at least three years. Those recommendations, several doctors noted, are based on data collected two decades ago. "We don't know if they are providing benefit for one year or three years," Bangalore said.
Today, blocked arteries are cleared right away with angioplasty, and the patient is typically put on a statin to keep harmful cholesterol from building up in the artery walls. For those whose hearts are not badly damaged, beta-blockers do not help.
Then there are blood thinners, like Warfarin, commonly used to treat some types of heart disease by preventing clots. Dr. Robert Harrington, a cardiologist at the Stanford School of Medicine, said patients were at risk of bleeding when they were on more than one. "We've had recent trials where we've gone from one to two to three agents," he said. "There's got to be a way to start peeling away, and maybe it's over a period of time, or as the clinical status changes."
MARKET SIDE EFFECTS
Clinical trials that have called into question the drugs' benefits have affected sales. Combined sales of AbbVie's TriCor and Trilipix were $1.4 billion in 2012, down from $1.7 billion in 2011. Sales of Niaspan were $911 million in 2012, down from $976 million in 2011.
Cowen and Co estimates the 13 main classes of drugs used to treat various types of cardiovascular disease had U.S. sales of almost $75 billion in 2011. The brokerage expects sales to shrink to about $59 billion in 2016 because of recent and looming patent expirations on branded products.
Even if doctors aggressively cut back the number of heart medicines they prescribe, however, it would have only a limited impact on drugmaker revenue because many would be the generic older drugs that are far cheaper, according to analyst Barbara Ryan, of Barbara Ryan Advisors.
Dr. Richard Stein, a professor of medicine at New York University and spokesperson for the AHA, estimated the average patient with heart disease truly needs to take from seven to nine pills each day in order to control the various risk factors, including cholesterol, high blood pressure and diabetes. Beyond that, he said, it makes sense to be restrictive.
"Doctors should look for combination pills if they can, and exclude pills that don't critically help patient care," he said.
"To live your life taking that many pills, the danger is you'll stop taking the critical ones, because how many pills can you take several times a day?"
Source: American College of Cardiology
________________________________________________________
Too many drug types
are compromising heart health: say doctors
About 80 million Americans suffer from heart disease, the nation's No. 1 killer, and most are on multiple drugs.
Some cardiologists think prescribing has gotten out of hand.
The criticism was voiced by a number of leading heart doctors who attended the annual scientific sessions of the American College of Cardiology, held on March 9-11 in San Francisco. They said eliminating certain drugs could potentially improve care without compromising treatment. Evidence is growing that some medications are not effective.
Patients who need multiple daily doses of a given drug often fail to take them, said Dr. Steven Nissen, head of cardiology at the Cleveland Clinic and a past president of the ACC. "There is also the question about whether the benefits are additive."
Among the medications cardiologists are giving a second look: AbbVie's Niaspan, or prescription niacin, which aims to raise good cholesterol; so-called fenofibrate such as top-selling branded drug TriCor (also from AbbVie), which lowers blood fats called triglycerides; and beta-blockers, most of which are inexpensive, older generics.
'EAGER TO ADD, RELUCTANT TO TAKE AWAY'
A person who has had a heart attack typically leaves the hospital on a beta-blocker to slow the heart, an ACE inhibitor to reduce blood pressure, clopidogrel and aspirin to thin the blood and prevent clots, and a statin to reduce cholesterol, said Dr. Micah Eimer, a cardiologist with Northwestern Medicine in suburban Chicago.
"That's a minimum of five medications, and each one has a proven mortality benefit. It's practically malpractice if you don't prescribe those," Eimer said. "But we have no data on when it's advantageous to take (patients) off."
Many patients are on many more drugs, according to research by Dr. Harlan Krumholz, a Yale University professor of cardiology and public health. Using Medicare data, he found that heart failure patients, those whose hearts are too weak to pump blood sufficiently, were prescribed an average of 12 drugs; some were on 30.
"We are eager to add medicines and reluctant to take them away," said Krumholz, who heads the Yale-New Haven Hospital Center for Outcomes Research and Evaluation and is a frequent critic of how drugs are sold and used. "So people accrue medications over time."
Many drugs are prescribed widely, even though evidence they actually work is weak, he said.
Unexpected serious side effects arose in a huge study of a Merck & Co long-acting niacin drug aimed at raising good HDL cholesterol, according to data released at the conference on Saturday. The study enrolled more than 25,000 people. Patients had significantly more bleeding and a higher number of infections than researchers had expected. A Merck spokesman said there "was nothing to add."
When it was announced that the drug, Tredaptive, had failed to prevent heart attacks, strokes and death in heart patients also taking drugs to lower bad LDL cholesterol, Merck said it would not seek U.S. approval and would stop selling it in the dozens of other countries where it was already available.
Fenofibrate, including AbbVie's TriCor, has also failed to show benefit in two separate studies, Krumholz said. The $2 billion-a-year drug is used to lower low-density lipoprotein, or LDL, the unhealthy cholesterol, and triglycerides and to raise high-density lipoprotein, or HDL, the healthy cholesterol.
AbbVie's cardiovascular products "help patients with abnormal cholesterol levels reach their cholesterol treatment goals," the company said in an emailed statement. "Physicians need to consider the results of clinical trials, available treatment guidelines, and each patient's cardiovascular and benefit/risk profile to determine the best possible treatment regimen."
Other drug companies including Sanofi, Bristol-Myers Squibb Co and Pfizer declined to comment.
BLOCK THAT BLOCKER?
Beta-blockers are absolutely necessary for some patients, said Dr. Sripal Bangalore, a cardiologist at New York University, but are probably prescribed too widely and for too long a period of time. Examining three distinct patient groups from a data registry of 44,000 patients, he said the drug did not reduce the risk of heart attack, stroke or death after 3.5 years.
Yet the American Heart Association (AHA) and American College of Cardiology guidelines recommend heart attack survivors take beta-blockers for at least three years. Those recommendations, several doctors noted, are based on data collected two decades ago. "We don't know if they are providing benefit for one year or three years," Bangalore said.
Today, blocked arteries are cleared right away with angioplasty, and the patient is typically put on a statin to keep harmful cholesterol from building up in the artery walls. For those whose hearts are not badly damaged, beta-blockers do not help.
Then there are blood thinners, like Warfarin, commonly used to treat some types of heart disease by preventing clots. Dr. Robert Harrington, a cardiologist at the Stanford School of Medicine, said patients were at risk of bleeding when they were on more than one. "We've had recent trials where we've gone from one to two to three agents," he said. "There's got to be a way to start peeling away, and maybe it's over a period of time, or as the clinical status changes."
MARKET SIDE EFFECTS
Clinical trials that have called into question the drugs' benefits have affected sales. Combined sales of AbbVie's TriCor and Trilipix were $1.4 billion in 2012, down from $1.7 billion in 2011. Sales of Niaspan were $911 million in 2012, down from $976 million in 2011.
Cowen and Co estimates the 13 main classes of drugs used to treat various types of cardiovascular disease had U.S. sales of almost $75 billion in 2011. The brokerage expects sales to shrink to about $59 billion in 2016 because of recent and looming patent expirations on branded products.
Even if doctors aggressively cut back the number of heart medicines they prescribe, however, it would have only a limited impact on drugmaker revenue because many would be the generic older drugs that are far cheaper, according to analyst Barbara Ryan, of Barbara Ryan Advisors.
Dr. Richard Stein, a professor of medicine at New York University and spokesperson for the AHA, estimated the average patient with heart disease truly needs to take from seven to nine pills each day in order to control the various risk factors, including cholesterol, high blood pressure and diabetes. Beyond that, he said, it makes sense to be restrictive.
"Doctors should look for combination pills if they can, and exclude pills that don't critically help patient care," he said.
"To live your life taking that many pills, the danger is you'll stop taking the critical ones, because how many pills can you take several times a day?"
Source: American College of Cardiology
________________________________________________________
Here one link to additional info about our human
metabolism, about thyroid and other facts
Study and compare with other sources of information
Metabolic rate: the slower, the better : Disease Proof
www.diseaseproof.com › Weight Loss
by J Fuhrman - Related articles
Sep 21, 2010 – However, having a fast metabolism does not mean that you are healthier – in fact, it may cause you to age more quickly. ... This means that taking steps to slow metabolic rate, rather than accelerate it, could be beneficial.
_____________________________
metabolism, about thyroid and other facts
Study and compare with other sources of information
Metabolic rate: the slower, the better : Disease Proof
www.diseaseproof.com › Weight Loss
by J Fuhrman - Related articles
Sep 21, 2010 – However, having a fast metabolism does not mean that you are healthier – in fact, it may cause you to age more quickly. ... This means that taking steps to slow metabolic rate, rather than accelerate it, could be beneficial.
_____________________________
Thyroid - how it can relate to overweight & obesity
11 Hidden Signs You Might Have a Thyroid Problem
Overweight & Obesity is caused by overeating and lack of exercise (walking daily one hour is good exercise).
However, some thyroid problems can add to overweight challenges, especially for losing weight.
That's because the thyroid affects the human metabolism.
It is a good idea have your primary care physician check on your thyroid.
Click green for further info
An estimated 27 million Americans are living with a thyroid condition. Fortunately, thyroid conditions are treatable; however, they can be tricky to diagnose since the symptoms tend to be subtle and can easily be mistaken for symptoms of other health issues. Here are some of the most common red flags to watch out for.
First things first: What is the thyroid?
The thyroid gland is one of several endocrine glands in the body. Endo means 'inside, within, inner".
The endocrine system is the system of glands, each of which secretes different types of hormones directly into the bloodstream or lymph
This butterfly-shaped gland is in the neck just below the larynx (voice box). Your thyroid gland makes hormones that help control the function of many of your body's organs, including your heart, brain, liver, kidneys and skin.
What is thyroid disease?
There are a variety of diseases and conditions that cause the thyroid to malfunction. Two of the most common thyroid conditions are hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism.
Hypothyroidism occurs when the thyroid gland is underactive and unable to produce enough hormones to meet the body's needs. This can occur because of a birth defect, surgical removal of the thyroid gland, an autoimmune disease, goiter or nodules.
Hyperthyroidism occurs when the thyroid gland is overactive and produces more hormones than the body can use. The autoimmune condition known as Graves' disease*) is the most common cause of hyperthyroidism. Multiple nodules, thyroiditis and excessive iodine intake can also contribute to overproduction issues.
*) Graves' disease - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graves'_disease
Graves' disease is an autoimmune disease. It most commonly affects the thyroid, frequently causing it to enlarge to twice its size or more (goiter), become ...
Symptoms and signs of Graves - Graves' ophthalmopathy - Hashitoxicosis
It is also possible to get cancer of the thyroid, as was the case for Brooke Burke-Charvet**). Although thyroid cancer rates are on the rise, it still remains one of the most treatable types of cancer.
**) Brooke Burke-Charvet on Thyroid Cancer Recovery, Hosting Miss ...
abcnews.go.com/.../
What are the symptoms of a thyroid condition?
Thyroid issues can be difficult to spot at first since many of the symptoms are also indicative of other health conditions. The symptoms of thyroid dysfunction can also vary in severity from person to person. If you have other medical conditions, symptoms associated with those conditions may be more severe due to underlying thyroid issues. The cause of thyroid disease, severity of thyroid hormone deficiency and the length of time the body has been deprived of the correct levels of hormones all affect symptom severity.
Here are some signs to look for that might indicate a thyroid condition. Many of theses signs are not signs at all and my also relate to something else - have your primary care physician checking on your challenges.
If you have been experiencing many of the above symptoms, speak with your doctor about screening your thyroid hormone levels to rule out a possible condition. Don't put off getting tested just because your symptoms seem like ''normal'' everyday ailments (fatigue, forgetfulness, etc.). With the proper care, it's completely possible to lift the fog and feel like yourself again.
Partial info below from Wikipedia- click: Thyroid - WikipediaThe thyroid gland controls how quickly the body uses energy, makes proteins, and controls how sensitive the body is to other hormones. It participates in these processes by producing thyroid hormones, the principal ones being triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine which can sometimes be referred to as tetraiodothyronine (T4). These hormones regulate the rate of metabolism and affect the growth and rate of function of many other systems in the body. T3 and T4 are synthesized from both iodine and tyrosine. The thyroid also produces calcitonin, which plays a role in calcium homeostasis.
Hormonal output from the thyroid is regulated by thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) produced by the anterior pituitary, which itself is regulated by thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) produced by the hypothalamus.
The thyroid gets its name from the Greek word for "shield", due to the shape of the related thyroid cartilage. The most common problems of the thyroid gland consist of an overactive thyroid gland, referred to as hyperthyroidism, and an underactive thyroid gland, referred to as hypothyroidism.
The thyroid gland is a butterfly-shaped organ and is composed of two cone-like lobes or wings, lobus dexter (right lobe) and lobus sinister (left lobe), connected via the isthmus. The organ is situated on the anterior side of the neck, lying against and around the larynx and trachea, reaching posteriorly the oesophagus and carotid sheath. It starts cranially at the oblique line on the thyroid cartilage (just below the laryngeal prominence, or 'Adam's Apple'), and extends inferiorly to approximately the fifth or sixth tracheal ring.[1] It is difficult to demarcate the gland's upper and lower border with vertebral levels because it moves position in relation to these during swallowing.
For further info click: Thyroid - Wikipedia
___________________________________________________
11 Hidden Signs You Might Have a Thyroid Problem
Overweight & Obesity is caused by overeating and lack of exercise (walking daily one hour is good exercise).
However, some thyroid problems can add to overweight challenges, especially for losing weight.
That's because the thyroid affects the human metabolism.
It is a good idea have your primary care physician check on your thyroid.
Click green for further info
An estimated 27 million Americans are living with a thyroid condition. Fortunately, thyroid conditions are treatable; however, they can be tricky to diagnose since the symptoms tend to be subtle and can easily be mistaken for symptoms of other health issues. Here are some of the most common red flags to watch out for.
First things first: What is the thyroid?
The thyroid gland is one of several endocrine glands in the body. Endo means 'inside, within, inner".
The endocrine system is the system of glands, each of which secretes different types of hormones directly into the bloodstream or lymph
This butterfly-shaped gland is in the neck just below the larynx (voice box). Your thyroid gland makes hormones that help control the function of many of your body's organs, including your heart, brain, liver, kidneys and skin.
What is thyroid disease?
There are a variety of diseases and conditions that cause the thyroid to malfunction. Two of the most common thyroid conditions are hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism.
Hypothyroidism occurs when the thyroid gland is underactive and unable to produce enough hormones to meet the body's needs. This can occur because of a birth defect, surgical removal of the thyroid gland, an autoimmune disease, goiter or nodules.
Hyperthyroidism occurs when the thyroid gland is overactive and produces more hormones than the body can use. The autoimmune condition known as Graves' disease*) is the most common cause of hyperthyroidism. Multiple nodules, thyroiditis and excessive iodine intake can also contribute to overproduction issues.
*) Graves' disease - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graves'_disease
Graves' disease is an autoimmune disease. It most commonly affects the thyroid, frequently causing it to enlarge to twice its size or more (goiter), become ...
Symptoms and signs of Graves - Graves' ophthalmopathy - Hashitoxicosis
It is also possible to get cancer of the thyroid, as was the case for Brooke Burke-Charvet**). Although thyroid cancer rates are on the rise, it still remains one of the most treatable types of cancer.
**) Brooke Burke-Charvet on Thyroid Cancer Recovery, Hosting Miss ...
abcnews.go.com/.../
What are the symptoms of a thyroid condition?
Thyroid issues can be difficult to spot at first since many of the symptoms are also indicative of other health conditions. The symptoms of thyroid dysfunction can also vary in severity from person to person. If you have other medical conditions, symptoms associated with those conditions may be more severe due to underlying thyroid issues. The cause of thyroid disease, severity of thyroid hormone deficiency and the length of time the body has been deprived of the correct levels of hormones all affect symptom severity.
Here are some signs to look for that might indicate a thyroid condition. Many of theses signs are not signs at all and my also relate to something else - have your primary care physician checking on your challenges.
- Feeling run down, exhausted, drowsy and/or fatigued, even with proper rest
- Feelings of depression or lack of interest in things previously enjoyed
- Increased and/or heavier menstrual periods, PMS, fertility/miscarriage issues
- Constipation, even with adequate fiber intake
- Forgetfulness, difficulty concentrating, difficulty learning or feeling like you are in a ''fog''
- Unexplained weight gain beyond a few pounds, increased fluid retention and/or puffy face
- Dry and/or itchy skin, even with regular moisturizer use.
- Dry, brittle nails and hair (with or without thinning)
- Hoarse voice and/or difficulty swallowing
- Intolerance to cold, especially in extremities such as fingers and toes
- Muscle cramps
If you have been experiencing many of the above symptoms, speak with your doctor about screening your thyroid hormone levels to rule out a possible condition. Don't put off getting tested just because your symptoms seem like ''normal'' everyday ailments (fatigue, forgetfulness, etc.). With the proper care, it's completely possible to lift the fog and feel like yourself again.
Partial info below from Wikipedia- click: Thyroid - WikipediaThe thyroid gland controls how quickly the body uses energy, makes proteins, and controls how sensitive the body is to other hormones. It participates in these processes by producing thyroid hormones, the principal ones being triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine which can sometimes be referred to as tetraiodothyronine (T4). These hormones regulate the rate of metabolism and affect the growth and rate of function of many other systems in the body. T3 and T4 are synthesized from both iodine and tyrosine. The thyroid also produces calcitonin, which plays a role in calcium homeostasis.
Hormonal output from the thyroid is regulated by thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) produced by the anterior pituitary, which itself is regulated by thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) produced by the hypothalamus.
The thyroid gets its name from the Greek word for "shield", due to the shape of the related thyroid cartilage. The most common problems of the thyroid gland consist of an overactive thyroid gland, referred to as hyperthyroidism, and an underactive thyroid gland, referred to as hypothyroidism.
The thyroid gland is a butterfly-shaped organ and is composed of two cone-like lobes or wings, lobus dexter (right lobe) and lobus sinister (left lobe), connected via the isthmus. The organ is situated on the anterior side of the neck, lying against and around the larynx and trachea, reaching posteriorly the oesophagus and carotid sheath. It starts cranially at the oblique line on the thyroid cartilage (just below the laryngeal prominence, or 'Adam's Apple'), and extends inferiorly to approximately the fifth or sixth tracheal ring.[1] It is difficult to demarcate the gland's upper and lower border with vertebral levels because it moves position in relation to these during swallowing.
For further info click: Thyroid - Wikipedia
___________________________________________________
Important information
THIS CONTENT IS COPYRIGHT PROTECTED
Date: February 2013
However, if you would like to share the information in this article,
you may use the headline, summary and link below:
Click green to connect Date: February 2013
Mediterranean diet cuts heart disease risk by 30%: 'Landmark’ study provides compelling evidence that it’s the type, not the level of fat, that counts for cardio health
People following an energy unrestricted plant-based diet supplemented with extra-virgin olive oil or nuts can reduce their risk of a major cardiovascular event by 30% compared with people following a purely low-fat diet, according to a “landmark” new study.
http://www.foodnavigator-usa.com/Science/Mediterranean-diet-cuts-heart-disease-risk-by-30-Landmark-study-provides-compelling-evidence-that-it-s-the-type-not-the-level-of-fat-that-counts-for-cardio-health
______________________________________________
Study also the article just below
____________
Mediterranean Diet &
5 More Ways to Protect Your Heart
Study also the article just above this article
Click green for further info
As American Heart Health Month February comes to a close, I wanted to take some time to talk about prevention.
We actually know a lot about preventing heart disease, and there are easy things you can do right now to lower your risk.
First, know your family history. Did your father or brother have a heart attack before they were 55? Did your mother or sister have one before they were 65? If so, you already have a higher risk of developing heart disease, and need to pay particular attention to your other risk factors.
And even without a family history of heart disease, you aren't off the hook. Here are some things you can and should do right now to protect your heart:
If you're a smoker, stop. It's hard to do on your own, so get some help by calling the quit line: 1-800-QUIT-NOW. They can help you get nicotine replacement therapy.
If you have high blood pressure, diabetes, or high cholesterol, take steps to control them.
If you aren't getting any exercise, look at ways to move. Even 15 minutes a day can make a difference. Start with something easy, something you enjoy and build from there.
And if you're overweight or obese, try to lose weight. Again, start with small changes that you can live with, so you'll experience success. Slow and steady is the way to go. I like to recommend ditching sodas and other sweetened drinks as a great first step.
I used to stop there with my recommendations. But this week, a new study really caught my eye, and I think I'll add one more tip to the list.
It was a Spanish study, designed to test whether the Mediterranean diet could prevent heart attacks, strokes or deaths from cardiovascular disease in people at high risk. And what the researchers found was exciting.
Compared to men and women following a low fat diet, those following the Mediterranean dietsupplemented with extra virgin olive oil or nuts had a 30 percent reduction in heart disease risk. That's pretty incredible. Statins, which many view as blockbuster anti-cholesterol drugs, only reduce risk by 25 percent.
The Mediterranean diet stresses eating plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, legumes like chickpeas, beans and lentils, whole grains, and lean protein sources like fish and chicken. In this particular study, there was a big focus on consuming olive oil and nuts. And when I say consuming, I mean really eating a lot!
Click here for Mediterranean diet recipes.
For olive oil, the study suggests eating 4 tablespoons per day. For nuts, it said to eat as many walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts as you want - at least three handfuls per week. For those who drink alcohol, you can have a glass of wine with dinner. But ditch the sodas, baked goods, spreadable fats like butter and margarine, and red and processed meats.
As with any study, it would be great to see it repeated elsewhere to make sure the findings hold up. It was conducted in Spain, where the average diet is very different from that of a typical American. The participants were also given free olive oil or nuts, and received nutritional counseling every three months - an impossible feat in the greater population. I'd also like to see the study done in people at lower risk of heart disease.
But what I love about this study is that recommends something that's quite easy to live with. The dietary changes in this study had nothing to do with trying to lose weight; they simply aimed to boost health by changing the foods that you eat. Nothing was forbidden - foods were either encouraged or discouraged - and you don't need a scale and a degree in food science to give it a try.
So in honor of American Heart Health month, go for a brisk walk and think about a couple things you can do to help keep your heart healthy. It's easy!
Source: "Tell Me the Truth, Doctor" is a weekly column written by ABC News' chief health and medical editor Dr. Richard Besser. Look for Dr. Besser's book April 23, 2013
STAF, Inc. recommends Dr. Besser's book - buy it, study & apply the information well for your health.
Added by STAF, Inc.:
STAF, Inc.'s private services has a Stop Smoking Program - it is guaranteed: a lifetime result guarantee with a one-time fee - no one anywhere dares giving a similar double guarantee.
Similar guarantee is given totally to 10 private services at STAF, Inc.'s private service department.
Services given in STAF, Inc.'s physical office (call for worldwide locations ) or with the modern technology via the internet (also double-guaranteed). The 10 private double-guaranteed services are listed in this website.
____________________________________
5 More Ways to Protect Your Heart
Study also the article just above this article
Click green for further info
As American Heart Health Month February comes to a close, I wanted to take some time to talk about prevention.
We actually know a lot about preventing heart disease, and there are easy things you can do right now to lower your risk.
First, know your family history. Did your father or brother have a heart attack before they were 55? Did your mother or sister have one before they were 65? If so, you already have a higher risk of developing heart disease, and need to pay particular attention to your other risk factors.
And even without a family history of heart disease, you aren't off the hook. Here are some things you can and should do right now to protect your heart:
If you're a smoker, stop. It's hard to do on your own, so get some help by calling the quit line: 1-800-QUIT-NOW. They can help you get nicotine replacement therapy.
If you have high blood pressure, diabetes, or high cholesterol, take steps to control them.
If you aren't getting any exercise, look at ways to move. Even 15 minutes a day can make a difference. Start with something easy, something you enjoy and build from there.
And if you're overweight or obese, try to lose weight. Again, start with small changes that you can live with, so you'll experience success. Slow and steady is the way to go. I like to recommend ditching sodas and other sweetened drinks as a great first step.
I used to stop there with my recommendations. But this week, a new study really caught my eye, and I think I'll add one more tip to the list.
It was a Spanish study, designed to test whether the Mediterranean diet could prevent heart attacks, strokes or deaths from cardiovascular disease in people at high risk. And what the researchers found was exciting.
Compared to men and women following a low fat diet, those following the Mediterranean dietsupplemented with extra virgin olive oil or nuts had a 30 percent reduction in heart disease risk. That's pretty incredible. Statins, which many view as blockbuster anti-cholesterol drugs, only reduce risk by 25 percent.
The Mediterranean diet stresses eating plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, legumes like chickpeas, beans and lentils, whole grains, and lean protein sources like fish and chicken. In this particular study, there was a big focus on consuming olive oil and nuts. And when I say consuming, I mean really eating a lot!
Click here for Mediterranean diet recipes.
For olive oil, the study suggests eating 4 tablespoons per day. For nuts, it said to eat as many walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts as you want - at least three handfuls per week. For those who drink alcohol, you can have a glass of wine with dinner. But ditch the sodas, baked goods, spreadable fats like butter and margarine, and red and processed meats.
As with any study, it would be great to see it repeated elsewhere to make sure the findings hold up. It was conducted in Spain, where the average diet is very different from that of a typical American. The participants were also given free olive oil or nuts, and received nutritional counseling every three months - an impossible feat in the greater population. I'd also like to see the study done in people at lower risk of heart disease.
But what I love about this study is that recommends something that's quite easy to live with. The dietary changes in this study had nothing to do with trying to lose weight; they simply aimed to boost health by changing the foods that you eat. Nothing was forbidden - foods were either encouraged or discouraged - and you don't need a scale and a degree in food science to give it a try.
So in honor of American Heart Health month, go for a brisk walk and think about a couple things you can do to help keep your heart healthy. It's easy!
Source: "Tell Me the Truth, Doctor" is a weekly column written by ABC News' chief health and medical editor Dr. Richard Besser. Look for Dr. Besser's book April 23, 2013
STAF, Inc. recommends Dr. Besser's book - buy it, study & apply the information well for your health.
Added by STAF, Inc.:
STAF, Inc.'s private services has a Stop Smoking Program - it is guaranteed: a lifetime result guarantee with a one-time fee - no one anywhere dares giving a similar double guarantee.
Similar guarantee is given totally to 10 private services at STAF, Inc.'s private service department.
Services given in STAF, Inc.'s physical office (call for worldwide locations ) or with the modern technology via the internet (also double-guaranteed). The 10 private double-guaranteed services are listed in this website.
____________________________________
Apples can prevent several of the most fatal diseases
Before eating apples wash them with soap & brush to get out the pesticides - then eat them with their peel
The peel is one of the most nutritious part - If you eat organic apples, still wash them with soap & brush
One of the simple joys of living in Tasmania, or the “Apple Isle” as it is known, is stopping at a roadside stall to buy ripe local apples. New-season apples are tart and crisp. As the season wears on, farmers sell apples that are sweet, juicy, and full-flavored.
There is no tropical fruit grown in this cold climate, and mangos have traveled more food miles than locally grown fruit, so instead I opt for a pink lady, red gala, or the occasional golden delicious.
I loved munching on apples when I was a child, and nothing has changed. That’s why I was excited to read about a study in Australia called the “Apple Report.” The report is a review of the scientific research published over the past 10 years, which confirms the science of why we say, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away.”
In the supermarket, the apple is often overshadowed by the many proclaimed “super foods” now competing for the spotlight with their tell-all packaging. Yet according to the “Apple Report,” the humble apple rates highly for its nutritional value and is the only food identified to reduce the risk of two of the largest causes of death in Australia and North America—heart disease and cancer.
“Apple Report” author Shane Landon says that apples are naturally rich in nutrients, unlike many processed foods.
“We often hear about new foods hitting the supermarket shelves that have had this or that nutrient added to them during processing, but apples are a natural nutrition powerhouse” he says.
In the “Apple Report,” scientific findings also conclude that when apples are eaten regularly, they can protect the body from asthma and Type 2 diabetes and can even help with weight loss. Apples are an excellent sweet snack since they are high in soluble fiber and contain about 95 calories.
Presently, everyone’s talking about the preventative effect of antioxidants. Apples contain high levels of antioxidants. Depending on the variety, they measure an ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity) value of around 3,000 to 6,000 TE (Trolox Equivalents, a baseline for comparing antioxidants) per 100 grams of fruit, which is high compared to some other fruits.
And like many fruits, apples contain vitamin C, which supports the immune system.
For those who relish apples as I do, without giving a thought to how they could actually be doing justice to their health, now they can enjoy apples even more. With the variety and quality of apples available, there is no reason why we all can’t enjoy an apple a day, and for the price, the common apple delivers.
“The research is compelling and the health message is simple—we must get back to basics. An apple a day is a very good start,” Landon says.
Choose apples that have a firm texture. The skin should look fresh and bright. Always wash them under running water, as the skin may contain pesticide or fungicide residues. Apples can be kept fresh in the fridge for up to three weeks.
Favorite Apple Varieties
Gala. Galas are sweet and juicy with brilliant, rosy-red skin. They have firm and crisp flesh. If you bake, they are best in pies for an occasional homemade dessert.
Granny Smith. Crisp, juicy with green skin, this variety has a sweetly tart flesh that is excellent for eating out of hand and in salads and is also popular for cooking.
Pink Lady. This variety is a beautiful ornamental apple ranging from brilliant red to yellow with red and pink blushing. The flesh is sweet-tart and is good for eating out of hand or cooking.
Golden Delicious. These apples are wonderfully crisp with a creamy white flesh that is sweet, tasty, and juicy.
Fuji. Fuji apples are large, with a honey-sweet taste. The flesh is firm-textured, crisp, and juicy. Many consider the Fuji to be the perfect eating apple; Fuji has a high sugar content, making it good for cooking since will retain its shape. Fuji originated in Japan.
There are many more - about 600 types of apples - the list above has some of the most favorite apples
___________________________________________________
Before eating apples wash them with soap & brush to get out the pesticides - then eat them with their peel
The peel is one of the most nutritious part - If you eat organic apples, still wash them with soap & brush
One of the simple joys of living in Tasmania, or the “Apple Isle” as it is known, is stopping at a roadside stall to buy ripe local apples. New-season apples are tart and crisp. As the season wears on, farmers sell apples that are sweet, juicy, and full-flavored.
There is no tropical fruit grown in this cold climate, and mangos have traveled more food miles than locally grown fruit, so instead I opt for a pink lady, red gala, or the occasional golden delicious.
I loved munching on apples when I was a child, and nothing has changed. That’s why I was excited to read about a study in Australia called the “Apple Report.” The report is a review of the scientific research published over the past 10 years, which confirms the science of why we say, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away.”
In the supermarket, the apple is often overshadowed by the many proclaimed “super foods” now competing for the spotlight with their tell-all packaging. Yet according to the “Apple Report,” the humble apple rates highly for its nutritional value and is the only food identified to reduce the risk of two of the largest causes of death in Australia and North America—heart disease and cancer.
“Apple Report” author Shane Landon says that apples are naturally rich in nutrients, unlike many processed foods.
“We often hear about new foods hitting the supermarket shelves that have had this or that nutrient added to them during processing, but apples are a natural nutrition powerhouse” he says.
In the “Apple Report,” scientific findings also conclude that when apples are eaten regularly, they can protect the body from asthma and Type 2 diabetes and can even help with weight loss. Apples are an excellent sweet snack since they are high in soluble fiber and contain about 95 calories.
Presently, everyone’s talking about the preventative effect of antioxidants. Apples contain high levels of antioxidants. Depending on the variety, they measure an ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity) value of around 3,000 to 6,000 TE (Trolox Equivalents, a baseline for comparing antioxidants) per 100 grams of fruit, which is high compared to some other fruits.
And like many fruits, apples contain vitamin C, which supports the immune system.
For those who relish apples as I do, without giving a thought to how they could actually be doing justice to their health, now they can enjoy apples even more. With the variety and quality of apples available, there is no reason why we all can’t enjoy an apple a day, and for the price, the common apple delivers.
“The research is compelling and the health message is simple—we must get back to basics. An apple a day is a very good start,” Landon says.
Choose apples that have a firm texture. The skin should look fresh and bright. Always wash them under running water, as the skin may contain pesticide or fungicide residues. Apples can be kept fresh in the fridge for up to three weeks.
Favorite Apple Varieties
Gala. Galas are sweet and juicy with brilliant, rosy-red skin. They have firm and crisp flesh. If you bake, they are best in pies for an occasional homemade dessert.
Granny Smith. Crisp, juicy with green skin, this variety has a sweetly tart flesh that is excellent for eating out of hand and in salads and is also popular for cooking.
Pink Lady. This variety is a beautiful ornamental apple ranging from brilliant red to yellow with red and pink blushing. The flesh is sweet-tart and is good for eating out of hand or cooking.
Golden Delicious. These apples are wonderfully crisp with a creamy white flesh that is sweet, tasty, and juicy.
Fuji. Fuji apples are large, with a honey-sweet taste. The flesh is firm-textured, crisp, and juicy. Many consider the Fuji to be the perfect eating apple; Fuji has a high sugar content, making it good for cooking since will retain its shape. Fuji originated in Japan.
There are many more - about 600 types of apples - the list above has some of the most favorite apples
___________________________________________________
GMO Foods May Alter Healthy Organ Function
Click green for furthe info
GMO = Genetically modified organism - Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaen.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genetically_modified_organism
A genetically modified organism (GMO) is an organism whose genetic material has been altered using genetic engineering techniques. Organisms that have ...
Genetically modified food - GloFish - Detection of genetically
_______________
Based on a recent Chinese study, we are all probably partly rice, but are we also partly insecticide or herbicide from genetically modified plants?
Mike Adams, the “Health Ranger,” brought this possibility to the public eye in his video “How GMO Foods Alter Organ Function and Pose a Very Real Health Threat to Humans.” TV.naturalnews.com.
Chinese cell researchers have found that plant microRNA from rice and other vegetables are directly absorbed into the bloodstream of mammals without being broken down by digestion. RNA, like DNA, carries genetic information. MicroRNA or miRNA is a short RNA molecule that can suppress gene activity.
Through a series of trials, it was found that a certain plant miRNA from rice arrives intact to the liver cells of mammals, where it inhibits the removal of LDL from the blood.
LDL = the "bad cholsterol" Low-density lipoprotein - Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaen.wikipedia.org/wiki/Low-density_lipoprotein
4 Estimation of LDL particles via cholesterol content. 4.1 Normal ... [edit] Testing. Blood tests typically report LDL-C, the amount of cholesterol contained in LDL.
COMPARE: HDL - see at the end of this article
Through a series of trials, it was found that a certain plant miRNA from rice arrives intact to the liver cells of mammals, where it inhibits the removal of LDL from the blood. LDL is the type of cholesterol that coats the arteries.
Those mice eating the rice diet had their blood LDL rise significantly within a few hours. After three days of the rice diet, LDL was raised but HDL and triglyceride levels were unchanged.
Healthy Chinese people were also part of the study. When their blood was analyzed, it also contained rice miRNA.
Ten plant miRNAs were found in the blood of Chinese subjects, mice, rats, horses, sheep, and calves. Rice miRNA was found not only in the liver, but the lungs, spleen, kidneys, stomach, and brain. However, the effects, if any, on these other organs was not addressed.
The researchers wrote: “To our knowledge, this is the first report indicating that nucleotides, miRNAs, with complete functional structure are resistant to digestion in the GI tract and can be delivered intact to other tissues.
“In this sense, miRNAs may represent a novel class of universal modulators that play an important role in mediating animal-plant interactions at the molecular level.” The study appeared online in Cell Research, September 2011.
The question arises: Could miRNAs also make a critical contribution to destroying the body’s structure and function? In the case of genetically modified plants that have only been with us since the 1990s, the effects of the new miRNAs that could attach to our organs are unknown.
According to the study’s introduction, miRNAs have the ability “to modulate various critical biological processes, including differentiation*), apoptosis, [cell destruction] proliferation*), the immune response, and the maintenance of cell and tissue identity.” *) = see the end of this article
Adams pointed out that Monsanto states on its website: “There is no need for, or value in testing the safety of GM foods in humans. So long as the introduced protein is determined safe, food from GM crops determined to be substantially equivalent is not expected to pose any health risks.”
“So long as the introduced protein is determined safe” is contradicted by the research of Dr. Arpad Putzai, of the Rowlett Institute, who was given a grant by the U.K. to devise a protocol to investigate the safety of GM foods.
Dr. Putzai chose the foreign gene in a GM potato that he had worked with before and which produces an insecticidal protein that is harmless to mammals.
Three variations of potato were fed to three groups of rats: the plain potato, a potato injected with the insecticide, and a GM potato injected with the gene from the insecticide. The rats given the first two types of potato were fine. The rats given the GM potatoes had almost all their organs and their immune systems adversely affected after only 10 days.
Previously, rats that had been given 700 times the amount of insecticide found in the GM potatoes had not been affected, so Dr. Putzai concluded that GM foods need more safety studies.
Dr. Putzai had a brief moment of being in the spotlight after an interview on the air Aug. 10, 1998, but on Aug. 12, 1998, he was fired from his 35-year position and his team was disbanded.
Seven months later, Parliament invited Dr. Putzai to testify, whereupon the media again reported the dangers of untested GM foods. This time, the biotech industry could not squelch public sentiment.
As a result, major food companies in Europe eliminated GM foods from their products because they did not want their foods labeled as GM.
- HDL Cholesterol: “The Good Cholesterol”www.webmd.com/cholesterol.../hdl-cholesterol-the-good-cholesterol - HDL = high-density lipoprotein = the good cholesterol
HDL cholesterol is the well-behaved "good cholesterol." This friendly scavenger cruises the bloodstream. As it does, it removes harmful bad ... - HDL cholesterol: How to boost your "good" cholesterol - Mayo Clinicwww.mayoclinic.com › ... › High cholesterol › In-Depth
A high HDL cholesterol level helps fight heart disease. Here's how to raise your HDL. - High-density lipoprotein - Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaen.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-density_lipoprotein
HDL transports cholesterol mostly to the liver or steroidogenic organs such as adrenals, ovary, and testes by direct and indirect pathways. HDL is removed by ... - What Your Cholesterol Levels Meanwww.heart.org/.../Cholesterol/AboutCholesterol/What-Your-Choleste...
– What are bad cholesterol levels? The American Heart Association explains healthy cholesterol levels and what your HDL cholesterol level, LDL ... - 8 Ways to Raise Good (HDL) Cholesterol - Improve Your ... - RealAgewww.realage.com/womens-health.../hdl-cholesterol-8-ways-to-raise-h...
Learn how the good kind of cholesterol (HDL) lowers the bad kind (LDL).
4 Estimation of LDL particles via cholesterol content. 4.1 Normal ... [edit] Testing. Blood tests typically report LDL-C, the amount of cholesterol contained in LDL.
___________________________________Cellular differentiation - Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaen.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cellular_differentiation
In developmental biology, cellular differentiation is the process by which a less specialized cell becomes a more specialized cell type. Differentiation occurs ...
Mammalian cell types - Dedifferentiation - Mechanisms - Nuclear Scaffolding Model
Click green for further info
Apoptosis - Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaen.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apoptosis
Unlike necrosis, apoptosis produces cell fragments called apoptotic bodies that ... an insufficient amount results in uncontrolled cell proliferation, such as cancer. ________________________________
Non-Browning GM Apple Worries BC Fruit Growers
Province should be kept free of GM fruit, say the apple growers
GM = genetically modified
STAF, Inc.'s advice is: avoid all GM fruit, GM vegetable, anything GM - European Union does NOT allow any GM products
A biotech company’s bid to market a genetically modified apple that doesn’t brown when sliced is prompting concern among conventional and organic fruit growers in B.C.’s Okanagan ( in Canada, British Columbia).
Last month, Okanagan Specialty Fruits (OSF) submitted a request to Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency for approval of its Arctic Apple, which has been genetically engineered to keep its colour when cut.
There are certain foods that are considered to be pure and one of them is apples. We don’t want to put that at risk. Glen Lucas, BC Fruit Growers’ Association
Glen Lucas, general manager of the BC Fruit Growers’ Association, says if approved, the GM fruit could be devastating for both conventional and organic apple growers.
“There are certain foods that are considered to be pure and one of them is apples,” he says. “We don’t want to put that at risk.”
He notes that consumer backlash to the apple could damage market share for conventional growers. Organic farmers are particularly concerned because if their apples are contaminated by the GM variety, such as through pollen transferred by bees, they could lose their organic certification.
“We would like the government to provide assurance and indemnity or a guarantee that there would not be a market impact from introducing this new technology,” Lucas says.
“We have not, in our view, received adequate assurances that organic producers would not be impacted, or if they are impacted, be compensated by government.”
The Arctic Apple is primarily designed for fast food restaurants and other food service companies that use pre-cut apples.
A biotech company’s bid to market a genetically modified apple that doesn’t brown when sliced is prompting concern among conventional and organic fruit growers in B.C.’s Okanagan. (Cat Rooney/The Epoch Times)
The technology was first developed in Australia and later licensed by Okanagan Specialty Fruits, which says the non-browning fruit can be beneficial to producers, retailers, and consumers due to its longevity.
Although resistance among consumers to GM foods remains high, OSF says each Arctic Apple will be labelled so that consumers can distinguish it as a GM product.
OSF also maintains the likelihood of other apple orchards becoming contaminated is “inherently very low,” according to its website.
“Apples aren’t like row crops. First, apple trees aren’t “weedy”—that is, they don’t tend to escape farms and grow in the wild like some other crops. Second, apple blossoms are pollinated by bees, not by the wind. So the risk of “gene flow” by traveling pollen is inherently very low for apples compared to other crops,” the website reads.
“On the outside chance that cross-pollination with Arctic Apples does occur, genes from the Arctic Apple parent will be present only in some of the resulting apples’ seeds—not in the fruits’ skin or flesh.”
Rigorous Testing
OSF president Neal Carter, a fruit grower with a background in bioresource engineering, has said the fruit is among “the most tested apples on the planet.”
But Lucas says this does little to comfort apple growers who are worried about seed contamination and losing their organic certification.
“What happens if their seed is contaminated? And what level of contamination puts the [organic] certification at risk? That’s the open question,” he says, adding that organic farmers may have to bear extra costs to test their seeds for GM contamination.
Last week, the New Democrats called on the provincial government to defend the B.C. fruit industry by working with the federal government to keep the province free of genetically modified fruit.
“The B.C. tree fruit industry produces healthy products that are world famous for flavour and purity. Growers are concerned that this marketing advantage will be undermined if the introduction of genetically modified fruit is allowed to go forward,” said Lana Popham, New Democrat critic for agriculture.
Last year, the BC Fruit Growers’ Association passed a resolution against the introduction of all GM fruit, stating concerns about consumer backlash and the difficulty of protecting organic growers from contamination.
OSF applied for approval of the new apple from the U.S. Department of Agriculture in 2010. The apple has not yet been approved anywhere in the world.
Related Articles
Carter told industry publication The Packer that a decision on the apple in the U.S. could take place within the year.
He said that in Canada, there will be a public comment period on the company’s request for approval to the CFIA through mid-June.
_____________________________________________________
Province should be kept free of GM fruit, say the apple growers
GM = genetically modified
STAF, Inc.'s advice is: avoid all GM fruit, GM vegetable, anything GM - European Union does NOT allow any GM products
A biotech company’s bid to market a genetically modified apple that doesn’t brown when sliced is prompting concern among conventional and organic fruit growers in B.C.’s Okanagan ( in Canada, British Columbia).
Last month, Okanagan Specialty Fruits (OSF) submitted a request to Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency for approval of its Arctic Apple, which has been genetically engineered to keep its colour when cut.
There are certain foods that are considered to be pure and one of them is apples. We don’t want to put that at risk. Glen Lucas, BC Fruit Growers’ Association
Glen Lucas, general manager of the BC Fruit Growers’ Association, says if approved, the GM fruit could be devastating for both conventional and organic apple growers.
“There are certain foods that are considered to be pure and one of them is apples,” he says. “We don’t want to put that at risk.”
He notes that consumer backlash to the apple could damage market share for conventional growers. Organic farmers are particularly concerned because if their apples are contaminated by the GM variety, such as through pollen transferred by bees, they could lose their organic certification.
“We would like the government to provide assurance and indemnity or a guarantee that there would not be a market impact from introducing this new technology,” Lucas says.
“We have not, in our view, received adequate assurances that organic producers would not be impacted, or if they are impacted, be compensated by government.”
The Arctic Apple is primarily designed for fast food restaurants and other food service companies that use pre-cut apples.
A biotech company’s bid to market a genetically modified apple that doesn’t brown when sliced is prompting concern among conventional and organic fruit growers in B.C.’s Okanagan. (Cat Rooney/The Epoch Times)
The technology was first developed in Australia and later licensed by Okanagan Specialty Fruits, which says the non-browning fruit can be beneficial to producers, retailers, and consumers due to its longevity.
Although resistance among consumers to GM foods remains high, OSF says each Arctic Apple will be labelled so that consumers can distinguish it as a GM product.
OSF also maintains the likelihood of other apple orchards becoming contaminated is “inherently very low,” according to its website.
“Apples aren’t like row crops. First, apple trees aren’t “weedy”—that is, they don’t tend to escape farms and grow in the wild like some other crops. Second, apple blossoms are pollinated by bees, not by the wind. So the risk of “gene flow” by traveling pollen is inherently very low for apples compared to other crops,” the website reads.
“On the outside chance that cross-pollination with Arctic Apples does occur, genes from the Arctic Apple parent will be present only in some of the resulting apples’ seeds—not in the fruits’ skin or flesh.”
Rigorous Testing
OSF president Neal Carter, a fruit grower with a background in bioresource engineering, has said the fruit is among “the most tested apples on the planet.”
But Lucas says this does little to comfort apple growers who are worried about seed contamination and losing their organic certification.
“What happens if their seed is contaminated? And what level of contamination puts the [organic] certification at risk? That’s the open question,” he says, adding that organic farmers may have to bear extra costs to test their seeds for GM contamination.
Last week, the New Democrats called on the provincial government to defend the B.C. fruit industry by working with the federal government to keep the province free of genetically modified fruit.
“The B.C. tree fruit industry produces healthy products that are world famous for flavour and purity. Growers are concerned that this marketing advantage will be undermined if the introduction of genetically modified fruit is allowed to go forward,” said Lana Popham, New Democrat critic for agriculture.
Last year, the BC Fruit Growers’ Association passed a resolution against the introduction of all GM fruit, stating concerns about consumer backlash and the difficulty of protecting organic growers from contamination.
OSF applied for approval of the new apple from the U.S. Department of Agriculture in 2010. The apple has not yet been approved anywhere in the world.
Related Articles
- GMO Foods May Alter Healthy Organ Function (see the article below)
Carter told industry publication The Packer that a decision on the apple in the U.S. could take place within the year.
He said that in Canada, there will be a public comment period on the company’s request for approval to the CFIA through mid-June.
_____________________________________________________
Urgent info to every parent
The disease type 1 diabetes is usually fatal if left untreated
Type 1 diabetes rising in kids
under 5 years old
Stop feeding your child with processed and fast food - all bad with health danger
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Cases of insulin-requiring type 1 diabetes rose sharply in children under the age of five in Philadelphia over a two-decade span - similar to increases seen across the U.S. and Europe, according to new research.
"Why are we seeing this large increase in type 1 diabetes in very young children? Unfortunately, the answer is we don't know," said lead study author Terri Lipman, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing.
In research published in Diabetes Care, Lipman and her colleagues updated a registry started in 1985 of Philadelphia children diagnosed with type 1 diabetes.
By 2004, cases in children under the age of five increased by 70 percent as the number of diagnosed cases among all kids up to age 14 rose by 29 percent.
In 1985, 13.4 out of every 100,000 children in Philadelphia was newly diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, and in 2004, the rate was 17.2 cases per 100,000.
Hispanic children had the highest diabetes rates across all ages whereas cases in black children aged 4 and under, which had historically been very low, rose by 200 percent over the past two decades. Cases among white kids under 4 rose by 48 percent in 2000-2004, however, making theirs the fastest recent increase.
Of the two most common forms of diabetes, type 2 typically affects adults who can still produce insulin, but whose bodies cannot use the hormone to regulate blood sugar. Type 1, previously known as juvenile diabetes, typically strikes children whose immune systems have killed off insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. The disease is usually fatal if left untreated.
Type 1 diabetics must take insulin but many type 2 diabetics can control the disease with medications, diet and exercise.
Type 1 diabetes tends to start in adolescence, but especially in light of the rising number of cases in very young children, experts said parents need to be aware that toddlers and preschoolers are also susceptible.
Children from Chicago to Colorado to Finland have similarly increased rates of type 1 diabetes, though the cause eludes researchers.
"This younger group is a mystery," said Dr. Carol Levy, a type 1 diabetes specialist at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York who was not involved in the new study. "Make sure your child has a healthy lifestyle and maintains normal body weight; whether that's a guarantee we're going to reduce risk, we don't know at this point."
Several theories vie to explain the recent rise in diabetes among youth, including vitamin D deficiencies, lack of breastfeeding and overly-hygienic environments that might cause the immune system to backfire.
"The data is controversial so that's why I'm certainly very reluctant to propose a theory when nothing has been proven," Lipman told Reuters Health.
"The take home message is not to be alarmist. These data confirm what has been reported worldwide and in other parts of the United States," said Dr. Lori Laffel, of the Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston, who was not involved in the study.
"It is important to be aware of the symptoms of diabetes," Laffel told Reuters Health. Symptoms can include extreme thirst, bed wetting or accidents in toilet-trained children or excessively wet diapers in babies, she said.
By the time the disease gets diagnosed, many infants and toddlers are very sick and the degree of illness tends to be more severe the younger the patient, experts noted.
"The young child isn't able to talk about symptoms," Laffel said. "A young child may be in diapers, you may not notice because diapers are often wet."
________________________________________
The disease type 1 diabetes is usually fatal if left untreated
Type 1 diabetes rising in kids
under 5 years old
Stop feeding your child with processed and fast food - all bad with health danger
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Cases of insulin-requiring type 1 diabetes rose sharply in children under the age of five in Philadelphia over a two-decade span - similar to increases seen across the U.S. and Europe, according to new research.
"Why are we seeing this large increase in type 1 diabetes in very young children? Unfortunately, the answer is we don't know," said lead study author Terri Lipman, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing.
In research published in Diabetes Care, Lipman and her colleagues updated a registry started in 1985 of Philadelphia children diagnosed with type 1 diabetes.
By 2004, cases in children under the age of five increased by 70 percent as the number of diagnosed cases among all kids up to age 14 rose by 29 percent.
In 1985, 13.4 out of every 100,000 children in Philadelphia was newly diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, and in 2004, the rate was 17.2 cases per 100,000.
Hispanic children had the highest diabetes rates across all ages whereas cases in black children aged 4 and under, which had historically been very low, rose by 200 percent over the past two decades. Cases among white kids under 4 rose by 48 percent in 2000-2004, however, making theirs the fastest recent increase.
Of the two most common forms of diabetes, type 2 typically affects adults who can still produce insulin, but whose bodies cannot use the hormone to regulate blood sugar. Type 1, previously known as juvenile diabetes, typically strikes children whose immune systems have killed off insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. The disease is usually fatal if left untreated.
Type 1 diabetics must take insulin but many type 2 diabetics can control the disease with medications, diet and exercise.
Type 1 diabetes tends to start in adolescence, but especially in light of the rising number of cases in very young children, experts said parents need to be aware that toddlers and preschoolers are also susceptible.
Children from Chicago to Colorado to Finland have similarly increased rates of type 1 diabetes, though the cause eludes researchers.
"This younger group is a mystery," said Dr. Carol Levy, a type 1 diabetes specialist at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York who was not involved in the new study. "Make sure your child has a healthy lifestyle and maintains normal body weight; whether that's a guarantee we're going to reduce risk, we don't know at this point."
Several theories vie to explain the recent rise in diabetes among youth, including vitamin D deficiencies, lack of breastfeeding and overly-hygienic environments that might cause the immune system to backfire.
"The data is controversial so that's why I'm certainly very reluctant to propose a theory when nothing has been proven," Lipman told Reuters Health.
"The take home message is not to be alarmist. These data confirm what has been reported worldwide and in other parts of the United States," said Dr. Lori Laffel, of the Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston, who was not involved in the study.
"It is important to be aware of the symptoms of diabetes," Laffel told Reuters Health. Symptoms can include extreme thirst, bed wetting or accidents in toilet-trained children or excessively wet diapers in babies, she said.
By the time the disease gets diagnosed, many infants and toddlers are very sick and the degree of illness tends to be more severe the younger the patient, experts noted.
"The young child isn't able to talk about symptoms," Laffel said. "A young child may be in diapers, you may not notice because diapers are often wet."
________________________________________
?
Could an earlier lunch or dinner help you lose weight?
STAF, Inc.'s answer is clear. Yes - you can and will. The reason is in the human circadian rhythms
(Links to circadian rhythms info below)
Want to lose weight?
Eating lunch & dinner earlier rather than later will help you out
Dieters who ate early lunches tended to lose more weight than those who had their midday meal on the later side, according to a Spanish study published in the International Journal of Obesity.
The finding doesn't prove that bumping up your lunch hour will help you shed that extra weight, but it is possible that eating times play a role in how the body regulates its weight, researchers said.
"We should now seriously start to consider the timing of food - not just what we eat, but also when we eat," said study co-author Frank Scheer, from Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston.
His group's research included 420 people attending nutrition clinics in southeast Spain. Along with going to regular group therapy sessions with nutrition and exercise counseling, dieters measured, weighed and recorded their food and reported on their daily physical activity.
Study participants were on a so-called Mediterranean diet, in which about 40% of each day's calories are consumed at lunch. About half of the people said they ate lunch before 3 p.m. and half after.
During 20 weeks of counseling, early and late lunchers ate a similar amount of food, and burned a similar amount of calories.
However, early eaters lost an average of 22 pounds, just over 11% of their starting weight - while late eaters dropped 7.7 pounds, or 9% of their initial weight.
People who eat later may have extra food in their stomach when they go to sleep, which could mean more of it isn't burned and ends up being stored as fat, said Yunsheng Ma, a nutrition researcher from the University of Massachusetts Medical School in Worcester.
Ma said any implications of late eating could be exacerbated among people in the United States. Many people skip breakfast or lunch, then end up overdoing it on calories at dinner.
Scheer said that in the United States, where dinner is typically the biggest meal, researchers would expect people who eat later dinners to have more trouble losing weight based on his team's findings.
Source: International Journal of Obesity
Could an earlier lunch or dinner help you lose weight?
STAF, Inc.'s answer is clear. Yes - you can and will. The reason is in the human circadian rhythms
(Links to circadian rhythms info below)
Want to lose weight?
Eating lunch & dinner earlier rather than later will help you out
Dieters who ate early lunches tended to lose more weight than those who had their midday meal on the later side, according to a Spanish study published in the International Journal of Obesity.
The finding doesn't prove that bumping up your lunch hour will help you shed that extra weight, but it is possible that eating times play a role in how the body regulates its weight, researchers said.
"We should now seriously start to consider the timing of food - not just what we eat, but also when we eat," said study co-author Frank Scheer, from Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston.
His group's research included 420 people attending nutrition clinics in southeast Spain. Along with going to regular group therapy sessions with nutrition and exercise counseling, dieters measured, weighed and recorded their food and reported on their daily physical activity.
Study participants were on a so-called Mediterranean diet, in which about 40% of each day's calories are consumed at lunch. About half of the people said they ate lunch before 3 p.m. and half after.
During 20 weeks of counseling, early and late lunchers ate a similar amount of food, and burned a similar amount of calories.
However, early eaters lost an average of 22 pounds, just over 11% of their starting weight - while late eaters dropped 7.7 pounds, or 9% of their initial weight.
People who eat later may have extra food in their stomach when they go to sleep, which could mean more of it isn't burned and ends up being stored as fat, said Yunsheng Ma, a nutrition researcher from the University of Massachusetts Medical School in Worcester.
Ma said any implications of late eating could be exacerbated among people in the United States. Many people skip breakfast or lunch, then end up overdoing it on calories at dinner.
Scheer said that in the United States, where dinner is typically the biggest meal, researchers would expect people who eat later dinners to have more trouble losing weight based on his team's findings.
Source: International Journal of Obesity
UK patient dies from SARS-like coronavirus
Date: 2/19/13
The best way to avoid sicknesses is to keep your immune system strong and healthy to fight back
and expel the deadly elements from your system - and: save your life.
A weak immune system, not capable of fighting the disease, is caused by (1) obesity & overweight, (2) lack of physical activity (walking is one of the best), (3) not sleeping enough (adult: 6 - 8 h/ toddlers: 11-12 h/ teenagers 9 - 11 h), (4) eating processed and fast food, (5) smoking, (6) any drug addiction, (7) depression & passive attitude to learn to fight life challenges, (8) family separation & divorce - causes challenges for both spouses and especially difficult for the children (see in this tab the sub-tab: Restoring any marriage)
Further below detailed info relating to the human immune system and how to keep it strong
Global Alert and Response (GAR)
Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that includes viruses that may cause a range of illnesses in humans, from the common cold to SARS. Viruses of this family also cause a number of animal diseases.
Novel coronavirus
This particular strain of coronavirus has not been previously identified in humans. There is very limited information on transmission, severity and clinical impact with only a small number of cases reported thus far.
WHO | Coronavirus infectionswww.who.int/csr/disease/coronavirus_infections/en/
Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that includes viruses that may cause a range of illnesses in humans, from the common cold to SARS. Viruses of this ...
LONDON (AP) — A patient being treated for a mysterious SARS-like virus has died, a British hospitalsaid Tuesday.
Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham, central England, said the coronavirus victim was also being treated for "a long-term, complex unrelated health problem" and already had a compromised immune system.
A total of 12 people worldwide have been diagnosed with the disease, six of whom have died.
The virus was first identified last year in the Middle East. Most of those infected had traveled to Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Jordan or Pakistan, but the person who just died is believed to have caught it from a relative in Britain, where there have been four confirmed cases.
The new coronavirus is part of a family of viruses that cause ailments including the common cold and SARS. In 2003, a global outbreak of SARS killed about 800 people worldwide.
Health experts still aren't sure exactly how humans are being infected. The new coronavirus is most closely related to a bat virus and scientists are considering whether bats or other animals like goats or camels are a possible source of infection.
Britain's Health Protection Agency has said while it appears the virus can spread from person to person, "the risk of infection in contacts in most circumstances is still considered to be low."
Officials at the World Health Organization said the new virus has probably already spread between humans in some instances. In Saudi Arabia last year, four members of the same family fell ill and two died. And in a cluster of about a dozen people in Jordan, the virus may have spread at a hospital's intensive care unit.
Source: Associated Press
_____________________________________________________
Date: 2/19/13
The best way to avoid sicknesses is to keep your immune system strong and healthy to fight back
and expel the deadly elements from your system - and: save your life.
A weak immune system, not capable of fighting the disease, is caused by (1) obesity & overweight, (2) lack of physical activity (walking is one of the best), (3) not sleeping enough (adult: 6 - 8 h/ toddlers: 11-12 h/ teenagers 9 - 11 h), (4) eating processed and fast food, (5) smoking, (6) any drug addiction, (7) depression & passive attitude to learn to fight life challenges, (8) family separation & divorce - causes challenges for both spouses and especially difficult for the children (see in this tab the sub-tab: Restoring any marriage)
Further below detailed info relating to the human immune system and how to keep it strong
Global Alert and Response (GAR)
Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that includes viruses that may cause a range of illnesses in humans, from the common cold to SARS. Viruses of this family also cause a number of animal diseases.
Novel coronavirus
This particular strain of coronavirus has not been previously identified in humans. There is very limited information on transmission, severity and clinical impact with only a small number of cases reported thus far.
WHO | Coronavirus infectionswww.who.int/csr/disease/coronavirus_infections/en/
Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that includes viruses that may cause a range of illnesses in humans, from the common cold to SARS. Viruses of this ...
LONDON (AP) — A patient being treated for a mysterious SARS-like virus has died, a British hospitalsaid Tuesday.
Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham, central England, said the coronavirus victim was also being treated for "a long-term, complex unrelated health problem" and already had a compromised immune system.
A total of 12 people worldwide have been diagnosed with the disease, six of whom have died.
The virus was first identified last year in the Middle East. Most of those infected had traveled to Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Jordan or Pakistan, but the person who just died is believed to have caught it from a relative in Britain, where there have been four confirmed cases.
The new coronavirus is part of a family of viruses that cause ailments including the common cold and SARS. In 2003, a global outbreak of SARS killed about 800 people worldwide.
Health experts still aren't sure exactly how humans are being infected. The new coronavirus is most closely related to a bat virus and scientists are considering whether bats or other animals like goats or camels are a possible source of infection.
Britain's Health Protection Agency has said while it appears the virus can spread from person to person, "the risk of infection in contacts in most circumstances is still considered to be low."
Officials at the World Health Organization said the new virus has probably already spread between humans in some instances. In Saudi Arabia last year, four members of the same family fell ill and two died. And in a cluster of about a dozen people in Jordan, the virus may have spread at a hospital's intensive care unit.
Source: Associated Press
_____________________________________________________
Better Than the $1 Menu: Superfoods that Ring in for 99 Cents or Less & Maintain Your Health
Click green for further info
First we remind you of the fact that STAF, Inc. has developed for the U.S. gov. use a fully new Healthy Lifestyle & Correct Nutrition program for the solution to our nation's wide overweight & obesity challenge and rampant sickness situation.
Based on that program your total, monthly food expenses are only about $95 - yet you get all you need in correct combinations and are not walking around being hungry.
Do not eat any fast-food - it is not food, it is "bad-food".
Don't Miss: 7 of the Healthiest Foods You Should Be Eating (But Probably Aren't)
The added bonus to eating more of these easy-to-find super-healthy foods? They won't break the bank. These 12 healthy foods clock in at under a dollar per serving and deliver a lot more nutritional bang for your buck than the offerings you'd find on fast-food dollar menus.
1. Lentils
Cost Per Serving (1 cup): 15¢
Why lentils are so good for you: Like beans, lentils are high in fiber and protein (8 grams and 9 grams per half cup, respectively), which makes them great for your heart. They have the edge over beans, though, when it comes to preparation. Lentils cook up in only 15 to 30 minutes and don't need to be presoaked.
Related: Lentil Soup & More Healthy Recipes for Lentils
2. Oats
Cost Per Serving (1/3 cup, uncooked): 10¢
Why oats are so good for you: Oats are a great way to get soluble fiber in your diet (they deliver 3 grams per serving). Research suggests that increasing your intake of soluble fiber by 5 to 10 grams each day could result in a 5 percent drop in "bad" LDL cholesterol. Plus, the quick-cooking oats are just as healthy as steel-cut--just steer clear of oatmeal packets that are loaded with added sugars.
3. Kale
Cost Per Serving (1 cup): 60¢
Why kale is so good for you: Kale is an undisputed superfood. A single serving (1 cup cooked) has 10 times the daily value of bone-healthy vitamin K. It also has 3 times the daily value of vitamin A and is high in lutein and zeaxanthin, which all help your vision. Plus, it's pretty darn tasty.
Related: Easy Kale Chips & More Kale Recipes
4. Almonds
Cost Per Serving (1 oz.): 63¢
Why almonds are so good for you: A 1-ounce serving (23 nuts, 162 calories) has 37 percent of your daily value for vitamin E--a nutrient many Americans fall short on. Almonds also deliver some calcium, fiber and folate. Not only that, a serving of almonds has as many flavonoids as a cup of green tea, according to a study in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.
5. Tea
Cost Per Serving (1 tea bag): 10¢
Why tea is so good for you: While we're on the subject of tea, there's no doubt it's a super-healthy, budget-friendly addition to your diet. Tea, especially green tea, has lots of health boons. Both green and black tea are loaded with antioxidants, which may boost your immune system and promote heart health. In fact, scientists have found that those who drink 12 ounces or more of tea a day were about half as likely to have a heart attack as non-tea drinkers.
6. Oranges
Cost Per Serving (1 orange): 34¢
Why oranges are so good for you: You can get your entire day's worth of vitamin C in a single orange. Plus, oranges deliver fiber (3 grams in one orange) and water to keep you full for only 70 calories. Not only that, the orange color means it delivers vision-boosting beta carotene.
Don't Miss: Immune-Boosting Superfoods
7. Tuna
Cost Per Serving (3 oz.): 48-77¢
Why tuna is so good for you: Sure, salmon gets a glowing (and well-deserved) rep for being a megasource of omega-3s. But did you know that lowly canned tuna also delivers omega-3s? Plus, the 2010 Dietary Guidelines recommend cutting back on meat--eating tuna up to twice a week is one way to do that. Look for chunk light tuna, which comes from smaller tuna fish and is lower in mercury than white albacore tuna.
8. Peanut Butter
Cost Per Serving (2 tbsp.): 21¢
Why peanut butter is so good for you: Don't knock peanut butter. Not only is it delicious and versatile, it delivers many of the same benefits as more expensive tree nuts, such as improving cholesterol and lowering risk of heart disease. Peanut butter delivers heart-healthy mono- and polyunsaturated fats, vitamin E and zinc. Look for natural peanut butter (a brand that has just peanuts--and salt, if you insist--as the ingredients) to avoid partially hydrogenated oils and sugar.
9. Apples
Cost Per Serving (1 apple): 28¢
Why apples are so good for you: Apples don't have megadoses of any one vitamin or mineral to boast about (although they have some vitamin C), but several research studies suggest that apples have tangible benefits for your heart. The latest one, out of Florida State University, showed that people who ate the equivalent of 2 apples daily for a year improved these markers. Researchers think it's a combination of the pectin (a type of fiber) and polyphenols that makes apples so good for you.
10. Eggs
Cost Per Serving (1 egg): 17¢
Why eggs are so good for you: For such a small and inexpensive food, eggs pack in a lot of nutrition. The whites are brimming with protein (4 grams per egg), while the yolks deliver some vitamin D plus lutein and zeaxanthin, which lowers the risk of age-related macular degeneration--a disease that affects one in eight Americans with vision loss and sometimes blindness. All that for 80 calories. (There's a reason they're touted as the "incredible, edible egg".)
11. Carrots
Cost Per Serving (1 cup): 32¢
Why carrots are so good for you: Sweet potatoes get a lot of love for being a superfood, but so should the carrot. After all, they're both orange, which means they both deliver beta carotene (a type of vitamin A). A cup of carrots actually delivers 4 times the DV of vitamin A, which helps build bone and contributes to immune function.
12. Cabbage
Cost per serving (1 cup): 27¢
Why cabbage is so good for you: Like kale, cabbage is a cruciferous vegetable and diets rich in cruciferous vegetables are linked to lower rates of cancer. It's also is an excellent source of vitamins C and K, and delivers fiber and detoxifying sulfur compounds. Red cabbage also boasts anthocyanins, an antioxidant thought to keep your heart healthy and brain sharp. Plus it's very low in calories (22 per cup).
Don't Miss: 10 Superfoods You Might Be Eating Everyday
*These are average prices gathered from online grocery stores and a USDA survey of fruit and vegetable prices. Although the cost of these foods may differ from store to store, these are all healthy foods that are generally a good value relative to the nutrition they provide.
You can get even a lower price when you use (1) "manager's specials" and (2) items that are "from yesterday" but are still fully safe to eat. Buy wisely and you can get 2 - 3 times more for the same amount of money.
____________________________________________________
Millennials: the most stressed-out generation in the U.S.
Click green for further info
With a lack of employment, purpose, and stable relationships, the lives of HBO's Girls are in constant disarray. Now it turns out there may be a reason why they are so dysfunctional: their age.
“Millennials,” those aged 18-33, are the most stressed-out generation in the country, according to the American Psychological Association’s annual Stress in America survey. The results were discussed at a press conference on Thursday.
1 in 2 College Graduates are Jobless or Underemployed
In a survey of 2,000 Americans, Millennials report a stress level of 5.4 out of 10, much higher than the Boomers’ 4.7 and the Matures’ 3.7, and 39 percent of Millennials said their stress levels had risen in the past year. This comes as a surprise, as many might expect that Boomers, who were hit-hard by the recession, to have the highest stress levels.
In fact higher stress levels were reported amongst every generation, most likely because of the economy, “but the expectations of Millennials are especially high. There’s a huge emphasis placed on school, and once they get out into the workplace Millennials discover that their academic achievements don’t translate,” Dr. Lynn Bufka, one of the psychologists who developed the Stress in America report, told Yahoo! Shine.
While Gen-X (ages 34 to 47) has had the time to reformat their expectations, Millennials are still struggling to succeed with very little life experience. For instance, at 40, many Gen Xers may have hoped to purchase their first home. But because of financial reasons, they’ve had to rethink what’s expected of them.
“One reason Gen-X might be able to cope better with these stressors has to do with their life experience, but it also has to do with parenting styles. We’ve seen that parents of Millennials were very eager to protect their children from the realities of the economy and the work place,” Bufka told Shine. “Because of this, some Millennials are at a disadvantage when coping with adversity.”
Short-term stress can lead to headaches, sleep problems, stomach issues, even colds and viral illnesses. But the real concern, says Bufka, is chronic, recurrent stress. “Sometimes it’s difficult to tell the difference between the effects of stress and the negative things we do to cope with it, like overeating, not exercising, and making impulsive decisions.”
Unfortunately, 49 percent of everyone surveyed said they didn’t believe that receiving professional help would ease their stress. “This is a very common assumption and it’s unfortunate one,” Bufka said. “Imagine if we had a yearly mental-health check-up like we do for our physical health!”
Major stressors like the state of the economy are out of our control. What we can control is our reaction to stress. Here are a few pointers on coping with stress from Dr. Bufka:
Carve out personal time and learn how to say no
“One of the most difficult things to do when you’re stressed is to make time for yourself, but it’s essential. Take a step back and ask, ‘is there anything I can ditch to reduce these stressors?’ Set boundaries in terms of your work and social life, and make time for exercise, sleep, and relaxation.
Reconfigure your expectations
Follow the example of Gen Xers who have had to reconfigure their expectations. Just because you feel pressure to have reached a certain position or a certain salary doesn’t necessarily mean that you’ve failed.
How you interpret stressful situations is everything
How many times have we all stressed ourselves out over what turned out to be nothing? “How we interpret situations has a huge impact on stress. If you always go for the negative assumption, your stress levels will be high. There could be a much more rational explanation—don’t jump to the worst conclusion.”
______________________________________________________________________
A New Solution That Stops Snoring and Lets You Sleep
Is Sleep-Apnea Threatening
your life, your very existence, your breathing?
It can also threaten your marriage happiness as snoring can be disturbing
If you’re like most Americans you probably don’t get eight hours sleep each night. About 60 % of all Americans do not get enough sleep. Eight hours is not necessary but 6 - 8 hours is.
Among other things, growth hormone develops during sleep. Growth hormone is one of the substances keeping your body healthy.
If you sleep enough in hours but still constantly feel exhausted, experience headaches for no obvious reason or have high blood pressure, you could have a more serious problem.
That’s because these can all be the result of snoring—which is, in turn, the most common symptom of a potentially serious health problem—obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).
While most people think of snoring as a minor annoyance, research shows it can be hazardous to your health. That’s because for over 18 million Americans it’s related to obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). People who suffer from OSA repeatedly and unknowingly stop breathing during the night due to a complete or partial obstruction of their airway. It occurs when the jaw, throat, and tongue muscles relax, blocking the airway used to breathe. The resulting lack of oxygen can last for a minute or longer, and occur hundreds of times each night.
Thankfully, most people wake when a complete or partial obstruction occurs, but it can leave you feeling completely exhausted. OSA has also been linked to a host of health problems including:
OSA can be expensive to diagnosis and treat, and is not always covered by insurance. A sleep clinic will require an overnight visit (up to $5,000). Doctors then analyze the data and prescribe one of several treatments. These may require you to wear uncomfortable CPAP devices that force air through your nose and mouth while you sleep to keep your airways open, and may even include painful surgery.
Fortunately, there is now a comfortable, far less costly and invasive treatment option available. A recent case study published by Eastern Virginia Medical School's Division of Sleep Medicine in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine concludes that wearing a simple chinstrap while you sleep can be an effective treatment for OSA.
The chin strap, which is now available from a company called MySnoringSolution, works by supporting the lower jaw and tongue, preventing obstruction of the airway. It’s made from a high-tech, lightweight, and super-comfortable material. Thousands of people have used the MySnoringSolution chinstrap to help relieve their snoring symptoms, and they report better sleeping, and better health overall because of it.
An effective snoring solution for just $119
The “My Snoring Solution” Chinstrap is available exclusively from the company’s website which is currently offering a limited time “2 for 1” offer. The product also comes with a 100 percent satisfaction guarantee.
If you want to stop snoring once and for all, without expensive CPAP devices or other intrusive devices, this may be the solution you’ve been waiting for. The free additional strap is great for travel or as a gift for a fellow sufferer.
Best of all, this product comes with an unconditional 90-day, money-back guarantee!
Click here to learn more about this special $119 offer from MySnoringSolutions.
Learn More
The statements and claims made about this product have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration (U.S.). This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease.
This article sponsored by MySnoringSolution Copyright Howlifeworks.com 201
STAF, Inc.'s comment
STAF, Inc. is NOT sponsoring this product because we have not tested it, yet. Orrder & test it on your own risk.
It has a money back -guarantee. Find out if you get the shipping fees back, in case you return the product in 90 days (see the article above). This product may be good and help you as the principle it uses is acceptable.
In case you order the product, write a user's testimonial, rate the product & explain its pros & cons and usefulness.
Email your evaluation (see home page) and give your permission to use your name or your initials when we use it to help other individuals.Thank you.
___________________
Is Sleep-Apnea Threatening
your life, your very existence, your breathing?
It can also threaten your marriage happiness as snoring can be disturbing
If you’re like most Americans you probably don’t get eight hours sleep each night. About 60 % of all Americans do not get enough sleep. Eight hours is not necessary but 6 - 8 hours is.
Among other things, growth hormone develops during sleep. Growth hormone is one of the substances keeping your body healthy.
If you sleep enough in hours but still constantly feel exhausted, experience headaches for no obvious reason or have high blood pressure, you could have a more serious problem.
That’s because these can all be the result of snoring—which is, in turn, the most common symptom of a potentially serious health problem—obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).
While most people think of snoring as a minor annoyance, research shows it can be hazardous to your health. That’s because for over 18 million Americans it’s related to obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). People who suffer from OSA repeatedly and unknowingly stop breathing during the night due to a complete or partial obstruction of their airway. It occurs when the jaw, throat, and tongue muscles relax, blocking the airway used to breathe. The resulting lack of oxygen can last for a minute or longer, and occur hundreds of times each night.
Thankfully, most people wake when a complete or partial obstruction occurs, but it can leave you feeling completely exhausted. OSA has also been linked to a host of health problems including:
- Acid reflux
- Frequent nighttime urination
- Memory loss
- Stroke
- Depression
- Diabetes
- Heart attack
OSA can be expensive to diagnosis and treat, and is not always covered by insurance. A sleep clinic will require an overnight visit (up to $5,000). Doctors then analyze the data and prescribe one of several treatments. These may require you to wear uncomfortable CPAP devices that force air through your nose and mouth while you sleep to keep your airways open, and may even include painful surgery.
Fortunately, there is now a comfortable, far less costly and invasive treatment option available. A recent case study published by Eastern Virginia Medical School's Division of Sleep Medicine in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine concludes that wearing a simple chinstrap while you sleep can be an effective treatment for OSA.
The chin strap, which is now available from a company called MySnoringSolution, works by supporting the lower jaw and tongue, preventing obstruction of the airway. It’s made from a high-tech, lightweight, and super-comfortable material. Thousands of people have used the MySnoringSolution chinstrap to help relieve their snoring symptoms, and they report better sleeping, and better health overall because of it.
An effective snoring solution for just $119
The “My Snoring Solution” Chinstrap is available exclusively from the company’s website which is currently offering a limited time “2 for 1” offer. The product also comes with a 100 percent satisfaction guarantee.
If you want to stop snoring once and for all, without expensive CPAP devices or other intrusive devices, this may be the solution you’ve been waiting for. The free additional strap is great for travel or as a gift for a fellow sufferer.
Best of all, this product comes with an unconditional 90-day, money-back guarantee!
Click here to learn more about this special $119 offer from MySnoringSolutions.
Learn More
The statements and claims made about this product have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration (U.S.). This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease.
This article sponsored by MySnoringSolution Copyright Howlifeworks.com 201
STAF, Inc.'s comment
STAF, Inc. is NOT sponsoring this product because we have not tested it, yet. Orrder & test it on your own risk.
It has a money back -guarantee. Find out if you get the shipping fees back, in case you return the product in 90 days (see the article above). This product may be good and help you as the principle it uses is acceptable.
In case you order the product, write a user's testimonial, rate the product & explain its pros & cons and usefulness.
Email your evaluation (see home page) and give your permission to use your name or your initials when we use it to help other individuals.Thank you.
___________________
Next below
Important article - study & apply
European
20-year Study with 45 K people
Quotation "Knowledge is no power - only applied knowledge is power"
(Dr. Christian, STAF, Inc. President)
Quotation "To stay healthy is to eat what your body wants, not what you want"
(Dr. Christian, STAF, Inc. President)
_______
European 20-year long study
Low Heart Disease Risk for Vegetarians
Quotation: "If it came from a plant, eat it - if it was made in a plant, don't - it kills"
Going meatless gives vegetarians a 32 percent lower heart disease risk than non-vegetarians, a British study found, offering further proof that eating meat can be hazardous to health. Processed meat is even more deadly.
The study, published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, involved 44,561 people enrolled in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC)-Oxford Study, which began in England and Scotland in 1993. Researchers sought to compare a range of diets and their impact on overall health, and 34 percent of all participants were vegetarians.
"It's a very good study," said Dr. William Abraham, who directs the division of cardiovascular medicine at Ohio State University, noting the large proportion of vegetarians. "It's further evidence that vegetarian diets are associated with a lesser risk of developing ischemic*) heart disease or coronary**) artery disease."
*) ischemic heart disease = due to an abnormality of the arteries that supply blood and oxygen to the heart - Both high blood pressure and high cholesterol are known risk factors for ischemic heart disease because they constrict the blood vessels and cut off blood supply to the heart.
**) coronary heart disease = Heart disease is a result of plaque buildup in your coronary arteries -- a condition called atherosclerosis -- that leads to blockages. The arteries, which start out smooth and elastic, become narrow and rigid, restricting blood flow to the heart. The heart becomes starved of oxygen and the vital nutrients it needs to pump properly.
Click green here to read the ABC's of heart health.
He and Dr. Peter McCullough, a cardiologist at St. John Providence Health System in Michigan, agreed it's not about what's in the vegetarian diet that makes it so heart healthy - it's about what the vegetarian diet leaves out: saturated fat and sodium.
"Saturated fat is the single greatest dietary factor in the production of cholesterol," McCollough said, adding that people assume dietary cholesterol increases cholesterol levels though it's not true. "Sodium intake is the single greatest dietary determinant of blood pressure." HBP/hbp = high blood pressure = hypertensi0n
Both high blood pressure and high cholesterol are known risk factors for ischemic heart disease because they constrict the blood vessels and cut off blood supply to the heart.
Abraham said he occasionally prescribes a vegetarian diet to patients who have already had heart attacks - but this study might persuade him to prescribe them preventively to patients with heart disease risk factors such as diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol.
McCollough, on the other hand, has never prescribed a vegetarian diet and said limiting sodium and saturated fats can be done by picking the right meats, controlling portion sizes and avoiding what he calls the three s-es: sugars, starches and saturated fats. He said the healthiest protein to eat is fish and the least healthy is beef. Behind fish, beans and nuts are the best way to get protein, he said.
Vegetarianism isn't always the answer because even vegetarians can eat too many sugars, one of the three-s categories, he said. For example, he added, vegetarians eat more cheese than non-vegetarians and, although it has some protein, about 60 percent of cheese is saturated fat.
Other studies have examined how (click green) daily servings of red meat can lead to early death and how processed meat can lead to heart disease and diabetes.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports 2 million heart attacks and stroke a year in the United States, and about 800,000 deaths from heart disease.
Source:
(1) The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
(2) European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC)-Oxford Study
____________
Introduction
EPIC (the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition)
was initiated in 1992 and is the largest detailed study of diet and health ever undertaken. It involves over 500,000 people in 10 European countries (see EPIC-Europe). It is coordinated by the World Health Organization and supported by the European Union and national funding agencies.
EPIC-Oxford is one of two EPIC cohorts in the UK, the other being EPIC-Norfolk. (A “cohort” is a large group of people who have joined a study and whose health is being followed.) The EPIC-Oxford cohort was recruited between 1993 and 1999. The strategy for establishing the EPIC-Oxford cohort was to recruit participants with a wide range of diets by targeting vegetarians as well as participants from the general UK population. As such EPIC-Oxford is of great scientific value to the EPIC study as a whole, because the diets of vegetarians, and especially vegans, differ substantially from those of meat-eaters and this range in diets makes it easier to detect relationships between nutrition and health.
By studying very many people in different countries with differing diets, and by using carefully designed and tested questionnaires, EPIC should produce more specific information than previous studies about the effects of diet on long-term health.
EPIC was designed to investigate the relationships between diet, nutritional status, lifestyle and environmental factors and the incidence of cancer and other chronic diseases. EPIC is a large study of diet and health having recruited over half a million (520,000) people in ten European countries: Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, The Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom.
The European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) is coordinated by Dr Elio Riboli, Head of the Division of Epidemiology, Public Health and Primary Care at the Imperial College London in the United Kingdom. EPIC received substantial financial support from the Europe Against Cancer Program of the European Commission.
________________________________________________________
EPIC (the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition)
was initiated in 1992 and is the largest detailed study of diet and health ever undertaken. It involves over 500,000 people in 10 European countries (see EPIC-Europe). It is coordinated by the World Health Organization and supported by the European Union and national funding agencies.
EPIC-Oxford is one of two EPIC cohorts in the UK, the other being EPIC-Norfolk. (A “cohort” is a large group of people who have joined a study and whose health is being followed.) The EPIC-Oxford cohort was recruited between 1993 and 1999. The strategy for establishing the EPIC-Oxford cohort was to recruit participants with a wide range of diets by targeting vegetarians as well as participants from the general UK population. As such EPIC-Oxford is of great scientific value to the EPIC study as a whole, because the diets of vegetarians, and especially vegans, differ substantially from those of meat-eaters and this range in diets makes it easier to detect relationships between nutrition and health.
By studying very many people in different countries with differing diets, and by using carefully designed and tested questionnaires, EPIC should produce more specific information than previous studies about the effects of diet on long-term health.
EPIC was designed to investigate the relationships between diet, nutritional status, lifestyle and environmental factors and the incidence of cancer and other chronic diseases. EPIC is a large study of diet and health having recruited over half a million (520,000) people in ten European countries: Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, The Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom.
The European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) is coordinated by Dr Elio Riboli, Head of the Division of Epidemiology, Public Health and Primary Care at the Imperial College London in the United Kingdom. EPIC received substantial financial support from the Europe Against Cancer Program of the European Commission.
________________________________________________________
7 Reasons to Choose a Plant-Based Diet
" Why would I give up meat", you may ask?
The answer: Which one would you rather give up: (1) your life, or (2) meat?
_______
The seven reasons here, details a few lines below:
(1) diabetes prevention, (2) High Blood Pressure = Hypertension control, (3) Heart Health
(4) Weight loss, (5) Fiber intake (6) Vision value (7) Skin care
Going plant-based doesn't necessarily mean you have to give up all meat. Our definition of a plant-based diet allows for modest amounts of fish and lean chicken/turkey. Red meat is not needed. But more importantly, choosing a diet heavy in fruits and veggies may help ward off chronic diseases and keep you svelte*) in years to come.
*) svelte = slender and elegant - slim
click green for further info
1) Diabetes prevention
Roughly 370 million people are living with diabetes, and according to the International Diabetes Federation, that number is expected to soar upwards of 550 million by 2030. Type 2 diabetes is entirely preventable, and plenty of research suggests a plant-based diet can help ward off the disease.
2) High Blood Pressure = Hypertension control
Lots of research, including some from the Harvard School of Public Health, suggests a diet loaded with fruits and veggies can lower blood pressure. About 1 in 3 American adults suffers from high blood pressure, meaning they're at higher risk for heart disease and stroke--two leading causes of death in the United States.
3) Heart Health
Harvard researchers tracked the health habits of about 110,000 people for 14 years, and found that the higher folks' intakes of fruits and vegetables, the lower their chances of developing cardiovascular disease. Specifically, people who averaged eight-plus servings of fruits and veggies a day were 30 percent less likely to have a heart attack or stroke, compared to those who had less than 1.5 daily servings.
4) Weight loss
There's plenty of research suggesting that vegetarians tend to consume fewer calories, and thus weigh less and have lower body mass indexes than non-vegetarians. While following a plant-based diet doesn't necessarily mean going full-blown vegetarian, opting largely for fruits, veggies, and whole grains in lieu of meat will likely leave you feeling fuller on fewer calories.
5) Fiber intake
Fiber keeps your bowel movements regular by aiding in digestion and preventing constipation. Plus, it may also lower cholesterol and blood sugar levels. Following a plant-based diet means chowing down on loads of fruits and veggies, which are packed with fiber. Just one cup of steamed/boiled delicious) beans amounts to eight ounces of fiber or more, according to the Mayo Clinic.
6) Vision value
As you may know, the Vitamin A in carrots may aid night vision. Your eyes might also thank you for a plant-based diet rich in spinach, kale, corn, squash, kiwi, and grapes, etc. The lutein and zeaxanthin pigments in these foods are thought to help prevent cataract and macular degeneration*)
*) macular degeneration = eye disease caused by degeneration of the cells of the macula lutea**) and results in blurred vision; can cause blindness. **) = macula lutea, yellow spot; an irregularly oval, yellow-pigmented area on the central retina***), containing color-sensitive rods and the central point of sharpest vision
***) retina = a delicate, multi-layered, light-sensitive membrane lining the inner eyeball and connected by the optic nerve to the brain
7) Skin care
Cutting back on animal products also means skipping much of their saturated fats, which are notorious for clogging pores. Plus, many of the vitamins, pigments, and phytochemicals in fruits and veggies contribute to healthy skin. The lycopene in tomatoes, for example, helps protect your skin from sun damage, and the Vitamin C in sweet potatoes smooths wrinkles by stimulating the production of collagen.
____________________________________________
The advice article below is in a lighter style
An opinion style with some working ideas
Wean Yourself Off Processed Foods in 7 Steps
Wean Yourself Off Processed Foods in 7 Steps
A new book, "Real Food Has Curves", has a plan to get you to enjoy food more and lose weight
By DEBORAH KOTZ
When is the last time you tasted a peach? Really experienced its velvety outer skin, inner succulence, and stringy pulp as it slid to the back of your mouth? Ever notice the notes of almond, honey, and vanilla in the fruit's flavor? "Every bite should be like a wine tasting," says food writer and chef Bruce Weinstein. "The more natural enjoyment experience you you get from your food, the more pleasure you'll feel eating it." And the fuller you'll feel afterward.
That's the premise behind Real Food Has Curves, a new book written by Weinstein and his partner, Mark Scarbrough.
It provides a 7-step plan for weaning yourself off processed foods, which have been blamed for our nation's rise in obesity and related conditions, like heart disease and diabetes. "We feel very strongly that deprivation doesn't work," says Weinstein, adding that they each lost about 25 pounds by incorporating more "real" and less "fake" foods into their meals. Here's how:
Step 1: Seek true satisfaction.
Grab that peach or strawberry, examine its color, sniff it, and take a bite. Give yourself a moment to enjoy the genuine flavors. For comparison, nibble a Starburst fruit candy or a strawberry fruit roll-up. Notice that in the candy you mainly taste sweet without a lot of complexity?
That's because fat, sugar, and salt are added to processed foods to mask the metallic taste of artificial preservatives, sweeteners, and other chemical additives, says Weinstein. He should know since he used to test recipes for packaged food companies and tinker with ingredients to get the appropriate taste and texture. Processed foods are also made to dissolve quickly in your mouth, he says, to get you to eat faster and in greater quantities—often leaving you full, but not satisfied. Now you know why that bag of Doritos disappears before you've really had a chance to taste them.
[10 Things the Food Industry Doesn't Want You to Know]
Step 2: Read labels wisely.
You don't need to spend an hour making your own marinara sauce (though the book provides a recipe using canned tomatoes, if you're so inclined). You can also find "real" tomato sauce in the supermarket if you read labels carefully. Those containing ingredients you can buy on your own, like tomatoes, olive oil, salt, garlic, and parmesan cheese, meet Weinstein's criteria for a real food; those that have preservatives, like BHT, thickeners like guar gum, or artificial flavors, don't. Ditto for store-bought breads, breakfast cereals, and pasta.
Step 3: Relish*) what's on your plate.
This is all about devoting time to solely enjoying the pleasures of eating. Indulge in that piece of dark chocolate while sitting on a park bench, rather than while perched at your desk, catching up on E-mail. Sit down at your kitchen table for dinner, not parked in front of the TV. Eating without distractions will help you savor the tastes, textures, smells, and colors of the food on your plate. *) relish = enjoy greatly
Step 4: Wean yourself off excess salt, fat, and sugar. You'll be doing this anyway if you're eating fewer processed foods and restaurant meals, but you can also cook with smaller amounts of these ingredients by using natural substitutes. Strong spices like garlic, pepper, and oregano cut down on the need for salt. You can use less cooking oil if you broil instead of fry, and margarine in many baked recipes can often be replaced with smaller amounts of (yes) extra-virgin olive oil. In fact, the book contains a recipe for olive oil cookies that calls for just 2 1/2 tablespoons of olive oil.
[Should the Food Industry Ban Added Salt and Sugar?]
Step 5: Give your palate time to change.
While it may be tough at first to skip the afternoon candy bar or fast-food fries, you'll gradually lose your taste for excessively sweet and salty foods as your palate adapts to a variety of new flavors. And you may even find yourself opening up to new foods. "With real food's flavor overtones and textural range," the authors write, "everything leads to something else. If you like coffee, soon enough you'll like red wine or mushrooms or Chinese black bean sauce, all because you find a common, mellow earthiness among them."
Step 6: Go for high-quality foods.
You don't need to opt for only organic or produce sold at local farm stands (not everyone can even afford them and many times they are not what they say they are) — learn to use a good supermarket with big selection.
You should look for products that contain the least amount of processed ingredients to ensure better taste and better quality. You can't, for example, experience the nutty chewiness of the whole grain if you go for white rice instead of brown. Learn to use par-boiled rice (faster, easier cooking) (par=boil means: partially boiled).
Look for breads and pastas with whole wheat or whole wheat flour as the first ingredient to enhance their taste and nutritional content. And, of course, choose fresh produce, when possible, over canned. Frozen fruits and vegetables are preferable when fresh ones aren't available.
Step 7: Treat yourself well by not skipping meals. Part of the enjoyment of food is allowing yourself to get hungry enough to crave your meal, but not so hungry that you're desperate to shovel anything and everything in your mouth. This can be accomplished by eating three meals a day at fairly regular times and having a mid-afternoon snack. Some of the interesting snack choices include apple wedges with natural peanut butter or honey mustard; a few dried apricots and a handful of salted pistachios; 1 ounce of feta on all-grain crackers like FinnCrisps. And the authors, being food lovers, advocate for a daily dessert, something truly indulgent that you save for once, rather than several times, a day. "Otherwise," they write, "there's a hideous taste-deadening that goes on with too much sugar."
______________________________
" Why would I give up meat", you may ask?
The answer: Which one would you rather give up: (1) your life, or (2) meat?
_______
The seven reasons here, details a few lines below:
(1) diabetes prevention, (2) High Blood Pressure = Hypertension control, (3) Heart Health
(4) Weight loss, (5) Fiber intake (6) Vision value (7) Skin care
Going plant-based doesn't necessarily mean you have to give up all meat. Our definition of a plant-based diet allows for modest amounts of fish and lean chicken/turkey. Red meat is not needed. But more importantly, choosing a diet heavy in fruits and veggies may help ward off chronic diseases and keep you svelte*) in years to come.
*) svelte = slender and elegant - slim
click green for further info
1) Diabetes prevention
Roughly 370 million people are living with diabetes, and according to the International Diabetes Federation, that number is expected to soar upwards of 550 million by 2030. Type 2 diabetes is entirely preventable, and plenty of research suggests a plant-based diet can help ward off the disease.
2) High Blood Pressure = Hypertension control
Lots of research, including some from the Harvard School of Public Health, suggests a diet loaded with fruits and veggies can lower blood pressure. About 1 in 3 American adults suffers from high blood pressure, meaning they're at higher risk for heart disease and stroke--two leading causes of death in the United States.
3) Heart Health
Harvard researchers tracked the health habits of about 110,000 people for 14 years, and found that the higher folks' intakes of fruits and vegetables, the lower their chances of developing cardiovascular disease. Specifically, people who averaged eight-plus servings of fruits and veggies a day were 30 percent less likely to have a heart attack or stroke, compared to those who had less than 1.5 daily servings.
4) Weight loss
There's plenty of research suggesting that vegetarians tend to consume fewer calories, and thus weigh less and have lower body mass indexes than non-vegetarians. While following a plant-based diet doesn't necessarily mean going full-blown vegetarian, opting largely for fruits, veggies, and whole grains in lieu of meat will likely leave you feeling fuller on fewer calories.
5) Fiber intake
Fiber keeps your bowel movements regular by aiding in digestion and preventing constipation. Plus, it may also lower cholesterol and blood sugar levels. Following a plant-based diet means chowing down on loads of fruits and veggies, which are packed with fiber. Just one cup of steamed/boiled delicious) beans amounts to eight ounces of fiber or more, according to the Mayo Clinic.
6) Vision value
As you may know, the Vitamin A in carrots may aid night vision. Your eyes might also thank you for a plant-based diet rich in spinach, kale, corn, squash, kiwi, and grapes, etc. The lutein and zeaxanthin pigments in these foods are thought to help prevent cataract and macular degeneration*)
*) macular degeneration = eye disease caused by degeneration of the cells of the macula lutea**) and results in blurred vision; can cause blindness. **) = macula lutea, yellow spot; an irregularly oval, yellow-pigmented area on the central retina***), containing color-sensitive rods and the central point of sharpest vision
***) retina = a delicate, multi-layered, light-sensitive membrane lining the inner eyeball and connected by the optic nerve to the brain
7) Skin care
Cutting back on animal products also means skipping much of their saturated fats, which are notorious for clogging pores. Plus, many of the vitamins, pigments, and phytochemicals in fruits and veggies contribute to healthy skin. The lycopene in tomatoes, for example, helps protect your skin from sun damage, and the Vitamin C in sweet potatoes smooths wrinkles by stimulating the production of collagen.
____________________________________________
The advice article below is in a lighter style
An opinion style with some working ideas
Wean Yourself Off Processed Foods in 7 Steps
Wean Yourself Off Processed Foods in 7 Steps
A new book, "Real Food Has Curves", has a plan to get you to enjoy food more and lose weight
By DEBORAH KOTZ
When is the last time you tasted a peach? Really experienced its velvety outer skin, inner succulence, and stringy pulp as it slid to the back of your mouth? Ever notice the notes of almond, honey, and vanilla in the fruit's flavor? "Every bite should be like a wine tasting," says food writer and chef Bruce Weinstein. "The more natural enjoyment experience you you get from your food, the more pleasure you'll feel eating it." And the fuller you'll feel afterward.
That's the premise behind Real Food Has Curves, a new book written by Weinstein and his partner, Mark Scarbrough.
It provides a 7-step plan for weaning yourself off processed foods, which have been blamed for our nation's rise in obesity and related conditions, like heart disease and diabetes. "We feel very strongly that deprivation doesn't work," says Weinstein, adding that they each lost about 25 pounds by incorporating more "real" and less "fake" foods into their meals. Here's how:
Step 1: Seek true satisfaction.
Grab that peach or strawberry, examine its color, sniff it, and take a bite. Give yourself a moment to enjoy the genuine flavors. For comparison, nibble a Starburst fruit candy or a strawberry fruit roll-up. Notice that in the candy you mainly taste sweet without a lot of complexity?
That's because fat, sugar, and salt are added to processed foods to mask the metallic taste of artificial preservatives, sweeteners, and other chemical additives, says Weinstein. He should know since he used to test recipes for packaged food companies and tinker with ingredients to get the appropriate taste and texture. Processed foods are also made to dissolve quickly in your mouth, he says, to get you to eat faster and in greater quantities—often leaving you full, but not satisfied. Now you know why that bag of Doritos disappears before you've really had a chance to taste them.
[10 Things the Food Industry Doesn't Want You to Know]
Step 2: Read labels wisely.
You don't need to spend an hour making your own marinara sauce (though the book provides a recipe using canned tomatoes, if you're so inclined). You can also find "real" tomato sauce in the supermarket if you read labels carefully. Those containing ingredients you can buy on your own, like tomatoes, olive oil, salt, garlic, and parmesan cheese, meet Weinstein's criteria for a real food; those that have preservatives, like BHT, thickeners like guar gum, or artificial flavors, don't. Ditto for store-bought breads, breakfast cereals, and pasta.
Step 3: Relish*) what's on your plate.
This is all about devoting time to solely enjoying the pleasures of eating. Indulge in that piece of dark chocolate while sitting on a park bench, rather than while perched at your desk, catching up on E-mail. Sit down at your kitchen table for dinner, not parked in front of the TV. Eating without distractions will help you savor the tastes, textures, smells, and colors of the food on your plate. *) relish = enjoy greatly
Step 4: Wean yourself off excess salt, fat, and sugar. You'll be doing this anyway if you're eating fewer processed foods and restaurant meals, but you can also cook with smaller amounts of these ingredients by using natural substitutes. Strong spices like garlic, pepper, and oregano cut down on the need for salt. You can use less cooking oil if you broil instead of fry, and margarine in many baked recipes can often be replaced with smaller amounts of (yes) extra-virgin olive oil. In fact, the book contains a recipe for olive oil cookies that calls for just 2 1/2 tablespoons of olive oil.
[Should the Food Industry Ban Added Salt and Sugar?]
Step 5: Give your palate time to change.
While it may be tough at first to skip the afternoon candy bar or fast-food fries, you'll gradually lose your taste for excessively sweet and salty foods as your palate adapts to a variety of new flavors. And you may even find yourself opening up to new foods. "With real food's flavor overtones and textural range," the authors write, "everything leads to something else. If you like coffee, soon enough you'll like red wine or mushrooms or Chinese black bean sauce, all because you find a common, mellow earthiness among them."
Step 6: Go for high-quality foods.
You don't need to opt for only organic or produce sold at local farm stands (not everyone can even afford them and many times they are not what they say they are) — learn to use a good supermarket with big selection.
You should look for products that contain the least amount of processed ingredients to ensure better taste and better quality. You can't, for example, experience the nutty chewiness of the whole grain if you go for white rice instead of brown. Learn to use par-boiled rice (faster, easier cooking) (par=boil means: partially boiled).
Look for breads and pastas with whole wheat or whole wheat flour as the first ingredient to enhance their taste and nutritional content. And, of course, choose fresh produce, when possible, over canned. Frozen fruits and vegetables are preferable when fresh ones aren't available.
Step 7: Treat yourself well by not skipping meals. Part of the enjoyment of food is allowing yourself to get hungry enough to crave your meal, but not so hungry that you're desperate to shovel anything and everything in your mouth. This can be accomplished by eating three meals a day at fairly regular times and having a mid-afternoon snack. Some of the interesting snack choices include apple wedges with natural peanut butter or honey mustard; a few dried apricots and a handful of salted pistachios; 1 ounce of feta on all-grain crackers like FinnCrisps. And the authors, being food lovers, advocate for a daily dessert, something truly indulgent that you save for once, rather than several times, a day. "Otherwise," they write, "there's a hideous taste-deadening that goes on with too much sugar."
______________________________
The Truth About Women's Heart Health
Thursday 2/20/13 - place the nutrition response
You know all about the pink ribbon and its derivatives. Each October, for National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the effort to raise awareness, funds, and hope around a once-taboo topic has worked, with pink-cleated NFL*) players and a pink-lit White House all joining the cause. And for good reason: About 1 in 8 women will be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer, and 1 in 36 will die from the disease, according to the American Cancer Society.
You may, however, be less familiar with the red dress, and its arresting message: Heart disease is the No. 1 killer of women. In fact, more women die from heart disease than from all cancers combined, according to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) and the American Heart Association.
[See - click: Tips for Heart Health]
And yet, this threat often goes unrecognized. Hence, the red dress icon, created in 2002 by the NHLBI as the emblem of its public education campaign, "The Heart Truth." "When women hear the term 'heart disease,' they may still think it's a 'man's disease,'" says Nakela Cook, a cardiologist and chief of staff to the NHLBI director.
In the last decade, heart attack deaths in women have dropped steadily, "so a lot of the things that we've been doing are beginning to show benefits," says Nieca Goldberg, medical director of The Joan H. Tisch Center for Women's Health, NYU, Langone Medical Center and a national spokesperson for the American Heart Association's "Go Red for Women" campaign.
Still, plenty of misperceptions abound. Nearly half of women don't grasp the extent of this threat, and African-American and Hispanic women, who are disproportionately affected by heart disease, are even less informed, Cook says.
And yet, as the leading cause of death for both men and women, heart disease requires everyone's attention and prevention, says Sharonne Hayes, director of the Mayo Clinic Women's Heart Clinic in Rochester, Minn. "There's choices that each and every one of us can make each day that will make a difference in our heart health," she says.
Below, some of the critical myths and facts about women's heart health and heart health in general:
MYTH - not true: I've got low cholesterol. That lets me bypass the whole bypass business.
Heart disease is what's called a "multi-risk factor disease," Goldberg says. It can result from a range of reasons: family history, smoking, high blood pressure, eating sugar, diabetes, being overweight or obese, and a sedentary lifestyle, Goldberg says.
That's why experts urge everyone to know their risk factors--regularly checking their cholesterol and blood pressure levels, for example--and respond accordingly. As Cook explains: "Some women believe that doing just one healthy thing is enough to make them not at risk. For example, they may think that if they walk or swim regularly, they can still smoke and that the exercise will counter the smoking risk factor. That's faulty reasoning. To protect your heart, it is vital to make changes that address each risk factor you have." AND: stop eating sugar.
MYTH: If heart disease is genetic, then I'm doomed.
No, no, and no. Even with family history of heart disease, studies have found that lifestyle changes lower one's heart-attack risk, says Goldberg. "A lot of the ways to prevent heart disease are things that we all have to do ourselves." That means at least a half-hour of aerobic exercise every day--and if that seems daunting, she advises working up to it or employing 10-minute intervals.
Goldberg also suggests following a Mediterranean diet: Have at least five daily servings of colorful, antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables, swap saturated and trans fats for monounsaturated fat, and get your omega-3 fatty acids from fish.
[See Plant-Based Diets: A Primer.]
For her part, Cook proposes the DASH diet, a government-created program to reduce high blood pressure. Focus on fruits, vegetables, whole grains, fish, nuts, and poultry, she says, and keep salt, sugar, red meat, and calories in check. Also, "move every day," she says, and suggests brisk walking, dancing, and gardening.
Unlike telling people to ditch the cheesecake or prime rib, exercise is "one behavior that actually makes you feel better," Hayes says. She also advises getting seven to eight hours of sleep each night.
[See Diet and Fitness Tips to Help You Sleep.]
MYTH: My chest pain was on the right side, not the left, so I couldn't be having a heart attack.
"That's a total myth," Goldberg says. The pressure or tightness associated with heart disease can show up anywhere in the chest, even the upper abdomen, and commonly spreads to the arm, neck, and jaw, she says. But unlike men, for whom chest pain is the most common symptom of heart attack, only half of female heart attack patients report chest pain, Cook says. Women more often have back or neck pain, indigestion, heartburn, nausea, extreme fatigue, or trouble breathing, she says. Women are also prone to specific, less-understood conditions such as coronary microvascular disease, which affects the walls of the heart's arteries, and "broken heart syndrome," in which severe emotional stress causes heart muscle failure.
Also, women are more likely to delay reporting heart attack symptoms and less likely to receive the same quality of care shown to men, Cook says, citing lower rates of treatment and more bleeding complications among female cardiac patients.
[See Red Meat Shortens Life? What to Do.]
Similar challenges affect women suffering from stroke. According to a recent Mayo Clinic survey of 209 stroke patients, only 27 percent of the females could name more than two of the six basic symptoms for stroke. The study also showed that married men called an ambulance within 28 minutes of experiencing symptoms, while married women waited 67 minutes, on average. (The disparity among singles was negligible).
Here, too, women experience unique symptoms that may affect their diagnosis, says Eva Rzucidlo, associate professor of vascular surgery at Dartmouth University's Geisel School of Medicine. Classic stroke symptoms include numbness or weakness in the face or arm, a loss of speech or hearing, dizziness, and headache. But women's symptoms can include trouble breathing or even the hiccups, Rzucidlo says. At stake is the extent of recovery, since stroke patients only have a few hours for powerful clot-destroying medicine to take effect.
[See 7 Steps Toward a Healthy Heart (and Long Life).]
"We have to be our own advocates, especially if you have risk factors," Rzucidlo says. "The most important thing is for you to understand your disease ... It means talking to your doctor and understanding what your risk factors are and how you can modify those risk factors to make yourself as healthy as possible."
*) NFL = click: National Football League - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Football_League
Click green for further info
________________________________________________________________________
Thursday 2/20/13 - place the nutrition response
You know all about the pink ribbon and its derivatives. Each October, for National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the effort to raise awareness, funds, and hope around a once-taboo topic has worked, with pink-cleated NFL*) players and a pink-lit White House all joining the cause. And for good reason: About 1 in 8 women will be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer, and 1 in 36 will die from the disease, according to the American Cancer Society.
You may, however, be less familiar with the red dress, and its arresting message: Heart disease is the No. 1 killer of women. In fact, more women die from heart disease than from all cancers combined, according to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) and the American Heart Association.
[See - click: Tips for Heart Health]
And yet, this threat often goes unrecognized. Hence, the red dress icon, created in 2002 by the NHLBI as the emblem of its public education campaign, "The Heart Truth." "When women hear the term 'heart disease,' they may still think it's a 'man's disease,'" says Nakela Cook, a cardiologist and chief of staff to the NHLBI director.
In the last decade, heart attack deaths in women have dropped steadily, "so a lot of the things that we've been doing are beginning to show benefits," says Nieca Goldberg, medical director of The Joan H. Tisch Center for Women's Health, NYU, Langone Medical Center and a national spokesperson for the American Heart Association's "Go Red for Women" campaign.
Still, plenty of misperceptions abound. Nearly half of women don't grasp the extent of this threat, and African-American and Hispanic women, who are disproportionately affected by heart disease, are even less informed, Cook says.
And yet, as the leading cause of death for both men and women, heart disease requires everyone's attention and prevention, says Sharonne Hayes, director of the Mayo Clinic Women's Heart Clinic in Rochester, Minn. "There's choices that each and every one of us can make each day that will make a difference in our heart health," she says.
Below, some of the critical myths and facts about women's heart health and heart health in general:
MYTH - not true: I've got low cholesterol. That lets me bypass the whole bypass business.
Heart disease is what's called a "multi-risk factor disease," Goldberg says. It can result from a range of reasons: family history, smoking, high blood pressure, eating sugar, diabetes, being overweight or obese, and a sedentary lifestyle, Goldberg says.
That's why experts urge everyone to know their risk factors--regularly checking their cholesterol and blood pressure levels, for example--and respond accordingly. As Cook explains: "Some women believe that doing just one healthy thing is enough to make them not at risk. For example, they may think that if they walk or swim regularly, they can still smoke and that the exercise will counter the smoking risk factor. That's faulty reasoning. To protect your heart, it is vital to make changes that address each risk factor you have." AND: stop eating sugar.
MYTH: If heart disease is genetic, then I'm doomed.
No, no, and no. Even with family history of heart disease, studies have found that lifestyle changes lower one's heart-attack risk, says Goldberg. "A lot of the ways to prevent heart disease are things that we all have to do ourselves." That means at least a half-hour of aerobic exercise every day--and if that seems daunting, she advises working up to it or employing 10-minute intervals.
Goldberg also suggests following a Mediterranean diet: Have at least five daily servings of colorful, antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables, swap saturated and trans fats for monounsaturated fat, and get your omega-3 fatty acids from fish.
[See Plant-Based Diets: A Primer.]
For her part, Cook proposes the DASH diet, a government-created program to reduce high blood pressure. Focus on fruits, vegetables, whole grains, fish, nuts, and poultry, she says, and keep salt, sugar, red meat, and calories in check. Also, "move every day," she says, and suggests brisk walking, dancing, and gardening.
Unlike telling people to ditch the cheesecake or prime rib, exercise is "one behavior that actually makes you feel better," Hayes says. She also advises getting seven to eight hours of sleep each night.
[See Diet and Fitness Tips to Help You Sleep.]
MYTH: My chest pain was on the right side, not the left, so I couldn't be having a heart attack.
"That's a total myth," Goldberg says. The pressure or tightness associated with heart disease can show up anywhere in the chest, even the upper abdomen, and commonly spreads to the arm, neck, and jaw, she says. But unlike men, for whom chest pain is the most common symptom of heart attack, only half of female heart attack patients report chest pain, Cook says. Women more often have back or neck pain, indigestion, heartburn, nausea, extreme fatigue, or trouble breathing, she says. Women are also prone to specific, less-understood conditions such as coronary microvascular disease, which affects the walls of the heart's arteries, and "broken heart syndrome," in which severe emotional stress causes heart muscle failure.
Also, women are more likely to delay reporting heart attack symptoms and less likely to receive the same quality of care shown to men, Cook says, citing lower rates of treatment and more bleeding complications among female cardiac patients.
[See Red Meat Shortens Life? What to Do.]
Similar challenges affect women suffering from stroke. According to a recent Mayo Clinic survey of 209 stroke patients, only 27 percent of the females could name more than two of the six basic symptoms for stroke. The study also showed that married men called an ambulance within 28 minutes of experiencing symptoms, while married women waited 67 minutes, on average. (The disparity among singles was negligible).
Here, too, women experience unique symptoms that may affect their diagnosis, says Eva Rzucidlo, associate professor of vascular surgery at Dartmouth University's Geisel School of Medicine. Classic stroke symptoms include numbness or weakness in the face or arm, a loss of speech or hearing, dizziness, and headache. But women's symptoms can include trouble breathing or even the hiccups, Rzucidlo says. At stake is the extent of recovery, since stroke patients only have a few hours for powerful clot-destroying medicine to take effect.
[See 7 Steps Toward a Healthy Heart (and Long Life).]
"We have to be our own advocates, especially if you have risk factors," Rzucidlo says. "The most important thing is for you to understand your disease ... It means talking to your doctor and understanding what your risk factors are and how you can modify those risk factors to make yourself as healthy as possible."
*) NFL = click: National Football League - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Football_League
Click green for further info
________________________________________________________________________
CDC REPORT 2013
More U.S. Mothers Breast-Feeding
CDC = Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
BENEFITS OF BREAST FEEDING:
Breast feeding will strengthen your baby's immune system (= system fighting sicknesses), keeps
your baby healthier at any age, will prevent overweight & obesity at any age, gives your baby
a higher intelligence & creativity level & leads to an overall richer, more successful & happier life
In case your for some reason cannot breast feed, contact STAF, Inc. and your baby doctor for further advice. STAF, Inc. promotes more natural,health maintaining & sickness avoiding principles.
More U.S. mothers are breast-feeding their infants, but very few continue to do so for the recommended 12 months, says a new report from the federal CDC (= Centers for Disease Control and Prevention).
Between 2000 and 2008, the percentage of new mothers who said they breast-fed their infants for any amount of time increased from 70.3 percent to 74.6 percent; the percentage who said they breast-fed for six months rose from 34.5 percent to 44.4 percent; and the percentage who said they breast-fed for one year climbed from 16 percent to 23.4 percent.
"Despite increases in the prevalence of breast-feeding, fewer than half of the infants in the survey were still breast-feeding at 6 months, indicating that women who choose to breast-feed their infants need support to continue breast-feeding," the report said.
"Many mothers who want to breastfeed are still not getting the support they need from hospitals, doctors, or employers," Dr. Tom Frieden, director of the CDC, said in a statement. "We must redouble our efforts to support mothers who want to breastfeed," Frieden said.
Such support may be especially necessary for black women, who reported lower levels of breast-feeding than women of other ethnicities. In 2008, the percentage of black women who said they had ever breast-fed their infant was about 59 percent, compared to 75 percent for white women and 80 percent for Hispanic women, the report said.
Black women may be more likely to encounter unsupportive work environments, or other factors that interfere with breast-feeding, the researchers said. Strategies that may encourage continued breast-feeding among black women include increasing support for organizations that promote breast-feeding in minority women, and increasing the number of lactation consultants in minority communities, the researchers said.
Hospitals may also help to increase breast-feeding by following up with mothers regarding their breast-feeding efforts after they've gone home, the CDC said in an earlier report published in August 2011.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends exclusively breast-feeding infants for six months in addition to giving the baby doctor-recommended supplements to ensure that the child gets vital vitamins and minerals not found in high quantities in breast milk. After that, women should continue to breast-feed their baby until the first birthday in addition to feeding him or her other foods. Breast-feeding has been linked to a number of health benefits, including a reduced risk of childhood obesity and certain childhood infections.
The new report is published this week in the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
Pass it on: Mothers who breast-feed their infants may need additional support to continue breast-feeding for the recommended one year.
Click green for further information - in case the link haqs expired, search the internet with the same title
More U.S. Mothers Breast-Feeding
CDC = Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
BENEFITS OF BREAST FEEDING:
Breast feeding will strengthen your baby's immune system (= system fighting sicknesses), keeps
your baby healthier at any age, will prevent overweight & obesity at any age, gives your baby
a higher intelligence & creativity level & leads to an overall richer, more successful & happier life
In case your for some reason cannot breast feed, contact STAF, Inc. and your baby doctor for further advice. STAF, Inc. promotes more natural,health maintaining & sickness avoiding principles.
More U.S. mothers are breast-feeding their infants, but very few continue to do so for the recommended 12 months, says a new report from the federal CDC (= Centers for Disease Control and Prevention).
Between 2000 and 2008, the percentage of new mothers who said they breast-fed their infants for any amount of time increased from 70.3 percent to 74.6 percent; the percentage who said they breast-fed for six months rose from 34.5 percent to 44.4 percent; and the percentage who said they breast-fed for one year climbed from 16 percent to 23.4 percent.
"Despite increases in the prevalence of breast-feeding, fewer than half of the infants in the survey were still breast-feeding at 6 months, indicating that women who choose to breast-feed their infants need support to continue breast-feeding," the report said.
"Many mothers who want to breastfeed are still not getting the support they need from hospitals, doctors, or employers," Dr. Tom Frieden, director of the CDC, said in a statement. "We must redouble our efforts to support mothers who want to breastfeed," Frieden said.
Such support may be especially necessary for black women, who reported lower levels of breast-feeding than women of other ethnicities. In 2008, the percentage of black women who said they had ever breast-fed their infant was about 59 percent, compared to 75 percent for white women and 80 percent for Hispanic women, the report said.
Black women may be more likely to encounter unsupportive work environments, or other factors that interfere with breast-feeding, the researchers said. Strategies that may encourage continued breast-feeding among black women include increasing support for organizations that promote breast-feeding in minority women, and increasing the number of lactation consultants in minority communities, the researchers said.
Hospitals may also help to increase breast-feeding by following up with mothers regarding their breast-feeding efforts after they've gone home, the CDC said in an earlier report published in August 2011.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends exclusively breast-feeding infants for six months in addition to giving the baby doctor-recommended supplements to ensure that the child gets vital vitamins and minerals not found in high quantities in breast milk. After that, women should continue to breast-feed their baby until the first birthday in addition to feeding him or her other foods. Breast-feeding has been linked to a number of health benefits, including a reduced risk of childhood obesity and certain childhood infections.
The new report is published this week in the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
Pass it on: Mothers who breast-feed their infants may need additional support to continue breast-feeding for the recommended one year.
Click green for further information - in case the link haqs expired, search the internet with the same title
- 11 Big Fat Pregnancy Myths
- 9 Good Sources of Disease-Fighter Vitamin D
- 10 Ways to Promote Kids' Healthy Eating Habits _________________________________________________
A circadian rhythm
is any biological process that displays an endogenous (= "built-in", self-sustained), entrainable (= adjusted)
oscillation of about 24 hours.
These rhythms are driven by a circadian clock, and rhythms have been widely observed in human, plants, animals, fungi and cyanobacteria. The term circadian comes from the Latin circa, meaning "around" (or "approximately"), and diem or dies, meaning "day". The formal study of biological temporal rhythms, such as daily, tidal, weekly, seasonal, and annual rhythms, is called chronobiology. Although circadian rhythms are endogenous ("built-in", self-sustained), they are adjusted (entrained) to the local environment by external cues called zeitgebers, commonly the most important of which is daylight.
(1) Click blue for further info Circadian rhythm - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(2) Click blue for further info Journal of Circadian Rhythmswww.jcircadianrhythms.com/
Journal of Circadian Rhythms is an open access, peer-reviewed online journal that publishes research articles dealing with circadian and nycthemeral (daily) ...
Additional links on the internet
_______________________________________
is any biological process that displays an endogenous (= "built-in", self-sustained), entrainable (= adjusted)
oscillation of about 24 hours.
These rhythms are driven by a circadian clock, and rhythms have been widely observed in human, plants, animals, fungi and cyanobacteria. The term circadian comes from the Latin circa, meaning "around" (or "approximately"), and diem or dies, meaning "day". The formal study of biological temporal rhythms, such as daily, tidal, weekly, seasonal, and annual rhythms, is called chronobiology. Although circadian rhythms are endogenous ("built-in", self-sustained), they are adjusted (entrained) to the local environment by external cues called zeitgebers, commonly the most important of which is daylight.
(1) Click blue for further info Circadian rhythm - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(2) Click blue for further info Journal of Circadian Rhythmswww.jcircadianrhythms.com/
Journal of Circadian Rhythms is an open access, peer-reviewed online journal that publishes research articles dealing with circadian and nycthemeral (daily) ...
Additional links on the internet
_______________________________________
14 Heart Numbers Everyone Should Know
It’s not enough to know your cholesterol levels and blood pressure. Other targets matter, too.
Updated 2/20/13 - A long life free of heart disease does not come just from controlling the standard measures like blood pressure and cholesterol. Sure, keeping tabs on these indicators is essential to gauging your heart's health, but a few other numbers—some surprising—can be meaningful as well.
It's awareness worth having. The American Heart Association (AHA) noted in its annual review for 2011 that while the death rate due to cardiovascular disease in the United States fell between 1996 and 2007, the burden of the disease is still high. One in nearly three deaths was related to heart disease in 2007.
U.S. News consulted with cardiology experts to round up the target numbers you should strive for to keep your ticker in good shape over the long haul.
Alcohol intake. Those fond of tipple may be dismayed, but the science on alcohol as an agent to promote heart health is just not definitive. "If you have heart disease, alcohol plays no role in your medicine cabinet; if [you do] not, alcohol is not the right way to reduce your risk," says Jonathan Whiteson, director of the Cardiovascular Rehabilitation Program at New York University Langone Medical Center. Some research has suggested that drinking red wine may increase one's HDL, or "good" cholesterol, but Whiteson notes that the boost is minimal or none. "Exercise [offers] a better increase in HDL," he says.
While he's not against a drink in a social setting, it's certainly not something folks—especially those with heart disease—should engage in with the idea that it will offer a heart benefit, says Whiteson. In fact, medications' effectiveness can be either hampered or heightened by alcohol, sometimes to a dangerous extent. (Common herbal supplements can interact with heart drugs, too). And drinking too much can lead to high blood pressure or increased blood levels of triglycerides, a type of fat.
Bottom line: The AHA (= American Heart Association) suggests that otherwise healthy individuals who drink should do so in moderation. That's defined as one to two drinks per day for men and one drink per day for women. And be careful with that pour: The AHA defines a drink as one 12-ounce beer, a 4-ounce glass of wine, 1.5 ounce of 80-proof spirits, or 1 ounce of 100-proof spirits.
Salt intake. Some experts say that the pervasive use of sodium in the American diet is wreaking havoc on our cardiovascular systems. "Sodium causes retention of fluid within the circulation, and if you're sodium-sensitive, it expands your blood volume and can contribute to high blood pressure, stroke, and other heart disease," explains Clyde Yancy, chief of cardiology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.
A report in the New England Journal of Medicine suggested that if Americans reduced daily salt intake by 3 grams, we could significantly lower the annual number of new cases of coronary heart disease (by between 60,000 and 120,000), stroke (by 32,000 to 66,000), heart attack (by 54,000 to 99,000), and even the number of deaths from any cause (by 44,000 to 92,000). The paper's authors noted previous research that showed the average American man consumes 10.4 grams of salt daily, while the average American woman gets 7.3 grams.
Bottom line:
The AHA recommends Americans limit salt intake to 1.5 grams daily. Be wary: Sodium creeps in via unexpected sources, and it's not so much the salt shaker on our table that's to blame. Research suggests we get as much as 80 percent of our daily salt intake from processed foods. Some surprising foods loaded with salt include miso soup, cottage cheese, salsa, and dill pickles.
[See: 10 Salt Shockers That Could Make Hypertension Worse]
Sugar intake.
Sugar causes inflammation which damages artery walls and leads to plaque ruptures and cardiac arrest.
It's not just the savory flavors that'll get you; sweets, too, can ultimately become a cause for concern, says the AHA. Like salt, sugar creeps into the processed foods that make up much of the American diet, and sweetened beverages—soda, juices, and sports drinks—are especially loaded with the stuff. Here's some disturbing math for you: A 12-ounce can of soda has about 8 teaspoons (or 33 grams) of added sugars, totaling about 130 calories. (A gram of sugar translates into 4 calories.)
A can of Coke or Pepsi, then, basically takes you to the AHA's (= American Heart Assocition) upper limit on the recommended amount of added sugar Americans should ingest on a daily basis. The association's primary concern is the number of excess calories that added sugars sneak into our diets and pile onto our waistlines, which can contribute to metabolic changes that increase the chances of developing a host of diseases.
Bottom line: According to the AHA, women should get no more than 100 calories per day of added sugars and men should stop at 150 calories per day. Watch out for surprising foods where sugar lurks, like fortune cookies, baked beans, ketchup, and flavored popcorn.
[See: Foods Surprisingly High in Added Sugar]
Resting heart rate. How hard does your heart have to work—and how fast does it have to pump—to get oxygen-rich blood throughout your body? A lower number suggests your cardiovascular system is more efficient at doing this. Thus, a highly trained athlete can have a resting heart rate in the 40s, says Whiteson.
And while the research is still emerging on what one's resting heart rate predicts about heart disease risk, a picture is beginning to take shape. "There is certain evidence to support [the idea that] a higher resting heart rate is associated with heart disease," especially ischemic heart disease*) , he says, which involves reduced blood flow (and oxygen) getting to heart arteries and the heart muscle. This effect seems to be more pronounced in women than in men, but a study in theJournal of Epidemiology and Community Health suggested that in women up to the age of 70, every 10-beats-per-minute increase in resting heart rate boosted the risk of dying from ischemic heart disease by 18 percent. In men, the risk was increased by 10 percent for every extra 10 beats per minute, and age didn't have an impact. The study also found that women who got high levels of physical activity were able to reduce their risk of death considerably, compared with those who did little or no activity. The same effect was not found in men, but the researchers suggest the results may have been skewed because men tend to overestimate how much exercise they get.
Bottom line: A normal resting heart rate is between 60 and 100 beats per minute. Check yours by finding your wrist's pulse, counting the beats in a 15-second period, then multiplying by four.
*) Ischemic heart disease is also known as coronary artery disease or “hardening of the arteries.”Cholesterol plaque can build up in the arteries of the heart and cause “ischemia,” which means the heart is not getting enough blood flow and oxygen. If the plaque blocks an artery, a heart attack can result.
Up to 90 percent of heart attacks are due to: smoking, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, abdominal obesity ("spare tire"), not eating enough fruits and vegetables, lack of exercise, drinking too much alcohol, and stress.
Visit Medline Plus to learn about treatment for coronary artery disease, the latest medical research, and more from the National Institutes of Health.
Lower your risk of heart disease
Here’s how: Exercise at least 30 minutes a day. Get help to quit smoking. Limit alcohol. Eat more fruits and vegetables. Go to www.prevention.va.gov to learn more.
Click: Ischaemic heart disease - Wikipedia
Hours of sleep per night.
An over caffeinated America seems to perpetually crave more shut-eye. And evidence is cropping up to suggest that a poor night's sleep is not only felt the next day but could have implications for one's heart over the long term. It is well established that sleep apnea, which results in numerous interruptions to breathing while asleep, is associated with stroke and coronary artery disease.
The reason is not clear, says Whiteson, but it's been hypothesized that people with disrupted sleep breathing have higher blood pressure overall because they don't get the restorative sleep that normally allows blood pressure to go down and gives the cardiovascular system a break during slumber. And a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association showed that middle-aged people who got five hours of shut-eye or less a night had a greater risk of developing coronary artery disease than those who got eight hours. The clue was the beginnings of calcium buildup in their arteries, found by CT scanning long before the disease process would normally be picked up.
Bottom line: Get six t0 eight hours of sleep per night. Toddlers: 11 - 12 h, Teengers 9-11 h
Making it happen isn't easy, we know.
Exercise. You've heard it a thousand times over, and the message stays the same: Regular, heart-thumping exercise offers a multitude of health benefits, particularly for cardiovascular fitness. Perhaps clinicians (and health writers) keep bashing us over the head with that fact because of the eye-popping number of American adults who reported getting zero vigorous activity in a 2008 Centers of Disease Control and Prevention survey: 59 percent.
Bottom line: For a clean bill of health, the major health associations (including the AHA and the American College of Sports Medicine) suggest a minimum of 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity each week—say, brisk walking that boosts your heart rate. This translates into 30 minutes of exercise on five days of the week. Twice-weekly strength training of eight to 10 exercises, up to 12 reps each, is also on their to-do list.
Whiteson at NYU Langone Medical Center suggests that those who don't have heart disease should bump that recommendation up to 60 minutes a day, five days a week ofvigorous activity, where you're breathing pretty heavily and sweating. But he offers a concession: "You can break it up" into, say, three 20-minute sessions per day, since "the effect of aerobic exercise is cumulative." He also thinks those without heart disease should do strength training thrice weekly. Individuals with heart disease should always discuss a new exercise regimen with a doctor first, he says.
Sex. This one might get your attention. Envision the seemingly virile, and it's typically those in excellent physical condition. There may be some scientific backing for this. For example, having trouble getting or keeping an erection, or erectile dysfunction, is a risk factor for heart disease. The connection seems to come down to blood flow, not only in the arteries that supply the heart but also those that supply the penis. Sometimes (not always) erection trouble is an early sign of heart disease.
And Whiteson points to a study published in the American Journal of Cardiology that found that men who had little sex also had a higher risk of cardiovascular disease. Indeed, men who had sex once a month or less were 45 percent more likely to have heart disease than men who had sex at least twice a week.
Bottom line: Does this translate into a prescription for sex to bolster heart health? Not necessarily. It's hard to know how to interpret such a finding, says Whiteson. Unhealthy people simply may not be motivated to have sex because they don't feel particularly well, have low libido, or feel depressed. But, he says, other research has shown that, because orgasm helps reduce stress hormones, sexual activity may have a positive effect on the autonomic nervous system, which regulates the breathing rate and blood pressure.
Cigarettes. A 2009 study of Norwegians found that heavy smokers—those who puff at least 20 cigarettes per day—were 2.5 times more likely to die over a 30-year period than nonsmokers. But the cardiovascular risks associated with smoking aren't just seen in chain smokers.
The more nuanced message that doesn't always get across is the risk that the occasional smoker is exposed to. Even 10 minutes of secondhand smoke exposure may affect cardiovascular function. Just because you might not smoke a pack a day or even a week doesn't mean you're in the clear. "There is no safe level of exposure" to tobacco smoke, says Yancy.
Bottom line: To protect against heart disease (not to mention cancer, stroke, and reproductive problems), the goal is to smoke exactly zero cigarettes.
Blood sugar. Over time, high blood sugar levels associated with diabetes can damage nerves and blood vessels. This can spur the buildup of fat on blood vessel walls, which can impede blood flow and promote atherosclerosis. Having diabetes increases one's risk of cardiovascular disease considerably. Three quarters of those with diabetes die of heart or blood vessel disease.
Your body's ability to use glucose (blood sugar) properly can be tested by getting a fasting blood glucose test, which is a snapshot of your blood sugar at the time, or by getting a hemoglobin A1C test, which measures overall blood glucose over the previous three months. Both can be insightful. "There is data to suggest that there is a significant decrease in the risk of heart and vascular disease with every 1 percent reduction in hemoglobin A1C," says Whiteson.
Bottom line: The more controlled, the better. The normal range for a fasting blood glucose test is typically less than 100 milligrams per deciliter; prediabetes is indicated by a level between 100 and 125 mg/dL and diabetes by a reading of 126 mg/dL or above. A normal hemoglobin A1C level is below 6 percent, and those with diabetes should aim to keep it under 7 percent.
C-reactive protein. Inflammation is a process our body uses to fight off an assault, like a cold or injury, in order to heal. But over the long term, chronic inflammation plays a detrimental role to health because the nasty byproducts—inflammatory molecules like cytokines—are believed to be part of several disease processes, including atherosclerosis, obesity, and Alzheimer's disease. In the realm of heart disease, much ado has been made of c-reactive protein, a marker for one's level of inflammation that can be picked up through a blood test called hs-CRP, for high-sensitivity c-reactive protein.
Who should get the test, and what are doctors to do with the results? Those are matters of considerable debate. "We can't treat high [c-reactive protein]," says Whiteson. It's an indicator of potential heart trouble, but medicine doesn't have the tools, via mediations or procedures, to bring an elevated c-reactive protein down to normal. It is possible, however, to directly treat other critical risk factors like high blood pressure and high cholesterol. Doing so can bring down the risk of future cardiac events and death. A landmark study from late 2008 found that subjects who did not have heart disease and had normal cholesterol and who took statins had a lower risk of heart attack and stroke and also had fewer angioplasties and bypass surgeries over the course of the study, compared with the group who took a placebo. But too many questions remain about the study to make a blanket statement that folks should be taking statins more liberally.
Bottom line: According to the AHA, an hs-CRP measure of 1 mg/L means you are at low risk of developing cardiovascular disease, a measure between 1 and 3 mg/L means you are at average risk, and levels above 3 mg/L means your risk is high. Getting the test may be helpful, says Yancy, if you are at intermediate risk for heart disease based on other risk factors and your doctors would like another data point to determine treatment. But "there is no need to check CRP if a person already has high risk or truly is in the healthy bracket," he says.
Waist circumference. While not a direct measure of heart disease, a high waist circumference tracks with increased risk for high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes—all of which have a direct impact on heart health. And the bigger the belly, the heavier one tends to be. Obesity, of course, is a well-known risk factor for a range of diseases, including heart disease.
Importantly, a higher waist circumference indicates distribution of fat around the abdomen and packing fat around vital organs, which research has indicated is more dangerous than carrying weight in the thighs or buttocks.
Be sure you're measuring properly. The correct waist circumference measurement is taken by wrapping a measuring tape around the natural waist at the belly button, not around the hips.
Bottom line: Men should have a waist circumference of less than 40 inches. The figure for women is less than 35 inches.
Body mass index. Your weight matters, but it has to be considered in the context of how tall you are. Body mass index takes the two numbers into account. Like waist circumference, BMI is an indirect measure of risk, but a higher measure correlates with greater risk. The catch, however, is that it is not always entirely accurate. A person in excellent condition who has a lot of muscle mass may have a high BMI.
Too much excess weight is associated with diabetes, heart disease and stroke, some cancers, sleep apnea, osteoarthritis, fatty liver disease, and complications in pregnancy.
Bottom line: People with BMIs less than 18.5 are underweight. Target BMI range is between 18.5 and 24.9. Overweight is considered between 25 and 30, and a BMI above 30 puts you in the obese category.
Blood pressure. This one is critical to heart health. According to the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute,
1 in every 3 Americans has high blood pressure. When a nurse wraps the cuff around your arm, she's taking a reading of the force on the walls of your arteries, which is subject to fluctuating pressure as the heart beats to push blood through your body. The trouble is, high blood pressure doesn't have any telltale symptoms, so a person might be living with hypertension unknowingly. Over the long haul, elevated blood pressure can damage organs and fuel a cascade of problems.
Action to lower blood pressure can include medications, but diet and exercise can really beat those numbers back into submission. The DASH diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension)—high in veggies, fruit, fish, and whole grains but low in red meat fat and sugar—has been shown to lower blood pressure significantly. And research has suggested that the DASH diet packs an especially powerful wallop when people simultaneously work to reduce salt intake, a known blood pressure booster.
Bottom line: "The only number that really matters is 120 over 80," which is the cutoff for a normal blood pressure reading, says Yancy. The more one's blood pressure surpasses that level, the more damage to the vascular system, heart, and kidneys. The top number is called systolic blood pressure and is the measure of pressure while the heart beats. The bottom number is called diastolic and is the measure of pressure between heart beats. A reading above 120/80 but below 140/90 is considered prehypertension; anything above that is high blood pressure. Both require attention and steps to bring the blood pressure back under control.
Cholesterol. Your cholesterol level is a measure of the fats circulating in your bloodstream. With out-of-whack cholesterol levels comes greater risk for coronary artery disease and stroke. Reducing saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, and total fat can help bring down your cholesterol level. And exercise, says Whiteson, "is one pill that treats all ills. It can touch all risk factors for heart disease," including reducing weight, reducing stress, improving blood sugar profiles, bringing down high blood pressure, and lowering total cholesterol, lowering LDL (the "bad" cholesterol), increasing HDL (the "good" cholesterol), and lowering tricglycerides, a type of fat in the blood.
Bottom line: You're aiming for total cholesterol below 200 mg/DL; above 240 mg/DL puts you at twice the risk of coronary artery disease as a person within the normal range. HDL should be above 40 mg/DL for men and above 50 mg/DL for women (women tend to have higher HDL before menopause); above 60 mg/DL is categorized as protective to your heart. LDL ideally should be below 100 mg/DL, though up to 129 mg/DL is near optimal. High LDL is considered 160 mg/DL or above. Triglycerides should be below 150 mg/DL; a measure above 200 mg/DL is considered high.
Updated: 2/20/2013
___________________________________________
It’s not enough to know your cholesterol levels and blood pressure. Other targets matter, too.
Updated 2/20/13 - A long life free of heart disease does not come just from controlling the standard measures like blood pressure and cholesterol. Sure, keeping tabs on these indicators is essential to gauging your heart's health, but a few other numbers—some surprising—can be meaningful as well.
It's awareness worth having. The American Heart Association (AHA) noted in its annual review for 2011 that while the death rate due to cardiovascular disease in the United States fell between 1996 and 2007, the burden of the disease is still high. One in nearly three deaths was related to heart disease in 2007.
U.S. News consulted with cardiology experts to round up the target numbers you should strive for to keep your ticker in good shape over the long haul.
Alcohol intake. Those fond of tipple may be dismayed, but the science on alcohol as an agent to promote heart health is just not definitive. "If you have heart disease, alcohol plays no role in your medicine cabinet; if [you do] not, alcohol is not the right way to reduce your risk," says Jonathan Whiteson, director of the Cardiovascular Rehabilitation Program at New York University Langone Medical Center. Some research has suggested that drinking red wine may increase one's HDL, or "good" cholesterol, but Whiteson notes that the boost is minimal or none. "Exercise [offers] a better increase in HDL," he says.
While he's not against a drink in a social setting, it's certainly not something folks—especially those with heart disease—should engage in with the idea that it will offer a heart benefit, says Whiteson. In fact, medications' effectiveness can be either hampered or heightened by alcohol, sometimes to a dangerous extent. (Common herbal supplements can interact with heart drugs, too). And drinking too much can lead to high blood pressure or increased blood levels of triglycerides, a type of fat.
Bottom line: The AHA (= American Heart Association) suggests that otherwise healthy individuals who drink should do so in moderation. That's defined as one to two drinks per day for men and one drink per day for women. And be careful with that pour: The AHA defines a drink as one 12-ounce beer, a 4-ounce glass of wine, 1.5 ounce of 80-proof spirits, or 1 ounce of 100-proof spirits.
Salt intake. Some experts say that the pervasive use of sodium in the American diet is wreaking havoc on our cardiovascular systems. "Sodium causes retention of fluid within the circulation, and if you're sodium-sensitive, it expands your blood volume and can contribute to high blood pressure, stroke, and other heart disease," explains Clyde Yancy, chief of cardiology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.
A report in the New England Journal of Medicine suggested that if Americans reduced daily salt intake by 3 grams, we could significantly lower the annual number of new cases of coronary heart disease (by between 60,000 and 120,000), stroke (by 32,000 to 66,000), heart attack (by 54,000 to 99,000), and even the number of deaths from any cause (by 44,000 to 92,000). The paper's authors noted previous research that showed the average American man consumes 10.4 grams of salt daily, while the average American woman gets 7.3 grams.
Bottom line:
The AHA recommends Americans limit salt intake to 1.5 grams daily. Be wary: Sodium creeps in via unexpected sources, and it's not so much the salt shaker on our table that's to blame. Research suggests we get as much as 80 percent of our daily salt intake from processed foods. Some surprising foods loaded with salt include miso soup, cottage cheese, salsa, and dill pickles.
[See: 10 Salt Shockers That Could Make Hypertension Worse]
Sugar intake.
Sugar causes inflammation which damages artery walls and leads to plaque ruptures and cardiac arrest.
It's not just the savory flavors that'll get you; sweets, too, can ultimately become a cause for concern, says the AHA. Like salt, sugar creeps into the processed foods that make up much of the American diet, and sweetened beverages—soda, juices, and sports drinks—are especially loaded with the stuff. Here's some disturbing math for you: A 12-ounce can of soda has about 8 teaspoons (or 33 grams) of added sugars, totaling about 130 calories. (A gram of sugar translates into 4 calories.)
A can of Coke or Pepsi, then, basically takes you to the AHA's (= American Heart Assocition) upper limit on the recommended amount of added sugar Americans should ingest on a daily basis. The association's primary concern is the number of excess calories that added sugars sneak into our diets and pile onto our waistlines, which can contribute to metabolic changes that increase the chances of developing a host of diseases.
Bottom line: According to the AHA, women should get no more than 100 calories per day of added sugars and men should stop at 150 calories per day. Watch out for surprising foods where sugar lurks, like fortune cookies, baked beans, ketchup, and flavored popcorn.
[See: Foods Surprisingly High in Added Sugar]
Resting heart rate. How hard does your heart have to work—and how fast does it have to pump—to get oxygen-rich blood throughout your body? A lower number suggests your cardiovascular system is more efficient at doing this. Thus, a highly trained athlete can have a resting heart rate in the 40s, says Whiteson.
And while the research is still emerging on what one's resting heart rate predicts about heart disease risk, a picture is beginning to take shape. "There is certain evidence to support [the idea that] a higher resting heart rate is associated with heart disease," especially ischemic heart disease*) , he says, which involves reduced blood flow (and oxygen) getting to heart arteries and the heart muscle. This effect seems to be more pronounced in women than in men, but a study in theJournal of Epidemiology and Community Health suggested that in women up to the age of 70, every 10-beats-per-minute increase in resting heart rate boosted the risk of dying from ischemic heart disease by 18 percent. In men, the risk was increased by 10 percent for every extra 10 beats per minute, and age didn't have an impact. The study also found that women who got high levels of physical activity were able to reduce their risk of death considerably, compared with those who did little or no activity. The same effect was not found in men, but the researchers suggest the results may have been skewed because men tend to overestimate how much exercise they get.
Bottom line: A normal resting heart rate is between 60 and 100 beats per minute. Check yours by finding your wrist's pulse, counting the beats in a 15-second period, then multiplying by four.
*) Ischemic heart disease is also known as coronary artery disease or “hardening of the arteries.”Cholesterol plaque can build up in the arteries of the heart and cause “ischemia,” which means the heart is not getting enough blood flow and oxygen. If the plaque blocks an artery, a heart attack can result.
Up to 90 percent of heart attacks are due to: smoking, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, abdominal obesity ("spare tire"), not eating enough fruits and vegetables, lack of exercise, drinking too much alcohol, and stress.
Visit Medline Plus to learn about treatment for coronary artery disease, the latest medical research, and more from the National Institutes of Health.
Lower your risk of heart disease
Here’s how: Exercise at least 30 minutes a day. Get help to quit smoking. Limit alcohol. Eat more fruits and vegetables. Go to www.prevention.va.gov to learn more.
Click: Ischaemic heart disease - Wikipedia
Hours of sleep per night.
An over caffeinated America seems to perpetually crave more shut-eye. And evidence is cropping up to suggest that a poor night's sleep is not only felt the next day but could have implications for one's heart over the long term. It is well established that sleep apnea, which results in numerous interruptions to breathing while asleep, is associated with stroke and coronary artery disease.
The reason is not clear, says Whiteson, but it's been hypothesized that people with disrupted sleep breathing have higher blood pressure overall because they don't get the restorative sleep that normally allows blood pressure to go down and gives the cardiovascular system a break during slumber. And a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association showed that middle-aged people who got five hours of shut-eye or less a night had a greater risk of developing coronary artery disease than those who got eight hours. The clue was the beginnings of calcium buildup in their arteries, found by CT scanning long before the disease process would normally be picked up.
Bottom line: Get six t0 eight hours of sleep per night. Toddlers: 11 - 12 h, Teengers 9-11 h
Making it happen isn't easy, we know.
Exercise. You've heard it a thousand times over, and the message stays the same: Regular, heart-thumping exercise offers a multitude of health benefits, particularly for cardiovascular fitness. Perhaps clinicians (and health writers) keep bashing us over the head with that fact because of the eye-popping number of American adults who reported getting zero vigorous activity in a 2008 Centers of Disease Control and Prevention survey: 59 percent.
Bottom line: For a clean bill of health, the major health associations (including the AHA and the American College of Sports Medicine) suggest a minimum of 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity each week—say, brisk walking that boosts your heart rate. This translates into 30 minutes of exercise on five days of the week. Twice-weekly strength training of eight to 10 exercises, up to 12 reps each, is also on their to-do list.
Whiteson at NYU Langone Medical Center suggests that those who don't have heart disease should bump that recommendation up to 60 minutes a day, five days a week ofvigorous activity, where you're breathing pretty heavily and sweating. But he offers a concession: "You can break it up" into, say, three 20-minute sessions per day, since "the effect of aerobic exercise is cumulative." He also thinks those without heart disease should do strength training thrice weekly. Individuals with heart disease should always discuss a new exercise regimen with a doctor first, he says.
Sex. This one might get your attention. Envision the seemingly virile, and it's typically those in excellent physical condition. There may be some scientific backing for this. For example, having trouble getting or keeping an erection, or erectile dysfunction, is a risk factor for heart disease. The connection seems to come down to blood flow, not only in the arteries that supply the heart but also those that supply the penis. Sometimes (not always) erection trouble is an early sign of heart disease.
And Whiteson points to a study published in the American Journal of Cardiology that found that men who had little sex also had a higher risk of cardiovascular disease. Indeed, men who had sex once a month or less were 45 percent more likely to have heart disease than men who had sex at least twice a week.
Bottom line: Does this translate into a prescription for sex to bolster heart health? Not necessarily. It's hard to know how to interpret such a finding, says Whiteson. Unhealthy people simply may not be motivated to have sex because they don't feel particularly well, have low libido, or feel depressed. But, he says, other research has shown that, because orgasm helps reduce stress hormones, sexual activity may have a positive effect on the autonomic nervous system, which regulates the breathing rate and blood pressure.
Cigarettes. A 2009 study of Norwegians found that heavy smokers—those who puff at least 20 cigarettes per day—were 2.5 times more likely to die over a 30-year period than nonsmokers. But the cardiovascular risks associated with smoking aren't just seen in chain smokers.
The more nuanced message that doesn't always get across is the risk that the occasional smoker is exposed to. Even 10 minutes of secondhand smoke exposure may affect cardiovascular function. Just because you might not smoke a pack a day or even a week doesn't mean you're in the clear. "There is no safe level of exposure" to tobacco smoke, says Yancy.
Bottom line: To protect against heart disease (not to mention cancer, stroke, and reproductive problems), the goal is to smoke exactly zero cigarettes.
Blood sugar. Over time, high blood sugar levels associated with diabetes can damage nerves and blood vessels. This can spur the buildup of fat on blood vessel walls, which can impede blood flow and promote atherosclerosis. Having diabetes increases one's risk of cardiovascular disease considerably. Three quarters of those with diabetes die of heart or blood vessel disease.
Your body's ability to use glucose (blood sugar) properly can be tested by getting a fasting blood glucose test, which is a snapshot of your blood sugar at the time, or by getting a hemoglobin A1C test, which measures overall blood glucose over the previous three months. Both can be insightful. "There is data to suggest that there is a significant decrease in the risk of heart and vascular disease with every 1 percent reduction in hemoglobin A1C," says Whiteson.
Bottom line: The more controlled, the better. The normal range for a fasting blood glucose test is typically less than 100 milligrams per deciliter; prediabetes is indicated by a level between 100 and 125 mg/dL and diabetes by a reading of 126 mg/dL or above. A normal hemoglobin A1C level is below 6 percent, and those with diabetes should aim to keep it under 7 percent.
C-reactive protein. Inflammation is a process our body uses to fight off an assault, like a cold or injury, in order to heal. But over the long term, chronic inflammation plays a detrimental role to health because the nasty byproducts—inflammatory molecules like cytokines—are believed to be part of several disease processes, including atherosclerosis, obesity, and Alzheimer's disease. In the realm of heart disease, much ado has been made of c-reactive protein, a marker for one's level of inflammation that can be picked up through a blood test called hs-CRP, for high-sensitivity c-reactive protein.
Who should get the test, and what are doctors to do with the results? Those are matters of considerable debate. "We can't treat high [c-reactive protein]," says Whiteson. It's an indicator of potential heart trouble, but medicine doesn't have the tools, via mediations or procedures, to bring an elevated c-reactive protein down to normal. It is possible, however, to directly treat other critical risk factors like high blood pressure and high cholesterol. Doing so can bring down the risk of future cardiac events and death. A landmark study from late 2008 found that subjects who did not have heart disease and had normal cholesterol and who took statins had a lower risk of heart attack and stroke and also had fewer angioplasties and bypass surgeries over the course of the study, compared with the group who took a placebo. But too many questions remain about the study to make a blanket statement that folks should be taking statins more liberally.
Bottom line: According to the AHA, an hs-CRP measure of 1 mg/L means you are at low risk of developing cardiovascular disease, a measure between 1 and 3 mg/L means you are at average risk, and levels above 3 mg/L means your risk is high. Getting the test may be helpful, says Yancy, if you are at intermediate risk for heart disease based on other risk factors and your doctors would like another data point to determine treatment. But "there is no need to check CRP if a person already has high risk or truly is in the healthy bracket," he says.
Waist circumference. While not a direct measure of heart disease, a high waist circumference tracks with increased risk for high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes—all of which have a direct impact on heart health. And the bigger the belly, the heavier one tends to be. Obesity, of course, is a well-known risk factor for a range of diseases, including heart disease.
Importantly, a higher waist circumference indicates distribution of fat around the abdomen and packing fat around vital organs, which research has indicated is more dangerous than carrying weight in the thighs or buttocks.
Be sure you're measuring properly. The correct waist circumference measurement is taken by wrapping a measuring tape around the natural waist at the belly button, not around the hips.
Bottom line: Men should have a waist circumference of less than 40 inches. The figure for women is less than 35 inches.
Body mass index. Your weight matters, but it has to be considered in the context of how tall you are. Body mass index takes the two numbers into account. Like waist circumference, BMI is an indirect measure of risk, but a higher measure correlates with greater risk. The catch, however, is that it is not always entirely accurate. A person in excellent condition who has a lot of muscle mass may have a high BMI.
Too much excess weight is associated with diabetes, heart disease and stroke, some cancers, sleep apnea, osteoarthritis, fatty liver disease, and complications in pregnancy.
Bottom line: People with BMIs less than 18.5 are underweight. Target BMI range is between 18.5 and 24.9. Overweight is considered between 25 and 30, and a BMI above 30 puts you in the obese category.
Blood pressure. This one is critical to heart health. According to the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute,
1 in every 3 Americans has high blood pressure. When a nurse wraps the cuff around your arm, she's taking a reading of the force on the walls of your arteries, which is subject to fluctuating pressure as the heart beats to push blood through your body. The trouble is, high blood pressure doesn't have any telltale symptoms, so a person might be living with hypertension unknowingly. Over the long haul, elevated blood pressure can damage organs and fuel a cascade of problems.
Action to lower blood pressure can include medications, but diet and exercise can really beat those numbers back into submission. The DASH diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension)—high in veggies, fruit, fish, and whole grains but low in red meat fat and sugar—has been shown to lower blood pressure significantly. And research has suggested that the DASH diet packs an especially powerful wallop when people simultaneously work to reduce salt intake, a known blood pressure booster.
Bottom line: "The only number that really matters is 120 over 80," which is the cutoff for a normal blood pressure reading, says Yancy. The more one's blood pressure surpasses that level, the more damage to the vascular system, heart, and kidneys. The top number is called systolic blood pressure and is the measure of pressure while the heart beats. The bottom number is called diastolic and is the measure of pressure between heart beats. A reading above 120/80 but below 140/90 is considered prehypertension; anything above that is high blood pressure. Both require attention and steps to bring the blood pressure back under control.
Cholesterol. Your cholesterol level is a measure of the fats circulating in your bloodstream. With out-of-whack cholesterol levels comes greater risk for coronary artery disease and stroke. Reducing saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, and total fat can help bring down your cholesterol level. And exercise, says Whiteson, "is one pill that treats all ills. It can touch all risk factors for heart disease," including reducing weight, reducing stress, improving blood sugar profiles, bringing down high blood pressure, and lowering total cholesterol, lowering LDL (the "bad" cholesterol), increasing HDL (the "good" cholesterol), and lowering tricglycerides, a type of fat in the blood.
Bottom line: You're aiming for total cholesterol below 200 mg/DL; above 240 mg/DL puts you at twice the risk of coronary artery disease as a person within the normal range. HDL should be above 40 mg/DL for men and above 50 mg/DL for women (women tend to have higher HDL before menopause); above 60 mg/DL is categorized as protective to your heart. LDL ideally should be below 100 mg/DL, though up to 129 mg/DL is near optimal. High LDL is considered 160 mg/DL or above. Triglycerides should be below 150 mg/DL; a measure above 200 mg/DL is considered high.
Updated: 2/20/2013
___________________________________________
Important information - study well - and apply the info, perhaps not the product
Hand Sanitizers: Healthy or Hype?
Dirty little secret about hand sanitizers
Many people assume the gels protect them from germs — that's not always the case
There’s not much evidence that sanitizers prevent colds and flu, either
Americans spend $175 million on hand sanitizers that claim to kill 99.9 percent of germs, but all too often, we’re not getting the protection we’re paying for. Studies show that sanitizers aren’t very effective against some of the germs we fear most, including colds, flu and the nasty stomach bug norovirus.
However, there’s also research showing that alcohol-based sanitizers can reduce overall rates of GI infections*), cut the number of days kids stay home sick from school, and lower illnesses among college students living in dorms.*) GI infections = Gastrointestinal Infections - see at the end of this article an additional link to GI information
New studies also raise concern about potential health risks from a widely used hand gel ingredient—and there’s also evidence that many of us use these disinfectants incorrectly. To sift through the confusion, I talked to several infection-control experts.
Learn The Secret To Never Getting Sick - See below the information (next article)
Here’s a look at some facts and myths about the germ-fighting gel.
Hand gels don’t cut through grime (= dirt, soot, or filth, esp. when thickly accumulated or ingrained - vb(tr) to make dirty or coat with filth)
“Dirt, especially proteins or fatty materials, reduces the effectiveness of hand sanitizer, so alcohol-based hand sanitizers are not suggested if hands are visibly soiled,” says Dr. Daniel Uslan, hospital epidemiologist at UCLA Medical Center, Santa Monica. Instead, wash with soap and water.
It is important to use the product correctly. "Rub the sanitizer over the entire surface of the hands and fingers – including under the nails – just as you would when using soap and water", advises Rekha Murthy, MD, director of hospital epidemiology at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.
One type of hand sanitizer actually raises bacteria counts. That was the startling finding of a study comparing various products, according to the CDC. Volunteers placed their dominant hand on plates of agar growth medium (used to grow bacterial cultures in lab dishes) before and after various treatments, such as rinsing with tap water, lathering with antimicrobial soap, or rubbing hands with sanitizers, including one purchased at a discount store.
The next day, culture plates from hands rubbed with the store-bought gel not only had clumps of bacteria, but in some cases, they’d formed a visible outline of the volunteer’s hand. The researchers discovered that the discount product only contained 40 percent alcohol.
Though the study doesn't specifiy which hand sanitizer raised bacteria counts, there have been several voluntary recalls of hand sanitizers due to bacterial contamination, including Kleenex-brand Luxury Foam hand sanitizer in June, 2012 and X3 Clean Alcohol-Free Foaming Hand Sanitizer in November.
Click The 11 Germiest Places in Your Home
Not all disinfectants are equally effective. “It depends on which hand sanitizer [you’re] using,” says Allison Aiello, PhD, associate professor of epidemiology at University of Michigan. “Alcohol-based sanitizer with 60% concentration is very effective at killing a wide range of bacteria and viruses on the hands—and the product of choice in the hospital setting based on rigorous randomized intervention studies.”
However, adds Aiello, for patients, “hand washing with plain soap and water is the preferred regimen, but if a sink is not available, or you are in rush or cannot leave your desk, hand sanitizer is an appropriate alternative.”
Alcohol-based gels and sprays only kill certain microbes. “There are a few germs against which alcohol gels are not very effective,” says Mark Rupp, MD, medical director, department of infection control & epidemiology at the University of Nebraska Medical Center.
“This includes spores from Clostridium difficile (a cause of diarrhea in persons who have received antibiotics) and norovirus,” adds Dr. Rupp. Infections with the superbug C. difficile are at an all-time high, the CDC reports, killing about 14,000 Americans a year.
A 2011 CDC study found that long-term care facilities where staff used alcohol-based hand sanitizer were six times more likely to have outbreaks of norovirus than facilities where staffers lathered up with soap and water.
There’s not much evidence that sanitizers prevent colds and flu. In a 2010 University of Virginia study by Aiello and colleagues involving 1,178 college students living in dorms, the combination of using disinfectant hand gels and face masks was linked to lower rates of flu, compared to students who took neither precaution, but the difference wasn’t statistically significant.
In the University of Virginia study, volunteers who used alcohol-based antiviral hand sanitizer every three hours had no significant drop in flu or rhinovirus infections, compared to non-users. The findings were presented at the 50th Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy in Boston.
"These results suggest that hand transmission may be less important for the spread of rhinovirus [the main cause of colds] and influenza virus than previously believed," said researcher Dr. Ronald Turner. Instead, these germs are mainly spread through airborne droplets released when infected people cough and sneeze.
CLICK: Common Cold Remedies That Really Work
An ingredient in many hand sanitizers, soaps, and deodorants may harm the heart and muscles.
A 2012 study reports that that the antibacterial chemical triclosan impaired muscle function in fish and mice, according to researchers at the University of California, Davis, and the University of Colorado.
In test tube experiments, triclosan also hindered the ability of isolated heart muscle cells and skeletal muscle fibers to contract. "The effects of triclosan on cardiac function were really dramatic," said Nipavan Chiamvimonvat, professor of cardiovascular medicine at UC Davis and a study co-author in a statement.
"Although triclosan is not regulated as a drug, this compound acts like a potent cardiac depressant in our models." However, it’s not yet known if the chemical is harmful to people. The FDA and the EPA are conducting new risk assessments, while the researchers call for “a dramatic reduction in its use.”
Purell Advanced Hand Sanitizer is frequently used in hospitals and medical facilities, and does not contain the chemical triclosan.
Exposure to everyday germs during childhood may prevent diseases later in life.A 2009 study by Northwestern University found that kids raised in ultra-clean environments may have higher levels of inflammation as adults, which could boost risk for heart attack, stroke and other dangerous disorders.
Conversely, kids who grow up in less hygienic environments have five to seven times lower levels of the inflammatory marker C-reactive protein as young adults.
The findings suggest that overusing sanitizers and antibacterial products may cut the number of infectious diseases kids get when they’re young, but make them less healthy over the long term—something parents may want to consider before reaching for disinfectants to protect kids from childhood diseases.
*)GI infections - Searches related to gi infections causes
Click: Gastroenteritis
Inflammation of the stomach and intestines, typically resulting from bacterial toxins or viral infection and causing vomiting and diarrhea
Click: Rotavirus
Any of a group of rna viruses, some of which cause acute enteritis in humans
Click: Watery diarrhea
Click: Food poisoning
Illness caused by bacteria or other toxins in food, typically with vomiting and diarrhea
Click: Bacterial infection
The detrimental colonization of a host organism by a foreign species. in an infection, the infecting organism seeks to utilize the host's resources to multiply, usually at the expense of the host. ...
Drawn from at least 10 websites, including human illnesses.com and wikipedia.org - How this works ---
__________________________
Hand Sanitizers: Healthy or Hype?
Dirty little secret about hand sanitizers
Many people assume the gels protect them from germs — that's not always the case
There’s not much evidence that sanitizers prevent colds and flu, either
Americans spend $175 million on hand sanitizers that claim to kill 99.9 percent of germs, but all too often, we’re not getting the protection we’re paying for. Studies show that sanitizers aren’t very effective against some of the germs we fear most, including colds, flu and the nasty stomach bug norovirus.
However, there’s also research showing that alcohol-based sanitizers can reduce overall rates of GI infections*), cut the number of days kids stay home sick from school, and lower illnesses among college students living in dorms.*) GI infections = Gastrointestinal Infections - see at the end of this article an additional link to GI information
New studies also raise concern about potential health risks from a widely used hand gel ingredient—and there’s also evidence that many of us use these disinfectants incorrectly. To sift through the confusion, I talked to several infection-control experts.
Learn The Secret To Never Getting Sick - See below the information (next article)
Here’s a look at some facts and myths about the germ-fighting gel.
Hand gels don’t cut through grime (= dirt, soot, or filth, esp. when thickly accumulated or ingrained - vb(tr) to make dirty or coat with filth)
“Dirt, especially proteins or fatty materials, reduces the effectiveness of hand sanitizer, so alcohol-based hand sanitizers are not suggested if hands are visibly soiled,” says Dr. Daniel Uslan, hospital epidemiologist at UCLA Medical Center, Santa Monica. Instead, wash with soap and water.
It is important to use the product correctly. "Rub the sanitizer over the entire surface of the hands and fingers – including under the nails – just as you would when using soap and water", advises Rekha Murthy, MD, director of hospital epidemiology at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.
One type of hand sanitizer actually raises bacteria counts. That was the startling finding of a study comparing various products, according to the CDC. Volunteers placed their dominant hand on plates of agar growth medium (used to grow bacterial cultures in lab dishes) before and after various treatments, such as rinsing with tap water, lathering with antimicrobial soap, or rubbing hands with sanitizers, including one purchased at a discount store.
The next day, culture plates from hands rubbed with the store-bought gel not only had clumps of bacteria, but in some cases, they’d formed a visible outline of the volunteer’s hand. The researchers discovered that the discount product only contained 40 percent alcohol.
Though the study doesn't specifiy which hand sanitizer raised bacteria counts, there have been several voluntary recalls of hand sanitizers due to bacterial contamination, including Kleenex-brand Luxury Foam hand sanitizer in June, 2012 and X3 Clean Alcohol-Free Foaming Hand Sanitizer in November.
Click The 11 Germiest Places in Your Home
Not all disinfectants are equally effective. “It depends on which hand sanitizer [you’re] using,” says Allison Aiello, PhD, associate professor of epidemiology at University of Michigan. “Alcohol-based sanitizer with 60% concentration is very effective at killing a wide range of bacteria and viruses on the hands—and the product of choice in the hospital setting based on rigorous randomized intervention studies.”
However, adds Aiello, for patients, “hand washing with plain soap and water is the preferred regimen, but if a sink is not available, or you are in rush or cannot leave your desk, hand sanitizer is an appropriate alternative.”
Alcohol-based gels and sprays only kill certain microbes. “There are a few germs against which alcohol gels are not very effective,” says Mark Rupp, MD, medical director, department of infection control & epidemiology at the University of Nebraska Medical Center.
“This includes spores from Clostridium difficile (a cause of diarrhea in persons who have received antibiotics) and norovirus,” adds Dr. Rupp. Infections with the superbug C. difficile are at an all-time high, the CDC reports, killing about 14,000 Americans a year.
A 2011 CDC study found that long-term care facilities where staff used alcohol-based hand sanitizer were six times more likely to have outbreaks of norovirus than facilities where staffers lathered up with soap and water.
There’s not much evidence that sanitizers prevent colds and flu. In a 2010 University of Virginia study by Aiello and colleagues involving 1,178 college students living in dorms, the combination of using disinfectant hand gels and face masks was linked to lower rates of flu, compared to students who took neither precaution, but the difference wasn’t statistically significant.
In the University of Virginia study, volunteers who used alcohol-based antiviral hand sanitizer every three hours had no significant drop in flu or rhinovirus infections, compared to non-users. The findings were presented at the 50th Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy in Boston.
"These results suggest that hand transmission may be less important for the spread of rhinovirus [the main cause of colds] and influenza virus than previously believed," said researcher Dr. Ronald Turner. Instead, these germs are mainly spread through airborne droplets released when infected people cough and sneeze.
CLICK: Common Cold Remedies That Really Work
An ingredient in many hand sanitizers, soaps, and deodorants may harm the heart and muscles.
A 2012 study reports that that the antibacterial chemical triclosan impaired muscle function in fish and mice, according to researchers at the University of California, Davis, and the University of Colorado.
In test tube experiments, triclosan also hindered the ability of isolated heart muscle cells and skeletal muscle fibers to contract. "The effects of triclosan on cardiac function were really dramatic," said Nipavan Chiamvimonvat, professor of cardiovascular medicine at UC Davis and a study co-author in a statement.
"Although triclosan is not regulated as a drug, this compound acts like a potent cardiac depressant in our models." However, it’s not yet known if the chemical is harmful to people. The FDA and the EPA are conducting new risk assessments, while the researchers call for “a dramatic reduction in its use.”
Purell Advanced Hand Sanitizer is frequently used in hospitals and medical facilities, and does not contain the chemical triclosan.
Exposure to everyday germs during childhood may prevent diseases later in life.A 2009 study by Northwestern University found that kids raised in ultra-clean environments may have higher levels of inflammation as adults, which could boost risk for heart attack, stroke and other dangerous disorders.
Conversely, kids who grow up in less hygienic environments have five to seven times lower levels of the inflammatory marker C-reactive protein as young adults.
The findings suggest that overusing sanitizers and antibacterial products may cut the number of infectious diseases kids get when they’re young, but make them less healthy over the long term—something parents may want to consider before reaching for disinfectants to protect kids from childhood diseases.
*)GI infections - Searches related to gi infections causes
Click: Gastroenteritis
Inflammation of the stomach and intestines, typically resulting from bacterial toxins or viral infection and causing vomiting and diarrhea
Click: Rotavirus
Any of a group of rna viruses, some of which cause acute enteritis in humans
Click: Watery diarrhea
Click: Food poisoning
Illness caused by bacteria or other toxins in food, typically with vomiting and diarrhea
Click: Bacterial infection
The detrimental colonization of a host organism by a foreign species. in an infection, the infecting organism seeks to utilize the host's resources to multiply, usually at the expense of the host. ...
Drawn from at least 10 websites, including human illnesses.com and wikipedia.org - How this works ---
__________________________
Tips for Heart Health
(1) Eat natural salmon from the Alaska or Iceland waters
Avoid raised salmon, avoid any raised fish - most of them full of poisons
(2) Much less expensive: eat canned Jack Mackarel - not from China; from any other area
(3) Eat sardines from the European waters - may be more expensive than from U.S. waters - but the U.S. sardines can be any small fish when the European sardines are always healthier real sardines (not just any small fish
(4) Eat fruit & vegetables containing omega-3 fatty acids
(5) Search several sources in the internet & compare the information - use the keywords:
vegetables & fruits that have omega-3 fatty acids
(6) Do NOT consume any separate omega-3 fatty acid oil - take your omega- only from real natural sources: fish, vegetables, fruits
(7) Do not eat any sugar - a big cause for heart sickness
(here is one link for fruit & vegetables with natural omega-3, study several sources):
Click: Foods Rich In Omega-3 Fatty Acids And Antioxidants
www.livestrong.com/article/88029-foods-rich-omega-3-fatty-acids/
– Vegetables can contain large amounts of antioxidants while also being rich ... Brightly-colored fruits can be rich sources of Omega-3 and the ...
Whether obtained through real fish diet, vegetables, etc. or supplements, omega-3 fatty acids provide many benefits to cardiovascular health.
According to the results of a 2007 survey conducted by the National Center for Health Statistics and the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, omega-3 supplements were the most commonly used non-vitamin/non-mineral natural products among adults, and the second most common among children. Omega-3 fatty acids are a class of polyunsaturated fatty acids that are essential to several functions in the body, including relaxation and contraction of muscles, digestion, blood clotting, cell division, and movement of calcium and other substances in and out of cells.
[See Best Heart-Healthy Diets.]
Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) are two of the most important omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oil. Another omega-3 fatty acid, alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), is found in plant sources. It is preferred that individuals consume omega-3 fatty acids through dietary means; however, many patients elect to take omega-3 dietary supplements due to their convenience, or because they're unable to ingest enough omega-3 fatty acids through diet alone.
Benefits of Omega-3
Epidemiologic studies conducted more than three decades ago reported relatively low mortality related to cardiovascular disease among individuals in Eskimo populations who consumed a large amount of fish. Since these findings were published, several other observational and clinical trials have studied the effects of fish oil and omega-3 fatty acids on a number of conditions, one with evidence most promising for improving cardiovascular disease risk factors.
[See Best Plant-Based Diets.]
In addition, there is strong scientific evidence that intake of 800 to 1,500 milligrams per day of EPA/DHA reduces the risk of myocardial infarction and death due to arrhythmia in patients with preexisting coronary artery disease who are taking conventional medications. One study reported that increasing the intake of DHA and EPA by dietary consumption or by taking fish oil supplements resulted in lower triglyceride levels, slightly decreased blood pressure, slowing down of the progression of atherosclerosis, and a decreased risk of heart attack, stroke, and death among those with cardiovascular disease.
The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends that all individuals consume omega-3 fatty acids from fish and plant sources at least twice a week because of their role in cardiovascular protection. It is also recommended that those with coronary heart disease (CHD) eat a variety of fish—preferably oily fish such as salmon, tuna, mackerel, herring, and trout—at least twice a week. Individuals with CHD are also advised to consume approximately 1 gram of EPA and DHA daily, preferably from oily fish, although EPA DHA supplements could be considered after consulting with a primary health care provider. The AHA also says that individuals who have elevated triglycerides may need as much as 2 to 4 grams of EPA and DHA per day in supplement form, but only under the care and monitoring of a physician.
Omega-3 fatty acid supplements are available in different dosage forms and strengths, and as single-entity products or in combination with other dietary supplements. One of the newest products on the market is Pfizer's ProNutrients Omega-3 minigel capsules, which contain EPA and DHA. Another new product is Astamega 3 Cardio Support (Patent Health LLC), which contains krill oil.
Source: This article was originally published on Dec. 19, 2011 onPharmacyTimes.com (This is an edited, shorter version)
_______________________________________________________
(1) Eat natural salmon from the Alaska or Iceland waters
Avoid raised salmon, avoid any raised fish - most of them full of poisons
(2) Much less expensive: eat canned Jack Mackarel - not from China; from any other area
(3) Eat sardines from the European waters - may be more expensive than from U.S. waters - but the U.S. sardines can be any small fish when the European sardines are always healthier real sardines (not just any small fish
(4) Eat fruit & vegetables containing omega-3 fatty acids
(5) Search several sources in the internet & compare the information - use the keywords:
vegetables & fruits that have omega-3 fatty acids
(6) Do NOT consume any separate omega-3 fatty acid oil - take your omega- only from real natural sources: fish, vegetables, fruits
(7) Do not eat any sugar - a big cause for heart sickness
(here is one link for fruit & vegetables with natural omega-3, study several sources):
Click: Foods Rich In Omega-3 Fatty Acids And Antioxidants
www.livestrong.com/article/88029-foods-rich-omega-3-fatty-acids/
– Vegetables can contain large amounts of antioxidants while also being rich ... Brightly-colored fruits can be rich sources of Omega-3 and the ...
Whether obtained through real fish diet, vegetables, etc. or supplements, omega-3 fatty acids provide many benefits to cardiovascular health.
According to the results of a 2007 survey conducted by the National Center for Health Statistics and the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, omega-3 supplements were the most commonly used non-vitamin/non-mineral natural products among adults, and the second most common among children. Omega-3 fatty acids are a class of polyunsaturated fatty acids that are essential to several functions in the body, including relaxation and contraction of muscles, digestion, blood clotting, cell division, and movement of calcium and other substances in and out of cells.
[See Best Heart-Healthy Diets.]
Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) are two of the most important omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oil. Another omega-3 fatty acid, alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), is found in plant sources. It is preferred that individuals consume omega-3 fatty acids through dietary means; however, many patients elect to take omega-3 dietary supplements due to their convenience, or because they're unable to ingest enough omega-3 fatty acids through diet alone.
Benefits of Omega-3
Epidemiologic studies conducted more than three decades ago reported relatively low mortality related to cardiovascular disease among individuals in Eskimo populations who consumed a large amount of fish. Since these findings were published, several other observational and clinical trials have studied the effects of fish oil and omega-3 fatty acids on a number of conditions, one with evidence most promising for improving cardiovascular disease risk factors.
[See Best Plant-Based Diets.]
In addition, there is strong scientific evidence that intake of 800 to 1,500 milligrams per day of EPA/DHA reduces the risk of myocardial infarction and death due to arrhythmia in patients with preexisting coronary artery disease who are taking conventional medications. One study reported that increasing the intake of DHA and EPA by dietary consumption or by taking fish oil supplements resulted in lower triglyceride levels, slightly decreased blood pressure, slowing down of the progression of atherosclerosis, and a decreased risk of heart attack, stroke, and death among those with cardiovascular disease.
The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends that all individuals consume omega-3 fatty acids from fish and plant sources at least twice a week because of their role in cardiovascular protection. It is also recommended that those with coronary heart disease (CHD) eat a variety of fish—preferably oily fish such as salmon, tuna, mackerel, herring, and trout—at least twice a week. Individuals with CHD are also advised to consume approximately 1 gram of EPA and DHA daily, preferably from oily fish, although EPA DHA supplements could be considered after consulting with a primary health care provider. The AHA also says that individuals who have elevated triglycerides may need as much as 2 to 4 grams of EPA and DHA per day in supplement form, but only under the care and monitoring of a physician.
Omega-3 fatty acid supplements are available in different dosage forms and strengths, and as single-entity products or in combination with other dietary supplements. One of the newest products on the market is Pfizer's ProNutrients Omega-3 minigel capsules, which contain EPA and DHA. Another new product is Astamega 3 Cardio Support (Patent Health LLC), which contains krill oil.
Source: This article was originally published on Dec. 19, 2011 onPharmacyTimes.com (This is an edited, shorter version)
_______________________________________________________
The Secrets to Never Getting Sick
Keep Your Immune System Strong
Follow these tips to strengthen your immune system
Most secrets to good health are not secrets at all, but common sense. For example, you should avoid contact with bacteria and viruses at school and work. However, a whole host of other feel-good solutions can help you live a healthier life—whether you’re 16 or 106.
(1) Go Green
Green, leafy vegetables are rich in vitamins that help you maintain a balanced diet—and support a healthy immune system. According to a study of mice described in the journal Cell, eating cruciferous vegetables sends a chemical signal to the body that boosts specific cell-surface proteins necessary for efficient immune-system function. In this study, healthy mice deprived of green vegetables lost 70 to 80 percent of cell-surface proteins (Li, et al., 2011).
(2) Vitamin D
Reports indicate that many Americans fall short of their vitamin D daily requirements. Deficiencies in vitamin D may lead to poor bone growth, cardiovascular problems, and a weak immune system.
Results from a 2012 study in Pediatrics suggest that all children should be checked for adequate vitamin level. However, this is especially true for those with dark skin tones, who do not get vitamin D as easily from exposure to sunlight. In the study, children with vitamin D deficiencies were more susceptible to respiratory infections. Breast-fed children are especially at risk because they are less likely to drink milk fortified with vitamin D (Camargo, et al., 2012).
(3) Keep Moving
Staying active by following a regular exercise routine—such as walking three times a week—does more than keep you fit and trim. According to a study published in the medical journal Neurologic Clinicians, regular exercise also:
(6) Calm Down
For years, doctors suspected there was a connection between chronic mental stress and physical illness. However, they did not have clear evidence linking the two conditions. Finding an effective way to regulate personal stress, such as practicing yoga or meditation, may go a long way toward better overall health, suggests a 2012 study published by the National Academy of Science.
Cortisol helps the body fight inflammation and disease. The constant release of the hormone in people who are chronically stressed lessens its overall effectiveness. This can result in increased inflammation, disease, and decreased immunity (Cohen, et al., 2012).
(7) Drink Green Tea or any tea and 1 - 2 cups of coffee
For centuries, green tea has been associated with good health. Green tea’s health benefits may be due to its high level of antioxidants, called flavonoids.
According to a 2006 study published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition, several fresh-brewed cups a day can lead to potential health benefits. These include lower blood pressure and reduced risk of cardiovascular disease (Cabrera, et al., 2006).
(8) Add Color to Meals
(not the artificial food colors - they are pure poison) - DAILY A RAINBOW 7-COLOR range of vegetables & fruit:
red, orange, yellow, green, blue, darker blue, violet
Do you have trouble remembering to eat your fruits and vegetables at every meal? Cooking with all colors of the rainbow will help you get a wide range of vitamins, such as vitamin C.
While there is no evidence that vitamin C can reduce the severity or length of illness, research published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition shows that it may help the immune system ward off colds and flus, especially in those who are stressed (Saszuki, et al., 2006).
(9) Be Social
Physicians have long seen a connection between chronic disease and loneliness, especially in patients recovering from heart surgery. Some health authorities even consider social isolation a risk factor for chronic diseases. Research published by the American Psychological Association (APA) suggests that social isolation may increase stress, which slows the body’s immune response and ability to heal quickly. In the study, male rats were slightly more susceptible to damage from social isolation than females (APA, 2006).
(10) Get a Flu Vaccine
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that all individuals over six months of age get a yearly flu vaccine. Dr. Frank Esper, a pediatrician and expert in infectious diseases in Cleveland, Ohio, seconds that advice. However, exceptions should be made for people who have severe allergies (like hives or anaphylaxis) to chicken eggs, and/or anyone who has had a severe reaction to an influenza vaccination (like Guillain-Barre Syndrome) (CDC, 2012).”
(11) Wash Regularly
Infectious disease expert, Dr. Frank Esper, advises limiting your exposure to illness by avoiding germs.
Shower daily and wash your hands before:
*) 20 seconds: hum in your mind (or aloud at home) "Happy Birthday to you" = 20 seconds; Children: once "Now I know my ABC" (= 20 seconds) or children: "Happy Birthday to you" = 20 seconds
(12) Keep It Personal
Influenza viruses can generally survive on surfaces from two to twenty-four hours, according to infectious disease expert Dr. Frank Esper. That leaves plenty of time for germs to spread among family members. Just one sick child can pass an illness to an entire family in the right setting.
To avoid sharing germs, keep personal items such as toothbrushes, towels, utensils, and drinking glasses separate. Wash contaminated items—especially toys that are shared—in hot, soapy water. When in doubt, opt for disposal drinking cups, utensils, and towels.
(13) Remain Remain Vigilant
Vigilant = watchful - alert - wakeful - awake - wary - open-eyed
Staying healthy is more than just practicing a few good techniques when you don't feel well. It involves regular exercise, plenty of healthy foods, and staying hydrated throughout the day.
Your body works hard to keep you moving and active, so make sure to give it the food it needs to remain in tip-top shape. To learn more about how to get the most out of your food, check out these other slideshows we've put together for you:
(14) Have sex regularly with your steady partner (not just anyone who walks - sickness risk)
10 Benefits of regular sex:
1. Less Stress, Better Blood Pressure
Having sex could lower your stress and your blood pressure.
That finding comes from a Scottish study of 24 women and 22 men who kept records of their sexual activity. The researchers put them in stressful situations -- such as speaking in public and doing math out loud -- and checked their blood pressure.
People who had had intercourse responded better to stress than those who engaged in other sexual behaviors or abstained.
Another study found that diastolic blood pressure (the bottom number of your blood pressure) tends to be lower in people who live together and have sex often.
2. Sex Boosts Immunity
Having sex once or twice a week has been linked with higher levels of an antibody called immunoglobulin A, or IgA, which can protect you from getting colds and other infections.
A Wilkes University study had 112 college students keep records of how often they had sex and also provide saliva samples for the study. Those who had sex once or twice a week had higher levels of IgA, an antibody that could help you avoid a cold or other infection, than other students.
3. Sex Burns Calories
Thirty minutes of sex burns 85 calories or more. It may not sound like much, but it adds up: 42 half-hour sessions will burn 3,570 calories, more than enough to lose a pound. Doubling up, you could drop that pound in 21 hour-long sessions.
"Sex is a great mode of exercise," Los Angeles sexologist Patti Britton, says. It takes both physical and psychological work, though, to do it well, she says.
4. Sex Improves Heart HealthA 20-year-long British study shows that men who had sex two or more times a week were half as likely to have a fatal heart attack than men who had sex less than once a month.
And although some older folks may worry that sex could cause a stroke, the study found no link between how often men had sex and how likely they were to have a stroke.
5. Better Self-Esteem
University of Texas researchers found that boosting self-esteem was one of 237 reasons people have sex.
That finding makes sense to sex, marriage, and family therapist Gina Ogden. She also says that those who already have self-esteem say they sometimes have sex to feel even better.
"One of the reasons people say they have sex is to feel good about themselves," she says. "Great sex begins with self-esteem. If the sex is loving, connected, and what you want, it raises it."
Of course, you don't have to have lots of sex to feel good about yourself. Your self-esteem is all about you -- not someone else. But if you're already feeling good about yourself, a great sex life may help you feel even better.
6. Deeper Intimacy
Having sex and orgasms boosts levels of the hormone oxytocin, the so-called love hormone, which helps people bond and build trust.
In a study of 59 women, researchers checked their oxytocin levels before and after the women hugged their partners. The women had higher oxytocin levels if they had more of that physical contact with their partner.
Higher oxytocin levels have also been linked with a feeling of generosity. So snuggle up -- it might help you feel more generous toward your partner.
7. Sex May Turn Down Pain
Oxytocin also boosts your body's painkillers, called endorphins. Headache, arthritis pain, or PMS symptoms may improve after sex.
In one study, 48 people inhaled oxytocin vapor and then had their fingers pricked. The oxytocin cut their pain threshold by more than half.
8. More Ejaculations May Make Prostate Cancer Less Likely
Research shows that frequent ejaculations, especially in 20-something men, may lower the risk of getting prostate cancer later in life.
A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that men who had 21 or more ejaculations a month were less likely to get prostate cancer than those who had four to seven ejaculations per month.
The study doesn't prove that ejaculations were the only factor that mattered. Many things affect a person's odds of developing cancer. But when the researchers took that into consideration, the findings still held.
9. Stronger Pelvic Floor Muscles
For women, doing pelvic floor muscle exercises called Kegels may mean more pleasure -- and, as a perk, less chance of incontinence later in life.
To do a basic Kegel exercise, tighten the muscles of your pelvic floor as if you're trying to stop the flow of urine. Count to three, then release.
10. Better Sleep
The oxytocin released during orgasm also promotes sleep, research shows.
Getting enough sleep has also been linked with a host of other health benefits, such as a healthy weight and better blood pressure. That's something to think about, especially if you've been wondering why your guy can be active one minute and snoring the next.
____________________________________________
Keep Your Immune System Strong
Follow these tips to strengthen your immune system
Most secrets to good health are not secrets at all, but common sense. For example, you should avoid contact with bacteria and viruses at school and work. However, a whole host of other feel-good solutions can help you live a healthier life—whether you’re 16 or 106.
(1) Go Green
Green, leafy vegetables are rich in vitamins that help you maintain a balanced diet—and support a healthy immune system. According to a study of mice described in the journal Cell, eating cruciferous vegetables sends a chemical signal to the body that boosts specific cell-surface proteins necessary for efficient immune-system function. In this study, healthy mice deprived of green vegetables lost 70 to 80 percent of cell-surface proteins (Li, et al., 2011).
(2) Vitamin D
Reports indicate that many Americans fall short of their vitamin D daily requirements. Deficiencies in vitamin D may lead to poor bone growth, cardiovascular problems, and a weak immune system.
Results from a 2012 study in Pediatrics suggest that all children should be checked for adequate vitamin level. However, this is especially true for those with dark skin tones, who do not get vitamin D as easily from exposure to sunlight. In the study, children with vitamin D deficiencies were more susceptible to respiratory infections. Breast-fed children are especially at risk because they are less likely to drink milk fortified with vitamin D (Camargo, et al., 2012).
(3) Keep Moving
Staying active by following a regular exercise routine—such as walking three times a week—does more than keep you fit and trim. According to a study published in the medical journal Neurologic Clinicians, regular exercise also:
- keeps inflammation and chronic disease at bay
- reduces stress (and the release of stress-related hormones)
- accelerates the circulation of disease-fighting white blood cells to better enable the body to fight the common cold (Woods, et al., 2006)
- (4) Stay in Bed
- Getting adequate sleep is extremely important if you’ve been exposed to a virus, according to a study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine. Healthy adult participants who slept a minimum of eight hours each night over a two-week period showed a greater resistance to the virus. Those who slept seven hours or less each night were about three percent more likely to develop the virus after exposure.
One reason may be that the body releases cytokines during extended periods of sleep.Cytokines are proteins that help the body fight infection by regulating the immune system (Cohen, et al., 2009). - (5) Skip the Alcohol
New research shows that drinking alcohol can damage the body’s dendritic cells, a vital component of the immune system. An increase in alcohol consumption over time can increase a person’s exposure to bacterial and viral infections.
A recent study in the journal Clinical and Vaccine Immunology compared the dendritic cells and immune system responses in alcohol-fed mice to those who had not been supplied alcohol. Alcohol suppressed the immunity in mice to varying degrees. Physicians say the study helps explain why vaccines are less effective for alcoholics (Ekan, et al., 2011).
(6) Calm Down
For years, doctors suspected there was a connection between chronic mental stress and physical illness. However, they did not have clear evidence linking the two conditions. Finding an effective way to regulate personal stress, such as practicing yoga or meditation, may go a long way toward better overall health, suggests a 2012 study published by the National Academy of Science.
Cortisol helps the body fight inflammation and disease. The constant release of the hormone in people who are chronically stressed lessens its overall effectiveness. This can result in increased inflammation, disease, and decreased immunity (Cohen, et al., 2012).
(7) Drink Green Tea or any tea and 1 - 2 cups of coffee
For centuries, green tea has been associated with good health. Green tea’s health benefits may be due to its high level of antioxidants, called flavonoids.
According to a 2006 study published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition, several fresh-brewed cups a day can lead to potential health benefits. These include lower blood pressure and reduced risk of cardiovascular disease (Cabrera, et al., 2006).
(8) Add Color to Meals
(not the artificial food colors - they are pure poison) - DAILY A RAINBOW 7-COLOR range of vegetables & fruit:
red, orange, yellow, green, blue, darker blue, violet
Do you have trouble remembering to eat your fruits and vegetables at every meal? Cooking with all colors of the rainbow will help you get a wide range of vitamins, such as vitamin C.
While there is no evidence that vitamin C can reduce the severity or length of illness, research published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition shows that it may help the immune system ward off colds and flus, especially in those who are stressed (Saszuki, et al., 2006).
(9) Be Social
Physicians have long seen a connection between chronic disease and loneliness, especially in patients recovering from heart surgery. Some health authorities even consider social isolation a risk factor for chronic diseases. Research published by the American Psychological Association (APA) suggests that social isolation may increase stress, which slows the body’s immune response and ability to heal quickly. In the study, male rats were slightly more susceptible to damage from social isolation than females (APA, 2006).
(10) Get a Flu Vaccine
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that all individuals over six months of age get a yearly flu vaccine. Dr. Frank Esper, a pediatrician and expert in infectious diseases in Cleveland, Ohio, seconds that advice. However, exceptions should be made for people who have severe allergies (like hives or anaphylaxis) to chicken eggs, and/or anyone who has had a severe reaction to an influenza vaccination (like Guillain-Barre Syndrome) (CDC, 2012).”
(11) Wash Regularly
Infectious disease expert, Dr. Frank Esper, advises limiting your exposure to illness by avoiding germs.
Shower daily and wash your hands before:
- eating
- preparing food
- inserting contact lenses
- any other activity that brings you in contact with the eyes or mouth
*) 20 seconds: hum in your mind (or aloud at home) "Happy Birthday to you" = 20 seconds; Children: once "Now I know my ABC" (= 20 seconds) or children: "Happy Birthday to you" = 20 seconds
(12) Keep It Personal
Influenza viruses can generally survive on surfaces from two to twenty-four hours, according to infectious disease expert Dr. Frank Esper. That leaves plenty of time for germs to spread among family members. Just one sick child can pass an illness to an entire family in the right setting.
To avoid sharing germs, keep personal items such as toothbrushes, towels, utensils, and drinking glasses separate. Wash contaminated items—especially toys that are shared—in hot, soapy water. When in doubt, opt for disposal drinking cups, utensils, and towels.
(13) Remain Remain Vigilant
Vigilant = watchful - alert - wakeful - awake - wary - open-eyed
Staying healthy is more than just practicing a few good techniques when you don't feel well. It involves regular exercise, plenty of healthy foods, and staying hydrated throughout the day.
Your body works hard to keep you moving and active, so make sure to give it the food it needs to remain in tip-top shape. To learn more about how to get the most out of your food, check out these other slideshows we've put together for you:
(14) Have sex regularly with your steady partner (not just anyone who walks - sickness risk)
10 Benefits of regular sex:
1. Less Stress, Better Blood Pressure
Having sex could lower your stress and your blood pressure.
That finding comes from a Scottish study of 24 women and 22 men who kept records of their sexual activity. The researchers put them in stressful situations -- such as speaking in public and doing math out loud -- and checked their blood pressure.
People who had had intercourse responded better to stress than those who engaged in other sexual behaviors or abstained.
Another study found that diastolic blood pressure (the bottom number of your blood pressure) tends to be lower in people who live together and have sex often.
2. Sex Boosts Immunity
Having sex once or twice a week has been linked with higher levels of an antibody called immunoglobulin A, or IgA, which can protect you from getting colds and other infections.
A Wilkes University study had 112 college students keep records of how often they had sex and also provide saliva samples for the study. Those who had sex once or twice a week had higher levels of IgA, an antibody that could help you avoid a cold or other infection, than other students.
3. Sex Burns Calories
Thirty minutes of sex burns 85 calories or more. It may not sound like much, but it adds up: 42 half-hour sessions will burn 3,570 calories, more than enough to lose a pound. Doubling up, you could drop that pound in 21 hour-long sessions.
"Sex is a great mode of exercise," Los Angeles sexologist Patti Britton, says. It takes both physical and psychological work, though, to do it well, she says.
4. Sex Improves Heart HealthA 20-year-long British study shows that men who had sex two or more times a week were half as likely to have a fatal heart attack than men who had sex less than once a month.
And although some older folks may worry that sex could cause a stroke, the study found no link between how often men had sex and how likely they were to have a stroke.
5. Better Self-Esteem
University of Texas researchers found that boosting self-esteem was one of 237 reasons people have sex.
That finding makes sense to sex, marriage, and family therapist Gina Ogden. She also says that those who already have self-esteem say they sometimes have sex to feel even better.
"One of the reasons people say they have sex is to feel good about themselves," she says. "Great sex begins with self-esteem. If the sex is loving, connected, and what you want, it raises it."
Of course, you don't have to have lots of sex to feel good about yourself. Your self-esteem is all about you -- not someone else. But if you're already feeling good about yourself, a great sex life may help you feel even better.
6. Deeper Intimacy
Having sex and orgasms boosts levels of the hormone oxytocin, the so-called love hormone, which helps people bond and build trust.
In a study of 59 women, researchers checked their oxytocin levels before and after the women hugged their partners. The women had higher oxytocin levels if they had more of that physical contact with their partner.
Higher oxytocin levels have also been linked with a feeling of generosity. So snuggle up -- it might help you feel more generous toward your partner.
7. Sex May Turn Down Pain
Oxytocin also boosts your body's painkillers, called endorphins. Headache, arthritis pain, or PMS symptoms may improve after sex.
In one study, 48 people inhaled oxytocin vapor and then had their fingers pricked. The oxytocin cut their pain threshold by more than half.
8. More Ejaculations May Make Prostate Cancer Less Likely
Research shows that frequent ejaculations, especially in 20-something men, may lower the risk of getting prostate cancer later in life.
A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that men who had 21 or more ejaculations a month were less likely to get prostate cancer than those who had four to seven ejaculations per month.
The study doesn't prove that ejaculations were the only factor that mattered. Many things affect a person's odds of developing cancer. But when the researchers took that into consideration, the findings still held.
9. Stronger Pelvic Floor Muscles
For women, doing pelvic floor muscle exercises called Kegels may mean more pleasure -- and, as a perk, less chance of incontinence later in life.
To do a basic Kegel exercise, tighten the muscles of your pelvic floor as if you're trying to stop the flow of urine. Count to three, then release.
10. Better Sleep
The oxytocin released during orgasm also promotes sleep, research shows.
Getting enough sleep has also been linked with a host of other health benefits, such as a healthy weight and better blood pressure. That's something to think about, especially if you've been wondering why your guy can be active one minute and snoring the next.
____________________________________________
Heart Surgeon Speaks Out On
What Really Causes Heart Disease
Dr. Dwight Lundell
Prevent Disease
March 1, 2012
We physicians with all our training, knowledge and authority often acquire a rather large ego that tends to make it difficult to admit we are wrong. So, here it is. I freely admit to being wrong. As a heart surgeon with 25 years experience, having performed over 5,000 open-heart surgeries, today is my day to right the wrong with medical and scientific fact.
I trained for many years with other prominent physicians labelled "opinion makers." Bombarded with scientific literature, continually attending education seminars, we opinion makers insisted heart disease resulted from the simple fact of elevated blood cholesterol.
The only accepted therapy was prescribing medications to lower cholesterol and a diet that severely restricted fat intake. The latter of course we insisted would lower cholesterol and heart disease. Deviations from these recommendations were considered heresy and could quite possibly result in malpractice.
It Is Not Working!
These recommendations are no longer scientifically or morally defensible. The discovery a few years ago that inflammation in the artery wall is the real cause of heart disease is slowly leading to a paradigm shift in how heart disease and other chronic ailments will be treated.
The long-established dietary recommendations have created epidemics of obesity and diabetes, the consequences of which dwarf any historical plague in terms of mortality, human suffering and dire economic consequences.
Despite the fact that 25% of the population takes expensive statin medications and despite the fact we have reduced the fat content of our diets, more Americans will die this year of heart disease than ever before.
Statistics from the American Heart Association show that 75 million Americans currently suffer from heart disease, 20 million have diabetes and 57 million have pre-diabetes. These disorders are affecting younger and younger people in greater numbers every year.
Simply stated, without inflammation being present in the body, there is no way that cholesterol would accumulate in the wall of the blood vessel and cause heart disease and strokes. Without inflammation, cholesterol would move freely throughout the body as nature intended. It is inflammation that causes cholesterol to become trapped.
Inflammation is not complicated -- it is quite simply your body's natural defence to a foreign invader such as a bacteria, toxin or virus. The cycle of inflammation is perfect in how it protects your body from these bacterial and viral invaders. However, if we chronically expose the body to injury by toxins or foods the human body was never designed to process,a condition occurs called chronic inflammation. Chronic inflammation is just as harmful as acute inflammation is beneficial.
What thoughtful person would willfully expose himself repeatedly to foods or other substances that are known to cause injury to the body? Well, smokers perhaps, but at least they made that choice willfully.
The rest of us have simply followed the recommended mainstream diet that is low in fat and high in polyunsaturated fats and carbohydrates, not knowing we were causing repeated injury to our blood vessels. This repeated injury creates chronic inflammation leading to heart disease, stroke, diabetes and obesity.
Let me repeat that: The injury and inflammation in our blood vessels is caused by the low fat diet recommended for years by mainstream medicine.
What are the biggest culprits of chronic inflammation? Quite simply, they are the overload of simple, highly processed carbohydrates (sugar, flour and all the products made from them) and the excess consumption of omega-6 vegetable oils like soybean, corn and sunflower that are found in many processed foods.
Take a moment to visualize rubbing a stiff brush repeatedly over soft skin until it becomes quite red and nearly bleeding. you kept this up several times a day, every day for five years. If you could tolerate this painful brushing, you would have a bleeding, swollen infected area that became worse with each repeated injury. This is a good way to visualize the inflammatory process that could be going on in your body right now.
Regardless of where the inflammatory process occurs, externally or internally, it is the same. I have peered inside thousands upon thousands of arteries. A diseased artery looks as if someone took a brush and scrubbed repeatedly against its wall. Several times a day, every day, the foods we eat create small injuries compounding into more injuries, causing the body to respond continuously and appropriately with inflammation.
While we savor the tantalizing taste of a sweet roll, our bodies respond alarmingly as if a foreign invader arrived declaring war. Foods loaded with sugars and simple carbohydrates, or processed with omega-6 oils for long shelf life have been the mainstay of the American diet for six decades. These foods have been slowly poisoning everyone.
How does eating a simple sweet roll create a cascade of inflammation to make you sick?
Imagine spilling syrup on your keyboard and you have a visual of what occurs inside the cell. When we consume simple carbohydrates such as sugar, blood sugar rises rapidly. In response, your pancreas secretes insulin whose primary purpose is to drive sugar into each cell where it is stored for energy. If the cell is full and does not need glucose, it is rejected to avoid extra sugar gumming up the works.
When your full cells reject the extra glucose, blood sugar rises producing more insulin and the glucose converts to stored fat.
What does all this have to do with inflammation? Blood sugar is controlled in a very narrow range. Extra sugar molecules attach to a variety of proteins that in turn injure the blood vessel wall. This repeated injury to the blood vessel wall sets off inflammation. When you spike your blood sugar level several times a day, every day, it is exactly like taking sandpaper to the inside of your delicate blood vessels.
While you may not be able to see it, rest assured it is there. I saw it in over 5,000 surgical patients spanning 25 years who all shared one common denominator -- inflammation in their arteries.
Let's get back to the sweet roll. That innocent looking goody not only contains sugars, it is baked in one of many omega-6 oils such as soybean. Chips and fries are soaked in soybean oil; processed foods are manufactured with omega-6 oils for longer shelf life. While omega-6's are essential -they are part of every cell membrane controlling what goes in and out of the cell -- they must be in the correct balance with omega-3's.
If the balance shifts by consuming excessive omega-6, the cell membrane produces chemicals called cytokines that directly cause inflammation.
Today's mainstream American diet has produced an extreme imbalance of these two fats. The ratio of imbalance ranges from 15:1 to as high as 30:1 in favor of omega-6. That's a tremendous amount of cytokines causing inflammation. In today's food environment, a 3:1 ratio would be optimal and healthy.
To make matters worse, the excess weight you are carrying from eating these foods creates overloaded fat cells that pour out large quantities of pro-inflammatory chemicals that add to the injury caused by having high blood sugar. The process that began with a sweet roll turns into a vicious cycle over time that creates heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes and finally, Alzheimer's disease, as the inflammatory process continues unabated.
There is no escaping the fact that the more we consume prepared and processed foods, the more we trip the inflammation switch little by little each day. The human body cannot process, nor was it designed to consume, foods packed with sugars and soaked in omega-6 oils.
There is but one answer to quieting inflammation, and that is returning to foods closer to their natural state. To build muscle, eat more protein. Choose carbohydrates that are very complex such as colorful fruits and vegetables. Cut down on or eliminate inflammation- causing omega-6 fats like corn and soybean oil and the processed foods that are made from them.
One tablespoon of corn oil contains 7,280 mg of omega-6; soybean contains 6,940 mg. Instead, use olive oil or butter from grass-fed beef.
Animal fats contain less than 20% omega-6 and are much less likely to cause inflammation than the supposedly healthy oils labelled polyunsaturated. Forget the "science" that has been drummed into your head for decades. The science that saturated fat alone causes heart disease is non-existent. The science that saturated fat raises blood cholesterol is also very weak. Since we now know that cholesterol is not the cause of heart disease, the concern about saturated fat is even more absurd today.
The cholesterol theory led to the no-fat, low-fat recommendations that in turn created the very foods now causing an epidemic of inflammation. Mainstream medicine made a terrible mistake when it advised people to avoid saturated fat in favor of foods high in omega-6 fats. We now have an epidemic of arterial inflammation leading to heart disease and other silent killers.
What you can do is choose whole foods your grandmother served and not those your mom turned to as grocery store aisles filled with manufactured foods. By eliminating inflammatory foods and adding essential nutrients from fresh unprocessed food, you will reverse years of damage in your arteries and throughout your body from consuming the typical American diet.
12 Facts About the Immune System
Information about the system that keeps your body healthy
Source: Written by Brian Krans | Medically Reviewed by George Krucik, MD
Your Home Defense
Your immune system is your body’s version of the military: sworn to defend against all who threaten it, both foreign and domestic. It has some really interesting soldiers that help make this possible.
When functioning properly, your immune system protects against disease, infection, and helps you recover after an injury. Then again, like everything, something can go wrong and change the entire game.
A River of Blood & Lymph
The immune system is a complex strategic fighting system powered by five liters of blood and lymph, a clear and colorless liquid that passes throughout the tissues of the body. Together, these two fluids transport all the different elements of the immune system so they can effectively do their jobs.
Your immune system is comprised of the skin, bone marrow, thymus, spleen, white blood cells, antibodies, hormones, and more. Learn more about some of those pieces and how to help your immune system.
White (Knight) Cells
Like white knights slaying a dragon, white blood cells charge into battle at the sign of trouble. The different types of white blood cells patrol your body with a variety of weapons, including antibodies that will overpower the offending organism. Some of them prefer just to eat the bacteria.
These brave soldiers only live up to a few weeks, so it’s a good thing there’s a lot of them – a single drop of blood can contain up to 25,000 white blood cells. In conditions like leukemia, a blood cancer, as many as 50,000 white blood cells can live in a drop of blood.
Natural Killer Cells Are Awesome
These guys are the hit men of your body. Armed with a protein that breaks down a cell’s membrane, natural killer cells seek out cells with abnormal membranes or outside covers, such as tumor cells and cells that are infected with a virus.
When natural killer cells spot someone they don’t like, they kill them on contact. But like other white blood cells, these guys are the good guys.
Fever & Inflammation Are Good Things
While fever and inflammation are unpleasant symptoms, they are signs that your body is doing its job. Fever releases white blood cells, increases metabolism, and stops certain organisms from multiplying.
Inflammation is merely the result of each damaged cell releasing histamines, which in turn cause the cell walls to dilate. This creates the redness, heat, pain, and swelling of inflammation. This allows your body to limit the effects of the irritant.
Sleep Now or Forever Hold Your Peace
Been running around like crazy and all of a sudden you’re sick? Well, that’s your immune system getting its revenge.
If you’re not getting more than five hours of sleep a night, your immune system can become depressed, just like you. This leaves you open to colds, flu, infection, and other things that will take you away from the things you’ve been sacrificing sleep for.
Some Sun is Good
Exposure to sunlight is the way your body naturally produces vitamin D. This helps ward off an array of bad things like depression, heart disease, and certain cancers. It’s even good for people with autoimmune disorders.
A fair-skinned person needs only about 10 minutes on a sunny day to get all the vitamin D they need. However, too much sun (to the point of sunburn) can cause temporary damage to your immune system.
Stress Damages Your Immune System
Your immune system is ready for anything you can throw at it, but sometimes, it can only handle so much.
Stress hurts your body in many ways, but it has the most significant effect on your immune system. During stress, a series of events release cortisol, a hormone from the adrenal gland that helps your body cope.
Laughter
The saying goes that laughter is the best medicine, and there’s truth to that. Laughter releases dopamine and other feel-good chemicals in the brain, all of which can help decrease stress.
Twenty minutes of laughter a day may not keep the doctor away, but it may help keep your immune system working properly.
Be Careful When Pumping Iron
Don’t you hate when someone doesn’t wipe down a machine after using it at the gym? Besides being gross, it’s a good way to get everyone sick.
While everyone at the gym is getting ripped, the bodies going the extra mile are producing excess amounts of cortisol and adrenaline, the same chemicals produced during stressful periods.
So when you’re in the gym, pace yourself and avoid any puddles on the stationary bikes.
You Need Germs to Stay Healthy
Your gut is filled with tons of bacteria and other things to help you digest your food. But germs outside your body are normally regarded as vile, disgusting things. While some of this may be true, you need those germs to stay healthy.
Your immune system can adapt to things, which is why human beings have been around for so long. Once your body comes in contact with a foreign substance, it attacks it and remembers it. If it comes back, your body knows what to do. This is most apparent with measles: one infection is usually enough to protect you for life.
Allergies
Anyone who experiences seasonal allergies or hay fever probably want to curse out every molecule of pollen or dander around them. This microscopic little buggers cause the release of histamines, which create all of the nasty symptoms of allergies.
Allergies affect some and not others because of the way their body attempts to protect itself against the allergens.
Your Hyperactive Immune Disorder
In some people, their immune system attacks tissues in the body, causing disease. This is called autoimmunity.
Most peoples’ immune systems get used to their own tissue before they are born. It does this by turning off the cells that would attack them. Autoimmune disorders are when the body mistakenly attacks healthy tissue. This is what occurs in people with multiple sclerosis, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, and other conditions. They are treated with drugs that suppress the immune system.
It turns out your immune system isn’t always the good guy.
Learn MoreNow that you’ve learned some of the odder points of your immune system, you can help keep it healthy so it can keep you healthy. That includes getting enough rest, laughing a lot, and being mindful of your sun exposure.
Then again, those with autoimmune disorders know that keeping their immune system in check takes more than that. Learn more about immunodeficiency disorders and how they affect the immune system.
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Stress by Generations
Quotation "Stress is unfinished business"
Stress is a combination of many reasons - same reasons that cause sicknesses. Stress is one of the biggest killers.
While Millennials (ages 18 to 33) and Gen Xers (ages 34 to 47) report the highest average stress levels, Boomers (48 to 66) and Matures (67 years and older) join them in reporting levels that are higher than they consider healthy. Stress has also increased for a considerable number of Americans, regardless of age.
Across generations*, Stress in America™ survey findings show that our ability to manage stress and achieve healthy lifestyles varies by age. Younger Americans report experiencing the most stress and the least relief —they report higher stress levels than older generations and say they are not managing it well.
Both Millennials and Gen Xers report an average stress level of 5.4 on a 10-point scale where 1 is “little or no stress” and 10 is “a great deal of stress,” far higher than Boomers’ average stress level of 4.7 and Matures’ average stress level of 3.7.
All generations say they experience stress at levels higher than they believe is healthy, but Matures are closest to bringing their stress levels in line with their definition of a healthy stress level. The difference between Matures’ stress levels and their perception of healthy stress is 0.7 points, compared with 1.4 points for Millennials, 1.6 points for Gen Xers and 1.3 points for Boomers.
Thirty-nine percent of Millennials say their stress has increased in the last year, compared to 36 percent of Gen Xers, 33 percent of Boomers and 29 percent of Matures.
*The four generations are defined as the following: Millennials (18- to 33-year-olds), Gen Xers (34- to 47-year-olds), Boomers (48- to 66-year-olds) and Matures (67 years and older). This section of the report primarily focuses on Millennials (2007 n=294; 2008 n=406; 2009 n=504; 2010 n=268; 2011 n=420; 2012 n=340), Gen Xers (2007 n=426; 2008 n=478; 2009 n=369; 2010 n=293; 2011 n=274; 2012 n=397), Boomers (2007 n=743; 2008 n=651; 2009 n=464; 2010 n=396; 2011 n=361; 2012 n=1040) and Matures (2007 n=385; 2008 n=256; 2009 n=231; 2010 n=177; 2011 n=171; 2012 n=243) within the general population (2007 n=1848; 2008 n=1791; 2009 n=1568; 2010 n=1134; 2011 n=1226; 2012 n=2020).While Millennials (ages 18 to 33) and Gen Xers (ages 34 to 47) report the highest average stress levels, Boomers (48 to 66) and Matures (67 years and older) join them in reporting levels that are higher than they consider healthy. Stress has also increased for a considerable number of Americans, regardless of age.
Across generations*, Stress in America™ survey findings show that our ability to manage stress and achieve healthy lifestyles varies by age. Younger Americans report experiencing the most stress and the least relief —they report higher stress levels than older generations and say they are not managing it well.
Both Millennials and Gen Xers report an average stress level of 5.4 on a 10-point scale where 1 is “little or no stress” and 10 is “a great deal of stress,” far higher than Boomers’ average stress level of 4.7 and Matures’ average stress level of 3.7.
All generations say they experience stress at levels higher than they believe is healthy, but Matures are closest to bringing their stress levels in line with their definition of a healthy stress level. The difference between Matures’ stress levels and their perception of healthy stress is 0.7 points, compared with 1.4 points for Millennials, 1.6 points for Gen Xers and 1.3 points for Boomers.
Thirty-nine percent of Millennials say their stress has increased in the last year, compared to 36 percent of Gen Xers, 33 percent of Boomers and 29 percent of Matures.
*The four generations are defined as the following: Millennials (18- to 33-year-olds), Gen Xers (34- to 47-year-olds), Boomers (48- to 66-year-olds) and Matures (67 years and older). This section of the report primarily focuses on Millennials (2007 n=294; 2008 n=406; 2009 n=504; 2010 n=268; 2011 n=420; 2012 n=340), Gen Xers (2007 n=426; 2008 n=478; 2009 n=369; 2010 n=293; 2011 n=274; 2012 n=397), Boomers (2007 n=743; 2008 n=651; 2009 n=464; 2010 n=396; 2011 n=361; 2012 n=1040) and Matures (2007 n=385; 2008 n=256; 2009 n=231; 2010 n=177; 2011 n=171; 2012 n=243) within the general population (2007 n=1848; 2008 n=1791; 2009 n=1568; 2010 n=1134; 2011 n=1226; 2012 n=2020).
____________________________________
Quotation "Stress is unfinished business"
Stress is a combination of many reasons - same reasons that cause sicknesses. Stress is one of the biggest killers.
While Millennials (ages 18 to 33) and Gen Xers (ages 34 to 47) report the highest average stress levels, Boomers (48 to 66) and Matures (67 years and older) join them in reporting levels that are higher than they consider healthy. Stress has also increased for a considerable number of Americans, regardless of age.
Across generations*, Stress in America™ survey findings show that our ability to manage stress and achieve healthy lifestyles varies by age. Younger Americans report experiencing the most stress and the least relief —they report higher stress levels than older generations and say they are not managing it well.
Both Millennials and Gen Xers report an average stress level of 5.4 on a 10-point scale where 1 is “little or no stress” and 10 is “a great deal of stress,” far higher than Boomers’ average stress level of 4.7 and Matures’ average stress level of 3.7.
All generations say they experience stress at levels higher than they believe is healthy, but Matures are closest to bringing their stress levels in line with their definition of a healthy stress level. The difference between Matures’ stress levels and their perception of healthy stress is 0.7 points, compared with 1.4 points for Millennials, 1.6 points for Gen Xers and 1.3 points for Boomers.
Thirty-nine percent of Millennials say their stress has increased in the last year, compared to 36 percent of Gen Xers, 33 percent of Boomers and 29 percent of Matures.
*The four generations are defined as the following: Millennials (18- to 33-year-olds), Gen Xers (34- to 47-year-olds), Boomers (48- to 66-year-olds) and Matures (67 years and older). This section of the report primarily focuses on Millennials (2007 n=294; 2008 n=406; 2009 n=504; 2010 n=268; 2011 n=420; 2012 n=340), Gen Xers (2007 n=426; 2008 n=478; 2009 n=369; 2010 n=293; 2011 n=274; 2012 n=397), Boomers (2007 n=743; 2008 n=651; 2009 n=464; 2010 n=396; 2011 n=361; 2012 n=1040) and Matures (2007 n=385; 2008 n=256; 2009 n=231; 2010 n=177; 2011 n=171; 2012 n=243) within the general population (2007 n=1848; 2008 n=1791; 2009 n=1568; 2010 n=1134; 2011 n=1226; 2012 n=2020).While Millennials (ages 18 to 33) and Gen Xers (ages 34 to 47) report the highest average stress levels, Boomers (48 to 66) and Matures (67 years and older) join them in reporting levels that are higher than they consider healthy. Stress has also increased for a considerable number of Americans, regardless of age.
Across generations*, Stress in America™ survey findings show that our ability to manage stress and achieve healthy lifestyles varies by age. Younger Americans report experiencing the most stress and the least relief —they report higher stress levels than older generations and say they are not managing it well.
Both Millennials and Gen Xers report an average stress level of 5.4 on a 10-point scale where 1 is “little or no stress” and 10 is “a great deal of stress,” far higher than Boomers’ average stress level of 4.7 and Matures’ average stress level of 3.7.
All generations say they experience stress at levels higher than they believe is healthy, but Matures are closest to bringing their stress levels in line with their definition of a healthy stress level. The difference between Matures’ stress levels and their perception of healthy stress is 0.7 points, compared with 1.4 points for Millennials, 1.6 points for Gen Xers and 1.3 points for Boomers.
Thirty-nine percent of Millennials say their stress has increased in the last year, compared to 36 percent of Gen Xers, 33 percent of Boomers and 29 percent of Matures.
*The four generations are defined as the following: Millennials (18- to 33-year-olds), Gen Xers (34- to 47-year-olds), Boomers (48- to 66-year-olds) and Matures (67 years and older). This section of the report primarily focuses on Millennials (2007 n=294; 2008 n=406; 2009 n=504; 2010 n=268; 2011 n=420; 2012 n=340), Gen Xers (2007 n=426; 2008 n=478; 2009 n=369; 2010 n=293; 2011 n=274; 2012 n=397), Boomers (2007 n=743; 2008 n=651; 2009 n=464; 2010 n=396; 2011 n=361; 2012 n=1040) and Matures (2007 n=385; 2008 n=256; 2009 n=231; 2010 n=177; 2011 n=171; 2012 n=243) within the general population (2007 n=1848; 2008 n=1791; 2009 n=1568; 2010 n=1134; 2011 n=1226; 2012 n=2020).
____________________________________
What Causes Cancer?
7 Cancer Claims Explained
Bras, deodorant, and mouthwash—just a few of the everyday products that have been linked to cancer at some point during the past several decades. Preposterous*)? Not at the time, and new suspects have been added to the list. In honor of World Cancer Day, we reveal the real story behind ordinary household items that have come under scrutiny.
Artificial Sweeteners
The link: Calorie watchers scored a win when diet sodas were introduced in the early 1950s. Then lab studies suggested that the sweetener cyclamate caused bladder cancer in rats, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration banned its use. Then saccharin, the replacement of choice, was also shown to cause tumors in rats. Although saccharin was never banned, all products containing the sweetener were required to carry a cancer warning on their packaging.
The reality: No evidence has since emerged that either cyclamate, which is used in other countries, or saccharin causes cancer in humans, according to the National Cancer Institute. Although cyclamate is still banned, saccharin was taken off the government's list of possible carcinogens in 2000, the same year in which saccharin products shed the warning label. The sweetener aspartame has come under suspicion, but scientists have found no increased risk of cancer in humans.
Cancer Prevention: Rethink Your Diet, Smoking
Mouthwash
The link: A handful of studies since the late '70s have tied mouthwash that contains ethanol to oral cancer. Investigators theorize that it may make oral tissues more vulnerable to known carcinogens, such as those in cigarettes.
The reality: The evidence against mouthwash is weak, according to the American Dental Association. Studies don't show, for example, that brands with higher alcohol content present a greater risk than those with lesser amounts. Mouthwash is safe when used as directed, says the ADA, which, depending on the product, may mean swishing once or twice daily and not swallowing. People who smoke, have a family history of oral cancer, or have other risk factors may want to choose alcohol-free brands to be on the safe side, the ADA says.
5 Simple Lifestyle Changes to Help Prevent Cancer
Statins
The link: Could these cholesterol-lowering drugs raise the risk of cancer? A 2007 study inspired this belief when researchers investigating the side effects of certain statins—lovastatin, simvastatin, pravastatin, fluvastatin, and atorvastatin—found that participants taking high doses were more likely to be diagnosed with various cancers, including those of the breast, colon, and prostate.
The reality: A 2008 review of 15 clinical trials involving statins cast doubt on the initial results; low LDL cholesterol levels, the reviewers found, were associated with cancer, whether or not participants were taking statins, suggesting that cholesterol levels, not the drugs, were to blame. "This study should reassure those taking statins that they are not increasing their risk of cancer by trying to reduce their risk of cardiovascular disease," senior author Richard Karas of Boston's Tufts University School of Medicine said in a statement. A separate review of research involving roughly 170,000 participants found no link between statins and cancer.
12 Reasons to Really Quit Smoking
Cell Phones
The link: In 1993, a man suing the manufacturer of his wife's mobile phone claimed on Larry King Live that the device was responsible for her brain cancer. The broadcast provoked a public outcry, a rash of similar lawsuits, and millions of dollars poured into studying whether radio waves emitted by cell phones could be harmful.
The reality: The largest study to date, published in 2010, could neither confirm nor dismiss a connection between cell phones and cancer. Scientists tracked nearly 13,000 adults for a decade and found a slightly higher rate of one of four cancers—gliomas, a particularly aggressive variety of brain cancer—among frequent cell users. But cell users overall had a lower rate of the cancers than never-users. Participants gave their own estimates of how much time they spent talking, which may have muddied the results. Researchers have now embarked on an even larger study in Europe.
Antiperspirant and Deodorant
The link: A decade ago, an e-mail warning women that using antiperspirant could cause breast cancer went viral. Since then, some research has suggested that aluminum in antiperspirants and preservatives called parabens in both antiperspirants and deodorants mimic the hormone estrogen, which in high amounts can increase a woman's breast cancer risk.
The reality: There is no evidence that antiperspirants or deodorants cause cancer. Although a 2004 study heightened concern when researchers found parabens in breast cancer tissue samples, suggesting the chemicals may have caused the tumors, the investigators did not check for the presence of parabens in healthy tissue. Evidence suggests that 99 percent of us are exposed to parabens from numerous sources, including various cosmetics and foods, according to the American Cancer Society. Little evidence indicates they may be harmful. The organization says more study is needed to be certain that there is no risk. A 2002 study of hundreds of women with and without breast cancer, found no sign the antiperspirants or deodorants upped cancer risk.
Bras
The link: Women got a shock in 1995 when "Dressed to Kill," written by a husband and wife team of medical anthropologists, alleged that those who regularly wore bras had a much higher risk of cancer than women who didn't wear them. They theorized that bras promote the buildup of cancer-causing toxins in the breast.
The reality: Experts stress that a link between bras and breast cancer has never been proven. Considerable evidence points to other variables affecting a woman's risk of breast cancer, such as weight, age, and family history. Women who don't wear bras tend to weigh less or have less dense breast tissue, both of which reduce breast cancer risk. Those factors alone, according to the American Cancer Society, "would probably contribute to any perceived difference in risk."
Hair Dye
The link: In 2008 researchers from the World Health Organization's International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) revived concern of a hair dye-cancer connection after finding a pattern of bladder cancer in male hairdressers and barbers. They found too little evidence to say whether people who used the products every so often at home were also at risk.
The reality: The IARC finding was based on studies conducted at different times, so any increased risk could result from heavy exposure to chemicals that were discontinued decades ago after scientists discovered they caused cancer in rodents. It's unclear whether the chemicals used in current dyes cause cancer, according to the National Cancer Institute. Most evidence, however, does not support a link.
*) preposterous = Contrary to reason or common sense; utterly absurd or ridiculous. Synonyms absurd - nonsensical - ludicrous - ridiculous - senseless
__________________________
7 Cancer Claims Explained
Bras, deodorant, and mouthwash—just a few of the everyday products that have been linked to cancer at some point during the past several decades. Preposterous*)? Not at the time, and new suspects have been added to the list. In honor of World Cancer Day, we reveal the real story behind ordinary household items that have come under scrutiny.
Artificial Sweeteners
The link: Calorie watchers scored a win when diet sodas were introduced in the early 1950s. Then lab studies suggested that the sweetener cyclamate caused bladder cancer in rats, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration banned its use. Then saccharin, the replacement of choice, was also shown to cause tumors in rats. Although saccharin was never banned, all products containing the sweetener were required to carry a cancer warning on their packaging.
The reality: No evidence has since emerged that either cyclamate, which is used in other countries, or saccharin causes cancer in humans, according to the National Cancer Institute. Although cyclamate is still banned, saccharin was taken off the government's list of possible carcinogens in 2000, the same year in which saccharin products shed the warning label. The sweetener aspartame has come under suspicion, but scientists have found no increased risk of cancer in humans.
Cancer Prevention: Rethink Your Diet, Smoking
Mouthwash
The link: A handful of studies since the late '70s have tied mouthwash that contains ethanol to oral cancer. Investigators theorize that it may make oral tissues more vulnerable to known carcinogens, such as those in cigarettes.
The reality: The evidence against mouthwash is weak, according to the American Dental Association. Studies don't show, for example, that brands with higher alcohol content present a greater risk than those with lesser amounts. Mouthwash is safe when used as directed, says the ADA, which, depending on the product, may mean swishing once or twice daily and not swallowing. People who smoke, have a family history of oral cancer, or have other risk factors may want to choose alcohol-free brands to be on the safe side, the ADA says.
5 Simple Lifestyle Changes to Help Prevent Cancer
Statins
The link: Could these cholesterol-lowering drugs raise the risk of cancer? A 2007 study inspired this belief when researchers investigating the side effects of certain statins—lovastatin, simvastatin, pravastatin, fluvastatin, and atorvastatin—found that participants taking high doses were more likely to be diagnosed with various cancers, including those of the breast, colon, and prostate.
The reality: A 2008 review of 15 clinical trials involving statins cast doubt on the initial results; low LDL cholesterol levels, the reviewers found, were associated with cancer, whether or not participants were taking statins, suggesting that cholesterol levels, not the drugs, were to blame. "This study should reassure those taking statins that they are not increasing their risk of cancer by trying to reduce their risk of cardiovascular disease," senior author Richard Karas of Boston's Tufts University School of Medicine said in a statement. A separate review of research involving roughly 170,000 participants found no link between statins and cancer.
12 Reasons to Really Quit Smoking
Cell Phones
The link: In 1993, a man suing the manufacturer of his wife's mobile phone claimed on Larry King Live that the device was responsible for her brain cancer. The broadcast provoked a public outcry, a rash of similar lawsuits, and millions of dollars poured into studying whether radio waves emitted by cell phones could be harmful.
The reality: The largest study to date, published in 2010, could neither confirm nor dismiss a connection between cell phones and cancer. Scientists tracked nearly 13,000 adults for a decade and found a slightly higher rate of one of four cancers—gliomas, a particularly aggressive variety of brain cancer—among frequent cell users. But cell users overall had a lower rate of the cancers than never-users. Participants gave their own estimates of how much time they spent talking, which may have muddied the results. Researchers have now embarked on an even larger study in Europe.
Antiperspirant and Deodorant
The link: A decade ago, an e-mail warning women that using antiperspirant could cause breast cancer went viral. Since then, some research has suggested that aluminum in antiperspirants and preservatives called parabens in both antiperspirants and deodorants mimic the hormone estrogen, which in high amounts can increase a woman's breast cancer risk.
The reality: There is no evidence that antiperspirants or deodorants cause cancer. Although a 2004 study heightened concern when researchers found parabens in breast cancer tissue samples, suggesting the chemicals may have caused the tumors, the investigators did not check for the presence of parabens in healthy tissue. Evidence suggests that 99 percent of us are exposed to parabens from numerous sources, including various cosmetics and foods, according to the American Cancer Society. Little evidence indicates they may be harmful. The organization says more study is needed to be certain that there is no risk. A 2002 study of hundreds of women with and without breast cancer, found no sign the antiperspirants or deodorants upped cancer risk.
Bras
The link: Women got a shock in 1995 when "Dressed to Kill," written by a husband and wife team of medical anthropologists, alleged that those who regularly wore bras had a much higher risk of cancer than women who didn't wear them. They theorized that bras promote the buildup of cancer-causing toxins in the breast.
The reality: Experts stress that a link between bras and breast cancer has never been proven. Considerable evidence points to other variables affecting a woman's risk of breast cancer, such as weight, age, and family history. Women who don't wear bras tend to weigh less or have less dense breast tissue, both of which reduce breast cancer risk. Those factors alone, according to the American Cancer Society, "would probably contribute to any perceived difference in risk."
Hair Dye
The link: In 2008 researchers from the World Health Organization's International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) revived concern of a hair dye-cancer connection after finding a pattern of bladder cancer in male hairdressers and barbers. They found too little evidence to say whether people who used the products every so often at home were also at risk.
The reality: The IARC finding was based on studies conducted at different times, so any increased risk could result from heavy exposure to chemicals that were discontinued decades ago after scientists discovered they caused cancer in rodents. It's unclear whether the chemicals used in current dyes cause cancer, according to the National Cancer Institute. Most evidence, however, does not support a link.
*) preposterous = Contrary to reason or common sense; utterly absurd or ridiculous. Synonyms absurd - nonsensical - ludicrous - ridiculous - senseless
__________________________
Signs of a Weak Immune System
Assess your risk with these signs of impaired immunity, and learn what you can do to stay healthy.
(1) Some people seem to survive cold and flu season with nary a sniffle. And yet plenty others seem to catch cold after cold; sidelined with a perpetually stuffed-up nose and hacking cough that lasts all winter long. So what's different between these two groups? Research shows your cold and flu vulnerability may come down to a few important--and unexpected--habits, like how much sugar you eat or how dry your nose is.
(2) Eating too much sugar doesn't just pack on pounds... A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that drinking three cans of sugary soda significantly hampered the ability of white blood cells to kill bacteria for up to 5 hours afterward.
(3) There's a reason doctors push fluids on you when you're sick. Your body needs plenty of water to flush out toxins--and yes, coffee and tea are acceptable sources. How much fluid you should drink daily varies from person to person. You're drinking the right amount if your urine is pale yellow.
(4) The cleanliness of your drinking water can play a role in whether or not you get sick. As many as 25 million Americans drink well water that contains more than the safe levels of arsenic determined by the EPA. Arsenic has been linked to several different cancers, and affects the immune response to swine flu as well. When researchers from Dartmouth Medical School inoculated two groups of mice with the H1N1 virus, the group that had spent 5 weeks drinking arsenic-tainted water developed suppressed immune systems, and many died. The mice that didn't drink the water got the flu but recovered completely. If your well water tests high, consider switching to bottled water or investing in a remediation system that will remove the arsenic.
(5) As uncomfortable as it may be, a runny nose is actually a good defense against colds and the flu. Sounds gross, but mucus traps viruses and clears them from the body. If your nasal passages are too dry, germ invaders have an easier time. If the dryness is a temporary problem, irrigate your nasal passages with a squeeze bottle or neti pot of saline solution. A humidifier can also help. If dryness is chronic, see your doctor to determine the underlying cause.
(6) It's no coincidence that you tend to catch a cold after a big work deadline. According to a report by the American Psychological Association, long-term stress weakens the responses of your immune system. In addition, "if you become stressed while you have the flu, your symptoms can get worse," says Philip Tierno, PhD, director of clinical microbiology and immunology at New York University and author of The Secret Life of Germs: What They Are, Why We Need Them, and How We Can Protect Ourselves Against Them.
(7) This means your immune system isn't operating at top speed. The average adult picks up one to three colds each season that typically last 3 or 4 days. If you get more, your resistance might be low. Getting more sleep, regular exercise and rounding out your diet to get lots of healthy veggies and these immunity-boosting foods can help.
(8) This means your immune system isn't operating at top speed. The average adult picks up one to three colds each season that typically last 3 or 4 days. If you get more, your resistance might be low. Getting more sleep, regular exercise and rounding out your diet to get lots of healthy veggies and these immunity-boosting foods can help.
______________________________________________
What's the Link, if Any, Between Dietary Fat and Breast Cancer?
Therein lies the rub. Unlike smoking, which is clearly carcinogenic, no single food or nutrient really impacts your overall risk of getting a lung or breast tumor, says Albanes, who helped conduct the 1994 clinical trial showing that smokers randomly assigned to take either beta carotene or vitamin E supplements didn't get any less lung cancer than those who were given placebos. It's really about the composition of your overall diet. What's clear, he says, is that the variety of nutrients packed into foods like green leafy produce, orange sweet potatoes, and bright pink nectarines all work in synergy to help the body fend off cancer cells.
Therein lies the rub. Unlike smoking, which is clearly carcinogenic, no single food or nutrient really impacts your overall risk of getting a lung or breast tumor, says Albanes, who helped conduct the 1994 clinical trial showing that smokers randomly assigned to take either beta carotene or vitamin E supplements didn't get any less lung cancer than those who were given placebos. It's really about the composition of your overall diet. What's clear, he says, is that the variety of nutrients packed into foods like green leafy produce, orange sweet potatoes, and bright pink nectarines all work in synergy to help the body fend off cancer cells.
Quotation: "If it came from a plant, eat it - if it was made in a plant, don't - it kills"
________
________
Save your & your family's health - learn to eat in a safe manner
Sugar is as addictive as cocaine, causes
obesity, diabetes, cancer & heart disease
The average America eats a third of a pound of sugar every day — 130 pounds a year
The sweet stuff is everywhere in the foods we eat: breads, yogurt, peanut butter
America’s sugar habit is contributing to heart disease, cancer and obesity
Dr. Robert Lustig thinks America needs to go to rehab for sugar addiction.Lustig has co-authored a report with the American Heart Association recommending men should consume no more than 150 calories of added sugars a day. And women, just 100 calories.
That's about one teaspoon of sugar.
According to brain scans, sugar is as addictive as cocaine, the California-based endocrinologist told CBS News’ “60 Minutes.”
It causes a euphoric effect that triggers dopamine, the chemical that controls pleasure in the brain.
The average America eats a third of a pound of sugar every day — 130 pounds a year.
Lustig says his research proves that the sweet stuff causes heart disease and cancer, as well as Type 2 diabetes and obesity.
And its not just the added sweeteners we add to our foods, like table sugar, or the desserts we eat.
Sugar is everywhere in foods where we least suspect it, including breads, yogurt, peanut butter and sauces.
Sugar consumption is down 40% since the 1970s but high fructose corn syrup consumption is way up.
Kimber Stanhope, a nutrional biologist at the University of California Davis, believes that a calorie isn’t just a calorie and that overconsumption of high-fructose corn syrup increases risk for heart attack and stroke.
According to her research, when a person consumes too much sugary food and drink, the liver begins to convert some of that fructose to fat. This fat can lead to an increase in dangerous LDL cholesterol that can form plaque in the arteries.
Too much sugar is also linked to many kinds of cancers, including breast and colon cancer.
Some tumors have insulin receptors which feed on glucose, according to Lewis Cantley, a Harvard professor and the head of the Beth Israel Deaconess Cancer Center.
There is some irony in America’s rising sugar intake. Since the 1970s, we’ve been told that too much fat is unhealthy. Food manufacturers responded but the results have backfired on our health.
“Take the fat out of food, it tastes like cardboard,” said Lustig. “And the food industry knew that. So they replaced it with sugar.”
CBS News talked with Jim Simon of the Sugar Association, who voiced doubts as whether sugar is root of all dietary evil. “To say that the American consuming public is going to completely omit, eliminate, sweeteners out of their diet I don't think gets us there,” he said.
All the experts agree that quitting sugary drinks and added sugar to foods is a good place to start.
Lustig has co-authored a report with the American Heart Association recommending men should consume no more than 150 calories of added sugars a day. And women, just 100 calories.
_______________________________________________________
Sugar is as addictive as cocaine, causes
obesity, diabetes, cancer & heart disease
The average America eats a third of a pound of sugar every day — 130 pounds a year
The sweet stuff is everywhere in the foods we eat: breads, yogurt, peanut butter
America’s sugar habit is contributing to heart disease, cancer and obesity
Dr. Robert Lustig thinks America needs to go to rehab for sugar addiction.Lustig has co-authored a report with the American Heart Association recommending men should consume no more than 150 calories of added sugars a day. And women, just 100 calories.
That's about one teaspoon of sugar.
According to brain scans, sugar is as addictive as cocaine, the California-based endocrinologist told CBS News’ “60 Minutes.”
It causes a euphoric effect that triggers dopamine, the chemical that controls pleasure in the brain.
The average America eats a third of a pound of sugar every day — 130 pounds a year.
Lustig says his research proves that the sweet stuff causes heart disease and cancer, as well as Type 2 diabetes and obesity.
And its not just the added sweeteners we add to our foods, like table sugar, or the desserts we eat.
Sugar is everywhere in foods where we least suspect it, including breads, yogurt, peanut butter and sauces.
Sugar consumption is down 40% since the 1970s but high fructose corn syrup consumption is way up.
Kimber Stanhope, a nutrional biologist at the University of California Davis, believes that a calorie isn’t just a calorie and that overconsumption of high-fructose corn syrup increases risk for heart attack and stroke.
According to her research, when a person consumes too much sugary food and drink, the liver begins to convert some of that fructose to fat. This fat can lead to an increase in dangerous LDL cholesterol that can form plaque in the arteries.
Too much sugar is also linked to many kinds of cancers, including breast and colon cancer.
Some tumors have insulin receptors which feed on glucose, according to Lewis Cantley, a Harvard professor and the head of the Beth Israel Deaconess Cancer Center.
There is some irony in America’s rising sugar intake. Since the 1970s, we’ve been told that too much fat is unhealthy. Food manufacturers responded but the results have backfired on our health.
“Take the fat out of food, it tastes like cardboard,” said Lustig. “And the food industry knew that. So they replaced it with sugar.”
CBS News talked with Jim Simon of the Sugar Association, who voiced doubts as whether sugar is root of all dietary evil. “To say that the American consuming public is going to completely omit, eliminate, sweeteners out of their diet I don't think gets us there,” he said.
All the experts agree that quitting sugary drinks and added sugar to foods is a good place to start.
Lustig has co-authored a report with the American Heart Association recommending men should consume no more than 150 calories of added sugars a day. And women, just 100 calories.
_______________________________________________________
Sugar in the amounts most people in the developed countries consume it will destroy the human health
Why is too much sugar bad for the body?
Here are ten different reasons why we should all keep ourselves from going on a sugar high
Tooth decay. We all know this, as this is something that has been ingrained into our minds by our mothers since our very childhood. We have been taught to brush our teeth after every meal and before we go to sleep because when sugar is left on our teeth, especially after a binge on ice cream, it causes our teeth to decay faster.
IMPORTANT: brushing the teeth twice a day is not enough - at least once (perhaps 2 times) a day we also have to floss our teeth. Ask you dentist how and with what or study the internet doctors & internet websites to learn.
Rutting teeth have a direct link to our human heart - the connection can become lethal. Study further in the internet the link to the heart disease caused by the rutting teeth, jaws and mouth. Good dental hygiene is necessary to learn.
Gum disease. Another thing when we let sugar sit on our teeth is that it can also lead to gum infection. Because of the way our body reacts to different kinds of infection, gum infection can in turn lead to inflammation of the coronary artery not only can but WILL - the heart disease, suffering and sudden death is the potential result. AVOID IT. Apply the info in STAF, Inc.'s website, Radio/TV Shows, seminars, publications and follow your dentist's guidance.
Unstable blood glucose. Eating too much sugar causes our blood sugars to go haywire. When the sugar levels in our blood fluctuate, they lead us to feeling fatigue and exhaustion. Headaches and mood swings are also apparent when the blood glucose is unstable. Moreover, the more sugar we take in, the more unbalanced our blood glucose becomes, and the more sugar our body craves in order to fix the imbalance it perceives.
Obesity, diabetes and heart disease. This is also somewhat of a common knowledge for all of us. Sugar in the blood that is too much for the body to consume completely is stored as fat. Too much fat in the body can lead to obesity, and obesity is known to trigger diabetes and heart disease.
Malfunctioning immune system. The bacteria and yeast that are present in our blood stream feed on sugar and cause them to multiply. If there is an imbalance in the growth of these bacteria and yeast, our immune system may not be able to handle it. It could, therefore, weaken.
Chromium deficiency. Ironically, too much sugar in the body causes the body's ability to regulate sugar levels to go on strike. This is because most of the sugar we eat is already refined and lacks chromium, the chemical needed to help manage the levels of sugar in our blood.
Nutrients. Consuming sugar makes the hunger pangs go away. That is why we are often told not to eat sweets before a main meal. When we take in too much sugar, we do not feel the need to eat food that contains more of the important nutrients that our body needs, such as vitamins, iron, calcium and magnesium. There is a difference between feeling full after every meal and gaining the nutrition you need from every meal.
Stress. When we eat too much sugar, we go on a sugar high because of the energy boost we get from the sugar consumption. But this sugar high is only temporary; our energy level takes a plunge afterwards. When this happens, the body releases hormones to bring the sugar level in our blood back to optimum level, and these hormones include the stress hormones: adrenaline, cortisol and epinephrine. These hormones make us irritable and stressed out.
Aging. When we eat too much sugar, the process called glycation can occur. When this happens, some of the sugar we consume sticks to the proteins in our body, causing our body tissues to lose their elasticity. It is not just our skin that is affected, but also our internal organs. The faster that the body loses its elasticity, the faster aging occurs.
Cognition. Too much sugar in the body also affects our mind's ability to learn and recognize.
Thus, before you pop that chocolate bar into your mouth, think again. How much sugar have you had today?
Also see: Walking is good exercise
See the Corn Syrup article below - important for your health & success
_________________________________
See the sugar articles above - important information
Save your life, your children's lives and your family's life
- apply healthy habits from STAF, Inc. -
"More Life - Less Suffering"™
STAF, Inc.'s slogan
Quotation
"To stay healthy you need to eat what your body wants - not what you want"
______Dr Christian - STAF, Inc._____
IMPORTANT ARTICLE
How Corn Syrup Might
Be Making Us Hungry - and Fat
Source: The study, led by Kathleen Page, of Yale University School of Medicine and published online January 1, 2013,
in JAMA, The Journal of the American Medical Association
Click green for further info
Grocery store aisles are awash in foods and beverages that contain high-fructose corn syrup. It is common in sodas and crops up in everything from ketchup to snack bars. This cheap sweetener has been an increasingly popular additive in recent decades and has often been fingered as a driver of the obesity epidemic.
These fears may be well founded. Fructose, a new study finds, has a marked affect on the brain region that regulates appetite, suggesting that corn syrup and other forms of fructose might encourage over-eating to a greater degree than glucose. Table sugar has both fructose and glucose, but high-fructose corn syrup, as the name suggests, contains a higher proportion of fructose.
To test how fructose affects the brain, researchers studied 20 healthy adult volunteers. While the test subjects consumed sweetened beverages, the researchers used fMRIs (functional magnetic resonance imaging) to measure the response of the hypothalamus, which helps regulate many hunger-related signals, as well as reward and motivation processing.
Volunteers received a 300-milliliter cherry-flavored drink sweetened with 75 grams (equivalent to about 300 calories) of fructose as well as the same drink sweetened with the same amount of glucose. These different drinks were given, in random order, at sessions one to eight months apart. The researchers also took blood samples at various time points and asked volunteers to rate their feelings of hunger and fullness.
Subjects showed substantial differences in their hypothalamic activity after consuming the fructose-sweetened beverage versus the one sweetened by glucose within 15 minutes. Glucose lowered the activity of the hypothalamus but fructose actually prompted a small spike to this area. As might be expected from these results, the glucose drink alone increased the feelings of fullness reported by volunteers, which indicates that they would be less likely to consume more calories after having something sweetened with glucose than something sweetened with more fructose.
Fructose and glucose look similar molecularly, but fructose is metabolized differently by the body and prompts the body to secrete less insulin than does glucose (insulin plays a role in telling the body to feel full and in dulling the reward the body gets from food). Fructose also fails to reduce the amount of circulating ghrelin (a hunger-signaling hormone) as much as glucose does. (Animal studies have shown that fructose can, indeed, cross the blood-brain barrier and be metabolized in the hypothalamus.) Previous studies have shown that this effect was pronounced in animal models.
The study, led by Kathleen Page, of Yale University School of Medicine and published online January 1 in JAMA, The Journal of the American Medical Association, was small and was not able to pinpoint precise neural circuits that might be affected by the sweeteners. But the results, along with other research, suggest that, thanks to the "advances in food processing and economic forces" that have boosted the intake of fructose, added sugar and high-fructose corn syrup are "indeed extending the supersizing concept to the population's collective waistlines," wrote Jonathan Purnell, of the Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Clinical Nutrition, and Damien Fair, of the Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, both of Oregon Health & Sciences University in Portland, who coauthored an essay that appeared in the same issue of JAMA.
Could fructose consumption alone really be playing such an outsized role in expanding our pant sizes?
"A common counterargument is that it is the excess calories that are important, not the food. Simply put: just eat less," Purnell and Fair noted. "The reality, however, is that hunger and fullness are major determinants of how much humans eat, just as thirst determines how much humans drink. These sensations cannot simply be willed away or ignored." In order to eat less (and consume fewer calories overall), they argued, then, one should avoid foods or ingredients that fail to satisfy hunger. And that, according to the results from the new study, would mean those fructose-sweetened foods--and drinks.
Click green for further info
Source: The study, led by Kathleen Page, of Yale University School of Medicine and published online January 1, 2013, in JAMA, The Journal of the American Medical Association
Follow Scientific American on Twitter @SciAm and @SciamBlogs
Visit ScientificAmerican.com for the latest in science, health and technology news
ScientificAmerican.com
Warning
Avoid ALL soda drinks
Soda belongs to garbage
are not worth even the garbage
the soda drinks would pollute even the garbage
All soda drinks kill a human being, slowly but surely
Coca-Cola on Defense Over Sugar
Drink clean water - all soda has chemicals capable of making you sick and kill you.
Coca-Cola has been a staple in American lives for more than 100 years and its iconic advertisements have shaped the
soda industry from its 1930s depictions of jolly ol' St. Nick to its recent polar bear commercials.
One from 1961 even advertised Coke as a diet beverage -- "There's no waistline worry with Coke, you know," the pitchwoman said.
Most studies and experts agree that claim is not true -- but now, a new ad from Coke claims its low sugar and sugar free beverages can to be part of the obesity solution. The two-minute commercial was set to air on national cable news stations starting tonight.
It may be the company's reaction to a full-fledged assault on sugary sodas that has included school bans, proposed taxes and an often-mocked New York City effort to eliminate the sale of sodas larger than 16 ounces.
Coca-Cola said in a news release that the goal was to "highlight some of the specifics behind the company's ongoing commitment to deliver more beverage choices, including low- and no-calorie options, and to clearly communicate the calorie content of all its products."
The commercial, called "Coming Together," included facts about the company's initiatives, noting, "Of over 650 beverages, we now offer 180 ... low- and no-calorie choices."
The terrible facts below in red - the reasons for our enormous overweight & obesity level and for our highest sickness level among the developed nations - and to our highest health/sickness care costs.
STAF, Inc. has the new solutions to get rid of all these serious life-destroying elements
The average American drinks 45 gallons of sugary soft drinks a year, equivalent to one-and-a-half barrels of soda pop. In fact, sugary sodas are the single largest source of calories in the American diet. Even the smallest can, the eight-ounce size, has the equivalent of approximately six sugar cubes. The 20-ounce size has around 14 sugar cubes and the 7-Eleven "Super Big Gulp" more than 30.
Critics argue they are not ordinary calories, either, but are empty of nutrition and don't tell the body it is full.
"With beverages, we'll drink the calories and then consume more foods on top of those calories," Michael Jacobson, executive director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), told ABC News. "When the body eats a steak or asparagus, it senses that it consumed calories and then will reduce its caloric intake later in the day. It doesn't happen with soft drinks."
CSPI published a video that went viral just this past fall called, "The Real Bears," which graphically depicted the health effects of over-consumption of sugary beverages.
Coca-Cola, the world's largest beverage company, also promotes exercise programs to work off what you drink. A second new spot debuting Wednesday during "American Idol," called "Be OK," according to a news release, will make "it perfectly clear right up front that a can of Coca-Cola has 140 calories. This spot also encourages people to have some fun burning those calories off."
Coca-Cola declined comment to ABC News on the commercials but referred reporters to Russell Pate, a professor with Arnold School of Public Health at the University of South Carolina. He told ABC News that the changes made by the food and beverage industry should be "supported, and more improvement is to be encouraged."
He added that a major origin of the obesity problem is "declining physical activity over recent decades."
"I think we have millions of Americans trying to eat down to their level of inactivity, and it's not working well," Pate said. "I believe strongly we will have to increase the physical activity level of our population if we want to overcome the obesity epidemic that we are currently challenged by."
Coke is not the only soda company getting heat. Pepsi hired Beyonce for undisclosed millions to promote its product at the Super Bowl and in new TV ads.
Mark Bittman, food writer for The New York Times, said the superstar is making a "bad decision" to work with the beverage company.
"She has associated herself with Michelle Obama's Let's Move campaign -- a campaign to eat better [and] move more ... and now [she is] pushing Pepsi, really quite the opposite of that," he said. "She might consider giving some or all of this money to charity."
Both Beyonce's public relations team and PepsiCo, the maker of Pepsi, declined to comment to ABC News.
IMPORTANT TO READ THE COLORED COMMENTS BELOW
By STAF, Inc.'s founding President, Dr. Christian von Christophers, Ph.D., N.D.
A spokesman for the American Beverage Association, which represents the non-alcoholic beverage industry, told ABC News that it has partnered with Michelle Obama on her "Let's Move" campaign, as well as Bill Clinton to encourage a "meaningful impact on the complex issue of obesity."
STAF, Inc.: This partnership is only for looks top make these soda devils to look like health angels - a dirty plan to deceit - all basic abuse of public figures to fill the soda makers' money coffins by ignorantly killing more Americans in the obesity related sicknesses as: diabetes, cancer, high blood pressure, heart failure & heart attacks, thyroid problems, arthritis, liver hardening, and potentially endless list of other sicknesses.
The fast-food (read: bad-food = killer food) industry takes the same type of action and masks their dirty, killing bad-food into an angel face innocence. Terrible crimes knowingly.
STAF, Inc. has all solution for you, for your family and for your children to fight back this abuses and these lies,
STAF, Inc. programs and services will give you and your family a New Life
Source: Yahoo news
_________________________________________________________________
Save your life, your children's lives and your family's life
- apply healthy habits from STAF, Inc. -
"More Life - Less Suffering"™
STAF, Inc.'s slogan
Quotation
"To stay healthy you need to eat what your body wants - not what you want"
______Dr Christian - STAF, Inc._____
IMPORTANT ARTICLE
How Corn Syrup Might
Be Making Us Hungry - and Fat
Source: The study, led by Kathleen Page, of Yale University School of Medicine and published online January 1, 2013,
in JAMA, The Journal of the American Medical Association
Click green for further info
Grocery store aisles are awash in foods and beverages that contain high-fructose corn syrup. It is common in sodas and crops up in everything from ketchup to snack bars. This cheap sweetener has been an increasingly popular additive in recent decades and has often been fingered as a driver of the obesity epidemic.
These fears may be well founded. Fructose, a new study finds, has a marked affect on the brain region that regulates appetite, suggesting that corn syrup and other forms of fructose might encourage over-eating to a greater degree than glucose. Table sugar has both fructose and glucose, but high-fructose corn syrup, as the name suggests, contains a higher proportion of fructose.
To test how fructose affects the brain, researchers studied 20 healthy adult volunteers. While the test subjects consumed sweetened beverages, the researchers used fMRIs (functional magnetic resonance imaging) to measure the response of the hypothalamus, which helps regulate many hunger-related signals, as well as reward and motivation processing.
Volunteers received a 300-milliliter cherry-flavored drink sweetened with 75 grams (equivalent to about 300 calories) of fructose as well as the same drink sweetened with the same amount of glucose. These different drinks were given, in random order, at sessions one to eight months apart. The researchers also took blood samples at various time points and asked volunteers to rate their feelings of hunger and fullness.
Subjects showed substantial differences in their hypothalamic activity after consuming the fructose-sweetened beverage versus the one sweetened by glucose within 15 minutes. Glucose lowered the activity of the hypothalamus but fructose actually prompted a small spike to this area. As might be expected from these results, the glucose drink alone increased the feelings of fullness reported by volunteers, which indicates that they would be less likely to consume more calories after having something sweetened with glucose than something sweetened with more fructose.
Fructose and glucose look similar molecularly, but fructose is metabolized differently by the body and prompts the body to secrete less insulin than does glucose (insulin plays a role in telling the body to feel full and in dulling the reward the body gets from food). Fructose also fails to reduce the amount of circulating ghrelin (a hunger-signaling hormone) as much as glucose does. (Animal studies have shown that fructose can, indeed, cross the blood-brain barrier and be metabolized in the hypothalamus.) Previous studies have shown that this effect was pronounced in animal models.
The study, led by Kathleen Page, of Yale University School of Medicine and published online January 1 in JAMA, The Journal of the American Medical Association, was small and was not able to pinpoint precise neural circuits that might be affected by the sweeteners. But the results, along with other research, suggest that, thanks to the "advances in food processing and economic forces" that have boosted the intake of fructose, added sugar and high-fructose corn syrup are "indeed extending the supersizing concept to the population's collective waistlines," wrote Jonathan Purnell, of the Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Clinical Nutrition, and Damien Fair, of the Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, both of Oregon Health & Sciences University in Portland, who coauthored an essay that appeared in the same issue of JAMA.
Could fructose consumption alone really be playing such an outsized role in expanding our pant sizes?
"A common counterargument is that it is the excess calories that are important, not the food. Simply put: just eat less," Purnell and Fair noted. "The reality, however, is that hunger and fullness are major determinants of how much humans eat, just as thirst determines how much humans drink. These sensations cannot simply be willed away or ignored." In order to eat less (and consume fewer calories overall), they argued, then, one should avoid foods or ingredients that fail to satisfy hunger. And that, according to the results from the new study, would mean those fructose-sweetened foods--and drinks.
Click green for further info
Source: The study, led by Kathleen Page, of Yale University School of Medicine and published online January 1, 2013, in JAMA, The Journal of the American Medical Association
Follow Scientific American on Twitter @SciAm and @SciamBlogs
Visit ScientificAmerican.com for the latest in science, health and technology news
ScientificAmerican.com
- Six habits of remarkably likable people
The way Nelson Mandela greets people is a significant part of his appeal. - Ten best ingredients to battle bloating
- Lose weight while eating out? Here's how
- Newborns know their native tongue hours after birth
Warning
Avoid ALL soda drinks
Soda belongs to garbage
are not worth even the garbage
the soda drinks would pollute even the garbage
All soda drinks kill a human being, slowly but surely
Coca-Cola on Defense Over Sugar
Drink clean water - all soda has chemicals capable of making you sick and kill you.
Coca-Cola has been a staple in American lives for more than 100 years and its iconic advertisements have shaped the
soda industry from its 1930s depictions of jolly ol' St. Nick to its recent polar bear commercials.
One from 1961 even advertised Coke as a diet beverage -- "There's no waistline worry with Coke, you know," the pitchwoman said.
Most studies and experts agree that claim is not true -- but now, a new ad from Coke claims its low sugar and sugar free beverages can to be part of the obesity solution. The two-minute commercial was set to air on national cable news stations starting tonight.
It may be the company's reaction to a full-fledged assault on sugary sodas that has included school bans, proposed taxes and an often-mocked New York City effort to eliminate the sale of sodas larger than 16 ounces.
Coca-Cola said in a news release that the goal was to "highlight some of the specifics behind the company's ongoing commitment to deliver more beverage choices, including low- and no-calorie options, and to clearly communicate the calorie content of all its products."
The commercial, called "Coming Together," included facts about the company's initiatives, noting, "Of over 650 beverages, we now offer 180 ... low- and no-calorie choices."
The terrible facts below in red - the reasons for our enormous overweight & obesity level and for our highest sickness level among the developed nations - and to our highest health/sickness care costs.
STAF, Inc. has the new solutions to get rid of all these serious life-destroying elements
The average American drinks 45 gallons of sugary soft drinks a year, equivalent to one-and-a-half barrels of soda pop. In fact, sugary sodas are the single largest source of calories in the American diet. Even the smallest can, the eight-ounce size, has the equivalent of approximately six sugar cubes. The 20-ounce size has around 14 sugar cubes and the 7-Eleven "Super Big Gulp" more than 30.
Critics argue they are not ordinary calories, either, but are empty of nutrition and don't tell the body it is full.
"With beverages, we'll drink the calories and then consume more foods on top of those calories," Michael Jacobson, executive director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), told ABC News. "When the body eats a steak or asparagus, it senses that it consumed calories and then will reduce its caloric intake later in the day. It doesn't happen with soft drinks."
CSPI published a video that went viral just this past fall called, "The Real Bears," which graphically depicted the health effects of over-consumption of sugary beverages.
Coca-Cola, the world's largest beverage company, also promotes exercise programs to work off what you drink. A second new spot debuting Wednesday during "American Idol," called "Be OK," according to a news release, will make "it perfectly clear right up front that a can of Coca-Cola has 140 calories. This spot also encourages people to have some fun burning those calories off."
Coca-Cola declined comment to ABC News on the commercials but referred reporters to Russell Pate, a professor with Arnold School of Public Health at the University of South Carolina. He told ABC News that the changes made by the food and beverage industry should be "supported, and more improvement is to be encouraged."
He added that a major origin of the obesity problem is "declining physical activity over recent decades."
"I think we have millions of Americans trying to eat down to their level of inactivity, and it's not working well," Pate said. "I believe strongly we will have to increase the physical activity level of our population if we want to overcome the obesity epidemic that we are currently challenged by."
Coke is not the only soda company getting heat. Pepsi hired Beyonce for undisclosed millions to promote its product at the Super Bowl and in new TV ads.
Mark Bittman, food writer for The New York Times, said the superstar is making a "bad decision" to work with the beverage company.
"She has associated herself with Michelle Obama's Let's Move campaign -- a campaign to eat better [and] move more ... and now [she is] pushing Pepsi, really quite the opposite of that," he said. "She might consider giving some or all of this money to charity."
Both Beyonce's public relations team and PepsiCo, the maker of Pepsi, declined to comment to ABC News.
IMPORTANT TO READ THE COLORED COMMENTS BELOW
By STAF, Inc.'s founding President, Dr. Christian von Christophers, Ph.D., N.D.
A spokesman for the American Beverage Association, which represents the non-alcoholic beverage industry, told ABC News that it has partnered with Michelle Obama on her "Let's Move" campaign, as well as Bill Clinton to encourage a "meaningful impact on the complex issue of obesity."
STAF, Inc.: This partnership is only for looks top make these soda devils to look like health angels - a dirty plan to deceit - all basic abuse of public figures to fill the soda makers' money coffins by ignorantly killing more Americans in the obesity related sicknesses as: diabetes, cancer, high blood pressure, heart failure & heart attacks, thyroid problems, arthritis, liver hardening, and potentially endless list of other sicknesses.
The fast-food (read: bad-food = killer food) industry takes the same type of action and masks their dirty, killing bad-food into an angel face innocence. Terrible crimes knowingly.
STAF, Inc. has all solution for you, for your family and for your children to fight back this abuses and these lies,
STAF, Inc. programs and services will give you and your family a New Life
Source: Yahoo news
_________________________________________________________________
Snoring - Sleep Apnea ?
Visit a competent, certified sleep Doctor
for a proper help
Below some basic information
Have you been suffering from mysterious headaches? Are you tired, in the middle of the day—for no reason at all? Are your loved ones complaining that you’re especially irritable or moody?
Amazingly, the root of all these problems may just be your snoring. And unfortunately, snoring may be the sign of a whole range of other, more serious health problems.
Snoring—besides being bothersome to your bedmate—is a common symptom of obstructive sleep apnea. This condition, also known as OSA, actually causes you to stop breathing while you sleep; and often hundreds, if not thousands of times per night.
This halt in breathing occurs when your tongue, throat and jaw muscles relax, which then cause your airway to be blocked. When breathing stops, the body reacts with a momentary spike in blood pressure. Because these jagged halts in breathing can occur hundreds of times nightly, the effects are multiplied—and truly dangerous.
As a result, OSA has been proven to cause a range of serious health problems, including:
• Heart attacks
• Hypertension
• Heart disease and plaque buildup
• Strokes
• Depression
• Diabetes
Unfortunately, diagnosis and treatment for OSA is often overly expensive, ineffective—or both. Because they are conducted by licensed sleep centers, they involve an overnight stay, which is obviously very time-consuming.
Mouthpieces are a common treatment for snoring, as well. However, some of these mouthpieces jam the jaw shut, which can feel uncomfortable, and cut into sleep. Additionally, many of these mouthpieces require that you boil them so that the material softens to better fit your mouth—a lot of hassle, for too-little gain.
For many people snoring is a serious health issue and can have grave implications including chronic fatigue, high blood pressure, weight gain, heart failure and stroke. But there is help. Recent studies have shown that for many people, wearing a jaw supporter during sleep time can effectively treat snoring and sleep apnea. Recently, a clinical trial conducted at the Kochi Hospital in Japan demonstrated how a chinstrap alone improved obstructive sleep apnea and snoring.
Visit a competent, certified sleep Doctor
for a proper help
Below some basic information
Have you been suffering from mysterious headaches? Are you tired, in the middle of the day—for no reason at all? Are your loved ones complaining that you’re especially irritable or moody?
Amazingly, the root of all these problems may just be your snoring. And unfortunately, snoring may be the sign of a whole range of other, more serious health problems.
Snoring—besides being bothersome to your bedmate—is a common symptom of obstructive sleep apnea. This condition, also known as OSA, actually causes you to stop breathing while you sleep; and often hundreds, if not thousands of times per night.
This halt in breathing occurs when your tongue, throat and jaw muscles relax, which then cause your airway to be blocked. When breathing stops, the body reacts with a momentary spike in blood pressure. Because these jagged halts in breathing can occur hundreds of times nightly, the effects are multiplied—and truly dangerous.
As a result, OSA has been proven to cause a range of serious health problems, including:
• Heart attacks
• Hypertension
• Heart disease and plaque buildup
• Strokes
• Depression
• Diabetes
Unfortunately, diagnosis and treatment for OSA is often overly expensive, ineffective—or both. Because they are conducted by licensed sleep centers, they involve an overnight stay, which is obviously very time-consuming.
Mouthpieces are a common treatment for snoring, as well. However, some of these mouthpieces jam the jaw shut, which can feel uncomfortable, and cut into sleep. Additionally, many of these mouthpieces require that you boil them so that the material softens to better fit your mouth—a lot of hassle, for too-little gain.
For many people snoring is a serious health issue and can have grave implications including chronic fatigue, high blood pressure, weight gain, heart failure and stroke. But there is help. Recent studies have shown that for many people, wearing a jaw supporter during sleep time can effectively treat snoring and sleep apnea. Recently, a clinical trial conducted at the Kochi Hospital in Japan demonstrated how a chinstrap alone improved obstructive sleep apnea and snoring.
Do Adults Need 8 Hours of Sleep a Night ?
Not everyone needs eight hours of sleep a night. Some people run fine on six while others can barely function without nine. In fact, there’s (click green) historical evidence that humans used to sleep in intervals: two hours at dusk, a two-hour waking period, and then a second sleep. The amount of sleep you need varies on a variety of factors, including illness, stress, physical activity, and more. As a good rule, if you awake feeling tired, you probably need more or better sleep. Babies sleep almost 24 h. Toddlers need 10 +. Teenagers 9-11 h
Our growth hormone develops when we sleep. Growth hormone promotes health and provides a longer life.
_____________________
Not everyone needs eight hours of sleep a night. Some people run fine on six while others can barely function without nine. In fact, there’s (click green) historical evidence that humans used to sleep in intervals: two hours at dusk, a two-hour waking period, and then a second sleep. The amount of sleep you need varies on a variety of factors, including illness, stress, physical activity, and more. As a good rule, if you awake feeling tired, you probably need more or better sleep. Babies sleep almost 24 h. Toddlers need 10 +. Teenagers 9-11 h
Our growth hormone develops when we sleep. Growth hormone promotes health and provides a longer life.
_____________________
Notice about fresh water drinking
Relates to the Soda & Diet Soda drinking articles (above & below)
Do NOT drink any soda whether diet or sugary - drink pure water slowly, roll it in your mouth to mix the water with your saliva. Drink water on an empty stomach, and minimum during breakfast, lunch, dinner. If you drink plenty of water while eating you will mess up the digestive juices in your stomach and have improper digestion leading to poisons in your body creating all types of sicknesses slowly but surely. Drink water daily minimum half or you normal weight in ounces, maximum about your normal weight in ounces. Start your morning always with about a quarter (= 32 oz = 1 liter) of water (preferably boiled to swallow it slowly). In the morning your stomach is empty = no food to digest. Correctly combined food takes 3 - 4 hours to leave the stomach. A wrongly combined can take tens of hours. Learn to apply the principles of correct food combining. Take STAF, Inc.'s program or find a reliable source on the internet.
As long as you're drinking enough so that you don't feel thirsty, you urinate often,
and your urine is nearly colorless, you're probably getting enough water
And remember "the magic daily ounce number" includes water you get from foods and other beverages, and those help you gain other nutrients, too. While water is necessary, some healthy alternatives to water include broth-based soups and water-laden produce, vegetables and fruits.
________________________
Relates to the Soda & Diet Soda drinking articles (above & below)
Do NOT drink any soda whether diet or sugary - drink pure water slowly, roll it in your mouth to mix the water with your saliva. Drink water on an empty stomach, and minimum during breakfast, lunch, dinner. If you drink plenty of water while eating you will mess up the digestive juices in your stomach and have improper digestion leading to poisons in your body creating all types of sicknesses slowly but surely. Drink water daily minimum half or you normal weight in ounces, maximum about your normal weight in ounces. Start your morning always with about a quarter (= 32 oz = 1 liter) of water (preferably boiled to swallow it slowly). In the morning your stomach is empty = no food to digest. Correctly combined food takes 3 - 4 hours to leave the stomach. A wrongly combined can take tens of hours. Learn to apply the principles of correct food combining. Take STAF, Inc.'s program or find a reliable source on the internet.
As long as you're drinking enough so that you don't feel thirsty, you urinate often,
and your urine is nearly colorless, you're probably getting enough water
And remember "the magic daily ounce number" includes water you get from foods and other beverages, and those help you gain other nutrients, too. While water is necessary, some healthy alternatives to water include broth-based soups and water-laden produce, vegetables and fruits.
________________________
Woman dies after downing 2 gallons of Coca-Cola daily
This news is sad & her behavior was more than ridiculous. However, he point is: all sodas, sugary or diet,
are dangerous for your, my & anyone's health. Drink only plain water. How & when - see above. Save your life.
Heavy drinking may have led to the death of a New Zealand woman — but it wasn't alcohol she was glugging.
It was Coca-Cola.
She reportedly drank some 2.2 gallons of the soda every day, AFP notes, a habit that went on for years. Her family called it an "addiction" that resulted in the removal of multiple rotten teeth and the birth of at least one child lacking tooth enamel; her partner said Natasha Harris suffered withdrawal symptoms if she didn't drink the stuff.
The 31-year-old mother of eight died following a cardiac arrhythmia in February 2010, and the coroner called out Coke in his report, which was released in February 2013.
"I find that, when all the available evidence is considered, were it not for the consumption of very large quantities of Coke by Natasha Harris, it is unlikely that she would have died when she died and how she died," the report said.
The examination after her death revealed an enlarged liver with fatty deposits due to too much sugar, a pathologist said. Low potassium in her bloodstream may also have been linked to the soda.
Harris apparently consumed more than two pounds of sugar and 970 mg of caffeine a day; experts say even 500 mg is dangerous.
Coca-Cola said it was "disappointed" about the coroner's emphasis on Coke in Harris' death, though his report did state that the company "cannot be held responsible for the health of consumers who drink unhealthy quantities of the product."
______________________________
This news is sad & her behavior was more than ridiculous. However, he point is: all sodas, sugary or diet,
are dangerous for your, my & anyone's health. Drink only plain water. How & when - see above. Save your life.
Heavy drinking may have led to the death of a New Zealand woman — but it wasn't alcohol she was glugging.
It was Coca-Cola.
She reportedly drank some 2.2 gallons of the soda every day, AFP notes, a habit that went on for years. Her family called it an "addiction" that resulted in the removal of multiple rotten teeth and the birth of at least one child lacking tooth enamel; her partner said Natasha Harris suffered withdrawal symptoms if she didn't drink the stuff.
The 31-year-old mother of eight died following a cardiac arrhythmia in February 2010, and the coroner called out Coke in his report, which was released in February 2013.
"I find that, when all the available evidence is considered, were it not for the consumption of very large quantities of Coke by Natasha Harris, it is unlikely that she would have died when she died and how she died," the report said.
The examination after her death revealed an enlarged liver with fatty deposits due to too much sugar, a pathologist said. Low potassium in her bloodstream may also have been linked to the soda.
Harris apparently consumed more than two pounds of sugar and 970 mg of caffeine a day; experts say even 500 mg is dangerous.
Coca-Cola said it was "disappointed" about the coroner's emphasis on Coke in Harris' death, though his report did state that the company "cannot be held responsible for the health of consumers who drink unhealthy quantities of the product."
______________________________
Food Better Than Supplements for Cancer Prevention
Most likely, following a Mediterranean-style diet based on fruits, vegetables, fish, nuts, and whole grains helps lower your cancer risk. And the latest research suggests that tweaking this plan to include less bread and pasta and more plant protein like soy could have added benefits. "Research shows that a plant-based diet is ideal, the less processed the better," says Alice Bender, a nutritionist at the American Institute for Cancer Research, a nonprofit research organization in Washington, D.C. "Avoid deep-fried foods and added salt and sugar, the sorts of foods that are dense in calories." A good rule of thumb: Two thirds of your plate should be filled with vegetables and legumes, while just one third should provide animal protein. The type of animal protein matters. Try to minimize your intake of deli meats, hot dogs, and other processed meats—which are pretty strongly associated with colorectal cancer—and limit your consumption of red meat to no more than 18 ounces per week since more also increases cancer risk.
Most likely, following a Mediterranean-style diet based on fruits, vegetables, fish, nuts, and whole grains helps lower your cancer risk. And the latest research suggests that tweaking this plan to include less bread and pasta and more plant protein like soy could have added benefits. "Research shows that a plant-based diet is ideal, the less processed the better," says Alice Bender, a nutritionist at the American Institute for Cancer Research, a nonprofit research organization in Washington, D.C. "Avoid deep-fried foods and added salt and sugar, the sorts of foods that are dense in calories." A good rule of thumb: Two thirds of your plate should be filled with vegetables and legumes, while just one third should provide animal protein. The type of animal protein matters. Try to minimize your intake of deli meats, hot dogs, and other processed meats—which are pretty strongly associated with colorectal cancer—and limit your consumption of red meat to no more than 18 ounces per week since more also increases cancer risk.
How Commerce has spread and still spreads illness worldwide
When Commerce and Illness Intersect
By BRYAN BURROUGH
NYT
Click green for further info
WHEN “Contagion: How Commerce Has Spread Disease” first crossed my desk, I stared at that subtitle and thought, “Oh great, as if international business isn’t doing enough wrong these days, now it’s guilty of spreading disease.” I expected another populist diatribe.
Luckily, “Contagion,” published by Yale University Press, actually offers a fresh historical overview of the interplay between disease and commerce, politics and international diplomacy. The author, Mark Harrison, is a professor of medical history at Oxford University and knows this material inside out. Both his scholarship and his reach are impressive. The book charts how business and government handled, or mishandled, just about every significant outbreak of cross-border disease from the Black Death of the 1300s to more recent scares including SARS, mad cow disease and the Mexican swine flu scare of 2009.
Professor Harrison’s thesis, that the spread of disease is intertwined with the spread of trade, isn’t exactly groundbreaking. I mean, before the advent of tourism, how else other than war would disease spread if not via commerce? Long before anyone knew there was such a thing as a germ, countries suspected that disease, especially plague, traveled along trade routes, especially via shipping. The quarantining of ships for sanitary reasons began as an antiplague measure at Dubrovnik in 1397, and was quickly adopted in Italy.
The association between plague and trade, Professor Harrison shows, reinforced Renaissance-era biases about the rise of mercantilism. It’s a situation somewhat similar, if you think about it, to the way that the spread of AIDS reinforced antigay biases in the 1980s.
The author notes that the Bishop of Rochester, writing in 1375, saw plague as a penalty for the “great falsehood” that was “practiced in measures, charging interest, weights, scales, adulteration, lies and false oaths.” Plague victims in Renaissance literature were sometimes called “merchandise.”
An awful lot — maybe too much — of Professor Harrison’s book concerns the evolution and uses of quarantine. In just about every age and every country, merchants accepted having their goods quarantined as a necessary evil when disease was rampant. But their patience tended to be short-lived otherwise.
The Dutch, who apparently ran tight but very grimy ships, were forever having their ships quarantined, and they were known to respond with what Professor Harrison calls “tit for tat” health measures, quarantining the ships of those who dared quarantine their own. In time, certainly by the 1700s, quarantine had become an instrument of statecraft, an excuse for protectionism and, sometimes, a reason to go to war.
“It was now clear,” Professor Harrison writes, “that the imposition of sanitary measures was likely to be considered an act of aggression.”
In time, of course, the world grew up, and the Europeans had everyone agree on international rules for this sort of thing.
If you’re getting the sense that much of this book is about the role of governments and not corporations in dealing with disease, you are correct. One could make the point, in fact, though the author does so lightly, that business interests have been a positive force in the suppression of disease.
Time and again, from an outbreak of plague in India in the 1700s to the present day, governments have leapt to wipe out such outbreaks in large part because they fear a loss of international investment, Professor Harrison shows.
Given his grasp of the subject, I was eagerly awaiting Professor Harrison’s take on the balancing of commercial and health interests in today’s world. “Contagion,” alas, devotes but a single chapter — “Disease and Globalization” — to such 21st-century scourges as SARS. That is a shame, because the author makes some provocative points, including a portrayal of SARS as a classic media scare, a disease that ultimately infected barely 8,500 people, killing 876.
SARS, which was identified a decade ago, certainly had the potential to ricochet around the world overnight, but it didn’t, and Professor Harrison argues that the resulting damage to global trade, especially Asian tourism, was avoidable. He blames harum-scarum public-health announcements that, in the hands of 21st-century media, turned worst-case scenarios into perceived likelihoods.
The “net effect” of television and Internet coverage on world audiences, he argues, “was probably to engender panic and increase their sense of vulnerability.”
That sense of vulnerability, he says, has enabled governments like China’s, which has intermittently enacted rules against outside beef and poultry, to use the fear of disease as a fig leaf for protectionism.
The upshot, the author argues, is that while the world appears to be taking a more serious look at public health, “anxiety over pandemic preparedness” makes it “easier for national governments to take actions which exceeded international norms and to justify patently protectionist measures as legitimate responses to disease.”
Moreover, Professor Harrison writes that “the tendency of governments to abuse sanitary precautions is perhaps even more evident now than it was in the 1890s.” He adds that “the present system is not only commercially disruptive, but it affords scant protection for our health.”
THIS is so, he says, because quarantine and border security can go only so far to stanch the spread of new diseases. The most likely incubators of future pandemics, he says, are huge factory farms that serve as breeding grounds for mutated animal-to-human microbes — “an evolutionary fast-track,” in other words, for germs. Until these factories are regulated more aggressively or eliminated, he says, traditional measures will be doomed to failure.
Source:
NYT
______________________________________________
When Commerce and Illness Intersect
By BRYAN BURROUGH
NYT
Click green for further info
WHEN “Contagion: How Commerce Has Spread Disease” first crossed my desk, I stared at that subtitle and thought, “Oh great, as if international business isn’t doing enough wrong these days, now it’s guilty of spreading disease.” I expected another populist diatribe.
Luckily, “Contagion,” published by Yale University Press, actually offers a fresh historical overview of the interplay between disease and commerce, politics and international diplomacy. The author, Mark Harrison, is a professor of medical history at Oxford University and knows this material inside out. Both his scholarship and his reach are impressive. The book charts how business and government handled, or mishandled, just about every significant outbreak of cross-border disease from the Black Death of the 1300s to more recent scares including SARS, mad cow disease and the Mexican swine flu scare of 2009.
Professor Harrison’s thesis, that the spread of disease is intertwined with the spread of trade, isn’t exactly groundbreaking. I mean, before the advent of tourism, how else other than war would disease spread if not via commerce? Long before anyone knew there was such a thing as a germ, countries suspected that disease, especially plague, traveled along trade routes, especially via shipping. The quarantining of ships for sanitary reasons began as an antiplague measure at Dubrovnik in 1397, and was quickly adopted in Italy.
The association between plague and trade, Professor Harrison shows, reinforced Renaissance-era biases about the rise of mercantilism. It’s a situation somewhat similar, if you think about it, to the way that the spread of AIDS reinforced antigay biases in the 1980s.
The author notes that the Bishop of Rochester, writing in 1375, saw plague as a penalty for the “great falsehood” that was “practiced in measures, charging interest, weights, scales, adulteration, lies and false oaths.” Plague victims in Renaissance literature were sometimes called “merchandise.”
An awful lot — maybe too much — of Professor Harrison’s book concerns the evolution and uses of quarantine. In just about every age and every country, merchants accepted having their goods quarantined as a necessary evil when disease was rampant. But their patience tended to be short-lived otherwise.
The Dutch, who apparently ran tight but very grimy ships, were forever having their ships quarantined, and they were known to respond with what Professor Harrison calls “tit for tat” health measures, quarantining the ships of those who dared quarantine their own. In time, certainly by the 1700s, quarantine had become an instrument of statecraft, an excuse for protectionism and, sometimes, a reason to go to war.
“It was now clear,” Professor Harrison writes, “that the imposition of sanitary measures was likely to be considered an act of aggression.”
In time, of course, the world grew up, and the Europeans had everyone agree on international rules for this sort of thing.
If you’re getting the sense that much of this book is about the role of governments and not corporations in dealing with disease, you are correct. One could make the point, in fact, though the author does so lightly, that business interests have been a positive force in the suppression of disease.
Time and again, from an outbreak of plague in India in the 1700s to the present day, governments have leapt to wipe out such outbreaks in large part because they fear a loss of international investment, Professor Harrison shows.
Given his grasp of the subject, I was eagerly awaiting Professor Harrison’s take on the balancing of commercial and health interests in today’s world. “Contagion,” alas, devotes but a single chapter — “Disease and Globalization” — to such 21st-century scourges as SARS. That is a shame, because the author makes some provocative points, including a portrayal of SARS as a classic media scare, a disease that ultimately infected barely 8,500 people, killing 876.
SARS, which was identified a decade ago, certainly had the potential to ricochet around the world overnight, but it didn’t, and Professor Harrison argues that the resulting damage to global trade, especially Asian tourism, was avoidable. He blames harum-scarum public-health announcements that, in the hands of 21st-century media, turned worst-case scenarios into perceived likelihoods.
The “net effect” of television and Internet coverage on world audiences, he argues, “was probably to engender panic and increase their sense of vulnerability.”
That sense of vulnerability, he says, has enabled governments like China’s, which has intermittently enacted rules against outside beef and poultry, to use the fear of disease as a fig leaf for protectionism.
The upshot, the author argues, is that while the world appears to be taking a more serious look at public health, “anxiety over pandemic preparedness” makes it “easier for national governments to take actions which exceeded international norms and to justify patently protectionist measures as legitimate responses to disease.”
Moreover, Professor Harrison writes that “the tendency of governments to abuse sanitary precautions is perhaps even more evident now than it was in the 1890s.” He adds that “the present system is not only commercially disruptive, but it affords scant protection for our health.”
THIS is so, he says, because quarantine and border security can go only so far to stanch the spread of new diseases. The most likely incubators of future pandemics, he says, are huge factory farms that serve as breeding grounds for mutated animal-to-human microbes — “an evolutionary fast-track,” in other words, for germs. Until these factories are regulated more aggressively or eliminated, he says, traditional measures will be doomed to failure.
Source:
NYT
______________________________________________
Important information
20K ER Visits Linked to Energy Drinks
Click green for further info
A new government study is calling popular energy drinks "a rising public health problem" that is sending more and more people to the emergency rooms.
The study, from a survey of U.S. hospitals by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, said that the number of emergency-room visits linked to energy drinks had doubled in four years - from 10,000 in 2007 to 20,000 in 2011.
And of those 20,000 ER visits in 2011, 42 percent had mixed the energy drink with another stimulant such as Adderal or Ritalin or with alcohol. Fifty-eight percent had consumed just the drink.
Dr. Allen Taylor, chief of the cardiology division at Georgetown University Hospital, explained what could happen to some people when they consume an energy drink.
"Blood pressure goes up. Heart rate goes up and then they'll start to feel the effects," Taylor said. "Heart racing, heart skipping, panic-attack symptoms. Irregular heart symptoms and worse."
Taylor said that energy drinks also contained other substances that are "completely unregulated" and can add to the stimulant nature of the drink.
The American Beverage Association, the industry trade association, told that the drinks were safe and denounced the hospital study, saying the limited information makes it "impossible to understand the actual role - if any - of energy drinks in these hospital visits."
The group also pointed out that "mainstream energy drinks contain about half the caffeine of a similar size cup of coffeehouse coffee."
The Food and Drug Administration is looking at this new study.
"We will examine this information to determine whether it can be used to assess whether energy-drink products can be legitimately linked to the types of adverse events reported in the … data," an FDA spokesman said.
Click green for further info
Source: U.S. gov. study
_________________________________________________
The articles above & below this article link to the same topic
Study all three well and apply the information
Quotation "Knowledge is no power - only applied knowledge is power"
(Dr. Christian, STAF, Inc.)
_______________________________
20K ER Visits Linked to Energy Drinks
Click green for further info
A new government study is calling popular energy drinks "a rising public health problem" that is sending more and more people to the emergency rooms.
The study, from a survey of U.S. hospitals by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, said that the number of emergency-room visits linked to energy drinks had doubled in four years - from 10,000 in 2007 to 20,000 in 2011.
And of those 20,000 ER visits in 2011, 42 percent had mixed the energy drink with another stimulant such as Adderal or Ritalin or with alcohol. Fifty-eight percent had consumed just the drink.
Dr. Allen Taylor, chief of the cardiology division at Georgetown University Hospital, explained what could happen to some people when they consume an energy drink.
"Blood pressure goes up. Heart rate goes up and then they'll start to feel the effects," Taylor said. "Heart racing, heart skipping, panic-attack symptoms. Irregular heart symptoms and worse."
Taylor said that energy drinks also contained other substances that are "completely unregulated" and can add to the stimulant nature of the drink.
The American Beverage Association, the industry trade association, told that the drinks were safe and denounced the hospital study, saying the limited information makes it "impossible to understand the actual role - if any - of energy drinks in these hospital visits."
The group also pointed out that "mainstream energy drinks contain about half the caffeine of a similar size cup of coffeehouse coffee."
The Food and Drug Administration is looking at this new study.
"We will examine this information to determine whether it can be used to assess whether energy-drink products can be legitimately linked to the types of adverse events reported in the … data," an FDA spokesman said.
Click green for further info
Source: U.S. gov. study
_________________________________________________
The articles above & below this article link to the same topic
Study all three well and apply the information
Quotation "Knowledge is no power - only applied knowledge is power"
(Dr. Christian, STAF, Inc.)
_______________________________
Negative, sometimes life-threatening side effects of Red Bull energy drink
& other energy drinks
Red Bull and other energy drinks are fortified beverages that can be used to supplement energy and concentration.
They contains several invigorating ingredients, each of which has a slight nuance in function. While often beneficial, when taken in excess, some ingredients can cause undesirable side effects.
Potential Effects on The Body
The facts below relate to all energy drinks, even though, below, the Red Bull product name is repeated.
BRAIN
(1) Effect after 10-20 minutes: increased energy levels alertness, dopamine (= "feel-good" brain chemical).
Sugar flows through blood stream, liver converts excess sugar into fat
(2) Effect after one hours: hypoglycemia (= low blood sugar level), leads to hunger, dizziness, tiredness, severe fatigue from withdrawal.
Heart
Irregular heart rhythms (arrhythmia), heart palpitations (tachycardia), high blood pressure (HBP)
Weight Gain
& other energy drinks
Red Bull and other energy drinks are fortified beverages that can be used to supplement energy and concentration.
They contains several invigorating ingredients, each of which has a slight nuance in function. While often beneficial, when taken in excess, some ingredients can cause undesirable side effects.
Potential Effects on The Body
The facts below relate to all energy drinks, even though, below, the Red Bull product name is repeated.
BRAIN
(1) Effect after 10-20 minutes: increased energy levels alertness, dopamine (= "feel-good" brain chemical).
Sugar flows through blood stream, liver converts excess sugar into fat
(2) Effect after one hours: hypoglycemia (= low blood sugar level), leads to hunger, dizziness, tiredness, severe fatigue from withdrawal.
Heart
Irregular heart rhythms (arrhythmia), heart palpitations (tachycardia), high blood pressure (HBP)
Weight Gain
- Because of the amount of sugar contained in a can of Red Bull, weight gain can be an unhealthy side effect of Red Bull consumption. According to DietFacts.com, one 8.3 ounce can of Red Bull has 27 grams of sugar. The Mayo Clinic says that sugar intake has a direct correlation with weight gain, especially for individuals who do not exercise frequently or people who struggle to maintain a healthy weight. Weight gain can result in a number of health-related problems, including heart complications and lethargy (= lack of energy). Excessive sugar intake can also contribute to the development of diabetes and a reduction in the function of the immune system.
- Anxiety
- One of the energy-boosting ingredients in Red Bull is caffeine. An 8.3 ounce can of Red Bull contains 80 mg of caffeine. According to an article by Woojae Kim of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology entitled "Debunking the Effects of Taurine (= Amino acid found in bull bile and breast milk) in Red Bull Energy Drink," the caffeine in energy drinks is the greatest contributor to the energy-producing effect, not the taurine or grucuronolactone (= Vietnam War-era chemical reportedly linked to brain tumor-related deaths), as the manufacturer proposes. Excessive caffeine consumption can produce anxiety, nervousness, restlessness and insomnia.
- The caffeine (= Red Bull's so-called "wings") in Red Bull can also cause increased blood pressure. This can be dangerous for individuals who intend to engage in intense physical exertion or have had previous heart problems or complications. High blood pressure can also trigger irregular heart rhythms, which could be detrimental to the heart and potentially fatal to the individual.
Consumption of energy drinks has also been associated with an increased risk of heart attacks and cardiac failure. Roger A. Clemens of the University of Southern California's School of Pharmacy says that mixing alcohol with energy drinks, such as Red Bull, can cause cardiovascular risk, shortness of breath, and rapid heartbeat. - Dehydration
- Dehydration is always a concern for athletes. However, individuals who consume caffeine, like that in Red Bull, may have an increased risk of dehydration. Excess caffeine intake has been shown to result in headaches and nausea, all symptoms of dehydration. Redbull.com warns that Red Bull "has not been formulated to deliver re-hydration" and recommends athletes drink plenty of water during exercise.
- Withdrawal Symptoms
- HAND: Limb tremor and jitteriness - SKIN: Itchiness, hives, rash - BONES: Increased urination means increased excretion of calcium and other nutrients. As a results, "bone robbers" lower body's calcium levels and decrease bone levels. _______________________________________________________________________________
Diet Soda Bigger Diabetes Threat Than Sugary Stuff
SCIENTISTS FIND HEIGHTENED RISK
Click green for further info
Drink water - no soda, no sugary soda, no diet soda - otherwise you risk your health and life.
See above info for water drinking - how & when
Sugar-packed soda has been linked to a boosted diabetes risk—but it turns out the diet version may pose an even bigger threat. Researchers tracked 66,000 French women over 14 years; the volunteers were middle-aged or older when the study began. People who drank 12 ounces of either kind of soda per week had a one-third higher risk of diabetes compared to those who drank 100% fruit juice; those who drank 20 ounces a week saw a doubled risk, the AFP reports.
(AFP = French news agency)
But here's the kicker: Those who drank 16.9 ounces of diet soda per week had a 15% higher risk of diabetes than regular-soda drinkers, while those who downed 50 ounces of diet soda per week had a 59% higher diabetes risk. Diet soda drinkers generally drank more soda overall than regular soda fans, which may boost the danger, the Daily Mail notes. More research is needed, however, to be certain of a link, say researchers, who made note of a previous study that showed aspartame affects insulin levels much like sucrose does. The news comes on the heels of word that diet soda may cause depression—and, along similar lines, that margarine may be worse for you than butter.
Click green for further info
______________________________
The 11 Scariest Things in Your Food
Seriously: see below
Will you still eat or drink these well-known products?
I always tell my children and to my clients they can make a difference in the world, no matter what their age.
My latest example of a kid heroics: 15-year-old Sarah Kavanagh from Hattiesburg, Mississippi, who gathered more than 200,000 signatures in her online petition asking Gatorade to remove a controversial flame-retardant chemical. Last week, Gatorade announced that they would be removing the ingredient, brominated vegetable oil (BVO), within the next couple of months. That's great news— one less poison for the public.
While Gatorade spokeswoman Molly Carter said the decision wasn’t in response to Sarah’s petition, the teen is claiming victory. Either way, we all win. (Comment: of course it was in response to Sarah's petition!)
Truth is, chemicals that are used as weed killer, flame retardant, and sunscreen are startlingly common in your supermarket food. But you won’t find “carcinogens,” “paint chemicals,” or “beaver anal gland juice” on the back panel. They’ll be hidden under names like “Butylated HydroxyAnisole” or “natural flavoring.” Break through the science experiment to find out what you’re really eating.
Here are the 11 scariest ingredients in your food:
Acesulfame Potassium (Acesulfame-K)
WHAT IT IS: A calorie-free artificial sweetener 200 times sweeter than sugar. It is often used with other artificial sweeteners to mask a bitter aftertaste.
FOUND IN: More than 5,000 food products worldwide, including diet soft drinks and no-sugar-added ice cream. Click here to discover The Strange Reason Diet Soda Makes You Fat.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: Although the FDA has approved it for use in most foods, many health and industry insiders claim that the decision was based on flawed tests. Animal studies have linked the chemical to lung and breast tumors and thyroid problems.
Aspartame
WHAT IT IS: A near-zero-calorie artificial sweetener made by combining two amino acids with methanol. Most commonly used in diet soda, aspartame is 180 times sweeter than sugar.
FOUND IN: More than 6,000 grocery items including diet sodas, yogurts, and the table-top sweeteners NutraSweet and Equal. (Did you know that most flavored yogurt is a step above ice cream? Find out the 25 New Healthy Foods That Aren’t.)
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: Over the past 30 years, the FDA has received thousands of consumer complaints due mostly to neurological symptoms such as headaches, dizziness, memory loss, and, in rare cases, epileptic seizures. Many studies have shown aspartame to be completely harmless, while others indicate that the additive might be responsible for a range of cancers.
STRANGE BUT TRUE: If beating asthma with sweet potatoes sounds too good to be true, wait till you read these 14 crazy-sounding (but completely true) health tips!
Titanium Dioxide
WHAT IT IS: A component of the metallic element titanium commonly used in paints and sunscreens. The food industry adds it to hundreds of products to make overly processed items appear whiter.
FOUND IN: Processed salad dressing, coffee creamers, and icing.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: Titanium is a mined substance that's sometimes contaminated with toxic lead. Plus, most white dressings (like creamy ranch) aren’t great for you anyway. Both your health and your waistline will fare better if you go with an olive oil- or vinegar-based salad topper instead.
Glyphosphate
WHAT IT IS: The active ingredient in the popular week killer Roundup. It’s used on corn and soy crops genetically engineered to withstand a heavy dousing of the chemical.
FOUND IN: Most nonorganic packaged foods containing corn- and soy-derived ingredients. Because it’s a systemic herbicide, it’s taken up by the plant—meaning you eat it.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: Glyphosphate exposure is linked to obesity, learning disabilities, and infertility.
BONUS TIP: For simple steps to live a longer and healthier life, check out Dr. Oz's 25 Greatest Health Tips Ever.
Butylated HydroxyAnisole (BHA)
WHAT IT IS: A petroleum-derived antioxidant used to preserve fats and oils.
FOUND IN: Beer, crackers, cereals, butter, and foods with added fats.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: Studies have shown BHA to cause cancer in the forestomachs of rats, mice, and hamsters. The Department of Health and Human Services classifies the preservative as "reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen."
Interesterified Fat
WHAT IT IS: A semi-soft fat created by chemically blending fully hydrogenated and non-hydrogenated oils. It was developed in response to the public demand for an alternative to trans fats.
FOUND IN: Pastries, pies, margarine, frozen dinners, and canned soups.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: Testing on these fats has not been extensive, but the early evidence doesn't look promising. A study by Malaysian researchers showed a 4-week diet of 12 percent interesterified fats increased the ratio of LDL to HDL cholesterol. Furthermore, this study showed an increase in blood glucose levels and a decrease in insulin response.
Red #3 (Erythrosine) and Red #40 (Allura Red)
WHAT THEY ARE: Food dyes that are orange-red and cherry red, respectively. Red #40 is the most widely used food dye in America.
FOUND IN: Fruit cocktail, candy, chocolate cake, cereal, beverages, pastries, maraschino cherries, and fruit snacks. (Confused by now about what you can eat? We scoured the supermarket for the125 Best Packaged Foods in America.)
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: The FDA has proposed a ban on Red #3 in the past, but so far the agency has been unsuccessful in implementing it. After the dye was inextricably linked to thyroid tumors in rat studies, the FDA managed to have the liquid form of the dye removed from external drugs and cosmetics.
Yellow #5 (Tartrazine) and Yellow #6 (Sunset Yellow)
WHAT THEY ARE: The second and third most common food colorings, respectively.
FOUND IN: Cereal, pudding, bread mix, beverages, chips, cookies, and condiments.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: Several studies have linked both dyes to learning and concentration disorders in children, and there are piles of animal studies demonstrating potential risks such as kidney and intestinal tumors. One study found that mice fed high doses of sunset yellow had trouble swimming straight and righting themselves in water. The FDA does not view these as serious risks to humans.
Castoreum
WHAT IT IS: Beaver anal gland juice. Really. Beavers combine it with their urine to mark their territory.
FOUND IN: Vanilla or raspberry flavoring in processed foods, labeled only as “natural flavoring.”
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: It’s beaver anal gland juice.
_______________________________________________________________________________
You won't believe what else
you've been putting in your body
Click here to find out the 14 Foods You Should Never Eat.
See which products food experts won't touch.
Disgusted By Food? What's the one food you refuse to eat? Peas, tofu, liver and onions? Whatever it is, it's probably because you don't like the way it tastes, not necessarily because it contains ingredients suspected of causing cancer or because it was picked by farmers wearing Hazmat suits. Yet, there are still a lot of those foods on store shelves, and food-industry insiders, who know what goes on behind the scenes, refuse to eat them. We polled some of those insiders—people who know the business and work daily to evict pesticides, genetically modified organisms, animal cruelty, social injustice, and unhealthy foods from the food supply—to find out what they know about the dark side of "convenience" foods and what they will eat. Take note so you, too, can avoid the worst of what grocery stores have to offer.
Swordfish
Philip Landrigan, MD, professor of pediatrics and professor and chair of preventive medicine at Mount Sinai School of Medicine
The Problem: One of Dr. Landrigan's No. 1 warnings to women pregnant or looking to become pregnant? "Make avoiding mercury in fish a priority," he says. Swordfish is notoriously high in the heavy metal, a potent neurotoxin that can damage developing children and even trigger heart attacks in adults. Aside from obvious health concerns, swordfish is often overfished and some of the gear commonly used to wrangle in swordfish often kills turtles, seabirds, and sharks.
The Solution: For a healthy omega-3 brain boost, look for fish that are low in contaminants and have stable populations, such as wild-caught Alaskan salmon, Atlantic mackerel, or pole- or troll-caught Pacific albacore tuna. Got a more adventurous palate? Try snakehead fish to satisfy your fish craving and improve the environment. The invasive species lives on land and water, where it wipes out important frogs, birds, and other critters. Snakehead fish is popping up on some restaurant menus, and the taste and texture is about identical to swordfish.
Nonorganic Strawberries
Robert Kenner, director of Food Inc. and founder of FixFood.org
The Problem: While filming Food Inc., Kenner says he wanted to film strawberry farmers applying pesticides to their fields. "The workers wear these suits to protect themselves from the dozens and dozens of known dangerous pesticides applied to strawberries," he says. "When I saw this, I thought to myself, if this is how berries are grown, I don't really want to eat them anymore. I haven't been able to eat a nonorganic strawberry ever since." Unfortunately, for the food-concerned public, he wasn't able to get the shot of these farmers. "I guess they didn't think it looked too appetizing."
The Solution: Opt for organic! The Environmental Working Group, which analyzes U.S. Department of Agriculture pesticide-residue data, has found 13 different pesticide residues on chemically grown strawberries.
Diet Soda
Isaac Eliaz, MD, integrative health expert and founder of The Amitabha Medical Clinic and Healing Center in Sebastopol, CA
The Problem: Dr. Eliaz stays away from any diet soda or foods, sugar-free candies, and gum containing artificial sweeteners such as sucralose, aspartame, acesulfame K, and neotame, among others. "The safety data on these sweeteners is shrouded in controversy and conflicts of interest with the manufacturers of these chemical compounds," Dr. Eliaz warns. "Independent research strongly suggests that when metabolized in the body, these sweeteners can cause health-related issues and problems related to metabolism and weight gain, neurological diseases, joint pain, digestive problems, headaches, depression, inflammatory bowel disease, chemical toxicity, and cancer, among others."
The Solution: If you're craving a soda but want to avoid the shady sweeteners, fake food dyes, and preservatives found in popular brands, try a bottle of Steaz zero-calorie green tea soda or Bionade, a fermented soda that's majorly popular in Europe.
Anything from McDonald's
Joel Salatin, sustainable farmer and author of This Ain't Normal, Folks
The Problem: McDonald's isn't just about food-it's about food mentality, according to Salatin. "It represents the pinnacle of factory-farming and industrial food," he says. "The economic model is utterly dependent on stockholders looking for dividends without regards to farm profitability or soil development."
Fast food typically is loaded with all sorts of the ingredients mentioned earlier in our list-genetically engineered corn, food dyes, artificial sweeteners, and other bad actors in the food supply. The type of farming that supports this type of food business relies on harmful chemicals that not only threaten human health, but also soil health.
The Solution: Learn to cook! You might be surprised to find that paying extra up front for a pasture-raised chicken can be cheaper than buying prepared fast-food chicken. For instance, cooking a chicken and then boiling down the bones for a rich, disease-fighting stock can yield up to three meals for a family! (Here's how to make homemade stock.) Find sustainable farmers at LocalHarvest.org.
Read More: 11 Happiness-Promoting Foods
Canned Fruit or Vegetables
when the can's resin lining contains bisphenol-A = BPA
Frederick vom Saal, PhD, professor of biological sciences at the University of Missouri
The Problem: The resin linings of tin cans contain bisphenol-A, or BPA, a synthetic estrogen that has been linked to ailments ranging from reproductive problems to heart disease, diabetes, and obesity. Studies show that the BPA in most people's bodies exceeds the amount that suppresses sperm production or causes chromosomal damage to the eggs of animals. "You can get 50 micrograms of BPA per liter out of a tomato can, and that's a level that is going to impact people, particularly the young," says vom Saal. "I won't go near canned tomatoes."
The Solution: Choose tomatoes in glass bottles (which do not need resin linings), such as the brands Eden Organic and Bionaturae. You can also get several types in Tetra Pak boxes, such as Trader Joe's and Pomi.
Read More: The Truth about Canned Soup
Bread Made of Genetically Manipulated Wheat
William Davis, MD, cardiologist and author of the New York Times best-seller Wheat Belly
The Problem: Modern wheat is nothing like the grain your mother or grandmother consumed. Today, wheat barely resembles its original form, thanks to extensive genetic manipulations of the 1960s and '70s to increase yields. "You cannot change the basic characteristics of a plant without changing its genetics, biochemistry, and its effects on humans who consume it," Dr. Davis notes.
In his book, Dr. Davis makes the case that modern-day wheat is triggering all sorts of health problems, everything from digestive diseases like celiac and inflammatory bowel disease to acid reflux, obesity, asthma, and skin disorders. "If there is a food that yields extravagant, extraordinary, and unexpected benefits when avoided, it is bread," says Dr. Davis. "And I don't mean white bread; I mean all bread: white, whole wheat, whole grain, sprouted, organic, French, Italian, fresh, day-old…all of it."
The Solution: Try eliminating bread from your diet for a few weeks to see if you note health improvements. When you do choose grains, look to things like quinoa, buckwheat, millet, and wild rice, but in smaller quantities (less than a half cup) because these can also trigger high blood sugar, Dr. Davis says.
Read More: The Dark Side of Healthy Wheat
Industrially Produced Hamburgers
Michael Pollan, author of numerous books and articles on the food system including The Omnivore’s Dilemma, In Defense of Food and Food Rules
The Problem: Cattle raised in filthy conditions, pumped full of growth hormones and fed diets composed mostly of genetically modified corn are three major reasons humane, grass-fed ground beef is a better alternative for your burger. But they aren't the only ones, says Pollan. While a steak or roast usually comes from a single animal, processors of ground beef combine meat from hundreds of animals. "This vastly increases the risk of contamination," he says. USDA scientists have found dangerous levels of disease-causing bacteria in over 50 percent of ground beef samples they've tested.
The Solution: "I love hamburgers, but only eat them when they're grass-fed and ground by a butcher," Pollan says.
Read More: Guide to Buying Grass-Fed Beef
Genetically Modified Corn
Maryam Henein and George Langworthy, directors of the documentary Vanishing of the Bees
The Problem: Today's corn plants are more like little pesticide factories with roots. Most of the nation's corn supply is genetically engineered to either produce its own pesticide supply within the plant or withstand heavy sprayings of chemicals, which wind up inside of the food. That's problematic not just for bees, but for people, too. "I avoid corn because most is genetically modified, and on top of that, most of the seeds are treated with systemic pesticides that are killing our bees," says Henein. "And let's not be fooled—the sublethal effects of these pesticides also slowly impair our health."
The Solution: In one way or another, corn is present in the vast majority of processed foods. From ketchup to salad dressing, and even bread, it's hard to escape corn ingredients. One to look out for? "I always try to avoid foods containing high-fructose corn syrup," says Langworthy. "Not only is it unhealthy, but the pesticides used in the production of the corn is detrimental to honeybees and other pollinators."
To avoid genetically engineered corn, which has never been tested for long-term impacts on human health, choose organic or Non-GMO Verified foods.
Read More: Bee-Killing Chemical Detected in Your Food
White Chocolate
Drew Ramsey, MD, assistant clinical professor of Psychiatry at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons and coauthor of The Happiness Diet
The Problem: The right kind of chocolate serves not only as a sweet treat but a brain-boosting superfood, too. The problem is, white chocolate's health profile is blank. "The data on the health benefits of cacao is pretty awesome," says Dr. Ramsey. "Much of this is due to a set of amazing phytonutrients that can increase blood flow to the brain, protect blood vessels, and boost mood and focus. White chocolate is missing all this goodness."
The Solution: Indulging in a chocolate treat? Enjoy Dark chocolate with 70 % or more with cacao.
Look for organic versions from companies like Theo and NibMor.
Read More: The Best Organic Chocolates
Artificial Sweeteners
Maria Rodale, CEO of Rodale Inc. and author ofOrganic Manifesto
The Problem: Ironically, there's a lot of evidence that suggest using artificial sweeteners, which have zero calories, is just as bad for your waistline as using regular, high-calorie sugar. For instance, research from the University of Texas has found that mice fed the artificial sweetener aspartame had higher blood sugar levels (which can cause you to overeat) than mice on an aspartame-free diet. Not only are they bad for your health, scientists have detected artificial sweeteners in treated wastewater, posing unknown risks to fish and other marine life. Plus, as Rodale says, "They're unnatural, nonorganic, taste horrible, and lead to all sorts of bad health consequences, false expectations, and short-term strategic thinking."
The Solution: Refined white sugar isn't any healthier, but you can replace it with small amounts of nutritional sweeteners, including honey, blackstrap molasses, and maple syrup, all of which have high levels of vitamins and minerals.
Read More: The 5 Best, and 5 Worst, Sweeteners to Have in Your Kitchen
Sprouts except if you get them fresh from the garden and wash properly
Doug Powell, PhD, professor of food safety at Kansas State University and author of the BarfBlog food-safety website
The Problem: Sprouts have been the source of so many major food recalls that they're not worth the risk, Powell says. Whether bean or broccoli, alfalfa or pea, sprouts have been at the center of at least 40 significant outbreaks of foodborne illness over the past 20 years. Supermarket sprouts a're often found to be contaminated with salmonella, E. coli, and listeria; they're vulnerable to contamination because the seeds require moist, warm conditions in order to sprout—conditions that are ideal for bacteria to multiply.
The Solution: Get the crunch of sprouts—without the added bacteria—by shredding cabbage or carrots onto your sandwiches. If you really enjoy the flavor of sprouts, cook them first.
Read More: The 10 Dirtiest Foods You're Eating
Commercial & Movietheater Butter-Flavored Microwave Popcorn
Alexandra Scranton, director of science and research at Women's Voices for the Earth, a nonprofit that advocates for environmental health issues that directly affect women
The Problem: Diacetyl, a chemical used in butter flavoring, is used in a lot of fake butter flavorings, despite the fact that the chemical is so harmful to factory workers that it's known to cause an occupational disease called "popcorn lung," Scranton says. After news of the chemical got out to the popcorn-eating public, companies started replacing diacetyl with another additive—which can actually turn into diacetyl under certain conditions, she adds. Neither chemical is disclosed on microwave-popcorn bags because the exact formulations of flavorings are considered trade secrets. "It's a classic example of the need for better chemical regulation and improved transparency on the chemicals used in our food and other household products," she says.
The Solution: Make your own popcorn using real butter. Pop it on the stovetop in a pot, or go an easier route: Put a small handful of kernels into a brown paper lunch bag and stick the bag in the microwave. The kernels will pop just like those fake-butter-flavored kernels in standard microwave popcorn bags. When they're done, pour some melted organic butter over them. "Makes pretty good popcorn at a fraction of the cost!" Scranton says.
Read More: The Top 10 Toxic Rip-offs
Food Dyes
Michael F. Jacobson, PhD, executive director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest
The Problem: Health advocates have tried for years to get the Food and Drug Administration to ban food dyes, based on small studies linking them to hyperactivity in children and cancer in animals, and that's one reason Jacobson avoids them. Red 3 has caused cancer in lab rats, and Yellow 5 and Yellow 6 may contain cancer-causing contaminants. But mainly, he says, he avoids them on principle. "I just don't like eating synthetic chemicals and the oftentimes synthetic foods in which they're used." His group criticizes companies that use food dyes to make foods appear healthier than they are and to replace truly healthy ingredients—in a recent report on the nutritional quality of fruit juices, the center noted that Tropicana Twister Cherry Berry Blast contains no berry and cherry juice but lots of the artificial dye, Red 40.
The Solution: Read labels anytime you're buying a prepackaged food. Food dyes can crop up in some really unexpected places, even healthy foods like cheese and yogurt.
Read More: What Food Companies Are Hiding with Food Dye
Chain-Restaurant Ice Cream Sundaes
Dave Zinczenko, editor-in-chief of Men's Healthmagazine and author of the Eat This, Not That series
The Problem: "No matter where you go, the ice cream sundaes made in most chain restaurants have a couple things in common—namely, supersized portions and an ingredient list a mile long," he says. " All you really need for ice cream is milk, sugar, and maybe a little vanilla, but somehow these places are loading it up with corn syrup, cellulose gum, and vegetable shortening." In addition to being unhealthy, those additives are usually derived from genetically modified corn and soy.
The Solution: Go local, says Zinczenko. Small-batch ice cream from local stores is less likely to be some industry Franken-food creation. Or, for totally homemade sundaes, you could try making your own ice cream. "A killer caramel sauce can be made with just sugar, butter, and heat, and you'll never have to wonder what kind of chemicals you're loading up on," he says. "Plus, you'll control your portion size, which means you can indulge in moderation without widening your waistline."
______________________________________________
Seriously: see below
Will you still eat or drink these well-known products?
I always tell my children and to my clients they can make a difference in the world, no matter what their age.
My latest example of a kid heroics: 15-year-old Sarah Kavanagh from Hattiesburg, Mississippi, who gathered more than 200,000 signatures in her online petition asking Gatorade to remove a controversial flame-retardant chemical. Last week, Gatorade announced that they would be removing the ingredient, brominated vegetable oil (BVO), within the next couple of months. That's great news— one less poison for the public.
While Gatorade spokeswoman Molly Carter said the decision wasn’t in response to Sarah’s petition, the teen is claiming victory. Either way, we all win. (Comment: of course it was in response to Sarah's petition!)
Truth is, chemicals that are used as weed killer, flame retardant, and sunscreen are startlingly common in your supermarket food. But you won’t find “carcinogens,” “paint chemicals,” or “beaver anal gland juice” on the back panel. They’ll be hidden under names like “Butylated HydroxyAnisole” or “natural flavoring.” Break through the science experiment to find out what you’re really eating.
Here are the 11 scariest ingredients in your food:
Acesulfame Potassium (Acesulfame-K)
WHAT IT IS: A calorie-free artificial sweetener 200 times sweeter than sugar. It is often used with other artificial sweeteners to mask a bitter aftertaste.
FOUND IN: More than 5,000 food products worldwide, including diet soft drinks and no-sugar-added ice cream. Click here to discover The Strange Reason Diet Soda Makes You Fat.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: Although the FDA has approved it for use in most foods, many health and industry insiders claim that the decision was based on flawed tests. Animal studies have linked the chemical to lung and breast tumors and thyroid problems.
Aspartame
WHAT IT IS: A near-zero-calorie artificial sweetener made by combining two amino acids with methanol. Most commonly used in diet soda, aspartame is 180 times sweeter than sugar.
FOUND IN: More than 6,000 grocery items including diet sodas, yogurts, and the table-top sweeteners NutraSweet and Equal. (Did you know that most flavored yogurt is a step above ice cream? Find out the 25 New Healthy Foods That Aren’t.)
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: Over the past 30 years, the FDA has received thousands of consumer complaints due mostly to neurological symptoms such as headaches, dizziness, memory loss, and, in rare cases, epileptic seizures. Many studies have shown aspartame to be completely harmless, while others indicate that the additive might be responsible for a range of cancers.
STRANGE BUT TRUE: If beating asthma with sweet potatoes sounds too good to be true, wait till you read these 14 crazy-sounding (but completely true) health tips!
Titanium Dioxide
WHAT IT IS: A component of the metallic element titanium commonly used in paints and sunscreens. The food industry adds it to hundreds of products to make overly processed items appear whiter.
FOUND IN: Processed salad dressing, coffee creamers, and icing.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: Titanium is a mined substance that's sometimes contaminated with toxic lead. Plus, most white dressings (like creamy ranch) aren’t great for you anyway. Both your health and your waistline will fare better if you go with an olive oil- or vinegar-based salad topper instead.
Glyphosphate
WHAT IT IS: The active ingredient in the popular week killer Roundup. It’s used on corn and soy crops genetically engineered to withstand a heavy dousing of the chemical.
FOUND IN: Most nonorganic packaged foods containing corn- and soy-derived ingredients. Because it’s a systemic herbicide, it’s taken up by the plant—meaning you eat it.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: Glyphosphate exposure is linked to obesity, learning disabilities, and infertility.
BONUS TIP: For simple steps to live a longer and healthier life, check out Dr. Oz's 25 Greatest Health Tips Ever.
Butylated HydroxyAnisole (BHA)
WHAT IT IS: A petroleum-derived antioxidant used to preserve fats and oils.
FOUND IN: Beer, crackers, cereals, butter, and foods with added fats.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: Studies have shown BHA to cause cancer in the forestomachs of rats, mice, and hamsters. The Department of Health and Human Services classifies the preservative as "reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen."
Interesterified Fat
WHAT IT IS: A semi-soft fat created by chemically blending fully hydrogenated and non-hydrogenated oils. It was developed in response to the public demand for an alternative to trans fats.
FOUND IN: Pastries, pies, margarine, frozen dinners, and canned soups.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: Testing on these fats has not been extensive, but the early evidence doesn't look promising. A study by Malaysian researchers showed a 4-week diet of 12 percent interesterified fats increased the ratio of LDL to HDL cholesterol. Furthermore, this study showed an increase in blood glucose levels and a decrease in insulin response.
Red #3 (Erythrosine) and Red #40 (Allura Red)
WHAT THEY ARE: Food dyes that are orange-red and cherry red, respectively. Red #40 is the most widely used food dye in America.
FOUND IN: Fruit cocktail, candy, chocolate cake, cereal, beverages, pastries, maraschino cherries, and fruit snacks. (Confused by now about what you can eat? We scoured the supermarket for the125 Best Packaged Foods in America.)
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: The FDA has proposed a ban on Red #3 in the past, but so far the agency has been unsuccessful in implementing it. After the dye was inextricably linked to thyroid tumors in rat studies, the FDA managed to have the liquid form of the dye removed from external drugs and cosmetics.
Yellow #5 (Tartrazine) and Yellow #6 (Sunset Yellow)
WHAT THEY ARE: The second and third most common food colorings, respectively.
FOUND IN: Cereal, pudding, bread mix, beverages, chips, cookies, and condiments.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: Several studies have linked both dyes to learning and concentration disorders in children, and there are piles of animal studies demonstrating potential risks such as kidney and intestinal tumors. One study found that mice fed high doses of sunset yellow had trouble swimming straight and righting themselves in water. The FDA does not view these as serious risks to humans.
Castoreum
WHAT IT IS: Beaver anal gland juice. Really. Beavers combine it with their urine to mark their territory.
FOUND IN: Vanilla or raspberry flavoring in processed foods, labeled only as “natural flavoring.”
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: It’s beaver anal gland juice.
_______________________________________________________________________________
You won't believe what else
you've been putting in your body
Click here to find out the 14 Foods You Should Never Eat.
See which products food experts won't touch.
Disgusted By Food? What's the one food you refuse to eat? Peas, tofu, liver and onions? Whatever it is, it's probably because you don't like the way it tastes, not necessarily because it contains ingredients suspected of causing cancer or because it was picked by farmers wearing Hazmat suits. Yet, there are still a lot of those foods on store shelves, and food-industry insiders, who know what goes on behind the scenes, refuse to eat them. We polled some of those insiders—people who know the business and work daily to evict pesticides, genetically modified organisms, animal cruelty, social injustice, and unhealthy foods from the food supply—to find out what they know about the dark side of "convenience" foods and what they will eat. Take note so you, too, can avoid the worst of what grocery stores have to offer.
Swordfish
Philip Landrigan, MD, professor of pediatrics and professor and chair of preventive medicine at Mount Sinai School of Medicine
The Problem: One of Dr. Landrigan's No. 1 warnings to women pregnant or looking to become pregnant? "Make avoiding mercury in fish a priority," he says. Swordfish is notoriously high in the heavy metal, a potent neurotoxin that can damage developing children and even trigger heart attacks in adults. Aside from obvious health concerns, swordfish is often overfished and some of the gear commonly used to wrangle in swordfish often kills turtles, seabirds, and sharks.
The Solution: For a healthy omega-3 brain boost, look for fish that are low in contaminants and have stable populations, such as wild-caught Alaskan salmon, Atlantic mackerel, or pole- or troll-caught Pacific albacore tuna. Got a more adventurous palate? Try snakehead fish to satisfy your fish craving and improve the environment. The invasive species lives on land and water, where it wipes out important frogs, birds, and other critters. Snakehead fish is popping up on some restaurant menus, and the taste and texture is about identical to swordfish.
Nonorganic Strawberries
Robert Kenner, director of Food Inc. and founder of FixFood.org
The Problem: While filming Food Inc., Kenner says he wanted to film strawberry farmers applying pesticides to their fields. "The workers wear these suits to protect themselves from the dozens and dozens of known dangerous pesticides applied to strawberries," he says. "When I saw this, I thought to myself, if this is how berries are grown, I don't really want to eat them anymore. I haven't been able to eat a nonorganic strawberry ever since." Unfortunately, for the food-concerned public, he wasn't able to get the shot of these farmers. "I guess they didn't think it looked too appetizing."
The Solution: Opt for organic! The Environmental Working Group, which analyzes U.S. Department of Agriculture pesticide-residue data, has found 13 different pesticide residues on chemically grown strawberries.
Diet Soda
Isaac Eliaz, MD, integrative health expert and founder of The Amitabha Medical Clinic and Healing Center in Sebastopol, CA
The Problem: Dr. Eliaz stays away from any diet soda or foods, sugar-free candies, and gum containing artificial sweeteners such as sucralose, aspartame, acesulfame K, and neotame, among others. "The safety data on these sweeteners is shrouded in controversy and conflicts of interest with the manufacturers of these chemical compounds," Dr. Eliaz warns. "Independent research strongly suggests that when metabolized in the body, these sweeteners can cause health-related issues and problems related to metabolism and weight gain, neurological diseases, joint pain, digestive problems, headaches, depression, inflammatory bowel disease, chemical toxicity, and cancer, among others."
The Solution: If you're craving a soda but want to avoid the shady sweeteners, fake food dyes, and preservatives found in popular brands, try a bottle of Steaz zero-calorie green tea soda or Bionade, a fermented soda that's majorly popular in Europe.
Anything from McDonald's
Joel Salatin, sustainable farmer and author of This Ain't Normal, Folks
The Problem: McDonald's isn't just about food-it's about food mentality, according to Salatin. "It represents the pinnacle of factory-farming and industrial food," he says. "The economic model is utterly dependent on stockholders looking for dividends without regards to farm profitability or soil development."
Fast food typically is loaded with all sorts of the ingredients mentioned earlier in our list-genetically engineered corn, food dyes, artificial sweeteners, and other bad actors in the food supply. The type of farming that supports this type of food business relies on harmful chemicals that not only threaten human health, but also soil health.
The Solution: Learn to cook! You might be surprised to find that paying extra up front for a pasture-raised chicken can be cheaper than buying prepared fast-food chicken. For instance, cooking a chicken and then boiling down the bones for a rich, disease-fighting stock can yield up to three meals for a family! (Here's how to make homemade stock.) Find sustainable farmers at LocalHarvest.org.
Read More: 11 Happiness-Promoting Foods
Canned Fruit or Vegetables
when the can's resin lining contains bisphenol-A = BPA
Frederick vom Saal, PhD, professor of biological sciences at the University of Missouri
The Problem: The resin linings of tin cans contain bisphenol-A, or BPA, a synthetic estrogen that has been linked to ailments ranging from reproductive problems to heart disease, diabetes, and obesity. Studies show that the BPA in most people's bodies exceeds the amount that suppresses sperm production or causes chromosomal damage to the eggs of animals. "You can get 50 micrograms of BPA per liter out of a tomato can, and that's a level that is going to impact people, particularly the young," says vom Saal. "I won't go near canned tomatoes."
The Solution: Choose tomatoes in glass bottles (which do not need resin linings), such as the brands Eden Organic and Bionaturae. You can also get several types in Tetra Pak boxes, such as Trader Joe's and Pomi.
Read More: The Truth about Canned Soup
Bread Made of Genetically Manipulated Wheat
William Davis, MD, cardiologist and author of the New York Times best-seller Wheat Belly
The Problem: Modern wheat is nothing like the grain your mother or grandmother consumed. Today, wheat barely resembles its original form, thanks to extensive genetic manipulations of the 1960s and '70s to increase yields. "You cannot change the basic characteristics of a plant without changing its genetics, biochemistry, and its effects on humans who consume it," Dr. Davis notes.
In his book, Dr. Davis makes the case that modern-day wheat is triggering all sorts of health problems, everything from digestive diseases like celiac and inflammatory bowel disease to acid reflux, obesity, asthma, and skin disorders. "If there is a food that yields extravagant, extraordinary, and unexpected benefits when avoided, it is bread," says Dr. Davis. "And I don't mean white bread; I mean all bread: white, whole wheat, whole grain, sprouted, organic, French, Italian, fresh, day-old…all of it."
The Solution: Try eliminating bread from your diet for a few weeks to see if you note health improvements. When you do choose grains, look to things like quinoa, buckwheat, millet, and wild rice, but in smaller quantities (less than a half cup) because these can also trigger high blood sugar, Dr. Davis says.
Read More: The Dark Side of Healthy Wheat
Industrially Produced Hamburgers
Michael Pollan, author of numerous books and articles on the food system including The Omnivore’s Dilemma, In Defense of Food and Food Rules
The Problem: Cattle raised in filthy conditions, pumped full of growth hormones and fed diets composed mostly of genetically modified corn are three major reasons humane, grass-fed ground beef is a better alternative for your burger. But they aren't the only ones, says Pollan. While a steak or roast usually comes from a single animal, processors of ground beef combine meat from hundreds of animals. "This vastly increases the risk of contamination," he says. USDA scientists have found dangerous levels of disease-causing bacteria in over 50 percent of ground beef samples they've tested.
The Solution: "I love hamburgers, but only eat them when they're grass-fed and ground by a butcher," Pollan says.
Read More: Guide to Buying Grass-Fed Beef
Genetically Modified Corn
Maryam Henein and George Langworthy, directors of the documentary Vanishing of the Bees
The Problem: Today's corn plants are more like little pesticide factories with roots. Most of the nation's corn supply is genetically engineered to either produce its own pesticide supply within the plant or withstand heavy sprayings of chemicals, which wind up inside of the food. That's problematic not just for bees, but for people, too. "I avoid corn because most is genetically modified, and on top of that, most of the seeds are treated with systemic pesticides that are killing our bees," says Henein. "And let's not be fooled—the sublethal effects of these pesticides also slowly impair our health."
The Solution: In one way or another, corn is present in the vast majority of processed foods. From ketchup to salad dressing, and even bread, it's hard to escape corn ingredients. One to look out for? "I always try to avoid foods containing high-fructose corn syrup," says Langworthy. "Not only is it unhealthy, but the pesticides used in the production of the corn is detrimental to honeybees and other pollinators."
To avoid genetically engineered corn, which has never been tested for long-term impacts on human health, choose organic or Non-GMO Verified foods.
Read More: Bee-Killing Chemical Detected in Your Food
White Chocolate
Drew Ramsey, MD, assistant clinical professor of Psychiatry at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons and coauthor of The Happiness Diet
The Problem: The right kind of chocolate serves not only as a sweet treat but a brain-boosting superfood, too. The problem is, white chocolate's health profile is blank. "The data on the health benefits of cacao is pretty awesome," says Dr. Ramsey. "Much of this is due to a set of amazing phytonutrients that can increase blood flow to the brain, protect blood vessels, and boost mood and focus. White chocolate is missing all this goodness."
The Solution: Indulging in a chocolate treat? Enjoy Dark chocolate with 70 % or more with cacao.
Look for organic versions from companies like Theo and NibMor.
Read More: The Best Organic Chocolates
Artificial Sweeteners
Maria Rodale, CEO of Rodale Inc. and author ofOrganic Manifesto
The Problem: Ironically, there's a lot of evidence that suggest using artificial sweeteners, which have zero calories, is just as bad for your waistline as using regular, high-calorie sugar. For instance, research from the University of Texas has found that mice fed the artificial sweetener aspartame had higher blood sugar levels (which can cause you to overeat) than mice on an aspartame-free diet. Not only are they bad for your health, scientists have detected artificial sweeteners in treated wastewater, posing unknown risks to fish and other marine life. Plus, as Rodale says, "They're unnatural, nonorganic, taste horrible, and lead to all sorts of bad health consequences, false expectations, and short-term strategic thinking."
The Solution: Refined white sugar isn't any healthier, but you can replace it with small amounts of nutritional sweeteners, including honey, blackstrap molasses, and maple syrup, all of which have high levels of vitamins and minerals.
Read More: The 5 Best, and 5 Worst, Sweeteners to Have in Your Kitchen
Sprouts except if you get them fresh from the garden and wash properly
Doug Powell, PhD, professor of food safety at Kansas State University and author of the BarfBlog food-safety website
The Problem: Sprouts have been the source of so many major food recalls that they're not worth the risk, Powell says. Whether bean or broccoli, alfalfa or pea, sprouts have been at the center of at least 40 significant outbreaks of foodborne illness over the past 20 years. Supermarket sprouts a're often found to be contaminated with salmonella, E. coli, and listeria; they're vulnerable to contamination because the seeds require moist, warm conditions in order to sprout—conditions that are ideal for bacteria to multiply.
The Solution: Get the crunch of sprouts—without the added bacteria—by shredding cabbage or carrots onto your sandwiches. If you really enjoy the flavor of sprouts, cook them first.
Read More: The 10 Dirtiest Foods You're Eating
Commercial & Movietheater Butter-Flavored Microwave Popcorn
Alexandra Scranton, director of science and research at Women's Voices for the Earth, a nonprofit that advocates for environmental health issues that directly affect women
The Problem: Diacetyl, a chemical used in butter flavoring, is used in a lot of fake butter flavorings, despite the fact that the chemical is so harmful to factory workers that it's known to cause an occupational disease called "popcorn lung," Scranton says. After news of the chemical got out to the popcorn-eating public, companies started replacing diacetyl with another additive—which can actually turn into diacetyl under certain conditions, she adds. Neither chemical is disclosed on microwave-popcorn bags because the exact formulations of flavorings are considered trade secrets. "It's a classic example of the need for better chemical regulation and improved transparency on the chemicals used in our food and other household products," she says.
The Solution: Make your own popcorn using real butter. Pop it on the stovetop in a pot, or go an easier route: Put a small handful of kernels into a brown paper lunch bag and stick the bag in the microwave. The kernels will pop just like those fake-butter-flavored kernels in standard microwave popcorn bags. When they're done, pour some melted organic butter over them. "Makes pretty good popcorn at a fraction of the cost!" Scranton says.
Read More: The Top 10 Toxic Rip-offs
Food Dyes
Michael F. Jacobson, PhD, executive director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest
The Problem: Health advocates have tried for years to get the Food and Drug Administration to ban food dyes, based on small studies linking them to hyperactivity in children and cancer in animals, and that's one reason Jacobson avoids them. Red 3 has caused cancer in lab rats, and Yellow 5 and Yellow 6 may contain cancer-causing contaminants. But mainly, he says, he avoids them on principle. "I just don't like eating synthetic chemicals and the oftentimes synthetic foods in which they're used." His group criticizes companies that use food dyes to make foods appear healthier than they are and to replace truly healthy ingredients—in a recent report on the nutritional quality of fruit juices, the center noted that Tropicana Twister Cherry Berry Blast contains no berry and cherry juice but lots of the artificial dye, Red 40.
The Solution: Read labels anytime you're buying a prepackaged food. Food dyes can crop up in some really unexpected places, even healthy foods like cheese and yogurt.
Read More: What Food Companies Are Hiding with Food Dye
Chain-Restaurant Ice Cream Sundaes
Dave Zinczenko, editor-in-chief of Men's Healthmagazine and author of the Eat This, Not That series
The Problem: "No matter where you go, the ice cream sundaes made in most chain restaurants have a couple things in common—namely, supersized portions and an ingredient list a mile long," he says. " All you really need for ice cream is milk, sugar, and maybe a little vanilla, but somehow these places are loading it up with corn syrup, cellulose gum, and vegetable shortening." In addition to being unhealthy, those additives are usually derived from genetically modified corn and soy.
The Solution: Go local, says Zinczenko. Small-batch ice cream from local stores is less likely to be some industry Franken-food creation. Or, for totally homemade sundaes, you could try making your own ice cream. "A killer caramel sauce can be made with just sugar, butter, and heat, and you'll never have to wonder what kind of chemicals you're loading up on," he says. "Plus, you'll control your portion size, which means you can indulge in moderation without widening your waistline."
______________________________________________
PepsiCo Will Halt Use of Additive,
Brominated Vegetable Oil, BVO,
in Gatorade
- an energy drink -
Study the 2 articles above - they link to the same topic
But will, despite BVO's dangerously poisonous effect on a human system, still keep using it in Mountain Dew and in other products. That's insane - that one reason our children have learning difficulties & mental, emotional & physical sicknesses. SO do the adult population as the BVO affects everyone.
If you live in the U.S. and drink or have been drinking (1) Mountain Dew, (2) Gatorade and (3) some other citrus-flavored sodas, then you are also getting a dose of a synthetic chemical called brominated vegetable oil (BVO).
BVO was first patented by chemical companies as a flame retardant.
A fire/flame retardant is a substance other than water that reduces flammability of fuels or delays their combustion.
The chemical is banned in food throughout Europe and Japan.
But BVO has been added to about 10 percent of sodas in North America for decades, even though it has resulted in soda-drinkers needing medical attention for skin lesions, memory loss and nerve disorders -- all symptoms of overexposure to bromine.
Studies suggest that BVO can build up in human tissues, and animal studies have found it causes reproductive and behavioral problems in large doses.
(1) Mountain Dew, (2) Squirt, (3) Fanta Orange, (4) Sunkist Pineapple, (5) Gatorade Thirst, (6) Quencher Orange, and (7) Powerade Strawberry Lemonade, (8) Fresca Original Citrus
This is not a complete list however. All in all, about 10 percent of all sodas sold in the U.S. contain BVO, so it pays to read the list of ingredients.
Better yet, make a concerted effort to eliminate soda from your diet altogether. With or without
BVO, sodas contain so many ingredients harmful to your health—high fructose corn syrup being one of the foremost culprits—that they really have no redeeming value whatsoever.
__________________
Click green for further info
PepsiCo announced on Friday, 1/26/13, that it would no longer
use an ingredient in Gatorade after consumers complained
The ingredient, brominated vegetable oil, which was used in citrus versions of the sports drink to prevent the flavorings from separating, was the object of a petition started on Change.org by Sarah Kavanagh, a 15-year-old from Hattiesburg, Miss., who became concerned about the ingredient after reading about it online. Studies have suggested there are possible side effects, including neurological disorders and altered thyroid hormones.
The petition attracted more than 200,000 signatures, and this week, Ms. Kavanagh was in New York City to tape a segment for "The Dr. Oz Show." She visited The New York Times on Wednesday and while there said, "I just don't understand why they can't use something else instead of B.V.O."
"I was in algebra class and one of my friends kicked me and said, 'Have you seen this on Twitter?' " Ms. Kavanagh said in a phone interview on Friday evening. "I asked the teacher if I could slip out to the bathroom, and I called my mom and said, 'Mom, we won.' "
Molly Carter, a spokeswoman for Gatorade, said the company had been testing alternatives to the chemical for roughly a year "due to customer feedback." She said Gatorade initially was not going to make an announcement, "since we don't find a health and safety risk with B.V.O."
Because of the petition, though, Ms. Carter said the company had changed its mind, and an unidentified executive there gave Beverage Digest, a trade publication, the news for its Jan. 25 issue.
Previously, a spokesman for PepsiCo had said in an e-mail, "We appreciate Sarah as a fan of Gatorade, and her concern has been heard."
Brominated vegetable oil will be replaced by sucrose acetate isobutyrate, an emulsifier that is "generally recognized as safe" as a food additive by the Food and Drug Administration. The new ingredient will be added to orange, citrus cooler and lemonade Gatorade, as well Gatorade X-Factor orange, Gatorade Xtremo citrus cooler and a powdered form of the drink called "glacier freeze."
Ms. Carter said consumers would start seeing the new ingredient over the next few months as existing supplies of Gatorade sell out and are replaced.
Health advocates applauded the company's move. "Kudos to PepsiCo for doing the responsible thing on its own and not waiting for the F.D.A. to force it to," said Michael Jacobson, executive director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest.
Mr. Jacobson has championed the removal of brominated vegetable oil from foods and beverages for the last several decades, but the F.D.A. has left it in a sort of limbo, citing budgetary constraints that it says keep it from going through the process needed to formally ban the chemical or declare it safe once and for all.
Brominated vegetable oil is banned as a food ingredient in Japan and the European Union. About 10 percent of drinks sold in the United States contain it, including Mountain Dew, which is also made by PepsiCo; some flavors of Powerade and Fresca from Coca-Cola; and Squirt and Sunkist Peach Soda, made by the Dr Pepper Snapple Group.
PepsiCo said it had no plans to remove the ingredient from Mountain Dew and Diet Mountain Dew, both of which generate more than $1 billion in annual sales.
Heather White, executive director at the Environmental Working Group, said of PepsiCo's decision, "We can only hope that other companies will follow suit." She added, "We need to overhaul how F.D.A. keeps up with the latest science on food additives to better protect public health."
Ms. Kavanagh agreed. "I've been thinking about ways to take this to the next level, and I'm thinking about taking it to the F.D.A. and asking them why they aren't doing something about it," she said. "I'm not sure yet, but I think that's where I'd like to go with this."
Source: NYT, CDC
____________________________________
Brominated Vegetable Oil, BVO,
in Gatorade
- an energy drink -
Study the 2 articles above - they link to the same topic
But will, despite BVO's dangerously poisonous effect on a human system, still keep using it in Mountain Dew and in other products. That's insane - that one reason our children have learning difficulties & mental, emotional & physical sicknesses. SO do the adult population as the BVO affects everyone.
If you live in the U.S. and drink or have been drinking (1) Mountain Dew, (2) Gatorade and (3) some other citrus-flavored sodas, then you are also getting a dose of a synthetic chemical called brominated vegetable oil (BVO).
BVO was first patented by chemical companies as a flame retardant.
A fire/flame retardant is a substance other than water that reduces flammability of fuels or delays their combustion.
The chemical is banned in food throughout Europe and Japan.
But BVO has been added to about 10 percent of sodas in North America for decades, even though it has resulted in soda-drinkers needing medical attention for skin lesions, memory loss and nerve disorders -- all symptoms of overexposure to bromine.
Studies suggest that BVO can build up in human tissues, and animal studies have found it causes reproductive and behavioral problems in large doses.
(1) Mountain Dew, (2) Squirt, (3) Fanta Orange, (4) Sunkist Pineapple, (5) Gatorade Thirst, (6) Quencher Orange, and (7) Powerade Strawberry Lemonade, (8) Fresca Original Citrus
This is not a complete list however. All in all, about 10 percent of all sodas sold in the U.S. contain BVO, so it pays to read the list of ingredients.
Better yet, make a concerted effort to eliminate soda from your diet altogether. With or without
BVO, sodas contain so many ingredients harmful to your health—high fructose corn syrup being one of the foremost culprits—that they really have no redeeming value whatsoever.
__________________
Click green for further info
PepsiCo announced on Friday, 1/26/13, that it would no longer
use an ingredient in Gatorade after consumers complained
The ingredient, brominated vegetable oil, which was used in citrus versions of the sports drink to prevent the flavorings from separating, was the object of a petition started on Change.org by Sarah Kavanagh, a 15-year-old from Hattiesburg, Miss., who became concerned about the ingredient after reading about it online. Studies have suggested there are possible side effects, including neurological disorders and altered thyroid hormones.
The petition attracted more than 200,000 signatures, and this week, Ms. Kavanagh was in New York City to tape a segment for "The Dr. Oz Show." She visited The New York Times on Wednesday and while there said, "I just don't understand why they can't use something else instead of B.V.O."
"I was in algebra class and one of my friends kicked me and said, 'Have you seen this on Twitter?' " Ms. Kavanagh said in a phone interview on Friday evening. "I asked the teacher if I could slip out to the bathroom, and I called my mom and said, 'Mom, we won.' "
Molly Carter, a spokeswoman for Gatorade, said the company had been testing alternatives to the chemical for roughly a year "due to customer feedback." She said Gatorade initially was not going to make an announcement, "since we don't find a health and safety risk with B.V.O."
Because of the petition, though, Ms. Carter said the company had changed its mind, and an unidentified executive there gave Beverage Digest, a trade publication, the news for its Jan. 25 issue.
Previously, a spokesman for PepsiCo had said in an e-mail, "We appreciate Sarah as a fan of Gatorade, and her concern has been heard."
Brominated vegetable oil will be replaced by sucrose acetate isobutyrate, an emulsifier that is "generally recognized as safe" as a food additive by the Food and Drug Administration. The new ingredient will be added to orange, citrus cooler and lemonade Gatorade, as well Gatorade X-Factor orange, Gatorade Xtremo citrus cooler and a powdered form of the drink called "glacier freeze."
Ms. Carter said consumers would start seeing the new ingredient over the next few months as existing supplies of Gatorade sell out and are replaced.
Health advocates applauded the company's move. "Kudos to PepsiCo for doing the responsible thing on its own and not waiting for the F.D.A. to force it to," said Michael Jacobson, executive director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest.
Mr. Jacobson has championed the removal of brominated vegetable oil from foods and beverages for the last several decades, but the F.D.A. has left it in a sort of limbo, citing budgetary constraints that it says keep it from going through the process needed to formally ban the chemical or declare it safe once and for all.
Brominated vegetable oil is banned as a food ingredient in Japan and the European Union. About 10 percent of drinks sold in the United States contain it, including Mountain Dew, which is also made by PepsiCo; some flavors of Powerade and Fresca from Coca-Cola; and Squirt and Sunkist Peach Soda, made by the Dr Pepper Snapple Group.
PepsiCo said it had no plans to remove the ingredient from Mountain Dew and Diet Mountain Dew, both of which generate more than $1 billion in annual sales.
Heather White, executive director at the Environmental Working Group, said of PepsiCo's decision, "We can only hope that other companies will follow suit." She added, "We need to overhaul how F.D.A. keeps up with the latest science on food additives to better protect public health."
Ms. Kavanagh agreed. "I've been thinking about ways to take this to the next level, and I'm thinking about taking it to the F.D.A. and asking them why they aren't doing something about it," she said. "I'm not sure yet, but I think that's where I'd like to go with this."
Source: NYT, CDC
____________________________________
IMPORTANT ADVICE:
Please do not make the mistake of switching from regular soda to diet,
click green:as artificial sweetened drinks may be the worse of two evils. Also beware of drinks containing sodium benzoate, and Yellow Dye #5. The latter is also known as tartrazine, and has been banned in Norway, Austria and Germany due to its ill health effects.
Unfortunately, according to a 2010 study by the National Cancer Institute, sodas are still the number one source of calories for teenagers between the ages of 14 to 18. Among adults, sodas and other sugary drinks are the fourth largest source of calories, according to the latest dietary statistics from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA).
There's no doubt that this kind of excessive soda consumption ravages your body and robs you of good health... I believe one of the fastest ways to make a profound change in your health- and weight status is to dramatically reduce or eliminate soda from your diet, regardless of which type or brand you drink.
Other Common Sources of BromineBromine can also be found in a number of products, including:
Pesticides (specifically methyl bromide, used mainly on strawberries, predominantly in California)Bakery goods and some flours often contain a "dough conditioner" called potassium bromateMedications such as Atrovent Inhaler, Atrovent Nasal Spray, Pro-Banthine (for ulcers), and anesthesia agentsPlastics, like those used to make computersFire retardants (common one is polybromo diphenyl ethers or PBDEs) used in fabrics, carpets, upholstery, and mattressesBromine-based hot tub and swimming pool treatmentsHealth Risks of BromineAs mentioned, when you ingest or absorb bromine, it displaces iodine. The resulting iodine deficiency can in turn lead to anincreased risk for cancer of the breast, thyroid gland, ovary and prostate -- cancers that we see at alarmingly high rates today. This phenomenon is significant enough to have been given its own name: the Bromide Dominance Theory.
Bromine is also toxic in and of itself. It can accumulate in your tissues, central nervous system, and breast milk, resulting in a number of health problems. One 1971 study published in the British Journal of Nutrition concluded that:
"These findings, in conjunction with previous animal studies and with the geographical differences in the use of brominated vegetable oils as food additives, suggest that the high bromine levels found in the fat of tissues from UK children are due to the use of these compounds."
One 1983 animal study also found that rats receiving one percent BVO in their feed suffered impaired fertility, and at two percent, they became completely infertile.
Bromine is known to act as a central nervous system depressant, and can trigger a number of psychological symptoms such as acute paranoia and other psychotic symptoms. In fact, in an audio interview, physician Jorge Flechas reported that, between 1920 and 1960, at least 20 percent of all hospital admissions for "acute paranoid schizophrenia" were a result of ingesting bromine-containing products. In addition to psychiatric problems, bromine toxicity can manifest as:
"In 1997, emergency room doctors at University of California, Davis reported a patient with severe bromine intoxicationfrom drinking two to four liters of orange soda every day. He developed headaches, fatigue, ataxia (loss of muscle coordination) and memory loss. In a 2003 case reported in Ohio, a 63-year-old man developed ulcers on his swollen hands after drinking eight liters of Red Rudy Squirt every day for several months. The man was diagnosed with bromoderma, a rare skin hypersensitivity to bromine exposure. The patient quit drinking the brominated soft drink and months later recovered."
Bromine's Effect on Your ThyroidIodine is crucial for proper thyroid function. Without iodine, your thyroid gland would be completely unable to produce thyroid hormone. Even the names of the different forms of thyroid hormone reflect the number of iodine molecules attached -- T4 has four attached iodine molecules, and T3 (the biologically active form of the hormone) has three--showing what an important part iodine plays in thyroid biochemistry. Hypothyroidism is far more prevalent than once thought in the U.S.
The latest estimates are that 13 million Americans have hypothyroidism, but the actual numbers are probably higher. Some experts claim that 10 to 40 percent of Americans have suboptimal thyroid function.
But many of these folks may actually have nothing wrong with their thyroid gland at all. They may just be suffering from iodine deficiency, brought on by too little iodine-containing foods and/or too much exposure to bromine—whether in the form of bromine-laced foods and drinks, or from some other source—which end up blocking iodine uptake…
For more in-depth information about bromine's impact on your thyroid health, please see this previous article.
Ditch the Soda to Dramatically Improve Your HealthIn the featured article, Walter Vetter, a food chemist at Germany's University of Hohenheim, suggests American soda makers could easily replace BVO with something far safer, such as hydrocolloids, which are used in many sodas sold in Europe.
"They are almost exclusively natural products," Vetter says.
The reason for soda makers' unwillingness to swap out the offending ingredient for their American customers is unclear, but considering the fact that many of these sodas are already sold overseas without BVO in them, one can only surmise that their unwillingness to change has to do with cost…
Personally, I strongly recommend ditching all sodas, regardless of where you live or what particular additives are included, as theprimary health hazard of soda consumption is tied to the excessive amounts of fructose you're ingesting. Quite simply, it's a leading contributor to the rising rates of obesity, diabetes, heart disease and other chronic diseases facing Americans. Just one can of soda per day can add as much as 15 pounds to your weight over the course of a single year, not to mention increase your risk of diabetes by 85 percent!
There's really no shortage of research showing the profound impact of soda consumption on your health. For example:
IMPORTANT ADVICE:
Weaning yourself and your kids off the sweet stuff, and replacing it with clean, pure water can be one of the most profoundly beneficial changes you'll ever make.
_______________________________________________
Please do not make the mistake of switching from regular soda to diet,
click green:as artificial sweetened drinks may be the worse of two evils. Also beware of drinks containing sodium benzoate, and Yellow Dye #5. The latter is also known as tartrazine, and has been banned in Norway, Austria and Germany due to its ill health effects.
Unfortunately, according to a 2010 study by the National Cancer Institute, sodas are still the number one source of calories for teenagers between the ages of 14 to 18. Among adults, sodas and other sugary drinks are the fourth largest source of calories, according to the latest dietary statistics from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA).
There's no doubt that this kind of excessive soda consumption ravages your body and robs you of good health... I believe one of the fastest ways to make a profound change in your health- and weight status is to dramatically reduce or eliminate soda from your diet, regardless of which type or brand you drink.
Other Common Sources of BromineBromine can also be found in a number of products, including:
Pesticides (specifically methyl bromide, used mainly on strawberries, predominantly in California)Bakery goods and some flours often contain a "dough conditioner" called potassium bromateMedications such as Atrovent Inhaler, Atrovent Nasal Spray, Pro-Banthine (for ulcers), and anesthesia agentsPlastics, like those used to make computersFire retardants (common one is polybromo diphenyl ethers or PBDEs) used in fabrics, carpets, upholstery, and mattressesBromine-based hot tub and swimming pool treatmentsHealth Risks of BromineAs mentioned, when you ingest or absorb bromine, it displaces iodine. The resulting iodine deficiency can in turn lead to anincreased risk for cancer of the breast, thyroid gland, ovary and prostate -- cancers that we see at alarmingly high rates today. This phenomenon is significant enough to have been given its own name: the Bromide Dominance Theory.
Bromine is also toxic in and of itself. It can accumulate in your tissues, central nervous system, and breast milk, resulting in a number of health problems. One 1971 study published in the British Journal of Nutrition concluded that:
"These findings, in conjunction with previous animal studies and with the geographical differences in the use of brominated vegetable oils as food additives, suggest that the high bromine levels found in the fat of tissues from UK children are due to the use of these compounds."
One 1983 animal study also found that rats receiving one percent BVO in their feed suffered impaired fertility, and at two percent, they became completely infertile.
Bromine is known to act as a central nervous system depressant, and can trigger a number of psychological symptoms such as acute paranoia and other psychotic symptoms. In fact, in an audio interview, physician Jorge Flechas reported that, between 1920 and 1960, at least 20 percent of all hospital admissions for "acute paranoid schizophrenia" were a result of ingesting bromine-containing products. In addition to psychiatric problems, bromine toxicity can manifest as:
- Skin rashes and severe acne
- Loss of appetite and abdominal pain
- Fatigue
- Metallic taste
- Cardiac arrhythmias
"In 1997, emergency room doctors at University of California, Davis reported a patient with severe bromine intoxicationfrom drinking two to four liters of orange soda every day. He developed headaches, fatigue, ataxia (loss of muscle coordination) and memory loss. In a 2003 case reported in Ohio, a 63-year-old man developed ulcers on his swollen hands after drinking eight liters of Red Rudy Squirt every day for several months. The man was diagnosed with bromoderma, a rare skin hypersensitivity to bromine exposure. The patient quit drinking the brominated soft drink and months later recovered."
Bromine's Effect on Your ThyroidIodine is crucial for proper thyroid function. Without iodine, your thyroid gland would be completely unable to produce thyroid hormone. Even the names of the different forms of thyroid hormone reflect the number of iodine molecules attached -- T4 has four attached iodine molecules, and T3 (the biologically active form of the hormone) has three--showing what an important part iodine plays in thyroid biochemistry. Hypothyroidism is far more prevalent than once thought in the U.S.
The latest estimates are that 13 million Americans have hypothyroidism, but the actual numbers are probably higher. Some experts claim that 10 to 40 percent of Americans have suboptimal thyroid function.
But many of these folks may actually have nothing wrong with their thyroid gland at all. They may just be suffering from iodine deficiency, brought on by too little iodine-containing foods and/or too much exposure to bromine—whether in the form of bromine-laced foods and drinks, or from some other source—which end up blocking iodine uptake…
For more in-depth information about bromine's impact on your thyroid health, please see this previous article.
Ditch the Soda to Dramatically Improve Your HealthIn the featured article, Walter Vetter, a food chemist at Germany's University of Hohenheim, suggests American soda makers could easily replace BVO with something far safer, such as hydrocolloids, which are used in many sodas sold in Europe.
"They are almost exclusively natural products," Vetter says.
The reason for soda makers' unwillingness to swap out the offending ingredient for their American customers is unclear, but considering the fact that many of these sodas are already sold overseas without BVO in them, one can only surmise that their unwillingness to change has to do with cost…
Personally, I strongly recommend ditching all sodas, regardless of where you live or what particular additives are included, as theprimary health hazard of soda consumption is tied to the excessive amounts of fructose you're ingesting. Quite simply, it's a leading contributor to the rising rates of obesity, diabetes, heart disease and other chronic diseases facing Americans. Just one can of soda per day can add as much as 15 pounds to your weight over the course of a single year, not to mention increase your risk of diabetes by 85 percent!
There's really no shortage of research showing the profound impact of soda consumption on your health. For example:
- Dr. David Ludwig of Boston Children's Hospital did a study of the effects of sugar-sweetened drinks on obesity in children. He found that for each additional serving of a sugar-sweetened drink, both body mass index and odds of obesity increased.
- The Fizzy Drink Study in Christchurch, England explored the effects on obesity when soda machines were removed from schools for one year. In the schools where the machines were removed, obesity stayed constant. In the schools where soda machines remained, obesity rates continued to rise.
- In a 2009 study, 16 volunteers were fed a controlled diet including high levels of fructose. Ten weeks later, the volunteers had produced new fat cells around their hearts, livers and other digestive organs. They also showed signs of food-processing abnormalities linked to diabetes and heart disease. A second group of volunteers who were fed a similar diet, but with glucose replacing fructose, did not have these problems.
IMPORTANT ADVICE:
Weaning yourself and your kids off the sweet stuff, and replacing it with clean, pure water can be one of the most profoundly beneficial changes you'll ever make.
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'World's Fattest Man' Loses 644 Pounds
Paul Mason, formerly called “the world’s fattest man,” has shed nearly two-thirds of his body weight after gastric bypass surgery in 2010. At his heaviest, the 52-year-old from Ipswich, England tipped the scales at an astonishing 980 pounds.
Mason used to be so heavy that he was unable to leave his room. When he needed a hernia operation in 2002, the fire department had break down the front wall of his home and load him into an ambulance with a forklift. At that time, he weighed 784 pounds.
20 Superfoods for Weight Loss
That humiliating ordeal was one of many low points for Mason, who became “an object of fascinated horror, a freak show exhibit,” reports the New York Times. Now that the 6’ 4” former postal worker is down to 336 pounds, he’s hoping for a second chance at a normal life.
No longer trapped inside his home—and an enormous body—Mason has ambitions of launching a jewelry business, learning to drive, going on a vacation, and finding a girlfriend, all of which would have been impossible in the past.
Ate 20,000 Calories a Day
Many challenges are ahead for Mason, but nothing compared to when he was at his heaviest and reportedly needed seven caregivers, working in three shifts around the clock, to cook his meals, change his incontinence pads, and turn him over every three hours to prevent bedsores, according to ABC News.
He estimates that he used to eat about 20,000 calories a day, about eight times the recommended amount for an average man. The surgery shrank the size of his stomach to about the size of an egg, leading to rapid weight loss.
10 Biggest Weight Loss Mistakes
"I have nothing but admiration for Paul's courage, determination, and steadfast aim to get his body once more back in the shape it should be,” says photographer Paul Nixon, who documented Mason’s remarkable transformation in a series of before-and-after pictures.
“I have watched Paul literally shrink before my eyes,” adds Nixon.
“A Prisoner in My Skin”
Mason is now seeking another surgery to get rid of the more than 100 pounds of loose skin that he was left with after dropping more than a quarter ton of weight. “I feel like I’m still trapped, with the excess skin…it’s horrendous,” Mason told reporters.
The massive folds of skin hang from his belly like an apron and from his thighs like saddlebags. Mobility in his arms and legs is limited by the weight of the excess skin, making it hard to exercise. Although he’s able to stand, he frequently needs to use an electric wheelchair.
Britain’s National Health Service (NHS) has reportedly spent more than $1.5 million on Mason’s medical care but hasn’t authorized the complex skin operation, which would cost about $47,000 if done privately.
He’s been told that he must wait until his weight has been stable for at least two years to prove that he’s a good candidate for the operation, known as an apronectomy.
23 Diet Plans Reviewed: Do They Work?
A Broken Heart Triggered Compulsive EatingAs a child, Mason endured verbal and physical abuse from his father, a military policeman, and was sexually abused, starting at age six, by a female relative, according to the New York Times.
After leaving school, he was employed as a postal worker and became engaged to a woman more than 20 years his senior. After his fiancée announced, “I don’t want to see you any more—goodbye,” he became a compulsive eater, spending every cent of his and his mother’s social security checks on food.
The bank repossessed their home, but local convenience stores and fast-food restaurants showered him with burgers, fish and chips, French fries and even about $22 worth of candy bars a day, Mason told the NY Times. “They didn’t deliver bags of crisps [potato chips]. They delivered cartons.”
Mason spent his days eating and sleeping. “You’d be awake most of the night eating and snacking. You totally forgot about everything else. You lose all your dignity, all your self-respect. It all goes, and all you focus on is getting your next fix,” he recalled.
Worms & Pumps: The Newest (and Grossest) Ways to Fight Obesity
Overcoming a Debilitating Food AddictionAfter Mason’s mother died, he became so despondent that he considered suicide. Instead, he began seeing a therapist. A major turning point was when the NHS finally authorized gastric bypass surgery, after turning him down three times.
By then, his weight had hit an all-time high of 980 pounds—and Mason was dubbed the “world’s heaviest man” by the media. Previously, that title belonged toManuel Uribe of Mexico, whose weight topped 1,200 pounds at one point. Uribe lost 550 pounds after years of diet, exercise, and medical treatment.
Today, Mason no longer uses compulsive eating to blot out emotional pain. Amazingly, he hasn’t cheated on his diet even once since his surgery. In fact, he actually lost 70 pounds before having the operation.
These days, he eats normal meals that include such items as a piece of toast for breakfast and a baked potato for lunch, and he also sees a therapist twice a week.
“I do look back and think I should have got to grips with myself earlier,” he told the NY Times. “But I think I can use what I’ve gone through as a tool to help other people.” Once he’s more mobile, he hopes to give talks at schools and hold support groups for people grappling with food addiction.
The Worst Fitness Trends of All Time
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A big government study shows
the most common food poisoning sources
The new report is the most comprehensive CDC has produced on the sources of food poisoning,
covering the years 1998 through 2008.
It reflects the agency's growing sophistication at monitoring illnesses and finding their source.
CDC = Centers of Disease Control and Prevention
A large U.S. government study has found that the transportation, the improper handling in kitchen, in cooking, and in refrigeration of leafy greens like lettuce & spinach as one of the leading source of food poisoning. It is not the leafy greens that is the culprit but the lack of safe handling of the produce that is the culprit.
Experts repeat the often-heard advice: Be sure to wash those foods or cook them thoroughly. "Handle all fresh food properly, then they are safe like any other food product" said Dr. Patricia Griffin, a government researcher and one of the study's authors who said the finding shouldn't discourage people from eating produce. On the contrary, we all need to eat more fruit & produce.
While more people may have gotten sick from mishandling and improper cleaning of plants, more died from contaminated poultry, the study also found. The results were released on 1/29/13 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Each year roughly 1 in 6 Americans — or 48 million people— gets sick from food poisoning. That includes 128,000 hospitalization and 3,000 deaths, according to previous CDC estimates.
The new report is the most comprehensive CDC has produced on the sources of food poisoning, covering the years 1998 through 2008. It reflects the agency's growing sophistication at monitoring illnesses and finding their source.
What jumped out at the researchers was the role fruits and vegetables played in food poisonings, said Griffin, who heads the CDC office that handles foodborne infection surveillance and analysis.
About 1 in 5 illnesses were linked to leafy green vegetables — more than any other type of food. And nearly half of all food poisonings were attributed to produce in general, when illnesses from other fruits and vegetables were added in.
It's been kind of a tough month for vegetables. A controversy erupted when Taco Bell started airing a TV ad for its variety 12-pack of tacos, with a voiceover saying that bringing a vegetable tray to a football party is "like punting on fourth-and-1." It said that people secretly hate guests who bring vegetables to parties.
The fast-food chain on Monday announced it was pulling the commercial after receiving complaints that it discouraged people from eating vegetables.
Without actually saying so, the CDC report suggests that the Food and Drug Administration should devote more staff time and other resources to inspection of fruits and vegetables, said Michael Doyle, director of the University of Georgia's Center for Food Safety.
Earlier this month, the FDA released a proposed new rule for produce safety that would set new hygiene standards for farm workers and for trying to reduce contact with animal waste and dirty water.
Meanwhile, CDC officials emphasized that their report should not be seen as discouraging people from eating vegetables.
Many of the vegetable-related illnesses come from norovirus, which is often spread by cooks and food handlers. So contamination sometimes has more to do with the kitchen or restaurant it came from then the food itself, Griffin noted.
Also, while vegetable-related illnesses were more common, they were not the most dangerous. The largest proportion of foodborne illness deaths — about 1 in 5 — were due to poultry. That was partly because three big outbreaks more than 10 years ago linked to turkey deli meat.
But it was close. CDC estimated 277 poultry-related deaths in 1998-2008, compared to 236 vegetable-related deaths.
Fruits and nuts were credited with 96 additional deaths, making 334 total deaths for produce of all types. The CDC estimated 417 deaths from all kinds of meat and poultry, another 140 from dairy and 71 from eggs.
Red meat was once seen as one of the leading sources of food poisoning, partly because of a deadly outbreak of E. coli associated with hamburger. But Griffin and Doyle said there have been significant safety improvements in beef handling. In the study, beef was the source of fewer than 4 percent of food-related deaths and fewer than 7 percent of illnesses.
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The Worst Fitness Trends of All Time
Learn about some of the more interesting ways people have tried to stay in shape
Fitness Equipment You Should Avoid
A fit figure will always be in style, but too often people want the easy way out. While fitness trends come and go, the endless supply of infomercials and fitness fads are often meant for one purpose—to slim down your wallet.
Click through the slideshow to learn about some of the odder, yet strangely popular, ways people have marketed fitness, from fat-burning pills to the Shake Weight.
Anything in a Chair
Lots of people would love to lose weight sitting down. They are willing to slide, rock, and twist away the pounds around their waistline—as long as they don’t have to get up. The most blatant opportunistic offender is the Hawaii Chair with its swiveling base that’s supposed to tighten your abs while you sit. Unfortunately, sitting is the antithesis of exercise—the Hawaii Chair does nothing to get you in shape. Nevertheless, the makers of these chairs are millionaires now thanks to people who didn’t know any better.
Things That Vibrate & Jiggle
Sure, those vibrating lap belts from the 1950s seemed like a silly way to stay in shape, but that didn’t stop people from making more jiggly things like the Shake Weight, a vibrating dumbbell that became a media sensation on novelty value alone.
You’re better off saving the $20, buying typical dumbbells, and doing time-tested exercises like curls, lifts, and presses.
Toning Shoes
There are a lot of shoes on the market that promise to sculpt everything from your butt down—just by walking. Companies like Sketchers use celebrities to promote toning shoes as a good way to stay fit. While a percentage of the $100 for the shoes pays for the endorsements, the shoes don’t do anything different than the ones you’re wearing now, according to a study by the American Council on Exercise.
Electric Ab Belts
Someone thought using similar shock technology utilized in some physical therapy treatments was a good idea as a way for people to get a six-pack. These belts shoot electrical impulses into your abs, causing your muscles to contract instantly. The hope is to have abs lean enough to scrub your shirt while you’re still wearing it.
The $150-$200 for the belts is better spent on a gym membership—the belts don’t work, and they can even be dangerous. Would you shock yourself for lower cholesterol? Then don’t do it for tighter muscles!
Pole Dancing
This new exercise trend is all the rage among young women who want to look sexy while getting fit. As videos on the internet illustrate, home poles often come loose or sweaty hands often lose their grip. While pole dancing might bring some spice into exercise, pole dancing is best left to highly trained professionals.
Weight Loss Pills & Powders
Weight loss in a pill sounds too good to be true. And that’s because it is. These “miracle” pills that supposedly boost metabolism often contain hydroxcitric acid, chromium picolinate, or ephedra, which either have absolutely no nutritional value or can cause adverse side effects as bad as death.
Your money is better spent on healthier food, or even green tea, a tested way to increase metabolism and protect your body against disease
Celebrity Fitness Videos
Jane Fonda, Cher, O.J. Simpson, and that guy from Jersey Shore whose always pulling up his shirt might be famous, but that doesn’t make them experts at fitness. There’s a lot of junk peddled out there in the name of celebrity endorsement, so you have to wonder if you’ll stick with a DVD longer than some of their fame will last.
Then again, Chuck Norris made one, so they can’t all be bad.
Most Everything in an Informercial
If it includes bad actors, awkward equipment, unbelievable promises, fine print, and bleach-bottle blondes, it’s probably garbage. And that’s the formula for almost all those late-night infomercials hocking magic equipment that target abs, buns, or anything else you want turned into steel.
If you think obtaining the body of Adonis for four easy installments of $19.99 sounds ridiculous, then you’ve got your head on straight.
Get More Information
The moral of the story: if someone promises to take the work out of the workout, he’s got more fat in his head than you want to lose around your waist.
The key to staying in shape is regular exercise, a balanced diet, regular amounts of water, and other time-tested procedures. The important part of fitness is sticking to an activity, so it’s important to find one you like, from pick-up basketball to yoga.
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8 New Ways To Use Your Microwave
Click green more to visit the Food and Drug Administration for on microwave safety
Defrosting Lean Cuisine and popping popcorn? Pshaw! That's just the microwave's day job. According to the Daily Mail, the 46-year-old kitchen appliance also moonlights as a beauty aid, a cramp reliever, even a gardening tool. Let's take a look at some highlights on the microwave's under-the-radar resume:
It peels vegetables: Rich winter stews call for peeled tomatoes but meticulous peeling is a drag. After washing and cutting tomatoes in half, place them cut-side down in the microwave and heat for five minutes until the skin has shriveled around the edges. Then, gently slide them off with a fork or even your fingernails.
It warms bath towels: Baby, it's cold outside! Post-shower, warm up quicker by placing slightly damp towels in a large ziplock bag, then pop them in the microwave for a couple of minutes. "Not all plastic bags are microwave-safe so check the box first," says Snyder.
It gets gum off your clothes: Parents will love this—if your kid got chewing gum stuck on their clothes (or, ahem, yours), warm one cup of vinegar in the microwave for a minute or so, then dab it on the gum with a clean cloth until it's gone. Presto!
It soothes menstrual cramps: You can always use a heating pad if you have killer period cramps but if you don't own one, fill a large cotton sock with a mix of grains or lentils and sew the open end closed. Pop it in the microwave for two minutes, then place on your abdomen. Sweet relief! "Since beans have a low water content, place a glass of water in the microwave so the water will produce friction, absorbing the radiation and helping to warm the towel," says Sue Snyder, Ph.D., Professor of Animal and Food Sciences at the University of Delaware.
It sterilizes soil: Got a green thumb? Head to the kitchen before the garden. Before planting seedlings, sterilize your soil to remove bacteria so your seeds thrive. Spread about 400g of soil on a flat, non-metal dish, then heat on high until the soil starts steaming. "Make sure the soil is thoroughly stirred so the heat dissipates throughout. You'll have to experiment with how long you cook it but heating for 90 seconds will at least reduce the amount of bacteria," says Snyder.
It dries herbs: Keep thyme and oregano fresh by drying them out in the microwave. Just wash, then lie them out on a paper towel, heating in 30 seconds blasts until they're dry.
It cooks scrambled eggs and bacon: Make an easy breakfast with barely any clean up. Mix eggs and a tablespoon of milk in a microwavable bowl and stir. Cook on full power for a minute, remove and stir, then heat in 30-seconds blasts (stirring after each) until you have a solid scramble. "When cooking eggs, make sure the internal temperature of the microwave is 160 degrees," says Snyder. "While you're stirring the eggs in between heating, stick a thermometer in there to test the temperature." For the bacon, simply place a few strips on a plate and nuke for two and a half minutes.
It freshens up packaged food: Don't toss stale crackers and cereal. Pour on a plate and zap in the microwave for 30 seconds.
Remember to keep your owner's manual which contains information about your microwave's wattage (It varies depending on your machine) and regularly clean your microwave to avoid grease build-up which can be a fire hazard.
Visit the Food and Drug Administration for (click green) more on microwave safety
Click green for further info
_________________ STUDY THE ARTICLE BELOW ___________________
Click green more to visit the Food and Drug Administration for on microwave safety
Defrosting Lean Cuisine and popping popcorn? Pshaw! That's just the microwave's day job. According to the Daily Mail, the 46-year-old kitchen appliance also moonlights as a beauty aid, a cramp reliever, even a gardening tool. Let's take a look at some highlights on the microwave's under-the-radar resume:
It peels vegetables: Rich winter stews call for peeled tomatoes but meticulous peeling is a drag. After washing and cutting tomatoes in half, place them cut-side down in the microwave and heat for five minutes until the skin has shriveled around the edges. Then, gently slide them off with a fork or even your fingernails.
It warms bath towels: Baby, it's cold outside! Post-shower, warm up quicker by placing slightly damp towels in a large ziplock bag, then pop them in the microwave for a couple of minutes. "Not all plastic bags are microwave-safe so check the box first," says Snyder.
It gets gum off your clothes: Parents will love this—if your kid got chewing gum stuck on their clothes (or, ahem, yours), warm one cup of vinegar in the microwave for a minute or so, then dab it on the gum with a clean cloth until it's gone. Presto!
It soothes menstrual cramps: You can always use a heating pad if you have killer period cramps but if you don't own one, fill a large cotton sock with a mix of grains or lentils and sew the open end closed. Pop it in the microwave for two minutes, then place on your abdomen. Sweet relief! "Since beans have a low water content, place a glass of water in the microwave so the water will produce friction, absorbing the radiation and helping to warm the towel," says Sue Snyder, Ph.D., Professor of Animal and Food Sciences at the University of Delaware.
It sterilizes soil: Got a green thumb? Head to the kitchen before the garden. Before planting seedlings, sterilize your soil to remove bacteria so your seeds thrive. Spread about 400g of soil on a flat, non-metal dish, then heat on high until the soil starts steaming. "Make sure the soil is thoroughly stirred so the heat dissipates throughout. You'll have to experiment with how long you cook it but heating for 90 seconds will at least reduce the amount of bacteria," says Snyder.
It dries herbs: Keep thyme and oregano fresh by drying them out in the microwave. Just wash, then lie them out on a paper towel, heating in 30 seconds blasts until they're dry.
It cooks scrambled eggs and bacon: Make an easy breakfast with barely any clean up. Mix eggs and a tablespoon of milk in a microwavable bowl and stir. Cook on full power for a minute, remove and stir, then heat in 30-seconds blasts (stirring after each) until you have a solid scramble. "When cooking eggs, make sure the internal temperature of the microwave is 160 degrees," says Snyder. "While you're stirring the eggs in between heating, stick a thermometer in there to test the temperature." For the bacon, simply place a few strips on a plate and nuke for two and a half minutes.
It freshens up packaged food: Don't toss stale crackers and cereal. Pour on a plate and zap in the microwave for 30 seconds.
Remember to keep your owner's manual which contains information about your microwave's wattage (It varies depending on your machine) and regularly clean your microwave to avoid grease build-up which can be a fire hazard.
Visit the Food and Drug Administration for (click green) more on microwave safety
Click green for further info
_________________ STUDY THE ARTICLE BELOW ___________________
Important safety topic
Obama: Tough call on letting a son play football
STAF, Inc.'s opinion as a leading health specialty organization
By Dr. Christian von Christophers.'s Ph.D., N.D.
STAF , Inc. agrees with President Obama
It is a serious, probable risk to end having a concussion causing serious health challenges.
Before your son starts playing American foot ball, study together as a family, the pros & cons.
The risk is real and can be devastating - better choice: do NOT start.
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama is a big football fan with two daughters, but if he had a son, he says he'd "have to think long and hard" before letting him play because of the physical toll the game takes.
"I think that those of us who love the sport are going to have to wrestle with the fact that it will probably change gradually to try to reduce some of the violence," Obama tells The New Republic.
"In some cases, that may make it a little bit less exciting, but it will be a whole lot better for the players, and those of us who are fans maybe won't have to examine our consciences quite as much."
In an interview in the magazine's Feb. 11 issue, Obama said he worries more about college players than he does about those in the NFL.
"The NFL players have a union, they're grown men, they can make some of these decisions on their own, and most of them are well-compensated for the violence they do to their bodies," Obama said. "You read some of these stories about college players who undergo some of these same problems with concussions and so forth and then have nothing to fall back on. That's something that I'd like to see the NCAA*) think about."
*) NCAA = National Collegiate Athletic Association Click NCAA Football > Homewww.ncaafootball.net/
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2 Foods You & Your Children Should Eat at Breakfast
(but Probably Don’t)
Many parents said they were focused on getting their kids to eat protein at breakfast.
Protein is an important part of a healthy breakfast. Protein provides staying power to keep hunger at bay until lunch.
A little bit of protein at breakfast in the form of milk, yogurt, an egg or peanut butter, for example, is a good idea, but you don't need to overly focus on it. We tend to make up for any protein we didn't get at breakfast at lunch and dinner, and overall Americans' daily protein intake is just fine.
But what you really want to focus on eating at breakfast are foods that most Americans don't get enough of in our diets. And for most of us--adults and kids--that's these two food groups:
1. Vegetables (and fruits). Including produce in your breakfast is a great way to knock off a serving or two of your daily recommended "dose," which for most Americans is 4 to 5 cups. Plus, vegetables and fruits are packed with essential vitamins and minerals (particularly vibrant-colored produce - the darker the color the more the fruit or vegetable has healing elements), as well as fiber, which will help to keep you feeling satisfied until lunch. It's easier than you think to include vegetables in your breakfast: add your favorite veggies to an omelet or a strata; cook rhubarb into your oatmeal; put slices of tomato or cucumber on top of your toast or bagel with cream cheese; add sautéed spinach to an egg sandwich or eggs Benedict.
2. Whole grains. Half of your grains are supposed to be whole, says the USDA--a guideline most Americans have a tough time meeting. Plus, eating a breakfast that includes whole grains, such as oatmeal, whole-grain cereals or whole-wheat bagels and toast (which are slower-burning or low-glycemic-index carbs *)--instead of "white" carbs, such as refined cereals, white bagels and bread, pancakes and muffins made from all-purpose flour--has been shown to help kids concentrate and pay attention. I don't see why the same wouldn't apply to adults.
*) Glycemic index - Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaen.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glycemic_index
A lower glycemic index suggests slower rates of digestion and absorption of the foods' carbohydrates and may also indicate greater extraction from the liver and ...
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(but Probably Don’t)
Many parents said they were focused on getting their kids to eat protein at breakfast.
Protein is an important part of a healthy breakfast. Protein provides staying power to keep hunger at bay until lunch.
A little bit of protein at breakfast in the form of milk, yogurt, an egg or peanut butter, for example, is a good idea, but you don't need to overly focus on it. We tend to make up for any protein we didn't get at breakfast at lunch and dinner, and overall Americans' daily protein intake is just fine.
But what you really want to focus on eating at breakfast are foods that most Americans don't get enough of in our diets. And for most of us--adults and kids--that's these two food groups:
1. Vegetables (and fruits). Including produce in your breakfast is a great way to knock off a serving or two of your daily recommended "dose," which for most Americans is 4 to 5 cups. Plus, vegetables and fruits are packed with essential vitamins and minerals (particularly vibrant-colored produce - the darker the color the more the fruit or vegetable has healing elements), as well as fiber, which will help to keep you feeling satisfied until lunch. It's easier than you think to include vegetables in your breakfast: add your favorite veggies to an omelet or a strata; cook rhubarb into your oatmeal; put slices of tomato or cucumber on top of your toast or bagel with cream cheese; add sautéed spinach to an egg sandwich or eggs Benedict.
2. Whole grains. Half of your grains are supposed to be whole, says the USDA--a guideline most Americans have a tough time meeting. Plus, eating a breakfast that includes whole grains, such as oatmeal, whole-grain cereals or whole-wheat bagels and toast (which are slower-burning or low-glycemic-index carbs *)--instead of "white" carbs, such as refined cereals, white bagels and bread, pancakes and muffins made from all-purpose flour--has been shown to help kids concentrate and pay attention. I don't see why the same wouldn't apply to adults.
*) Glycemic index - Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaen.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glycemic_index
A lower glycemic index suggests slower rates of digestion and absorption of the foods' carbohydrates and may also indicate greater extraction from the liver and ...
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Why a Microwave Oven Is Bad for Your Health
Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/022015_microwave_oven_power.html#ixzz2IMoQ5TiA
I thought that all a microwave oven did was heat the food by moving the molecules faster. I was ignoring one very important characteristic of radio waves. Eventually, I put two and two together and realized something important.
But first, I need to explain how a microwave oven works. A microwave oven creates radio waves at a frequency of about 2.45 GHz [2, 3]. All radio waves are electromagnetic radiation.
When a polar molecule is placed in an electric field, it lines up with that field. It is similar to how a compass needle lines up with a magnetic field. Depending on the strength of the electric field, it will even stretch the polar molecule. But it will spring back as soon as the electric field is removed. So, the way a microwave works is, the rapidly oscillating electric field causes the polar molecules to move back and forth, increasing their kinetic energy (or heat). When matter is heated, the atoms and molecules start to vibrate faster. So far, it sounds like the heat from microwaves is no different than the stove. But there is one major difference. Microwaves have a strong electric field.
Electromagnetic radiation is a self-propagating wave composed of two components: an electric field, and a magnetic field. The two fields expand and collapse as they propagate through space. As the electric field collapses, it produces an expanding magnetic field. Conversely, as the magnetic field collapses, it produces an expanding electric field [4]. This is a simple explanation, and there are more details involved.
If the electric field is strong enough, not only will it stretch the molecule, it can also separate the charges enough so that an atom loses an electron. This is ionizing. Or it can separate a molecule. This is similar to electrolysis.
When electricity flows in a conductor, free electrons drift easily in the direction of the electric field. In a non-conductive material, the electrons are tightly bound to the atoms. If the electric field is strong enough, electricity will flow. The non-conductive material often gets destroyed when the electric field is strong enough to ionize the atoms and force conduction, which creates a plasma such as a spark.
A plasma is made of ionized atoms or molecules. A plasma can be formed in a gas, a solid, or even a liquid, but not in a pure vacuum. A plasma being formed in a solid is a foreign concept to some, but familiar to semiconductor physicists. Once the plasma is formed, the resistance drops very low and it conducts electricity easily. This is why arc-welders don't need to use megawatt power supplies. The plasma in the arc has a low resistance.
The electrical resistance of foods can range from low to very high. Many foods will conduct some electricity when placed in an electric field. The electric field in the microwave oven causes electric currents to flow in the food. This is similar to what happens when an antenna picks up current from a radio wave.
Electrical current can also rearrange atoms. For example, in microchips, the wires have to be big enough or the force of the electrons actually can move enough metal so the wire distorts until it breaks [5].
If electric current can rearrange metal, it can also rearrange the atoms in your food, changing the molecular structure. This happens either by ionization, or by momentum transfer from the electron to the atom. This is one reason why nutrients can be destroyed more easily in a microwave oven than on the stove. Even though microwaves are classified as non-ionizing radiation, at sufficient power levels, they can cause ionization such as a plasma [6, 7, 8].
Despite the slang term 'nuke', microwaves are not nuclear radiation. Nuclear radiation consists of high speed alpha particles (helium nucleus), beta particles (high velocity electrons), neutrinos, gamma rays (extremely high energy photons), or high speed neutrons [9]. Nuclear radiation is classified as ionizing radiation [10] because it will ionize matter at any level of radiation. Every radioactive particle has the potential to ionize when it interacts with matter.
Ionizing, or simply displacing a single electron sounds harmless enough, but this is enough energy to destroy biological molecules. This is what kills every living organism that goes through the irradiation [11] process, including the food. Cold pasteurization (a nice name for irradiation) really is nuking your food.
There is a tendency for most microwave users to cook everything on high power, except when defrosting. High is the default setting. The maximum power is also a major selling point for a microwave oven. The higher the power, the stronger the electric field, and the more damaging it is to nutrients. So, the lower the power, the safer. But only some microwave ovens are capable of true low power cooking. The microwave ovens equipped with inverter magnetrons actually reduce the power instead of just cycling it between high and off.
I decided to try microwaving some audio CDs to prove that the power level had an effect on the amount of damage done while cooking to the same temperature. Although it would be an honorable sacrifice in the name of science, rather than use my wife's Barry Manilow collection, I thought it would be more prudent to burn some songs onto identical CDs and experiment on those instead.
I set my inverter-magnetron microwave to cook at 30% power for 3 1/2 minutes. I placed the CD in a plastic bowl and added 1 cup of water at 74°F. After cooking, the temperature was 158°F. I dried off the CD and stuck it in my CD player. It still played. All 16 songs were still ok. I then placed a second, identical CD in the bowl and again added 1 cup of water. I cooked it for one minute on high power. It went from 73°F to 162°F, so it got approximately the same amount of heat. But the CD was visibly very damaged. The CD player obviously couldn't even read it.
Although this was a crude experiment, it illustrates the fact that cooking on high power causes more damage than cooking on low power. So, the higher the power, the more damage it causes, even if the final temperature is the same.
It is a well known fact that raw food is more nutritious than cooked. Cooking food destroys nutrients, whether it's on a stove, or in the microwave oven. But microwaving food on high power can be more destructive than cooking on the stove. So if you use a microwave, use one with an inverter magnetron, and cook on low power. Cooking on true low power (not intermittent high) will greatly reduce the amount of damage done to the food.
Even on low power, I still don't know if a stove or microwave is worse. It's like asking me if I'd rather get beat by a club, or shocked by a taser.
I'll just have my broccoli raw, thank you.
References
[1] http://www.inspiredliving.com/nutrition/nutrient-loss.htm
[2] http://home.howstuffworks.com/microwave1.htm
[3] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microwave_oven
[4] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electromagnetic_wave
[5] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electromigration
[6] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AE3dRBlQjTE
[7] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x1jqSKHfffU
[8] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vCNNqgKqnaQ
[9] http://www.howstuffworks.com/nuclear.htm
[10] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ionizing_radiation
[11] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Food_irradiation
Source:
About the author John Andrews is an electrical engineer currently living in Utah. He earned his bachelor's degree in electrical engineering in 2001 at the University of Utah. John has adopted a whole foods lifestyle rich in raw fruits and vegetables. This lifestyle change has produced a noticeable improvement in physical health, appearance, and mental clarity. He savors knowledge and is eager to teach others how to be healthy.
STAF, Inc. endorses Mr. John Andrews' statement - STAF, Inc. teaches the same principles.
Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/022015_microwave_oven_power.html#ixzz2IMosKSw4
Click green for further info
_____________________________________________________
Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/022015_microwave_oven_power.html#ixzz2IMoQ5TiA
I thought that all a microwave oven did was heat the food by moving the molecules faster. I was ignoring one very important characteristic of radio waves. Eventually, I put two and two together and realized something important.
But first, I need to explain how a microwave oven works. A microwave oven creates radio waves at a frequency of about 2.45 GHz [2, 3]. All radio waves are electromagnetic radiation.
When a polar molecule is placed in an electric field, it lines up with that field. It is similar to how a compass needle lines up with a magnetic field. Depending on the strength of the electric field, it will even stretch the polar molecule. But it will spring back as soon as the electric field is removed. So, the way a microwave works is, the rapidly oscillating electric field causes the polar molecules to move back and forth, increasing their kinetic energy (or heat). When matter is heated, the atoms and molecules start to vibrate faster. So far, it sounds like the heat from microwaves is no different than the stove. But there is one major difference. Microwaves have a strong electric field.
Electromagnetic radiation is a self-propagating wave composed of two components: an electric field, and a magnetic field. The two fields expand and collapse as they propagate through space. As the electric field collapses, it produces an expanding magnetic field. Conversely, as the magnetic field collapses, it produces an expanding electric field [4]. This is a simple explanation, and there are more details involved.
If the electric field is strong enough, not only will it stretch the molecule, it can also separate the charges enough so that an atom loses an electron. This is ionizing. Or it can separate a molecule. This is similar to electrolysis.
When electricity flows in a conductor, free electrons drift easily in the direction of the electric field. In a non-conductive material, the electrons are tightly bound to the atoms. If the electric field is strong enough, electricity will flow. The non-conductive material often gets destroyed when the electric field is strong enough to ionize the atoms and force conduction, which creates a plasma such as a spark.
A plasma is made of ionized atoms or molecules. A plasma can be formed in a gas, a solid, or even a liquid, but not in a pure vacuum. A plasma being formed in a solid is a foreign concept to some, but familiar to semiconductor physicists. Once the plasma is formed, the resistance drops very low and it conducts electricity easily. This is why arc-welders don't need to use megawatt power supplies. The plasma in the arc has a low resistance.
The electrical resistance of foods can range from low to very high. Many foods will conduct some electricity when placed in an electric field. The electric field in the microwave oven causes electric currents to flow in the food. This is similar to what happens when an antenna picks up current from a radio wave.
Electrical current can also rearrange atoms. For example, in microchips, the wires have to be big enough or the force of the electrons actually can move enough metal so the wire distorts until it breaks [5].
If electric current can rearrange metal, it can also rearrange the atoms in your food, changing the molecular structure. This happens either by ionization, or by momentum transfer from the electron to the atom. This is one reason why nutrients can be destroyed more easily in a microwave oven than on the stove. Even though microwaves are classified as non-ionizing radiation, at sufficient power levels, they can cause ionization such as a plasma [6, 7, 8].
Despite the slang term 'nuke', microwaves are not nuclear radiation. Nuclear radiation consists of high speed alpha particles (helium nucleus), beta particles (high velocity electrons), neutrinos, gamma rays (extremely high energy photons), or high speed neutrons [9]. Nuclear radiation is classified as ionizing radiation [10] because it will ionize matter at any level of radiation. Every radioactive particle has the potential to ionize when it interacts with matter.
Ionizing, or simply displacing a single electron sounds harmless enough, but this is enough energy to destroy biological molecules. This is what kills every living organism that goes through the irradiation [11] process, including the food. Cold pasteurization (a nice name for irradiation) really is nuking your food.
There is a tendency for most microwave users to cook everything on high power, except when defrosting. High is the default setting. The maximum power is also a major selling point for a microwave oven. The higher the power, the stronger the electric field, and the more damaging it is to nutrients. So, the lower the power, the safer. But only some microwave ovens are capable of true low power cooking. The microwave ovens equipped with inverter magnetrons actually reduce the power instead of just cycling it between high and off.
I decided to try microwaving some audio CDs to prove that the power level had an effect on the amount of damage done while cooking to the same temperature. Although it would be an honorable sacrifice in the name of science, rather than use my wife's Barry Manilow collection, I thought it would be more prudent to burn some songs onto identical CDs and experiment on those instead.
I set my inverter-magnetron microwave to cook at 30% power for 3 1/2 minutes. I placed the CD in a plastic bowl and added 1 cup of water at 74°F. After cooking, the temperature was 158°F. I dried off the CD and stuck it in my CD player. It still played. All 16 songs were still ok. I then placed a second, identical CD in the bowl and again added 1 cup of water. I cooked it for one minute on high power. It went from 73°F to 162°F, so it got approximately the same amount of heat. But the CD was visibly very damaged. The CD player obviously couldn't even read it.
Although this was a crude experiment, it illustrates the fact that cooking on high power causes more damage than cooking on low power. So, the higher the power, the more damage it causes, even if the final temperature is the same.
It is a well known fact that raw food is more nutritious than cooked. Cooking food destroys nutrients, whether it's on a stove, or in the microwave oven. But microwaving food on high power can be more destructive than cooking on the stove. So if you use a microwave, use one with an inverter magnetron, and cook on low power. Cooking on true low power (not intermittent high) will greatly reduce the amount of damage done to the food.
Even on low power, I still don't know if a stove or microwave is worse. It's like asking me if I'd rather get beat by a club, or shocked by a taser.
I'll just have my broccoli raw, thank you.
References
[1] http://www.inspiredliving.com/nutrition/nutrient-loss.htm
[2] http://home.howstuffworks.com/microwave1.htm
[3] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microwave_oven
[4] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electromagnetic_wave
[5] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electromigration
[6] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AE3dRBlQjTE
[7] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x1jqSKHfffU
[8] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vCNNqgKqnaQ
[9] http://www.howstuffworks.com/nuclear.htm
[10] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ionizing_radiation
[11] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Food_irradiation
Source:
About the author John Andrews is an electrical engineer currently living in Utah. He earned his bachelor's degree in electrical engineering in 2001 at the University of Utah. John has adopted a whole foods lifestyle rich in raw fruits and vegetables. This lifestyle change has produced a noticeable improvement in physical health, appearance, and mental clarity. He savors knowledge and is eager to teach others how to be healthy.
STAF, Inc. endorses Mr. John Andrews' statement - STAF, Inc. teaches the same principles.
Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/022015_microwave_oven_power.html#ixzz2IMosKSw4
Click green for further info
_____________________________________________________
7 Side Effects of Drinking Diet Soda
Diet soda doesn’t help you lose weight after all - you'll gain weight
"Researchers used voluntary participants to examine factors related to stroke and heart attacks. About 900 participants said they drank no diet soda, and about 160 said they consumed more than one diet soda every day."
A University of Texas Health Science Center study found that the more diet sodas a person drank, the greater their risk of becoming overweight. Downing just two or more cans a day increased waistlines by 500%.
Why? Artificial sweeteners can disrupt the body’s natural ability to regulate calorie intake based on the sweetness of foods, suggested an animal study from Purdue University. That means people who consume diet foods might be more likely to overeat, because your body is being tricked into thinking it’s eating sugar, and you crave more.
Many artificial sweeteners were discovered quite by accident. About 130 years ago, scientists experimenting with coal tar derivatives stumbled upon saccharin. A chemist working on an ulcer drug in the 1960s discovered aspartame, and in 1976, a grad student mistook an order to test some compounds, tasted them, and voila--sucralose (marketed now as Splenda) was born.
Equally intriguing is the fact that artificial sweeteners vary greatly in sweetness: from cyclamates, which are only 45 times as sweet as sugar, to sucralose, that is 600 times sweeter than sugar. Sucralose is derived from sugar, and therefore must be cut with a filler to approximate natural sweetness.
But the granddaddy of sweetness is neotame (the next generation of aspartame), at 13,000 times the sweetness of sugar.
Although sucralose is advertised as being "made from sugar, so it tastes like sugar," the body has no idea what to do with it and so it passes undigested through our system. Ironically, aspartame might claim to be more "natural" than sucralose because the body metabolizes aspartame like a protein.
The artificial sweeteners are not calorie-free and that they can trigger the release of insulin.
Click green for further info
First Deceivingly "Diet"Pop quiz:
What’s the single biggest source of calories for Americans? White bread? Big Macs? Actually, try soda. The average American drinks about two cans of the stuff every day. “But I drink diet soda,” you say. “With no calories or sugar, it’s the perfect alternative for weight watchers…. Right?”
Not so fast. Before you pop the top off the caramel-colored bubbly, know this: guzzling diet soda comes with its own set of side effects that may harm your health—from kickstarting kidney problems to adding inches to your waistline.
Unfortunately, diet soda is more in vogue than ever. Kids consume the stuff at more than double the rate of last decade, according to research in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Among adults, consumption has grown almost 25%.
But knowing these 7 side effects of drinking diet soda may help you kick the can for good.
Information source: American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
(1) Kidney Problems
Here’s something you didn’t know about your diet soda: It might be bad for your kidneys. In an 11-year-long Harvard Medical School study of more than 3,000 women, researchers found that diet cola is associated with a two-fold increased risk for kidney decline. Kidney function started declining when women drank more than two sodas a day. Even more interesting: Since kidney decline was not associated with sugar-sweetened sodas, researchers suspect that the diet sweeteners are responsible.
(2) Messed-Up Metabolism
According to a 2008 University of Minnesota study of almost 10,000 adults, even just one diet soda a day is linked to a 34% higher risk of metabolic syndrome, the group of symptoms including belly fat and high cholesterol that puts you at risk for heart disease. Whether that link is attributed to an ingredient in diet soda or the drinkers’ eating habits is unclear. But is that one can really worth it?
(3) Obesity
You read that right: Diet soda doesn’t help you lose weight after all. A University of Texas Health Science Center study found that the more diet sodas a person drank, the greater their risk of becoming overweight. Downing just two or more cans a day increased waistlines by 500%. Why? Artificial sweeteners can disrupt the body’s natural ability to regulate calorie intake based on the sweetness of foods, suggested an animal study from Purdue University. That means people who consume diet foods might be more likely to overeat, because your body is being tricked into thinking it’s eating sugar, and you crave more.
(4) A Terrible Hangover
Your first bad decision was ordering that Vodka Diet—and you may make the next one sooner than you thought. Cocktails made with diet soda get you drunker, faster, according to a study out of the Royal Adelaide Hospital in Australia. That’s because sugar-free mixers allow liquor to enter your bloodstream much quicker than those with sugar, leaving you with a bigger buzz.
(5) Cell Damage
Diet sodas contain something many regular sodas don’t: mold inhibitors. They go by the names sodium benzoate or potassium benzoate, and they’re in nearly all diet sodas. But many regular, sugary sodas, such as Coke and Pepsi, don’t contain this preservative.
That’s bad news for diet drinkers. "These chemicals have the ability to cause severe damage to DNA in the mitochondria to the point that they totally inactivate it - they knock it out altogether,” Peter Piper, a professor of molecular biology and biotechnology at the University of Sheffield in the U.K., told a British newspaper in 1999. The preservative has also been linked to hives, asthma, and other allergic conditions, according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest.
Since then, some companies have phased out sodium benzoate. Diet Coke and Diet Pepsi have replaced it with another preservative, potassium benzoate. Both sodium and potassium benzoate were classified by the Food Commission in the UK as mild irritants to the skin, eyes, and mucous membranes.
(6) Rotting Teeth
With a pH of 3.2, diet soda is very acidic. (As a point of reference, the pH of battery acid is 1. Water is 7.) The acid is what readily dissolves enamel, and just because a soda is diet doesn't make it acid-light. Adults who drink three or more sodas a day have worse dental health, says a University of Michigan analysis of dental checkup data. Soda drinkers had far greater decay, more missing teeth, and more fillings.
(7) Reproductive Issues
Sometimes, the vessel for your beverage is just as harmful. Diet or not, soft drink cans are coated with the endocrine disruptor bisphenol A (BPA), which has been linked to everything from heart disease to obesity to reproductive problems. That's a lot of risktaking for one can of pop.
===================Break Your Sugar and Starch Addiction
In the world of fantasy wish lists, wouldn't it be great if—instead of prompting us to snack all the time—our bodies would just use up fat we have already stored?
One major reason this doesn't happen has to do with our diets. When you consume starch and refined sugar, these foods enter the bloodstream quickly, causing a sugar spike. Your body then produces the hormone insulin to drive that sugar from your bloodstream into cells. But over time, excessive levels of insulin can make your muscle cells lose sensitivity to the hormone, leading to type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Your fat cells are another story: They always remain sensitive. Insulin spikes lock fat into them, so you can't use it for energy.
How do you break this cycle and get your body to work optimally again? Happily, you don't need to go on an extreme diet. The first step is just to reduce the blood sugar spikes that produce sharp increases of insulin. The substance in our diet that's most responsible for these surges is starch—namely, anything made from potatoes, rice, flour, corn, or other grains. (Think pasta, lasagna, white bread, doughnuts, cookies, and cakes.) You could cut out these foods entirely. But wouldn't it be great if there were a way to solve the problem without completely eliminating these carbs?
It turns out there is. You can blunt the blood sugar-raising effects by taking advantage of natural substances in foods that slow carbohydrate digestion and entry into the bloodstream.
Have a fatty snack 10 to 30 minutes before your meals.
Reason: You remain fuller longer. At the outlet of your stomach is a muscular ring, the pyloric valve. It regulates the speed at which food leaves your stomach and enters your small intestine. This valve is all that stands between the ziti in your stomach and a surge of glucose in your bloodstream. But you can send your pyloric valve a message to slow down. Fat triggers a reflex that constricts the valve and slows digestion. As little as a teaspoon of fat—easily provided by a handful of nuts or a piece of cheese—will do the trick, provided you eat it before your meal.
___________________________________________________________
Do NOT do this every day - perhaps once a week for the whole family for the movie or take with you to the movie theater
- home made is much healthier and costs only a fraction -
Here's a trick to get freshly popped corn at home
without any of the prepackaged stuff
(click green) Also, five fantastic flavorings
How to Make Perfect Popcorn
(and an Excuse to Eat More Butter and Salt)
No salt options given below
Here's a trick to get freshly popped corn at home without any of the prepackaged stuff.Also, five fantastic flavorings
Whenever I'm trying to avoid the siren snack song of crisp, salty tortilla chips (which I can plow through a bag of myself, no problem), I turn to my old pal popcorn. Have you seen how much those 100-calorie microwave bags make? Enough to easily power a Mindy Project marathon (or, at least, an episode). But if your love of popcorn isn't something you're willing to die for this Saturday, National Popcorn Day, and if, frankly, you could care less about the health food aspects, allow us to suggest old-school stove-popped popcorn as 1) the world's best vehicle for butter and salt and 2) so much cheaper than store-bought. In other words: stop buying the microwave bags. Homemade tastes better (what is that orange stuff on the sides of the bags anyway?) and is nearly as easy as pressing the "popcorn" button on the microwave.
Related: Snacks for a Movie Marathon
Can't give up the microwave, no way, no how? Here's a trick: Pour 2 tablespoons of kernels into a paper lunch sack. Fold the top over once and tape closed. Place in the microwave, tape side down, and hit the popcorn button. Stay close and listen until the pops are three seconds apart. Insta-microwave popcorn, no oil, no popcorn lung, and no scary orange stuff. You don't have to stick to just salt...
Popcorn
Makes 2 quarts
2 tablespoons oil
1/3 cup popcorn kernels
salt to taste
2 tablespoons butter, melted (optional)
Heat the oil and salt in a large (at least 3-quart) pot over medium-high heat. Add the kernels and cover.
When the kernels begin to pop, move the lid so it is slightly ajar and steam can escape. Shake the pot gently but continuously over the burner by moving it back and forth.
Continue to shake the pot until popping slows. When there is 3-second lull between pops, remove from heat, uncover, and pour into a bowl. Add melted butter, if using, and toss the popcorn gently to distribute the butter throughout. Add additional salt to taste, if needed.
So beyond salt? Try these 5 flavorings: NO SALT OPTIONS
Truffle & Parmesan
Top popped corn with finely grated parmesan cheese and truffle salt. Toss to combine.
Chile-Lime Popcorn
Top popped corn with lime zest, chile powder, and a sprinkle of cayenne. Toss to combine.
Sugar & Spice Popcorn
In a saucepan over low heat, melt butter with sugar and ground cinnamon. Cook, stirring until sugar dissolves. Pour over popcorn and toss well to coat. homemadesimple.com
Parmesan & Black Pepper
Add a hearty glug of good quality olive oil to the melted butter. Drizzle the butter and olive oil mixture on popped corn. Add finely grated Parmesan cheese and fresh-cracked black pepper, and toss to combine. chow.com
Sriracha Sesame Ginger Popcorn
Add a glug of olive oil, a squirt of Sriracha, sesame seeds, garlic powder and ground ginger to the melted butter, and mix well. Pour over the popcorn and toss well to combine. bakeyourday.com
Related: Click green
8 Ways to Use Your Microwave
STUDY the article next below
Man wins $7 million in popcorn lung lawsuit
Then you'll see that STAF, Inc.'s warnings are real
STAF, Inc. is the leading, new organization for health, wealth and family success
You and your children can have homemade popcorn
maximum once a week
as a home movie, reading, discussion, etc. evening treat
or take a bag for everyone to the movie theater - your own way to 'successfully bring in'
NEVER buy any commercially made popcorn - too unhealthy - teach it to your children, too.
Take STAF, Inc.'s Healthy Lifestyle and Correct Nutrition guidance as your Health Bible
____________
Study the article below and all in STAF, Inc.'s website together as a family with your children
Man wins $7 million in popcorn lung lawsuit
A suburban Denver man who was diagnosed with "popcorn lung," possibly from inhaling the artificial butter smell of the microwave popcorn he regularly ate, has won a $7.2 million verdict against various food companies. (Sept. 20, 2012)
_______________
- home made is much healthier and costs only a fraction -
Here's a trick to get freshly popped corn at home
without any of the prepackaged stuff
(click green) Also, five fantastic flavorings
How to Make Perfect Popcorn
(and an Excuse to Eat More Butter and Salt)
No salt options given below
Here's a trick to get freshly popped corn at home without any of the prepackaged stuff.Also, five fantastic flavorings
Whenever I'm trying to avoid the siren snack song of crisp, salty tortilla chips (which I can plow through a bag of myself, no problem), I turn to my old pal popcorn. Have you seen how much those 100-calorie microwave bags make? Enough to easily power a Mindy Project marathon (or, at least, an episode). But if your love of popcorn isn't something you're willing to die for this Saturday, National Popcorn Day, and if, frankly, you could care less about the health food aspects, allow us to suggest old-school stove-popped popcorn as 1) the world's best vehicle for butter and salt and 2) so much cheaper than store-bought. In other words: stop buying the microwave bags. Homemade tastes better (what is that orange stuff on the sides of the bags anyway?) and is nearly as easy as pressing the "popcorn" button on the microwave.
Related: Snacks for a Movie Marathon
Can't give up the microwave, no way, no how? Here's a trick: Pour 2 tablespoons of kernels into a paper lunch sack. Fold the top over once and tape closed. Place in the microwave, tape side down, and hit the popcorn button. Stay close and listen until the pops are three seconds apart. Insta-microwave popcorn, no oil, no popcorn lung, and no scary orange stuff. You don't have to stick to just salt...
Popcorn
Makes 2 quarts
2 tablespoons oil
1/3 cup popcorn kernels
salt to taste
2 tablespoons butter, melted (optional)
Heat the oil and salt in a large (at least 3-quart) pot over medium-high heat. Add the kernels and cover.
When the kernels begin to pop, move the lid so it is slightly ajar and steam can escape. Shake the pot gently but continuously over the burner by moving it back and forth.
Continue to shake the pot until popping slows. When there is 3-second lull between pops, remove from heat, uncover, and pour into a bowl. Add melted butter, if using, and toss the popcorn gently to distribute the butter throughout. Add additional salt to taste, if needed.
So beyond salt? Try these 5 flavorings: NO SALT OPTIONS
Truffle & Parmesan
Top popped corn with finely grated parmesan cheese and truffle salt. Toss to combine.
Chile-Lime Popcorn
Top popped corn with lime zest, chile powder, and a sprinkle of cayenne. Toss to combine.
Sugar & Spice Popcorn
In a saucepan over low heat, melt butter with sugar and ground cinnamon. Cook, stirring until sugar dissolves. Pour over popcorn and toss well to coat. homemadesimple.com
Parmesan & Black Pepper
Add a hearty glug of good quality olive oil to the melted butter. Drizzle the butter and olive oil mixture on popped corn. Add finely grated Parmesan cheese and fresh-cracked black pepper, and toss to combine. chow.com
Sriracha Sesame Ginger Popcorn
Add a glug of olive oil, a squirt of Sriracha, sesame seeds, garlic powder and ground ginger to the melted butter, and mix well. Pour over the popcorn and toss well to combine. bakeyourday.com
Related: Click green
8 Ways to Use Your Microwave
STUDY the article next below
Man wins $7 million in popcorn lung lawsuit
Then you'll see that STAF, Inc.'s warnings are real
STAF, Inc. is the leading, new organization for health, wealth and family success
You and your children can have homemade popcorn
maximum once a week
as a home movie, reading, discussion, etc. evening treat
or take a bag for everyone to the movie theater - your own way to 'successfully bring in'
NEVER buy any commercially made popcorn - too unhealthy - teach it to your children, too.
Take STAF, Inc.'s Healthy Lifestyle and Correct Nutrition guidance as your Health Bible
____________
Study the article below and all in STAF, Inc.'s website together as a family with your children
Man wins $7 million in popcorn lung lawsuit
A suburban Denver man who was diagnosed with "popcorn lung," possibly from inhaling the artificial butter smell of the microwave popcorn he regularly ate, has won a $7.2 million verdict against various food companies. (Sept. 20, 2012)
_______________
How To Prevent a Hangover
Drink wisely, do not over-drink, then: you will have no hangover.
# 1: Drink only 2 - 3 drinks - no more - Binge drinking is risking your health
If you drink daily - a daily maximum 1 - 2 drinks
One too many drinks
Hey, it happens. You weren’t planning on that one cocktail turning into three (or five), but the next thing you know, you wake up with a headache that makes you wish you’d never been born. Your best bet—of course—is to not drink excessively. But for those times when it does happen, here’s how to deal with it (and avoid it in the first place).
(1) Pre-game wisely
Eat a healthy meal beforehand. Make sure it includes fiber and healthy fat that will stay in the stomach longer to help keep you from getting completely smashed like if you went with an empty stomach.
(2) Guzzle water with your wine
Alternate a glass of water with every one of wine to help you re-hydrate and minimize alcohol's diuretic effects. Bonus: You’ll likely drink less alcohol since you’ll be filling up on water.
(3) Replace the electrolytes
As soon as you get home, drink at least 8 ounces of coconut water to replace the
electrolytes that were depleted by alcohol.
(4) Down some aspirin
Take two aspirin with a full glass of water before bed. The prostaglandin inhibitors (fatty acids that help reduce inflammation) in aspirin can decrease the severity of the hangover. Then take two more in the morning with more water.
(5) Take vitamin B
Because excess alcohol depletes the body of essential B vitamins, take a B-50 complex supplement before bed.
B vitamins help break down alcohol in the body.
(6) Nosh chicken-noodle soup
Slurping the broth will rehydrate you, and the sodium will help you hold onto the fluid you have left. Plus, the carbohydrates in noodles are an easily digestible source of energy, something you’re likely lacking in the morning after.
(7) Exercise The whole “sweating it out” theory is a myth (One drink is metabolized by your body in about an hour), but the endorphin release can make you feel better. Plus, you’ll feel a little less guilty about all the calories you downed last night.
____________________________________________________
Colorado Man Wins $7 Million
in ‘Popcorn Lung’ Lawsuit
Date: September 2012
for "respiratory damage from inadvertently inhaling
excessive amounts of microwave popcorn’s artificial butter smell"
________________________
Popcorn enthusiast Wayne Watson is living proof
that eating two bags of popcorn a day
isn’t just bad for the heart. It’s murder on your lungs, too.
The suburban Denver resident has been awarded $7.2 million after successfully suing Gilster-Mary Lee Corp., The Kroger Co. and Dillon Companies Inc. "for respiratory damage from inadvertently*) inhaling excessive amounts of microwave popcorn’s artificial butter smell".
*) = unwittingly: without knowledge or intention; "he unwittingly deleted the references"
Make your healthier popcorn easily at home -
instructions above in another article, use spices instead of salt
Click green area or title for more info
Watson has “microwave popcorn lung” — we kid you not — a disease first reported among popcorn factory workers. He is the first non-worker to report such symptoms, though his former two-bag-a-day habit puts him at a similar level of exposure. Watson has not eaten a bag of popcorn since 2007.
Apparently, the buttery fumes contain dicetyl, a chemical that can damage the lungs. Watson claimed that the popcorn bags carried no warning of such a side effect. (Dicetyl is no longer added to popcorn butter.)
Defense attorneys argued unsuccessfully that Watson’s years working with carpet cleaners had caused his respiratory issues, which were diagnosed in 2007, KCNC-TV in Denver reported.
Lawyers for grocery chain Kroger were incredulous of Watson’s claims; one told Denver’s CBS4 that he “might as well have warned that there are aliens popping out of the bags because there’s just as much support for that.”
For its part, Gilster-Mary Lee Corp. released a statement.
“Gilster-Mary Lee Corp. has manufactured and provided safe, quality microwave popcorn to consumers for over two decades. We are certainly very disappointed by the decision of the jury in this case in light of the very clear evidence which was presented, including the millions of consumers who have safely used and enjoyed microwave popcorn since it was introduced. We are currently evaluating our next steps in this matter and will assert all rights available to us under the law.”
The real tragedy is that the Stella Awards are no longer handed out–Watson could have tucked another win under his belt.
MORE: NFL Players Have a Higher Risk of Death from Brain Disease
Click green area or title for more info
MORE: Top 10 Outrageous Legal Battles
_____________________________________________________
in ‘Popcorn Lung’ Lawsuit
Date: September 2012
for "respiratory damage from inadvertently inhaling
excessive amounts of microwave popcorn’s artificial butter smell"
________________________
Popcorn enthusiast Wayne Watson is living proof
that eating two bags of popcorn a day
isn’t just bad for the heart. It’s murder on your lungs, too.
The suburban Denver resident has been awarded $7.2 million after successfully suing Gilster-Mary Lee Corp., The Kroger Co. and Dillon Companies Inc. "for respiratory damage from inadvertently*) inhaling excessive amounts of microwave popcorn’s artificial butter smell".
*) = unwittingly: without knowledge or intention; "he unwittingly deleted the references"
Make your healthier popcorn easily at home -
instructions above in another article, use spices instead of salt
Click green area or title for more info
Watson has “microwave popcorn lung” — we kid you not — a disease first reported among popcorn factory workers. He is the first non-worker to report such symptoms, though his former two-bag-a-day habit puts him at a similar level of exposure. Watson has not eaten a bag of popcorn since 2007.
Apparently, the buttery fumes contain dicetyl, a chemical that can damage the lungs. Watson claimed that the popcorn bags carried no warning of such a side effect. (Dicetyl is no longer added to popcorn butter.)
Defense attorneys argued unsuccessfully that Watson’s years working with carpet cleaners had caused his respiratory issues, which were diagnosed in 2007, KCNC-TV in Denver reported.
Lawyers for grocery chain Kroger were incredulous of Watson’s claims; one told Denver’s CBS4 that he “might as well have warned that there are aliens popping out of the bags because there’s just as much support for that.”
For its part, Gilster-Mary Lee Corp. released a statement.
“Gilster-Mary Lee Corp. has manufactured and provided safe, quality microwave popcorn to consumers for over two decades. We are certainly very disappointed by the decision of the jury in this case in light of the very clear evidence which was presented, including the millions of consumers who have safely used and enjoyed microwave popcorn since it was introduced. We are currently evaluating our next steps in this matter and will assert all rights available to us under the law.”
The real tragedy is that the Stella Awards are no longer handed out–Watson could have tucked another win under his belt.
MORE: NFL Players Have a Higher Risk of Death from Brain Disease
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MORE: Top 10 Outrageous Legal Battles
_____________________________________________________
Paula Deen Attributes Her 36-Pound Weight Loss Success to ‘Moderation’ and ‘Normal Portion Size’
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Celeb chef Paula Deen is an American cook, cooking show host, restaurateur, author, actress and Emmy Award-winning television personality- click: Wikipedia
She has lost 36 pounds from her 5-foot-6 frame since her announcement a year ago that she was battling type 2 diabetes
She has adapted (1) moderation and (2) smaller portion size
- two good and important principles for weight loss & healthy weight management -
Do the same as celeb chef Paula Deen tells in this article
Adapt the new Healthy Lifestyle & Correct Nutrition program developed by STAF, Inc. based on a worldwide research and on the past 7 years to modify the program for the U.S. use. STAF, Inc. will introduce the program in D.C. in a nationwide televised event. This new program is an automatic weight loss program, will save every year billions for the federal government in health/sickness care costs, will save millions of human lives every year, and will ease much of human suffering.
The famous foodie says small changes to her diet have helped her shed 36 pounds.
What she hasn't given up
Nearly a year ago, Paula Deen announced that she was living with type 2 diabetes. Since then she has shed a total of 36 pounds – and she’s keeping off the weight.
"It's about moderation,” the 65-year-old Southern chef says in the February issue ofWoman’s Day. “I just needed to learn to eat a normal portion size and not overindulge.”
See More of Paula Deen’s Diet Rules in Woman’s Day
In addition to regularly walking on a treadmill, she has overhauled her diet, with an emphasis on portion control. The foodie still eats many of her favorite things – including her famous peanut butter pie – but she does so on a much smaller scale. "It's amazing how little changes will give you big results," she tells the magazine.
Read The Paula Deen Interview in Woman’s Day
While the the 5-foot-6 foodie’s typical dinner used to include chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes with gravy, green beans with bacon, and biscuits that were “so good – I'm not gonna lie," she tells Woman’s Day, her plate looks much different these days. "Now we do a 3-oz portion of steak, which my husband, Michael, weighs on a scale, and I'll sear it in a skillet or put it on the grill. We'll sauté the green beans but without bacon. And maybe a tomato salad with onions. No bread!"
A Look Inside Paula Deen’s Home
Deen hasn’t completely changed though. "In my refrigerator, there's no light mayonnaise," Deen says. "I'd rather eat less of the real thing and have it taste really good than have diet stuff that tastes awful." To offset things like real mayo, she eats plenty of greens – and enjoys every bite. "I'm on a Brussels sprout kick! They're selling them in those microwave steam bags, so I steam them, then put them in a frying pan with a little butter and olive oil until some of the outer leaves start getting a little brown. They're out of this world."
(Melanie Dunea/Woman's Day)This new lifestyle is a drastic change for Deen, who built her food empire by sharing high-calorie recipes with her fans on her cooking shows and in her books and magazine. One of her most famous creations, The Lady’s Brunch Burger, was a hamburger topped with bacon and a fried egg on two doughnuts – and let’s not forget the Twinkie Pie or Deep-Fried Stuffing on a Stick. But she had to rethink her way of cooking in January 2012 when she announced she had quietly been suffering from diabetes for three years. And her announcement – which was timed with an endorsement deal for a diabetes drug – caused a wide-spread backlash about her motivation for speaking out in the first place.
Five Healthier Recipes From The Deens
"Honey, I was in denial – for a couple of years," she tells Woman’s Day about why it took so long for her go public with her diagnosis and change her ways. But she’s not looking back. “I want to be here for my grandchildren. I think about them every day. My daddy was dead at 40. My mother was dead at 44. And look – I'm 65 and I'm still here! Go, 65! Waking up every morning is very exciting for me, to see what the day is going to bring."
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Source: Woman's Day interview
This is for your private use, only
Can be used for educational purposes
Click green above for further info
____________________________________________________
Click green for further info
Celeb chef Paula Deen is an American cook, cooking show host, restaurateur, author, actress and Emmy Award-winning television personality- click: Wikipedia
She has lost 36 pounds from her 5-foot-6 frame since her announcement a year ago that she was battling type 2 diabetes
She has adapted (1) moderation and (2) smaller portion size
- two good and important principles for weight loss & healthy weight management -
Do the same as celeb chef Paula Deen tells in this article
Adapt the new Healthy Lifestyle & Correct Nutrition program developed by STAF, Inc. based on a worldwide research and on the past 7 years to modify the program for the U.S. use. STAF, Inc. will introduce the program in D.C. in a nationwide televised event. This new program is an automatic weight loss program, will save every year billions for the federal government in health/sickness care costs, will save millions of human lives every year, and will ease much of human suffering.
The famous foodie says small changes to her diet have helped her shed 36 pounds.
What she hasn't given up
Nearly a year ago, Paula Deen announced that she was living with type 2 diabetes. Since then she has shed a total of 36 pounds – and she’s keeping off the weight.
"It's about moderation,” the 65-year-old Southern chef says in the February issue ofWoman’s Day. “I just needed to learn to eat a normal portion size and not overindulge.”
See More of Paula Deen’s Diet Rules in Woman’s Day
In addition to regularly walking on a treadmill, she has overhauled her diet, with an emphasis on portion control. The foodie still eats many of her favorite things – including her famous peanut butter pie – but she does so on a much smaller scale. "It's amazing how little changes will give you big results," she tells the magazine.
Read The Paula Deen Interview in Woman’s Day
While the the 5-foot-6 foodie’s typical dinner used to include chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes with gravy, green beans with bacon, and biscuits that were “so good – I'm not gonna lie," she tells Woman’s Day, her plate looks much different these days. "Now we do a 3-oz portion of steak, which my husband, Michael, weighs on a scale, and I'll sear it in a skillet or put it on the grill. We'll sauté the green beans but without bacon. And maybe a tomato salad with onions. No bread!"
A Look Inside Paula Deen’s Home
Deen hasn’t completely changed though. "In my refrigerator, there's no light mayonnaise," Deen says. "I'd rather eat less of the real thing and have it taste really good than have diet stuff that tastes awful." To offset things like real mayo, she eats plenty of greens – and enjoys every bite. "I'm on a Brussels sprout kick! They're selling them in those microwave steam bags, so I steam them, then put them in a frying pan with a little butter and olive oil until some of the outer leaves start getting a little brown. They're out of this world."
(Melanie Dunea/Woman's Day)This new lifestyle is a drastic change for Deen, who built her food empire by sharing high-calorie recipes with her fans on her cooking shows and in her books and magazine. One of her most famous creations, The Lady’s Brunch Burger, was a hamburger topped with bacon and a fried egg on two doughnuts – and let’s not forget the Twinkie Pie or Deep-Fried Stuffing on a Stick. But she had to rethink her way of cooking in January 2012 when she announced she had quietly been suffering from diabetes for three years. And her announcement – which was timed with an endorsement deal for a diabetes drug – caused a wide-spread backlash about her motivation for speaking out in the first place.
Five Healthier Recipes From The Deens
"Honey, I was in denial – for a couple of years," she tells Woman’s Day about why it took so long for her go public with her diagnosis and change her ways. But she’s not looking back. “I want to be here for my grandchildren. I think about them every day. My daddy was dead at 40. My mother was dead at 44. And look – I'm 65 and I'm still here! Go, 65! Waking up every morning is very exciting for me, to see what the day is going to bring."
Click green above for further info
Source: Woman's Day interview
This is for your private use, only
Can be used for educational purposes
- Six habits of remarkably likable people
The way Nelson Mandela greets people is a significant part of his appeal - Ten best ingredients to battle bloating
- Lose weight while eating out? Here's how
- Newborns know their native tongue hours after birth
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____________________________________________________
Best foods for every vitamin and mineral
You don't have to eat much 1 sweet side dish to help prevent vision loss & the flu
click green title Lower heart disease risk
Vitamin A
Why you need it: The vitamin A family plays a key role in immunity, reproductive behaviors, and especially vision. The A vitamins, which include beta-carotene, help the retina, cornea, and membranes of the eye to function properly.
Where to get it: The highest concentration of vitamin A is found in sweet potatoes; just one medium-sized baked sweet potato contains more than 28,000 international units (IU) of vitamin A, or 561% of your recommended daily value (DV). Beef liver, spinach, fish, milk, eggs, and carrots also are good sources.
Vitamin B6
Why you need it: Vitamin B6 is an umbrella term for six different compounds that have similar effects on the body. These compounds metabolize foods, help form hemoglobin (part of your red blood cells), stabilize blood sugar, and make antibodies that fight disease.
Where to get it: Fish, beef liver, and poultry are all good sources of B6, but the food richest in this vitamin—good news for vegetarians—is the chickpea, or garbanzo bean. One cup of canned chickpeas contains 1.1 milligrams (mg) of vitamin B6, or 55% of your DV.
You don't have to eat much 1 sweet side dish to help prevent vision loss & the flu
click green title Lower heart disease risk
Vitamin A
Why you need it: The vitamin A family plays a key role in immunity, reproductive behaviors, and especially vision. The A vitamins, which include beta-carotene, help the retina, cornea, and membranes of the eye to function properly.
Where to get it: The highest concentration of vitamin A is found in sweet potatoes; just one medium-sized baked sweet potato contains more than 28,000 international units (IU) of vitamin A, or 561% of your recommended daily value (DV). Beef liver, spinach, fish, milk, eggs, and carrots also are good sources.
Vitamin B6
Why you need it: Vitamin B6 is an umbrella term for six different compounds that have similar effects on the body. These compounds metabolize foods, help form hemoglobin (part of your red blood cells), stabilize blood sugar, and make antibodies that fight disease.
Where to get it: Fish, beef liver, and poultry are all good sources of B6, but the food richest in this vitamin—good news for vegetarians—is the chickpea, or garbanzo bean. One cup of canned chickpeas contains 1.1 milligrams (mg) of vitamin B6, or 55% of your DV.
- Vitamin B12
- Why you need it: Vitamin B12 is vital for healthy nervous-system function and for the formation of DNA and red blood cells. It helps guard against anemia, a blood condition that causes fatigue and weakness.
Where to get it: Animal products are your best bet for B12. Cooked clams have the highest concentration of any food, with 84 micrograms (mcg)—a whopping 1,402% of your DV—in just 3 ounces. (One milligram equals 1,000 micrograms.) Vitamin B12 also occurs naturally in beef liver, trout, salmon, and tuna, and is added to many breakfast cereal - Vitamin C
- Why you need it: Vitamin C is an important antioxidant, and it's also a necessary ingredient in several key bodily processes, such as protein metabolism and the synthesis of neurotransmitters.
Where to get it: Most people think citrus when they think of vitamin C, but sweet red peppers actually contain more of the vitamin than any other food: 95 mg per serving (well ahead of oranges and just edging out orange juice, at 93 mg per serving). Other good sources include kiwi fruit, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and cantaloupe.
Six Top-Healthy Superfoods
You're Not Eating at all or you are eating them too little
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Seaweed
Perhaps most commonly eaten wrapped around a sushi roll, nori is loaded with iodine, a mineral essential for proper thyroid function. While iodized salt was introduced in 1924 to prevent goiter, the increased emphasis on low-sodium diets and the popularity of sea salt, which often doesn't contain iodine, have recently resurfaced concerns about getting enough iodine. This trace mineral isn't the only benefit of sea vegetables. Nori contains high levels of vitamin K and iron, micronutrients essential for proper cellular function. Look for nori pieces in the international section of your supermarket and crumble them on top of chili, soups, and salads. (This will add a little extra salty flavor, so if you are salt sensitive, use less in your recipe.)
Related: The Best and Worst Sushi for Weight Loss
Sauerkraut
Considering cabbage is low-carb, high-fiber, and contains cancer-fighting 3-indole carbinol and d-glucarate, a compound that works to clear excess estrogen, the veggie is already a superfood. Fermenting it into sauerkraut, however, puts it on nutritional steroids. The probiotics that drive fermentation also help repopulate your digestive system with healthy, hardworking good bacteria that lower inflammation, improve digestion, and maybe even aid in weight loss. Plus fermentation increases the bioavailablity of the antioxidants found in cabbage, and the longer cabbage ferments, the higher the levels of antioxidants become, meaning your body can better absorb and use them.
Hemp Seeds
No, these will not make you high. While hemp and marijuana are kissing cousins, the amount of THC in hemp is almost nonexistent. In 2004, the DEA's ban on hemp seeds and oil due to their trace THC content was overruled, and hemp is not considered a drug. The seeds are powerful, however, as two tablespoons contains 400 milligrams of anti-inflammatory gamma-linolenic acid and 2 grams of omega-3 fats, plus all nine essential amino acids, compounds that help maximize recovery from workouts.
Shirataki Noodles
Pasta lovers, it's time to throw an Italian feast: Now you can enjoy your noodles for 20 calories and 5 carbs (and some brands have even less of both!) per serving. Shirataki noodles are made from the konjac plant, the same plant that we get the fiber and satiety supplement glucomannan from-read: They keep you full. Shirataki don't have much flavor and come in every shape from angel to fettuccine to penne and more, so you can use them in any pasta recipe. Just take them out of the bag, rinse thoroughly, and heat, and they're ready to toss into stroganoff, primavera, or whatever you're craving.
Related: 10 Healthy Sweet Potato Recipes
Beets
After a study showed that beets can improve performance and reduce the amount of oxygen needed to complete a cardio session, the sports and fitness community has been raving about the root veggie and its juice. Beets contain nitrates, which are used in the production of nitric oxide, a compound that makes blood vessels dilate, allowing more blood and oxygen to flow to your working muscles. Enjoy them raw, cooked, or juiced.
Asparagus
Vitamin K is important for blood clotting and B vitamins are necessary for energy metabolism, and you can find both in asparagus. Not only is a stalk only three calories, but a recent study in the Journal of Food Science reported that asparagus can aid the body in accelerating the metabolism of alcohol. Next time you host a cocktail party, serve this superfood wrapped in prosciutto for tasty, low-carb, high-protein hors d'oeuvres that will help your guests wake up hangover-free in the morning.
More from Shape: 10 Tiny Changes to Get Flat Abs Faster
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You're Not Eating at all or you are eating them too little
Click green for further info
Seaweed
Perhaps most commonly eaten wrapped around a sushi roll, nori is loaded with iodine, a mineral essential for proper thyroid function. While iodized salt was introduced in 1924 to prevent goiter, the increased emphasis on low-sodium diets and the popularity of sea salt, which often doesn't contain iodine, have recently resurfaced concerns about getting enough iodine. This trace mineral isn't the only benefit of sea vegetables. Nori contains high levels of vitamin K and iron, micronutrients essential for proper cellular function. Look for nori pieces in the international section of your supermarket and crumble them on top of chili, soups, and salads. (This will add a little extra salty flavor, so if you are salt sensitive, use less in your recipe.)
Related: The Best and Worst Sushi for Weight Loss
Sauerkraut
Considering cabbage is low-carb, high-fiber, and contains cancer-fighting 3-indole carbinol and d-glucarate, a compound that works to clear excess estrogen, the veggie is already a superfood. Fermenting it into sauerkraut, however, puts it on nutritional steroids. The probiotics that drive fermentation also help repopulate your digestive system with healthy, hardworking good bacteria that lower inflammation, improve digestion, and maybe even aid in weight loss. Plus fermentation increases the bioavailablity of the antioxidants found in cabbage, and the longer cabbage ferments, the higher the levels of antioxidants become, meaning your body can better absorb and use them.
Hemp Seeds
No, these will not make you high. While hemp and marijuana are kissing cousins, the amount of THC in hemp is almost nonexistent. In 2004, the DEA's ban on hemp seeds and oil due to their trace THC content was overruled, and hemp is not considered a drug. The seeds are powerful, however, as two tablespoons contains 400 milligrams of anti-inflammatory gamma-linolenic acid and 2 grams of omega-3 fats, plus all nine essential amino acids, compounds that help maximize recovery from workouts.
Shirataki Noodles
Pasta lovers, it's time to throw an Italian feast: Now you can enjoy your noodles for 20 calories and 5 carbs (and some brands have even less of both!) per serving. Shirataki noodles are made from the konjac plant, the same plant that we get the fiber and satiety supplement glucomannan from-read: They keep you full. Shirataki don't have much flavor and come in every shape from angel to fettuccine to penne and more, so you can use them in any pasta recipe. Just take them out of the bag, rinse thoroughly, and heat, and they're ready to toss into stroganoff, primavera, or whatever you're craving.
Related: 10 Healthy Sweet Potato Recipes
Beets
After a study showed that beets can improve performance and reduce the amount of oxygen needed to complete a cardio session, the sports and fitness community has been raving about the root veggie and its juice. Beets contain nitrates, which are used in the production of nitric oxide, a compound that makes blood vessels dilate, allowing more blood and oxygen to flow to your working muscles. Enjoy them raw, cooked, or juiced.
Asparagus
Vitamin K is important for blood clotting and B vitamins are necessary for energy metabolism, and you can find both in asparagus. Not only is a stalk only three calories, but a recent study in the Journal of Food Science reported that asparagus can aid the body in accelerating the metabolism of alcohol. Next time you host a cocktail party, serve this superfood wrapped in prosciutto for tasty, low-carb, high-protein hors d'oeuvres that will help your guests wake up hangover-free in the morning.
More from Shape: 10 Tiny Changes to Get Flat Abs Faster
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Calcium
Why you need it: Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the body. More than 99% is stored in—and helps fortify—teeth and bones, while the remainder goes toward blood vessel and muscle function, cell communication, and hormone secretion.
Where to get it: Dairy products contain the highest amounts of naturally occurring calcium; plain low-fat yogurt leads the pack with 415 mg (42% DV) per serving. Dark, leafy greens (such as kale and Chinese cabbage) are another natural source of calcium, which can also be found in fortified fruit juices and cereals.
Vitamin D
Why you need it: Vitamin D, which our body generates on its own when our skin is exposed to sunlight, helps spur calcium absorption and bone growth. It's also important for cell growth, immunity, and the reduction of inflammation.
Where to get it: Fatty fishes—including swordfish, salmon, and mackerel—are among the few naturally occurring dietary sources of vitamin D. (Cod liver oil is tops, with 1,360 IU per tablespoon, while swordfish is second with 566 IU, or 142% DV.) Most people tend to consume vitamin D via fortified foods such as milk, breakfast cereals, yogurt, and orange juice.
Vitamin E
Why you need it: Vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant that protects cells from the harmful molecules known as free radicals. It's important for immunity, and for healthy blood vessel function and clotting (such as occurs when you cut yourself).
Where to get it: While wheat germ oil packs more vitamin E than any other food source (20.3 mg per serving, or 100% DV), most people will find it easier to get their vitamin E from sunflower seeds (7.4 mg per ounce, 37% DV) or almonds (6.8 mg per ounce, 34% DV).
B9 = Folate (natural) - B9 = Folic Acid (man-made form of folate)Why you need it: For pregnant women, folate—a type of B vitamin—can help prevent birth defects. For everyone else, it helps new tissues and proteins form.
Where to get it: Folate is found in a wide variety of foods, including dark leafy green vegetables, fruit, nuts, and dairy products. Beef liver has the highest concentration, but if liver's not to your taste, spinach also has plenty: 131 mcg per half cup (boiled), or 33% of your DV. Folic acid, a man-made form of folate, is also added to many breads, cereals, and grains.
Why you need it: Proteins in our body use this metal to transport oxygen and grow cells. Most of the body's iron is found in hemoglobin, the protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen to tissues all over the body.
Where to get it: There are two forms of dietary iron: heme iron (found in animal foods such as red meat, fish, and poultry) and nonheme iron (found in plant sources like lentils and beans). Chicken liver contains the most heme iron of any food, with 11 mg per serving, or 61% of your DV.
Iron
Why you need it: Proteins in our body use this metal to transport oxygen and grow cells. Most of the body's iron is found in hemoglobin, the protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen to tissues all over the body.
Where to get it: There are two forms of dietary iron: heme iron (found in animal foods such as red meat, fish, and poultry) and nonheme iron (found in plant sources like lentils and beans). Chicken liver contains the most heme iron of any food, with 11 mg per serving, or 61% of your DV.
Vitamin K
Why you need it: Vitamin K is a crucial ingredient in coagulation, or blood clotting. Without it, your body would not be able to stop bleeding when you bruise or cut yourself.
Where to get it: Green, leafy vegetables are the best source of this vitamin, also known as phylloquinone. Kale leads the pack with 1.1 mg per cup, followed by collard greens and spinach (about 1 mg per cup), and more exotic varieties like turnip, mustard, and beet greens.
Lycopene
Why you need it: This chemical pigment, found in red fruits and vegetables, appears to have antioxidant properties. Some studies suggest that lycopene may help guard against a range of ailments, including heart disease and several different types of cancer.
Where to get it: Tomatoes are the best-known source of lycopene, and sure enough, tomato products—such as sauces, pastes, and purees—contain up to 75 mg per cup. Raw, unprocessed tomatoes aren't as lycopene-rich, however, and watermelon actually contains more per serving: about 12 mg per wedge, versus about 3 mg per tomato.
Lysine
Why you need it: Lysine, also known as l-lysine, is an amino acid that helps the body absorb calcium and form collagen for bones and connective tissue. It also plays a role in the production of carnitine, a nutrient that helps regulate cholesterol levels.
Where to get it: Protein-rich animal foods, especially red meat, are good sources of lysine, as are nuts, legumes, and soybeans.
Magnesium
Why you need it: The body uses magnesium in more than 300 biochemical reactions. These include maintaining muscle and nerve function, keeping heart rhythm steady, and keeping bones strong.
Where to get it: Wheat bran has the highest amount of magnesium per serving (89 mg per quarter-cup, or 22% of your DV), but you have to eat unrefined grains to get the benefit; when the germ and bran are removed from wheat (as is the case with white and refined breads), the magnesium is also lost. Other good sources of the mineral include almonds, cashews, and green vegetables such as spinach
Niacin
Why you need it: Niacin, like its fellow B vitamins, is important for converting food into energy. It also helps the digestive system, skin, and nerves to function properly.
Where to get it: Dried yeast is a top source of niacin, but for something more appetizing, try peanuts or peanut butter; one cup of raw peanuts contains 17.6 mg, more than 100% of your DV. Beef and chicken liver are particularly niacin-rich, as well.
Omega-3 fatty acids
Why you need it: Fats get a bad rap, but certain types of fats—including omega-3 fatty acids, a type of polyunsaturated fat—are actually very healthy in moderation. Omega-3s contribute to brain health and may help reduce inflammation.
Where to get it: There are two categories of omega-3 fatty acids: Alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) is found in plant sources such as vegetable oil, green vegetables, nuts, and seeds, while eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)—the second category—are found in fatty fish. One cup of tuna salad contains about 8.5 grams of polyunsaturated fatty acids.
Potassium
Why you need it: Potassium is an essential electrolyte, needed to control the electrical activity of the heart. It is also used to build proteins and muscle, and to break down carbohydrates into energy.
Where to get it: One medium-sized baked sweet potato contains nearly 700 mg of potassium. Tomato paste, beet greens, and regular potatoes are also good sources, as are red meat, chicken, and fish.
Riboflavin
Why you need it: Riboflavin—yet another B vitamin—is an antioxidant that helps the body fight disease, create energy, and produce red blood cells.
Where to get it: At nearly 3 milligrams per 3-ounce serving, beef liver is the richest source of naturally occurring riboflavin. Not in the mood for liver? Luckily, fortified cereals (like Total or Kellogg's All-Bran) provide nearly as much of the vitamin in a far more convenient (and palatable) package.
Selenium
Why you need it: Selenium is a mineral with antioxidant properties. The body only requires small amounts of it, but it plays a large role in preventing chronic diseases. It also helps regulate thyroid function and the immune system.
Where to get it: Just six to eight Brazil nuts provide 544 mcg of selenium—that's 777% of your DV. Too much selenium can actually be harmful, however, so stick with the mineral's number-two food source—canned tuna (68 mg per 3 ounces, or 97% DV)—except on special occasions.
Thiamin
Why you need it: Thiamin, also known as vitamin B1, helps the body turn carbohydrates into energy. It's also an important nutrient for keeping the brain and nervous system running properly.
Where to get it: As with riboflavin, dried yeast is the best food source for thiamin, containing 11 mg per 100-gram serving. However, you may find it easier to get your fill of thiamin with runners-up pine nuts (1.2 mg per serving) and soybeans (1.1 mg).
Zinc
Why you need it: Zinc has been shown to play a role in immune function (you've probably seen it in cold remedies), and it's also important for your senses of taste and smell.
Where to get it: Oysters contain more zinc per serving than any other food (74 mg per serving, or nearly 500% of DV), but people more often consume zinc in red meat and poultry. Three ounces of beef chuck roast, for example, contains 7 mg. Alaska King crab is a good source of the mineral, as well.
Why you need it: Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the body. More than 99% is stored in—and helps fortify—teeth and bones, while the remainder goes toward blood vessel and muscle function, cell communication, and hormone secretion.
Where to get it: Dairy products contain the highest amounts of naturally occurring calcium; plain low-fat yogurt leads the pack with 415 mg (42% DV) per serving. Dark, leafy greens (such as kale and Chinese cabbage) are another natural source of calcium, which can also be found in fortified fruit juices and cereals.
Vitamin D
Why you need it: Vitamin D, which our body generates on its own when our skin is exposed to sunlight, helps spur calcium absorption and bone growth. It's also important for cell growth, immunity, and the reduction of inflammation.
Where to get it: Fatty fishes—including swordfish, salmon, and mackerel—are among the few naturally occurring dietary sources of vitamin D. (Cod liver oil is tops, with 1,360 IU per tablespoon, while swordfish is second with 566 IU, or 142% DV.) Most people tend to consume vitamin D via fortified foods such as milk, breakfast cereals, yogurt, and orange juice.
Vitamin E
Why you need it: Vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant that protects cells from the harmful molecules known as free radicals. It's important for immunity, and for healthy blood vessel function and clotting (such as occurs when you cut yourself).
Where to get it: While wheat germ oil packs more vitamin E than any other food source (20.3 mg per serving, or 100% DV), most people will find it easier to get their vitamin E from sunflower seeds (7.4 mg per ounce, 37% DV) or almonds (6.8 mg per ounce, 34% DV).
B9 = Folate (natural) - B9 = Folic Acid (man-made form of folate)Why you need it: For pregnant women, folate—a type of B vitamin—can help prevent birth defects. For everyone else, it helps new tissues and proteins form.
Where to get it: Folate is found in a wide variety of foods, including dark leafy green vegetables, fruit, nuts, and dairy products. Beef liver has the highest concentration, but if liver's not to your taste, spinach also has plenty: 131 mcg per half cup (boiled), or 33% of your DV. Folic acid, a man-made form of folate, is also added to many breads, cereals, and grains.
Why you need it: Proteins in our body use this metal to transport oxygen and grow cells. Most of the body's iron is found in hemoglobin, the protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen to tissues all over the body.
Where to get it: There are two forms of dietary iron: heme iron (found in animal foods such as red meat, fish, and poultry) and nonheme iron (found in plant sources like lentils and beans). Chicken liver contains the most heme iron of any food, with 11 mg per serving, or 61% of your DV.
Iron
Why you need it: Proteins in our body use this metal to transport oxygen and grow cells. Most of the body's iron is found in hemoglobin, the protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen to tissues all over the body.
Where to get it: There are two forms of dietary iron: heme iron (found in animal foods such as red meat, fish, and poultry) and nonheme iron (found in plant sources like lentils and beans). Chicken liver contains the most heme iron of any food, with 11 mg per serving, or 61% of your DV.
Vitamin K
Why you need it: Vitamin K is a crucial ingredient in coagulation, or blood clotting. Without it, your body would not be able to stop bleeding when you bruise or cut yourself.
Where to get it: Green, leafy vegetables are the best source of this vitamin, also known as phylloquinone. Kale leads the pack with 1.1 mg per cup, followed by collard greens and spinach (about 1 mg per cup), and more exotic varieties like turnip, mustard, and beet greens.
Lycopene
Why you need it: This chemical pigment, found in red fruits and vegetables, appears to have antioxidant properties. Some studies suggest that lycopene may help guard against a range of ailments, including heart disease and several different types of cancer.
Where to get it: Tomatoes are the best-known source of lycopene, and sure enough, tomato products—such as sauces, pastes, and purees—contain up to 75 mg per cup. Raw, unprocessed tomatoes aren't as lycopene-rich, however, and watermelon actually contains more per serving: about 12 mg per wedge, versus about 3 mg per tomato.
Lysine
Why you need it: Lysine, also known as l-lysine, is an amino acid that helps the body absorb calcium and form collagen for bones and connective tissue. It also plays a role in the production of carnitine, a nutrient that helps regulate cholesterol levels.
Where to get it: Protein-rich animal foods, especially red meat, are good sources of lysine, as are nuts, legumes, and soybeans.
Magnesium
Why you need it: The body uses magnesium in more than 300 biochemical reactions. These include maintaining muscle and nerve function, keeping heart rhythm steady, and keeping bones strong.
Where to get it: Wheat bran has the highest amount of magnesium per serving (89 mg per quarter-cup, or 22% of your DV), but you have to eat unrefined grains to get the benefit; when the germ and bran are removed from wheat (as is the case with white and refined breads), the magnesium is also lost. Other good sources of the mineral include almonds, cashews, and green vegetables such as spinach
Niacin
Why you need it: Niacin, like its fellow B vitamins, is important for converting food into energy. It also helps the digestive system, skin, and nerves to function properly.
Where to get it: Dried yeast is a top source of niacin, but for something more appetizing, try peanuts or peanut butter; one cup of raw peanuts contains 17.6 mg, more than 100% of your DV. Beef and chicken liver are particularly niacin-rich, as well.
Omega-3 fatty acids
Why you need it: Fats get a bad rap, but certain types of fats—including omega-3 fatty acids, a type of polyunsaturated fat—are actually very healthy in moderation. Omega-3s contribute to brain health and may help reduce inflammation.
Where to get it: There are two categories of omega-3 fatty acids: Alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) is found in plant sources such as vegetable oil, green vegetables, nuts, and seeds, while eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)—the second category—are found in fatty fish. One cup of tuna salad contains about 8.5 grams of polyunsaturated fatty acids.
Potassium
Why you need it: Potassium is an essential electrolyte, needed to control the electrical activity of the heart. It is also used to build proteins and muscle, and to break down carbohydrates into energy.
Where to get it: One medium-sized baked sweet potato contains nearly 700 mg of potassium. Tomato paste, beet greens, and regular potatoes are also good sources, as are red meat, chicken, and fish.
Riboflavin
Why you need it: Riboflavin—yet another B vitamin—is an antioxidant that helps the body fight disease, create energy, and produce red blood cells.
Where to get it: At nearly 3 milligrams per 3-ounce serving, beef liver is the richest source of naturally occurring riboflavin. Not in the mood for liver? Luckily, fortified cereals (like Total or Kellogg's All-Bran) provide nearly as much of the vitamin in a far more convenient (and palatable) package.
Selenium
Why you need it: Selenium is a mineral with antioxidant properties. The body only requires small amounts of it, but it plays a large role in preventing chronic diseases. It also helps regulate thyroid function and the immune system.
Where to get it: Just six to eight Brazil nuts provide 544 mcg of selenium—that's 777% of your DV. Too much selenium can actually be harmful, however, so stick with the mineral's number-two food source—canned tuna (68 mg per 3 ounces, or 97% DV)—except on special occasions.
Thiamin
Why you need it: Thiamin, also known as vitamin B1, helps the body turn carbohydrates into energy. It's also an important nutrient for keeping the brain and nervous system running properly.
Where to get it: As with riboflavin, dried yeast is the best food source for thiamin, containing 11 mg per 100-gram serving. However, you may find it easier to get your fill of thiamin with runners-up pine nuts (1.2 mg per serving) and soybeans (1.1 mg).
Zinc
Why you need it: Zinc has been shown to play a role in immune function (you've probably seen it in cold remedies), and it's also important for your senses of taste and smell.
Where to get it: Oysters contain more zinc per serving than any other food (74 mg per serving, or nearly 500% of DV), but people more often consume zinc in red meat and poultry. Three ounces of beef chuck roast, for example, contains 7 mg. Alaska King crab is a good source of the mineral, as well.
‘Dystextia':
Gibberish texts sound stroke alarm
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Imagine you were a devoted husband, waiting to hear from your wife about her due date after a visit to the obstetrician, and you saw these on your phone:
"every where thinging days nighing"
"Some is where!"
That's what happened last December to a Boston-area man, who knew that autocorrect - known for its bizarre replacements - was turned off on his 11-week-pregnant wife's phone.
You'd probably be tempted to make sure your wife, 25, got to the emergency room. When she did, doctors noted several signs of a stroke, including disorientation, inability to use her right arm and leg properly and some difficulty speaking.
A magnetic resonance imaging scan - MRI - revealed that part of the woman's brain wasn't getting enough blood, clinching the diagnosis. Fortunately, her symptoms went away quickly, and the rest of the pregnancy went just fine after she went home from the hospital on low-dose blood thinners.
The case, say three doctors from Boston's Harvard Medical School who reported it online today in the Archives of Neurology, suggests that "the growing digital record will likely become an increasingly important means of identifying neurologic disease, particularly in patient populations that rely more heavily on written rather than spoken communication."
The authors describe the phenomenon as "dystextia," which is the word used by other doctors in an earlier case involving a migraine, and symptoms of a stroke diagnosed for other reasons.
"In her case, the first evidence of language difficulties came from her unintelligible texts," one of the report's authors, Dr. Joshua Klein, told Reuters Health by email.
Strokes are rare in women aged 15 to 34, with about 11,000 per year, according to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published last year.
Dr. Sean Savitz, who directs the stroke program at the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston, said he has seen a few patients who sent emails suggesting they were having difficulty with language, a condition known as aphasia.
Such clues usually come with other information however. In this case, for example, the patient's obstetrician's office later remembered that she had trouble filling out a form. And they might have caught the language difficulty earlier had the woman not had a weak voice, thanks to a recent upper respiratory infection.
"So, this case report per se does not indicate to me if dystextia is going to be more common to pick up strokes," Savitz told Reuters Health by email, "but I do think it will be a valuable addition to the collection of information that neurologists should obtain when taking a history."
"The main stroke warning signs with respect to texting would be unintelligible language output, or problems reading or comprehending texts," said Klein. "Many smartphones have an ‘autocorrect' function which can introduce erroneous word substitutions, giving the impression of a language disorder."
Autocorrect, said Savitz, a professor of neurology, can confuse matters - even for doctors.
"I have often joked with my colleagues when using the dictation of the smartphone, that it gives me an aphasia*)," he said. "Potential for lots of false positives!"
*) Aphasia is the disturbance in formulation and comprehension of language
SOURCE: Archives of Neurology, online December 24, 2012.
__________________________________________________________________________
Gibberish texts sound stroke alarm
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Imagine you were a devoted husband, waiting to hear from your wife about her due date after a visit to the obstetrician, and you saw these on your phone:
"every where thinging days nighing"
"Some is where!"
That's what happened last December to a Boston-area man, who knew that autocorrect - known for its bizarre replacements - was turned off on his 11-week-pregnant wife's phone.
You'd probably be tempted to make sure your wife, 25, got to the emergency room. When she did, doctors noted several signs of a stroke, including disorientation, inability to use her right arm and leg properly and some difficulty speaking.
A magnetic resonance imaging scan - MRI - revealed that part of the woman's brain wasn't getting enough blood, clinching the diagnosis. Fortunately, her symptoms went away quickly, and the rest of the pregnancy went just fine after she went home from the hospital on low-dose blood thinners.
The case, say three doctors from Boston's Harvard Medical School who reported it online today in the Archives of Neurology, suggests that "the growing digital record will likely become an increasingly important means of identifying neurologic disease, particularly in patient populations that rely more heavily on written rather than spoken communication."
The authors describe the phenomenon as "dystextia," which is the word used by other doctors in an earlier case involving a migraine, and symptoms of a stroke diagnosed for other reasons.
"In her case, the first evidence of language difficulties came from her unintelligible texts," one of the report's authors, Dr. Joshua Klein, told Reuters Health by email.
Strokes are rare in women aged 15 to 34, with about 11,000 per year, according to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published last year.
Dr. Sean Savitz, who directs the stroke program at the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston, said he has seen a few patients who sent emails suggesting they were having difficulty with language, a condition known as aphasia.
Such clues usually come with other information however. In this case, for example, the patient's obstetrician's office later remembered that she had trouble filling out a form. And they might have caught the language difficulty earlier had the woman not had a weak voice, thanks to a recent upper respiratory infection.
"So, this case report per se does not indicate to me if dystextia is going to be more common to pick up strokes," Savitz told Reuters Health by email, "but I do think it will be a valuable addition to the collection of information that neurologists should obtain when taking a history."
"The main stroke warning signs with respect to texting would be unintelligible language output, or problems reading or comprehending texts," said Klein. "Many smartphones have an ‘autocorrect' function which can introduce erroneous word substitutions, giving the impression of a language disorder."
Autocorrect, said Savitz, a professor of neurology, can confuse matters - even for doctors.
"I have often joked with my colleagues when using the dictation of the smartphone, that it gives me an aphasia*)," he said. "Potential for lots of false positives!"
*) Aphasia is the disturbance in formulation and comprehension of language
SOURCE: Archives of Neurology, online December 24, 2012.
__________________________________________________________________________
13 Secrets Your Movie Theater Employee Won't Tell You
STAF, Inc.'s WARNING
do NOT eat the movie theater food - it is killing, full of chemicals & toxins building ingredients
SOURCE: Good Morning America" teamed up with Reader's Digest on a special series, "13 Things Experts Won't Tell You." This month, Reader's Digest unveils the secrets your movie theater employee won't tell you, like how to save money, what foods to eat and more.
1. Why does it smell so good? The popcorn has chemicals in it to make its aroma fill the theater.
2. "Extreme Digital" is actually lower quality than IMAX digital. We use it because it's easier to maintain.
3. For the first month or two of screening, money from ticket sales goes to movie studios. Theaters rely on concession stands to make money. That's why concessions are overpriced. Popcorn costs almost nothing to make.
4. I know all the methods you use to sneak in. I just don't always care enough to kick you out for it.
5. The only foods I trust are the popcorn, drinks, and boxed candy. I wouldn't eat the pretzels, hot dogs, or nachos.
6. Chances are, if you complain to the manager and he sides with you, he's just putting on a show to calm you down. The manager might pretend to yell at me for a minute, but he'll pat me on the back the moment you're out of sight.
7. Combination deals don't save you money at some theaters. You'd pay the same price if you purchased the items separately.
8. Think you're saving calories by ordering a small popcorn? That "small" popcorn could have been a medium last month.
9. Stop getting angry that your food isn't ready. Microwaves can't cook frozen pizzas in 30 seconds!
10. No, I can't give you extra cups. Everything is inventoried at the end of the night.
11. Your suspicions are correct. Sometimes I sweep excess food under the seats. Movies often end every few minutes. Sometimes, three or more screenings end at the same time. I don't always have time to clean everything up.
12 Yes, movies start late. But they almost always end on time – otherwise, the ushers wouldn't know when to clean up. Theaters tell you to come in early so you have time to watch commercials and previews.
13. Popcorn keeps for a day or two. Many customers confuse warm with fresh.
STAF, Inc.'s WARNING
do NOT eat the movie theater food - it is killing, full of chemicals & toxins building ingredients
________________________________________________
STAF, Inc.'s WARNING
do NOT eat the movie theater food - it is killing, full of chemicals & toxins building ingredients
SOURCE: Good Morning America" teamed up with Reader's Digest on a special series, "13 Things Experts Won't Tell You." This month, Reader's Digest unveils the secrets your movie theater employee won't tell you, like how to save money, what foods to eat and more.
1. Why does it smell so good? The popcorn has chemicals in it to make its aroma fill the theater.
2. "Extreme Digital" is actually lower quality than IMAX digital. We use it because it's easier to maintain.
3. For the first month or two of screening, money from ticket sales goes to movie studios. Theaters rely on concession stands to make money. That's why concessions are overpriced. Popcorn costs almost nothing to make.
4. I know all the methods you use to sneak in. I just don't always care enough to kick you out for it.
5. The only foods I trust are the popcorn, drinks, and boxed candy. I wouldn't eat the pretzels, hot dogs, or nachos.
6. Chances are, if you complain to the manager and he sides with you, he's just putting on a show to calm you down. The manager might pretend to yell at me for a minute, but he'll pat me on the back the moment you're out of sight.
7. Combination deals don't save you money at some theaters. You'd pay the same price if you purchased the items separately.
8. Think you're saving calories by ordering a small popcorn? That "small" popcorn could have been a medium last month.
9. Stop getting angry that your food isn't ready. Microwaves can't cook frozen pizzas in 30 seconds!
10. No, I can't give you extra cups. Everything is inventoried at the end of the night.
11. Your suspicions are correct. Sometimes I sweep excess food under the seats. Movies often end every few minutes. Sometimes, three or more screenings end at the same time. I don't always have time to clean everything up.
12 Yes, movies start late. But they almost always end on time – otherwise, the ushers wouldn't know when to clean up. Theaters tell you to come in early so you have time to watch commercials and previews.
13. Popcorn keeps for a day or two. Many customers confuse warm with fresh.
STAF, Inc.'s WARNING
do NOT eat the movie theater food - it is killing, full of chemicals & toxins building ingredients
________________________________________________
STAF, Inc. does NOT fully recommend the article next below
That article is placed here as a warning NOT to follow it
The title of the article below:
Common weight-loss myth shattered
Experts have hammered home this point for years,
but a new book says they're all wrong
The Greatest Weight-Loss Myth Ever Told
Based on worldwide studies (Harvard, etc.), STAF, Inc. states:
the book is partially wrong
Study STAF, Inc.'s comment first and then the article below
Yes, there are studies for both "eat breakfast" and "do not eat breakfast".
STAF, Inc.'s is one of the leading organizations worldwide in all nutrition related topics.
It is better to eat a breakfast but a correct type of a breakfast, otherwise you will get hungry & tired and your performance will suffer. This STAF, Inc. statement is for everyone of any age.
However, before eating any breakfast, we have to hydrate our body with clean water. We must "chew" the water = mix it with the saliva - drink it slowly. You need to have an empty stomach to drink the water. Your stomach is empty after a normal night sleep.
How much water? The same amount in ounces as your normal body weight would be (normal = not overweight).
If you are overweight or obese you drink that ounce amount of clean water as your non-overweight body weight would be (tab-water will do - boil it first briefly = 1 - 2 min.)
You need to have the water boiled briefly you drink as the first thing in the morning (slowly). Keep it hot to avoid too fast drinking (use steel thermos bottles). Water stays in the empty human stomach about 15 min. Thus, wait for 15 minutes
(or somewhat longer) after the last part of the morning water before eating anything. For your traveling after the water drinking, realize you will urinate now and then. Be prepared. In your car keep a bottle for that purpose (stop while urinating to avoid accidents). Be creative how: use a bottle also in the public transportation for the same purpose .
The best thing to eat in the morning is to eat fresh fruit and nothing else. Certain food combination laws apply for what fruit you can combine - not just anything and everything - the food combining laws apply for any eating. STAF, Inc. has program for learning the necessary food combining laws to keep your health. Wrong combination creates toxins in the body - the toxins develop sicknesses of any kind. Search the internet for food scientific food combining laws.
The human circadian cycles would prefer that nothing is eaten before about 11 a.m. - 12 noon. If you feel tired and not energetic, eat fruit during the morning. If you sleep night time (= not working nights), your circadian cycle from
4 a.m. to about 12 noon is so called "elimination cycle" during which we should not eat much and only fruit to keep us energetic for our work and to avoid our body getting toxic. There are totally 3 basic circadian cycles /24 h all lasting about 8 hours.
The three basic circadian cycles need to be applied correctly in order to stay healthy.
STAF, Inc. has developed a new, never before existing Healthy Lifestyle & Correct Nutrition Program for the U.S. gov. use to be applied in the new health care system as the solution for our rampant overweight & obesity challenges and as the solution to our high health care/sickness care costs. The U.S. costs are among the highest in the world, yet our nation is one of the sickest nation among all developed nations. STAF, Inc.'s new program will be introduced in D.C. and will be made available for our nation.
Click green below:
Circadian rhythm www.sciencedaily.com/articles/c/circadian_rhythm.htm
A circadian rhythm is a roughly 24 hour cycle in the physiological processes of living beings, including plants, animals, fungi and cyanobacteria. In a strict sense, ...
_____________________________________________________
The article below STAF, Inc. is NOT endorsing - this article is put here
as a warning NOT TO FOLLOW ITS INFO fully.
In this STAF, Inc.'s website you will find all answers for a healthy life.
Click green for further info Common weight-loss myth shattered
Experts have hammered home this point for years,
but a new book says they're all wrong
Click green for further info
The Greatest Weight-Loss Myth Ever Told
Let me apologize on behalf of an entire country full of fitness gurus, diet-book authors, trendy nutritionists, weight-loss clinics, unemployed actors working in gyms, and people who scream at chunky people on TV for a living. Almost all of us have been feeding you a line of bull. And we've been feeding it to you for breakfast.
Why is this so important to me? In my new book, The 8-Hour Diet, I'm proposing something that may sound a little radical: Skipping breakfast may be the key to skipping a lot of things -- excess weight, diabetes, Alzheimer's disease, and premature death, among them. How are you going to do all that, simply by pushing away from the breakfast buffet? By engaging an amazing process called "hormesis." Scientists tell us that if you challenge your body, the way you do with a 16-hour fast, it responds by preferentially burning fat, sharpening your mind, tuning up your heart, and turning on the human growth hormone jets. Cool, right?
Which leads me back to breakfast, and why it's important to skip it.
Of course, I'm a big believer in science. But sometimes science gets it wrong. Like back in the early 1990s, when we were told by the US government that we could eat whatever we wanted, as long as it was "low fat." So we all chowed down on bagels, bread, pasta and fat-free cookies. Except, that "fat-free" stuff wasn't free at all; by shocking our bodies with big doses of carbohydrates, the fat-free craze just increased our risk of obesity and diabetes. (Not to say that all carbs are "bad" -- make the right choices with our grocery guide to the Best Breads and Grains.)
Turns out, the same is true of the expert advice to eat a big, hearty breakfast. We've all seen the "facts": People who regularly skip breakfast are 450 percent more likely to be obese. People who go for a period without eating lose muscle, not fat. People who eat a big breakfast "jump-start" their metabolism and burn more calories.
Except it's simply not true.
Consider a study published in Nutrition Journal in 2011. Researchers followed the eating habits of 100 normal-weight and 280 obese participants during a two-week period. They found that in both groups, the more calories they ate at breakfast, the more total calories they ate for the rest of the day. And when they ate a smaller breakfast, or none at all, their total calorie intake was less.
Conclusion: Overweight people should "consider the reduction of breakfast calories as a simple option" to lose weight.
In fact, more and more research is proving that not avoiding calories in the morning is the way to stay not only slim, but also strong in both body and mind. In fact, this strategy can completely erase the damage of an otherwise "bad" diet.
In a 2010 study in the Journal of Physiology, researchers fed a group of active men an unhealthy diet composed of 50 percent fat and 30 percent more calories than they normally consumed. They then divided the men into three subgroups: One group didn't exercise at all, another group exercised four times a week after eating breakfast, and the third group exercised four times a week before eating their first meal of the day. The no-exercise group gained six pounds, developed insulin resistance, and began storing extra fat in their muscle cells. The group that exercised after eating breakfast gained about six pounds and also showed signs of insulin resistance and greater fat storage. But the participants who exercised before eating their first meal gained almost no weight and showed no signs of insulin resistance.
ThePostGame brings you the most interesting sports stories on the web.
Follow us on Facebook and Twitter to read them first!
So why have we been lectured to about "the most important meal of the day" for all these years? "There are a lot of forces in our society pushing against" skipping breakfast, says Mark Mattson, PhD, chief of the Laboratory of Neurosciences at the National Institute on Aging. "Those forces are driven by money. They include the food industry obviously, and in some respects the pharmaceutical industry.” Breakfast cereals alone are an $11 billion a year industry, and that's before you get into eggs and bacon, bagels and lox, pancakes and syrup.
There are a lot of different businesses relying on your morning meal to make their budgets. So before we all go hog wild on bacon and do the chicken dance over eggs, let's take a second look at the research. The new book,The 8-Hour Diet, does just that -- and it will change everything about how you view breakfast.
And the good news: Skip breakfast, and you can set your alarm clock just a few minutes later! And more importantly, you can delay the rigors of aging and weight gain at the same time. Pick up your copy of The 8-Hour Diet to discover how controlling when you eat can help you lose 10, 20, 30 pounds or more.
Click green above for further info
This article is for your private use, only
Can be used for educational purposes
Source: Internet news
The article above STAF, Inc. is NOT endorsing - this article is put here
as a warning NOT TO FOLLOW ITS INFO fully.
In this STAF, Inc.'s website you will find all answers for a healthy life.
______________________________________________
If everyone were to quit smoking today, nearly 450,000 fewer Americans would die annually from smoking-related diseases. Yet even with all the smoking bans across the country, one in five Americans still lights up regularly—a rate that's plateaued since 2005 after four decades of decline, according to a report issued Tuesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. While the smoking-lung cancer connection is an old story, every week, it seems, another headline tells you what you should or shouldn't eat to avert the "big C". Eat a colorful array of fruits and vegetables to ward off lung cancer, says one recent study; avoid soft drinks if you don't want to die ofpancreatic cancer, warns another. Wine is good for your heart, but may increase your risk of breast cancer, others suggest.
And who wouldn't be willing to give up the Diet Coke or chardonnay to sidestep the disease we fear most? It you took action based on research published this week in the Annals of Internal Medicine, you might find yourself forgoing hamburgers and chicken wings and embracing soy burgers, tofu, and peanut butter instead. That study found that an Atkins-style diet that emphasized vegetable protein over animal protein lowered the risk of cancer. But all things considered, how much do dietary changes really matter in terms of cancer prevention? "Right after smoking, diet ranks right up there as the No. 2 modifiable risk factor," says Demetrius Albanes, a senior investigator and medical epidemiologist at the National Cancer Institute. "Twenty-five percent of cancers can be related back to eating practices." Does that mean we really need to avoid soft drinks if we don't want to get pancreatic cancer, as was suggested by a recent study in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention? "I don't think we can say that," Albanes says. "That particular study from Singapore didn't control very well for smoking, which is an important risk factor for pancreatic cancer." In other words, it could be that those who down daily six-packs of Fanta are also more likely to light up.
You might be interested in...U.S. News evaluated 29 of the most popular diets and identified the best.
Best Diets Overall
#1 DASH Diet
#2TLC Diet
See full list of Best Diets Overall
Best Weight-Loss Diets
#1Weight Watchers
#2Biggest Loser and 2 more diets
See full list of Best Weight-Loss Diets
Best Diabetes Diets
#1(tie) Biggest Loser
#1(tie) DASH Diet
See full list of Best Diabetes Diets
Best Heart-Healthy Diets
#1Ornish Diet
#2TLC Diet
See full list of Best Heart-Healthy Diets
Best Commercial Diet Plans
#1Weight Watchers
#2Jenny Craig Diet
See full list of Best Commercial Diets
Best Diets for Healthy Eating
#1DASH Diet
#2TLC Diet
See full list of Best Diets for Healthy Eating
What Makes a Healthy Diet?
Easiest Diets to Follow
#1Weight Watchers
#2Jenny Craig Diet
See full list of Easiest Diets to Follow
What Makes a Diet Easy to Follow
Best Plant-Based Diets
#1Mediterranean
#2Flexitarian
See full list of Best Plant-Based Diets
Why We Rank Plant-Based Diets?
Tags: pancreatic cancer, medical prevention, smoking and tobacco, diet and nutrition, food and drink, lung cancer, cancer, breast cancer
_____________________________________________________________________
Important information
Warning
Avoid ALL energy drinks - they do not give you energy, they deplete your energy with their poisonous
chemicals capable of killing a human being
Energy drinks belong to garbage - are not worth even the garbage
the energy drinks would be polluting even the garbage
All energy drinks kill a human being, slowly but surely
Warning
Avoid ALL energy drinks - they do not give you energy, they deplete your energy with their poisonous
chemicals capable of killing a human being
Energy drinks belong to garbage - are not worth even the garbage
the energy drinks would be polluting even the garbage
All energy drinks kill a human being, slowly but surely
9 Daily Habits That Will Make You Happier
Happiness is the only true measure of personal success
Making other people happy is the highest expression of success,
but it's almost impossible to make others happy if you're not happy yourself
See below what the point of broadcast TV is - you'd be surprised
With that in mind, here are nine small changes that you can make to your daily routine that, if you're like most people, will immediately increase the amount of happiness in your life:
1. Start each day with expectation.
If there's any big truth about life, it's that it usually lives up to (or down to) your expectations. Therefore, when you rise from bed, make your first thought: "something wonderful is going to happen today." Guess what? You're probably right.
2. Take time to plan and prioritize.
The most common source of stress is the perception that you've got too much work to do. Rather than obsess about it, pick one thing that, if you get it done today, will move you closer to your highest goal and purpose in life. Then do that first.
3. Give a gift to everyone you meet.
I'm not talking about a formal, wrapped-up present. Your gift can be your smile, a word of thanks or encouragement, a gesture of politeness, even a friendly nod. And never pass beggars without leaving them something. Peace of mind is worth the spare change.
4. Deflect partisan conversations.
Arguments about politics and religion never have a "right" answer but they definitely get people all riled up over things they can't control. When such topics surface, bow out by saying something like: "Thinking about that stuff makes my head hurt."
5. Assume people have good intentions.
Since you can't read minds, you don't really know the "why" behind the "what" that people do. Imputing evil motives to other people's weird behaviors adds extra misery to life, while assuming good intentions leaves you open to reconciliation.
6. Eat high quality food slowly.
Sometimes we can't avoid scarfing something quick to keep us up and running. Even so, at least once a day try to eat something really delicious, like a small chunk of fine cheese or an imported chocolate. Focus on it; taste it; savor it.
7. Let go of your results.
The big enemy of happiness is worry, which comes from focusing on events that are outside your control. Once you've taken action, there's usually nothing more you can do. Focus on the job at hand rather than some weird fantasy of what might happen.
8. Turn off "background" TV.
Many households leave their TVs on as "background noise" while they're doing other things. The entire point of broadcast TV is to make you dissatisfied with your life so that you'll buy more stuff. Why subliminally program yourself to be a mindless consumer?
9. End each day with gratitude.
Just before you go to bed, write down at least one wonderful thing that happened. It might be something as small as a making a child laugh or something as huge as a million dollar deal. Whatever it is, be grateful for that day because it will never come again.
Click green for further info
Read more:
Overcome 3 Common Sales Objections
How to Handle a Manipulative Employee
Sell Like a Pro: 6 Easy Rules
____________________________________________________________________
Happiness is the only true measure of personal success
Making other people happy is the highest expression of success,
but it's almost impossible to make others happy if you're not happy yourself
See below what the point of broadcast TV is - you'd be surprised
With that in mind, here are nine small changes that you can make to your daily routine that, if you're like most people, will immediately increase the amount of happiness in your life:
1. Start each day with expectation.
If there's any big truth about life, it's that it usually lives up to (or down to) your expectations. Therefore, when you rise from bed, make your first thought: "something wonderful is going to happen today." Guess what? You're probably right.
2. Take time to plan and prioritize.
The most common source of stress is the perception that you've got too much work to do. Rather than obsess about it, pick one thing that, if you get it done today, will move you closer to your highest goal and purpose in life. Then do that first.
3. Give a gift to everyone you meet.
I'm not talking about a formal, wrapped-up present. Your gift can be your smile, a word of thanks or encouragement, a gesture of politeness, even a friendly nod. And never pass beggars without leaving them something. Peace of mind is worth the spare change.
4. Deflect partisan conversations.
Arguments about politics and religion never have a "right" answer but they definitely get people all riled up over things they can't control. When such topics surface, bow out by saying something like: "Thinking about that stuff makes my head hurt."
5. Assume people have good intentions.
Since you can't read minds, you don't really know the "why" behind the "what" that people do. Imputing evil motives to other people's weird behaviors adds extra misery to life, while assuming good intentions leaves you open to reconciliation.
6. Eat high quality food slowly.
Sometimes we can't avoid scarfing something quick to keep us up and running. Even so, at least once a day try to eat something really delicious, like a small chunk of fine cheese or an imported chocolate. Focus on it; taste it; savor it.
7. Let go of your results.
The big enemy of happiness is worry, which comes from focusing on events that are outside your control. Once you've taken action, there's usually nothing more you can do. Focus on the job at hand rather than some weird fantasy of what might happen.
8. Turn off "background" TV.
Many households leave their TVs on as "background noise" while they're doing other things. The entire point of broadcast TV is to make you dissatisfied with your life so that you'll buy more stuff. Why subliminally program yourself to be a mindless consumer?
9. End each day with gratitude.
Just before you go to bed, write down at least one wonderful thing that happened. It might be something as small as a making a child laugh or something as huge as a million dollar deal. Whatever it is, be grateful for that day because it will never come again.
Click green for further info
Read more:
Overcome 3 Common Sales Objections
How to Handle a Manipulative Employee
Sell Like a Pro: 6 Easy Rules
____________________________________________________________________
Idaho, California cities deemed best in U.S. for men
Dated: December 2012
The full list can be found at http://www.menshealth.com/best-life/best-cities-men
NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. men looking for the best place to find happiness, health and a good quality of life might consider heading to Boise, Idaho, or San Jose and San Francisco in northern California.
_____________
The three western U.S. cities top the list of the 100 best towns for men in a new ranking compiled by Men's Health magazine, while Charleston, West Virginia, Philadelphia and Birmingham, Alabama are considered the worst.
"Anytime we do a best and worst city ranking and a city comes in at the very top like this, it immediately says to us they were consistently strong across the board in pretty much all of the 38 criteria that we looked at," Men's Health Executive Editor Matt Marion said.
Boise, which jumped from fifth place last year, scored high marks for the physical and mental health of its residents, its low crime rate and short commuting times - an average of just 18 minutes.
"Boise finishing number one was interesting to us because it is a city that would have finished in the top 20, but to come in right at the top is impressive," Marion said.
San Francisco, which consistently ranks high in the annual list, impressed with its small percentage of obese people, low number of smokers and highly educated and generally fit population.
San Jose had very low death rates from cancer and heart disease, the lowest percentage of smokers in any of the 100 cities in the ranking, and not much crime.
Plano, in Texas and Seattle rounded out the top five, followed by Burlington, Vermont, which dropped from the top spot last year.
At the opposite end of the list, high cancer rates, violent crime and poor fitness levels assured Birmingham last place. In addition to Philadelphia and Charleston, West Virginia, the bottom five included Toledo, Ohio and St. Louis, Missouri.
New York ranked 33rd and Los Angeles was in the middle of the ranking.
The magazine compiled the list, now in its 12th year, by ranking the cities on criteria ranging from the cost of living, number of jobless, obesity, crime and death rates, to air quality and the ratio of men to women.
It used data from various sources including the U.S. Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta, the National Center for Health Statistics, state cancer registries and federal crime statistics.
"The things that we do focus on ultimately are the ones that will make a difference in terms of whether or not you will be happy and healthy," Marion said.
The full list can be found at http://www.menshealth.com/best-life/best-cities-men
Click green for further info
_____________
Bison meat
- healthier than chicken, beef or pork -
By Dr. Christian von Christophers, Ph.D., N.D. (STAF, Inc.'s founding President)
Click green for further info
Bison meat has 30 percent more protein than beef, less cholesterol and calories than skinless chicken, and is packed with high omega-3s, a.k.a, healthy fats.
This is all because the bisons are still eating healthy, natural grass in the nature and not being fed plain corn or some obscure, chemicalized, factory made stuff that should not be fed to any living creature.
The bison meat caught our attention at the STAF, Inc. because on the White House menu and recipe for the upcoming Inaugural Presidential luncheon in January 2013 for Mr. Obama's 2nd term, the main dish is Hickory Grilled Bison with a side of red potato horseradish cake.
Although Presidential Inaugural lunches of yore (= of long ago or former times) have always been cutting edge (= at the latest or most advanced stage of development; innovative or pioneering) — Franklin Roosevelt dined on tongue, James Buchanan opted for venison (= meat from a deer or any wild game), Harry Truman sipped green turtle soup, and George W. Bush feasted on quail
(= mid-sized birds) — bison has never made the inaugural main menu until now.
_____________________________
The quotation below are for humans, for animals, for house pets & for any creature in this world:
Quotation "If it comes from a plant, eat it - if it was made in a plant*), do not eat it - it kills"
*) = factory
Quotation "To stay healthy, you need to eat what your body wants, not what you want"
(Dr. Christian, STAF, Inc.)
For your pets the same advice:
Quotation "Feed your pet with what the pet's body wants - not what the pet food factory owners want"
(Dr Christian, STAF, Inc.)
____
Click green:
Bison - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bison
_________________________________________
- healthier than chicken, beef or pork -
By Dr. Christian von Christophers, Ph.D., N.D. (STAF, Inc.'s founding President)
Click green for further info
Bison meat has 30 percent more protein than beef, less cholesterol and calories than skinless chicken, and is packed with high omega-3s, a.k.a, healthy fats.
This is all because the bisons are still eating healthy, natural grass in the nature and not being fed plain corn or some obscure, chemicalized, factory made stuff that should not be fed to any living creature.
The bison meat caught our attention at the STAF, Inc. because on the White House menu and recipe for the upcoming Inaugural Presidential luncheon in January 2013 for Mr. Obama's 2nd term, the main dish is Hickory Grilled Bison with a side of red potato horseradish cake.
Although Presidential Inaugural lunches of yore (= of long ago or former times) have always been cutting edge (= at the latest or most advanced stage of development; innovative or pioneering) — Franklin Roosevelt dined on tongue, James Buchanan opted for venison (= meat from a deer or any wild game), Harry Truman sipped green turtle soup, and George W. Bush feasted on quail
(= mid-sized birds) — bison has never made the inaugural main menu until now.
_____________________________
The quotation below are for humans, for animals, for house pets & for any creature in this world:
Quotation "If it comes from a plant, eat it - if it was made in a plant*), do not eat it - it kills"
*) = factory
Quotation "To stay healthy, you need to eat what your body wants, not what you want"
(Dr. Christian, STAF, Inc.)
For your pets the same advice:
Quotation "Feed your pet with what the pet's body wants - not what the pet food factory owners want"
(Dr Christian, STAF, Inc.)
____
Click green:
Bison - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bison
_________________________________________
For your health & longer life
the article below is a must to study
Six-Pack Abs in 12 Weeks
Click green for further info
Six Pack Abs means:
A popular term for the rectus abdominis muscle of body builders, the appearance of which is characterised by excessively developed rounded muscle bellies separated by horizontal tendinous intersections, resembling a six pack of beverage cans
If a leaner, more chiseled body is one of your New Year’s goals, here’s an amazingly inspiring success story: Joe Warner went from chunky to hunky—including 6-pack abs—in just 12 weeks. Thanks to smarter workouts and a much healthier diet, he’s reportedly gained 22 pounds of muscle—and shed about 17.5 pounds of fat, with nearly all of the loss around the belly.
Making this makeover even more remarkable, the Men’s Fitness deputy editor is an average Joe with a desk job—and works out just four hours a week. “If I can do it, anyone can,” Warner told the Daily Mail. “The regime I followed proves that you don’t need to spend hour after hour exercising to dramatically transform the way you look, even in a relatively short period of time.”
What are his body-building secrets—and would they work for other average guys? Is it really possible to pack on that much muscle in three months? To find out, I talked to Neal Pire, MA, CSCS, FACSM, and founder of PUSH at Volt Fitness in Glen Rock, NJ, who specializes in performance training for athletes.
Boost Your Manpower
His Old Workout
Warner used to be “skinny-fat,” meaning that he had excessive belly fat—and relatively little muscle mass—according to his trainer Nick Mitchell. Also known as “normal weight obesity,” this type of build is linked to increased risk for diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and cardiovascular disease, the leading killer of Americans.
While in his 20s, Warner focused on cardiovascular workouts, mainly running. “No matter how far or how long I ran, I would always have a bit of belly and never any muscles on my chest, shoulders or arms,” he told the Daily Mail. Although the editor wished he looked like the fitness models featured in his magazine, he thought he had the wrong genetics and lacked the time to spend hours pumping iron.
The Ultimate Weight-Loss Soup
However, he did spend 4.5 hours a week exercising, well above the 2.5 hours of vigorous exercise (or a higher amount of moderate exercise) per week experts advise to maintain fitness and good health.
Old fitness regimen:
Click green above & below
23 Diet Plans Reviewed: Do They Work?
His New Workout
After turning 30, Warner decided to strive for the body of his dreams, with a major increase in workout intensity. He switched to resistance training intervals focused on anaerobic workouts—exercise that involves brief, high-intensity activities like lifting weights, pushups, power training, sprinting or jumping.
“One of the biggest benefits of anaerobic exercise is the afterburn,” adds Pire. “Not only do you burn a lot of calories during these intense workouts, but afterwards, your metabolic rate remains high for up to 16 hours so you continue to burn calories at a significantly higher-than-normal rate.”
Warner’s new fitness routine:
His Fat-Busting Diet
Before starting his body-building program, Warner used to eat a diet that was high in carbs and processed foods, with a typical day including such items as a croissant, cookies, a baked potato with cheese, coleslaw, potato chips and pasta, vegetables, and tomato sauce.
To slim down, he switched to a lower-carb diet that included lean meat, chicken, fish, fresh vegetables, eggs, and “slow carbs”—fiber-rich carbohydrate-based foods that are digested much more slowly than refined carbs like white rice and baked goods.
"The diet I followed was simple but effective, so I was never hungry,' he told the Daily Mail. "I could even have a glass of red wine at the weekends, so never felt as though I was sacrificing anything."
Is It Low T? 11 Surprising Symptoms
Low T = Low Testosterone
Testosterone is a hormone that is produced by the body. In men, testosterone is mostly produced in the testicles and is responsible for stimulating sperm production and sex drive, as well as building muscles and bone mass. As men age, testosterone production decreases. When production drastically drops or ceases, a range of symptoms and complications can occur. Signs of low testosterone (low T) are often subtle and are mistaken as a natural part of aging.
The Amazing Results
Warner’s workout, which he and his trainer detail in a new book--12 Week Body Plan (€9.99 or just over $13 in the U.S.)--had truly awesome results: In just three months, his body-fat percentage fell from nearly 17 percent to just 5.5 percent and he lost 17.5 pounds of fat.
Remarkably, Warner accomplished this by working out fewer hours per week, since his exercise regiment took 4.5 hours a week, while the new one only took four—highlighting the benefits of working both harder and smarter.
Is it possible to lose that much fat in 12 weeks? Yes, says Pire. “Consensus recommendations are typically to target a weekly fat weight loss of 1 to 2 pounds (and no more than 2) per week.”
Would the 12-week body plan work for you?
Sure it would be tough for some guys to gain 22 pounds of muscle in such a short time. But the poinst is that significant gains (and fat loss) can still be realized. "Joe had not been a big 'resistance training animal' prior to going on the program," says Pire. "Which would make him more susceptible to muscle gain, to the extent that his genes allowed it, compared to someone already doing this type of exercise.”
Pire cautions that anyone who is sedentary, has medical issues, or joint problems should consult a healthcare provider before launching any new exercise program.
Want to try the 12-Week Body Plan? You can buy the book by visiting Amazon.com or any book seller
Follow Joe and trainer Nick Mitchell on Twitter.
Click green for further info
____________________________________________________________
the article below is a must to study
Six-Pack Abs in 12 Weeks
Click green for further info
Six Pack Abs means:
A popular term for the rectus abdominis muscle of body builders, the appearance of which is characterised by excessively developed rounded muscle bellies separated by horizontal tendinous intersections, resembling a six pack of beverage cans
If a leaner, more chiseled body is one of your New Year’s goals, here’s an amazingly inspiring success story: Joe Warner went from chunky to hunky—including 6-pack abs—in just 12 weeks. Thanks to smarter workouts and a much healthier diet, he’s reportedly gained 22 pounds of muscle—and shed about 17.5 pounds of fat, with nearly all of the loss around the belly.
Making this makeover even more remarkable, the Men’s Fitness deputy editor is an average Joe with a desk job—and works out just four hours a week. “If I can do it, anyone can,” Warner told the Daily Mail. “The regime I followed proves that you don’t need to spend hour after hour exercising to dramatically transform the way you look, even in a relatively short period of time.”
What are his body-building secrets—and would they work for other average guys? Is it really possible to pack on that much muscle in three months? To find out, I talked to Neal Pire, MA, CSCS, FACSM, and founder of PUSH at Volt Fitness in Glen Rock, NJ, who specializes in performance training for athletes.
Boost Your Manpower
His Old Workout
Warner used to be “skinny-fat,” meaning that he had excessive belly fat—and relatively little muscle mass—according to his trainer Nick Mitchell. Also known as “normal weight obesity,” this type of build is linked to increased risk for diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and cardiovascular disease, the leading killer of Americans.
While in his 20s, Warner focused on cardiovascular workouts, mainly running. “No matter how far or how long I ran, I would always have a bit of belly and never any muscles on my chest, shoulders or arms,” he told the Daily Mail. Although the editor wished he looked like the fitness models featured in his magazine, he thought he had the wrong genetics and lacked the time to spend hours pumping iron.
The Ultimate Weight-Loss Soup
However, he did spend 4.5 hours a week exercising, well above the 2.5 hours of vigorous exercise (or a higher amount of moderate exercise) per week experts advise to maintain fitness and good health.
Old fitness regimen:
- Monday and Thursday: 60-minute run
- Tuesday and Saturday: 45-minute run
- Wednesday: 60-minute gym workout
- Friday and Sunday: Rest
Click green above & below
23 Diet Plans Reviewed: Do They Work?
His New Workout
After turning 30, Warner decided to strive for the body of his dreams, with a major increase in workout intensity. He switched to resistance training intervals focused on anaerobic workouts—exercise that involves brief, high-intensity activities like lifting weights, pushups, power training, sprinting or jumping.
“One of the biggest benefits of anaerobic exercise is the afterburn,” adds Pire. “Not only do you burn a lot of calories during these intense workouts, but afterwards, your metabolic rate remains high for up to 16 hours so you continue to burn calories at a significantly higher-than-normal rate.”
Warner’s new fitness routine:
- 0Monday, Wednesday, Friday: 60-minute gym workout at lunchtime
- Saturday morning: 60-minute gym workout
- Tuesday, Thursday, Sunday: Rest
His Fat-Busting Diet
Before starting his body-building program, Warner used to eat a diet that was high in carbs and processed foods, with a typical day including such items as a croissant, cookies, a baked potato with cheese, coleslaw, potato chips and pasta, vegetables, and tomato sauce.
To slim down, he switched to a lower-carb diet that included lean meat, chicken, fish, fresh vegetables, eggs, and “slow carbs”—fiber-rich carbohydrate-based foods that are digested much more slowly than refined carbs like white rice and baked goods.
"The diet I followed was simple but effective, so I was never hungry,' he told the Daily Mail. "I could even have a glass of red wine at the weekends, so never felt as though I was sacrificing anything."
Is It Low T? 11 Surprising Symptoms
Low T = Low Testosterone
Testosterone is a hormone that is produced by the body. In men, testosterone is mostly produced in the testicles and is responsible for stimulating sperm production and sex drive, as well as building muscles and bone mass. As men age, testosterone production decreases. When production drastically drops or ceases, a range of symptoms and complications can occur. Signs of low testosterone (low T) are often subtle and are mistaken as a natural part of aging.
The Amazing Results
Warner’s workout, which he and his trainer detail in a new book--12 Week Body Plan (€9.99 or just over $13 in the U.S.)--had truly awesome results: In just three months, his body-fat percentage fell from nearly 17 percent to just 5.5 percent and he lost 17.5 pounds of fat.
Remarkably, Warner accomplished this by working out fewer hours per week, since his exercise regiment took 4.5 hours a week, while the new one only took four—highlighting the benefits of working both harder and smarter.
Is it possible to lose that much fat in 12 weeks? Yes, says Pire. “Consensus recommendations are typically to target a weekly fat weight loss of 1 to 2 pounds (and no more than 2) per week.”
Would the 12-week body plan work for you?
Sure it would be tough for some guys to gain 22 pounds of muscle in such a short time. But the poinst is that significant gains (and fat loss) can still be realized. "Joe had not been a big 'resistance training animal' prior to going on the program," says Pire. "Which would make him more susceptible to muscle gain, to the extent that his genes allowed it, compared to someone already doing this type of exercise.”
Pire cautions that anyone who is sedentary, has medical issues, or joint problems should consult a healthcare provider before launching any new exercise program.
Want to try the 12-Week Body Plan? You can buy the book by visiting Amazon.com or any book seller
Follow Joe and trainer Nick Mitchell on Twitter.
Click green for further info
____________________________________________________________
__________
STAF, Inc. wants to save your & your children's health & lives
and guide you to avoid suffering and an early death
__________________
WARNING: this stuff kills
Save your life & your children's lives:
study this article & apply the information
Quotation: "Knowledge is no power - only applied knowledge is power"
(Dr. Christian, STAF, Inc. chairman)
________________________________
This article about McDonald's McRib
is edited here to remind you:
(1) it is deadly poison,
(2) do NOT and do not let your children eat any of it,
it kills everyone slowly, painfully but surely
Poisonous Facts
about the McDonald's McRib
The results: more people die of overweight & of the poisons in any mixture
called "fast-food" - the correct title is: BAD-FOOD - do not eat any of it
The evidence is clear: (1) you'll find it on the internet and (2) in our article above in this sub-tab: The fattest place in the world, Nauru, the smallest republic in the world. Everyone in Nauru was fully healthy. Then minerals were found in Nauru. The western businessman came and introduced the American "fast-food" (= bad-food) - now 95% of Nauru's people are sick more or less because of their overweight & obesity.
Fast-food (= bad-food) industry deserves to be killed by a proper legislation because it is harmful in many ways to every human being & because it hurts every taxpayer's wallet we all pay for the sickness level in our country.
The facts is: the "bad-food" industry has made most Americans overweight or obese with every possible deadly sickness. The U.S. health/sickness care is among the highest worldwide, yet the U.S. is one of the sickest nation in the world.
The article
(ABC news)
with comments added by STAF, Inc.'s editors
McDonald's McRib
Pure poison - it kills - do NOT eat it - do not let your children eat it
Save your life and your children's lives: stop eating any fast = bad "food" (it is not food, it is killing poison)
The legendary boneless pork sandwich, famously molded to resemble a rack of ribs, is both a feat of modern engineering and shrewd marketing.
McDonald's McRib
It garners almost as much attention for its shape as its impermanence on restaurant menus and for its
pseudo-meat (= Not genuine; sham, false - spurious - phoney - mock) = not meat, fraudulent meat, chemicalized meat - killing poison).
The barbecue-sauce-smothered sandwich was supposed to return at the end of October 2012, but was pushed back to help boost end-of-the-year sales.
1. The McRib came about because of a shortage of chickens.
In a 2009 interview with Maxim, Rene Arend, McDonald's first executive chef and inventor of the Chicken McNugget, explains that the McNugget was so popular when it was first introduced in 1979 that demand quickly outstripped chicken supply.
The legendary pork sandwich was developed out of necessity. Franchises that didn't have the Chicken McNugget needed a new hot-selling product — and that's when Arend scrambled back to the test kitchen.
2. The McRib was inspired by Southern BBQ.
Flickr/Southern Foodways AllianceRene Arend modeled the McRib after the barbecue-sauce-slathered pork sandwiches he ate during a visit to Charleston, South Carolina.
The decorated French-trained chef, who oncewhipped up fancy culinary creations for the Drake Hotel, is also credited with coming up the unique shape of the sandwich.
Although the McRib doesn't contain a single bone, Arend suggested the meat be patterned after a slab of ribs instead of the classic round patty.
3. The McRib is a product of "restructured meat technology."
Rene Arend came up with the idea and design of the McRib, but it's a professor from the University of Nebraska named Richard Mandigo who developed the "restructured meat product" that the McRib is actually made of.
According to an article from Chicago magazine, which cites a 1995 article by Mandigo, "restructured meat product" contains a mixture of tripe, heart, and scalded stomach, which is then mixed with salt and water to extract proteins from the muscle. The proteins bind all the pork trimmings together so that it can be re-molded into any specific shape — in this case, a fake slab of ribs.
4. The whole process from fresh pork to frozen McRib takes about 45 minutes.
Director of McDonald's U.S. supply chain Rob Cannell explained how regular pig gets transformed into the famed McRib in an interview with Maxim: "The McRib is made in large processing plants—lots of stainless steel, a number of production lines, and these long cryogenic freezers. The pork meat is chopped up, then seasoned, then formed into that shape that looks like a rib back. Then we flash-freeze it. The whole process from fresh pork to frozen McRib takes about 45 minutes."
5. The entire McRib sandwich contains about 70 ingredients — including a flour-bleaching agent used in yoga mats.
Flickr/Calgary Reviews As it appears out of the box, the McRib sandwich consists of just five basic components: a pork patty, barbecue sauce, pickle slices, onions, and a sesame bun.
But, as recently reported by Time magazine, a closer inspection of McDonald's own ingredient list reveals that the pork sandwich contains a total of 70 ingredients. This includes azodicarbonamide, a flour-bleaching agent often used in the production of foamed plastics and tens of other killing poisons.
The entire sandwich packs a whopping 500 calories, 26 grams of fat, 44 grams of carbs, and 980 milligrams of sodium. That's another killing combination.
6. The McRib debuted in 1981, disappeared in 1985, and has resurfaced from time-to-time since 1994.
Depending on where you read, McDonald's introduced the boneless pork sandwich sometime between 1981 and 1982. The fast-food concoction vanished in 1985, only to reappear as a limited-edition item in 1994.
The McRib has become something of a legend for its on-and-off appearances on McDonald's menus. The fleeting nature of the sandwich has generated a cult-like following.
7. Individual restaurants can actually order the ingredients for the McRib at any time.
The McRib pops up at McDonald's locations across the country sporadically. It's so random because the individual restaurants are able to offer the McRib whenever they feel like it. The practice has even inspired websites devoted to tracking McRib availability across the nation.
8. McDonald's keeps the McRib scarce because the sandwich's entire brand relies on it.
McDonald's has always known about its customers' weird obsession for the sandwich, and its marketing completely leverages the McRib's scarcity. Take its "Save The McRib" campaign in 2010, where it encouraged McRib fans to go online and sign a petition to keep the sandwich around for a while longer.
But a strategy like that only works with something that's as popular as the McRib is. If you make an unknown item scarce, nobody's going to care.
9. It'd be incredibly difficult for McDonald's to create more McRib-esque products, because that cult-like following is so hard to replicate.
McRib lovers are fanatical, but it wouldn't be this way if the phenomenon hadn't had decades to marinate in the hearts and minds of its fans. A wholly devoted fanbase for a new product would take years to develop, and even then, there's no guarantee that it would work.
McDonald's struck gold with the McRib, and it doesn't want to do anything to affect its brand. Even now, by offering the McRib nationwide twice just a year apart, it's walking a fine line. At what point will consumers get sick of it?
10. There's also speculation that the McRib is really just a big commodity trade by McDonald's.
The Awl's Willey Staley argues that whenever the sandwich springs up, hog prices are almost always in a trough.
Here's more of his argument on why McDonald's behaves like a trader: "Fast food involves both hideously violent economies of scale and sad, sad end users who volunteer to be taken advantage of. What makes the McRib different from this everyday horror is that a) McDonald’s is huge to the point that it’s more useful to think of it as a company trading in commodities than it is to think of it as a chain of restaurants b) it is made of pork, which makes it a unique product in the QSR world and c) it is only available sometimes, but refuses to go away entirely."
11. Animal rights group sues McRib meat supplier over inhumane treatment of pigs.
Not everyone is ecstatic about the return of the McRib. Last November, the Humane Society of the United States filed a lawsuit against Smithfield Foods, the pork supplier of McDonald's McRib meat, claiming the meat distributor houses its pigs in unethical farm conditions.
A 2010 undercover investigation by the animal rights group shows pigs crammed into gestation crates covered in blood and baby pigs being tossed into carts like rag dolls (WARNING: the video contains some pretty graphic content).
Click green for more articles:
STAF, Inc. wants to save your & your children's health & lives
and guide you to avoid suffering and an early death
__________________
WARNING: this stuff kills
Save your life & your children's lives:
study this article & apply the information
Quotation: "Knowledge is no power - only applied knowledge is power"
(Dr. Christian, STAF, Inc. chairman)
________________________________
This article about McDonald's McRib
is edited here to remind you:
(1) it is deadly poison,
(2) do NOT and do not let your children eat any of it,
it kills everyone slowly, painfully but surely
Poisonous Facts
about the McDonald's McRib
The results: more people die of overweight & of the poisons in any mixture
called "fast-food" - the correct title is: BAD-FOOD - do not eat any of it
The evidence is clear: (1) you'll find it on the internet and (2) in our article above in this sub-tab: The fattest place in the world, Nauru, the smallest republic in the world. Everyone in Nauru was fully healthy. Then minerals were found in Nauru. The western businessman came and introduced the American "fast-food" (= bad-food) - now 95% of Nauru's people are sick more or less because of their overweight & obesity.
Fast-food (= bad-food) industry deserves to be killed by a proper legislation because it is harmful in many ways to every human being & because it hurts every taxpayer's wallet we all pay for the sickness level in our country.
The facts is: the "bad-food" industry has made most Americans overweight or obese with every possible deadly sickness. The U.S. health/sickness care is among the highest worldwide, yet the U.S. is one of the sickest nation in the world.
The article
(ABC news)
with comments added by STAF, Inc.'s editors
McDonald's McRib
Pure poison - it kills - do NOT eat it - do not let your children eat it
Save your life and your children's lives: stop eating any fast = bad "food" (it is not food, it is killing poison)
The legendary boneless pork sandwich, famously molded to resemble a rack of ribs, is both a feat of modern engineering and shrewd marketing.
McDonald's McRib
It garners almost as much attention for its shape as its impermanence on restaurant menus and for its
pseudo-meat (= Not genuine; sham, false - spurious - phoney - mock) = not meat, fraudulent meat, chemicalized meat - killing poison).
The barbecue-sauce-smothered sandwich was supposed to return at the end of October 2012, but was pushed back to help boost end-of-the-year sales.
1. The McRib came about because of a shortage of chickens.
In a 2009 interview with Maxim, Rene Arend, McDonald's first executive chef and inventor of the Chicken McNugget, explains that the McNugget was so popular when it was first introduced in 1979 that demand quickly outstripped chicken supply.
The legendary pork sandwich was developed out of necessity. Franchises that didn't have the Chicken McNugget needed a new hot-selling product — and that's when Arend scrambled back to the test kitchen.
2. The McRib was inspired by Southern BBQ.
Flickr/Southern Foodways AllianceRene Arend modeled the McRib after the barbecue-sauce-slathered pork sandwiches he ate during a visit to Charleston, South Carolina.
The decorated French-trained chef, who oncewhipped up fancy culinary creations for the Drake Hotel, is also credited with coming up the unique shape of the sandwich.
Although the McRib doesn't contain a single bone, Arend suggested the meat be patterned after a slab of ribs instead of the classic round patty.
3. The McRib is a product of "restructured meat technology."
Rene Arend came up with the idea and design of the McRib, but it's a professor from the University of Nebraska named Richard Mandigo who developed the "restructured meat product" that the McRib is actually made of.
According to an article from Chicago magazine, which cites a 1995 article by Mandigo, "restructured meat product" contains a mixture of tripe, heart, and scalded stomach, which is then mixed with salt and water to extract proteins from the muscle. The proteins bind all the pork trimmings together so that it can be re-molded into any specific shape — in this case, a fake slab of ribs.
4. The whole process from fresh pork to frozen McRib takes about 45 minutes.
Director of McDonald's U.S. supply chain Rob Cannell explained how regular pig gets transformed into the famed McRib in an interview with Maxim: "The McRib is made in large processing plants—lots of stainless steel, a number of production lines, and these long cryogenic freezers. The pork meat is chopped up, then seasoned, then formed into that shape that looks like a rib back. Then we flash-freeze it. The whole process from fresh pork to frozen McRib takes about 45 minutes."
5. The entire McRib sandwich contains about 70 ingredients — including a flour-bleaching agent used in yoga mats.
Flickr/Calgary Reviews As it appears out of the box, the McRib sandwich consists of just five basic components: a pork patty, barbecue sauce, pickle slices, onions, and a sesame bun.
But, as recently reported by Time magazine, a closer inspection of McDonald's own ingredient list reveals that the pork sandwich contains a total of 70 ingredients. This includes azodicarbonamide, a flour-bleaching agent often used in the production of foamed plastics and tens of other killing poisons.
The entire sandwich packs a whopping 500 calories, 26 grams of fat, 44 grams of carbs, and 980 milligrams of sodium. That's another killing combination.
6. The McRib debuted in 1981, disappeared in 1985, and has resurfaced from time-to-time since 1994.
Depending on where you read, McDonald's introduced the boneless pork sandwich sometime between 1981 and 1982. The fast-food concoction vanished in 1985, only to reappear as a limited-edition item in 1994.
The McRib has become something of a legend for its on-and-off appearances on McDonald's menus. The fleeting nature of the sandwich has generated a cult-like following.
7. Individual restaurants can actually order the ingredients for the McRib at any time.
The McRib pops up at McDonald's locations across the country sporadically. It's so random because the individual restaurants are able to offer the McRib whenever they feel like it. The practice has even inspired websites devoted to tracking McRib availability across the nation.
8. McDonald's keeps the McRib scarce because the sandwich's entire brand relies on it.
McDonald's has always known about its customers' weird obsession for the sandwich, and its marketing completely leverages the McRib's scarcity. Take its "Save The McRib" campaign in 2010, where it encouraged McRib fans to go online and sign a petition to keep the sandwich around for a while longer.
But a strategy like that only works with something that's as popular as the McRib is. If you make an unknown item scarce, nobody's going to care.
9. It'd be incredibly difficult for McDonald's to create more McRib-esque products, because that cult-like following is so hard to replicate.
McRib lovers are fanatical, but it wouldn't be this way if the phenomenon hadn't had decades to marinate in the hearts and minds of its fans. A wholly devoted fanbase for a new product would take years to develop, and even then, there's no guarantee that it would work.
McDonald's struck gold with the McRib, and it doesn't want to do anything to affect its brand. Even now, by offering the McRib nationwide twice just a year apart, it's walking a fine line. At what point will consumers get sick of it?
10. There's also speculation that the McRib is really just a big commodity trade by McDonald's.
The Awl's Willey Staley argues that whenever the sandwich springs up, hog prices are almost always in a trough.
Here's more of his argument on why McDonald's behaves like a trader: "Fast food involves both hideously violent economies of scale and sad, sad end users who volunteer to be taken advantage of. What makes the McRib different from this everyday horror is that a) McDonald’s is huge to the point that it’s more useful to think of it as a company trading in commodities than it is to think of it as a chain of restaurants b) it is made of pork, which makes it a unique product in the QSR world and c) it is only available sometimes, but refuses to go away entirely."
11. Animal rights group sues McRib meat supplier over inhumane treatment of pigs.
Not everyone is ecstatic about the return of the McRib. Last November, the Humane Society of the United States filed a lawsuit against Smithfield Foods, the pork supplier of McDonald's McRib meat, claiming the meat distributor houses its pigs in unethical farm conditions.
A 2010 undercover investigation by the animal rights group shows pigs crammed into gestation crates covered in blood and baby pigs being tossed into carts like rag dolls (WARNING: the video contains some pretty graphic content).
Click green for more articles:
- Step Inside The Building Where McDonald's Runs Its Global Empire
- The Truth About McDonald's Burgers That Don't Rot
- McDonald's Striker: 'They're Not Paying Us Enough To Survive' ______________________________________________________________________________
Simple Test Predicts Longevity
Click green for further info
Don’t be surprised if your doctor asks you to sit on the floor at your next checkup. A new study says testing a person’s ability to sit down and then rise from the floor could provide useful insight into their overall health and longevity.
Brazilian researchers discovered an interesting link between a person’s ability to sit and rise from the floor and the risk of being 6.5 times more likely to die in the next six years.
The study, published in the European Journal of Cardiovascular Prevention, included a simple test in which more than 2,000 people ages 51 to 80 attempted to sit down on the floor and then stand back up using as little support as possible.
Aspirin: The 2000-Year-Old Wonder Drug
DO NOT USE ASPIRIN - IT HAS NEGATIVE SIDE EFFECTS
MOST DOCTORS DO NOT ANY LONGER VERY EASILY PRESCRIBE ASPIRIN AS IN THE PAST - Leave aspirin out from your life except IF your primary care (with the up-to-date medical & science knowledge) really has a reason for you to use it despite its negative side effects.
Floors are Replacing Chairs
Chairs used to be a helpful tool to measure a person’s strength and lower body fitness. Having a person stand up from a seated position helped doctors assess a person's overall frailty and also if he or she is likely to fall (and thereby at an increased risk of fracture). It also measured a person’s lower-body strength and agility.
But this new test has some real life applications.
Instead of simply gauging a person’s ability to get up off the couch, the sitting test helps identify risks associated with picking up vital items—such as medicine or eyeglasses—that may drop on the floor. It also can identify those at risk of spending hours (or longer) on the floor after a fall—unable to get up or call for help.
At-Home Remedies that Really Work
Aiming for a Perfect Score
The test used by the researchers required people to sit on the floor from a standing position and then return to a standing position. Speed wasn’t a factor in the scoring, but support was.
The more support a person required—including bracing with a hand or knee or both—the lower the score for each action. A perfect score of five for each action (sitting and standing) was the goal. Points and half points were deducted for things like touching a hand or knee on the ground or pushing off with a hand on one knee to stand up. Looking wobbly on the way up or down cost participants half a point.
More than half the participants ages 76 to 80 failed the tests, scoring 0 to 3. Not surprising around 70 percent of those under 60 earned a near perfect or perfect score of 8, 9, or 10.
Scores and Life ExpectancyPeople who scored 0 to 3 were 6.5 times more likely to die during the course of the 6.3 year study, compared to people who scored from 8 to 10. Those with scores of 3.5 to 5.5 were 3.8 times more likely to die as the high scorers—and those who scored in the 6 to 7.4 range were 1.8 times more likely to die than those with the highest scores.
During the course of the study 159 of the 2,000 volunteers died, with the majority of the deaths coming from the group that had the most trouble getting up and down.
“Just two subjects that scored 10 died in the follow-up of about six years,” said Claudio Gil Soares de Araújo, a professor at Gama Filho University in Rio de Janeiro who worked on the study. If someone between the ages of 51 and 80 scores 10, “the chances of being alive in the next six years are quite good,” he said.
“A 1-point increment in the [sitting-rising] score was related to a 21 percent reduction in mortality," reported the investigators who noted this is the first study to demonstrate the prognostic value of the sitting-rising test,” said Araújo.
9 Warning Signs of Low Testosterone
It’s Not Just About Getting UpThe ease with which a person stands and sits clues doctors in to a person’s ratio of muscle power to body weight. But the researchers say there are other relevant issues. “It is well known that aerobic fitness is strongly related to survival, but our study also shows that maintaining high levels of body flexibility, muscle strength, power-to-body weight ratio, and coordination are not only good for performing daily activities but have a favorable influence on life expectancy,” said Araújo.
What You Can Do
All is not lost if you don’t score a perfect 10. Doctors says physical activity like walking, swimming, yoga, and weight-resistance training can help improve scores on the sit/stand test and add years to your life.
In addition, you can boost your level of physical activity with a few little things too.
You can burn up to 100 more calories a day if you park in the spot furthest from the door at the grocery store, use the stairs instead of the elevator or escalator at the mall, or make multiple trips up and down the stairs when you’re putting away laundry. “Those little things add up to a lot of beneficial exercise you don’t realize you’re doing,” says Rose Marie Robertson, M.D., chief science officer, American Heart Association.
They can also help you increase your sit/stand score.
—————————--
Click green for further info
The Most Unusual Baby Names of 2012
Early Signs of Multiple Sclerosis. MS can show itself in many ways, but early detection can help slow its progression.
What to Expect from Chemotherapy Treatment. Oncologist Dr. Steve Eisenberg answers some of the most commonly asked questions about chemotherapy treatment and its side effects.
How to Avoid a Migraine Before it Happens. Find out what your weaknesses are to avoid feeling the pain.
Faces of OA of the Knee. Learn how patients have dealt with osteoarthritis of the knee.
Warning Signs of Low Testosterone. Learn to recognize the symptoms of low T, which can be very subtle.
More Resources: Compare Medicare Plans...BodyMaps for iPad...Depressed After a Nap?...Knee Pain Assessment
7 Simple Ways to Manage Chronic Pain
Source: European Journal of Cardiovascular Prevention
Click green for further info
__________________________________________________________________
Click green for further info
Don’t be surprised if your doctor asks you to sit on the floor at your next checkup. A new study says testing a person’s ability to sit down and then rise from the floor could provide useful insight into their overall health and longevity.
Brazilian researchers discovered an interesting link between a person’s ability to sit and rise from the floor and the risk of being 6.5 times more likely to die in the next six years.
The study, published in the European Journal of Cardiovascular Prevention, included a simple test in which more than 2,000 people ages 51 to 80 attempted to sit down on the floor and then stand back up using as little support as possible.
Aspirin: The 2000-Year-Old Wonder Drug
DO NOT USE ASPIRIN - IT HAS NEGATIVE SIDE EFFECTS
MOST DOCTORS DO NOT ANY LONGER VERY EASILY PRESCRIBE ASPIRIN AS IN THE PAST - Leave aspirin out from your life except IF your primary care (with the up-to-date medical & science knowledge) really has a reason for you to use it despite its negative side effects.
Floors are Replacing Chairs
Chairs used to be a helpful tool to measure a person’s strength and lower body fitness. Having a person stand up from a seated position helped doctors assess a person's overall frailty and also if he or she is likely to fall (and thereby at an increased risk of fracture). It also measured a person’s lower-body strength and agility.
But this new test has some real life applications.
Instead of simply gauging a person’s ability to get up off the couch, the sitting test helps identify risks associated with picking up vital items—such as medicine or eyeglasses—that may drop on the floor. It also can identify those at risk of spending hours (or longer) on the floor after a fall—unable to get up or call for help.
At-Home Remedies that Really Work
Aiming for a Perfect Score
The test used by the researchers required people to sit on the floor from a standing position and then return to a standing position. Speed wasn’t a factor in the scoring, but support was.
The more support a person required—including bracing with a hand or knee or both—the lower the score for each action. A perfect score of five for each action (sitting and standing) was the goal. Points and half points were deducted for things like touching a hand or knee on the ground or pushing off with a hand on one knee to stand up. Looking wobbly on the way up or down cost participants half a point.
More than half the participants ages 76 to 80 failed the tests, scoring 0 to 3. Not surprising around 70 percent of those under 60 earned a near perfect or perfect score of 8, 9, or 10.
Scores and Life ExpectancyPeople who scored 0 to 3 were 6.5 times more likely to die during the course of the 6.3 year study, compared to people who scored from 8 to 10. Those with scores of 3.5 to 5.5 were 3.8 times more likely to die as the high scorers—and those who scored in the 6 to 7.4 range were 1.8 times more likely to die than those with the highest scores.
During the course of the study 159 of the 2,000 volunteers died, with the majority of the deaths coming from the group that had the most trouble getting up and down.
“Just two subjects that scored 10 died in the follow-up of about six years,” said Claudio Gil Soares de Araújo, a professor at Gama Filho University in Rio de Janeiro who worked on the study. If someone between the ages of 51 and 80 scores 10, “the chances of being alive in the next six years are quite good,” he said.
“A 1-point increment in the [sitting-rising] score was related to a 21 percent reduction in mortality," reported the investigators who noted this is the first study to demonstrate the prognostic value of the sitting-rising test,” said Araújo.
9 Warning Signs of Low Testosterone
It’s Not Just About Getting UpThe ease with which a person stands and sits clues doctors in to a person’s ratio of muscle power to body weight. But the researchers say there are other relevant issues. “It is well known that aerobic fitness is strongly related to survival, but our study also shows that maintaining high levels of body flexibility, muscle strength, power-to-body weight ratio, and coordination are not only good for performing daily activities but have a favorable influence on life expectancy,” said Araújo.
What You Can Do
All is not lost if you don’t score a perfect 10. Doctors says physical activity like walking, swimming, yoga, and weight-resistance training can help improve scores on the sit/stand test and add years to your life.
In addition, you can boost your level of physical activity with a few little things too.
You can burn up to 100 more calories a day if you park in the spot furthest from the door at the grocery store, use the stairs instead of the elevator or escalator at the mall, or make multiple trips up and down the stairs when you’re putting away laundry. “Those little things add up to a lot of beneficial exercise you don’t realize you’re doing,” says Rose Marie Robertson, M.D., chief science officer, American Heart Association.
They can also help you increase your sit/stand score.
—————————--
Click green for further info
The Most Unusual Baby Names of 2012
Early Signs of Multiple Sclerosis. MS can show itself in many ways, but early detection can help slow its progression.
What to Expect from Chemotherapy Treatment. Oncologist Dr. Steve Eisenberg answers some of the most commonly asked questions about chemotherapy treatment and its side effects.
How to Avoid a Migraine Before it Happens. Find out what your weaknesses are to avoid feeling the pain.
Faces of OA of the Knee. Learn how patients have dealt with osteoarthritis of the knee.
Warning Signs of Low Testosterone. Learn to recognize the symptoms of low T, which can be very subtle.
More Resources: Compare Medicare Plans...BodyMaps for iPad...Depressed After a Nap?...Knee Pain Assessment
7 Simple Ways to Manage Chronic Pain
Source: European Journal of Cardiovascular Prevention
Click green for further info
__________________________________________________________________
Do you live to eat? Or: Do you eat to live?
Is your fast-food (= bad-food) ADDICTION & wrong food eating
& overeating until you will pop up, really so important that you have to risk
and loose your most valuable elements: Your Health? Your Life?
After you loose your health,
it is just a question of time when you loose your life and you drop dead.
Quotation "You respect you keep - you don't you loose"
(Dr. Christian, STAF, Inc.'s President)
Do you live to eat? Or: Do you eat to live?
Overeating, getting overweight, getting obese is NOT your private matter if you use other people's wallets to get health care = sickness care. It is only your private matter only, when you pay all your medical bills with your own money.
407-Pound Woman Denied Flights Home,
Dies Abroad
Click the green title for a picture
Man blames airlines for obese wife's death
Click green for further info
A couple's vacation ends in tragedy after they try to board three different flights.
'He wants justice for what was done'
The death of a 407-pound woman after being denied boarding on three flights was "preventable," according to an attorney for the woman's husband, who plans to pursue legal action against three airlines.
Vilma Soltesz, 56, died of kidney failure on Oct. 24 in Hungary, where she and her husband, Janos Soltesz, took an annual vacation to a home they owned in their native country, said Soltesz' attorney, Holly Ostrov-Ronai.
Soltesz, who had health problems, had been trying to get back to the United States, where she could see her doctors, Ostrov-Ronai said.
The couple flew from New York City to Budapest by way of Amsterdam on KLM Royal Dutch Airlines. Soltesz, who had one leg, got on the flight with the help of an airlift, and used a seatbelt extender when seated, Ostrov-Ronai said, adding that the couple had "no issues at all."
"KLM asked them when they would be flying home so that they could make proper arrangements," Ostrov-Ronai wrote in an email to ABCNews.com.
When the couple went to the airport on Oct. 15 to board a KLM night flight home to New York, they were able to board. However, Ostrov-Ronai said the captain asked Vilma Soltesz to disembark because she could not be secured in her seat due to an issue with a seat back.
"There was simply no legitimate reason in this instance for denying her boarding or forcing her to disembark," Ostrov-Ronai said. "Their failure to make simple accommodations, that had been made prior, led to Vilma's death. This is not best efforts in any regard."
In a statement, KLM said "every effort" was made to help Soltesz.
The couple waited at the airport for five hours while the airline made calls to find an alternative to accommodate Vilma Soltesz.
They were advised to drive to Prague, where they could catch a "bigger plane" operated by Delta Airlines. When they arrived, Ostrov-Ronai said, the couple was told that Delta only had a plastic wheelchair that could not handle Vilma's weight and that there was no sky lift available to get her onto the plane.
Delta spokesman Russel Cason offered the airline's "sincere condolences" for the passing of Vilma Soltesz.
"Despite a determined good-faith effort by Delta in Prague, we were also physically unable to board her on our aircraft on Oct. 16. For this reason there was never an issue with the use of seat belt extenders," he said.
The couple drove back to their home in Hungary and made another effort, this time through Lufthansa, to get back to the United States. When they boarded, they were forced to disembark by the captain, Ostrov-Ronai said, because Vilma was unable to fasten her seatbelt properly.
The airline said it worked with local partners, the fire brigade and technical experts to accommodate Soltesz, but to no avail.
"After several time-consuming attempts it was decided that for the safety of this passenger and the over 140 fellow passengers, Lufthansa had to deny transportation of the passenger," said a statement issued by the airline. "In order to avoid further delays which would have resulted in missed connections and severe inconvenience for other customers on board, this decision was unavoidable."
Two days later, Vilma Soltesz died.
"They passed these people around from airline to airline and treated them with no dignity whatsoever, simply because they didn't want to deal with the situation," Ostrov-Ronai said.
She said Janos Soltesz plans to pursue a lawsuit against the three airlines that denied his wife passage home, where she desperately needed medical treatment.
"Janos is heartbroken," Ostrov-Ronai said. "The only thing that keeps him going day to day is that he wants justice for what was done to Vilma and to try to make sure this doesn't happen to anyone else in the future."
Related links
Click the green title
This article is for your private use, only
______________________________________________
Click green for an article (- if no connection: search the web with the same title)
- Vitamins: What to Take, What to Skip
- 12 Ways to Get Your Daily Vitamin D _______________________________________________________________________________
Best, Worst Breakfasts for Your Health
The following article (breakfast info) is important for your health, long, happy life
- study well & apply the information 7 d/w -
Quotation "Knowledge is no power - only applied knowledge is power"
(Dr. Christian, STAF, Inc. President)
_______________________________________
Best, Worst Breakfasts for Your Health
50 Ways to Get A Flat Belly This YearThis is the year you will flatten your belly. With month-by-month diet and exercise tips that will help you eliminate hard-to-reach belly fat, you'll get a sculpted, sexy midsection and learn an arsenal of healthy weight loss habits. Here, learn 50 ways to flatten your belly in 2013.
January Change Your Hunger Patterns
Remember when you ate the rest of the holiday cookies after a big, rich meal, and still felt hungry the next day? That's because prolonged periods of overeating--hello, like the holidays!--make your stomach's network of stretch receptors (the ones that send messages to your brain that you're full) less sensitive. Short-circuit your post-holiday appetite by eating healthy portions of low-calorie, high-fiber foods like fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. They'll keep those receptors satisfied without directing you toward the leftover pies.
Yoga Moves for Flat Abs
Start Your Day with Grapefruit
Stock up on this tart pink fruit as it begins its peak season. The acidity in grapefruit slows digestion, so you'll feel fuller, longer. And just half a grapefruit packs 64% of your recommended daily vitamin C intake. Look for ones that feel heavy for their size with a fine-grained skin.
Take Your Gossip Session on a Walk
Instead of catching up with friends over food and drinks, suggest a reunion on the move--you're likely to work out 104% harder if you have an exercise buddy. Suggest a weekly walk-and-talk session, form a friendly fitness club, or take advantage of the January gym specials together. You'll motivate everyone to get moving while you grow even closer.
8 Ways to Get Amazing Abs
Deflate Your Bloat with the Roll-up
Hold a resistance band taut between hands and lie on the floor face up, with legs extended and arms overhead. Pull abs in, tuck your chin, lift arms toward the ceiling, and roll head, shoulders, and torso up and over your legs as far as you can. Keep heels firmly on the floor and reach hands towards your feet. Pause, then slowly roll back down. Do 5 to 8 reps with 30 minutes of cardio 5 to 6 times a week.
Click green for further info
January Change Your Hunger Patterns
Remember when you ate the rest of the holiday cookies after a big, rich meal, and still felt hungry the next day? That's because prolonged periods of overeating--hello, like the holidays!--make your stomach's network of stretch receptors (the ones that send messages to your brain that you're full) less sensitive. Short-circuit your post-holiday appetite by eating healthy portions of low-calorie, high-fiber foods like fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. They'll keep those receptors satisfied without directing you toward the leftover pies.
Yoga Moves for Flat Abs
Start Your Day with Grapefruit
Stock up on this tart pink fruit as it begins its peak season. The acidity in grapefruit slows digestion, so you'll feel fuller, longer. And just half a grapefruit packs 64% of your recommended daily vitamin C intake. Look for ones that feel heavy for their size with a fine-grained skin.
Take Your Gossip Session on a Walk
Instead of catching up with friends over food and drinks, suggest a reunion on the move--you're likely to work out 104% harder if you have an exercise buddy. Suggest a weekly walk-and-talk session, form a friendly fitness club, or take advantage of the January gym specials together. You'll motivate everyone to get moving while you grow even closer.
8 Ways to Get Amazing Abs
Deflate Your Bloat with the Roll-up
Hold a resistance band taut between hands and lie on the floor face up, with legs extended and arms overhead. Pull abs in, tuck your chin, lift arms toward the ceiling, and roll head, shoulders, and torso up and over your legs as far as you can. Keep heels firmly on the floor and reach hands towards your feet. Pause, then slowly roll back down. Do 5 to 8 reps with 30 minutes of cardio 5 to 6 times a week.
Click green for further info
IMPORTANT ARTICLE
STUDY WELL
Poll: Obesity's a crisis but we want our junk food
Click green for further info Date: January 2013
This is a POLL - not an article for health guidance
Save The American Family - STAF, Inc. is the leading new not-for-profit organization
guiding the Americans and the American Families to a healthy & successful life Now a third of U.S. children and teens and two-thirds of adults are either overweight or obese.
WASHINGTON (AP) — We know obesity is a health crisis, or every new year wouldn't start with resolutions to eat better and get off the couch. But don't try taking away our junk food.
Americans blame (1) too much screen time and (2) cheap fast food (= bad food) for fueling the nation's fat epidemic,
a poll finds, but they're split on how much the government should do to help.
Most draw the line at policies that would try to force healthier eating by limiting food choices, according to the poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.
A third of people say the government should be deeply involved in finding ways to curb obesity, while a similar proportion want it to play little or no role. The rest are somewhere in the middle.
Require more physical activity in school, or provide nutritional guidelines to help people make better choices? Sure, 8 in 10 support those steps. Make restaurants post calorie counts on their menus, as the Food and Drug Administration is poised to do? Some 70 percent think it's a good idea.
"That's a start," said Khadijah Al-Amin, 52, of Coatesville, Pa. "The fat content should be put up there in red letters, not just put up there. The same way they mark something that's poisonous, so when you see it, you absolutely know."
But nearly 6 in 10 people surveyed oppose taxes targeting unhealthy foods, known as soda taxes or fat taxes.
And when it comes to restricting what people can buy — like New York City's recent ban of supersized sodas in restaurants — three-quarters say no way.
"The outlawing of sugary drinks, that's just silly," said Keith Donner, 52, of Miami, who prefers teaching schoolchildren to eat better and get moving.
"People should just look at a Big Gulp and say, 'That's not for me.' I think it starts when they are young and at school," he added.
Indeed, while
(1) three-quarters of Americans consider obesity a serious health problem for the nation, most of those surveyed say dealing with it is up to individuals. Just
(2) a third consider obesity a community problem that governments, schools, health care providers and the food industry should be involved in.
(3) Twelve percent said it will take work from both individuals and the community.
That finding highlights the dilemma facing public health experts: Societal changes over recent decades have helped spur growing waistlines, and now a third of U.S. children and teens and two-thirds of adults are either overweight or obese. Today, restaurants dot more street corners and malls, regular-sized portions are larger, and a fast-food meal can be cheaper than healthier fare. Not to mention electronic distractions that slightly more people surveyed blamed for obesity than fast food.
In the current environment, it's difficult to exercise that personal responsibility, said Jeff Levi of the nonprofit Trust for America's Health, which has closely tracked the rise in obesity.
"We need to create environments where the healthy choice becomes the easy choice, where it's possible for people to bear that responsibility," he said.
The new poll suggests women, who have major input on what a family eats, recognize those societal and community difficulties more than men do.
More than half of women say the high cost of healthy food is a major driver of obesity, compared with just 37 percent of men. Women also are more likely than men to blame cheap fast food and to say that the food industry should bear a lot of responsibility for helping to find solutions.
Patricia Wilson, 53, of rural Speedwell, Tenn., says she must drive 45 minutes to reach a grocery store — passing numerous burger and pizza joints, with more arriving every year.
"They shouldn't be letting all these fast-food places go up," said Patricia Wilson, 53, of rural Speedwell, Tenn., who nags her children and grandchildren to eat at home and watch their calories. She recalls how her own overweight grandmother lost both her legs and then her life to diabetes.
More than 80 percent of people in the AP-NORC poll said they had easy access to supermarkets, but just as many could easily get fast food.
Another 68 percent said it was easy for kids to purchase junk food on their way to school, potentially foiling diet-conscious caregivers like Wilson, who doesn't allow her grandchildren to eat unhealthy snacks at home.
"If they say they're hungry, they get regular food," she said.
Food is only part of the obesity equation; physical activity is key too.
About 7 in 10 people said it was easy to find sidewalks or paths for jogging, walking or bike-riding.
But 63 percent found it difficult to run errands or get around without a car, reinforcing a sedentary lifestyle.
James Gambrell, 27, of Springfield, Ore., said he pays particular attention to diet and exercise because obesity runs in his family. He makes a point of walking to stores and running errands on foot two to three times a week.
But Gambrell, a fast-food cashier, said he eats out at least once a day because of the convenience and has changed his order at restaurants that already have begun posting calorie counts. He's all for the government pushing those kinds of solutions.
"I feel that it's a part of the government's responsibility to care for its citizens and as such should attempt to set regulations for restaurants that are potentially harmful to its citizens," he said.
On the other side is Pamela Dupuis, 60, of Aurora, Colo., who said she has struggled with weight and has been diagnosed as pre-diabetic. She doesn't want the government involved in things like calorie-counting.
"They should stay out of our lives," she said.
The AP-NORC Center survey was conducted Nov. 21 through Dec. 14. It involved landline and cellphone interviews with 1,011 adults nationwide and has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 4.2 percentage points.
_____________________________________________________________________________
STUDY WELL
Poll: Obesity's a crisis but we want our junk food
Click green for further info Date: January 2013
This is a POLL - not an article for health guidance
Save The American Family - STAF, Inc. is the leading new not-for-profit organization
guiding the Americans and the American Families to a healthy & successful life Now a third of U.S. children and teens and two-thirds of adults are either overweight or obese.
WASHINGTON (AP) — We know obesity is a health crisis, or every new year wouldn't start with resolutions to eat better and get off the couch. But don't try taking away our junk food.
Americans blame (1) too much screen time and (2) cheap fast food (= bad food) for fueling the nation's fat epidemic,
a poll finds, but they're split on how much the government should do to help.
Most draw the line at policies that would try to force healthier eating by limiting food choices, according to the poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.
A third of people say the government should be deeply involved in finding ways to curb obesity, while a similar proportion want it to play little or no role. The rest are somewhere in the middle.
Require more physical activity in school, or provide nutritional guidelines to help people make better choices? Sure, 8 in 10 support those steps. Make restaurants post calorie counts on their menus, as the Food and Drug Administration is poised to do? Some 70 percent think it's a good idea.
"That's a start," said Khadijah Al-Amin, 52, of Coatesville, Pa. "The fat content should be put up there in red letters, not just put up there. The same way they mark something that's poisonous, so when you see it, you absolutely know."
But nearly 6 in 10 people surveyed oppose taxes targeting unhealthy foods, known as soda taxes or fat taxes.
And when it comes to restricting what people can buy — like New York City's recent ban of supersized sodas in restaurants — three-quarters say no way.
"The outlawing of sugary drinks, that's just silly," said Keith Donner, 52, of Miami, who prefers teaching schoolchildren to eat better and get moving.
"People should just look at a Big Gulp and say, 'That's not for me.' I think it starts when they are young and at school," he added.
Indeed, while
(1) three-quarters of Americans consider obesity a serious health problem for the nation, most of those surveyed say dealing with it is up to individuals. Just
(2) a third consider obesity a community problem that governments, schools, health care providers and the food industry should be involved in.
(3) Twelve percent said it will take work from both individuals and the community.
That finding highlights the dilemma facing public health experts: Societal changes over recent decades have helped spur growing waistlines, and now a third of U.S. children and teens and two-thirds of adults are either overweight or obese. Today, restaurants dot more street corners and malls, regular-sized portions are larger, and a fast-food meal can be cheaper than healthier fare. Not to mention electronic distractions that slightly more people surveyed blamed for obesity than fast food.
In the current environment, it's difficult to exercise that personal responsibility, said Jeff Levi of the nonprofit Trust for America's Health, which has closely tracked the rise in obesity.
"We need to create environments where the healthy choice becomes the easy choice, where it's possible for people to bear that responsibility," he said.
The new poll suggests women, who have major input on what a family eats, recognize those societal and community difficulties more than men do.
More than half of women say the high cost of healthy food is a major driver of obesity, compared with just 37 percent of men. Women also are more likely than men to blame cheap fast food and to say that the food industry should bear a lot of responsibility for helping to find solutions.
Patricia Wilson, 53, of rural Speedwell, Tenn., says she must drive 45 minutes to reach a grocery store — passing numerous burger and pizza joints, with more arriving every year.
"They shouldn't be letting all these fast-food places go up," said Patricia Wilson, 53, of rural Speedwell, Tenn., who nags her children and grandchildren to eat at home and watch their calories. She recalls how her own overweight grandmother lost both her legs and then her life to diabetes.
More than 80 percent of people in the AP-NORC poll said they had easy access to supermarkets, but just as many could easily get fast food.
Another 68 percent said it was easy for kids to purchase junk food on their way to school, potentially foiling diet-conscious caregivers like Wilson, who doesn't allow her grandchildren to eat unhealthy snacks at home.
"If they say they're hungry, they get regular food," she said.
Food is only part of the obesity equation; physical activity is key too.
About 7 in 10 people said it was easy to find sidewalks or paths for jogging, walking or bike-riding.
But 63 percent found it difficult to run errands or get around without a car, reinforcing a sedentary lifestyle.
James Gambrell, 27, of Springfield, Ore., said he pays particular attention to diet and exercise because obesity runs in his family. He makes a point of walking to stores and running errands on foot two to three times a week.
But Gambrell, a fast-food cashier, said he eats out at least once a day because of the convenience and has changed his order at restaurants that already have begun posting calorie counts. He's all for the government pushing those kinds of solutions.
"I feel that it's a part of the government's responsibility to care for its citizens and as such should attempt to set regulations for restaurants that are potentially harmful to its citizens," he said.
On the other side is Pamela Dupuis, 60, of Aurora, Colo., who said she has struggled with weight and has been diagnosed as pre-diabetic. She doesn't want the government involved in things like calorie-counting.
"They should stay out of our lives," she said.
The AP-NORC Center survey was conducted Nov. 21 through Dec. 14. It involved landline and cellphone interviews with 1,011 adults nationwide and has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 4.2 percentage points.
_____________________________________________________________________________
Click green for further info
Fast-food breakfast sandwiches could be “a time bomb in a bun”— and eating even one fat-laden morning meal has immediate adverse effects on your arteries, according to a new study presented at the Canadian Cardiovascular Congress meeting in Toronto.
A high-fat diet is linked to increased risk for atherosclerosis (narrowing of arteries due to plaque deposits), but the study suggests that damage that could lead to a heart attack or stroke may start sooner than was previously thought.
Just one day of eating a fat-laden breakfast sandwich–such as egg, cheese and ham sandwich on a bun – and "your blood vessels become unhappy," said Heart and Stroke Foundation researcher Dr. Todd Anderson, director of the Libin Cardiovascular Institute of Alberta and head of cardiac science at the University of Calgary
(click green) in a statement.
The study measured blood flow through the forearm in 20 healthy people (average age 23). The researchers mentioned that the sandwich used in the study contained ham, egg, and cheese but did not name the restaurant from which it came. The goal was to reveal the risks of eating a general type of widely available breakfast sandwich, not to point the finger at specific restaurant. The test was done twice: once on a day when they’d eaten two fast-food breakfast sandwiches of a type that available anywhere in the US or Canada, and again on another day when they’d fasted. The sandwiches contained a whopping 50 grams of fat and 900 calories.
(click green) 7 Warning Signs of A Heart Attack
Impaired Blood Flow Two Hours After Meal
Compared to volunteers who skipped breakfast, those who consumed the fatty sandwiches showed impaired blood flow in their forearms two hours after the greasy morning meal. That’s because their vessels were less able to dilate (widen) and deliver oxygenated blood to the heart.
While the effects from a single meal were temporary, over time such arterial changes could set the stage for a heart attack or stroke, the researchers report. They used a test called velocity time integral that measures how much blood flow can increase after a brief interruption (compressing the arm with a blood pressure cuff). The higher the velocity, the “happier” the blood vessels are.
While one cheesy sandwich isn’t going to do lasting damage, the researchers say that their results highlight the importance of limiting fat, cholesterol, calories, and salt to prevent heart attacks and strokes. A junk-food diet has also been linked to increased risk for dementia, a memory-robbing disorder that has been called “type 3 diabetes,”
(click green) as was reported recently.
(click green) Watch Out for These Alzheimer's Warning Signs
What’s the Worst Breakfast of All?
Whether you’re looking to slim down, build muscle, train for a marathon, or just protect your health, breakfast really is the most important meal of the day. And a fast-food morning meal is not the worse choice. Instead, the unhealthiest option is not eating a morning meal at all.
Not only do people who skip their morning meal—or begin the day with only a cup of coffee—have less energy, worse moods, and poorer memory those who eat breakfast, studies show, but they also face some serious health risks. First of all,they’re up to 450 percent more likely to become obese, which in turn boosts risk for a wide range of ailments, including cardiovascular disease—the leading killer of Americans—gout, joint problems, and even some forms of cancer.
(click green) A 2012 study published in American Journal of Clinical Nutrition also reports that people who regularly skip breakfast have a 21 percent higher risk for type 2 diabetes. The researchers tracked about 29,000 men for 16 years and found that the increased risk remained even when body mass index was into account. Scientists suspect that a morning meal helps keep blood sugar levels stable during the day.
What’s the Healthiest Breakfast?
The right breakfast not only reduces risk for overeating later in the day, but also revs up metabolism, fuels your body and brain, and helps you maintain a healthy weight. For example, 80 percent of participants in the ongoing National Weight Control Registry study (which tracks more than 4,000 people who have dropped 30 or more pounds and kept them off for a year or longer) eat breakfast regularly.
Nutritionists advise including both lean protein and fiber in your morning meal, such as whole-grain unsweetened or low-sugar cereal mixed with non-fat yogurt, low-fat milk, or soy milk and topped with fresh fruit. Researchers at University of Texas at El Paso report that eating a filling breakfast helps people consume an average of 100 fewer calories per day, enough to add up to ten-pound weight loss over a year.
The Breakfast Food that Fights Belly Fat
Another study linked having whole-grain cereal for breakfast with reduced levels of cortisol, a stress hormone linked to both weight gain and a tendency to accumulate belly fat. A large waistline is the leading warning sign of metabolic syndrome, which quintuple risks for type 2 diabetes and triple it for heart attack.
(click green) As reported recently, 95 percent of Americans don’t eat the recommended three ounces of whole grains a day, which you can get from a slice of whole-wheat bread, a 6-inch whole-grain corn tortilla, or a serving of cereal. The health benefits of whole grain include:
Click green for further info
This article is for your private use, only
__________________________________________________
The above article (Breakfast info) is an important article
- study well and apply the info every morning 7 d/w -
Quotation "Knowledge is no power - only applied knowledge is power"
(Dr. Christian, STAF, Inc. President)
_______________________________________
Fast-food breakfast sandwiches could be “a time bomb in a bun”— and eating even one fat-laden morning meal has immediate adverse effects on your arteries, according to a new study presented at the Canadian Cardiovascular Congress meeting in Toronto.
A high-fat diet is linked to increased risk for atherosclerosis (narrowing of arteries due to plaque deposits), but the study suggests that damage that could lead to a heart attack or stroke may start sooner than was previously thought.
Just one day of eating a fat-laden breakfast sandwich–such as egg, cheese and ham sandwich on a bun – and "your blood vessels become unhappy," said Heart and Stroke Foundation researcher Dr. Todd Anderson, director of the Libin Cardiovascular Institute of Alberta and head of cardiac science at the University of Calgary
(click green) in a statement.
The study measured blood flow through the forearm in 20 healthy people (average age 23). The researchers mentioned that the sandwich used in the study contained ham, egg, and cheese but did not name the restaurant from which it came. The goal was to reveal the risks of eating a general type of widely available breakfast sandwich, not to point the finger at specific restaurant. The test was done twice: once on a day when they’d eaten two fast-food breakfast sandwiches of a type that available anywhere in the US or Canada, and again on another day when they’d fasted. The sandwiches contained a whopping 50 grams of fat and 900 calories.
(click green) 7 Warning Signs of A Heart Attack
Impaired Blood Flow Two Hours After Meal
Compared to volunteers who skipped breakfast, those who consumed the fatty sandwiches showed impaired blood flow in their forearms two hours after the greasy morning meal. That’s because their vessels were less able to dilate (widen) and deliver oxygenated blood to the heart.
While the effects from a single meal were temporary, over time such arterial changes could set the stage for a heart attack or stroke, the researchers report. They used a test called velocity time integral that measures how much blood flow can increase after a brief interruption (compressing the arm with a blood pressure cuff). The higher the velocity, the “happier” the blood vessels are.
While one cheesy sandwich isn’t going to do lasting damage, the researchers say that their results highlight the importance of limiting fat, cholesterol, calories, and salt to prevent heart attacks and strokes. A junk-food diet has also been linked to increased risk for dementia, a memory-robbing disorder that has been called “type 3 diabetes,”
(click green) as was reported recently.
(click green) Watch Out for These Alzheimer's Warning Signs
What’s the Worst Breakfast of All?
Whether you’re looking to slim down, build muscle, train for a marathon, or just protect your health, breakfast really is the most important meal of the day. And a fast-food morning meal is not the worse choice. Instead, the unhealthiest option is not eating a morning meal at all.
Not only do people who skip their morning meal—or begin the day with only a cup of coffee—have less energy, worse moods, and poorer memory those who eat breakfast, studies show, but they also face some serious health risks. First of all,they’re up to 450 percent more likely to become obese, which in turn boosts risk for a wide range of ailments, including cardiovascular disease—the leading killer of Americans—gout, joint problems, and even some forms of cancer.
(click green) A 2012 study published in American Journal of Clinical Nutrition also reports that people who regularly skip breakfast have a 21 percent higher risk for type 2 diabetes. The researchers tracked about 29,000 men for 16 years and found that the increased risk remained even when body mass index was into account. Scientists suspect that a morning meal helps keep blood sugar levels stable during the day.
What’s the Healthiest Breakfast?
The right breakfast not only reduces risk for overeating later in the day, but also revs up metabolism, fuels your body and brain, and helps you maintain a healthy weight. For example, 80 percent of participants in the ongoing National Weight Control Registry study (which tracks more than 4,000 people who have dropped 30 or more pounds and kept them off for a year or longer) eat breakfast regularly.
Nutritionists advise including both lean protein and fiber in your morning meal, such as whole-grain unsweetened or low-sugar cereal mixed with non-fat yogurt, low-fat milk, or soy milk and topped with fresh fruit. Researchers at University of Texas at El Paso report that eating a filling breakfast helps people consume an average of 100 fewer calories per day, enough to add up to ten-pound weight loss over a year.
The Breakfast Food that Fights Belly Fat
Another study linked having whole-grain cereal for breakfast with reduced levels of cortisol, a stress hormone linked to both weight gain and a tendency to accumulate belly fat. A large waistline is the leading warning sign of metabolic syndrome, which quintuple risks for type 2 diabetes and triple it for heart attack.
(click green) As reported recently, 95 percent of Americans don’t eat the recommended three ounces of whole grains a day, which you can get from a slice of whole-wheat bread, a 6-inch whole-grain corn tortilla, or a serving of cereal. The health benefits of whole grain include:
- Longer life. A high-fiber diet can cut risk of death from cardiovascular causes by nearly 60 percent, according to a recent nine-year (click green) study of nearly 400,000 people ages 50 and older.
- A healthier heart. Soluble fiber in oatmeal and out bran reduces LDL “bad,” cholesterol and total cholesterol.
- Weight loss. Whole grains digest more slowly than refined grains, which keeps blood sugar levels stable rather than stimulating insulin.
Click green for further info
This article is for your private use, only
__________________________________________________
The above article (Breakfast info) is an important article
- study well and apply the info every morning 7 d/w -
Quotation "Knowledge is no power - only applied knowledge is power"
(Dr. Christian, STAF, Inc. President)
_______________________________________
6 Fats You Should Be Eating Mix up the flavor & health benefits!
of your next dish with these olive oil alternatives
Before you pull out the extra virgin, first cold pressed olive oil again, consider using one of these other healthy oils to change things up a bit.Click: Olive oil is still the most convinient and probably most economical Click: The other healthy oils 1. Grapeseed 2. Walnut 3. Coconut 4. Refined Avocado 5. Toasted Dark Sesame
Read more: http://www.prevention.com/food/food-remedies/5-fats-you-should-be-eating#ixzz2MEhS7bqJ
Olive oil is perfect as long as it is extra virgin, first cold pressed — it's high in good-for-you fats and antioxidants—but these healthy alternatives are just as capable of boosting both your dinner and health. Check 'em out! Compare the prices. When buying, see the expiration date. Any oil you buy, avoid any hot-handled, instead always look at extra virgin, first cold pressed oils. Heat-handled kill much of the good ingredients.
Olive oil - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olive_oil
Olive oil is a fat obtained from the olive (the fruit of Olea europaea; family Oleaceae), a traditional tree crop of the Mediterranean Basin. The oil is produced by ...
Olive oil extraction - Category:Olive oil - Olive oil regulation and ... - Cloudy olive oil.
____________________________________________
of your next dish with these olive oil alternatives
Before you pull out the extra virgin, first cold pressed olive oil again, consider using one of these other healthy oils to change things up a bit.
Read more: http://www.prevention.com/food/food-remedies/5-fats-you-should-be-eating#ixzz2MEhS7bqJ
Olive oil is perfect as long as it is extra virgin, first cold pressed — it's high in good-for-you fats and antioxidants—but these healthy alternatives are just as capable of boosting both your dinner and health. Check 'em out! Compare the prices. When buying, see the expiration date. Any oil you buy, avoid any hot-handled, instead always look at extra virgin, first cold pressed oils. Heat-handled kill much of the good ingredients.
Olive oil - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olive_oil
Olive oil is a fat obtained from the olive (the fruit of Olea europaea; family Oleaceae), a traditional tree crop of the Mediterranean Basin. The oil is produced by ...
Olive oil extraction - Category:Olive oil - Olive oil regulation and ... - Cloudy olive oil.
____________________________________________
Parents considering legal action over school yoga
Article One
Article two next below - related to this same matter
STAF, Inc.'s opinion is that it is not right to make children practice yoga with the eastern religious elements
without parent first giving their permission to it in writing.
Save The American Family - STAF, Inc., -nfp-,
has a yoga program without any eastern religious elements.
It gives the same or better relaxation and health-promoting benefits - the religious elements are not needed.
STAF, Inc.'s new, worldwide tested program is called Yabbanetics™ - it can be done in 7 minutes - also in a slower speed lasting longer. Contact STAF, Inc. for further information and to order the amazingly effective program online.
Associated Press
ENCINITAS, Calif. (AP) — A group of parents is bent out of shape by free yoga classes at schools in this San Diego County beachside community, fearing they are indoctrinating youngsters in eastern religion.
"There's a deep concern that the Encinitas Union School District is using taxpayer resources to promote Ashtanga yoga and Hinduism, a religion system of beliefs and practices," the parents' attorney, Dean Broyles, told the North County Times (http://bit.ly/RUMM4T ).
In an Oct. 12 email to district Superintendent Tim Baird, Broyles called the yoga program unconstitutional and said he may take unspecified legal action unless the classes stop.
The lessons are funded by a $533,000, three-year grant from the Jois Foundation, a nonprofit group that promotes Asthanga yoga. Some schools began classes last month and others will begin holding them in January.
The classes involve traditional eastern breathing techniques and poses. The district chooses teachers and sets the curriculum while the foundation trains the teachers.
The district has removed any religious content from the twice-weekly classes, Baird said.
"I think that they really would like to think that, but I don't think that, in actuality, it has been done," said Mary Eady, who removed her son from the classes. "There's really a lot of unease among a lot of parents."
The superintendent said only a few parents have pulled their children from the yoga classes and he did not expect district trustees to cancel the program.
"Our goal is that kids get a really healthy workout, that they get a chance to relax and reduce stress and yoga's perfect for that," Baird said.
"Yoga is a worldwide exercise regime utilized by people of many different faiths," he said. "Yoga is part of our mainstream culture."
Jois Foundation Director Eugene Ruffin denied the group is religious and said the board of directors includes people from various faiths.
"These therapies are headed toward trying to find solutions for some of the stress that these children find themselves in," he said. "We're trying to solve problems."
Source:
Information from: North County Times, http://www.nctimes.com
Click the green for further info:
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Click green for further * Article two related to this same matter next below This article is for your private use, only _______________________________________________________________________________
Suit Eyed Over Yoga in Public Schools
Article Two
Article one just above - related to this same matter
STAF, Inc.'s opinion is that it is not right to make children practice yoga with the eastern religious elements
without parent first giving their permission to it in writing.
Save The American Family - STAF, Inc., -nfp-,
has a yoga program without any eastern religious elements.
It gives the same or better relaxation and health-promoting benefits - the religious elements are not needed.
STAF, Inc.'s new, worldwide tested program is called Yabbanetics™ - it can be done in 7 minutes - also in a slower speed lasting longer. Contact STAF, Inc. for further information and to order the amazingly effective program online.
Parents in a southern California community are considering legal action over the constitutionality of a form of yoga being taught to their children, which they claim is introducing religion into public schools.
Last month, half of the students attending classes in the Encinitas Union School District K-6 elementary schools in San Diego North County began taking Ashtanga (Sanskrit for "eight-limbed") yoga for 30 minutes twice per week. In January, the other half will begin the lessons.
Concerned parents have now retained constitutional first amendment attorney Dean Broyles, who says that Ashtanga yoga is a religious form of yoga, and that religious aspects have been introduced into the schools.
"The poses and positions are acknowledged by Ashtanga and Hindi yoga as forms of worship and prayers to Hindu deities," he told ABC News. "They have a spiritual and religious meaning behind them."
Broyles said that although he was at first skeptical that there were truly religious belief and practices being taught to kids, the more he investigated and spoke with parents, the more he realized it was a constitutional issue.
Broyles says that he brought up the matter at a Encinitas Union School District (EUSD) trustees meeting, along with 60 concerned parents, on October 9. Now the EUSD trustees will be reviewing whether the grant money violates the religious freedom of students and parents.
The yoga, which is being taught in all nine of the schools in the district, is being funded by a $533,000 grant from the Jois Foundation, a nonprofit that promotes Ashtanga yoga across the world. All of the instructors teaching the students are certified and trained by the Jois Foundation in Ashtanga yoga.
Broyles points to hedge-fund billionaire Paul Tudor Jones and his wife Sonia Jones, who is a known dedicated disciple of Sri Pattabhi Jois, the recently deceased master of Ashtanga yoga, as the money behind the EUSD yoga program. The district's program will be studied by the University of Virginia and University of San Diego to look at benefits of Ashtanga yoga, as outlined in a letter sent to parents by EUSD Superintendent Tim Baird.
"The study will look at the way that public school systems can impact student learning, health, positive relationships, and overall wellness through the implementation of a holistic approach to student wellness," Baird said in the letter.
Calls placed by ABC News to Superintendent Baird were not immediately returned.
The Tudor Joneses, Broyles says, were instrumental in the founding of the Jois Foundation and put up the money for the EUSD Ashtanga yoga grant. He says that parents are now not only questioning Hindu religion entering their schools, but the validity if this study being undertaken.
"We think that children are being used as guinea pigs," he said. "Following the money, you see what's going on … It would be like a charismatic Christian organization funding classes in worship and praise, and also funding a research center at a public university that is studying whether this is an effective form of exercise."
Broyles says that it has been argued that the in-school yoga programs have been stripped of their spirituality. But he says that kids in EUSD are being exposed to Hindu thought and belief within the school.
"On the wall there was a poster that showed the Ashtanga, or 8-limbed deity. There are words showing what the limbs are," he said. "The ultimate goal is to be absorbed into the universe, which is called Samadhi. They had a poster depicting that. Fundamentally it is a Hindu religion being taught through Ashtanga yoga."
Children are also being taught eastern meditation techniques to calm themselves, where one clears the mind of all thoughts, poses that were imparted by Hindu deities, and in one class were trained in drawing mandalas, according to Broyles.
Parents also raised specific concerns about the program aside from the religious aspects, saying that the fact that kids are taking 60 minutes of the 100 mins per week allotted for physical education to do yoga is inappropriate. Broyles said that for 40 minutes per week the kids are not getting PE, and that they're not offering anything for kids that are opting out of the program.
Broyles says that there are some yoga enthusiasts in favor of the program; he says that people in the district don't really understand eastern mysticism, yoga's roots in Hinduism, and what's being taught.
"If we were introducing Christian worship of bowing, there would be outcry in the community," he said. "It's dangerous to kids."
Source: ABC News
This article is for your private use, only
________________________________________________
Polar Bear Video Shows Dark Side of Drinking Soda
Will It Change Habits?
This article is about CocaCola and other sugary drinks and their dangers
The CocaCola ads show a happy-go-lucky spirit as their polar bears guzzle Coca-Cola, and we thought another view was necessary," said George Hacker, senior policy adviser for health promotion at the Center for Science in the Public Interest, the advocacy organization behind the video.
Click green for further info
A new video featuring a family of polar bears falling ill after too much soda might counter happy soda ads, but may fall short of getting people to cut the sugary stuff out of their diets, experts say.
In the online video, the bears start off happily guzzling bottles of caramel-colored soda. However, the beasts soon suffer health problems, including weight gain, tooth decay, erectile dysfunction and limb amputation — a complication of diabetes. The ad finishes with the family dumping their drinks into the ocean.
The video’s dark message offers a sharp contrast to some advertising messages from the soda industry, particularly the "open happiness" campaign from Coca-Cola. The soda giant has also featured iconic polar bears in its ads for decades.
"Their ads show a happy-go-lucky spirit as their polar bears guzzle Coca-Cola, and we thought another view was necessary," said George Hacker, senior policy adviser for health promotion at the Center for Science in the Public Interest, the advocacy organization behind the video.
In the video, images of the bears are interspersed with facts tying soda consumption to obesity, such as "An extra sugary drink each day increases a child's risk of obesity by 60 percent."
While outside experts said they support the video's message, they also said it's uncertain whether the campaign will actually get people to put down their sugary drinks.
"I think [the video makers] should be applauded for what they are trying to accomplish," said Timothy Edgar, director of the graduate health communication program at Emerson College in Boston. However, the video fails to provide viewers with ways to kick the habit, never admitting that quitting will be tough, Edgar said.
While the tune playing in the video, a song called "Sugar" written by Jason Mraz specifically for the campaign, seems to acknowledge the love people have for soda, the bears appear to have no trouble giving it up. "Clearly people love their soda, and [quitting is] not going to be something easy to do," Edgar said. [See 4 Tips for Kicking Your Soda Habit.]
In addition, the cartoonish characterization of some of the consequences of obesity may make it hard for viewers to relate, Edgar said. For instance, the father bear's paw is amputated by a fox with a chainsaw.
"I'm not sure that’s going to feel very real," Edgar said. "Are you going to be able to connect to that, and see that as a very real risk to your life, when it's portrayed in a cartoonish way?" he said.
Nancy Copperman, director of public health initiatives at the North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System in Great Neck, N.Y., said the amputation scene was a bit much.
"My gut reaction was that having cute polar bears have their legs sawed off was a bit, in a way, disturbing," Copperman said. The video made the amputation appear as "a fantasy," or a satire, and not real, Copperman said.
Although the cartoons might appeal to children, who are also frequent consumers of soda, the video’s messages would likely go over younger viewers’ heads, experts said.
The mention of rather far-off consequences of obesity, such as erectile dysfunction, would not be relatable for kids. "They're not going to be able to connect to that," Edgar said.
Hacker said the video was intended to make people think, and not necessarily change lifestyles.
"Our principle objective with the video is to start people talking about some of the unhappiness associated with excessive soda consumption in this country," Hacker said. "It's not solely intended as an effort to change their behavior.”
Hacker said the video is aimed at people in their teens and older, specifically those who are social media savvy.
Although this particular video did not target children, Copperman said it is important to educate kids about the influences of adverting, because kids are also the target of soda marketing campaigns.
"You need to think of a way to do it in a way that they would understand," Copperman said.
Pass it on: A new public health campaign video featuring soda-drinking polar bears is well intended, but may not lead to behavior change.
Click green for further info
___________________________________________________
Anticipating the Next Pandemic
STAF, Inc.'s editors decided to place this Pandemic article in this tab handling overweight & obesity.
When a person is overweight or obese, he/she will belong to the group with a greater risk to catch pandemics and epidemics and any other sickness because the person's immune system is clogged & full of killing poisons from wrong lifestyle and wrong nutrition. The immune system fights diseases and in most cases wins the "war". However, a clogged immune system does not have much power or strength to fight anything - and you land on the brink of your grave - too early.
Your choice: Life or Death - Suffering or Happiness
STAF, Inc.'s guidance in this extensive website & in our Radio/TV Shows
will give you a NEW Life with Happiness
(Radio/TV Show tab in this website has more info)
Apply the information daily in your life - you will save your life.
Quotation "Knowledge is no power - only applied knowledge is power"
Quotation "If it came from a plant - eat it , if it was made in a plant - it kills"
Quotation "To stay healthy you need to eat what your body wants, not what you want"
(Quotations by Dr. Christian, STAF, Inc. President)
______________________________________________
Anticipating the Next Pandemic
Opinion By DAVID QUAMMEN
Bozeman, Mont.
Click the green for further info
Pandemic (adj. & noun) (definition)
1. (of a disease) prevalent throughout an entire country, continent, or the whole world; epidemic over a large area.
2. general; universal: pandemic fear of atomic war.
Compare:
Epidemic (adj. & noun) (definition) , also Epidemical (adj.)
1. (of a disease) affecting many persons at the same time, and spreading from person to person in a locality where the disease is not permanently prevalent. 2. extremely prevalent; widespread. 3. a temporary prevalence of a disease. 4.a rapid spread or increase in the occurrence of something:an epidemic of riots.
_____________________
BAD news is always interesting, especially when it starts small and threatens to grow large, like the little cloud on the distant horizon, no bigger than “a man’s hand,” that is destined to rise as a thunderhead (1 Kings 18:44). That’s why we read so avidly about the recent outbreaks of Ebola virus disease among villages in Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, and about West Nile fever in the area around Dallas (where 15 have died of it since July). And that’s why, early this month, heads turned toward Yosemite National Park after the announcement of a third death from hantavirus pulmonary syndrome among recent visitors there.
Humans die in large numbers every day, every hour, from heart failure and automobile crashes and the dreary effects of poverty; but strange new infectious diseases, even when the death tolls are low, call up a more urgent sort of attention. Why?
There’s a tangle of reasons, no doubt, but one is obvious: whenever an outbreak occurs, we all ask ourselves whether it might herald the Next Big One.
What I mean by the Next Big One is a pandemic of some newly emerging or re-emerging infectious disease, a global health catastrophe in which millions die. The influenza epidemic of 1918-19 was a big one, killing about 50 million people worldwide. The Hong Kong flu of 1968-69 was biggish, causing at least a million deaths. AIDS has killed some 30 million and counting. Scientists who study this subject — virologists, molecular geneticists, epidemiologists, disease ecologists — stress its complexity but tend to agree on a few points.
Yes, there probably will be a Next Big One, they say. It will most likely be caused by a virus, not by a bacterium or some other kind of bug. More specifically, we should expect an RNA virus (specifically, one that bears its genome as a single molecular strand), as distinct from a DNA virus (carrying its info on the reliable double helix, less prone to mutation, therefore less variable and adaptable). Finally, this RNA virus will almost certainly be zoonotic — a pathogen that emerges from some nonhuman animal to infect, and spread among, human beings.
The influenzas are zoonoses. They emerge from wild aquatic birds, sometimes with a pig as an intermediary host on the way to humanity. AIDS is a zoonosis; the pandemic strain of H.I.V. emerged about a century ago from a single Cameroonian chimpanzee. Ebola is a zoonosis. The Ebola viruses (there are five known species) abide inconspicuously in some as yet unidentified creature or creatures native to Central African forests, spilling over occasionally to kill gorillas and chimps and people. SARS is a zoonosis that emerged from a Chinese bat, fanned out of Hong Kong to the wider world, threatened to be the Next Big One, and then was stopped — barely — by fast and excellent medical science.
And the hantaviruses, of which there are many known species (Andes virus, Black Creek Canal virus, Muleshoe virus, Seoul virus, Puumala virus and dozens more), come out of rodents. The species of hantavirus at large in Yosemite is called Sin Nombre — “nameless” — virus, and is the same one that erupted famously, and lethally, at the Four Corners in 1993. Its primary host is the deer mouse, one of the most widely distributed and abundant vertebrates in North America. The virus makes its way from dried mouse urine or feces into airborne dust, and from airborne dust into human lungs. If that happens to you, you’re in trouble. There’s no treatment, and the fatality rate for hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, the infection in severe form, runs at about 40 percent.
You don’t have to go to Yosemite and sleep in a dusty cabin to put yourself close to a hantavirus. Although one expert, recently quoted by Scientific American, called it a “very rare” kind of virus, that view doesn’t square with the studies I’ve read or the testimony of hantavirus researchers I’ve interviewed. The virus seems to be relatively common, at least among deer mice. A 2008 study done at Tuolumne Meadows in Yosemite found that 24 percent of local deer mice had the antibody for the virus, signaling a past or current infection. One mouse in four is worryingly high. Among these mouse populations nationwide, the prevalence of the antibody seems to vary from as low as zero to as high as 49 percent, or one in two mice.
The question this raises is: Why aren’t more people dying from Sin Nombre virus? The answer seems to be that, although very dangerous when caught, it’s not easy to catch, despite its presence in mouse-infested sheds and trailers and garages and barns across much of America. This is because it doesn’t pass from person to person — only from mouse to mouse, and from mouse excretions to one unlucky person or another, each of whom represents a dead-end host. (The “dead” of that “dead-end” may be figurative or literal.) It’s not a “very rare” virus; it’s a common virus known only rarely to infect humans, and with no ramifying chains of human contagion. So the Next Big One is not likely to be Sin Nombre.
Nor is it likely to be Ebola, which is transmissible from human to human through direct contact with bodily fluids, but can be stopped by preventing such contact. Furthermore, Ebola burns so hotly in its victims, incapacitating and killing so quickly, that it is poorly adapted to achieve global dispersal. Only one human has ever been known to leave Africa with a rampant Ebola virus infection — and that was a Swiss woman, evacuated in 1994 to a hospital in Basel. If you want to be grateful for something today, be grateful for that: Ebola doesn’t fly.
WE should recognize such blessings, and try to focus our deepest concerns on real global dangers. Too often, we’re distracted from good scientific information by yellow journalism and the frisson of melodrama. Ebola is charismatic, the demon that people love to fear. Other lurid candidates, like hantavirus and SARS, also get their share of headlines. When you mention emerging diseases, people’s responses tend to fall at the two ends of a spectrum. Some folks are mesmerized by the dark possibilities and the garish but unrepresentative cases. Others are dismissive, rolling their eyes at the prospect of having to contemplate still another category of dire monition. They want you to cut to the chase. “Are we all gonna die?” they ask. Or they say: “Fine, so what can we do about these bugs?”
Yes, we are all going to die, though most of us not from a strange disease newly emerged from a mouse or a chimp. And there are things we can do: get a flu vaccination; support calls for research; avoid coughing people on airplanes; apply mosquito repellent; wear a mask when you sweep out your old shed; don’t eat any chimpanzee meat from an animal found dead in the forest. But the concrete measures are limited by time, place and circumstance. The broader response is more basic: learn, absorb, understand. Don’t start trying to apply your knowledge until you have some.
Among the other unsettling disease news this summer, you’ve probably seen mention of influenza, that old familiar zoonosis, quite capable of devastation and melodrama all its own. Yes, there’s a new flu bug, a nasty variant of the H1N2 strain, suspected now to be traveling through pigs at state fairs. The influenzas are protean and explosive. Keep your eyes on that one.
Hantavirus in Yosemite is a little cloud that seems likely to stay little. This doesn’t mean that the great dark thunderhead isn’t coming. It just speaks to the need for a bit of informed judgment about which sector of the horizon we should watch.
David Quammen is the author of the forthcoming book “Spillover: Animal Infections and the Next Human Pandemic.”
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September 23/2012
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WARNING
Aspirin has serious side effects - we will not list them. However, you can find the negative side effects by searching the web. Below Wikipedia link - you may study other links - DO NOT START EATING ASPIRIN EXCEPT IF YOUR PRIMARY CARE PHYSICIAN BELIEVES YOU NEED IT AND CAN HANDLE ITS NEGATIVE SIDE EFFECTS
Aspirin: The 2,000-Year-Old Drug
HAS NEGATIVE side effects
Is an aspirin a day for you?
Despite its popularity, doctors don’t readily recommend aspirin to their patients or see aspirin as voluntary.
There are downsides to aspirin, including aspirin allergy that can trigger an asthma attack, bleeding stomach ulcers, and clotting disorders. Before starting a daily aspirin regimen, it’s best to talk to your doctor about your specific benefits and risks.
Aspirin - Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaen.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aspirin
by A a Doctor - Related articles
The main undesirable side effects of aspirin taken by mouth are gastrointestinal ulcers, stomach bleeding, and tinnitus*), especially in higher doses. In children ...
*) tinnitus = a sound in one ear or both ears, such as buzzing, ringing, or whistling, occurring without an external stimulus and usually caused by a specific condition, such as an ear infection, the use of certain drugs, a blocked auditory tube or canal, or a head injury.
Aspirin has serious side effects - we will not list them. However, you can find the negative side effects by searching the web.
It seems that aspirin—the pain reliever relied on to ease a throbbing headache or aching back—taken once a day could be what actually keeps the doctor away.
Multiple studies have shown that 75 mg a day of aspirin can cut a person’s risk of colon cancer by anywhere from 17 to 28 percent. It also reduces the odds of dying after a colon cancer diagnosis by 30 to 40 percent.
Popping one baby aspirin a day has also been shown to protect memory and cognitive function in older adults, according to research recently published in BMJ Open. The cheap over-the-counter remedy could cut the risk of developing Alzheimer’s by a whopping 55 percent.
As Americans search for options to trim the costs of healthcare, many are looking to this affordable, ancient remedy as a wonder drug.
Aspirin May Reduce Cognitive Decline - do not believe it - aspirin has serious negative side effects ONLY a person's primary care physician can make medical decision for his/her patience
Aspirin Through the Ages
Officially known as acetylsalicylic acid (or ASA), aspirin’s origins date back 2,000 years. References to medicine (made from salicylate-rich plants such as willow) being used to treat fevers have been found on Egyptian papyri. In 400 BC, Hippocrates, the “father of medicine,” recommended willow bark—which is rich in salicylic acid—to treat aches and pains and as an analgesic for women in labor.
Willow bark’s popularity stood the test of time. Legend says Lewis and Clark relied on it to treat fevers suffered during their famous expedition. In the 19th century pharmacists began experimenting with and prescribing chemicals related to salicylic acid, the active component of willow extract.
Modern day’s version of aspirin is the result of German chemist Felix Hoffman’s work in 1897.
Is Aspirin for Cats Safe?
Aspirin and Your Heart
In addition to being beneficial for brain and colon health, aspirin is also good for your heart.
According to the Mayo Clinic, an aspirin a day ups your heart health by interfering with your blood's clotting action. When you bleed, cells in your blood called platelets build up at the site of a cut or wound to help form a plug that stops the bleeding. This clotting can also occur in the blood vessels that supply blood to your heart, leading to a blood clot that can block the artery or prevent proper blood flow.
While it doesn’t completely prohibit clotting altogether, aspirin helps by reducing platelets' ability to clot.
Cholesterol: The Good, The Bad, and The Essential
Is an aspirin a day for you?
Despite its popularity, doctors don’t readily recommend aspirin to their patients or see aspirin as voluntary.
However the mounting body of research pointing to aspirin’s ability to protect against a host of diseases begs the question: Should Americans ask their doctor about incorporating an aspirin a day?
Many doctors do suggest daily aspirin therapy to patients who:
Consult Your Physician The typical dosage of aspirin as a preventative is 75 mg, fewer than a standard baby aspirin. However, many doctors will prescribe 81 mg (the dose of a typical baby aspirin) up to 325 mg, which is a regular strength aspirin.
There are downsides to aspirin, including aspirin allergy that can trigger an asthma attack, bleeding stomach ulcers, and clotting disorders. Before starting a daily aspirin regimen, it’s best to talk to your doctor about your specific benefits and risks.
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7 Ways to Treat Psoriasis at Home. Even though there is no cure for psoriasis, many treatments exist to ease the symptoms.
What to Expect from Chemotherapy Treatment. Oncologist Dr. Steve Eisenberg answers some of the most commonly asked questions about chemotherapy treatment and its side effects.
Cholesterol: The Good, The Bad, The Essential. Cholesterol is a compound vital to life, however too much of it can be detrimental to your health.
Faces of OA of the Knee. Learn how patients have dealt with osteoarthritis of the knee.
What is Bipolar Disorder? Explore important topics regarding bipolar disorder, including symptoms, treatments, com
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Do NOT urge anyone to start taking a daily aspirin
ONLY a person's primary care physician can make medical decision for his/her patience
________________________________________________________________________
Our editors decided to put this article here as a
WARNING
Aspirin has serious side effects - we will not list them. However, you can find the negative side effects by searching the web. Below Wikipedia link - you may study other links - DO NOT START EATING ASPIRIN EXCEPT IF YOUR PRIMARY CARE PHYSICIAN BELIEVES YOU NEED IT AND CAN HANDLE ITS NEGATIVE SIDE EFFECTS
Aspirin: The 2,000-Year-Old Drug
HAS NEGATIVE side effects
Is an aspirin a day for you?
Despite its popularity, doctors don’t readily recommend aspirin to their patients or see aspirin as voluntary.
There are downsides to aspirin, including aspirin allergy that can trigger an asthma attack, bleeding stomach ulcers, and clotting disorders. Before starting a daily aspirin regimen, it’s best to talk to your doctor about your specific benefits and risks.
Aspirin - Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaen.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aspirin
by A a Doctor - Related articles
The main undesirable side effects of aspirin taken by mouth are gastrointestinal ulcers, stomach bleeding, and tinnitus*), especially in higher doses. In children ...
*) tinnitus = a sound in one ear or both ears, such as buzzing, ringing, or whistling, occurring without an external stimulus and usually caused by a specific condition, such as an ear infection, the use of certain drugs, a blocked auditory tube or canal, or a head injury.
Aspirin has serious side effects - we will not list them. However, you can find the negative side effects by searching the web.
It seems that aspirin—the pain reliever relied on to ease a throbbing headache or aching back—taken once a day could be what actually keeps the doctor away.
Multiple studies have shown that 75 mg a day of aspirin can cut a person’s risk of colon cancer by anywhere from 17 to 28 percent. It also reduces the odds of dying after a colon cancer diagnosis by 30 to 40 percent.
Popping one baby aspirin a day has also been shown to protect memory and cognitive function in older adults, according to research recently published in BMJ Open. The cheap over-the-counter remedy could cut the risk of developing Alzheimer’s by a whopping 55 percent.
As Americans search for options to trim the costs of healthcare, many are looking to this affordable, ancient remedy as a wonder drug.
Aspirin May Reduce Cognitive Decline - do not believe it - aspirin has serious negative side effects ONLY a person's primary care physician can make medical decision for his/her patience
Aspirin Through the Ages
Officially known as acetylsalicylic acid (or ASA), aspirin’s origins date back 2,000 years. References to medicine (made from salicylate-rich plants such as willow) being used to treat fevers have been found on Egyptian papyri. In 400 BC, Hippocrates, the “father of medicine,” recommended willow bark—which is rich in salicylic acid—to treat aches and pains and as an analgesic for women in labor.
Willow bark’s popularity stood the test of time. Legend says Lewis and Clark relied on it to treat fevers suffered during their famous expedition. In the 19th century pharmacists began experimenting with and prescribing chemicals related to salicylic acid, the active component of willow extract.
Modern day’s version of aspirin is the result of German chemist Felix Hoffman’s work in 1897.
Is Aspirin for Cats Safe?
Aspirin and Your Heart
In addition to being beneficial for brain and colon health, aspirin is also good for your heart.
According to the Mayo Clinic, an aspirin a day ups your heart health by interfering with your blood's clotting action. When you bleed, cells in your blood called platelets build up at the site of a cut or wound to help form a plug that stops the bleeding. This clotting can also occur in the blood vessels that supply blood to your heart, leading to a blood clot that can block the artery or prevent proper blood flow.
While it doesn’t completely prohibit clotting altogether, aspirin helps by reducing platelets' ability to clot.
Cholesterol: The Good, The Bad, and The Essential
Is an aspirin a day for you?
Despite its popularity, doctors don’t readily recommend aspirin to their patients or see aspirin as voluntary.
However the mounting body of research pointing to aspirin’s ability to protect against a host of diseases begs the question: Should Americans ask their doctor about incorporating an aspirin a day?
Many doctors do suggest daily aspirin therapy to patients who:
- have had a heart attack or stroke
- have a family history of colon cancer
- had a stent placed in a coronary artery, have had coronary bypass surgery, or have chest pain due to coronary artery disease (angina)
- never have had a heart attack but are at high risk of having one
- are a man with diabetes older than 50 or a woman with diabetes older than 60
Consult Your Physician The typical dosage of aspirin as a preventative is 75 mg, fewer than a standard baby aspirin. However, many doctors will prescribe 81 mg (the dose of a typical baby aspirin) up to 325 mg, which is a regular strength aspirin.
There are downsides to aspirin, including aspirin allergy that can trigger an asthma attack, bleeding stomach ulcers, and clotting disorders. Before starting a daily aspirin regimen, it’s best to talk to your doctor about your specific benefits and risks.
___________________________________________________
click green below to study:
Learn About the Most Addictive
Prescription Drugs on The Market
________________________
OTHER TOPICS
7 Ways to Treat Psoriasis at Home. Even though there is no cure for psoriasis, many treatments exist to ease the symptoms.
What to Expect from Chemotherapy Treatment. Oncologist Dr. Steve Eisenberg answers some of the most commonly asked questions about chemotherapy treatment and its side effects.
Cholesterol: The Good, The Bad, The Essential. Cholesterol is a compound vital to life, however too much of it can be detrimental to your health.
Faces of OA of the Knee. Learn how patients have dealt with osteoarthritis of the knee.
What is Bipolar Disorder? Explore important topics regarding bipolar disorder, including symptoms, treatments, com
Click green for further info
This article is for your private use, only
Do NOT urge anyone to start taking a daily aspirin
ONLY a person's primary care physician can make medical decision for his/her patience
________________________________________________________________________
! ! !
What’s up when your cholesterol is up?
The question: My cholesterol levels are high. What does that mean and what should I do about it?
Cholesterol is integral to life, but too much can accelerate the process of atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries), thereby increasing the risk of heart attack, stroke and other cardiovascular diseases.
Most bodily cholesterol is synthesized by the liver, and is largely independent of dietary intake. The extent to which your body manufactures cholesterol is determined by genetic factors and metabolism, but can be modified by exercise, diet and various medications designed to lower cholesterol. Foods high in cholesterol that might be avoided include: egg yolks, red meat, cheese, processed meats, ice cream, butter and fried foods. Foods that may actually help to lower cholesterol are: oats, barley, whole grains, nuts, soy, beans, eggplant, fatty fish, apples, grapes and vegetable oils such as sunflower, safflower and canola.
So, what do the numbers mean? The American Heart Association guidelines for cholesterol management are as follows:
Cholesterol:
Below 200 mg/dL: Desirable
200-239 mg/dL: Borderline High
Above 240 mg/dL: High
As part of an annual physical, your doctor will order a fasting lipid profile blood test that looks at the components of the fats that circulate in your blood stream. These include: HDL, LDL, VLDL (High, Low, and Very Low Density Lipoproteins) and triglycerides. Elevated LDL increases your chances of cardiovascular disease, while elevated HDL decreases the risk. Triglycerides below 150 mg/dL are also desirable.
Source: MetroNY (local newspaper)
STAF,Inc. does not give medical advice - STAF, Inc.'s webmaterial and Radio/TV Show material is for inspirational and educational purpose. Only your own health care professional knows your situation and can provide medical guidance.
This article is for your private, non-commercial use, only
______________________________________
What’s up when your cholesterol is up?
The question: My cholesterol levels are high. What does that mean and what should I do about it?
Cholesterol is integral to life, but too much can accelerate the process of atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries), thereby increasing the risk of heart attack, stroke and other cardiovascular diseases.
Most bodily cholesterol is synthesized by the liver, and is largely independent of dietary intake. The extent to which your body manufactures cholesterol is determined by genetic factors and metabolism, but can be modified by exercise, diet and various medications designed to lower cholesterol. Foods high in cholesterol that might be avoided include: egg yolks, red meat, cheese, processed meats, ice cream, butter and fried foods. Foods that may actually help to lower cholesterol are: oats, barley, whole grains, nuts, soy, beans, eggplant, fatty fish, apples, grapes and vegetable oils such as sunflower, safflower and canola.
So, what do the numbers mean? The American Heart Association guidelines for cholesterol management are as follows:
Cholesterol:
Below 200 mg/dL: Desirable
200-239 mg/dL: Borderline High
Above 240 mg/dL: High
As part of an annual physical, your doctor will order a fasting lipid profile blood test that looks at the components of the fats that circulate in your blood stream. These include: HDL, LDL, VLDL (High, Low, and Very Low Density Lipoproteins) and triglycerides. Elevated LDL increases your chances of cardiovascular disease, while elevated HDL decreases the risk. Triglycerides below 150 mg/dL are also desirable.
Source: MetroNY (local newspaper)
STAF,Inc. does not give medical advice - STAF, Inc.'s webmaterial and Radio/TV Show material is for inspirational and educational purpose. Only your own health care professional knows your situation and can provide medical guidance.
This article is for your private, non-commercial use, only
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! ! !
Obesity rates
among U.S. adults (similar worldwide) have more than doubled from the 15 % of 1980. In that same time, they have more
than tripled among children.
! ! !
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! ! !
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U.S. obesity rates to soar
by 2030
* In 13 states, more than 60 percent of adults are projected to be obese
* Additional medical costs could reach $66 billion per year
* As many as eight (8) million new cases of diabetes a year (= every year),
comparing with (two) 2 million in recent years (2012 and before)
* Weight-Loss surgery (bariatric surgery) possible health benefits also have serious negative side effects:
Obese people who have weight-loss surgery may gain six (6) years of health benefits that include fewer new diabetes cases and lower cholesterol and blood pressure. Even so, their medical costs would not drop.
While the advantages linked to diminished fat were found to be durable over six years in a study published in September 2012, a second report tied the surgery to health complications such as gallstones and anemia. The research was included in an obesity theme issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association. In 2012 over 500 million people worldwide are obese, according to the World Health Organization. 10 times more worldwide are overweight.
Save The American Family - STAF, Inc., -not-for-profit-,
has a real, tested solution to overweight and obesity.
The New Healthy Lifestyle & Correct Nutrition Program.
It took 25 years international work to create, of them 7 past years to modify it for the U.S. use.
IN 2013 the new program will be introduced in D.C. to the U.S. Congress & Senate, The W.H. & The President and all related Federal Agencies. When applied, It will save, every year, hundreds of billions of dollars for the U.S. government, will ease human suffering, and will save millions of human lives every year.
This new program is suitable for every nation worldwide as
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NEW YORK, Sept 18 , 2012
Source:
Journal of the American Medical Association
If Americans stick to their eating and exercise habits, future historians will look back on the early 21st century as a golden age of svelte.
The latest in a long string of reports on the obesity epidemic in the United States presents the usual glum picture of the present, when 35.7 percent of adults and 16.9 percent of children age 2 to 19 are obese, as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported earlier this year.
But for the first time, the report from the Trust for America's Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation - the ninth that the groups have issued - also applies a time machine to those data. Using a model of population and other trends, the report "F as in Fat" projects that, by 2030, unless Americans change their ways, half of U.S. adults will be obese.
Building on the state-by-state obesity data CDC released in August, "F as in Fat" projects obesity rates of at least 44 percent in every state and over 60 percent in 13.
Since obesity raises the risk of numerous diseases, from type 2 diabetes to endometrial cancer, that will mean more sick people and higher medical costs, notes the report, released Tuesday.
In particular, it projects as many as 7.9 million new cases of diabetes per year, compared to 1.9 million new cases in recent years. There could also be 6.8 million new cases of chronic heart disease and stroke every year, compared with 1.3 million new cases per year now.
The increasing burden of illness will go right to the bottom line, it says: $66 billion more in annual obesity-related medical costs over and above today's $147 billion to $210 billion (out of total healthcare spending of $2.7 trillion).
That projection supports a study published earlier this year in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine that found that by 2030, 42 percent of U.S. adults could be obese, adding $550 billion to healthcare costs over that period.
'A TALE OF TWO FUTURES'
As with all projections, from climate models to Dickens' "A Christmas Carol," human actions can prevent the worst of the scenarios.
"This is a tale of two futures," said Jeffrey Levi of George Washington University and the executive director of Trust for America's Health. "We're at a turning point where if we don't do something now to mitigate these trends, the cost in human health and healthcare spending will be enormous."
Obesity is defined as having a body mass index (BMI) above 30. Overweight means a BMI of 25 to 29.9. BMI is calculated by taking weight in pounds and dividing it by the square of height in inches, and multiplying the result by 703. For instance, someone who is 5 feet, 5 inches (1.6 meters) tall and weighs 185 p ound s (84 k g ) has a BMI of 30.8.
The projections emerge from the increase in obesity rates among U.S. adults, which have more than doubled from the 15 percent of 1980, and children, which have more than tripled since 1980.
Although the percentage of obese children and adults was essentially unchanged between 2008 and 2010, CDC found, the "F as in Fat" model takes a longer view, explained mathematician Martin Brown of Britain's National Heart Forum, a nonprofit group, who led development of the model.
"You have to take trends over a number of years," he said. "In the age groups that matter, there just isn't much evidence of a leveling off in obesity rates."
As a result, many states projected to have the most obesity in 2030 do now, too. In 2011, 12 states had an adult-obesity rate above 30 percent, with Mississippi the highest at 34.9 percent. Colorado was the lowest at 20.7 percent.
The report projects that in 2030 in Mississippi, 66.7 percent of adults will be obese, as will 44.8 percent in Colorado, which will still be the thinnest state.
More surprising are projections for states such as Delaware, now the 19th-most obese state with a rate of 28.8 percent. The model uses 1999 as a baseline, explained Brown. "So if a state had a low rate of obesity in 1999 and is fairly high now, that indicates a steep rate of increase, which we believe will not go away." Result: an obesity rate of 64.7 percent in Delaware in 2030, making it the third-most obese state.
States facing the greatest percentage increase in obesity-related medical costs are now in the middle of the pack.
New Jersey faces the largest increase in costs, 34.5 percent, as its obesity rate is projected to climb from 23.7 percent today to 48.6 percent in 2030. Eight other states could see increases of 20 percent and 30 percent, including New Hampshire, Colorado and Alaska.
All is not lost, said Levi. "We have learned that with a concerted effort you can change the culture of a community, including its level of physical activity, eating habits, what foods are offered in schools, and whether families eat together," he said.
In New York City, for instance, obesity in grades K-8 dropped 5.5 percent from the 2006-07 school year to 2010-11, thanks mostly to healthier school lunches, public health experts said.
If BMI were reduced by 5 percent - for an adult of average weight, that means losing 11 pounds (5 kg) - in 2030 the obesity rate would not exceed 60 percent in any state, in contrast to the 13 in the business-as-usual projection.
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STUDY: Obesity Rate to Jump by 50 Percent by 2030
Source:
Politico
© September 19, 2012
Lots more pounds.
That’s what’s in the future for the United States for the next 20 years, according to a new report on obesity trends.
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Trust for America’s Health released a new report Tuesday projecting America’s obesity rates through 2030. If current obesity rates continue, every state could have an obesity rate above 44 percent by 2030, and most states could have rates higher than 50 percent, the report found.
That means the prevalence of health problems like type 2 diabetes, heart disease and hypertension could increase 10 times by 2020 — and double by 2030. And in 20 years, the report finds, medical costs for treating obesity-related diseases like these in the United States will be increasing by $48 billion to $66 billion every year.
Mississippi, which had an obesity rate of 34.9 percent in 2011, is projected to have the highest rate of obesity in 2030, at 66.7 percent. Twelve other states will also have obesity rates higher than 60 percent. New Jersey is expected to see the biggest increase in obesity-related health care costs, jumping more than 34 percent in the next 18 years.
But if states can find ways to reduce obesity, the scenario could be quite different. People could be healthier. And costs could drop. The report finds that if average body mass index is reduced by 5 percent by 2030, every state would reduce health costs by 6.5 percent to 7.9 percent.
And the organizations say there are plenty of ways to reduce obesity, including recommendations to keep funding for the health law’s Prevention and Public Health Fund, implement new nutrition standards in schools and fully implement the National Prevention Strategy and Action Plan.
Report projections were calculated using Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System data, which are collected by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and state health departments.
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STUDY: Obesity Rate to Jump by 50 Percent by 2030
Source:
Politico
© September 19, 2012
Lots more pounds.
That’s what’s in the future for the United States for the next 20 years, according to a new report on obesity trends.
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Trust for America’s Health released a new report Tuesday projecting America’s obesity rates through 2030. If current obesity rates continue, every state could have an obesity rate above 44 percent by 2030, and most states could have rates higher than 50 percent, the report found.
That means the prevalence of health problems like type 2 diabetes, heart disease and hypertension could increase 10 times by 2020 — and double by 2030. And in 20 years, the report finds, medical costs for treating obesity-related diseases like these in the United States will be increasing by $48 billion to $66 billion every year.
Mississippi, which had an obesity rate of 34.9 percent in 2011, is projected to have the highest rate of obesity in 2030, at 66.7 percent. Twelve other states will also have obesity rates higher than 60 percent. New Jersey is expected to see the biggest increase in obesity-related health care costs, jumping more than 34 percent in the next 18 years.
But if states can find ways to reduce obesity, the scenario could be quite different. People could be healthier. And costs could drop. The report finds that if average body mass index is reduced by 5 percent by 2030, every state would reduce health costs by 6.5 percent to 7.9 percent.
And the organizations say there are plenty of ways to reduce obesity, including recommendations to keep funding for the health law’s Prevention and Public Health Fund, implement new nutrition standards in schools and fully implement the National Prevention Strategy and Action Plan.
Report projections were calculated using Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System data, which are collected by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and state health departments.
Just below:
Study and apply the important, beneficial, cost-free solution to a longer, richer, healthier life
! ! !
Study above the 2 important articles with the info of how our obesity & sickness & early
death rates will soar more than expected if we do not change our wrong lifestyle in the
U.S. and worldwide in developed countries.
Save The American Family - STAF, Inc., -not-for-profit- has the solution
to all these health problems.
See just above.
______________________
Yes - WALK - do not run
See the next article below about the dangers of
running - walking is healthier - "learn" to walk
The Easiest Way To Live Longer
Ten benefits of walking
Get the information you need to improve your health and wellness on STAF, Inc.'s website & radio shows
In the STAF, Inc.'s scale 0-10, this article is 9+ A must to read & apply
Every minute you walk can extend your life by 1.5 to 2 minutes.
In addition, many studies show that people who walk regularly live longer, weigh less, have lower blood pressure, and enjoy better overall health than non-walkers.
Ready to lace on your shoes? If you want to add to the amount of walking you do, just clip on a pedometer. That simple action actually increases your physical activity by over 2100 steps per day, a review that pooled data from 26 studies found.
Here’s a look at ten benefits of walking.
Walking Increases Your Lifespan
Walking more than an hour a day improves life expectancy significantly, a 2011 study showed. The researchers looked at 27,738 participants between the ages of 40 and 79 over a 13-year period. Surprisingly, their lifetime medical costs did not increase—even though they lived longer.
“An increase in walking time at the population level would bring about a tremendous change in people’s health and medical cost,” the study authors wrote.
Walking Wards Off DiabetesJust thirty minutes of walking a day can prevent diseases such as type 2 diabetes,a 2002 study looking at both overweight and average weight men and women in a population at high risk for the disease showed.
If you already have diabetes, walking is helpful for you, too. A mile or more daily cuts your risk of death from all causes in half, according to a 2007 study.
Walking Keeps Your Mind SharpWalking 72 blocks a week (around six to nine miles) helps increase grey matter, which in turn lowers the risk of suffering from cognitive impairment—or trouble with concentration, memory and thought, according to a study which looked at 299 seniors over a nine-year period.
Furthermore, walking five miles per week can provide some protection to the memory and learning areas of the brains of those already suffering from Alzheimer’s disease or mild cognitive impairment, and lead to a slower decline in memory loss.
Common Symptoms of Alzheimer's Disease
Walking Helps Lower Blood PressureWalking just 30 minutes a day, three to five days a week—even when the 30 minutes are broken into three ten-minute increments--has been found to significantly lower blood pressure.
Walking is Great for Bone HealthPutting one foot in front of the other for about a mile a day led to improved bone density in post-menopausal women, and slowed the rate of bone loss from the legs, according to a 1994 study. “It takes walkers four to seven years longer to reach the point of very low bone density, study leader Dr. Krall told the New York Times.
Walking Cuts the Risk of StrokeWalking about 12.5 miles a week or more cut the risk of stroke in half, according toa study looking at over 11,000 Harvard University alumni with an average age of 58.
Walking Improves Your MoodIf you’re feeling down in the dumps, walking is a quick and easy solution. Just thirty minutes on a treadmill reduces feelings of tension and depression, according toresearch published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. In fact, the study found that walking lifted moods more quickly than anti-depressants did (and with fewer side effects).
And the more people walk, the better their mood and energy, says California State University Long Beach professor Robert Thayer, based on a study looking at 37 study participants over a 20-day period.
Walking Torches CaloriesJust 20 minutes of walking a day will burn 7 pounds a year. The effects are even more dramatic when you add in some dietary changes as well.
23 Diet Plans Reviewed: Do They Work?
Walking Improves InsomniaHaving trouble sleeping at night? Try taking a brisk 45-minute walk in the morning five days a week, and your sleep may improve significantly, according to researchfrom the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, which looked at women from the age of 50-74. (Walking in the evening, however, sometimes has the opposite effect—so keep an eye on when you’re exercising and what your sleep patterns are.)
Walking is Good for the HeartWomen who took brisk walks for three or more hours per week reduced their risk of heart disease by 30-40 percent, according to an analysis of over 72,000 women aged 40-65, who were enrolled in the prospective Nurses’ Health Study. As Ireported recently, heart attacks kill more US women than men annually. However, the benefits of walking aren’t limited to one gender. A different study showed that walking can cut the risk of coronary heart disease in half for men between the ages of 71 and 93.
Exercise and Fitness in the First Trimester
—————————--
Click the colored areas for further information
Get the information you need to improve your health and wellness on STAF, Inc. website & radio shows
8 Ways to Help Prevent Osteoarthritis. Make these lifestyle choices you can to help curb the onset of osteoarthritis.
Foods to Avoid with Arthritis. Many health professionals recommend avoiding trigger foods to ease your arthritis pain.
7 Psoriasis Triggers to Avoid. Avoid these seven common triggers to lessen chances of a flare-up.
The Worst Fitness Trends of All Time. Learn about some of the more interesting ways people have tried to stay in shape.
Back Pain? 7 Simple Fixes. Try one of these seven natural ways to alleviate your back pain.
More Resources: BodyMaps for iPad...Gluten-Free Hair Products...Depressed After a Nap?...Knee Pain Assessment
Click the colored areas for further information
View All 45 Comments »
Study well the following article about the dangers of running
* Walk - do not run*
____________________________
Study above the 2 important articles with the info of how our obesity & sickness & early
death rates will soar more than expected if we do not change our wrong lifestyle in the
U.S. and worldwide in developed countries.
Save The American Family - STAF, Inc., -not-for-profit- has the solution
to all these health problems.
See just above.
______________________
Yes - WALK - do not run
See the next article below about the dangers of
running - walking is healthier - "learn" to walk
The Easiest Way To Live Longer
Ten benefits of walking
Get the information you need to improve your health and wellness on STAF, Inc.'s website & radio shows
In the STAF, Inc.'s scale 0-10, this article is 9+ A must to read & apply
Every minute you walk can extend your life by 1.5 to 2 minutes.
In addition, many studies show that people who walk regularly live longer, weigh less, have lower blood pressure, and enjoy better overall health than non-walkers.
Ready to lace on your shoes? If you want to add to the amount of walking you do, just clip on a pedometer. That simple action actually increases your physical activity by over 2100 steps per day, a review that pooled data from 26 studies found.
Here’s a look at ten benefits of walking.
Walking Increases Your Lifespan
Walking more than an hour a day improves life expectancy significantly, a 2011 study showed. The researchers looked at 27,738 participants between the ages of 40 and 79 over a 13-year period. Surprisingly, their lifetime medical costs did not increase—even though they lived longer.
“An increase in walking time at the population level would bring about a tremendous change in people’s health and medical cost,” the study authors wrote.
Walking Wards Off DiabetesJust thirty minutes of walking a day can prevent diseases such as type 2 diabetes,a 2002 study looking at both overweight and average weight men and women in a population at high risk for the disease showed.
If you already have diabetes, walking is helpful for you, too. A mile or more daily cuts your risk of death from all causes in half, according to a 2007 study.
Walking Keeps Your Mind SharpWalking 72 blocks a week (around six to nine miles) helps increase grey matter, which in turn lowers the risk of suffering from cognitive impairment—or trouble with concentration, memory and thought, according to a study which looked at 299 seniors over a nine-year period.
Furthermore, walking five miles per week can provide some protection to the memory and learning areas of the brains of those already suffering from Alzheimer’s disease or mild cognitive impairment, and lead to a slower decline in memory loss.
Common Symptoms of Alzheimer's Disease
Walking Helps Lower Blood PressureWalking just 30 minutes a day, three to five days a week—even when the 30 minutes are broken into three ten-minute increments--has been found to significantly lower blood pressure.
Walking is Great for Bone HealthPutting one foot in front of the other for about a mile a day led to improved bone density in post-menopausal women, and slowed the rate of bone loss from the legs, according to a 1994 study. “It takes walkers four to seven years longer to reach the point of very low bone density, study leader Dr. Krall told the New York Times.
Walking Cuts the Risk of StrokeWalking about 12.5 miles a week or more cut the risk of stroke in half, according toa study looking at over 11,000 Harvard University alumni with an average age of 58.
Walking Improves Your MoodIf you’re feeling down in the dumps, walking is a quick and easy solution. Just thirty minutes on a treadmill reduces feelings of tension and depression, according toresearch published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. In fact, the study found that walking lifted moods more quickly than anti-depressants did (and with fewer side effects).
And the more people walk, the better their mood and energy, says California State University Long Beach professor Robert Thayer, based on a study looking at 37 study participants over a 20-day period.
Walking Torches CaloriesJust 20 minutes of walking a day will burn 7 pounds a year. The effects are even more dramatic when you add in some dietary changes as well.
23 Diet Plans Reviewed: Do They Work?
Walking Improves InsomniaHaving trouble sleeping at night? Try taking a brisk 45-minute walk in the morning five days a week, and your sleep may improve significantly, according to researchfrom the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, which looked at women from the age of 50-74. (Walking in the evening, however, sometimes has the opposite effect—so keep an eye on when you’re exercising and what your sleep patterns are.)
Walking is Good for the HeartWomen who took brisk walks for three or more hours per week reduced their risk of heart disease by 30-40 percent, according to an analysis of over 72,000 women aged 40-65, who were enrolled in the prospective Nurses’ Health Study. As Ireported recently, heart attacks kill more US women than men annually. However, the benefits of walking aren’t limited to one gender. A different study showed that walking can cut the risk of coronary heart disease in half for men between the ages of 71 and 93.
Exercise and Fitness in the First Trimester
—————————--
Click the colored areas for further information
Get the information you need to improve your health and wellness on STAF, Inc. website & radio shows
8 Ways to Help Prevent Osteoarthritis. Make these lifestyle choices you can to help curb the onset of osteoarthritis.
Foods to Avoid with Arthritis. Many health professionals recommend avoiding trigger foods to ease your arthritis pain.
7 Psoriasis Triggers to Avoid. Avoid these seven common triggers to lessen chances of a flare-up.
The Worst Fitness Trends of All Time. Learn about some of the more interesting ways people have tried to stay in shape.
Back Pain? 7 Simple Fixes. Try one of these seven natural ways to alleviate your back pain.
More Resources: BodyMaps for iPad...Gluten-Free Hair Products...Depressed After a Nap?...Knee Pain Assessment
Click the colored areas for further information
View All 45 Comments »
Study well the following article about the dangers of running
* Walk - do not run*
____________________________
Important info
Running May Be Harmful to Your Heart
Click green for further info
Running, long considered a healthy hobby, may actually be dangerous for some. At least that’s the prevailing opinion of a number of the country’s top cardiologists and a new study due out next month from British journal (click) Heart.
According to the editorial, endurance training and marathon running can literally push your heart to its limit, causing a variety of acute problems, such as arrhythmia or irregular heartbeat, and lasting damage, including calcification and scarring.
Some of these problems are impossible to predict, even if you’re an athlete who has been extensively pre-screened with cardiac tests prior to training. For older athletes, the toll that running takes may even outweigh the benefits gained from exercise, the study claims.
For many, the new information doesn’t add up. Why, for instance, would athletes who have been training for many years suddenly experience heart trouble associated with running?
The answer is simple. Intense physical exercise for long periods has the potential to take a toll on the body, in some cases aging it more quickly.
According to James H. O’Keefe, M.D. of the Mid-America Heart Institute of Kansas City, who co-authored an extensive 2012 study that examined the cardiac risks faced by athletes: “Physical exercise, though not a drug, possesses many traits of a powerful pharmacologic agent. A safe upper dose limit potentially exists, beyond which the adverse effects of physical exercise, such as musculoskeletal trauma and cardiovascular stress, may outweigh its benefits.”
In short, exercise is great in small doses, but too much physical exertion too quickly or for too long a period can actually put a person’s heart at risk, especially if he or she is over age 35.
Click 7 Warning Signs of A Heart Attack
Inside the Runner’s HeartWatch any marathon runner and it’s obvious that his or her body is under a great deal of stress. Temperature increases ten-fold, causing sweating, fluid loss, potential dehydration, muscle weakness, and even disorientation. But now researchers also have an idea about how marathon racing and long-term endurance training affects the heart muscle, too.
In the aforementioned 2012 Mayo Clinic study, for instance, long-term endurance training was associated with “coronary artery calcification, diastolic dysfunction, and large-artery wall stiffening.”
In that study, researchers associated endurance training with temporary spikes in sustained inflammation that was, in some cases, injurious to the heart muscle. That impairment may lead to permanent scarring or ventricle damage, which was seen in 12 percent of cases, or more acute issues like arrhythmia or sudden death, which is what killed runner Micah True in 2012 while running a marathon in Mexico.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, sudden cardiac death occurs in about one of every 15,000 joggers and one in every 50,000 runners; a 2008 study in European Heart Journal equated the greatest risk of sudden cardiac arrest in marathon runners with those who had the least amount of training.
A 2010 study presented at the Canadian Cardiovascular Congress echoed those same findings. In that study, runners who were less fit (as assessed by V02 max testing) had signs of “inflammation, swelling, and decreased perfusion accessed by MRI over three months.” Those runners who were better trained over a longer period were less likely to experience the same level of heart damage.
The Worst Fitness Trends of All TIME
An Ounce of Prevention
According to Carl J. Levine, M.D., Medical Director of Cardiac Rehabilitation and Prevention at the Ochsner Medical Center in New Orleans, anyone interested in marathon running should undergo cardiac pre-screening tests to eliminate underlying heart conditions. As many as ten different pre-existing cardiac conditions can be detected.
Levine recommends that physicians also take detailed histories of their patients, especially those who are in training, to look for evidence of overexertion, such as tendonitis, stress fractures, and other overuse issues.
O’Keefe, a cardiologist and co-author of the Mayo Clinic study as well as a marathon runner himself, said it best: “Extreme exercise is not conducive to great cardiovascular health. Beyond 30 to 60 minutes a day, you reach a point of diminished returns.”
23 Diet Plans Reviewed: Do They Work
Cholesterol: The Good, The Bad, and The Essential. Learn about the different types of cholesterol—low-density lipoprotein, high-density lipoprotein, and triglycerides.
Faces of OA of the Knee. Learn how patients have dealt with osteoarthritis of the knee.
Recognize the Symptoms of ADHD. Learn how to recognize potential ADHD behaviors and know when to get help.
Build a Home Gym for Under $150. Use low-cost and household items you already own to get a full-body workout.
Foods That Boost the Immune System. Feed your immune system the right ingredients to help keep it running in peak condition..
More Resources: Compare Medicare Plans...BodyMaps for iPad...Depressed After a Nap?...Knee Pain Assessment
Click green above for further info
This article is for your private use, only
_______________________________________________________________
Running May Be Harmful to Your Heart
Click green for further info
Running, long considered a healthy hobby, may actually be dangerous for some. At least that’s the prevailing opinion of a number of the country’s top cardiologists and a new study due out next month from British journal (click) Heart.
According to the editorial, endurance training and marathon running can literally push your heart to its limit, causing a variety of acute problems, such as arrhythmia or irregular heartbeat, and lasting damage, including calcification and scarring.
Some of these problems are impossible to predict, even if you’re an athlete who has been extensively pre-screened with cardiac tests prior to training. For older athletes, the toll that running takes may even outweigh the benefits gained from exercise, the study claims.
For many, the new information doesn’t add up. Why, for instance, would athletes who have been training for many years suddenly experience heart trouble associated with running?
The answer is simple. Intense physical exercise for long periods has the potential to take a toll on the body, in some cases aging it more quickly.
According to James H. O’Keefe, M.D. of the Mid-America Heart Institute of Kansas City, who co-authored an extensive 2012 study that examined the cardiac risks faced by athletes: “Physical exercise, though not a drug, possesses many traits of a powerful pharmacologic agent. A safe upper dose limit potentially exists, beyond which the adverse effects of physical exercise, such as musculoskeletal trauma and cardiovascular stress, may outweigh its benefits.”
In short, exercise is great in small doses, but too much physical exertion too quickly or for too long a period can actually put a person’s heart at risk, especially if he or she is over age 35.
Click 7 Warning Signs of A Heart Attack
Inside the Runner’s HeartWatch any marathon runner and it’s obvious that his or her body is under a great deal of stress. Temperature increases ten-fold, causing sweating, fluid loss, potential dehydration, muscle weakness, and even disorientation. But now researchers also have an idea about how marathon racing and long-term endurance training affects the heart muscle, too.
In the aforementioned 2012 Mayo Clinic study, for instance, long-term endurance training was associated with “coronary artery calcification, diastolic dysfunction, and large-artery wall stiffening.”
In that study, researchers associated endurance training with temporary spikes in sustained inflammation that was, in some cases, injurious to the heart muscle. That impairment may lead to permanent scarring or ventricle damage, which was seen in 12 percent of cases, or more acute issues like arrhythmia or sudden death, which is what killed runner Micah True in 2012 while running a marathon in Mexico.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, sudden cardiac death occurs in about one of every 15,000 joggers and one in every 50,000 runners; a 2008 study in European Heart Journal equated the greatest risk of sudden cardiac arrest in marathon runners with those who had the least amount of training.
A 2010 study presented at the Canadian Cardiovascular Congress echoed those same findings. In that study, runners who were less fit (as assessed by V02 max testing) had signs of “inflammation, swelling, and decreased perfusion accessed by MRI over three months.” Those runners who were better trained over a longer period were less likely to experience the same level of heart damage.
The Worst Fitness Trends of All TIME
An Ounce of Prevention
According to Carl J. Levine, M.D., Medical Director of Cardiac Rehabilitation and Prevention at the Ochsner Medical Center in New Orleans, anyone interested in marathon running should undergo cardiac pre-screening tests to eliminate underlying heart conditions. As many as ten different pre-existing cardiac conditions can be detected.
Levine recommends that physicians also take detailed histories of their patients, especially those who are in training, to look for evidence of overexertion, such as tendonitis, stress fractures, and other overuse issues.
O’Keefe, a cardiologist and co-author of the Mayo Clinic study as well as a marathon runner himself, said it best: “Extreme exercise is not conducive to great cardiovascular health. Beyond 30 to 60 minutes a day, you reach a point of diminished returns.”
23 Diet Plans Reviewed: Do They Work
Cholesterol: The Good, The Bad, and The Essential. Learn about the different types of cholesterol—low-density lipoprotein, high-density lipoprotein, and triglycerides.
Faces of OA of the Knee. Learn how patients have dealt with osteoarthritis of the knee.
Recognize the Symptoms of ADHD. Learn how to recognize potential ADHD behaviors and know when to get help.
Build a Home Gym for Under $150. Use low-cost and household items you already own to get a full-body workout.
Foods That Boost the Immune System. Feed your immune system the right ingredients to help keep it running in peak condition..
More Resources: Compare Medicare Plans...BodyMaps for iPad...Depressed After a Nap?...Knee Pain Assessment
Click green above for further info
This article is for your private use, only
_______________________________________________________________
.
The Shot That Prevents Heart Attacks
This article YOU MUST to study
Always talk to your primary care physician about your medical needs
You could show this page in your doctor's office
This site is not giving medical advice. This is an educational, motivational & science site.
Click green below for further info
If you’re tempted to skip your flu shot, consider this: Getting vaccinated cuts risk for a heart attack or stroke by up to 50 percent, according to two studies presented at the Canadian Cardiovascular Congress.
Scientists from TIMU Study Group and Network for Innovation in Clinical Research analyzed published clinical trials involving a total of 3,227 patients, half of whom had been diagnosed with heart disease. Participants, whose average age was 60, were randomly assigned to either receive flu vaccine or a placebo shot, then their health was tracked for 12 months.
Those who got the flu shot were 50 percent less likely to suffer major cardiac events (such as heart attacks or strokes) and 40 percent less likely to die of cardiac causes. Similar trends were found in patients with and without previous heart disease. The findings suggest “that flu vaccine is a heart vaccine,” lead study author Jacob Udell told Fox News.
Why do flu shots help prevent heart attacks? To learn more, I talked to Bradley Bale, MD, medical director of the Heart Health Program for Grace Clinic in Lubbock, Texas.
CLICK - important info The Secrets to Never Getting Sick
Flu and Heart Attacks Strike in TandemA number of studies have shown a link between heart attacks and a prior respiratory infection. A 2010 study of about 78,000 patients age 40 or older found that those who had gotten a flu shot in the previous year were 20 percent less likely to suffer a first heart attack, even when such cardiovascular risks as smoking, high cholesterol, hypertension and diabetes were taken in account.
Scarier still, researchers report that up to 91,000 Americans a year die from heart attacks and strokes triggered by flu. This grim statistic prompted the American Heart Association and American College of Cardiology to issue guidelines recommending vaccination for patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD). The CDC advises flu shots for everyone over six months of age, but cautions that certain people should check with a medical provider before being immunized.
Sadly, fewer than half of Americans with high-risk conditions like heart disease get the shot, leaving themselves dangerously unprotected against both flu complications and cardiovascular events. In fact, the CDC actually uses heart attack rates to track seasonal flu outbreaks, says Dr. Bale. “They look for areas with a sudden surge in heart attacks and send a team to investigate, because the cause is almost always a spike in flu cases.”
Click - important info At-Home Remedies that Actually Work
The Inflammation Connection
To picture how flu could ignite a heart attack or stroke in someone with CVD, think of cholesterol plaque as kindling, says Dr. Bale. “Inflammation, which has recently been shown to actually cause heart attacks, is what lights the match, causing plaque to explosively rupture through the arterial wall.”
When a plaque rupture tears the blood vessel lining, the body tries to heal the injury by forming a blood clot. If the clot obstructs a coronary artery, it can trigger a heart attack, while a clot that travels to the brain could ignite an ischemic stroke. It’s a myth that plaque buildup alone sparks heart attacks, since numerous studies have shown that what chokes off flow to the heart is a clot.
“Inflammation is a key player in destabilizing plaque, explaining why some people with relatively little build up in their arteries have heart attacks or stroke, while others with substantial plaque deposits never suffer these events,” says Dr. Bale, who advises all of his patients to get flu shots to guard against inflammation, the body’s response to viral and bacterial infections.
Another surprising benefit of getting a flu shot is reduced risk for pulmonary embolism (a blood clot in the lungs) and deep vein thrombosis (a clot in the legs).A 2008 study found that the threat of developing these problems dropped by 26 percent overall in participants who had been vaccinated in the previous year, with a 48 percent risk reduction in patients younger than 52.
Common Cold Treatments That Can Make You Sick
Other Vaccines that Reduce Heart Attack Risk
Along with a flu shot, Dr. Bale recommends two other vaccinations to reduce heart attack and stroke risk if you’re 50 or older and have CVD. If you don’t have plaque in your arteries, you should still get these shots, but at an older age, as discussed below:
The Shot That Prevents Heart Attacks
This article YOU MUST to study
Always talk to your primary care physician about your medical needs
You could show this page in your doctor's office
This site is not giving medical advice. This is an educational, motivational & science site.
Click green below for further info
If you’re tempted to skip your flu shot, consider this: Getting vaccinated cuts risk for a heart attack or stroke by up to 50 percent, according to two studies presented at the Canadian Cardiovascular Congress.
Scientists from TIMU Study Group and Network for Innovation in Clinical Research analyzed published clinical trials involving a total of 3,227 patients, half of whom had been diagnosed with heart disease. Participants, whose average age was 60, were randomly assigned to either receive flu vaccine or a placebo shot, then their health was tracked for 12 months.
Those who got the flu shot were 50 percent less likely to suffer major cardiac events (such as heart attacks or strokes) and 40 percent less likely to die of cardiac causes. Similar trends were found in patients with and without previous heart disease. The findings suggest “that flu vaccine is a heart vaccine,” lead study author Jacob Udell told Fox News.
Why do flu shots help prevent heart attacks? To learn more, I talked to Bradley Bale, MD, medical director of the Heart Health Program for Grace Clinic in Lubbock, Texas.
CLICK - important info The Secrets to Never Getting Sick
Flu and Heart Attacks Strike in TandemA number of studies have shown a link between heart attacks and a prior respiratory infection. A 2010 study of about 78,000 patients age 40 or older found that those who had gotten a flu shot in the previous year were 20 percent less likely to suffer a first heart attack, even when such cardiovascular risks as smoking, high cholesterol, hypertension and diabetes were taken in account.
Scarier still, researchers report that up to 91,000 Americans a year die from heart attacks and strokes triggered by flu. This grim statistic prompted the American Heart Association and American College of Cardiology to issue guidelines recommending vaccination for patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD). The CDC advises flu shots for everyone over six months of age, but cautions that certain people should check with a medical provider before being immunized.
Sadly, fewer than half of Americans with high-risk conditions like heart disease get the shot, leaving themselves dangerously unprotected against both flu complications and cardiovascular events. In fact, the CDC actually uses heart attack rates to track seasonal flu outbreaks, says Dr. Bale. “They look for areas with a sudden surge in heart attacks and send a team to investigate, because the cause is almost always a spike in flu cases.”
Click - important info At-Home Remedies that Actually Work
The Inflammation Connection
To picture how flu could ignite a heart attack or stroke in someone with CVD, think of cholesterol plaque as kindling, says Dr. Bale. “Inflammation, which has recently been shown to actually cause heart attacks, is what lights the match, causing plaque to explosively rupture through the arterial wall.”
When a plaque rupture tears the blood vessel lining, the body tries to heal the injury by forming a blood clot. If the clot obstructs a coronary artery, it can trigger a heart attack, while a clot that travels to the brain could ignite an ischemic stroke. It’s a myth that plaque buildup alone sparks heart attacks, since numerous studies have shown that what chokes off flow to the heart is a clot.
“Inflammation is a key player in destabilizing plaque, explaining why some people with relatively little build up in their arteries have heart attacks or stroke, while others with substantial plaque deposits never suffer these events,” says Dr. Bale, who advises all of his patients to get flu shots to guard against inflammation, the body’s response to viral and bacterial infections.
Another surprising benefit of getting a flu shot is reduced risk for pulmonary embolism (a blood clot in the lungs) and deep vein thrombosis (a clot in the legs).A 2008 study found that the threat of developing these problems dropped by 26 percent overall in participants who had been vaccinated in the previous year, with a 48 percent risk reduction in patients younger than 52.
Common Cold Treatments That Can Make You Sick
Other Vaccines that Reduce Heart Attack Risk
Along with a flu shot, Dr. Bale recommends two other vaccinations to reduce heart attack and stroke risk if you’re 50 or older and have CVD. If you don’t have plaque in your arteries, you should still get these shots, but at an older age, as discussed below:
- The herpes zoster vaccination against shingles (herpes zoster = Medicine / Pathology - a technical name for shingles). This shot protects against reactivation of the chickenpox virus almost everyone was exposed to during childhood. The virus, which lies dormant in nerve cells, can flare up, typically in older people, and cause a blistering skin rash that can lead to chronic nerve pain. Two large studies report that people who develop shingles are at up to four times higher risk for stroke, highlighting the value of vaccination. While shingles usually targets people who are 60 or older, about 20 percent of cases occur in people ages 50 to 59, which is why Dr. Bale advises being vaccinated at 50 if you have CVD. The CDC recommends the shot for everyone who is 65 or older, and people who are 19 or older and smoke or have asthma.
- Vaccination against pneumococcal pneumonia. If you’re 65 or older—or younger with risk factors for pneumonia—such as heart failure, chronic pulmonary disease, or diabetes—the CDC advises being immunized against pneumococcal pneumonia. A study of more than 84,000 people found that those who had been vaccinated were at lower risk for both heart attack and stroke. Given these benefits, Dr. Bale advises heart patients to be immunized at 50.
- Click green above for further information This article is for your private use, only ________________________________________________________________________________
Weight statistics for New York 2012
60 Percent of NYC adults are overweight or obese
40 Percent of NYC children are overweight or obese
1 in 8 New Yorkers has diabetes
5,800 New Yorkers die every year as a result of obesity
In New York City, 20.7 percent children grades kindergarten through eight grade are obese.
Overweight and obesity rates
69.7 percent in the Bronx
61.8 percent in Staten Island
60.3 percent in Brooklyn
57.2 percent in Queens
47.4 percent in Manhattan
_________________________________________________
One-Third of Canadian Children Overweight or Obese
Excess weight in childhood has been linked to insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes,hypertension
(= HBP = high blood pressure), poor emotional health, and diminished social well-being
See above the Weight statistics for New York - 40 percent of NYC children are overweight or obese
Source: Statistics Canada
September 2012
Click the green for further info
Almost one-third of Canadian children and adolescents are overweight or obese, according to a study published by Statistics Canada.
Based on data collected between 2009 and 2011, the study found that among children ages 5 to 17, 19.8 percent are overweight and 11.7 percent are obese. The study’s authors used World Health Organization cutoff values to determine the rates.
The percentage of overweight children was similar across age groups but was unbalanced between boys and girls, with 15.1 percent of boys considered to be obese and only 8 percent of girls falling into this category.
This unbalance was even more pronounced among 5-to-11-year-olds, with the percentage of obese boys, 19.5 percent, being three times the percentage of obese girls, 6.3 percent.
The study’s authors say that these high rates present a public health concern, as overweight children tend to become overweight adults and are likely to have other health and social complications.
“Excess weight in childhood has been linked to insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, poor emotional health, and diminished social well-being,” stated the report, citing previous research in the field.
Related Articles
The issue of children being overweight and obese has become more pronounced since the 1970s, the study stated, noting however that the estimates in recent years have largely remained the same.
“Although these estimates have not changed significantly in recent years, more data points are needed to determine if the pace of increase in prevalence is slowing, as has been observed in some countries,” the report stated, concluding, “Regardless, the estimates remain high and are a public health concern, given the tendency for excess weight in childhood to persist through to adulthood.
Click the green for further info
This article is for your private use, only
_____________________________________
Eating for Health, Not Weight
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ALMOST half of Americans are on a diet — not surprising, since two-thirds are overweight or obese, a frightening statistic that inspired Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg to push through a ban on large soft drinks in New York City. The country is preoccupied with calories. McDonald’s, for instance, is now posting them. But our widespread hope for weight loss makes us vulnerable to all kinds of promises, even ones that aren’t true, when it comes to food.
Perhaps the biggest misconception is that as long as you lose weight, it doesn’t matter what you eat. But it does. Yet being thin and being healthy are not at all the same thing. Being overweight is not necessarily linked with disease or premature death. What you eat affects which diseases you may develop, regardless of whether you’re thin or fat. Some diets that may help you lose weight may be harmful to your health over time.
A widely publicized study earlier this year showed that a low-carb Atkins-type diet might be a faster way to lose weight. That may have given many people the idea that eating meat and butter is the route to thinness and thus health.
In 35 years of medical research, conducted at the nonprofit Preventive Medicine Research Institute, which I founded, we have seen that patients who ate mostly plant-based meals, with dishes like black bean vegetarian chili and whole wheat penne pasta with roasted vegetables, achieved reversal of even severe coronary artery disease. They also engaged in moderate exercise and stress-management techniques, and participated in a support group. The program also led to improved blood flow and significantly less inflammation which matters because chronic inflammation is an underlying cause of heart disease and many forms of cancer. We found that this program may also slow, stop or reverse the progression of early stage prostate cancer, as well as reverse the progression of Type 2 diabetes.
Also, we found that it changed gene expression in over 500 genes in just three months, “turning on” genes that protect against disease and “turning off” genes that promote breast cancer, prostate cancer, inflammation and oxidative stress.
The program, too, has been associated with increased telomerase, which increases telomere length, the ends of our chromosomes that are thought to control how long we live (studies done in collaboration with Dr. Elizabeth Blackburn, who shared the Nobel Prize in 2009 with Carol Greider and Jack Szostak for discovering telomerase). As our telomeres get longer, our lives may get longer.
In a randomized controlled trial, patients on this lifestyle program lost an average of 24 pounds after one year and maintained a 12-pound weight loss after five years. The more closely the patients followed this program, the more improvement we measured in each category — at any age.
It’s not low carb or low fat. An optimal diet is low in unhealthful carbs (both sugar and other refined carbohydrates) and low in fat (especially saturated fats and trans fats) as well as in red meat and processed foods.
WHAT you eat is as important as what you exclude — your diet needs to be high in healthful carbs like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, soy products in natural, unrefined forms and some fish, like salmon. There are hundreds of thousands of health-enhancing substances in these foods. And what’s good for you is good for the planet.
Calories do count — fat is much denser in calories, so when you eat less fat, you consume fewer calories, without consuming less food. Also, it’s easy to eat too many calories from sugar and other refined carbs because they are so low in fiber that you can consume large amounts without getting full. Sugar is absorbed so quickly that you get repeated insulin surges, which promote Type 2 diabetes and accelerate the conversion of calories into body fat.
But never underestimate the power of telling people what they want to hear — like cheeseburgers and bacon are good for you. People are drawn to Atkins-type diets in part because, as the study showed, they produce a higher metabolic rate. But a low-carb diet increases metabolic rate because it’s stressful to your body. Just because something increases your metabolic rate doesn’t mean it’s good for you. Amphetamines will also increase your metabolism and burn calories faster, which is why they are used to help people lose weight, at least temporarily. But they stress your body and may mortgage your health in the progress.
Patients on an Atkins diet in this study showed more than double the level of CRP (C-reactive protein), which is a measure of chronic inflammation and also significantly higher levels of cortisol, a key stress hormone. Both of these increase the risk of heart disease and other chronic diseases. A major research article published recently in the British Medical Journal studied 43,396 Swedish women over 16 years. It concluded that “low carbohydrate-high protein diets ... are associated with increased risk of cardiovascular diseases.” Animportant article in The New England Journal of Medicine examined data from a study showing that high-protein, low-carb diets promote coronary artery disease even if they don’t increase traditional cardiac risk factors like blood pressure or cholesterol levels. A diet low in fat and high in unrefined carbohydrates caused the least amount of coronary artery blockages, whereas an Atkins-type diet caused the most.
Outcomes from more than 37,000 men from the Harvard-sponsored Health Professionals Follow-Up Study and more than 83,000 women from the Nurses’ Health Study who were followed for many years showed that consumption of both processed and unprocessed red meat, a mainstay of an Atkins diet, is associated with an increased risk of premature death as well as greater incidence of cardiovascular disease, cancer and Type 2 diabetes.
About 75 percent of the $2.8 trillion in annual health care costs in the United States is from chronic diseases that can often be reversed or prevented altogether by a healthy lifestyle. If we put money and effort into helping people make better food and exercise choices, we could improve our health and reduce the cost of health care. For example, Medicare is now covering this program for reversing heart disease. In an increasingly polarized political landscape, this approach provides an alternative to some Republicans who want to privatize or dismantle Medicare and some Democrats who want to simply raise taxes or increase the deficit without addressing the diet and lifestyle choices that account for so much health spending.
This way of living helps you lose weight and keep it off while enhancing rather than harming your health.
Click the green areas for further info
Source: NYT
September 23, 2012
Article is an opinion by Dean Ornish
A clinical professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco,
and the founder of the Preventive Medicine Research Institute.
MORE IN OPINION (1 OF 23 ARTICLES) Op-Ed Contributor: When Growth Outpaces Happiness
Read More »
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________________________________________
In STAF, Inc.'s scale 0-10 this article is 9-1/2
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
in this article
The information relating to the human circadian waves and circadian rhythm is one key
to good health and a longer life.
It is necessary & important to know when your energy may be at the peak and when at the low.
In addition,
the food consuming is most beneficial during the times the circadian wave rhythm is supporting
the digestive process to function in an effective manner.
The food combining rules for eating are
also necessary to apply to avoid a slow digestive process which will cause new toxins inside the body, stored in the body cells and in the immune system, leading slowly, within years, to serious, deadly sicknesses.
STAF, Inc.'s new Healthy Lifestyle & Correct Nutrition Program will guide you, your children and your whole family to apply all these and any other necessary principles for healthy, painfree, longer life.
The Peak Time for Everything
Pack More in a Day By Matching Tasks To the Body's Energy
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Could you pack more into each day if you did everything at the optimal time?
A growing body of research suggests that paying attention to the body clock, and its effects on energy and alertness, can help pinpoint the different times of day when most of us perform our best at specific tasks, from resolving conflicts to thinking creatively.
Most people organize their time around everything but the body's natural rhythms. Workday demands, commuting, social events and kids' schedules frequently dominate—inevitably clashing with the body's circadian rhythms of waking and sleeping.
[More from WSJ.com: Trying to End 'Jerky Shame' With Gourmet Flavors]
As difficult as it may be to align schedules with the body clock, it may be worth it to try, because of significant potential health benefits. Disruption of circadian rhythms has been linked to such problems as diabetes, depression, dementia and obesity, says Steve Kay, a professor of molecular and computational biology at the University of Southern California. When the body's master clock can synchronize functioning of all its metabolic, cardiovascular and behavioral rhythms in response to light and other natural stimuli, it "gives us an edge in daily life," Dr. Kay says.
When it comes to doing cognitive work, for example, most adults perform best in the late morning, says Dr. Kay. As body temperature starts to rise just before awakening in the morning and continues to increase through midday, working memory, alertness and concentration gradually improve. Taking a warm morning shower can jump-start the process.
The ability to focus and concentrate typically starts to slide soon thereafter. Most people are more easily distracted from noon to 4 p.m., according to recent research led by Robert Matchock, an associate professor of psychology at Pennsylvania State University.
Alertness tends to slump after eating a meal, Dr. Matchock found. Sleepiness also tends to peak around 2 p.m., making that a good time for a nap, says Martin Moore-Ede, chairman and chief executive of Circadian, a Stoneham, Mass., training and consulting firm.
[More from WSJ.com: Electric Cars Struggle to Break Out of Niche]
Surprisingly, fatigue may boost creative powers. For most adults, problems that require open-ended thinking are often best tackled in the evening when they are tired, according to a 2011 study in the journal Thinking & Reasoning. When 428 students were asked to solve a series of two types of problems, requiring either analytical or novel thinking, their performance on the second type was best at non-peak times of day when they were tired, according to the study led by Mareike Wieth, an assistant professor of psychological sciences at Albion College in Michigan. (Their performance on analytical problems didn't change over the course of the day.) Fatigue, Dr. Wieth says, may allow the mind to wander more freely to explore alternative solutions.Of course, everyone's body clock isn't the same, making it even harder to synchronize natural rhythms with daily plans. A significant minority of people operate on either of two distinctive chronotypes, research shows: Morning people tend to wake up and go to sleep earlier and to be most productive early in the day. Evening people tend to wake up later, start more slowly and peak in the evening.
Communicating with friends and colleagues online has its own optimal cycles, research shows. Sending emails early in the day helps beat the inbox rush; 6 a.m. messages are most likely to be read, says Dan Zarrella, social-media scientist for HubSpot, a Cambridge, Mass., Web marketing firm, based on a study of billions of emails. "Email is kind of like the newspaper. You check it at the beginning of the day," he says.
Reading Twitter at 8 a.m. or 9 a.m. can start your day on a cheery note. That's when users are most likely to tweet upbeat, enthusiastic messages, and least likely to send downbeat tweets steeped in fear, distress, anger or guilt, according to a study of 509 million tweets sent over two years by 2.4 million Twitter users, published last year in Science. One likely factor? "Sleep is refreshing" and leaves people alert and enthusiastic, says Michael Walton Macy, a sociology professor at Cornell University and co-author of the study. The cheeriness peaks about 1-1/2 hours later on weekends—perhaps because people are sleeping in, Dr. Macy says.
Other social networking is better done later in the day. If you want your tweets to be re-tweeted, post them between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m., when many people lack energy to share their own tweets and turn to relaying others' instead, Mr. Zarrella says. And posts to Facebook (FB) at about 8 p.m. tend to get the most "likes," after people get home from work or finish dinner. At that time of day, they're likely to turn to Facebook feeling less stressed. "You have less stuff to do and more time to give," says Mr. Zarrella.
Late-night drama can be found on Twitter, where emotions heat up just before bedtime, between 10 p.m. and 11 p.m., says Scott Andrew Golder, a Ph.D. candidate at Cornell University and co-author of the Twitter study. At that time, people tended to send more emotion-laden tweets, both positive and negative. Tired out by the workday, but also freed from its stresses and demands, people become "more alert and engaged, but also more agitated," Dr. Macy says.
[More from WSJ.com: 140 Characters of Risk: Some CEOs Fear Twitter]
When choosing a time of day to exercise, paying attention to your body clock can also improve results. Physical performance is usually best, and the risk of injury least, from about 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., says Michael Smolensky, an adjunct professor of biomedical engineering at the University of Texas, Austin, and lead author with Lynne Lamberg of "The Body Clock Guide to Better Health."
Muscle strength tends to peak between 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. at levels as much as 6% above the day's lows, improving your ability to grip a club or racquet. Another boost for physical strength comes from the lungs, which function 17.6% more efficiently at 5 p.m. than at midday, according to a study of 4,756 patients led by Boris Medarov, an assistant professor of medicine at Albany Medical College in New York.
Eye-hand coordination is best in late afternoon, making that a good time for racquetball or Frisbee. And joints and muscles are as much as 20% more flexible in the evening, lowering the risk of injury, Dr. Smolensky says.
These body rhythms hold true regardless of how much you've slept or how recently you've eaten. In a 2007 study at the University of South Carolina at Columbia, 25 experienced swimmers did six timed trials while sticking to an artificial schedule that controlled for variables like sleep, diet and other factors. The swimmers' performance still varied by time of day, peaking in the evening and hitting bottom at around 5 a.m.
Is there a best time to eat? To keep from packing on pounds, experts say, limit food consumption to your hours of peak activity. A study in Cell Metabolism last May linked disruptions of the body clock to weight gain. Researchers put two groups of mice on the same high-calorie diet. One group was allowed to eat anytime; the other group was restricted to eating only during an eight-hour period when they were normally awake and active. The mice that ate only while active were 40% leaner and had lower cholesterol and blood sugar.
While more research is needed on humans, Dr. Kay says, the research suggests that "we are not only what we eat, we are when we eat."
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Source:
WSJ
This article is for your private use, only
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In STAF, Inc.'s scale 0-10 this article is 9
People Dying of Diabetes Who Never Knew They Had It, Study Finds
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People who don't know they have Type 1 diabetes may account for a surprising number of deaths from one complication of the condition, a new study says.
Nearly a third of people in Maryland who died over a six-year period from diabetic ketoacidosis, a condition of severe insulin deficiency, had no known history of diabetes, the study of autopsy results found.
While the researchers weren't able to definitively tell whether those who died had Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes,
their high blood sugar levels suggest they probably had Type 1, said study researcher Dr.Zabiullah Ali, the assistant medical examiner for the Office of Chief Medical Examiner in Maryland.
The finding highlights the need for regular physicals that include checking blood sugar levels, especially if warning signs of diabetes are present, the researchers said.
The study was published in the September issue of the American Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology.
What happens when the body runs out of sugar
Diabetic ketoacidosis is a complication of diabetes that occurs when body cells don't have enough glucose (sugar) to use for energy, so they switch to burning fat instead. (Body cells need insulin in order to take up sugar from the bloodstream; in people with Type 1 diabetes, little or no insulin is produced.)
Breaking down fat for energy produces molecules called ketones, which are acids and can build up in the blood. If ketone levels climb too high, they can poison the body, causing chemical imbalances that can lead to coma, or death.
In the study, Ali and colleagues looked at 20,406 autopsies and found 107 people who had died from diabetic ketoacidosis, although only 92 had data available for further review.
Out of the 92 cases, they found that 60 people were previously diagnosed with diabetes, while 32 were not.
Source:
LiveScience.com
This is for your personal use, only
People Dying of Diabetes Who Never Knew They Had It, Study Finds
Click green areas for further information
People who don't know they have Type 1 diabetes may account for a surprising number of deaths from one complication of the condition, a new study says.
Nearly a third of people in Maryland who died over a six-year period from diabetic ketoacidosis, a condition of severe insulin deficiency, had no known history of diabetes, the study of autopsy results found.
While the researchers weren't able to definitively tell whether those who died had Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes,
their high blood sugar levels suggest they probably had Type 1, said study researcher Dr.Zabiullah Ali, the assistant medical examiner for the Office of Chief Medical Examiner in Maryland.
The finding highlights the need for regular physicals that include checking blood sugar levels, especially if warning signs of diabetes are present, the researchers said.
The study was published in the September issue of the American Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology.
What happens when the body runs out of sugar
Diabetic ketoacidosis is a complication of diabetes that occurs when body cells don't have enough glucose (sugar) to use for energy, so they switch to burning fat instead. (Body cells need insulin in order to take up sugar from the bloodstream; in people with Type 1 diabetes, little or no insulin is produced.)
Breaking down fat for energy produces molecules called ketones, which are acids and can build up in the blood. If ketone levels climb too high, they can poison the body, causing chemical imbalances that can lead to coma, or death.
In the study, Ali and colleagues looked at 20,406 autopsies and found 107 people who had died from diabetic ketoacidosis, although only 92 had data available for further review.
Out of the 92 cases, they found that 60 people were previously diagnosed with diabetes, while 32 were not.
Source:
LiveScience.com
This is for your personal use, only
___________________________________________________
STAF, Inc.'s comment on the article below: Constipation Drug Is Approved:
Any medication has negative side effect. You need to eat in a healthy manner and you will not have any constipation.
STAF, Inc. will teach you what to eat.
August 30, 2012
Constipation Drug Is Approved
By REUTERS
The Food and Drug Administration on Thursday approved a drug made by Ironwood Pharmaceuticals to treat chronic constipation and irritable bowel syndrome with constipation in adults.
The drug, linaclotide, will be sold under the brand name Linzess and carry warning that it should not be used by patients 16 or younger, the agency said.
An estimated 63 million people suffer from chronic constipation, according to the National Institutes of Health. Additionally, an estimated 15.3 million people cope with irritable bowel syndrome, which causes abdominal pain when accompanied by constipation.
Ironwood and a marketing partner, Forest Laboratories, said they expected the drug to be available for patients in the fourth quarter.
Gregory Wade, an analyst with Wedbush Securities, expects sales of Linzess to exceed $2 billion a year by 2019. However, he estimated sales of just $40 million in 2013, increasing to $165 million in 2014.
Shares of Ironwood Pharmaceuticals ended with a loss of 24 cents, or 1.9 percent, at 12.42 a share. Mr. Wade suggested that investors might want to see how sales perform before betting on Ironwood.
STAF, Inc.'s comment on the article below: Constipation Drug Is Approved:
Any medication has negative side effect. You need to eat in a healthy manner and you will not have any constipation.
STAF, Inc. will teach you what to eat.
August 30, 2012
Constipation Drug Is Approved
By REUTERS
The Food and Drug Administration on Thursday approved a drug made by Ironwood Pharmaceuticals to treat chronic constipation and irritable bowel syndrome with constipation in adults.
The drug, linaclotide, will be sold under the brand name Linzess and carry warning that it should not be used by patients 16 or younger, the agency said.
An estimated 63 million people suffer from chronic constipation, according to the National Institutes of Health. Additionally, an estimated 15.3 million people cope with irritable bowel syndrome, which causes abdominal pain when accompanied by constipation.
Ironwood and a marketing partner, Forest Laboratories, said they expected the drug to be available for patients in the fourth quarter.
Gregory Wade, an analyst with Wedbush Securities, expects sales of Linzess to exceed $2 billion a year by 2019. However, he estimated sales of just $40 million in 2013, increasing to $165 million in 2014.
Shares of Ironwood Pharmaceuticals ended with a loss of 24 cents, or 1.9 percent, at 12.42 a share. Mr. Wade suggested that investors might want to see how sales perform before betting on Ironwood.
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- Warning Phenylketonurics: Contains L-Phenylalanine- www.janethull.com/newsletter/1008/warning_phenylketonurics.phpHave you ever noticed this on your product labels - WARNING: The amino acid L-phenylalanine should not be used by pregnant women or by those who suffer ...
- Phenylketonurics - definition of Phenylketonurics in the Medical ...medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/PhenylketonuricsPhenylketonuria (PKU) can be defined as a rare metabolic disorder caused by a deficiency in the production of the hepatic (liver) enzyme phenylalanine ...
Even though the info just below assures that the chemicalAcesulfame Potassium may be safe for a human consumption, it is wise to avoid it because: ALL chemicals are unnatural thus possibly causing unknown risks to your or your children's health. The long-term negative affects may take 50 years or longer to develop - the same risk with all new man-made ingredients. Nature is nature -man made is artificial. - QUOTATION "If man made it, don't eat it"
- QUOTATION
"To stay healthy and live a long life, you need to eat what your body wants, not what you want." (By Dr. Christian, STAF, Inc. President)
- Everything You Need to Know About Acesulfame Potassium - Next below
- Properties - Discovery - Safety concerns - Compendial status
Everything You Need to Know About Acesulfame Potassium ...www.nutritionexpress.com/article+index/...a-z/showarticle.aspx?...Acesulfame Potassium makes foods sweet and low-calorie! Acesulfame potassium is a calorie-free sweetener that has been used in foods and beverages ... - Useful in Diabetic Diets, Acesulfame K no effect on serum glucose ...www.caloriecontrol.org/sweeteners-and-lite/sugar.../acesulfame-k Discovered in 1967 by Hoechst AG, acesulfame potassium (also known as acesulfame K) is a high-intensity, non-caloric sweetener. It is approximately 200 ..
_______________
Wh0 pays your sickness care when your wrong
lifestyle leads to overweight & obesity?
STAF, Inc.'s statement by Dr. Christian von Christophers, Ph.D., N.D., D.D.
_____________
Overweight & Obesity - Both Kill
Overweight & obesity can kill you, your children, your whole family
Overweight & obesity add to the nation's sickness care costs
Overweight & obesity are your own personal choices
The children can sue their parents when the parents gave them a wrong & unhealthy lifestyle
____________
When you get sick because of your wrong lifestyle you ask the nation to pay for your sickness care. Yet, you had your own personal choice not-to-consume too much food, fast-food (read: "bad-food") & sugary drinks. You also had your own choice to have daily physical activity, e.g. walking 30 min. or more daily. Is it then reasonable that you ask us all to pay for your sickness expenses?
___________
An easy solution for a "minimum" daily walking done "automatically":
(1) A.M.: in a public transportation city "get off the subway or bus one stop early" = 10 min.
(2) "take the stairs" = 5 min."
(3) " walk briskly to and from lunch" = 20 min.
(4) P.M.: in a public transportation city "get off the subway or bus one stop early" = 10 min.
Adds up to a 45 min. workout without any special, costly arrangements
In your workplace take 1-2 min. breaks now and then and walk around = improves circulation, creativity & performance.
(Partial source: Advertisement campaign "Want to keep off the extra pounds? Make New York Your GYM)
_____________
Your own personal choice has caused your sickness(es) due to your overweight or obesity. It is your own responsibility to pay in full for your own sickness care. No one else forced you to get overweight or obese.
How is that you expect that the nation has to pay for your own wrong choice.
Your choice - you pay the consequences.
Pay yourself in full for all your sickness care as you have caused yourself your own sicknesses due to your own personal wrong choice against clear warnings and facts not to have an unhealthy lifestyle.
The above is the STAF, Inc.'s answer to the overweight or obese people who claim that they have the right to their wrong lifestyle because it is their own personal choice.
STAF, Inc. is not denying your right to make your own personal choices. We at the STAF, Inc. certainly fully & 100 % support everyone's own personal choices.
It is a different matter when STAF, Inc. is demanding that you pay in full for the consequences you have yourself caused with your own personal choice. If you cannot afford paying yourself for the consequences, change your wrong lifestyle.
Your children can sue you for guiding them to a wrong lifestyle.
When you, as their parent(s), give a wrong lifestyle model to your children, they have the right to sue their parent(s) for the consequences your wrong model has caused to them.
Get rid of your overweight or obesity. Contact us at STAF, Inc.
Call 212-946-1234 or send an email. Email info in the Home page.
_______________________
Wh0 pays your sickness care when your wrong
lifestyle leads to overweight & obesity?
STAF, Inc.'s statement by Dr. Christian von Christophers, Ph.D., N.D., D.D.
_____________
Overweight & Obesity - Both Kill
Overweight & obesity can kill you, your children, your whole family
Overweight & obesity add to the nation's sickness care costs
Overweight & obesity are your own personal choices
The children can sue their parents when the parents gave them a wrong & unhealthy lifestyle
____________
When you get sick because of your wrong lifestyle you ask the nation to pay for your sickness care. Yet, you had your own personal choice not-to-consume too much food, fast-food (read: "bad-food") & sugary drinks. You also had your own choice to have daily physical activity, e.g. walking 30 min. or more daily. Is it then reasonable that you ask us all to pay for your sickness expenses?
___________
An easy solution for a "minimum" daily walking done "automatically":
(1) A.M.: in a public transportation city "get off the subway or bus one stop early" = 10 min.
(2) "take the stairs" = 5 min."
(3) " walk briskly to and from lunch" = 20 min.
(4) P.M.: in a public transportation city "get off the subway or bus one stop early" = 10 min.
Adds up to a 45 min. workout without any special, costly arrangements
In your workplace take 1-2 min. breaks now and then and walk around = improves circulation, creativity & performance.
(Partial source: Advertisement campaign "Want to keep off the extra pounds? Make New York Your GYM)
_____________
Your own personal choice has caused your sickness(es) due to your overweight or obesity. It is your own responsibility to pay in full for your own sickness care. No one else forced you to get overweight or obese.
How is that you expect that the nation has to pay for your own wrong choice.
Your choice - you pay the consequences.
Pay yourself in full for all your sickness care as you have caused yourself your own sicknesses due to your own personal wrong choice against clear warnings and facts not to have an unhealthy lifestyle.
The above is the STAF, Inc.'s answer to the overweight or obese people who claim that they have the right to their wrong lifestyle because it is their own personal choice.
STAF, Inc. is not denying your right to make your own personal choices. We at the STAF, Inc. certainly fully & 100 % support everyone's own personal choices.
It is a different matter when STAF, Inc. is demanding that you pay in full for the consequences you have yourself caused with your own personal choice. If you cannot afford paying yourself for the consequences, change your wrong lifestyle.
Your children can sue you for guiding them to a wrong lifestyle.
When you, as their parent(s), give a wrong lifestyle model to your children, they have the right to sue their parent(s) for the consequences your wrong model has caused to them.
Get rid of your overweight or obesity. Contact us at STAF, Inc.
Call 212-946-1234 or send an email. Email info in the Home page.
_______________________
Harmful Side Effects of Antibiotics
Click the green links for valuable information
Antibiotics can save lives by fighting bacterial infections, but that’s not to say that they’re without risk. These strong medicines can have some alarming side effects, resulting in thousands of lawsuits each year.
What kinds of side effects do antibiotics cause?
It’s been estimated that over 140,000 emergency visits are made to the hospital each year due to antibiotic-associated side effects, with allergic reactions being the most common. “Minimizing unnecessary antibiotic use by even a small percentage could significantly reduce the immediate and direct risks of drug-related adverse events in individual patients,” a 2007 study showed.
Oral fluoroquinolones are the most popular antibiotics, and include Cipro (ciprofloxacin), Levaquin (levofloxafin) and Avelox (moxifloxacin). But taking these antibiotics increases your risk of developing a retinal detachment by five times compared with nonusers, a recent study shows.
Retinal detachment is a disorder of the eye in which the retina peels away from its underlying layer of support tissue. Initial detachment may be localized, but without rapid treatment the entire retina may detach, leading to vision loss and blindness. It is a medical emergency.
The retina is a thin layer of light sensitive tissue on the back wall of the eye. The optical system of the eye focuses light on the retina much like light is focused on the film or sensor in a camera. The retina translates that focused image into neural impulses and sends them to the brain via the optic nerve. Occasionally, posterior vitreous detachment, injury or trauma to the eye or head may cause a small tear in the retina.
The tear allows vitreous fluid to seep through it under the retina, and peel it away like a bubble in wallpaper.
In 2006, consumer group Public Citizen petitioned the FDA to place a notice on fluoroquinolones warning of the potential for tendon ruptures. “The tendon that most frequently ruptures is the Achilles tendon, which causes sudden and severe pain, swelling and bruising, and difficulty walking,” a press release states, adding that ruptures have also occurred in the rotator cuff, biceps, hand and thumb. “One theory is that fluoroquinolones are toxic to tendon fibers and may decrease blood supply in tendons that already have a limited blood supply,” the press release reads.
It was not until 2008 that the FDA began to require a warning label
In addition, a Swedish study found that these types of antibiotics can sometimes cause peripheral neuropathy, a condition that causes numbness and pain in the hands and feet, although the number of reported cases was small.
Another dangerous antibiotic, azithromycin, was recently shown to nearly triple cardiovascular mortality compared to the rate for a group of patients who didn’t take the antibiotic. Although deaths associated with the use of this antibiotic are rare, the highest rate was seen in people with cardiovascular disease.
Heart Attack Warning Signs You Should Watch Out For
Are antibiotics used too often?
Antibiotics are overused “by lazy doctors who are trying to kill a fly with an automatic weapon,” pharmacological epidemiologist Mahyar Etiman told the New York Times.
For example, antibiotics don’t work against colds, flu, and viral infections such as bronchitis, but are sometimes prescribed anyway.
Sore throats are often prescribed antibiotics, but according to updated (voluntary) guidelines released by the Infectious Disease Society of America (IDSA) this week, a sore throat is likely to be a virus, not strep throat.
The Most Addictive Prescription Drugs on the Market
Antibiotic Resistance
Overusing antibiotics for viruses or conditions in which they’re not required can lead to antibiotic resistance, which means that these powerful drugs become less effective at fighting the bacteria they’re actually intended to treat. In fact, infectious organisms adapt to the antibiotics, developing new strains of bacteria that are immune to it.
In the example of strep throat, the revised IDSA guidelines recommend penicillin or amoxicillin for treatment, since strep is becoming resistant to broader-spectrum (and pricier) antibiotics which were commonly prescribed in the past, including azithromycin and other macrolides.
A scarier drug-resistant bacteria is methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA, also known as staph infection. There is a clear association between antibiotics and MRSA, a 2007 review of 76 studies with close to 25,000 patients showed. MRSA often causes mild skin infections, but it can also be more serious and even life threatening. The infection is hard to treat, and can even infect the lungs, bloodstream heart valve, bones, joints, or lungs.
The overuse of antibiotics can also make one susceptible to Clostridium dificile, which can cause diarrhea, abdominal cramping and pain, and other unpleasant symptoms. The infection can even cause colitis.
What You Can Do
Do not pressure your doctor to prescribe antibiotics for viruses, including colds, flus, most coughs, bronchitis, and sore throats not caused by strep.
If you are prescribed antibiotics, make sure to follow the instructions on the bottle carefully, and to complete the entire bottle as prescribed even if you feel better better earlier on.
Check with your doctor to see what the common side effects for the antibiotics he or she wants to prescribe, and if there are any alternatives. Contact your doctor immediately if you are suffering from any unusual symptoms.
Source:
Yahoo Health
By Lisa Collier Cool
This article is for your private use, only
- for educational & inspirational purposes, only
- for health challenges consult your primary care provider
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Heart-Healthy Ingredient Substitutions. Help your heart by eliminating unhealthy ingredients and replacing them with safer options.
9 Ways to Improve Sexual Performance. Learn healthy ways to get in the mood and last longer between the sheets.
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Debunking the Hunter-Gatherer Workout
DARWIN isn’t required reading for public health officials, but he should be. One reason that heart disease, diabetes and obesity have reached epidemic levels in the developed world is that our modern way of life is radically different from the hunter-gatherer environments in which our bodies evolved. But which modern changes are causing the most harm?
Many in public health believe that a major culprit is our sedentary lifestyle. Faced with relatively few physical demands today, our bodies burn fewer calories than they evolved to consume — and those unspent calories pile up over time as fat. The World Health Organization, in discussing the root causes of obesity, has cited a “decrease in physical activity due to the increasingly sedentary nature of many forms of work, changing modes of transportation and increasing urbanization.”
This is a nice theory. But is it true? To find out, my colleagues and I recently measured daily energy expenditure among the Hadza people of Tanzania, one of the few remaining populations of traditional hunter-gatherers. Would the Hadza, whose basic way of life is so similar to that of our distant ancestors, expend more energy than we do?
Our findings, published last month in the journal PLoS ONE, indicate that they don’t, suggesting that inactivity is not the source of modern obesity.
Previous attempts to quantify daily energy expenditure among hunter-gatherers have relied entirely on estimation. By contrast, our study used a technique that calculates the body’s rate of carbon dioxide production — and hence the calories burned per day — by tracking the depletion of two isotopes (deuterium and oxygen-18) in an individual’s urine over a two-week period.
It was a testament to the Hadza’s graciousness, and their years of friendship with several of my colleagues, that they welcomed us into their camps and participated in the study. As we sat back and observed, the Hadza went about their normal routines.
The Hadza live in simple grass huts in the middle of a dry East African savanna. They have no guns, vehicles, crops or livestock. Each day the women comb miles of hilly terrain, foraging for tubers, berries and other wild plant foods, often while carrying infants, firewood and water. Men set out alone most days to collect honey or hunt for game using handmade bows and poison-tipped arrows, often covering 15 to 20 miles.
We found that despite all this physical activity, the number of calories that the Hadza burned per day was indistinguishable from that of typical adults in Europe and the United States. We ran a number of statistical tests, accounting for body mass, lean body mass, age, sex and fat mass, and still found no difference in daily energy expenditure between the Hadza and their Western counterparts.
How can the Hadza be more active than we are without burning more calories? It’s not that their bodies are more efficient, allowing them to do more with less: separate measurements showed that the Hadza burn just as many calories while walking or resting as Westerners do.
We think that the Hadzas’ bodies have adjusted to the higher activity levels required for hunting and gathering by spending less energy elsewhere. Even for very active people, physical activity accounts for only a small portion of daily energy expenditure; most energy is spent behind the scenes on the myriad unseen tasks that keep our cells humming and our support systems working. If the Hadza’s bodies somehow manage to spend less energy in those areas, they could easily accommodate the elevated energy demands of hunting and gathering. And indeed, studies reporting differences in metabolic-hormone profiles between traditional and Western populations support this idea (though more work is needed).
Our findings add to a growing body of evidence suggesting that energy expenditure is consistent across a broad range of lifestyles and cultures. Of course, if we push our bodies hard enough, we can increase our energy expenditure, at least in the short term. But our bodies are complex, dynamic machines, shaped over millions of years of evolution in environments where resources were usually limited; our bodies adapt to our daily routines and find ways to keep overall energy expenditure in check.
All of this means that if we want to end obesity, we need to focus on our diet and reduce the number of calories we eat, particularly the sugars our primate brains have evolved to love. We’re getting fat because we eat too much, not because we’re sedentary. Physical activity is very important for maintaining physical and mental health, but we aren’t going to Jazzercise our way out of the obesity epidemic.
We have a lot more to learn from groups like the Hadza, among whom obesity and heart disease are unheard of and 80-year-old grandmothers are strong and vital. Finding new approaches to public health problems will require further research into other cultures and our evolutionary past.
Herman Pontzer is an assistant professor of anthropology at Hunter College and a co-founder of the Hadza Fund, a nonprofit organization that supports the Hadza population.
Source:
NYT - August 26, 2012
This is for your private use, only
By HERMAN PONTZER
_______________________
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We'll give you a NEW life"
We'll give you a NEW life"
- and your new life will begin -
New Information Continues Below
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CLICK to read this article: Can Taking a Walk Help Reduce Cravings? A simple trick could come in handy for those trying to break a bad habit or cut back on food: go for a walk. The New York Times, January 4, 2011, By ANAHAD O'€'CONNOR - Health
CLICK to read this article: Fried Fish Is Seen as a 'Stroke Belt' Culprit ... Fried fish may be a factor in the high death rate from stroke in eight Southern states. January 4, 2011, The New York Times
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CLICK to read this article: Can Taking a Walk Help Reduce Cravings? A simple trick could come in handy for those trying to break a bad habit or cut back on food: go for a walk. The New York Times, January 4, 2011, By ANAHAD O'€'CONNOR - Health
CLICK to read this article: Fried Fish Is Seen as a 'Stroke Belt' Culprit ... Fried fish may be a factor in the high death rate from stroke in eight Southern states. January 4, 2011, The New York Times
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The Fattest Place on Earth
– a lesson for America & the world
The fattest place on earth isn't in America.
The tiny Pacific island nation of Nauru holds that honor.
Click the links below to get the facts - see the video and other info - the text info below
With planet's highest obesity rate,
an island paradise has lessons for the U.S. & the world
The western lifestyle introduced by the western businessmen destroyed Nauru's perfect health statistics
The westerners came when mineral riches were found in Nauru
The western food & western lifestyle (as the majority of the population in the USA has) is the cause for a terrible disease situation in this world’s smallest independent republic, Nauru. This island country is in the Pacific Ocean between Hawaii and Australia.
The American-style fast food, hamburgers, fried potatoes, processed meat & other American style processed “food” (quotations because fast or processed is not food – it is disease causing, killing poison for any human; fast “food”, read: bad-food) is the reason for Nauru’s serious health challenges. Nauru made itself wealthy by exporting phosphates (used worldwide as a fertilizer). The industry started in the 1980’s. As the western style, American fast “food “ and other “processed food”, was introduced in Nauru, 95 % of its population is now officially overweight, 85 % of men are clinically obese, and majority of the Nauru population has diabetes and other overweight &diabetes-caused sicknesses. The people in Nauru are literally eating themselves dead. So are the Americans as are other nations when consuming unnatural nutrition in the form of fast “food” (= bad food) and processed “food”. This health disaster happened in Nauru when they imported the western style fast-“food” as their phosphate industry brought the income. However, the phosphate industry in Nauru has now dried out – but the love of western style “food” has stayed - literally killing the whole nation. The fast food and processed food contains chemicals that create addiction in the consumers.
In the USA today 3 in 10 has diabetes – that number will soar to 1 in 3 in 40 years if Americans continue the same way.
Save The American Family – STAF, Inc. has developed a real solution, a totally new plan based on the latest science. The STAF, Inc. Nutritional & Successful Lifestyle plan is the ONLY real hope for solving the problem in America. The Plan must be introduced to the whole nation. STAF, Inc. has the knowledge how to have the Americans adapting this new plan to save our lives and to save our country. As the result, millions of human lives will be saved every year - billions of money will be saved every year, trillions within time.
_______________________________________________
– a lesson for America & the world
The fattest place on earth isn't in America.
The tiny Pacific island nation of Nauru holds that honor.
Click the links below to get the facts - see the video and other info - the text info below
- The Fattest Place on Earth | Video - ABC Newsabcnews.go.com/Nightline/video/fattest-place-earth-12533987
The Fattest Place on Earth. With planet's highest obesity rate, an island paradise haslessons for the U.S.. 01/03/2011. Related Links: Kendra Wilkinson: 'I Could ... - The Fattest Place On Earth (VIDEO)www.huffingtonpost.com/.../the-fattest-place-on-earth_n_8...
With planet's highest obesity rate,
an island paradise has lessons for the U.S. & the world
The western lifestyle introduced by the western businessmen destroyed Nauru's perfect health statistics
The westerners came when mineral riches were found in Nauru
The western food & western lifestyle (as the majority of the population in the USA has) is the cause for a terrible disease situation in this world’s smallest independent republic, Nauru. This island country is in the Pacific Ocean between Hawaii and Australia.
The American-style fast food, hamburgers, fried potatoes, processed meat & other American style processed “food” (quotations because fast or processed is not food – it is disease causing, killing poison for any human; fast “food”, read: bad-food) is the reason for Nauru’s serious health challenges. Nauru made itself wealthy by exporting phosphates (used worldwide as a fertilizer). The industry started in the 1980’s. As the western style, American fast “food “ and other “processed food”, was introduced in Nauru, 95 % of its population is now officially overweight, 85 % of men are clinically obese, and majority of the Nauru population has diabetes and other overweight &diabetes-caused sicknesses. The people in Nauru are literally eating themselves dead. So are the Americans as are other nations when consuming unnatural nutrition in the form of fast “food” (= bad food) and processed “food”. This health disaster happened in Nauru when they imported the western style fast-“food” as their phosphate industry brought the income. However, the phosphate industry in Nauru has now dried out – but the love of western style “food” has stayed - literally killing the whole nation. The fast food and processed food contains chemicals that create addiction in the consumers.
In the USA today 3 in 10 has diabetes – that number will soar to 1 in 3 in 40 years if Americans continue the same way.
Save The American Family – STAF, Inc. has developed a real solution, a totally new plan based on the latest science. The STAF, Inc. Nutritional & Successful Lifestyle plan is the ONLY real hope for solving the problem in America. The Plan must be introduced to the whole nation. STAF, Inc. has the knowledge how to have the Americans adapting this new plan to save our lives and to save our country. As the result, millions of human lives will be saved every year - billions of money will be saved every year, trillions within time.
_______________________________________________
The Deadly Disease Most Women Ignore
By Lisa Collier Cool
Aug 22, 2012
This is for your personal use, only
Click the green topics for further information
Rosie O’Donnell says it’s a “miracle” that she survived, after ignoring heart-attack warning signs because she didn’t recognize her danger. When the former talk-show host, 50, developed soreness and aching in her chest and arms after helping “an enormous woman” out of a car, she chalked it up to muscle strain.
When the ache persisted—and she became nauseated with clammy skin—O’Donnell was worried enough to Google women’s heart attack symptoms. “I had many of them, but really? –I thought – naaa,” she wrote in her blog.
Like 50 percent of women who have heart attacks, she didn’t call 911. Instead, she took an aspirin, then waited until the next day to get help for what turned out to be a 99 percent blockage in her LAD coronary artery *), a type of heart attack called the “widow-maker.” *) = The "LAD", or left anterior descending artery (or anterior interventricular branch of the left coronary artery, or anterior descending branch) is an artery of the heart.
7 Hidden Heart Attack and Stroke Risks
The Myth that Puts Women’s Lives at RiskOften thought of as a man’s problem, heart attacks kill 267,000 American womenannually: more than all forms of cancer combined. Every year since 1994, heart attacks have killed more US women than men. Yet many women still think that breast cancer (which kills 40,800 women a year) is their biggest health threat.
Most women—and even doctors—don’t know the gender-specific symptoms of a heart attack, says cardiologist Noel Bairey Merz, MD, director of the Barbra Streisand Women’s Heart Center at the Cedar Sinai Heart Institute. “Fewer than half of women have the classic Hollywood heart attack with crushing chest pain—often described as feeling like an elephant is sitting on you—that’s typical in men.”
Study: Women Who Suffer Heart Attacks Have it Worse
Women’s Heart Attack Symptoms Often MisdiagnosedInstead, women typically have less dramatic heart attack symptoms that may not include any chest pain. As a result, women are misdiagnosed at a far higher rate than men—and are more likely to die after a heart attack than men are, according toa new study of 1.4 million heart attack patients.
“Relatively young women like Rosie O’Donnell have the highest rate of heart-attack fatalities, because their symptoms are frequently misdiagnosed,” both by women themselves and by emergency physicians, says Dr. Merz.
One shocking study reported that up to 50 percent of the time, women’s heart attack symptoms go unrecognized by emergency and medical professionals. And nearly two-thirds of heart attack deaths in women occur in women with no history of chest pain, reports womenheart.org.
7 Warning Signs of Heart Attack
Young Women Also At RiskIf you think you’re too young to have a heart attack, here’s what you need to know: Of the 435,000 American women who have heart attacks annually, 83.000 are under age 65 and 35,000 are under age 55. Under age 50, women’s heart attacks are twice as likely to be fatal as in men.
To protect yourself, get checked for such common risk factors as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and high blood sugar. Alert your doctor if you have a family history of heart disease, particularly if relatives were affected at an early age. A healthy diet, regular exercise, and keeping your weight down are the best ways to trim heart attack risk.
And if you smoke, here’s yet another reason to kick the habit: Women who smoke risk having a heart attack 19 years earlier than non-smoking women. A study that tracked nearly 120,000 women ages 30 to 55 for 12 years found that those who smoked were four times more likely to suffer a heart attack or die from heart disease than the nonsmokers.
Understand Causes of Heart Disease in Women
Seven Warning Signs Women Should Never IgnoreBecause most heart attack research has focused on men, adds Dr. Merz, “symptoms that are extremely common in women are called ‘atypical,’ when they’re only atypical in men. Lack of awareness of women’s warning signs—and not getting health care soon enough—are major contributors to why heart attacks kill more women than men every year.”
When a heart attack strikes, getting medical help within the first hour reduces the risk of dying by 50 percent. If you have any of these warning signs, call 911.
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Get the information you need to improve your health and wellness on Healthline.com.
5 Psoriasis Triggers to Avoid. Watch out for these five common triggers to lessen chances of a flare-up.
Avoid a Migraine Before it Happens. Certain triggers cause migraines, such as food, hormonal shifts and even bright sunlight.
Foods to Avoid with Arthritis. Many health professionals recommend avoiding trigger foods to ease your arthritis pain.
Emergency Contraception Learning Center. Consider using emergency contraception if you’ve had unprotected sex or if your contraceptive method may have failed.
7 Ways to Treat Psoriasis at Home. These seven simple treatments can help quiet the signs of psoriasis.
More Resources: A Tale of Two Salad Dressings...Gluten-Free Hair Products...Depressed After a Nap?...Knee Pain Assessment
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By Lisa Collier Cool
Aug 22, 2012
This is for your personal use, only
Click the green topics for further information
Rosie O’Donnell says it’s a “miracle” that she survived, after ignoring heart-attack warning signs because she didn’t recognize her danger. When the former talk-show host, 50, developed soreness and aching in her chest and arms after helping “an enormous woman” out of a car, she chalked it up to muscle strain.
When the ache persisted—and she became nauseated with clammy skin—O’Donnell was worried enough to Google women’s heart attack symptoms. “I had many of them, but really? –I thought – naaa,” she wrote in her blog.
Like 50 percent of women who have heart attacks, she didn’t call 911. Instead, she took an aspirin, then waited until the next day to get help for what turned out to be a 99 percent blockage in her LAD coronary artery *), a type of heart attack called the “widow-maker.” *) = The "LAD", or left anterior descending artery (or anterior interventricular branch of the left coronary artery, or anterior descending branch) is an artery of the heart.
7 Hidden Heart Attack and Stroke Risks
The Myth that Puts Women’s Lives at RiskOften thought of as a man’s problem, heart attacks kill 267,000 American womenannually: more than all forms of cancer combined. Every year since 1994, heart attacks have killed more US women than men. Yet many women still think that breast cancer (which kills 40,800 women a year) is their biggest health threat.
Most women—and even doctors—don’t know the gender-specific symptoms of a heart attack, says cardiologist Noel Bairey Merz, MD, director of the Barbra Streisand Women’s Heart Center at the Cedar Sinai Heart Institute. “Fewer than half of women have the classic Hollywood heart attack with crushing chest pain—often described as feeling like an elephant is sitting on you—that’s typical in men.”
Study: Women Who Suffer Heart Attacks Have it Worse
Women’s Heart Attack Symptoms Often MisdiagnosedInstead, women typically have less dramatic heart attack symptoms that may not include any chest pain. As a result, women are misdiagnosed at a far higher rate than men—and are more likely to die after a heart attack than men are, according toa new study of 1.4 million heart attack patients.
“Relatively young women like Rosie O’Donnell have the highest rate of heart-attack fatalities, because their symptoms are frequently misdiagnosed,” both by women themselves and by emergency physicians, says Dr. Merz.
One shocking study reported that up to 50 percent of the time, women’s heart attack symptoms go unrecognized by emergency and medical professionals. And nearly two-thirds of heart attack deaths in women occur in women with no history of chest pain, reports womenheart.org.
7 Warning Signs of Heart Attack
Young Women Also At RiskIf you think you’re too young to have a heart attack, here’s what you need to know: Of the 435,000 American women who have heart attacks annually, 83.000 are under age 65 and 35,000 are under age 55. Under age 50, women’s heart attacks are twice as likely to be fatal as in men.
To protect yourself, get checked for such common risk factors as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and high blood sugar. Alert your doctor if you have a family history of heart disease, particularly if relatives were affected at an early age. A healthy diet, regular exercise, and keeping your weight down are the best ways to trim heart attack risk.
And if you smoke, here’s yet another reason to kick the habit: Women who smoke risk having a heart attack 19 years earlier than non-smoking women. A study that tracked nearly 120,000 women ages 30 to 55 for 12 years found that those who smoked were four times more likely to suffer a heart attack or die from heart disease than the nonsmokers.
Understand Causes of Heart Disease in Women
Seven Warning Signs Women Should Never IgnoreBecause most heart attack research has focused on men, adds Dr. Merz, “symptoms that are extremely common in women are called ‘atypical,’ when they’re only atypical in men. Lack of awareness of women’s warning signs—and not getting health care soon enough—are major contributors to why heart attacks kill more women than men every year.”
When a heart attack strikes, getting medical help within the first hour reduces the risk of dying by 50 percent. If you have any of these warning signs, call 911.
- Shortness of breath. During a heart attack, or in some cases, days or even weeks preceding the attack, many women report gasping as if they’d just run a marathon or having trouble talking, one study reported.
- Non-chest pain. Instead of an explosive pain in the chest, women may develop less severe pain in the upper back, shoulders, neck, jaw, or arm. “Get immediate medical help if you have any unusual symptom above the waist, even if it’s not in your chest,” advises Dr. Merz.
- Unusual fatigue. In one study of female heart attack survivors, 71 percent experienced unusual fatigue in the days and weeks before the attack—often so extreme that the women were too fatigued to make their bed, lift a laptop, or walk to the mailbox.
- Heavy sweating. Women may be suddenly drenched with sweat for no apparent reason. Frequently, women feel both hot and chilled, with clammy skin, during a heart attack, as happened to O’Donnell.
- Nausea or dizziness. During an attack, women frequently vomit or feel like they’re going to faint. The nausea can also feel like heartburn, says Dr. Merz.
- Anxiety. Many women experience a feeling of impending doom or intense fear before or during a heart attack. Heeding that inner warning can be lifesaving.
—————————--
Get the information you need to improve your health and wellness on Healthline.com.
5 Psoriasis Triggers to Avoid. Watch out for these five common triggers to lessen chances of a flare-up.
Avoid a Migraine Before it Happens. Certain triggers cause migraines, such as food, hormonal shifts and even bright sunlight.
Foods to Avoid with Arthritis. Many health professionals recommend avoiding trigger foods to ease your arthritis pain.
Emergency Contraception Learning Center. Consider using emergency contraception if you’ve had unprotected sex or if your contraceptive method may have failed.
7 Ways to Treat Psoriasis at Home. These seven simple treatments can help quiet the signs of psoriasis.
More Resources: A Tale of Two Salad Dressings...Gluten-Free Hair Products...Depressed After a Nap?...Knee Pain Assessment
View All 17 Comments »
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Foreword to
The New York Times article below
"How Do You Put a Nation on a Diet"
By Dr. Christian von Christophers, Ph.D., N.D., D.D., STAF, Inc.'s founding President
STAF, Inc. has developed a revolutionary Healthy Lifestyle & Correct Nutrition Program as the real solution to our nation's enormous obesity program. The U.S. has one the most expensive health care (= sickness care) system worldwide - yet our nation is the sickest nation among all developed countries.
The New York Times article below does not give a solution to our nation's challenges; the author does not have a solution. The NYT article writer does not have a clue how to solve our enormous sickness challenges. The solution cannot be created by thinking behind the office desk or doing research in the University Library. Much more is needed.
It is practical field work, testing, improving, testing again and again nationwide and worldwide in different cultures until: the real results come. STAF, Inc.'s new program took 25 years worldwide research, work & testing. STAF, Inc.'s new program will bring the desired results to everyone. It is easy to follow. It also saves you plenty in your food expenses. STAF, Inc. does not sell you your food - you buy it yourself in any good supermarket based on the program instructions.
See the HOME page in this website - you'll see the details for what you will have to pay for your food (less than you expect) and what different items you eat daily. You'll be surprised when you'll see how little your correct nutrition will cost. This new program has several attractive incentives motivating our nation to adopt the new program fro a daily use.
We urge you to read the NYT article below - it has good, helpful statistical information.
SAVE THE AMERICAN FAMILY - STAF, INC. -not-for-profit-,
an organization headquartered in New York City with nationwide and worldwide services,
HAS A REAL SOLUTION - IT TOOK 25 YEARS WORLDWIDE RESEARCH TO CREATE
This is a quote from the NYT article below: The consensus of experts, in a report issued in May 2012 by the Institute of Medicine, is that only a nationwide, prevention-oriented approach will work. It won’t be easy, but it needs to be done as costs linked to obesity soar ever higher.
Yes, STAF, Inc.'s specialists agree. However, talking is not the same as getting the desired results. Stating what needs to be done but not having a solution how it will be done, is no solution.
STAF, Inc.'s new program has all that figured out for about 25 years ago. However, a prevention-oriented approach nationwide is not enough. The people with obesity now are suffering and they need HELP NOW. Help that will brings them out from their misery, heal them naturally with no side effects, and give their healthy life back with still a real possibility for a longer, richer, happier life.
STAF, Inc.'s new Healthy Lifestyle & Correct Nutrition Program is the results-bringing solution for every person and for every situation nationwide & worldwide. There is no calorie counting in STAF's program, it is not a diet. The person will not starve but eats as much as necessary as long as the person follows STAF, Inc.'s instructions for what to eat, how to prepare what one eats, how to combine the foods, and other instructions. It is learning a new healthy lifestyle with correct nutrition.
STAF, Inc.'s new program teaches a new, enjoyable healthy lifestyle and brings the desired results for every person assuming the person is not already in the brink of the grave. The body needs enough time to heal itself.
No doctor can heal any person. Only the body can heal itself when it is given a healthy, natural chance to do so.
The French Philosopher Voltaire (1694-1778) said: "The role of a physician is to entertain the patient until the nature cures".
Notice: follow always your M.D.'s instructions 100 % until he/she says "no need for further medication".
Your M.D. practices Allopathic Medicine - most of the times it is a short-term solution to keep the patient alive.
The long-term solution is in the natural methods also called Naturopathy.
For the first time ever, this new, revolutionary Healthy Lifestyle & Correct Nutrition Program has incentives that will motivate everyone to adapt this new plan and create a new, longer life with good health and happiness.
Everyone can afford the adapt the new plan (also if working on the minimum wage or on the Social Security).
The monthly savings in food expenses can be invested - a road to being a millionaire (not a joke - a real statement).
STAF, Inc. has developed "The Automatic Millionaire" investment plan with 3 leading investment companies to make this happen for you.
STAF, Inc.'s founding President, Dr. Christian von Christophers, Ph.D., N.D., D.D., will, after the 2012 election in 2013, introduce this new, revolutionary program in D.C. to the U.S. Congress & Senate, The President, The W.H., and to all related federal agencies.
When this plan is in the nation's use, it will save every year hundreds of billions of dollars in the government's health care expenses (read: sickness care expenses) and save millions of human lives every year.
The same plan is a solution to similar challenges in every nation worldwide.
Dr. Christian is also seeking to become the nation's first Health "Czar" and lead the new (yet to be founded) Healthy Lifestyle & Correct Nutrition Federal Agency to guide our nation to a healthier, happier & longer life.
STAF, Inc.'s presence is needed in D.C. to give YOU and YOUR family a healthy, long, rich, happy life.
By many Dr. Christian is recognized worldwide as the leading Healthy Lifestyle & Correct Nutrition specialist.
We all need him in D.C. as the nation's first Health "Czar".
Our whole nation will greatly benefit when Dr. Christian builds and leads our first Healthy Lifestyle and Correct Nutrition Federal Agency.
As our organization's presence is needed in D.C. to guide the American Families, STAF, Inc.'s founding President
Dr. Christian von Christophers is also planning to seek a seat in The U.S. Congress (The House or The Senate) when the most promising election year for that plan comes. When you give your vote to him you give a gift of a better, healthier, longer and richer life to your family and to yourself.
Less Suffering - More Life ™
________________________
How Do You Put a Nation on a Diet?
Source:
The New York Times
STAF, Inc.'s warning comment for the NYT article below
By Dr. Christian von Christophers, Ph.D., N.D., D.D., STAF, Inc.'s founding President
The article has good information, "statistics" - however the writer(s) have not realized that there is a solutions to all these problems. Reading statistics "behind the desk" is not any solution to anyone in a real life challenge.
First of all "Diet" is not an acceptable word. NO ONE WANTS TO BE ON DIET.
It is common knowledge that diets do NOT work. Diets do not bring results.
Close to a 100 % of dieters gain back the weight they "dieted" or "lost".
"Lost" or "to lose" are not the best words for the human subconscious mind, either. No one wants to "lose" anything, thus the subconscious mind leads us to take back the "lost". Actually most dieters gain back more weight than they dieted away. It is partially for the common word "gain" - I gained back my weight. Your subconscious mind is proud it gave you back what you lost and you gained something (to gain something is mostly positive).
It is, though, a common word in our English language: "weight loss program", "weight loss goal", etc. - thus we use it.
However, the person planning to get rid of his/her overweight and obesity must know "that I am not going to lose my weight but I will get rid of this obesity problem forever and never accept my overweight back".
It is important to realize the neurolinguistic motivation for our words. The words have power - the words affect our thinking, our attitude and our actions, the words bring the results they are symbols for.
What is then the solution?
Obesity, overweight, addictions, etc. correction must and can be based on learning a new healthy lifestyle - lifestyle that is based on tested facts, not fiction and not in any common misconceptions.
Learning a new healthy lifestyle to gain one's health back and maintain the good health to gain a longer, pain free, healthy, rich & happy life is a multi-level and a multi-functional process. A diet is never a solution.
STAF, Inc.'s new Healthy Lifestyle and Correct Nutrition Program - a revolutionary system, is the solution and will in every case bring the desired results.
It took 25 years to create. Of those 25 years it took the past 7 years to modify the program for the U.S. needs and for the needs of all developed nations worldwide. It will be introduced in D.C. in 2013 to the U.S. Congress & Senate, The President, The W.H., and to all related federal agencies.
When this plan is in our nation's use, it will save every year hundreds of billions of dollars in the government's health care expenses (read: sickness care expenses) and save millions of human lives every year. The same plan is the solution to every nation worldwide.
The New York Times article starts here.
Please read it - it has a lot of interesting statistics (done behind the desk).
How Do You Put a Nation on Diet
The Walt Disney Company last week announced plans to restrict junk food commercials on its television programs aimed at children. A few days before, Mayor Michael Bloomberg took steps to restrict the sale of supersized sugary drinks in New York. But isolated changes may not make a substantial difference at a time when Americans are gaining weight as a nation. Reducing obesity will require a broader shift in the culture.
For decades, people have treated obesity as a personal failure. They blame individuals and families for eating junk food and choosing television over exercise. But experts in this country and other industrialized nations have increasingly recognized that obesity is caused mostly by social and environmental factors that limit people’s ability to eat healthy foods and get enough exercise. Our modern society, with its enormous and diverse food supply and its host of labor-saving technologies, stacks the deck against them.
The consensus of experts, in a report issued in May by the Institute of Medicine, is that only a nationwide, prevention-oriented approach will work. It won’t be easy, but it needs to be done as costs linked to obesity soar ever higher.
A responsible estimate cited by the institute indicates that the annual expense of treating obesity-related illness, like Type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer, and the added cost of treating almost any medical condition when the patient is obese, has already reached $190 billion.
Between the early 1970s and 2000, obesity rates, as a percentage of the population, doubled in adults and tripled in children (the extremely obese adult population rose even more sharply). Then the rates more or less plateaued at a disturbingly high level, a trend that has continued with data from a 2009-10 survey. It’s not clear whether the leveling off reflects some natural limit to how many people are likely to become obese or is an indication that some efforts to reduce obesity in the past decade are finally showing signs of progress.
Obesity affects the whole nation, cutting across every group and income level. Some racial or ethnic groups, however, are disproportionately obese and need greater attention. It is especially important, some experts say, to start early and reduce obesity among children and adolescents.
The causes of obesity are everywhere. Societal factors play a big role: the lack of safe places to play, walk or bike; sedentary jobs; less time devoted to cooking and more eating out; bigger portion sizes in packaged and prepared food; and incessant marketing of junk foods that are high in calories. Sugar-sweetened drinks accounted for at least 20 percent of the increases in weight in the United States between 1977 and 2007, according to one study cited by the institute.
The institute’s report suggests a number of remedies that it believes have been proved to work. In Somerville, Mass., where some 40 percent of the younger elementary school children were overweight, there was a communitywide effort to offer healthier lunches in schools and restaurants, encourage walking and other physical activity, and change the small city’s culture. Children there gained less weight than their peers in other communities.
In suggesting reductions in children’s exposure to junk-food marketing, the institute cites research showing a causal relationship between TV commercials and the food preferences of the very young. Other ideas are to increase physical activity in the schools to an hour a day and strengthen obesity prevention programs in the workplace.
The institute says that a major cut in obesity rates will require multiple strategies on a population-wide scale. This will be even more challenging than the fight against smoking. But there isn’t any choice if we want to protect the public’s health, the strength of the economy and the government budget.
Multimedia
Click the green below for added info
Interactive Feature Getting Bigger
Note: For adults, obesity is defined as a body mass index of 30 or higher; 40 or higher for extreme obesity. For children, obesity is defined as a B.M.I. in the 95th percentile of their sex- and age-specific growth charts.
Since the 1970s, the percentage of Americans who are obese has been rising. Among children, the percentage has more than tripled.
COUCH POTATOES
In 1999, young people ages 8-18 spent 6.2 hours a day using media like TV, video games and computers.
By 2009, they spent 7.4 hours.
SERVES ONE?
Portion sizes of many foods and drinks consumed by teenagers increased a lot from 1978 to 2006.
A typical hamburger grew by 90 calories and a typical pizza portion by 131.
DRINKING CALORIES
Teenage boys and young men are especially heavy consumers of sweet drinks. Surveys in 2005-8 found that men ages 12-19 get an average of 273 calories a day from sugary drinks and those 20-39 took in 252 calories.
EATING MORE
Daily caloric intake for men (20 and up) was 2,450 as of 1974 and rose to 2,656 by 2008. Women’s intake rose to 1,811 from 1,542.
Contributing Factors
click the green below for additional info:
Send Feedback
PHILIP M. BOFFEY
____________________________________________________________
The New York Times article below
"How Do You Put a Nation on a Diet"
By Dr. Christian von Christophers, Ph.D., N.D., D.D., STAF, Inc.'s founding President
STAF, Inc. has developed a revolutionary Healthy Lifestyle & Correct Nutrition Program as the real solution to our nation's enormous obesity program. The U.S. has one the most expensive health care (= sickness care) system worldwide - yet our nation is the sickest nation among all developed countries.
The New York Times article below does not give a solution to our nation's challenges; the author does not have a solution. The NYT article writer does not have a clue how to solve our enormous sickness challenges. The solution cannot be created by thinking behind the office desk or doing research in the University Library. Much more is needed.
It is practical field work, testing, improving, testing again and again nationwide and worldwide in different cultures until: the real results come. STAF, Inc.'s new program took 25 years worldwide research, work & testing. STAF, Inc.'s new program will bring the desired results to everyone. It is easy to follow. It also saves you plenty in your food expenses. STAF, Inc. does not sell you your food - you buy it yourself in any good supermarket based on the program instructions.
See the HOME page in this website - you'll see the details for what you will have to pay for your food (less than you expect) and what different items you eat daily. You'll be surprised when you'll see how little your correct nutrition will cost. This new program has several attractive incentives motivating our nation to adopt the new program fro a daily use.
We urge you to read the NYT article below - it has good, helpful statistical information.
SAVE THE AMERICAN FAMILY - STAF, INC. -not-for-profit-,
an organization headquartered in New York City with nationwide and worldwide services,
HAS A REAL SOLUTION - IT TOOK 25 YEARS WORLDWIDE RESEARCH TO CREATE
This is a quote from the NYT article below: The consensus of experts, in a report issued in May 2012 by the Institute of Medicine, is that only a nationwide, prevention-oriented approach will work. It won’t be easy, but it needs to be done as costs linked to obesity soar ever higher.
Yes, STAF, Inc.'s specialists agree. However, talking is not the same as getting the desired results. Stating what needs to be done but not having a solution how it will be done, is no solution.
STAF, Inc.'s new program has all that figured out for about 25 years ago. However, a prevention-oriented approach nationwide is not enough. The people with obesity now are suffering and they need HELP NOW. Help that will brings them out from their misery, heal them naturally with no side effects, and give their healthy life back with still a real possibility for a longer, richer, happier life.
STAF, Inc.'s new Healthy Lifestyle & Correct Nutrition Program is the results-bringing solution for every person and for every situation nationwide & worldwide. There is no calorie counting in STAF's program, it is not a diet. The person will not starve but eats as much as necessary as long as the person follows STAF, Inc.'s instructions for what to eat, how to prepare what one eats, how to combine the foods, and other instructions. It is learning a new healthy lifestyle with correct nutrition.
STAF, Inc.'s new program teaches a new, enjoyable healthy lifestyle and brings the desired results for every person assuming the person is not already in the brink of the grave. The body needs enough time to heal itself.
No doctor can heal any person. Only the body can heal itself when it is given a healthy, natural chance to do so.
The French Philosopher Voltaire (1694-1778) said: "The role of a physician is to entertain the patient until the nature cures".
Notice: follow always your M.D.'s instructions 100 % until he/she says "no need for further medication".
Your M.D. practices Allopathic Medicine - most of the times it is a short-term solution to keep the patient alive.
The long-term solution is in the natural methods also called Naturopathy.
For the first time ever, this new, revolutionary Healthy Lifestyle & Correct Nutrition Program has incentives that will motivate everyone to adapt this new plan and create a new, longer life with good health and happiness.
Everyone can afford the adapt the new plan (also if working on the minimum wage or on the Social Security).
The monthly savings in food expenses can be invested - a road to being a millionaire (not a joke - a real statement).
STAF, Inc. has developed "The Automatic Millionaire" investment plan with 3 leading investment companies to make this happen for you.
STAF, Inc.'s founding President, Dr. Christian von Christophers, Ph.D., N.D., D.D., will, after the 2012 election in 2013, introduce this new, revolutionary program in D.C. to the U.S. Congress & Senate, The President, The W.H., and to all related federal agencies.
When this plan is in the nation's use, it will save every year hundreds of billions of dollars in the government's health care expenses (read: sickness care expenses) and save millions of human lives every year.
The same plan is a solution to similar challenges in every nation worldwide.
Dr. Christian is also seeking to become the nation's first Health "Czar" and lead the new (yet to be founded) Healthy Lifestyle & Correct Nutrition Federal Agency to guide our nation to a healthier, happier & longer life.
STAF, Inc.'s presence is needed in D.C. to give YOU and YOUR family a healthy, long, rich, happy life.
By many Dr. Christian is recognized worldwide as the leading Healthy Lifestyle & Correct Nutrition specialist.
We all need him in D.C. as the nation's first Health "Czar".
Our whole nation will greatly benefit when Dr. Christian builds and leads our first Healthy Lifestyle and Correct Nutrition Federal Agency.
As our organization's presence is needed in D.C. to guide the American Families, STAF, Inc.'s founding President
Dr. Christian von Christophers is also planning to seek a seat in The U.S. Congress (The House or The Senate) when the most promising election year for that plan comes. When you give your vote to him you give a gift of a better, healthier, longer and richer life to your family and to yourself.
Less Suffering - More Life ™
________________________
How Do You Put a Nation on a Diet?
Source:
The New York Times
STAF, Inc.'s warning comment for the NYT article below
By Dr. Christian von Christophers, Ph.D., N.D., D.D., STAF, Inc.'s founding President
The article has good information, "statistics" - however the writer(s) have not realized that there is a solutions to all these problems. Reading statistics "behind the desk" is not any solution to anyone in a real life challenge.
First of all "Diet" is not an acceptable word. NO ONE WANTS TO BE ON DIET.
It is common knowledge that diets do NOT work. Diets do not bring results.
Close to a 100 % of dieters gain back the weight they "dieted" or "lost".
"Lost" or "to lose" are not the best words for the human subconscious mind, either. No one wants to "lose" anything, thus the subconscious mind leads us to take back the "lost". Actually most dieters gain back more weight than they dieted away. It is partially for the common word "gain" - I gained back my weight. Your subconscious mind is proud it gave you back what you lost and you gained something (to gain something is mostly positive).
It is, though, a common word in our English language: "weight loss program", "weight loss goal", etc. - thus we use it.
However, the person planning to get rid of his/her overweight and obesity must know "that I am not going to lose my weight but I will get rid of this obesity problem forever and never accept my overweight back".
It is important to realize the neurolinguistic motivation for our words. The words have power - the words affect our thinking, our attitude and our actions, the words bring the results they are symbols for.
What is then the solution?
Obesity, overweight, addictions, etc. correction must and can be based on learning a new healthy lifestyle - lifestyle that is based on tested facts, not fiction and not in any common misconceptions.
Learning a new healthy lifestyle to gain one's health back and maintain the good health to gain a longer, pain free, healthy, rich & happy life is a multi-level and a multi-functional process. A diet is never a solution.
STAF, Inc.'s new Healthy Lifestyle and Correct Nutrition Program - a revolutionary system, is the solution and will in every case bring the desired results.
It took 25 years to create. Of those 25 years it took the past 7 years to modify the program for the U.S. needs and for the needs of all developed nations worldwide. It will be introduced in D.C. in 2013 to the U.S. Congress & Senate, The President, The W.H., and to all related federal agencies.
When this plan is in our nation's use, it will save every year hundreds of billions of dollars in the government's health care expenses (read: sickness care expenses) and save millions of human lives every year. The same plan is the solution to every nation worldwide.
The New York Times article starts here.
Please read it - it has a lot of interesting statistics (done behind the desk).
How Do You Put a Nation on Diet
The Walt Disney Company last week announced plans to restrict junk food commercials on its television programs aimed at children. A few days before, Mayor Michael Bloomberg took steps to restrict the sale of supersized sugary drinks in New York. But isolated changes may not make a substantial difference at a time when Americans are gaining weight as a nation. Reducing obesity will require a broader shift in the culture.
For decades, people have treated obesity as a personal failure. They blame individuals and families for eating junk food and choosing television over exercise. But experts in this country and other industrialized nations have increasingly recognized that obesity is caused mostly by social and environmental factors that limit people’s ability to eat healthy foods and get enough exercise. Our modern society, with its enormous and diverse food supply and its host of labor-saving technologies, stacks the deck against them.
The consensus of experts, in a report issued in May by the Institute of Medicine, is that only a nationwide, prevention-oriented approach will work. It won’t be easy, but it needs to be done as costs linked to obesity soar ever higher.
A responsible estimate cited by the institute indicates that the annual expense of treating obesity-related illness, like Type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer, and the added cost of treating almost any medical condition when the patient is obese, has already reached $190 billion.
Between the early 1970s and 2000, obesity rates, as a percentage of the population, doubled in adults and tripled in children (the extremely obese adult population rose even more sharply). Then the rates more or less plateaued at a disturbingly high level, a trend that has continued with data from a 2009-10 survey. It’s not clear whether the leveling off reflects some natural limit to how many people are likely to become obese or is an indication that some efforts to reduce obesity in the past decade are finally showing signs of progress.
Obesity affects the whole nation, cutting across every group and income level. Some racial or ethnic groups, however, are disproportionately obese and need greater attention. It is especially important, some experts say, to start early and reduce obesity among children and adolescents.
The causes of obesity are everywhere. Societal factors play a big role: the lack of safe places to play, walk or bike; sedentary jobs; less time devoted to cooking and more eating out; bigger portion sizes in packaged and prepared food; and incessant marketing of junk foods that are high in calories. Sugar-sweetened drinks accounted for at least 20 percent of the increases in weight in the United States between 1977 and 2007, according to one study cited by the institute.
The institute’s report suggests a number of remedies that it believes have been proved to work. In Somerville, Mass., where some 40 percent of the younger elementary school children were overweight, there was a communitywide effort to offer healthier lunches in schools and restaurants, encourage walking and other physical activity, and change the small city’s culture. Children there gained less weight than their peers in other communities.
In suggesting reductions in children’s exposure to junk-food marketing, the institute cites research showing a causal relationship between TV commercials and the food preferences of the very young. Other ideas are to increase physical activity in the schools to an hour a day and strengthen obesity prevention programs in the workplace.
The institute says that a major cut in obesity rates will require multiple strategies on a population-wide scale. This will be even more challenging than the fight against smoking. But there isn’t any choice if we want to protect the public’s health, the strength of the economy and the government budget.
Multimedia
Click the green below for added info
Interactive Feature Getting Bigger
Note: For adults, obesity is defined as a body mass index of 30 or higher; 40 or higher for extreme obesity. For children, obesity is defined as a B.M.I. in the 95th percentile of their sex- and age-specific growth charts.
Since the 1970s, the percentage of Americans who are obese has been rising. Among children, the percentage has more than tripled.
COUCH POTATOES
In 1999, young people ages 8-18 spent 6.2 hours a day using media like TV, video games and computers.
By 2009, they spent 7.4 hours.
SERVES ONE?
Portion sizes of many foods and drinks consumed by teenagers increased a lot from 1978 to 2006.
A typical hamburger grew by 90 calories and a typical pizza portion by 131.
DRINKING CALORIES
Teenage boys and young men are especially heavy consumers of sweet drinks. Surveys in 2005-8 found that men ages 12-19 get an average of 273 calories a day from sugary drinks and those 20-39 took in 252 calories.
EATING MORE
Daily caloric intake for men (20 and up) was 2,450 as of 1974 and rose to 2,656 by 2008. Women’s intake rose to 1,811 from 1,542.
Contributing Factors
click the green below for additional info:
Send Feedback
PHILIP M. BOFFEY
____________________________________________________________
Don’t Get Sick in July
Source:
The New York Times
This is for your personal use, only
By THERESA BROWN
It's one of those secrets you normally don't learn in nursing school: "Don't go to the hospital in July." That's the month when medical residents, newly graduated from medical school, start learning how to be doctors, and they learn by taking care of patients. And learning means making mistakes.
There's disagreement in the medical literature about whether a so-called July Effect, where medical error rates increase in the summer, actually exists. But a 2010 article in the Journal of General Internal Medicine and a 2011 article in the Annals of Internal Medicine both found evidence of it. In an interview, Dr. John Q. Young, lead author of the latter review, likened the deployment of new residents to having rookies replace seasoned football players during "a high-stakes game, and in the middle of that final drive."
From what I've experienced as a clinical nurse, whether or not the July Effect is statistically validated as a cause of fatal hospital errors, it is undeniably real in terms of adequacy and quality of care delivery. Any nurse who has worked in a teaching hospital is likely to have found July an especially difficult month because, returning to Dr. Young's football metaphor, the first-year residents are calling the plays, but they have little real knowledge of the game.
This experience deficit plays out in ways large and small, but I remember an especially fraught situation one July when a new resident simply did not know enough to do his job and a patient quite literally suffered as a result.
The patient was actively dying. He was older and his death was expected. He had kept his cancer at bay for several years, but there were no more curative treatment options left and he had opted to die peacefully in his bed, surrounded by family. He had also wanted to die in the hospital, and his death was coming on quickly enough that the hospital decided to allow it. He was grumpy, charming, funny and impressively clear-eyed about the end of his life. During our brief, two-day acquaintance I developed a strong attachment to him.
Death came closer quickly on that second day and as it neared, his pain increased significantly. Dying from cancer often hurts. He needed oxygen to breathe comfortably, and because he was alert he fully felt the intense pain.
I'm a nurse, so legally I cannot decide to increase a patient's dose of pain medication, but I can call a physician and describe the patient's distress. That's part of a nurse's job, but there is also a chain of command for getting medication orders, and another part of my job is adhering to that hierarchy.
I paged the first-year resident covering the patient. Since it was July he was an M.D. on the books, but he was brand new to actual doctoring. I explained things, but he would not increase the ordered dose. I paged him again. We talked over the phone, and I insisted. Then I pleaded. He would not up the dose.
Looking at the situation from his point of view, I understand his reluctance. I was asking him to prescribe a very large dose of narcotic, a killingly big dose if the patient was unused to opioids. The resident might have learned in medical school about pain during dying, but he had not actually been with a patient going through it. Seeing such pain - the body twisting, the patient crying out helplessly - is categorically different from reading about it.
I also imagine the resident had been taught to prescribe narcotics judiciously, perhaps even sparingly, and the amount of drug I was asking for was neither.
The patient's wife was kind; his daughter, a nurse, forthright. They and he deserved better than they were getting, so I decided to take a risk. Ignoring the chain of command, I paged the palliative care physician on call. She and I had talked about the patient the day before.
I described the patient's sudden lurch toward death, the sharp increase in pain and the resident's reluctance to medicate the patient enough to give him relief. "Ah," she said, "I was worried about that," meaning that the patient might begin actively dying sooner than the medical team had expected. She ordered a morphine pump. I got the drug, loaded and programmed the machine. The patient died fairly soon after. He was conscious to the very end, and I can say he did not meet his death in agonizing pain.
A FEW hours later I ended up in the elevator with the new resident. He and I both started talking at once. Looking stricken, he apologized to me for having been busy, overwhelmed with several new patients. Knowing it is never easy to have someone's footprint on your head, I apologized for having called in an attending physician. "I don't usually jump the line," I started to explain, when he interrupted me. "You did the right thing for the patient," he said.
Such an exchange is rare. A nurse who goes over a doctor's head because she finds his care decisions inappropriate risks a charge of insubordination. A resident who doesn't deliver good care risks the derision of the nurse caring for that patient. Nurses aren't typically consulted about care decisions, and this expectation of silence may lead them to lash out at doctors they see as inadequate.
The July Effect brings into sharp relief a reality of hospital care: care is becoming more specialized, and nurses, who sometimes have years of experience, often know more than the greenest physicians. We know about medicating dying patients for pain, but we know a lot of other things, too: appropriate dosages for all kinds of drugs, when transfusions and electrolyte replacements are needed, which lab tests to order and how to order them, whether consulting another specialist is a good idea, whether a patient needs to go to intensive care because his vital signs are worryingly unstable.
The problem can be limited by better supervision from senior residents, fellows and attending physicians, as well as by nurses. We need to acknowledge this fact, because admitting that new residents need help, and that nurses can and do help them, is the beginning of owning up to our shared responsibilities in providing care. For the good of our patients, nurses and doctors need to collaborate.
Theresa Brown is an oncology nurse and the author of "Critical Care: A New Nurse Faces Death, Life, and Everything in Between."
____________________________
Source:
The New York Times
This is for your personal use, only
By THERESA BROWN
It's one of those secrets you normally don't learn in nursing school: "Don't go to the hospital in July." That's the month when medical residents, newly graduated from medical school, start learning how to be doctors, and they learn by taking care of patients. And learning means making mistakes.
There's disagreement in the medical literature about whether a so-called July Effect, where medical error rates increase in the summer, actually exists. But a 2010 article in the Journal of General Internal Medicine and a 2011 article in the Annals of Internal Medicine both found evidence of it. In an interview, Dr. John Q. Young, lead author of the latter review, likened the deployment of new residents to having rookies replace seasoned football players during "a high-stakes game, and in the middle of that final drive."
From what I've experienced as a clinical nurse, whether or not the July Effect is statistically validated as a cause of fatal hospital errors, it is undeniably real in terms of adequacy and quality of care delivery. Any nurse who has worked in a teaching hospital is likely to have found July an especially difficult month because, returning to Dr. Young's football metaphor, the first-year residents are calling the plays, but they have little real knowledge of the game.
This experience deficit plays out in ways large and small, but I remember an especially fraught situation one July when a new resident simply did not know enough to do his job and a patient quite literally suffered as a result.
The patient was actively dying. He was older and his death was expected. He had kept his cancer at bay for several years, but there were no more curative treatment options left and he had opted to die peacefully in his bed, surrounded by family. He had also wanted to die in the hospital, and his death was coming on quickly enough that the hospital decided to allow it. He was grumpy, charming, funny and impressively clear-eyed about the end of his life. During our brief, two-day acquaintance I developed a strong attachment to him.
Death came closer quickly on that second day and as it neared, his pain increased significantly. Dying from cancer often hurts. He needed oxygen to breathe comfortably, and because he was alert he fully felt the intense pain.
I'm a nurse, so legally I cannot decide to increase a patient's dose of pain medication, but I can call a physician and describe the patient's distress. That's part of a nurse's job, but there is also a chain of command for getting medication orders, and another part of my job is adhering to that hierarchy.
I paged the first-year resident covering the patient. Since it was July he was an M.D. on the books, but he was brand new to actual doctoring. I explained things, but he would not increase the ordered dose. I paged him again. We talked over the phone, and I insisted. Then I pleaded. He would not up the dose.
Looking at the situation from his point of view, I understand his reluctance. I was asking him to prescribe a very large dose of narcotic, a killingly big dose if the patient was unused to opioids. The resident might have learned in medical school about pain during dying, but he had not actually been with a patient going through it. Seeing such pain - the body twisting, the patient crying out helplessly - is categorically different from reading about it.
I also imagine the resident had been taught to prescribe narcotics judiciously, perhaps even sparingly, and the amount of drug I was asking for was neither.
The patient's wife was kind; his daughter, a nurse, forthright. They and he deserved better than they were getting, so I decided to take a risk. Ignoring the chain of command, I paged the palliative care physician on call. She and I had talked about the patient the day before.
I described the patient's sudden lurch toward death, the sharp increase in pain and the resident's reluctance to medicate the patient enough to give him relief. "Ah," she said, "I was worried about that," meaning that the patient might begin actively dying sooner than the medical team had expected. She ordered a morphine pump. I got the drug, loaded and programmed the machine. The patient died fairly soon after. He was conscious to the very end, and I can say he did not meet his death in agonizing pain.
A FEW hours later I ended up in the elevator with the new resident. He and I both started talking at once. Looking stricken, he apologized to me for having been busy, overwhelmed with several new patients. Knowing it is never easy to have someone's footprint on your head, I apologized for having called in an attending physician. "I don't usually jump the line," I started to explain, when he interrupted me. "You did the right thing for the patient," he said.
Such an exchange is rare. A nurse who goes over a doctor's head because she finds his care decisions inappropriate risks a charge of insubordination. A resident who doesn't deliver good care risks the derision of the nurse caring for that patient. Nurses aren't typically consulted about care decisions, and this expectation of silence may lead them to lash out at doctors they see as inadequate.
The July Effect brings into sharp relief a reality of hospital care: care is becoming more specialized, and nurses, who sometimes have years of experience, often know more than the greenest physicians. We know about medicating dying patients for pain, but we know a lot of other things, too: appropriate dosages for all kinds of drugs, when transfusions and electrolyte replacements are needed, which lab tests to order and how to order them, whether consulting another specialist is a good idea, whether a patient needs to go to intensive care because his vital signs are worryingly unstable.
The problem can be limited by better supervision from senior residents, fellows and attending physicians, as well as by nurses. We need to acknowledge this fact, because admitting that new residents need help, and that nurses can and do help them, is the beginning of owning up to our shared responsibilities in providing care. For the good of our patients, nurses and doctors need to collaborate.
Theresa Brown is an oncology nurse and the author of "Critical Care: A New Nurse Faces Death, Life, and Everything in Between."
____________________________
Education: A Predictor of Longer Life - below
STAF,Inc.'s: Comment to this article:
Excellent level of information . Knowledge, yes: applied knowledge, is the key to a long life.
The article below refers to the level and length of our education (High School, College, University) and shows: the broader the education the better choices we make and the longer we stay healthy and the longer we live.
The same principle applies to becoming financially rich. Education & applied knowledge is power.
STAF,Inc.'s: Comment to this article:
Excellent level of information . Knowledge, yes: applied knowledge, is the key to a long life.
The article below refers to the level and length of our education (High School, College, University) and shows: the broader the education the better choices we make and the longer we stay healthy and the longer we live.
The same principle applies to becoming financially rich. Education & applied knowledge is power.
Education: A Predictor of Longer Life
By Philip Moeller
U.S.News & World Report
This is for your personal use, only
If you want to know how long you will live, you might stop fretting over genetics and family history and instead look at your educational achievements. Education is certainly not the only variable associated with longer lives, but it may be the most powerful.
[See Top 10 U.S. Places for Healthcare.]
Recent study findings published in the journal Health Affairs present a remarkable update to the already considerable research showing education to be a powerful predictor of longer life spans.
"The lifelong relationships of education and its correlates with health and longevity are striking," the article said. "Education exerts its direct beneficial effects on health through the adoption of healthier lifestyles, better ability to cope with stress, and more effective management of chronic diseases. However, the indirect effects of education through access to more privileged social position, better-paying jobs, and higher income are also profound."
While the findings are good news for educated Americans, they also indicate that medical and lifestyle breakthroughs that have triggered the much-publicized longevity revolution are not being enjoyed by less-educated Americans whose lifespans have fallen further behind over time. This trend has implications for the debate about raising the Social Security retirement age. It also adds a compelling mortality tale to the economic costs of the nation's falling educational-achievement levels compared with other nations.
Within U.S. racial groups, educational achievement is associated with significant longevity benefits. But compared across racial groups, the longevity gap is even greater, which indicates continued race-based differences in how long Americans live. The Health Affairs article was co-authored by 15 leading academic experts in aging and longevity. The research was conducted by the MacArthur Foundation Research Network on an Aging Society.
[See 10 Things Aging Americans Want.]
"We found that in 2008 U.S. adult men and women with fewer than twelve years of education had life expectancies not much better than those of all adults in the 1950s and 1960s," the article said. "When race and education are combined, the disparity is even more striking."
Within racial and ethnic groups, there was a pronounced longevity benefit when comparing people with 16 or more years of school with those with less than 12 years. Among women, the differences in life expectancy at birth were 10.4 years among whites, 6.5 years among blacks, and 2.9 years for Hispanics. Among men, the gaps were 12.9 years among whites, 9.7 years among blacks, and 5.5 years for Hispanics.
But the differences were more striking across all racial groups. "White U.S. men and women with 16 years or more of schooling had life expectancies far greater than black Americans with fewer than 12 years of education--14.2 years more for white men than black men, and 10.3 years more for white women than black women," the article said.
"These gaps have widened over time and have led to at least two 'Americas,' if not multiple others, in terms of life expectancy, demarcated by level of education and racial-group membership." Compared with similar 1990 measures, by 2008, the gap among men had widened by nearly a year, and among women, by more than two-and-a-half years.
[See Tips on Social Security Spousal Benefits.]
"The current life expectancy at birth for U.S. blacks with fewer than twelve years of education is equivalent to the life expectancy observed in the 1960s and 1970s for all people in the United States, but blacks' longevity has been improving with time," the article said.
That hasn't been the case for whites. "White males with fewer than twelve years of education currently have a life expectancy at birth equivalent to that of all men in the United States born in 1972, while white females with similar education have the life expectancy of all women in the country born in 1964," it added. "And the longevity of these white males and females is growing worse over time."
The impact of education on lifespans is so powerful, the authors said, that improving people's health and lifestyle behaviors alone "are not likely to have a major impact on disparities in longevity." The authors called on policymakers to "implement educational enhancements at young, middle, and older ages for people of all races, to reduce the large gap in health and longevity that persists today."
More From US News & World Report
By Philip Moeller
U.S.News & World Report
This is for your personal use, only
If you want to know how long you will live, you might stop fretting over genetics and family history and instead look at your educational achievements. Education is certainly not the only variable associated with longer lives, but it may be the most powerful.
[See Top 10 U.S. Places for Healthcare.]
Recent study findings published in the journal Health Affairs present a remarkable update to the already considerable research showing education to be a powerful predictor of longer life spans.
"The lifelong relationships of education and its correlates with health and longevity are striking," the article said. "Education exerts its direct beneficial effects on health through the adoption of healthier lifestyles, better ability to cope with stress, and more effective management of chronic diseases. However, the indirect effects of education through access to more privileged social position, better-paying jobs, and higher income are also profound."
While the findings are good news for educated Americans, they also indicate that medical and lifestyle breakthroughs that have triggered the much-publicized longevity revolution are not being enjoyed by less-educated Americans whose lifespans have fallen further behind over time. This trend has implications for the debate about raising the Social Security retirement age. It also adds a compelling mortality tale to the economic costs of the nation's falling educational-achievement levels compared with other nations.
Within U.S. racial groups, educational achievement is associated with significant longevity benefits. But compared across racial groups, the longevity gap is even greater, which indicates continued race-based differences in how long Americans live. The Health Affairs article was co-authored by 15 leading academic experts in aging and longevity. The research was conducted by the MacArthur Foundation Research Network on an Aging Society.
[See 10 Things Aging Americans Want.]
"We found that in 2008 U.S. adult men and women with fewer than twelve years of education had life expectancies not much better than those of all adults in the 1950s and 1960s," the article said. "When race and education are combined, the disparity is even more striking."
Within racial and ethnic groups, there was a pronounced longevity benefit when comparing people with 16 or more years of school with those with less than 12 years. Among women, the differences in life expectancy at birth were 10.4 years among whites, 6.5 years among blacks, and 2.9 years for Hispanics. Among men, the gaps were 12.9 years among whites, 9.7 years among blacks, and 5.5 years for Hispanics.
But the differences were more striking across all racial groups. "White U.S. men and women with 16 years or more of schooling had life expectancies far greater than black Americans with fewer than 12 years of education--14.2 years more for white men than black men, and 10.3 years more for white women than black women," the article said.
"These gaps have widened over time and have led to at least two 'Americas,' if not multiple others, in terms of life expectancy, demarcated by level of education and racial-group membership." Compared with similar 1990 measures, by 2008, the gap among men had widened by nearly a year, and among women, by more than two-and-a-half years.
[See Tips on Social Security Spousal Benefits.]
"The current life expectancy at birth for U.S. blacks with fewer than twelve years of education is equivalent to the life expectancy observed in the 1960s and 1970s for all people in the United States, but blacks' longevity has been improving with time," the article said.
That hasn't been the case for whites. "White males with fewer than twelve years of education currently have a life expectancy at birth equivalent to that of all men in the United States born in 1972, while white females with similar education have the life expectancy of all women in the country born in 1964," it added. "And the longevity of these white males and females is growing worse over time."
The impact of education on lifespans is so powerful, the authors said, that improving people's health and lifestyle behaviors alone "are not likely to have a major impact on disparities in longevity." The authors called on policymakers to "implement educational enhancements at young, middle, and older ages for people of all races, to reduce the large gap in health and longevity that persists today."
More From US News & World Report
- Best U.S. States to Live-in 2032 (click)
- Updating Your Retirement-Savings Calculations (click)
- Making the Most of a Disappointing Retirement Nest Egg (click)
- _________________________________________
In STAF, Inc.'s scale 1 - 10 this article is 10 - 3 i's: inspiring, important information
Study: Americans Waste 40 Percent of Their Food
Click the green areas for further information
Americans throw away as much as 40 percent of their food per year; the equivalent of around $165 billion, according to a study released Tuesday.
The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), an environmental advocacy group, said in its study that the average American family of four throws away the equivalent of $2,275 annually in food.
The study also found that in American landfills, food is the single largest component, while there has been a 50 percent increase in U.S. food waste since the 1970s.
The NRDC - Natural Resources Defense Council noted that if there were only a 15 percent reduction in the amount of food thrown away, then there would be enough to feed approximately 25 million Americans per year.
“As a country, we’re essentially tossing every other piece of food that crosses our path—that’s money and precious resources down the drain,” said Dana Gunders with the NRDC in a press release.
With drought affecting much of the country as well as corn and soybean crops, “now is the time to embrace all the tremendous untapped opportunities to get more out of our food system,” she added. “We can do better.”
Related Articles
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URL to article: http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/united-states/study-americans-waste-40-percent-of-their-food-282374.html
This is for your private use, only
___________________________________
Study: Americans Waste 40 Percent of Their Food
Click the green areas for further information
Americans throw away as much as 40 percent of their food per year; the equivalent of around $165 billion, according to a study released Tuesday.
The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), an environmental advocacy group, said in its study that the average American family of four throws away the equivalent of $2,275 annually in food.
The study also found that in American landfills, food is the single largest component, while there has been a 50 percent increase in U.S. food waste since the 1970s.
The NRDC - Natural Resources Defense Council noted that if there were only a 15 percent reduction in the amount of food thrown away, then there would be enough to feed approximately 25 million Americans per year.
“As a country, we’re essentially tossing every other piece of food that crosses our path—that’s money and precious resources down the drain,” said Dana Gunders with the NRDC in a press release.
With drought affecting much of the country as well as corn and soybean crops, “now is the time to embrace all the tremendous untapped opportunities to get more out of our food system,” she added. “We can do better.”
Related Articles
- Waste Not, Want Not - another related article - study it - inspiring information
- Optimizing the City’s Food System: Panel - another related article - study it - good information
The Epoch Times publishes in 35 countries and in 19 languages. Subscribe to our e-newsletter.
URL to article: http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/united-states/study-americans-waste-40-percent-of-their-food-282374.html
This is for your private use, only
___________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
The list "by-invitation-only" is in this website in tab: home - close to the beginning
BY-INVITATION-ONLY
PRIVATE CLIENTS
- SERVICE PLAN MATERIAL -
TO PREPARE THE OFFER FOR PRIVATE SERVICES
Client: Mr. Chris Christie, Governor of NJ
Office of the Governor
PO Box 001
Trenton, NJ 08625
609-292-6000
Service giver: Save The American Family - STAF, Inc., -not-for-profit, headquartered in New York City
See STAF, Inc.'s original founding documents provided by the New York State, click the green "Click" below after the next 3 brief paragraphs.
The Following CLIENT-RELATED information is taken from the public sources for the purpose for us at the STAF, Inc. to prepare an offer and a private service plan (the final service plan will not be published in this website) for the by-invitation-only client's needs. Sometimes the offer is made available for the public, sometimes not - the privacy of the celebrity and of any client is the key - no private information will never be released - only publicly available private info may be made available for our web visitors to see.
THE CLIENT: Mr. Chris Christie, Governor of NJ.
Service offer for: Weight loss.
Governor Christie has not succeeded with anyone's help to lose his life-endangering weight.
However, with STAF, Inc.'s service help GOVERNOR CHRISTIE WILL GET THE DESIRED RESULTS.
STAF, Inc. service givers are the leaders worldwide.
STAF, Inc. is the only one worldwide giving a double guarantee (see home tab): a written lifetime result guarantee with only a one-time fee.
Governor Christie's overweight has caused him a life-threatening asthma and other life-threatening sicknesses.
STAF, Inc.'s has developed, based on the past 26 years of worldwide research, testing & work, a new, result-bringing technology for private services.
Weight loss is not the only private service STAF, Inc. provides - other services are listed in this website in several tab.
Practically STAF, Inc. has a service solution to every most common human challenge: health, wealth, relationships, marriages, children, child raising, None of the services is a medical service - STAF, Inc. is not providing medical services. If medical services are temporarily first or at any time of STAF, Inc.'s service process, the client's private medical provider or another medical specialist is invited in the team. The final, lasting results are always based on the Naturopathic methods (= natural, no negative side effects), on fully correct lifestyle and on a correct way for the client to learn to feed his/her body/mind/spirit with correct, natural food.
_______________
To inspect STAF, Inc.'s first 3 pages in its original founding acceptance documents provided by the State of New York:
(click the green word "click" on the right) click click
STAF, Inc.'s purpose and its mission statements
are in those 3 pages
_________________________________________________
CLIENT: Mr. Chris Christie, Governor of NJ
Home > Administration > Governor Christie
Español
Governor Christie
Chris Christie was sworn in as Governor of New Jersey on January 19, 2010.
Since taking office, Governor Christie has taken action on an aggressive reform agenda to restore fiscal integrity and accountability to state and local government, combat New Jersey’s highest in the nation property taxes, institute historic reform of the state’s pension and health benefits system, and bring about necessary changes to public education in order to identify and turn around failing schools and give every child access to a quality education.
Governor Christie fought for and achieved passage of a 2 percent cap on property taxes, landmark public employee pension and health benefit reforms that will save taxpayers over $130 billion over the next 30 years, three balanced budgets that did not raise taxes, and $2.35 billion in job creating tax cuts. After years of decline, New Jersey has created tens of thousands of private sector jobs under Governor Christie. In July 2012, Governor Christie fought for and signed into law bipartisan legislation to fundamentally change the way New Jersey deals with drug-addicted criminals by putting in place a statewide mandatory drug court program for nonviolent offenders to reclaim their lives through treatment, rather than being warehoused in prison.
In addition, Governor Christie has made education reform a top priority of his administration, putting forward and working for the passage of proposals to turn around failing schools, improve accountability, create a fair and meaningful evaluation systems for teachers and principals, and increase school choice in the state’s worst performing districts. Governor Christie provided millions of dollars in additional state aid for New Jersey schools, increasing state education funding to higher levels than the day he took office. In August 2012, Governor Christie signed into law landmark bipartisan tenure reform, modernizing the nation’s oldest tenure law to increase teacher effectiveness and accountability in the classroom.
Under Governor Christie, New Jersey has drawn national attention for taking on the biggest, toughest challenges facing the state with real solutions and bipartisan cooperation.
A lifelong New Jerseyan, Governor Chris Christie, 49, has a deep affection for and strong commitment to the state in which he has spent his entire life.
Born in Newark and raised in Livingston, Governor Christie has lived in New Jersey his entire life, except to attend college at the University of Delaware. Chris and his wife, Mary Pat have been married over 25 years and now reside in Mendham, where they are raising their four children, Andrew (born 1993), Sarah (born 1996), Patrick (born 2000), and Bridget (born 2003).
After graduating college in 1984, Christie attended Seton Hall University School of Law graduating in 1987 and joined a Cranford law firm, where he was soon named a partner. He was elected a Freeholder in Morris County, and served as Director of the Board in 1997.
Christie was named U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey in 2002. As the chief federal law enforcement officer in New Jersey, earning praise from leaders in both parties and drawing national attention for his efforts in battling political corruption, corporate crime, human trafficking, gangs, terrorism and environmental polluters. Christie led a widely acclaimed charge against public corruption, racking up an astonishing record - winning convictions or guilty pleas from over 130 public officials - both Republican and Democrat - without losing a single case.
Some of Christie’s most notable cases involved some of the worst in New Jersey. He fought against gang violence when he prosecuted 45 members of the Double II Bloods; he fought against child pornography when he helped bring down 1500 child pornographers worldwide; and he stood up to polluters who neglected their obligation to our environment. One of Christie’s finest moments was when he led the team that thwarted terrorists' plans to attack our military men and women at Fort Dix.
While each of Christie’s cases made a difference for New Jersey, he earned widespread praise for standing up to the dirty practices of the political elite and made clear that stealing from New Jersey taxpayers or abusing power would not be tolerated.
When Christie left the U.S. Attorney's office on December 1, 2008, every major newspaper in the state applauded his term as New Jersey’s U.S. Attorney.
Senior Staff
PART TWO: WIFE of Mr. Chris Christie, Governor of NJ
Mary Pat Christie, First Lady of New Jersey, has successfully combined her roles as wife and mother with a business career and community service. Born in Paoli, Pennsylvania, Mrs. Christie is the 9th of 10 children. She is a graduate of the University of Delaware and received her Master's in Business Administration and Finance at Seton Hall University. Mrs. Christie continues her career as Managing Director at Angelo Gordon.
Mrs. Christie is active in her children's lives and helps lend a hand at various school and team functions. She has contributed to the family liturgy, confirmation class activities, and soup kitchen outreach at her church, St. Joseph's in Mendham.
As the First Lady of New Jersey, Mrs. Christie is focused on recognizing people and groups that inspire pride in others and help them to become more self-sufficient members of society. In 2010, she founded non-profit, New Jersey Heroes, to do just that. Unlike many other non-profit organizations, New Jersey Heroes does not directly serve a specific community need, but rather recognizes and celebrates the work done by individuals and non-profit organizations in New Jersey. To date, Mrs. Christie has named over 16 heroes around the state.
Mrs. Christie is also passionate about the Governor’s Residence in Princeton, officially known as Drumthwacket. It has been a goal of the Governor and Mrs. Christie to make Drumthwacket a point of pride for New Jersyans. Through her work with the Drumthwacket Foundation, thousands of New Jersey citizens and schoolchildren will continue to have the opportunity to experience this historic house and grounds.
Mrs. Christie and her husband, Governor Chris Christie, met in college and have been married for 26 years. They have 4 children: Andrew, Sarah, Patrick and Bridget.
Stay Connected with Social Media
Stay Connected with Email Alerts
Initiatives
Home > Administration > First Lady Mary Pat
Español
Visit the First Lady’s Website
_____________________________________________________________________________________
The list "by-invitation-only" is in this website in tab: home - close to the beginning
BY-INVITATION-ONLY
PRIVATE CLIENTS
- SERVICE PLAN MATERIAL -
TO PREPARE THE OFFER FOR PRIVATE SERVICES
Client: Mr. Chris Christie, Governor of NJ
Office of the Governor
PO Box 001
Trenton, NJ 08625
609-292-6000
Service giver: Save The American Family - STAF, Inc., -not-for-profit, headquartered in New York City
See STAF, Inc.'s original founding documents provided by the New York State, click the green "Click" below after the next 3 brief paragraphs.
The Following CLIENT-RELATED information is taken from the public sources for the purpose for us at the STAF, Inc. to prepare an offer and a private service plan (the final service plan will not be published in this website) for the by-invitation-only client's needs. Sometimes the offer is made available for the public, sometimes not - the privacy of the celebrity and of any client is the key - no private information will never be released - only publicly available private info may be made available for our web visitors to see.
THE CLIENT: Mr. Chris Christie, Governor of NJ.
Service offer for: Weight loss.
Governor Christie has not succeeded with anyone's help to lose his life-endangering weight.
However, with STAF, Inc.'s service help GOVERNOR CHRISTIE WILL GET THE DESIRED RESULTS.
STAF, Inc. service givers are the leaders worldwide.
STAF, Inc. is the only one worldwide giving a double guarantee (see home tab): a written lifetime result guarantee with only a one-time fee.
Governor Christie's overweight has caused him a life-threatening asthma and other life-threatening sicknesses.
STAF, Inc.'s has developed, based on the past 26 years of worldwide research, testing & work, a new, result-bringing technology for private services.
Weight loss is not the only private service STAF, Inc. provides - other services are listed in this website in several tab.
Practically STAF, Inc. has a service solution to every most common human challenge: health, wealth, relationships, marriages, children, child raising, None of the services is a medical service - STAF, Inc. is not providing medical services. If medical services are temporarily first or at any time of STAF, Inc.'s service process, the client's private medical provider or another medical specialist is invited in the team. The final, lasting results are always based on the Naturopathic methods (= natural, no negative side effects), on fully correct lifestyle and on a correct way for the client to learn to feed his/her body/mind/spirit with correct, natural food.
_______________
To inspect STAF, Inc.'s first 3 pages in its original founding acceptance documents provided by the State of New York:
(click the green word "click" on the right) click click
STAF, Inc.'s purpose and its mission statements
are in those 3 pages
_________________________________________________
CLIENT: Mr. Chris Christie, Governor of NJ
Home > Administration > Governor Christie
Español
Governor Christie
Chris Christie was sworn in as Governor of New Jersey on January 19, 2010.
Since taking office, Governor Christie has taken action on an aggressive reform agenda to restore fiscal integrity and accountability to state and local government, combat New Jersey’s highest in the nation property taxes, institute historic reform of the state’s pension and health benefits system, and bring about necessary changes to public education in order to identify and turn around failing schools and give every child access to a quality education.
Governor Christie fought for and achieved passage of a 2 percent cap on property taxes, landmark public employee pension and health benefit reforms that will save taxpayers over $130 billion over the next 30 years, three balanced budgets that did not raise taxes, and $2.35 billion in job creating tax cuts. After years of decline, New Jersey has created tens of thousands of private sector jobs under Governor Christie. In July 2012, Governor Christie fought for and signed into law bipartisan legislation to fundamentally change the way New Jersey deals with drug-addicted criminals by putting in place a statewide mandatory drug court program for nonviolent offenders to reclaim their lives through treatment, rather than being warehoused in prison.
In addition, Governor Christie has made education reform a top priority of his administration, putting forward and working for the passage of proposals to turn around failing schools, improve accountability, create a fair and meaningful evaluation systems for teachers and principals, and increase school choice in the state’s worst performing districts. Governor Christie provided millions of dollars in additional state aid for New Jersey schools, increasing state education funding to higher levels than the day he took office. In August 2012, Governor Christie signed into law landmark bipartisan tenure reform, modernizing the nation’s oldest tenure law to increase teacher effectiveness and accountability in the classroom.
Under Governor Christie, New Jersey has drawn national attention for taking on the biggest, toughest challenges facing the state with real solutions and bipartisan cooperation.
A lifelong New Jerseyan, Governor Chris Christie, 49, has a deep affection for and strong commitment to the state in which he has spent his entire life.
Born in Newark and raised in Livingston, Governor Christie has lived in New Jersey his entire life, except to attend college at the University of Delaware. Chris and his wife, Mary Pat have been married over 25 years and now reside in Mendham, where they are raising their four children, Andrew (born 1993), Sarah (born 1996), Patrick (born 2000), and Bridget (born 2003).
After graduating college in 1984, Christie attended Seton Hall University School of Law graduating in 1987 and joined a Cranford law firm, where he was soon named a partner. He was elected a Freeholder in Morris County, and served as Director of the Board in 1997.
Christie was named U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey in 2002. As the chief federal law enforcement officer in New Jersey, earning praise from leaders in both parties and drawing national attention for his efforts in battling political corruption, corporate crime, human trafficking, gangs, terrorism and environmental polluters. Christie led a widely acclaimed charge against public corruption, racking up an astonishing record - winning convictions or guilty pleas from over 130 public officials - both Republican and Democrat - without losing a single case.
Some of Christie’s most notable cases involved some of the worst in New Jersey. He fought against gang violence when he prosecuted 45 members of the Double II Bloods; he fought against child pornography when he helped bring down 1500 child pornographers worldwide; and he stood up to polluters who neglected their obligation to our environment. One of Christie’s finest moments was when he led the team that thwarted terrorists' plans to attack our military men and women at Fort Dix.
While each of Christie’s cases made a difference for New Jersey, he earned widespread praise for standing up to the dirty practices of the political elite and made clear that stealing from New Jersey taxpayers or abusing power would not be tolerated.
When Christie left the U.S. Attorney's office on December 1, 2008, every major newspaper in the state applauded his term as New Jersey’s U.S. Attorney.
Senior Staff
- Kevin O’Dowd, Chief of Staff
- Louis C. Goetting, Deputy Chief of Staff
- Maria Comella, Deputy Chief of Staff for Communications and Planning
- Deborah Gramiccioni, Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy and Cabinet Liaison
- Bill Stepien, Deputy Chief of Staff for Legislative and Intergovernmental Affairs
- Charles B. McKenna, Chief Counsel
- Paul Matey, Deputy Chief Counsel
- Matthew McDermott, Appointments Director
- Regina Egea, Director of the Authorities Unit
- Rosemary Iannacone, Director of Operations
- Melissa Orsen, Chief of Staff to the Lt. Governor
- Cam Henderson, Chief of Staff to the First Lady and Director of Protocol
PART TWO: WIFE of Mr. Chris Christie, Governor of NJ
Mary Pat Christie, First Lady of New Jersey, has successfully combined her roles as wife and mother with a business career and community service. Born in Paoli, Pennsylvania, Mrs. Christie is the 9th of 10 children. She is a graduate of the University of Delaware and received her Master's in Business Administration and Finance at Seton Hall University. Mrs. Christie continues her career as Managing Director at Angelo Gordon.
Mrs. Christie is active in her children's lives and helps lend a hand at various school and team functions. She has contributed to the family liturgy, confirmation class activities, and soup kitchen outreach at her church, St. Joseph's in Mendham.
As the First Lady of New Jersey, Mrs. Christie is focused on recognizing people and groups that inspire pride in others and help them to become more self-sufficient members of society. In 2010, she founded non-profit, New Jersey Heroes, to do just that. Unlike many other non-profit organizations, New Jersey Heroes does not directly serve a specific community need, but rather recognizes and celebrates the work done by individuals and non-profit organizations in New Jersey. To date, Mrs. Christie has named over 16 heroes around the state.
Mrs. Christie is also passionate about the Governor’s Residence in Princeton, officially known as Drumthwacket. It has been a goal of the Governor and Mrs. Christie to make Drumthwacket a point of pride for New Jersyans. Through her work with the Drumthwacket Foundation, thousands of New Jersey citizens and schoolchildren will continue to have the opportunity to experience this historic house and grounds.
Mrs. Christie and her husband, Governor Chris Christie, met in college and have been married for 26 years. They have 4 children: Andrew, Sarah, Patrick and Bridget.
Stay Connected with Social Media
Stay Connected with Email Alerts
Initiatives
Home > Administration > First Lady Mary Pat
Español
Visit the First Lady’s Website
_____________________________________________________________________________________
"We’ll Give you a NEW life"
- and your new life will begin -
- and your new life will begin -
____________________________________________
Starting December 2012 these articles have been placed in this tab: Services; Natural weight loss
(1) A large survey of adolescents (17,000) says that those who binge eat are more likely to try other risky behavior Youth who overeat more likely to take up drugs Teens who overeat risk other dangers
(2)
Starting December 2012 these articles have been placed in this tab: Services; Natural weight loss
(1) A large survey of adolescents (17,000) says that those who binge eat are more likely to try other risky behavior Youth who overeat more likely to take up drugs Teens who overeat risk other dangers
(2)