Omega Imbalance: Know Your Fats!

PARIS (AFP) – Overeating combined with the wrong mix of fats in one's diet can cause obesity to be carried over from one generation to the next, researchers in France reported Friday.  Omega-6 and omega-3, both polyunsaturated fatty acids, are each critical to good health.

But too much of the first and not enough of the second can lead to overweight offspring, the scientists showed in experiments with mice designed to mirror recent shifts in human diet.  Over the last four decades, the ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 in a typical Western diet has shifted from a healthy five-to-one to 15-to-one in much of Europe, and up to 40-to-one in the United States.  In the breast milk of American women, the average ratio has gone from six-to-one to 18-to-one.

Earlier studies have established a link between such imbalances and heart disease. But "this is the first time that we have shown a trans-generational increase in obesity" linked to omega intake, said Gerard Ailhaud, a biochemist at the University of Nice-Sophia Antipolis and main architect of the study.  "Omega six is like a fat-producing bomb," he told AFP by phone. Experts differ on whether obesity is more importantly due to the percentage of fat in one's diet or the sheer amount of calories consumed.

The findings, published in the US-based Journal of Lipid Research, add yet another dimension to the debate, and could shed new light on the obesity epidemic that has swept across the globe, mainly in rich nations.

They also suggest that persistence within families of health-threatening weight gain -- while not genetic in origin -- may not be entirely due to environmental factors either. The link between omega imbalance and obesity "is probably epigenetic," said Ailhaud, referring to the complex process whereby the information in genes is translated into chemical activity. "The genome and the DNA of the rodents has not been modified, but these factors can influence the way in which certain genes are expressed."

In the experiments, four generations of mice were fed a 35-percent fat diet with the omega imbalance now found in much of the developed world.  The result was progressively fatter mice at birth, generation after generation.  The rodents also developed insulin-resistance, a telltale symptom for diabetes 2, one of the most common -- and debilitating -- consequences of obesity in humans.  The equally undesirable increase in omega-6 and drop in omega-3 can be partly explained by the change from grass-fed to grain-fed livestock, Ailhaud explained.  Grass is rich in omega-3. "But to increase productivity, feed was shifted to grain meal, especially corn, which contains a high concentration of omega-6," he said.  Adding a small quantity of flaxseed oil to animal feed could help restore a healthy omega balance in meat and daily products, he added. 

There are three types of fatty acids -- saturated fats, monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats.

In France, health authorities recommend that fat intake should between 30 and 40 percent of calories consumed, while the US Food and Drug Administration suggests a range of 20-to-30 percent.  Both governments agree that most of that intake should be from polyunsaturated and monosaturated fats such as fish, nuts and vegetable oils rather than the saturated fats found in red meat and dairy products.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20100716/hl_afp/healthobesitydiabetesfat

Quick & Healthy Dinner Recipes!

While perusing the internet for some quick, easy, and healthy dinner recipes, I stumbled across The Knot's AWESOME recipe book.  It allows you to sort recipes by main ingredient, cooking time, and type of meal.  It's filled with pictures to accompany the recipes, and the website offers a LOT of variety.  Looking for healthy Fourth of July recipes, or just a fun snack for the weekend?  Check it out - you won't regret it!

http://www.thenest.com/Recipes/Healthy/results.aspx?type=7&recipe_type=Healthy

Here's one of my favorite hummus recipes:

Ingredients
2 small garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped
1 mild red chilli, deseeded and roughly chopped
14 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
Handful fresh flat-leaf parsley or coriander (cilantro), roughly chopped
juice of 1/2 lemon
Freshly ground black pepper


Preparation
1.) Put the garlic, chilli, chickpeas and 1–2 tablespoons olive oil in a food processor and whiz until completely smooth – this may take several minutes. Add the herbs and a squeeze of lemon juice and whiz again until well blended. Taste and add more lemon juice and olive oil, as needed, plus some black pepper.
2.) Spoon into a serving bowl and drizzle over a little more oil, then cover and chill in the fridge until ready to serve.


From The Secret Ingredient by Sally Bee, copyright 2010 Sterling Publishing Co.

Eat Healthier in 2010!

New Year’s Eve means getting together with family and friends to share wishes for happiness, good health and prosperity in the upcoming year. It is also a time to reflect on the past and, here we go again, make resolutions for the future.

Some of the most popular resolutions are to lose weight, pay off debt, save money, get a better job, get in shape, eat better (no more eggnog until next year), go back to school, quit drinking or smoking, reduce stress and spend more time with family. Some resolutions seem to repeat themselves year after year.

If eating better/healthier is on your resolution list, then here are some healthy tips that may help jump-start your New Year and new you.

Eat a heart-healthy diet that is delicious and varied and rich in vegetables and fruits, whole grains, high-fiber foods, lean meats and poultry, fish at least twice a week, legumes and fat-free or 1 percent fat dairy products.

Cut back on food that contains a lot of fat, salt and sugar. Foods like lettuce, spinach, zucchini and melons contain a high percentage of water. More water means fewer calories for the same weight of food. Buy low- or reduced-sodium food items such as chicken broth, soy sauce and canned vegetables. Rinse canned veggies and beans before using. Cut added salt in half or leave it out completely in your meals. Instead of salt, use a squeeze of fresh lemon or lime juice or a splash of vinegar.

Eat more colorful fruits and dark colored vegetables. Add a variety of whole grains, such as whole wheat bread, brown rice and oats to your diet. Too often entire meals are planned around the meat entrée you are serving. Instead, choose one or two vegetables (or fruits) as the stars and plan a creative presentation around them.

Add a small portion of a starch, such as rice or potatoes, and red meat, chicken or fish to complete the meal.Read labels for a healthy heart. Make reading food labels a habit. This will help you choose foods more wisely.  Healthy eating is a lifestyle, not a diet. It means making changes you can live with and can enjoy for the rest of your life.

Eating healthy does not have to take a lot of time. You can prepare a healthy meal just as quickly as an unhealthy one. It is just a matter of planning, having the right foods on hand, and learning how to cook quick, healthy meals.

Source: http://www.sunherald.com/food/story/1845219.html

2010 Goals: Being Healthy

By Donald M. Petersen Jr., BS, HCD(hc), FICC(h), Publisher

As the health care debate rages, the spotlight is beginning to shine on some of the real culprits behind our soaring health care costs: poor lifestyle habits. An alarmingly large percentage of this country's health care expenditures is directly attributable to the way we Americans live.

Our eating habits are largely out of control, tobacco use is actually increasing, and exercise is something too many adults haven't taken seriously since they were in high school. Add in high levels of stress, lack of sleep, and alcohol and drug use, and you have the obscene health care costs we face today.

Even our politicians (who are at times the last ones to recognize the obvious) are responding to the carnage these culprits are creating. Consider that Congress is considering taxing sodas and other high-calorie drinks. They see this as not only a way to compensate for the negative impact these beverages have on our health care costs, but also as a financial motivation to decrease their purchase/consumption. Consider these alarming facts regarding our nation's poor health habits:

• More than one in four (26.1 percent) of U.S. adults are obese as of 2008, and that number is climbing.
• Obesity-related hospitalization costs for children nearly doubled from 1999 to 2005, growing to almost $238 million a year.
• More than 1,000 U.S. youths begin a regular smoking habit every day.
• There are more than 440,000 tobacco-related U.S. deaths each year and tobacco use equates to $96 billion in annual US Medical expenditures.
• Americans are now overeating at such a level of excess that exercise has little or no impact on their increasing weight.

All of the above are patient conversations waiting to happen with mom, dad and the whole family. Assuming your patients are fairly average in terms of their health habits (and thus likely to participate in one or more of the above unhealthy habits), you should be talking to almost every one of them about how those poor habits are impacting their health and quality of life. This is a perfect starting point for explaining wellness and how regular chiropractic care fits into a healthy lifestyle that will reap benefits for as long as they live.

Patients are looking for answers. They are surfing the web, talking to friends, and even asking the teenager that stocks the vitamin shelves at their favorite store. Shouldn't chiropractic doctors be their source for all things health-related? Hopefully your doctor is a living example of a healthy lifestyle.

Health is a major focus in our world and it isn't likely to change anytime soon. People want to know how chiropractic care can impact all aspects of their health. They need to know about diet, nutrition, exercise, etc.

If I sound like a person obsessed with the issue of leading a wellness lifestyle, it's because I truly believe it's the only way to live. My father and grandfather were both doctors of chiropractic - but they didn't live what they knew about wellness. They both died much earlier than they should have. I made a conscious choice when I was much younger to live what my father taught. I only wish he had done the same.

Quality of life is based upon health and wellness. Chiropractic is essential for health and wellness. Like my father and grandfather, you have the answers to health and wellness questions. Share them with your patients every opportunity you get.

Source: http://www.dynamicchiropractic.com/mpacms/dc/article.php?id=54336

Protecting Your Body During the Holidays

The International Chiropractors Association (ICA) and the Connecticut Chiropractic Council (CCC) offer several suggestions and tips to help protect your back and general health, particularly over the upcoming holidays.

How and what we eat is always important, says Dr. Luigi DeRubba, President of the ICA. But, the upcoming holidays and their traditional practices of overeating and eating too much unhealthy food are of special concern to today's chiropractors. DeRubba says that "a bulging stomach can put pressure on your body's support systems, including your spine and spinal nerves. Every extra pound in the abdominal region could put 10 pounds more stress on the lower back. Heavy eating during the holidays may lead to weight gain, and carrying extra pounds can put added strain on the supporting structures of the spine and nervous system."

DiRubba explains that extra weight can bring about a shift in the pelvis and torso. This causes a change in spinal balance, which leads to spinal misalignments and malfunctioning in the entire body.

In terms of eating and weight gain, DiRubba suggests a few simple things: eat more fresh fruits and vegetables and less red meat, bread, pasta, chips and fats/oils. It also goes without saying that eating even healthy food should be done in moderation. In her online article, "Exercise Away Holiday Stress," dietitian Sarah Flash says that eating fruits, vegetables and whole grains actually helps protect your body against the harmful affects of stress. She recommends including broccoli, tomatoes, carrots, spinach, greens, peppers, sweet potatoes, cantaloupe, pumpkin, apricots and soy when planning holiday meals. She also suggests keeping fruits and vegetables readily accessible when traveling.

Both DiRubba and Flash say that, instead of flopping on the couch or taking a nap after eating that holiday dinner, take a walk or participate in physical activities that can include the entire family. A 15-30 minute walk will ease stomach discomfort and burn some of the extra calories, as well as help relieve stress.

The holiday season, particularly those days between Thanksgiving and Christmas, also find more people visiting their chiropractors because of stresses and strains that come with the season. The ICA and the CCC suggest the following:

Be aware of how you lift things like heavy packages, an armload of firewood or that frozen turkey. It's so easy to just bend over and pick up something too heavy. Lifting with your legs instead of your back, as well as keeping heavy items close to your body as you lift, may save you a trip to the chiropractor and certainly will minimize the chances of injury.

If you're doing the cooking and standing for extended periods of time, use a foot rest, stack of books or pieces of wood to elevate one foot about six inches above the floor. This will relieve tired leg and back muscles. When you use a foot rest and alternate each foot, it also helps to improve your posture.

Traveling and being out of your routine adds stress of its own. Plenty of rest, packing light and allowing extra time will go a long ways in minimizing the stress on both body and mind. If you must carry bags, be aware of carrying too much in bags with shoulder straps that pull your body out of alignment or put a heavy load on your shoulders.

Sitting for long periods of time, whether in a plane or traveling by auto, can put unnecessary pressure on the discs in your back and on your spine. A small pillow or folded towel placed behind the small of your back will help maintain the arch in your lower back and support the rest of the body.

Avoid Processed Foods: Tips For a Healthy Life

By Nataliya Schetchikova, PhD

The Endocrine Society recently alerted the public and the health care community about the possible health threat posed by endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) abundant in the environment, food and consumer products.  The statement presented strong evidence that exposure to synthetic chemicals can lead to adverse reproductive outcomes, including infertility and cancer—and “mounting evidence for effects on other endocrine systems, including thyroid, neuroendocrine, obesity and metabolism, and insulin and glucose homeostasis.”

Numerous research studies have linked chemicals with an increased risk of chronic diseases. Pesticides in particular have been associated with leukemia in children, prostate and breast cancers, and allergic rhinitis and respiratory conditions. The degree of risk depends on many factors, among them the age of the person, as well as the dosage and length of exposure. The risk is especially great in people who get exposed to chemicals occupationally—such as farmers and agricultural workers.

But even for the regular consumer, there is no escaping chemicals—and food presents a significant source of exposure, says Sarah Reilly, a certified holistic nutritionist practicing in California. “Yearly, 800 million pounds of pesticides are used in agriculture—it’s three pounds a person,” she says. “When we are eating a chemically grown strawberry, we get exposed to at least eight different pesticides, which produce a synergistic effect on the body, exponentially multiplying toxicity.”

“Evidence shows that we get exposed to many chemicals on a daily basis, which leads to deleterious effects on health,” says Andrew Chernaik, MD, a hospitalist practicing in the Denver area. “Exposure to additives, preservatives and pesticides over time can lead to cancer, cardiovascular disease and Alzheimer’s. It can also affect fetuses in pregnant women and babies through breast-feeding, leading to birth defects, as well as affect fertility.”

While some are looking for harder evidence that chemicals are indeed harmful, others prefer to use a more common-sense approach to health. “The American food supply contains a lot of foods that aren’t used in other countries. Other governments ban chemicals from foods because they haven’t been proven safe; in the United States, we allow them because they haven’t been proven dangerous,” says Robyn O’Brien, MBA, author of The Unhealthy Truth: How Our Food Is Making Us Sick and What We Can Do About It. “According to the Cancer Society, the United States has the highest levels of cancer in the world. If you moved here from another country, like Japan, your risk of cancer increases four-fold,” she adds.

A Word About Plants

The main principle in decreasing the effect of carcinogenic chemicals on health is consuming a plant-based diet, which is rich in antioxidants, says Dr. Chernaik. “Animal proteins facilitate integration of carcinogens into our own DNA. Plant foods can help minimize the effect,” he explains.

Traditionally, practitioners have advocated organically grown foods as a way to reduce exposure to agricultural pesticides. While the advice is still valid, “now they are finding antibiotics and hormones in organic produce fertilized with the manure of commercially raised animals,” says Juanee Surprise, DC, DAAPM, FAAIM, DCBCN, secretary of the Chiropractic Board of Clinical Nutrition.

For patients who “don’t have the luxury to eat all organic,” Reilly recommends checking www.foodnews.org for a list of most pesticide-contaminated foods, compiled by the Environmental Working Group based on data from tests collected by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Dr. Chernaik agrees that it’s more important to buy some foods from organic sources than others. “Organic bananas can be about 40 percent more expensive, but because of the banana peel, you don’t get as much benefit as from eating organic tomatoes, potatoes, kale, apples or pears,” he says.

It’s also important to consume foods that support the liver—the detox center of the body, says Reilly. She recommends avocado, leafy greens and “liver-loving” bitter foods, such as mustard and dandelion greens, basil, cilantro, artichokes, asparagus and kale. Vitamin C is also beneficial for both reducing the oxidative stress and improving the liver function, she adds.

Avoiding Processed Products

Another major source of dietary exposure to chemicals is packaged, processed products. And although it may be hard to find the list of ingredients, especially in cosmetics, it’s important to read labels on products, says Dr. Surprise. “If you see a long ingredient name that requires you to have a PhD in chemistry to pronounce it, or abbreviations such as MSG or BHT, put the product back on the shelf,” she adds.

O’Brien agrees. “Buy fresh bread from the store to avoid high-fructose corn syrup and other chemicals. Our grandmothers didn’t cook with jars of Yellow 5 or acids we can’t pronounce.”  To stay away from processed foods, Cynthia Drasler, a chemical-free-living expert, an international radio show host and a former pharmaceutical researcher, recommends “shopping around the periphery of the grocery store.” “Shelves on the inside contain all the processed foods,” she explains.

Draser also warns about genetically modified ingredients, which are not labeled as such. She explains that while genetically modified foods haven’t been proven dangerous, they haven’t been proven safe either—and points out that a large supply of soy and corn in the United States is genetically modified.

Baby Steps

For patients who have relied on processed foods for years, it may be easier to take small steps to reducing exposure to chemicals. “You don’t have to grow your own organic vegetable garden to minimize your risk,” says O’Brien, founder of AllergyKids (www.allergykids.com), an organization designed to protect American children with autism, allergies, ADHD and asthma.

O’Brien, whose book presents many simple steps for freeing the diet from chemicals, recommends:

• Removing synthetic hormones from foods, such as buying RBGh-free milk.

• Reducing exposure to food coloring, which is synthetically derived and petroleum-based. “First switch from blue yogurt to white yogurt with sprinkles on top. It’s not perfect, but does a good job.”

• Instead of buying pre-packaged pizza, engage kids in making mini-pizzas—putting tomato sauce and cheese on top of an English muffin.

For O’Brien, whose youngest daughter’s allergy drastically improved on a chemical-free diet, the inconvenience of changing family habits is a fair price to pay for better health. “My goal is to feed my children the way mothers around the world have,” she says.

Source: http://www.acatoday.org/content_css.cfm?CID=3680