Archive for October, 2006
“Exercise by itself is not going to be an effective weight-loss strategy for an individual. You really need to combine exercise with better nutrition,” says Dr. Kelly Shaw of the Department of Health and Human Services in Tasmania, Australia, main author of a new study that looked at 43 exercise clinical trials. The report states that people can lose some weight with exercise alone, but that physical activity in conjuction with healthy eating is optimal for substantial and lasting weight loss. Check out the article in Reuters Health.
October 30th, 2006
A recent analysis of 16 clinical trials has led researchers to assert that taking vitamin supplements and antioxidants, such as selenium, vitamins C and E, does not prevent cardiovascular disease, as was once thought.
Dr. Eliseo Guallar, an associate professor of epidemiology at Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, noted however that the nutrients found in foods and the large vitamin doses found in pills are essentially different. According to the article in Reuters Health, Guallar says that the best way to prevent heart disease is to “to maintain a generally healthy lifestyle, which includes not smoking, getting regular exercise and eating a balanced diet rich in fruits, vegetables and whole grains.”
October 27th, 2006
We have all heard that a healthy diet includes foods rich in whole grains, but sometimes we opt for refined grains simply because we do not have time to read food labels at the supermarket.
Now, to help us quickly identify whole grain products, the American Heart Association has devleoped a distinctive red and white heart-check mark. Look for its symbol along with the words “Meets American Heart Association food criteria for saturated fat, cholesterol and whole grains for healthy people over age 2.” According to the AHA’s website “this simple logo means the food has at least 51 percent whole grains by weight, meets minimum daily dietary fiber content criteria and is low in saturated fat and dietary cholesterol.”
While all types of grains are low fat and good sources of complex carbohydrates and some vitamins, whole grains (that is, unrefined) are even better for you. Whole grains are better sources of fiber and other key nutrients, such as selenium, potassium and magnesium. Diets rich in whole grain foods also have been associated with a decreased risk of cardiovascular disease.
October 25th, 2006
The USDA’s MyPyramid, the healthy eating tool which replaces the outdated and flawed Food Guide Pyramid, has been criticized for being too confusing at best and void of information to help people make informed choices about their diet at worst.
As an alternative to the USDA’s pyramid, faculty members in the Harvard School of Public Health built the Healthy Eating Pyramid. According to its website, “The Healthy Eating Pyramid takes into consideration, and puts into perspective, the wealth of research conducted during the last ten years that has reshaped the definition of healthy eating. This new pyramid fixes fundamental flaws in the USDA pyramid and offers sound information to help people make better choices about what to eat.” The pyramid’s base is comprised of daily exercise and weight control, two key elements for good health.
October 22nd, 2006
HealthDay reports Dr. Boris Mraovic saying “The take-home message is that all patients should get their bood sugar under control before undergoing elective surgery.”
Why? It’s the clots. High blood sugar, like that of a type 2 diabetic, is associated with a high incidence of pulmonary embolism. The doctors found that these clots formed in over 10% of their patients who were diabetic, but only 1.7% of others.
Get the blood sugar under control before you have that knee worked on.
October 18th, 2006
A recent study found that people who closely followed a “Mediterranean” diet, which is rich in fruits, vegetables, olive oil, legumes, cereals and fish, had a significantly lower risk for Alzheimer’s disease. “It seems that this diet is [health] protective,” said lead researcher Dr. Nikolaos Scarmeas, an assistant professor of neurology at Columbia University Medical Center in New York. See the full article in HealthDay News.
October 16th, 2006
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