Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Gluten-Free Blog
"Her blog is a lively mix of recipes and life experiences...[She] is clearly a woman who loves the path she's on, and she writes with intelligence, passion, and humor."
- The Seattle Times
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Burgers, Fries, Diet Soda: Metabolic Syndrome Blue-plate Special
Burgers, Fries, Diet Soda: Metabolic Syndrome Blue-plate Special
ScienceDaily (Jan. 24, 2008) — Otherwise-healthy adults who eat two or more servings of meat a day -- the equivalent of two burger patties -- increase their risk of developing metabolic syndrome by 25 percent compared with those who eat meat twice a week, according to research published in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.
Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of cardiovascular disease and diabetes risk factors including elevated waist circumference, high blood pressure, elevated triglycerides, low levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL or "good") cholesterol and high fasting glucose levels. The presence of three or more of the factors increases a person's risk of developing diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
But it's not just meat that adds inches to the waist, increases blood pressure and lowers HDL -- "it's fried foods as well," said Lyn M. Steffen, Ph.D., M.P.H., R.D., co-author of the study and an associate professor of epidemiology at the University of Minnesota.
Dairy products, by contrast, appeared to offer some protection against metabolic syndrome.
Steffen said that, "Fried foods are typically synonymous with commonly eaten fast foods, so I think it is safe to say that these findings support a link between fast-food consumption and an increase in metabolic risk factors."
The findings emerged from an analysis of dietary intake by 9,514 participants in the Atherosclerosis Risk In Communities (ARIC) study. ARIC is a collaborative study funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.
Unlike other researchers who have investigated relationships between nutrients and cardiovascular risk, "we specifically studied food intake. When making recommendations about dietary intake it is easier to do so using the framework of real foods eaten by real people," Steffen said.
Researchers assessed food intake using a 66-item food frequency questionnaire. From those responses, they categorized people by their dietary preferences into a Western-pattern diet or a prudent-pattern diet.
In general, the Western-pattern diet was heavy on refined grains, processed meat, fried foods, red meat, eggs and soda, and light on fish, fruit, vegetables and whole grain products.
Prudent diet eating patterns, by contrast, favored cruciferous vegetables (e.g., cabbage, radish and broccoli), carotenoid vegetables (e.g., carrots, pumpkins, red pepper, cabbage, broccoli and spinach), fruit, fish and seafood, poultry and whole grains, along with low-fat dairy.
Researchers also assessed associations with individual food items: fried foods, sweetened beverages (regular soda and fruit drinks), diet soda, nuts and coffee.
After nine years of follow-up, 3,782 (nearly 40 percent) of the participants had three or more of the risk factors for metabolic syndrome.
At baseline, participants were 45 to 64 years old -- ages at which many people gain weight.
Steffen said that weight gain over the years of follow-up might explain some of the cases of metabolic syndrome. But "after adjusting for demographic factors, smoking, physical activity and energy intake, consumption of a 'Western' dietary pattern was adversely associated with metabolic syndrome," she said.
"One surprising finding was while it didn't increase the risk of metabolic syndrome, there was no evidence of a beneficial effect of consuming a prudent diet either. I had expected to find a beneficial effect because we have seen that in other studies."
When Steffen and colleagues analyzed the results by specific foods, they found that meat, fried foods and diet soda were all significantly associated with increased risk of metabolic syndrome, but consumption of dairy products was beneficial.
The study did not address the mechanisms involved in the increased risk of metabolic syndrome seen with certain foods, but Steffen speculated that "it may be a fatty acid mechanism since saturated fats are a common link and certainly overweight and obesity are contributing to the development of metabolic syndrome." She also said more research on the relationship between diet soda and its association to metabolic syndrome is needed.
The fact that 60.5 percent of the ARIC population had metabolic syndrome at the start of the study or developed it during nine years of follow-up is troubling, researchers said.
Steffen said the study's results are clear: Too much meat, fried foods and diet soda, do not add up to a healthy life.
American Heart Association dietary guidelines for healthy Americans age 2 and older include:
* Limit saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol and sodium in the diet.
* Minimize the intake of food and beverages with added sugars.
* Eat a diet rich in vegetables, fruits and whole-grain foods.
* Select fat-free and low-fat dairy.
* Eat fish at least twice per week.
* Emphasize physical activity and weight control.
* Avoid use of and exposure to tobacco products.
* Achieve and maintain healthy cholesterol, blood pressure and blood glucose levels.
(Article emphases added by J. Davies)
Co-authors are Pamela L. Lutsey, M.P.H., and June Stevens, Ph.D., M.S., R.D.
Adapted from materials provided by American Heart Association, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.
American Heart Association (2008, January 24). Burgers, Fries, Diet Soda: Metabolic Syndrome Blue-plate Special. ScienceDaily. Retrieved January 24, 2008, from http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080122165624.htm
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Nutrients in Broccoli May Help Protect the Heart
Do we really need more evidence to confirm the health benefits of broccoli? Apparently so, not sure the rats appreciate their role in the study, though. Be Well! Janis
Broccoli Good for the Heart , Say Scientists Studying Rats By Miranda HittiWebMD Medical News
Jan. 18, 2008 -- Here's another reason to eat broccoli: It may help your heart.
University of Connecticut researchers report that news after studying broccoli and heart health in rats.
The scientists brewed a broccoli extract and fed it to rats for a month in addition to regular rat chow. For comparison, they fed other rats water instead of the broccoli extract in addition to their regular diet.
After feeding the rats broccoli extract or extra water for 30 days, the scientists tested the rats' hearts. Some of those tests deprived the heart of oxygen, similar to a heart attack.
The rats that had eaten the broccoli extract had three heart advantages over the other rats:
- Better blood-pumping ability
- Less heart damage during oxygen deprivation
- Higher levels of heart-health chemicals during oxygen deprivation
Broccoli's key nutrients include selenium and sulforaphane, which may also curb cancer, note graduate student Subhendu Mukherjee and Dipak Das, PhD.
Their findings appear in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.
Monday, January 14, 2008
Chico Events: Snow Goose Festival, Jan 25-27
With the estimated overall population of Snow Geese exceeding 5 million, as many as one and a half million use the Pacific Flyway. Tens of thousands of these will winter right here in our own backyard. So it is with these things in mind that we once again invite you to come and rediscover this magnificent spectacle of nature at the 9th Annual Snow Goose Festival.
No time to join yourself? Enjoy this peaceful, 2-minute Snow Goose Festival multimedia presentation of photography and piano music at SacBee.com
Draft Program Brochure in pdf format
Registration
Field Trips Available
Sunday, January 13, 2008
Grief can lead to health woes if not addressed
I often appreciate Dr. Wilkes inside take on the medical community's blessings and faults in his Inside Medicine column of the Sacramento Bee newspaper. Here is a portion of today's article on complicated grief and the health issues it can lead to. He strongly recommends the medical community sit up and take notice of the risks for recently bereaved individuals to become ill, and to take advantage of the appropriative support services, perhaps even before things get out of hand. In our community these services include bereavement workshops and one-on-one counseling with trained volunteers with Sierra Hospice (530-258-3412); as well as bereavement & health information counseling with myself, Janis Davies, Cert. Whole Health Educator (530-258-0377, #2). One can also seek local services from Plumas County Mental Health, or Kathleen Hughes, LCSW (530-596-4857).
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Inside Medicine: Grief can lead to health woes if not addressed
By Dr. Michael Wilkes -
Published 12:00 am PST Sunday, January 13, 2008
Is bereavement – a profound sadness – a disease? While it probably is not, the death of a spouse ranks as one of life's most stressful events.
Research has shown that the period following the loss of a significant loved one is associated with premature death, the onset of other illnesses, intense suffering and a high use of doctor's services.
Such physical and mental ailments are by no means universal, and studies suggest that profound grief reactions (such as suicide) are more common among certain groups based on risk factors.
(The author goes on to list these risk factors.)Perhaps we need to think about "preventive bereavement" – an attempt by the medical community to reach out early to those at risk for serious reaction to grief.
I do not mean to suggest that all bereavement requires medical attention, because it does not. Grief is a normal reaction after a profound loss. But when bereavement becomes severe, or there is reason to worry that a person is at high risk for mental or physical deterioration, then physicians, social workers, hospice workers, clergy, counselors and even an occasional prescription drug can help ease the suffering.
For doctors, the message is that the loss of a loved one should raise a red flag that there may be a need for close follow-up.
For patients, remember that you don't need to go this alone. Doctors can help you find well-trained experts who can help. (See the resources noted above.)
Go to: Sacbee / Back to story - complete article here
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