Posts filed under 'Diet and Nutrition'
Dr Arch G. Mainous III of the Medical University of South Carolina and colleagues point out that iron and lipids combine to create oxidative stress.
As oxidative stress is thought to play a role in the development of cancer, they decided to assess whether people with high iron status had increased risk of cancer.
Writing in the 15 June issue of the American Journal of Epidemiology (vol 161, issue 12, pp1115-22), the team reports that raised iron increased the likelihood of developing cancer by 66 per cent, and high VLDL cholesterol increased the risk by 54 per cent.
But combining elevated iron with elevated VLDL increased the risk of cancer by 168 per cent, they said.
Their results were derived from 3278 subjects in the Framingham Offspring Study who had elevated iron and lipid levels. All participants were at least 30 years old when they enrolled in the study. They were followed up for development of cancer at least 14 years later.
“These findings support the hypothesis that iron-mediated oxidation of cholesterol increases oxidative stress, which can lead to cancer formation,” Mainous and colleagues conclude.
High iron plus low HDL or ‘good’ cholesterol also increased the risk of cancer to a similar degree.
If the finding is confirmed, it could suggest that consumers need to consider their cholesterol levels before taking iron supplements.
Earlier this year, the same team showed that people with elevated levels of serum transferrin saturation - an indicator of iron overload - who also consume high levels of dietary iron had an increased risk of cancer and cancer mortality.
The researchers have called into question the strategy of the addition of iron to food by manufacturers.
July 1st, 2005
Restaurant portion sizes are huge—about 2 to 3 times larger than the food labels list as a serving. Even well-trained nutrition professionals tend to underestimate the amount of fat and calories in restaurant foods.
Food is abundant in the United States. There are 3,800 calories available in the food supply for each person each day. However, the average American (over the age of 4) needs about 2,350 calories per day.
Food advertisements promote mostly foods high in calories, fat, or sugar. Only 2% of food advertising is for fruits, vegetables, grains, and beans, combined.
Food advertisements subtly (and not so subtly) encourage overeating and eating when you aren’t hungry. For example, one ad from Quaker advises parents to feed their children chewy granola bars to keep them quiet. The text reads, “Kids talking too much? Give ’em a Chewy. Chewy stops the chatter.” Other familiar lines brought to you by the food industry include, “don’t just stand there—eat something,” and “once you pop…you can’t stop.”
Modern conveniences like remote controls, elevators, car washes, washing machines, leaf blowers, and drive-through windows at fast-food restaurants all mean less physical activity. The Dallas Morning News tallied up the number of calories a person could burn if he replaced several “convenient” activities, such as driving through a “drive-through” window, with their more active counterparts, such as walking into the store. Together, they added up to 8,800 calories worth of missed physical activity opportunities each month, or the amount of activity needed to burn off 2.5 pounds of fat.
Americans are not getting the basic nutrition education they need to maintain a healthy diet and healthy weight. Funding for nutrition education pales in comparison to what the food industry spends advertising unhealthy foods. Federal funding to promote nutrition and physical activity also lags far behind funding to prevent tobacco use.
Physical education (PE) in schools, which gives kids a chance to be physically active and teaches them the skills they need for a lifetime of physical activity, is declining. Only a quarter of high school students participate in daily PE, down from 42% in 1991. In fact, half of high school students are not enrolled in PE at all.
Given all the forces working against Americans’ attempts to maintain a healthy diet and weight, the government needs to do more than just cross its fingers and hope that the obesity problem goes away. To start, Congress and the Administration should increase the budget of the CDC’s Division of Nutrition and Physical Activity. They also should increase funding for the 5 A Day program, to more strongly promote fruit and vegetable intake to all Americans.
Education must be supported by policy changes that make it easier for people to eat better and be active. No one policy will solve the problem. However, a combination of policy approaches would help.
July 1st, 2005
How can a special diet help?
A special diet can help to control the buildup of waste products and fluid in your blood and to decrease the workload of your kidneys. This diet may also help to slow down the loss of kidney function. The main goal of the diet is to keep you healthy. Your doctor may recommend a special diet, depending on the stage of your disease. If and when this diet is ordered for you, your doctor may want you to see a renal dietitian, who has special training in diet for kidney disease.
What is the Kidney Disease diet like?
In general, the diet used for the early stages of kidney disease controls the amount of protein and phosphorus you eat. Usually, sodium is also controlled. Getting enough calories to maintain a healthy weight is very important at this time. The following information tells you where these nutrients are found in foods.
What about phosphorus?
Your kidneys may not be able to remove phosphorus from your blood. This causes the level of phosphorus in your blood to become too high. A high blood phosphorus level may cause you to lose calcium from your bones. This may weaken your bones and cause them to break easily.
To help control the phosphorus in your blood, you should eat fewer foods that are high in phosphorus. Phosphorus is found in many foods but is especially high in the following foods:
* dairy products such as milk, cheese, pudding, yogurt and ice cream
* dried beans and peas such as kidney beans, split peas and lentils
* nuts and peanut butter
* beverages such as cocoa, beer and cola soft drinks
Using non-dairy creamers and recommended milk substitutes instead of milk is a good way to lower the amount of phosphorus you eat.
What about sodium?
You may need to limit the amount of sodium in your diet. This is because high blood pressure, kidney disease and sodium are often related. Learning to read labels can help you make lower sodium choices. Sodium is found in many foods, but is especially high in the following:
* table salt and foods with added salt such as snack foods, soups and processed cheese
* some canned foods, prepared foods and “fast foods”
* foods pickled in brine such as pickles, olives and sauerkraut
* smoked and cured foods such as ham, bacon and luncheon meats
What about calories?
Calories give you energy. Because you are getting fewer calories from protein, you will need to get more calories from other foods. Your dietitian may recommend that you get these extra calories from sugar and vegetable fats to help you get the right amount of calories.
Avoid losing too much weight because it can cause malnutrition and lead to illness.
Some ways to increase calories are as follows:
* Increase unsaturated fats such as vegetable oils (made with corn, cottonseed, safflower, soybean or sunflower oils), olive oil and mayonnaise type salad dressings.
* Use sugar or sweets such as hard candy, gum drops, jelly beans, marshmallows, honey, jam and jelly.
* Use canned or frozen fruits in heavy syrup.
If you are diabetic or overweight, talk with your renal dietitian about the best way for you to get the right amount of calories for your needs.
July 1st, 2005
Vegetarian parents should give their children a variety of foods that provide enough calories and nutrients to enable them to grow normally. The majority of pediatric experts say a lacto-ovo vegetarian diet (eating dairy products and eggs, but no meat) is a healthy choice for most children (although allergists suggest not introducing eggs until after 1 year of age).
Offering young children a diet filled with a variety of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains helps them to learn healthy eating habits that may last for a lifetime. And a diet rich in fruits and veggies will be high in fiber and low in fat, factors known to improve cardiovascular health by reducing blood cholesterol and maintaining a healthy weight.
However, kids and teens on a vegetarian diet may need to be careful that they get an adequate amount of certain vitamins and minerals. Here are nutrients that vegetarians should make sure they get, and some of the food sources in which they can be found:
* vitamin B12: dairy products, eggs, and vitamin-fortified products, such as cereals, breads, and soy and rice drinks
* vitamin D: dairy products, calcium-fortified orange juice, and vitamin-fortified products
* calcium: dairy products, dark green leafy vegetables, broccoli, chickpeas, and calcium-fortified products, including orange juice, soy and rice drinks, and cereals
* protein: dairy products, eggs, tofu, dried beans, and nuts
* iron: eggs, dried beans, dried fruits, whole grains, leafy green vegetables, and iron-fortified cereals and bread
* zinc: wheat germ, nuts, fortified cereal, and legumes
Depending on the type of vegetarian diet chosen, kids may miss out on some of these important nutrients if the diet isn’t monitored by the parents. The less restrictive the vegetarian diet, the easier it will be for your child to get enough protein and necessary nutrients.
July 1st, 2005
Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis is most common in older people but can also occur in young and middle-aged adults. Optimizing peak bone mass and developing lifelong healthy bone behaviors during youth are important ways to prevent or minimize osteoporosis risk as an adult.
Keeping your Kids’ Bones Healthy
The same healthy habits that keep your kids going–and growing–will also benefit their bones. One of the best ways to encourage healthy habits in your children is to be a good role model yourself. Believe it or not, your kids are watching, and your habits–both good and bad–have a strong influence on theirs.
What are the two most important lifelong bone health habits to encourage now? Proper nutrition and plenty of physical activity.
Eating for healthy bones means getting plenty of foods rich in calcium and vitamin D. Most kids get enough vitamin D from sunlight (or from foods like egg yolks or fortified milk), but most do not get enough calcium in their diets. Younger kids (ages 2-8) are more likely to get adequate calcium, but among older kids (ages 9-19), only 19 percent of girls and 52 percent of boys get enough calcium to ensure optimal peak bone mass. Are your kids getting enough calcium?
Calcium is found in many foods, but the most common source is milk and other dairy products. Drinking one 8-oz glass of milk provides 300 milligrams (mg) of calcium, which is about one-third of the recommended intake for younger children and about one-fourth of the recommended intake for teens. In addition, milk supplies other minerals and vitamins needed by the body. The chart on the next page lists the calcium content for several high-calcium foods and beverages. Your kids need several servings of these foods each day to meet their need for calcium.
What to do if your children do not like milk
Drinking milk isn’t the only way to enjoy its benefits. For example, try making soup and oatmeal or other hot cereals with milk instead of water. Pour milk over cold cereal for breakfast or a snack. Incorporate milk into a fruit smoothie or milkshake. Chocolate milk and cocoa made with milk are also ways to increase the milk in your child’s diet.
Sources of calcium also might include an ounce or two of cheese on pizza or a cheeseburger, a cup of calcium-enriched orange juice, or a small carton of yogurt. Your kids can also get calcium from dark green, leafy vegetables like kale or bok choy, or foods such as broccoli, almonds, tortillas, or tofu made with calcium. Many popular foods–cereals, breads, juices–now have calcium added, too.
July 1st, 2005
1. Involve your children in meal preparation. By allowing your preschooler to take part in meal preparation, you may help increase your child’s interest in a new or unfamiliar food.
2. Include at least one of your child’s preferred foods. Offer a choice of foods. The meal should have at least one food that you know the child will select and eat.
3. Offer foods with a variety of colors and textures. This will create interest and increase the number of foods your child will accept.
4. Use child-size food portions. One way to consider portion sizes is to have one tablespoon of each type of food for each year of the child’s age.
5. Play it safe with foods that cause choking. Round cuts of hot dogs, cherries, grapes, carrot chunks, tortilla chips, peanut butter, or nuts may cause a child to choke. Simply cut hot dogs into four pieces lengthwise; cook and mash carrots; cut grapes and cherries into fourths. Don’t serve peanut butter by the spoonfuls, combine it with other food items such as jelly or diced canned peaches to improve consistency. Nuts and chips should be cut finely or crushed.
6. Expect and tolerate child-like table manners. Let a child be a child. Show children your own good table manners. Children are always learning from your examples.
7. A comfortable eating environment is important at mealtime. Select chairs, tables, dishes and silverware suitable in structure and size for the preschooler.
Providing a routine such as washing hands and talking about how the foods offered during the meal fit into the food guide pyramid help a child get ready to eat. Do not expect a young child to sit still at meals; yet some reduction in activity is desirable. A child may be excused from the table if finished or disinterested in eating.
8. Serve meals and snacks on a consistent schedule. Try to schedule meals before your child becomes overly hungry, tired or irritable. Most children require planned nutritious snacks to safeguard an adequate intake of nutrients and calories.
9. Offer a variety of healthy foods and children will eat what they need. Remain calm if your child leaves a portion of an entire meal untouched.
10. Mealtime is a good family time and a time to teach nutrition by example.
11. Good eating habits that preschoolers learn from their parents and caregivers can develop into lifelong patterns.
July 1st, 2005
Children’s basic nutrition needs are very similar to those of other family members, although amounts of food needed differ because of age. Offer your child a variety of foods from the basic food groups:
* Breads, cereals, rice and pasta
* Vegetables
* Fruits
* Milk, yogurt and cheese
* Meats, poultry, fish, dry beans and peas, eggs, and nuts
It is important to offer a variety of foods within each food group. For example, in the fruit group, it is better to eat an orange, a half a grapefruit, and a kiwi over a three-day period rather than eating three oranges. Over time, young children will take in adequate nutrients when offered a wide variety of healthy foods.
Different nutrients are needed for different functions in the body. Protein is needed for growth. Most of the protein in the diet is supplied by milk, meat, fish, poultry, eggs, cheese and dry beans and peas. Calcium is needed for strong bones and teeth. Dietary calcium is primarily found in milk and milk products such as cheese and yogurt and to a lesser extent in leafy green vegetables. Iron is an important mineral that comes from meat, poultry, fish, eggs, green leafy vegetables and iron-fortified breads and cereals. Iron from cereal will be absorbed better when served with a food rich in vitamin C. Citrus fruits and their juices and dark green or yellow vegetables are good sources of vitamin C and vitamin A.
Water is needed to regulate body functions in young children. As a percentage of body weight, children have more water in their bodies than adults. Children can become dehydrated more quickly than adults. Offer water to your young child several times during the day.
Fat is a necessary nutrient in a child’s diet. It helps to provide extra calories and needed nutrients for active and growing children. No fat restriction should be applied to children below the age of 2 because their fast growth requires a high percentage of calories from fat. The following pattern is recommended by the American Heart Association for children over the age of 2: Saturated fatty acids – less than 10 percent of total calories; total fat – an average of no more than 30 percent of total calories; dietary cholesterol – less than 300 milligrams per day. Each of these numbers refer to an average of nutrient intake over several days. You can help your child (2 and older) develop beneficial low-fat dietary habits by offering items such as reduced fat milk, non-fat yogurt and lean meats.
Sugary foods provide few nutrients and should be limited. Chewy, sticky, sugary foods may promote tooth decay if left on the teeth. Children should be taught to properly brush their teeth daily to help reduce tooth decay.
July 1st, 2005
How to Stay on Top of Your Nutrition When Visiting the Folks
Most of us come from families who are nutritionally challenged. It doesn’t matter how many hours our loved ones have spent watching the latest diet gurus talk about their nutritional programs on the daytime talk shows. Try to explain to them why you are determined to keep off your weight by making healthy food choices for life and suddenly you will be faced with puzzled looks.
Without exception, one of the things most of us fear most are our trips back to see Mom and Dad after we have finally managed to slim down. In our imagination, it’s analogous to an alcoholic walking into a bar—temptation all around. Chocolate brownies, fried chicken, lasagna, pecan pie, pork chops and black-eyed peas in gravy—the list of mortal dreads goes on and on.
Without exception, we are convinced that within five minutes of walking through the door to our parents’ house, we will have gained back all our weight. Just thinking about it can give us nightmares.
Once you have made good nutritional habits a practice and conquered many of your former food foibles such as the need to eat chocolate every day or the desire to imbibe fried chicken on a regular basis, you are stronger and wiser than you think. Here are some strategies to calm your fears and put meals at mom and dad’s house into a realistic perspective.
Remember, you only have to deal with it one meal at a time.
The Blasted Cookie Cupboard
Any time we visit our families we know we will be faced with some of the delicious temptations we remember from our youth. Perhaps when you were a child, your mom and grandma always had a cookie cupboard. And when you were very good, you always got to go into the cookie cupboard and have as many chocolate chip cookies as you wanted. So, you are dreading going home because you know that the blasted cookie cupboard will still be there waiting for you. And that it will be a test of willpower to see if you can control how many cookies you eat.
Dessert: The Ultimate Female Bonding Ritual
Or perhaps in the past you, your mother, and your sister always planned your trips home around the desserts you were going to share together. Maybe in your family, eating sweets is a major social event entwined with pleasure, comfort, good conversations, laughter, and fun.
When you go home, your womenfolk still expect you to make the rounds of the tearooms, bakeries, and cheesecake factories with them. Or maybe this time it’s going to be your birthday, which means that they are going to make your special cake, homemade angel food with 14 egg whites and mounds of high-calorie icing made with lemon juice, butter, and confectioner’s sugar. Perhaps you are wondering, “How am I going to survive all this?”
Food and Love
It is easy to see a pattern here: Food = love?
Yes, food and love are certainly intertwined in many families. It’s not just sugar that we dread when we go to visit the folks, but Mom’s Saturday night meatloaf and gravy, Grandma’s deep-fried fish, or Aunt Rosie’s 900-calorie, triple-cheese lasagna, which used to be our favorite food when we were kids.
When we leave our home turf and go visit the family, there is an unspoken pressure to eat the way we did when we were children. We may have broken out of our old food patterns, but our parents and family members are still nutritionally challenged, following the food programs they were raised with because that’s all they know.
The first thing you need to understand is that it is best not to be too judgmental. Try to understand that your loved ones are doing the best they can. They are feeding you because they love you.
You Have Got Three Choices
- Refuse to eat the foods your loved ones prepare for you and lecture your family about their poor eating habits.
- You can eat these foods and then feel guilty and rotten about yourself.
- Or you can simply accept that there is love behind these food choices, and that there is a time and a place to just enjoy foods for the taste. It’s not a good idea to eat desserts often, but you can eat them sometimes. You might avoid fried chicken like the plague when you are on our own turf, but it’s not going to kill you to eat it once at your parents’ house. That’s because you probably won’t eat it again for another six months.
What Makes the Difference Nutritionally?
The reason you can allow yourself to enjoy these foods is that there is a BIG difference in your life now. You have become nutritionally wise and your improved health, higher energy levels, more even moods, and leaner body bear witness to this wisdom. You have to understand that these unhealthy foods used to be the rule in your life. Now they are the exception to the rule, and you are eating them only in moderation. You have finally attached the right labels to your foods. You can recognize that lemon icing on that birthday cake or those chocolate chip cookies for what they are: a fun, joyous exception that you do not eat very often.
And remember this valuable tip: if your foods are a little to the left of healthy, just make sure that your water intake is always high so that you can effectively mobilize whatever calories you are eating. Water is one of your best allies in any eating situation because it will help keep your metabolism functioning on all four cylinders so that it can efficiently burn fat.
Consistency Is Key
No matter what kind of challenges you face when visiting the family or eating outside of your own turf, the key is to remember not to give up your basic food program. If you eat the right type and amount of nutritious foods as consistently as possible, your body will not hoard fat. You will be giving it what it needs to stay efficiently fueled most of the time.
Control the things you can, but don’t stress out about the things you can’t. If the mashed potatoes already have butter on them, don’t add gravy. If the baked potato doesn’t have butter and someone is passing you the butter dish, pass it on. Do what you can with what you have got, knowing that the situation is only temporary. But don’t allow that meal so much power that it will ruin a special occasion with family and friends.
Remember: You are much more powerful than that fried chicken, chocolate cake, or pasta slathered with butter and cheese.
June 25th, 2005
New Dietary Guidelines: Eat Less, Move More
In its newly released five-year update of dietary guidelines for Americans, the government, as expected, endorsed healthy foods, smaller portions and physical activity. A Duke University Medical Center dietitian said the new recommendations also emphasize disease prevention more than ever.
The 2005 dietary guidelines, issued in January, are not radically different from previous recommendations, said Marilyn Sparling, a registered dietitian at Duke. She said what is new in the latest guidelines is a much greater emphasis on preventing disease.
“Because there’s more urgency with risk for the chronic diseases we’re facing in society today - whether it’s diabetes, hypertension, or being overweight or obese - they really did a lot of work going back for the scientific basis and underpinnings of the guidelines,” Sparling said. “I think this is the first time this message has played a significant role in determining the recommendations, not only for promoting health but for reducing the risk of chronic disease. There’s good scientific evidence for all these basic recommendations.”
There is even greater stress on physical activity in the new guidelines, said Starling.
“For maintaining good health, you’re fine with 30 minutes most days of the week. However, to lose weight or prevent weight gain, you’re going to need 60 to 90 minutes most days. We can’t get away from it. Since almost two-thirds of Americans are overweight or obese, this is a serious matter. And they’re not only saying that regular physical activity is important, you also have to balance it with your calorie intake.”
Sparling noted that the new guidelines emphasize substituting nutrient-dense foods for calorie-dense foods.
“For example, there’s clear advice about eating fruits themselves, instead of juice, as well as the importance of whole grains and vegetables and other high-fiber foods,” she added.
“What’s missing from these guidelines is a focus on sugars by themselves. They’re included in a category called, ‘healthy carbohydrates.’ There is, however, attention given to the amount of added sugars, that is, sugars put in during processing.”
Sparling said the new guidelines also recommend limiting our intake of sodium, saturated fat, trans fat and alcohol.
One welcome improvement, she said, is the clear terminology used for serving sizes. The use of common, everyday measures, such as a cup, will be more meaningful to most Americans than the more confusing ‘portions’ of earlier guidelines.
The bottom line, said Sparling, is that we need to eat less and move more.
“Regular exercise and physical activity, most days of the week, is incredibly important. Being active and cutting back a little on your usual portion size across the board is extremely beneficial to overall health. That’s where I think a dietitian can help: how do we implement these guidelines realistically into your individual lifestyle?”
June 25th, 2005
Why it’s good to eat more fruit and vegetables each day, and how to do it.
If you’re not eating at least two pieces of fruit and five servings of vegetables each day, now’s the time to start. Although there’s no single ‘miracle’ food to prevent or cure cancer, scientists know fruit and vegetables have some protective effect against this and other diseases. They also know that people who eat few fruits and vegetables have higher rates of cancer than those who don’t. Although some people think they can get the same benefits from vitamin and mineral supplements, this isn’t true. Vegetables and fruits don’t just contain vitamins and minerals, but also many other substances which are important for good health and which you won’t find in a pill.
Australia has such a variety of fruit and vegetables available that it’s not hard to fit plenty of them into the family’s diet. Here are some ideas
Add fruit at breakfast. Bananas, kiwi fruit, strawberries or dried fruit combine well with breakfast cereal. In a hurry? A piece of fruit with bread, toast or cooked rice makes a good quick breakfast - so do smoothies or milkshakes, made by adding soft fruit to milk and yoghurt in a blender.
Be adventurous. It’s easy to get into a rut, buying the same vegetables and cooking them in the same ways. But experiment with vegetables you’ve never eaten before - or use familiar vegetables in unfamiliar ways. Try a little mashed avocado instead of butter or margarine as a spread on bread - it has less fat and more nutrients, as well as more flavour. We’re all familiar with grated carrot, but have you tried grating other vegetables like zucchini, beetroot or red cabbage and adding them to salads or sandwiches, or tried baking beetroot or sweet potatoes in their skins?
Add extra vegetables to salads, soups, stir-fries, casseroles and curries.
Many traditional cuisines base dishes on vegetables with just a little meat, poultry or fish - this is a good habit to keep. Remember that the more different colours you have on your plate, the healthier the meal. Bright colours in natural foods like tomatoes, capsicums, carrots, sweet potatoes and green vegetables mean they contain antioxidants - food substances that help prevent disease. The deeper the colour, the healthier the food.
Get children into the habit of snacking on fruit. The earlier you start, the easier it is to get them used to eating fruit as a snack at home or at school, rather than eating something from a packet. It’s a good habit that will help them grow up healthy. Try and have a variety of different fruits so they don’t get bored with the same thing. Make fruit salad with a variety of different fruits for dessert - again, the more colours you can combine, the better. In warmer weather, fruits like grapes or peeled bananas taste great when frozen.
Let children help prepare fruit and vegetables. It’s all part of learning to enjoy these foods - and a first step in learning how to cook.
Share a piece of fruit. Children who might baulk at eating a whole apple, will often happily eat a piece if you cut it up and share it. It’s a good strategy to use with the men in the family too - research into food habits has found that many men are more likely to eat fruit if it’s cut up.
The next time you think time is too short to eat properly, remember that fruit and vegetables can be among the most convenient foods around. Fruits like bananas, apples, pears, or mandarins are easy to carry and need no preparation, and you can cook most vegetables in just a few minutes if you steam, stir fry or microwave them.
June 25th, 2005
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