Today’ Re-Powering information – A new study was just published about consumers awareness of the nutrition in fast foods. Most consumers don’t have a clue – and the fast food companies like it that way!
Consumers haven't a clue
Newswise - A new study by marketing researchers at the University of Arkansas indicates that many consumers have a poor understanding of the calorie, fat and sodium content of quick-service restaurant meals. This finding is especially true for less healthful meals, such as a cheeseburger with fries and regular (not diet) soft drink. Although diet soda is poor nutrition!
The researchers - Scot Burton and Elizabeth "Betsy" Howlett, marketing professors in the Sam M. Walton College of Business, and graduate student Andrea Tangari - found that as the calorie content of a meal increased, so did the extent to which calorie, fat and sodium levels were underestimated. In other words, although most consumers expected a large cheeseburger and fries to be high in calories, few realized just how unhealthy that meal was. For example, sodium levels from these purchased meals provided more than 75 percent of the daily-recommended level of 2300 milligrams, and consumers underestimated the amount of sodium in their meals by roughly 1,000 milligrams.
Results also showed that when nutrition information was worse than expected, consumers' product evaluations were much more negative.
"Our findings provide potential insight into why frequent restaurant diners may have difficulty maintaining or losing weight," said Howlett. "On average, frequent diners unknowingly consumed 900 extra calories a week from restaurant meals. This degree of underestimation appears capable of causing significant weight gain over the long term." This is how easily a person can destroy a weeks worth of effort and caloric deficit. The bigger the meal... the worse it is... and the less we realize it.
Within the context of the national obesity problem and possible legislation mandating disclosure of calorie and nutrient information on menus, the researchers conducted three studies to determine how accurately consumers estimate calorie, fat and sodium content of quick-service restaurant meals. Of particular interest was how objective nutrition information interacted with prior expectations to influence product evaluations, purchase intentions and perceptions of diet-related disease risks.
"Our results suggest that when obligated to disclose nutrition information, quick-service restaurants with signature items that are substantially higher in calories than consumers' expect may find their firms in a relatively less favorable position," Burton said. "These restaurants may wish to improve their portfolio of healthy items by either introducing new products or improving the nutrition profile of foods on their current menu by switching to lower calorie ingredients." Certainly, if consumers knew in advance what the nutritional value (or non-value) of these fast food meals were they would be influenced to make better selections. I would hope anyway. I am also pretty sure the fast food chain will fight hard against this legislation to pass as it will cripple their business.
An example of this strategy has been demonstrated recently by KFC, which recently introduced a grilled (unfried) chicken meal that is healthier than a fried-chicken meal.
In the first study, participants kept a diary of their fast-food purchases. They recorded restaurants visited, meal prices, specific food and drinks consumed and ratings of meal satisfaction. After a seven-day period, they estimated the calorie, fat and sodium levels for each restaurant meal recorded in their diary. The researchers then gathered participants' opinions and perceptions about each specific meal purchased. Next, the participants visited restaurant Web sites to obtain objective calorie and nutrient levels for each meal. Several days after obtaining this objective information, meals were re-evaluated.
The researchers found that when objective calorie levels were relatively low, consumers' estimates, on average, were close to actual levels. For example, the participants did not grossly overestimate or underestimate the amount of calories in a garden salad with a medium diet drink. However, when objective calories were relatively high, consumers' estimates were significantly less than actual levels. Consequently, the disclosure of actual calories had a strong negative effect on product evaluations.
"Without awareness of actual quantitative information - the objective levels of calories, fat and sodium - it is difficult to assess the potential effect that quick-service restaurant purchases may have on consumers' weight maintenance or weight-loss efforts," Howlett said.
The purpose of the second study, a controlled, Web-based experiment, was to determine how the provision of objective calorie information for actual quick-service restaurant items influenced consumers' choices and purchase intentions. Via an online survey, 363 adult consumers provided their opinions of and purchase intentions for three popular meals served by two quick-service restaurant chains. Participants were given a description of each meal. Some descriptions included calorie information; others did not. The third study employed a longitudinal experiment in which participants formed expectations, based on a fictitious restaurant review, about calorie levels and then were provided product information that either confirmed or contradicted initial expectations.
Results from the second and third studies confirmed those of the initial experiment - that objective calorie and nutrient levels often deviate from consumer expectations and the extent of this difference determines the extent to which objective nutrition information affects consumers' product evaluations and choices. Specifically, the researchers found that when objective calorie levels were higher than expected, purchase intentions were lower. More importantly, the percentage of consumers choosing less healthful menu items decreased when actual calorie levels exceeded expected levels. The percentage of consumers choosing healthier items increased when actual calorie levels were disclosed and those calorie levels were less than expected. However, when actual calorie levels were consistent with what was expected, consumers' meal evaluations were not affected, even when the meal calorie levels were very high.
The study was published in the Journal of Retailing and may be found at http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/620186/description#description. Electronic copies are available upon request.
Showing posts with label Nutrition. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Nutrition. Show all posts
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Sunday, April 26, 2009
More ammunition to avoid sugar in your diet!
Today’s Re-Powering information – More ammunition to avoid sugar in your diet!
Soft Drinks and Energy Drinks: Too Sweet for Your Own Good
April 21, 2009 01:39 PM ET | Katherine Hobson | Permanent Link | Print
Sugary soft drinks and energy drinks are taking it on the chin these days. First, two public-health experts floated the idea of a specific tax on sodas and energy drinks, and now, two other researchers are saying the drinks contribute to obesity and need an extreme makeover.
Walter Willett, who chairs the nutrition department at the Harvard School of Public Health, argues that there is a "direct causal link" between sugar-sweetened soft drinks and energy drinks and obesity, which is in turn linked to heart disease, some types of cancer, arthritis, and type 2 diabetes. So he and a colleague, Lilian Cheung, a lecturer in the nutrition department, are suggesting that we all start focusing on drinks with a far lower sugar and calorie content: things like water, tea, seltzer with a splash of juice, and coffee with one lump of sugar.
They call on beverage makers to create reduced-calorie beverages with no more than 1 gram of sugar per ounce, without using noncaloric sweeteners like aspartame and stevia. [See why VitaminWater is a poster child for the importance of reading food and drink labels.]
That kind of beverage would have about 3 teaspoons of sugar per 12 ounces and about 50 calories. Look at Harvard's chart to see how soft drinks, juices, and sports drinks stack up next to that standard-the worst offender, cranberry juice cocktail, has 200 calories and 12 teaspoons of sugar in a 12-ounce serving. (No word yet on how the beverage industry trade group has received this suggestion, but I will write a post if it does respond.)
[Here's the skinny on caloric sweeteners like agave and corn syrup.]
Why the fuss over sugary beverages rather than, say, candy bars? Willett and Cheung say that these drinks are the largest source of added sugar in the diet of young Americans, with teen boys drinking more than a quart per day. In addition, other researchers, such as Barry Popkin, have suggested that liquid calories don't prompt our bodies to feel full the way calories in solid form do. The Harvard folks say we need to retrain our bodies away from intense sweetness, which is why their hypothesized beverages don't include low-calorie sweeteners like stevia, either. "When adults get conditioned to everything being sweet, it's hard to appreciate the gentle sweetness of a carrot or an apple," says Willett. That means using even low-calorie sweeteners may lead to weight gain, he says. A study published last year suggesting low-calorie sweeteners led to overeating.
End
Realize that every choice is a work in progress. Do your best to make the better bad choices until you are making the healthiest choices 80% of the time.
Success is a process!
Have an ultrawell day!
Soft Drinks and Energy Drinks: Too Sweet for Your Own Good
April 21, 2009 01:39 PM ET | Katherine Hobson | Permanent Link | Print
Sugary soft drinks and energy drinks are taking it on the chin these days. First, two public-health experts floated the idea of a specific tax on sodas and energy drinks, and now, two other researchers are saying the drinks contribute to obesity and need an extreme makeover.
Walter Willett, who chairs the nutrition department at the Harvard School of Public Health, argues that there is a "direct causal link" between sugar-sweetened soft drinks and energy drinks and obesity, which is in turn linked to heart disease, some types of cancer, arthritis, and type 2 diabetes. So he and a colleague, Lilian Cheung, a lecturer in the nutrition department, are suggesting that we all start focusing on drinks with a far lower sugar and calorie content: things like water, tea, seltzer with a splash of juice, and coffee with one lump of sugar.
They call on beverage makers to create reduced-calorie beverages with no more than 1 gram of sugar per ounce, without using noncaloric sweeteners like aspartame and stevia. [See why VitaminWater is a poster child for the importance of reading food and drink labels.]
That kind of beverage would have about 3 teaspoons of sugar per 12 ounces and about 50 calories. Look at Harvard's chart to see how soft drinks, juices, and sports drinks stack up next to that standard-the worst offender, cranberry juice cocktail, has 200 calories and 12 teaspoons of sugar in a 12-ounce serving. (No word yet on how the beverage industry trade group has received this suggestion, but I will write a post if it does respond.)
[Here's the skinny on caloric sweeteners like agave and corn syrup.]
Why the fuss over sugary beverages rather than, say, candy bars? Willett and Cheung say that these drinks are the largest source of added sugar in the diet of young Americans, with teen boys drinking more than a quart per day. In addition, other researchers, such as Barry Popkin, have suggested that liquid calories don't prompt our bodies to feel full the way calories in solid form do. The Harvard folks say we need to retrain our bodies away from intense sweetness, which is why their hypothesized beverages don't include low-calorie sweeteners like stevia, either. "When adults get conditioned to everything being sweet, it's hard to appreciate the gentle sweetness of a carrot or an apple," says Willett. That means using even low-calorie sweeteners may lead to weight gain, he says. A study published last year suggesting low-calorie sweeteners led to overeating.
End
Realize that every choice is a work in progress. Do your best to make the better bad choices until you are making the healthiest choices 80% of the time.
Success is a process!
Have an ultrawell day!
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Feed Your Skin
Today’s Re-Powering information – I don’t mention the skin too much, however it’s our largest organ. If you are taking care of your body from the inside, the outside will take care of yourself (unless exposed to things from the external environment like too much sun). If you are having challenges with your skin, breakouts, moles, rashes, etc, more times than not, its from something going on in the inside that surfaces on the skin. The good news is that many skin conditions can be reversed with great nutrition. Not only that, but with exercise and good nutrition. You can appear up to 10 or more years younger. I’m 70 and don’t look too bad!!! (that was a joke). Read the article below for some skin saving and soothing foods that you can both consume for younger looking and feeling skin. You can even use real foods to make your own scrubs and masks..
Feed Your Skin
By Helen Hawkes
Forget plastic surgery. All you have to do is eat your way to great-looking skin.
Can you look younger by stuffing your face? Absolutely! The healthier the foods you consume are, the better your skin looks. No vitamin C and you'll have no collagen.
Too little vitamin A or essential fats and you'll have dry, rough skin, and too little zinc is a recipe for greasy skin and stretch marks.
So forget plastic surgery. For glowing, gorgeous, youthful skin, it makes sense to eat your way to fewer wrinkles, pimples, age spots and other beauty plagues.
Resurfacing your skin
It's no accident that vitamin A is the number one vitamin used topically to improve the texture and appearance of ageing skin.
Vitamin A is a powerful agent for increasing cell turnover, so that skin looks more youthful.
This skin vitamin comes in two forms: retinol, the animal form found in meat, fish, eggs and dairy products; and beta-carotene, found in red, yellow and orange fruits and vegetables.
Apricots, carrots, sweet potatoes and pumpkin are all good sources of beta-carotene.
Sydney-based naturopath Penelope Sach, author of Natural Woman (Penguin), advises: "Include a raw carrot juice daily for the natural vitamin A content, which helps to regenerate skin cells. "
Foods to tighten and tone
Thanks to New York Times bestselling author Dr Nicholas Perricone, we now know that good skin is a very fishy business.
Fish is not only a good source of the antioxidant co-enzyme Q10 (CoQ10), but an outstanding source of high-quality protein that helps with cellular repair and essential fatty acids (EFAs), which are responsible for healthy cell membranes, he says.
EFAs hold water, so the stronger they are, the plumper and younger your skin looks.
Fish also contains a powerful antioxidant compound called dimethylaminoethanol or DMAE.
"This chemical stimulates nerve function and the muscles to contract and tighten under the skin," says Dr Perricone in The Perricone Prescription (HarperCollins).
"It is a magic bullet for great skin tone, keeping your face firm and contoured."
Sach says: "For radiant skin, eat cold-water fish such as salmon, mackerel or tuna, three times a week."
Other good face firmers are walnuts and flaxseed oil, soya oil, pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds.
Flaxseed oil may also be useful in the treatment of skin conditions such as eczema.
Natural wrinkle fighters
Perhaps your skin's biggest enemies are free radicals, produced by UV rays as well as pollution, stress and even breathing.
These nasties lead to skin inflammation, as well as the degradation of collagen, the support structure for your skin, according to Leslie Baumann, of the dermatology department at the University of Miami in Florida.
But nature has designed some pretty clever foods that, if eaten regularly, act as natural wrinkle fighters.
Start with apricots and tomatoes, rich in lycopene, nature's sunscreen.
For maximum anti-ageing, add a daily bowlful of berries, a glass of red wine or a freshly brewed pot of tea.
In a 2004 study by the veterinary science faculty at the University of Sydney, a potent free-radical scavenger called pycnogenol was found to reduce the amount of inflammatory sunburn in mice.
Pycnogenol can be found in grape seed, grape skin, cranberry, blackcurrant, green tea, black tea, blueberry, blackberry, strawberry, black cherry, red wine and red cabbage.
Still want a stronger defense against free radicals and the surgeon's knife?
Here's a potent free radical-busting combination: vitamin C, vitamin E, glutathione and CoQ10.
A 2002 German study published in the Journal Of Pharmacological And Biophysiological Research found that, together, these antioxidants could reduce inflammation caused by UV rays.
You'll find vitamin E in vegetable oils, nuts and green leafy vegetables, and vitamin C in leafy citrus fruit, berries and green leafy vegetables.
Asparagus is high in glutathione and CoQ10 is found in seafood, spinach and nuts.
Other antioxidant-rich foods are prunes, plums, capsicum, beetroot, parsley, figs, raisins and legumes such as red kidney beans.
And don't forget herbs and spices, an often neglected way to boost antioxidants in the body.
"Herbs and spices contain several natural water-soluble phenolic acids and flavonoids that can protect the body against oxidative stress and inflammation," says Dr Michael Fenech, principal research scientist on the CSIRO's Genome Health and Nutrigenomics Project in Adelaide.
Add cinnamon to your cappuccino, drink tea made of fresh mint or ginger, roast lamb with herbs such as rosemary, sage and thyme, and indulge in turmeric-rich curries.
Try Gourmet Garden's herb tubes if you can't buy fresh.
Out, darn spot
There are two types of spots that detract from youthful skin: age spots and pimples.
And Australasian soils are notoriously short of a trace element called selenium.
This deficiency, along with sun exposure and sugar in the diet, is believed to be a factor in age spots, says Erica Angyal, an Australian nutritionist now based in Tokyo and author of Gorgeous Skin In 30 Days (Lothian Books).
To stop spots, you should not only wear an SPF15+, but eat selenium-rich foods, including garlic, brazil nuts, macadamia nuts and sesame seeds.
A study published in 2003 in the British Journal Of Dermatology also showed that skin was less likely to suffer oxidative damage when selenium levels were high.
Eating garlic, which also contains vitamin C and sulfur, can help banish blemishes.
Zinc is another natural substance that is necessary for good skin. Rich sources of zinc are oysters, ginger root, lamb, pecan nuts and brazil nuts.
Softening up
Extra-virgin olive oil has a high concentration of a monounsaturated fatty acid called oleic acid, one of the most powerful anti-inflammatory foods in existence, says Dr Perricone.
"Oleic acid is a member of the omega 9 family," he says. "It can make the difference between a complexion that resembles a piece of old shoe leather and one that looks and feels like a rose petal."
For younger-looking skin, aim to eat about 20g - or two tablespoons - of good fats a day, including olive oil.
Avocados contain oleic acid, as well as the antioxidants vitamin C and E.
Try having some on toast with lycopene-rich tomatoes, accompanied by a cup of green tea, for a super skin-boosting meal.
For baby-soft skin, avoid dehydrating drinks too, like alcohol and caffeine.
"Try Campari and soda during summer, as this is less dehydrating than wine and champagne," says Sach. Of course, cool, filtered water is great too.
Debloat and depuff
Your capillaries are the pipelines for your skin cells, says Angyal.
"When they are weak, or not working efficiently, your skin cells don't receive all the oxygen and nutrients they need."
This leads to poor elimination and sallow, puffy, prematurely aged or dull skin.
Bioflavonoids in citrus fruits can help to protect your capillaries, as well as support collagen production. So, next time you're at a juice bar, mix pink grapefruit, orange or lemon into your fruit or vegie blend.
END
If you are following the 30 Day Detox Fat Burning Meal Plan, yesterday was your first detox day. Fruit in the morning, veggies in the afternoon and a regular dinner from the list of foods provided. Continue following the plan for the best results. Below is a recipe I make, but I eat it without the tortilla’s (I do eat them occasionally)
Feed Your Skin
By Helen Hawkes
Forget plastic surgery. All you have to do is eat your way to great-looking skin.
Can you look younger by stuffing your face? Absolutely! The healthier the foods you consume are, the better your skin looks. No vitamin C and you'll have no collagen.
Too little vitamin A or essential fats and you'll have dry, rough skin, and too little zinc is a recipe for greasy skin and stretch marks.
So forget plastic surgery. For glowing, gorgeous, youthful skin, it makes sense to eat your way to fewer wrinkles, pimples, age spots and other beauty plagues.
Resurfacing your skin
It's no accident that vitamin A is the number one vitamin used topically to improve the texture and appearance of ageing skin.
Vitamin A is a powerful agent for increasing cell turnover, so that skin looks more youthful.
This skin vitamin comes in two forms: retinol, the animal form found in meat, fish, eggs and dairy products; and beta-carotene, found in red, yellow and orange fruits and vegetables.
Apricots, carrots, sweet potatoes and pumpkin are all good sources of beta-carotene.
Sydney-based naturopath Penelope Sach, author of Natural Woman (Penguin), advises: "Include a raw carrot juice daily for the natural vitamin A content, which helps to regenerate skin cells. "
Foods to tighten and tone
Thanks to New York Times bestselling author Dr Nicholas Perricone, we now know that good skin is a very fishy business.
Fish is not only a good source of the antioxidant co-enzyme Q10 (CoQ10), but an outstanding source of high-quality protein that helps with cellular repair and essential fatty acids (EFAs), which are responsible for healthy cell membranes, he says.
EFAs hold water, so the stronger they are, the plumper and younger your skin looks.
Fish also contains a powerful antioxidant compound called dimethylaminoethanol or DMAE.
"This chemical stimulates nerve function and the muscles to contract and tighten under the skin," says Dr Perricone in The Perricone Prescription (HarperCollins).
"It is a magic bullet for great skin tone, keeping your face firm and contoured."
Sach says: "For radiant skin, eat cold-water fish such as salmon, mackerel or tuna, three times a week."
Other good face firmers are walnuts and flaxseed oil, soya oil, pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds.
Flaxseed oil may also be useful in the treatment of skin conditions such as eczema.
Natural wrinkle fighters
Perhaps your skin's biggest enemies are free radicals, produced by UV rays as well as pollution, stress and even breathing.
These nasties lead to skin inflammation, as well as the degradation of collagen, the support structure for your skin, according to Leslie Baumann, of the dermatology department at the University of Miami in Florida.
But nature has designed some pretty clever foods that, if eaten regularly, act as natural wrinkle fighters.
Start with apricots and tomatoes, rich in lycopene, nature's sunscreen.
For maximum anti-ageing, add a daily bowlful of berries, a glass of red wine or a freshly brewed pot of tea.
In a 2004 study by the veterinary science faculty at the University of Sydney, a potent free-radical scavenger called pycnogenol was found to reduce the amount of inflammatory sunburn in mice.
Pycnogenol can be found in grape seed, grape skin, cranberry, blackcurrant, green tea, black tea, blueberry, blackberry, strawberry, black cherry, red wine and red cabbage.
Still want a stronger defense against free radicals and the surgeon's knife?
Here's a potent free radical-busting combination: vitamin C, vitamin E, glutathione and CoQ10.
A 2002 German study published in the Journal Of Pharmacological And Biophysiological Research found that, together, these antioxidants could reduce inflammation caused by UV rays.
You'll find vitamin E in vegetable oils, nuts and green leafy vegetables, and vitamin C in leafy citrus fruit, berries and green leafy vegetables.
Asparagus is high in glutathione and CoQ10 is found in seafood, spinach and nuts.
Other antioxidant-rich foods are prunes, plums, capsicum, beetroot, parsley, figs, raisins and legumes such as red kidney beans.
And don't forget herbs and spices, an often neglected way to boost antioxidants in the body.
"Herbs and spices contain several natural water-soluble phenolic acids and flavonoids that can protect the body against oxidative stress and inflammation," says Dr Michael Fenech, principal research scientist on the CSIRO's Genome Health and Nutrigenomics Project in Adelaide.
Add cinnamon to your cappuccino, drink tea made of fresh mint or ginger, roast lamb with herbs such as rosemary, sage and thyme, and indulge in turmeric-rich curries.
Try Gourmet Garden's herb tubes if you can't buy fresh.
Out, darn spot
There are two types of spots that detract from youthful skin: age spots and pimples.
And Australasian soils are notoriously short of a trace element called selenium.
This deficiency, along with sun exposure and sugar in the diet, is believed to be a factor in age spots, says Erica Angyal, an Australian nutritionist now based in Tokyo and author of Gorgeous Skin In 30 Days (Lothian Books).
To stop spots, you should not only wear an SPF15+, but eat selenium-rich foods, including garlic, brazil nuts, macadamia nuts and sesame seeds.
A study published in 2003 in the British Journal Of Dermatology also showed that skin was less likely to suffer oxidative damage when selenium levels were high.
Eating garlic, which also contains vitamin C and sulfur, can help banish blemishes.
Zinc is another natural substance that is necessary for good skin. Rich sources of zinc are oysters, ginger root, lamb, pecan nuts and brazil nuts.
Softening up
Extra-virgin olive oil has a high concentration of a monounsaturated fatty acid called oleic acid, one of the most powerful anti-inflammatory foods in existence, says Dr Perricone.
"Oleic acid is a member of the omega 9 family," he says. "It can make the difference between a complexion that resembles a piece of old shoe leather and one that looks and feels like a rose petal."
For younger-looking skin, aim to eat about 20g - or two tablespoons - of good fats a day, including olive oil.
Avocados contain oleic acid, as well as the antioxidants vitamin C and E.
Try having some on toast with lycopene-rich tomatoes, accompanied by a cup of green tea, for a super skin-boosting meal.
For baby-soft skin, avoid dehydrating drinks too, like alcohol and caffeine.
"Try Campari and soda during summer, as this is less dehydrating than wine and champagne," says Sach. Of course, cool, filtered water is great too.
Debloat and depuff
Your capillaries are the pipelines for your skin cells, says Angyal.
"When they are weak, or not working efficiently, your skin cells don't receive all the oxygen and nutrients they need."
This leads to poor elimination and sallow, puffy, prematurely aged or dull skin.
Bioflavonoids in citrus fruits can help to protect your capillaries, as well as support collagen production. So, next time you're at a juice bar, mix pink grapefruit, orange or lemon into your fruit or vegie blend.
END
If you are following the 30 Day Detox Fat Burning Meal Plan, yesterday was your first detox day. Fruit in the morning, veggies in the afternoon and a regular dinner from the list of foods provided. Continue following the plan for the best results. Below is a recipe I make, but I eat it without the tortilla’s (I do eat them occasionally)
Sunday, March 22, 2009
"Hunger hormones"
Today’s RE-Powering information – More evidence linking the importance of sleep to health and weight loss. In a nut shell, lack of sleep increases the hormone Ghrelin (think growlin’) stimulates hunger. The less you sleep, the more ghrelin is produced making you hungrier. See, it’s not in your mind – it’s in your physiology. Sleep more and less ghrelin in produced and you won’t be as hungry during the day. The second finding is that leptin is decreased. Leptin is the hormone that makes you feel full. So if you are not sleeping, you are never satisfied and always hungry. It’s physical and then it becomes emotional as well. As you are exhausted you make more emotional than rational decisions. Then as the habit progresses, the vicious cycle worsens.
The great news is that you can turn it around with sleep. Sleep and lose weight –yes it’s true. Also, you burn the greatest calories from fat while at the lowest intensity levels (sleeping). Now don’t just think you can sleep and skip camp. You burn more calories and more fat calories in camp than you do sleeping, the ratio of fuel being used from fat is just lower.
So enough technical stuff. The bottom line is to get to bed! We are a sleep deprived nation and we’d all feel better if we slept 7+ hours a night.
See the facts below.
"Hunger hormones" ghrelin and leptin affected by poor sleep
Insomnia has long been associated with poor health, including weight gain and even obesity. Now researchers at UCLA have found out why.
In a study to be published in the May issue of the journal Psychoneuroendocrinology and currently available online by subscription, Sarosh Motivala, an assistant professor of psychiatry at the Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior at UCLA, and colleagues looked at two hormones that are primarily responsible for regulating the body's energy balance, telling the body when it is hungry and when it is full. The study found that chronic insomnia disrupts one of these two hormones.
To date, no study has evaluated nocturnal levels of the two hormones, ghrelin and leptin, in primary insomnia patients. Ghrelin, a peptide secreted by the stomach, stimulates appetite and increases before meals. Leptin, which affects body weight and is secreted primarily by fat cells, signals the hypothalamus regarding the degree of fat storage in the body; decreased leptin tells the body there is a calorie shortage and promotes hunger, while increased levels promote energy expenditure.
In the study, researchers compared healthy sleepers with those suffering from chronic insomnia and measured the levels of the two hormones at various times throughout the night. They found that while leptin levels averaged out over the night to be roughly the same between the two groups, levels of ghrelin were 30 percent lower in insomnia sufferers.
On the face of it, a decreased level of ghrelin would seem to inhibit weight gain; it is an increase in ghrelin, after all, that stimulates appetite. But Motivala compared his findings with other, earlier studies on sleep deprivation and speculates that a switch may occur during the day: Sleep loss leads to increased ghrelin and decreased leptin, a "double whammy" that stimulates appetite. Motivala is currently working on a study to examine this switch.
"The current study shows that insomnia patients have a dysregulation in energy balance that could explain why these patients gain weight over time," said Motivala, who is also a member of the Cousins Center for Psychoneuroimmunology at UCLA. "This is an exciting finding because it highlights how diverse behaviors like sleep and eating are connected. We are just beginning to explore the possible consequences of these connections, but it is another example of the importance of a good night's sleep for the body."
For the study, 38 male participants were divided into two groups — 14 insomnia sufferers and 24 healthy subjects. Both groups had similar ages and body weight. Both groups underwent polysomnography sleep studies that monitor brain waves. Circulating levels of ghrelin and leptin were measured at 11 p.m., 2 a.m. and 6 a.m. Ghrelin levels across the night were significantly lower in insomnia patients, while leptin were not significantly different between the two groups.
###
The UCLA Cousins Center for Psychoneuroimmunology encompasses an interdisciplinary network of scientists working to advance the understanding of psychoneuroimmunology by linking basic and clinical research programs and by translating findings into clinical practice. The center is affiliated with the Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior and the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA.
The great news is that you can turn it around with sleep. Sleep and lose weight –yes it’s true. Also, you burn the greatest calories from fat while at the lowest intensity levels (sleeping). Now don’t just think you can sleep and skip camp. You burn more calories and more fat calories in camp than you do sleeping, the ratio of fuel being used from fat is just lower.
So enough technical stuff. The bottom line is to get to bed! We are a sleep deprived nation and we’d all feel better if we slept 7+ hours a night.
See the facts below.
"Hunger hormones" ghrelin and leptin affected by poor sleep
Insomnia has long been associated with poor health, including weight gain and even obesity. Now researchers at UCLA have found out why.
In a study to be published in the May issue of the journal Psychoneuroendocrinology and currently available online by subscription, Sarosh Motivala, an assistant professor of psychiatry at the Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior at UCLA, and colleagues looked at two hormones that are primarily responsible for regulating the body's energy balance, telling the body when it is hungry and when it is full. The study found that chronic insomnia disrupts one of these two hormones.
To date, no study has evaluated nocturnal levels of the two hormones, ghrelin and leptin, in primary insomnia patients. Ghrelin, a peptide secreted by the stomach, stimulates appetite and increases before meals. Leptin, which affects body weight and is secreted primarily by fat cells, signals the hypothalamus regarding the degree of fat storage in the body; decreased leptin tells the body there is a calorie shortage and promotes hunger, while increased levels promote energy expenditure.
In the study, researchers compared healthy sleepers with those suffering from chronic insomnia and measured the levels of the two hormones at various times throughout the night. They found that while leptin levels averaged out over the night to be roughly the same between the two groups, levels of ghrelin were 30 percent lower in insomnia sufferers.
On the face of it, a decreased level of ghrelin would seem to inhibit weight gain; it is an increase in ghrelin, after all, that stimulates appetite. But Motivala compared his findings with other, earlier studies on sleep deprivation and speculates that a switch may occur during the day: Sleep loss leads to increased ghrelin and decreased leptin, a "double whammy" that stimulates appetite. Motivala is currently working on a study to examine this switch.
"The current study shows that insomnia patients have a dysregulation in energy balance that could explain why these patients gain weight over time," said Motivala, who is also a member of the Cousins Center for Psychoneuroimmunology at UCLA. "This is an exciting finding because it highlights how diverse behaviors like sleep and eating are connected. We are just beginning to explore the possible consequences of these connections, but it is another example of the importance of a good night's sleep for the body."
For the study, 38 male participants were divided into two groups — 14 insomnia sufferers and 24 healthy subjects. Both groups had similar ages and body weight. Both groups underwent polysomnography sleep studies that monitor brain waves. Circulating levels of ghrelin and leptin were measured at 11 p.m., 2 a.m. and 6 a.m. Ghrelin levels across the night were significantly lower in insomnia patients, while leptin were not significantly different between the two groups.
###
The UCLA Cousins Center for Psychoneuroimmunology encompasses an interdisciplinary network of scientists working to advance the understanding of psychoneuroimmunology by linking basic and clinical research programs and by translating findings into clinical practice. The center is affiliated with the Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior and the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Alternative Medicine... What you need to know
When I landed in California on Monday, I went straight to a place called Health Walk – www.HealthWalk.com. It’s co-owned by Marilyn Tam who has an incredible story as an abandoned girl in China who rose to be the president of Nike, Reebok and Aveda. I met her at The Compass Premier http://TheCompass.tv/iDevAffiliate/idevaffiliate.php?id=118 . She was one of the 4 story tellers in the movie. Her clinic consists of about 15 unique alternative medicine practices from brain mapping to live blood inspection to heat therapy, light therapy, sound therapy, magnetic therapy, supplementation, cooking school, meteorite therapy, etc.
It was a unique place and I spent almost 5 hours there talking to the scientists and Marilyn. None of what they were doing seemed harmful, in fact I was willing to try most any of it. Lying on a magnetic mattress and having different lights (depending on my mood) glow down on me sounded like the perfect prescription. Lying on an inversion table, in a massage chair or putting my drinking water through a positive ph filter all sounded nourishing to me.
I watched the somewhat busy clinic of people come and go. There was a young autstic boy with ADHD whose mother was raving of his grades improving and his increasing in interaction with adults. There was an aboriginal musician who swears his back pain is gone. A nun said the swelling is gone in her limbs. A couple in their 60’s said their migraines were gone and so on. Again, it all seemed harmless enough.
I am writing to caution you about some of alternative therapies. This particular clinic had expert scientist / doctors running the testing and therapies. I think part of the cure is that you need to believe it’s possible. One of the tests was a brain test that could show trauma that occurred at anytime of your life. I did not do that test, but supposively when they identify the time the trauma happened, they can then go back and do voice, sound, heat, light, etc therapy to remove the trauma from your brain and ultimately rid you of mental and physiological ailments.
I prefer alternative treatments to prescription medications almost at all costs. Speaking of costs, some of these treatments are covered by insurance. Many are less invasive than traditional methods. For example, they use a heat scanner to detect cancer. Not only does it not have the radiation of tests like a mammography, but it can detect abnormal cells, years before a mammography can when there are so few abnormal cells that something can be done about it before cancer spreads. Marilyn testifies that years of mammography radiation will cause cancer.
My point in sharing this is that there are many alternatives out there. I get approached each week with at least a half of a dozen different miracle beverages, supplements and devices. Who ever you are considering working with, investigate it carefully. It’s rare I endorse something other than what I share with you (sleep 7 hours a night, eat real wholesome foods in their most raw natural states, exercise moderately to vigorously most days of the week, drink water (and some teas), minimize stress and if you are toxic, detoxify).
Unfortunately there are some hokey things out there. There are also many things you can do on your own – take a long soak in a hot tub, meditate, find out what supplements your body is lacking and take them, laugh often, give back, go for a walk in the woods or by a lake and so on. We only have one short chance in this body so I want you to be your best every possible moment.
When you need help for something that is ailing you or if you want to take your health to the next level, seek help. The more people I speak to, the more I realize how hard it is to find genuine experts without an agenda who have your best interest at heart.
I am not sure if my short incites were helpful, but if you have something you have been doing, taking or have been presented with that you would like me to evaluate, I would be happy to do so. I know there are only so many dollars to go around so in addition to your valuable resources of time and money, I want to make sure you are getting the best thing for your body. Keep an open mind, but they buyer should also beware. Ask yourself if it is the wisest choice before you make an investment.
Enjoy this fabulous day!
It was a unique place and I spent almost 5 hours there talking to the scientists and Marilyn. None of what they were doing seemed harmful, in fact I was willing to try most any of it. Lying on a magnetic mattress and having different lights (depending on my mood) glow down on me sounded like the perfect prescription. Lying on an inversion table, in a massage chair or putting my drinking water through a positive ph filter all sounded nourishing to me.
I watched the somewhat busy clinic of people come and go. There was a young autstic boy with ADHD whose mother was raving of his grades improving and his increasing in interaction with adults. There was an aboriginal musician who swears his back pain is gone. A nun said the swelling is gone in her limbs. A couple in their 60’s said their migraines were gone and so on. Again, it all seemed harmless enough.
I am writing to caution you about some of alternative therapies. This particular clinic had expert scientist / doctors running the testing and therapies. I think part of the cure is that you need to believe it’s possible. One of the tests was a brain test that could show trauma that occurred at anytime of your life. I did not do that test, but supposively when they identify the time the trauma happened, they can then go back and do voice, sound, heat, light, etc therapy to remove the trauma from your brain and ultimately rid you of mental and physiological ailments.
I prefer alternative treatments to prescription medications almost at all costs. Speaking of costs, some of these treatments are covered by insurance. Many are less invasive than traditional methods. For example, they use a heat scanner to detect cancer. Not only does it not have the radiation of tests like a mammography, but it can detect abnormal cells, years before a mammography can when there are so few abnormal cells that something can be done about it before cancer spreads. Marilyn testifies that years of mammography radiation will cause cancer.
My point in sharing this is that there are many alternatives out there. I get approached each week with at least a half of a dozen different miracle beverages, supplements and devices. Who ever you are considering working with, investigate it carefully. It’s rare I endorse something other than what I share with you (sleep 7 hours a night, eat real wholesome foods in their most raw natural states, exercise moderately to vigorously most days of the week, drink water (and some teas), minimize stress and if you are toxic, detoxify).
Unfortunately there are some hokey things out there. There are also many things you can do on your own – take a long soak in a hot tub, meditate, find out what supplements your body is lacking and take them, laugh often, give back, go for a walk in the woods or by a lake and so on. We only have one short chance in this body so I want you to be your best every possible moment.
When you need help for something that is ailing you or if you want to take your health to the next level, seek help. The more people I speak to, the more I realize how hard it is to find genuine experts without an agenda who have your best interest at heart.
I am not sure if my short incites were helpful, but if you have something you have been doing, taking or have been presented with that you would like me to evaluate, I would be happy to do so. I know there are only so many dollars to go around so in addition to your valuable resources of time and money, I want to make sure you are getting the best thing for your body. Keep an open mind, but they buyer should also beware. Ask yourself if it is the wisest choice before you make an investment.
Enjoy this fabulous day!
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
A landmark week for transforming our health care system
Dr Hyman, Dr Oz, Dr Weil and others are going to the senate to propose functional medicine to them as a health care solution. This can be a step in the right direction.
I especially like the line that says:
We must change not only the WAY we do medicine, but also the medicine we DO. Read Dr Hyman’s article below.
Dear Friends and Colleagues,
This is a landmark week for transforming our health care system.
The Senate is having hearings on transforming health care and integrative and Functional medicine and the National Academy of Sciences is hosting an Institute of Medicine Summit on Integrative Medicine and the Health of the Public http://www.iom.edu/integrativemedicine.
I am also honored to let you know that on Thursday, February 26th between 10 am and 12 pm, I will be testifying on how Functional medicine can help solve our health care crisis before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions at the invitation of Senators Kennedy, Harkin and Mikulski.
You can view this testimony, along with that of Drs. Oz, Ornish and Weil online at:
http://help.senate.gov/Hearings/2009_02_26/2009_02_26.html
I am not clear on whether the hearing will be streamed live or available for viewing afterward, so please check back for the recorded version if it's not streamed live.
Here is some of what I will be sharing with them.
The current medical and scientific paradigm of acute care medicine has been unable to effectively address the epidemic of chronic disease and its associated costs.
There is a new paradigm which addresses the fundamental underlying causes of chronic disease, and can form the basis for a more effective model of medical education, practice, and research that over time will generate dramatic cost savings and improved health outcomes.
There are specific initiatives and strategies based on this new paradigm that can help quickly transform our sick care system into a health care system.
Even if we get everything else right in health care reform, it won't matter unless we address the underlying causes of illness that drive both costs and the development of chronic disease. This innovative approach to chronic disease cannot only prevent but also more effectively TREAT chronic disease.
We must change not only the WAY we do medicine, but also the medicine we DO.
We must improve not only financing and delivery of health care, but also our fundamental scientific approach to chronic disease-an epidemic that now affects 133 million Americans and accounts for 78% of health care costs.
This way of doing medicine, or Functional medicine, is a system of personalized, patient centered care based on how our environment and lifestyle choices act on our genes to create imbalances in our core biologic systems. Those imbalances show up as the signs and symptoms we call disease.
It is best solution for our health care crisis. The solution is not our current acute care model, which though extremely effective for acute disease, leads to worse outcomes and higher costs when applied to chronic disease because it doesn't address WHY people are sick.
This new paradigm is personalized, preventive, participatory, predictive, prospective, and patient centered.
It is proactive rather than reactive.
It is based on addressing the causes of disease and optimizing biologic function in the body's core physiologic systems, not only treating the symptoms.
It based on systems biology or medicine.
That model exists today, and is called Functional Medicine.
****Key Avenues for Change: Recommendations ****
Re-tooling medical education and research to match the science of systems medicine. I recommend the establishment of a sustainably funded Institute for Lifestyle and Systems Medicine/Functional Medicine.
Creation of Functional medicine demonstration projects in federally funded community health centers, with integrated health care teams focusing on treating chronic disease and providing education about lifestyle and wellness
The establishment of a White House and/or Congressional Office for Health and Wellness to coordinate all efforts in this area.
Thanks for all your support and encouragement in this critical time.
If you want to help, please contact your congressman, Senators and the White House to advocate for this type of change and share your stories of how this has impacted you.
We all can change our health care system together!
To your good health,
Mark Hyman, MD
I especially like the line that says:
We must change not only the WAY we do medicine, but also the medicine we DO. Read Dr Hyman’s article below.
Dear Friends and Colleagues,
This is a landmark week for transforming our health care system.
The Senate is having hearings on transforming health care and integrative and Functional medicine and the National Academy of Sciences is hosting an Institute of Medicine Summit on Integrative Medicine and the Health of the Public http://www.iom.edu/integrativemedicine.
I am also honored to let you know that on Thursday, February 26th between 10 am and 12 pm, I will be testifying on how Functional medicine can help solve our health care crisis before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions at the invitation of Senators Kennedy, Harkin and Mikulski.
You can view this testimony, along with that of Drs. Oz, Ornish and Weil online at:
http://help.senate.gov/Hearings/2009_02_26/2009_02_26.html
I am not clear on whether the hearing will be streamed live or available for viewing afterward, so please check back for the recorded version if it's not streamed live.
Here is some of what I will be sharing with them.
The current medical and scientific paradigm of acute care medicine has been unable to effectively address the epidemic of chronic disease and its associated costs.
There is a new paradigm which addresses the fundamental underlying causes of chronic disease, and can form the basis for a more effective model of medical education, practice, and research that over time will generate dramatic cost savings and improved health outcomes.
There are specific initiatives and strategies based on this new paradigm that can help quickly transform our sick care system into a health care system.
Even if we get everything else right in health care reform, it won't matter unless we address the underlying causes of illness that drive both costs and the development of chronic disease. This innovative approach to chronic disease cannot only prevent but also more effectively TREAT chronic disease.
We must change not only the WAY we do medicine, but also the medicine we DO.
We must improve not only financing and delivery of health care, but also our fundamental scientific approach to chronic disease-an epidemic that now affects 133 million Americans and accounts for 78% of health care costs.
This way of doing medicine, or Functional medicine, is a system of personalized, patient centered care based on how our environment and lifestyle choices act on our genes to create imbalances in our core biologic systems. Those imbalances show up as the signs and symptoms we call disease.
It is best solution for our health care crisis. The solution is not our current acute care model, which though extremely effective for acute disease, leads to worse outcomes and higher costs when applied to chronic disease because it doesn't address WHY people are sick.
This new paradigm is personalized, preventive, participatory, predictive, prospective, and patient centered.
It is proactive rather than reactive.
It is based on addressing the causes of disease and optimizing biologic function in the body's core physiologic systems, not only treating the symptoms.
It based on systems biology or medicine.
That model exists today, and is called Functional Medicine.
****Key Avenues for Change: Recommendations ****
Re-tooling medical education and research to match the science of systems medicine. I recommend the establishment of a sustainably funded Institute for Lifestyle and Systems Medicine/Functional Medicine.
Creation of Functional medicine demonstration projects in federally funded community health centers, with integrated health care teams focusing on treating chronic disease and providing education about lifestyle and wellness
The establishment of a White House and/or Congressional Office for Health and Wellness to coordinate all efforts in this area.
Thanks for all your support and encouragement in this critical time.
If you want to help, please contact your congressman, Senators and the White House to advocate for this type of change and share your stories of how this has impacted you.
We all can change our health care system together!
To your good health,
Mark Hyman, MD
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Lifestyle 'doubles stroke risk'
Today’s Re-Powering Information– I know you must say to yourself some days “Kelli, you are preaching to the choir –we know and live this stuff”. And for that I am thankful. Since I believe we all (me included) always have room for improvement, that knowledge is power AND I hope you pass this information on to the ones you care about, I am sharing another article on the effects of lifestyle on health. I can’t drive it home enough.
Before you read this, Lorine reminded me that Lent is about to begin tomorrow. If you observe Lent, it’s a season to prepare for the resurrection of Christ and in doing so, many people abstain from something. That something can be anything you like. Every year my sister in law gives up sweets and her husband gives up wine. Lorine is giving up alcohol. If you observe Lent or not, this is a good time to think about something that may be excessive in your life and giving it up for 40 days. If you would like to let me know what that is or if there is any way I can support you, let me know.
This particular study uses a point system to rate your lifestyle. This is from the BBC News in Brittan.
Lifestyle 'doubles stroke risk'
Drinking and smoking both increase the risk of stroke
Unhealthy lifestyles are associated with more than double the risk of a stroke, a UK study has reported.
Smoking, drinking too much alcohol, not taking enough exercise and eating few vegetables and little fruit contribute to the chances of a stroke, it found.
Just a small proportion of the 20,000 adults studied had healthy enough lifestyles to protect against the condition, researchers said.
Strokes cost the UK £7bn a year, the British Medical Journal article added.
Previous studies have shown that lifestyle behavior, such as smoking and diet, are associated with the risk of heart attacks and stroke, but the impact of a combination of risk factors in apparently healthy people has been less clear.
Even small changes to our lifestyle, such as an improved diet, drinking alcohol in moderation, not smoking and being active, can reduce your risk of stroke
Joanne Murphy
The Stroke Association
In the latest study, led by the University of East Anglia, researchers gave one point for each "healthy behavior" reported by the participants, aged between 40 and 79.
One point was given to those who did not smoke, one point awarded for drinking just one to 14 units of alcohol a week, one point for consuming five portions of fruit and vegetables a day and one point for being physically active.
A significantly higher percentage of women than men scored a maximum of four.
The study found those who scored zero points were 2.3 times more likely to have a stroke in the 11-year follow-up than those with four points.
For every point decrease in the scores, there was an increase in likelihood of stroke, the researchers said.
Some 259 people did not score any points, of whom 15 had a stroke - at a rate of 5.8%.
But the most common score was three - achieved by 7,822 individuals, of whom 186, or 2.4%, had a stroke.
Around 5,000 achieved the healthiest score of four, which was associated with an absolute stroke risk of 1.7%.
Findings 'worrying'
The researchers said the results could provide further support to the idea that small differences in lifestyle affect stroke risk.
Study leader Dr Phyo Myint said: "Over the study period we observed six people for every 100 participants who had no health behaviors suffered a stroke compared to about one to two people for every 100 participants who had four positive health behaviours.
"Together with the substantial existing body of evidence about modifiable behaviours and stroke risk, this may provide further encouragement to make entirely feasible changes which have the potential to have a major impact on stroke."
In an accompanying editorial, Dr Matthew Giles, from the Stroke Prevention Research Unit at John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford, pointed out that the small proportion of participants with a lifestyle that protected against stroke meant a huge shift in behavior would be needed to achieve any benefit.
Joanne Murphy, a spokeswoman for The Stroke Association, said that with obesity levels on the rise, the findings were worrying.
"A stroke is a brain attack, it happens when the blood supply is cut to the brain, it causes brain cells to die and results in brain damage," she said.
"It's the third biggest killer and if it doesn't kill it can leave you severely disabled.
"However, even small changes to our lifestyle factors, such as an improved diet, drinking alcohol in moderation, not smoking and being active, can reduce your risk of stroke."
Professor Alan Maryon-Davis, president of the UK Faculty of Public Health, said: "The message is loud and clear. Just one of these healthy lifestyle changes can make a big difference to your risk of a stroke.
"And each additional change can bring it down even further. Every reason therefore to switch to healthier living, sooner rather than later."
Before you read this, Lorine reminded me that Lent is about to begin tomorrow. If you observe Lent, it’s a season to prepare for the resurrection of Christ and in doing so, many people abstain from something. That something can be anything you like. Every year my sister in law gives up sweets and her husband gives up wine. Lorine is giving up alcohol. If you observe Lent or not, this is a good time to think about something that may be excessive in your life and giving it up for 40 days. If you would like to let me know what that is or if there is any way I can support you, let me know.
This particular study uses a point system to rate your lifestyle. This is from the BBC News in Brittan.
Lifestyle 'doubles stroke risk'
Drinking and smoking both increase the risk of stroke
Unhealthy lifestyles are associated with more than double the risk of a stroke, a UK study has reported.
Smoking, drinking too much alcohol, not taking enough exercise and eating few vegetables and little fruit contribute to the chances of a stroke, it found.
Just a small proportion of the 20,000 adults studied had healthy enough lifestyles to protect against the condition, researchers said.
Strokes cost the UK £7bn a year, the British Medical Journal article added.
Previous studies have shown that lifestyle behavior, such as smoking and diet, are associated with the risk of heart attacks and stroke, but the impact of a combination of risk factors in apparently healthy people has been less clear.
Even small changes to our lifestyle, such as an improved diet, drinking alcohol in moderation, not smoking and being active, can reduce your risk of stroke
Joanne Murphy
The Stroke Association
In the latest study, led by the University of East Anglia, researchers gave one point for each "healthy behavior" reported by the participants, aged between 40 and 79.
One point was given to those who did not smoke, one point awarded for drinking just one to 14 units of alcohol a week, one point for consuming five portions of fruit and vegetables a day and one point for being physically active.
A significantly higher percentage of women than men scored a maximum of four.
The study found those who scored zero points were 2.3 times more likely to have a stroke in the 11-year follow-up than those with four points.
For every point decrease in the scores, there was an increase in likelihood of stroke, the researchers said.
Some 259 people did not score any points, of whom 15 had a stroke - at a rate of 5.8%.
But the most common score was three - achieved by 7,822 individuals, of whom 186, or 2.4%, had a stroke.
Around 5,000 achieved the healthiest score of four, which was associated with an absolute stroke risk of 1.7%.
Findings 'worrying'
The researchers said the results could provide further support to the idea that small differences in lifestyle affect stroke risk.
Study leader Dr Phyo Myint said: "Over the study period we observed six people for every 100 participants who had no health behaviors suffered a stroke compared to about one to two people for every 100 participants who had four positive health behaviours.
"Together with the substantial existing body of evidence about modifiable behaviours and stroke risk, this may provide further encouragement to make entirely feasible changes which have the potential to have a major impact on stroke."
In an accompanying editorial, Dr Matthew Giles, from the Stroke Prevention Research Unit at John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford, pointed out that the small proportion of participants with a lifestyle that protected against stroke meant a huge shift in behavior would be needed to achieve any benefit.
Joanne Murphy, a spokeswoman for The Stroke Association, said that with obesity levels on the rise, the findings were worrying.
"A stroke is a brain attack, it happens when the blood supply is cut to the brain, it causes brain cells to die and results in brain damage," she said.
"It's the third biggest killer and if it doesn't kill it can leave you severely disabled.
"However, even small changes to our lifestyle factors, such as an improved diet, drinking alcohol in moderation, not smoking and being active, can reduce your risk of stroke."
Professor Alan Maryon-Davis, president of the UK Faculty of Public Health, said: "The message is loud and clear. Just one of these healthy lifestyle changes can make a big difference to your risk of a stroke.
"And each additional change can bring it down even further. Every reason therefore to switch to healthier living, sooner rather than later."
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Cereals are 50% Sugar
Today’s Re-Powering Information –Obesity rates and diabetes in our children is on the rise like never before in history. When children start their day out with a cereal that is 50% or more sugar, it sets the tone for the day which includes no nutrition to nourish their bodies and to crave more sugar throughout the day. Read the article below to see how much sugar is in your favorite cereals, the ones we grew up on and the ones we are feeding our kids. In addition to their suggestions I also like Kashi, Mothers, Natures Way, Circadian Farms, Annies and Barbara’s. Breakfast does what it says – breaks the fast and you want to choose a balanced breakfast that is LOW in sugar. Milk also has sugar especially if you use a flavored milk such as vanilla. Soy milk also may have added sugar.
This is from www.Reuters.com
Some cereals more than half sugar: report
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Some breakfast cereals marketed to U.S. children are more than half sugar by weight and many get only fair scores on nutritional value, Consumer Reports said on Wednesday.
A serving of 11 popular cereals, including Kellogg's Honey Smacks, carries as much sugar as a glazed doughnut, the consumer group found.
And some brands have more sugar and sodium when formulated for the U.S. market than the same brands have when sold in other countries.
Post Golden Crisp made by Kraft Foods Inc and Kellogg's Honey Smacks are more than 50 percent sugar by weight, the group said, while nine brands are at least 40 percent sugar.
The most healthful brands are Cheerios with three grams of fiber per serving and one gram of sugar, Kix and Honey Nut Cheerios, all made by General Mills, and Life, made by Pepsico Inc's Quaker Oats unit.
"Be sure to read the product labels, and choose cereals that are high in fiber and low in sugar and sodium," Gayle Williams, deputy editor of Consumer Reports Health, said in a statement.
Honey Smacks has 15 grams of sugar and just one gram of fiber per serving while Kellogg's Corn Pops has 12 grams of sugar and no fiber.
Consumer Reports studied how 91 children aged 6 to 16 poured their cereal and found they served themselves about 50 to 65 percent more on average than the suggested serving size for three of the four tested cereals.
Consumers International, which publishes Consumer Reports, said it would ask the World Health Organization to develop international guidelines restricting advertising and marketing of foods high in sugar, fat or sodium to children.
However, the group noted that breakfast cereal can be a healthful meal and said adults and children alike who eat breakfast have better overall nutrition, fewer weight problems, and better cognitive performance throughout the day.
Kellogg said it was working to make its food more nutritious.
"Kellogg recently reformulated a number of our cereals including Froot Loops, Corn Pops, Rice Krispies, Cocoa Krispies and Apple Jacks in the U.S. with improved nutritional profiles," a company spokeswoman said by e-mail.
"To put Consumer Reports' information in perspective, yogurt contains more sugar and sodium than a serving of Honey Smacks cereal (25 grams of sugar vs. 15 grams of sugar in Honey Smacks)."
Consumer Reports, like other groups, compares the sugar content of food with its fiber, mineral and vitamin content. Many cereals are fortified with vitamins and minerals.
End
Today, take one step to move you closer to where you want to be.
Your friend in fitness,
This is from www.Reuters.com
Some cereals more than half sugar: report
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Some breakfast cereals marketed to U.S. children are more than half sugar by weight and many get only fair scores on nutritional value, Consumer Reports said on Wednesday.
A serving of 11 popular cereals, including Kellogg's Honey Smacks, carries as much sugar as a glazed doughnut, the consumer group found.
And some brands have more sugar and sodium when formulated for the U.S. market than the same brands have when sold in other countries.
Post Golden Crisp made by Kraft Foods Inc and Kellogg's Honey Smacks are more than 50 percent sugar by weight, the group said, while nine brands are at least 40 percent sugar.
The most healthful brands are Cheerios with three grams of fiber per serving and one gram of sugar, Kix and Honey Nut Cheerios, all made by General Mills, and Life, made by Pepsico Inc's Quaker Oats unit.
"Be sure to read the product labels, and choose cereals that are high in fiber and low in sugar and sodium," Gayle Williams, deputy editor of Consumer Reports Health, said in a statement.
Honey Smacks has 15 grams of sugar and just one gram of fiber per serving while Kellogg's Corn Pops has 12 grams of sugar and no fiber.
Consumer Reports studied how 91 children aged 6 to 16 poured their cereal and found they served themselves about 50 to 65 percent more on average than the suggested serving size for three of the four tested cereals.
Consumers International, which publishes Consumer Reports, said it would ask the World Health Organization to develop international guidelines restricting advertising and marketing of foods high in sugar, fat or sodium to children.
However, the group noted that breakfast cereal can be a healthful meal and said adults and children alike who eat breakfast have better overall nutrition, fewer weight problems, and better cognitive performance throughout the day.
Kellogg said it was working to make its food more nutritious.
"Kellogg recently reformulated a number of our cereals including Froot Loops, Corn Pops, Rice Krispies, Cocoa Krispies and Apple Jacks in the U.S. with improved nutritional profiles," a company spokeswoman said by e-mail.
"To put Consumer Reports' information in perspective, yogurt contains more sugar and sodium than a serving of Honey Smacks cereal (25 grams of sugar vs. 15 grams of sugar in Honey Smacks)."
Consumer Reports, like other groups, compares the sugar content of food with its fiber, mineral and vitamin content. Many cereals are fortified with vitamins and minerals.
End
Today, take one step to move you closer to where you want to be.
Your friend in fitness,
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)