nutrition
PositiveTip for
Diet and Lifestyle Change Can Significantly Affect Genes
Posted by Galen Bosley on
Good and bad genes can be influenced by what you eat and how you live.
A study was conducted to determine whether a pure vegetarian diet, exercise and stress management could modify the progression of prostate cancer. After one year, those following the program showed significant improvements in weight, abdominal obesity, blood pressure and blood fats. The research found that over 500 genes changed function -- some were turned "on" and others turned "off" in favor of controlling the cancer. We all have bad genes and are exposed to cancer-causing agents, but our lifestyle and diet can determine whether those genes are activated.
PositiveTip: Are you helping to turn "off" cancer genes by choosing a vegetarian diet and exercise to lower your risk of cancer?
PositiveTip for
Blood Pressure and those Sugary Drinks
Posted by Fred Hardinge on
Sugar-laden beverages may raise blood pressure.
Sugar-sweetened sodas and fruit juice may increase blood pressure according to British researchers who looked at 2,696 U.S. and U.K. participants. For each additional sugary beverage per day systolic blood pressure rose 1.6 mmHg and diastolic by 0.8 mmHg (p<0.001 for both). Perhaps these "empty calories" are displacing calories from the nutrient dense foods like fruits, vegetables and whole grains. More research is needed.
PositiveTip: None of us really need sugar-sweetened beverages for health. Drink plain water instead of that calorie dense beverage, and eat another serving of delicious fruit.
The Importance of Family Meals: Nutritional Quality
Posted by Gary Hopkins on
This is the third blog in a series exploring the benefits of eating meals together as a family.
A report from the University of Florida says that one of the real benefits of family meals is the opportunity for conversation that it brings (see the last post in this series). The report goes on to reveal that eating together as a family is also associated with better nutritional quality of food eaten. Here is what they say:
Buying Good Food without Breaking the Bank
Posted by Fred Hardinge on
Jacob, one of the Old Testament Bible characters, lived through seven years of famine in Egypt. When he was old he wrote, "God...fed me all my life long..." (Genesis 48:15) Today, in the current economic crunch, we can trust Him to feed us, too.
However, He does expect us to use judgment and restraint in not only the foods we choose, but in how and where we purchase them. The following guide will help you eat well without needing to own the grocery store!
Expert Advice to Survive Cancer
Posted by Fred Hardinge on
Do you have cancer?
Do you know someone that does? Have you or someone you know survived cancer? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you need to read on!
The American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) has released an educational DVD called "Food for the Fight, Guidelines for Healthy Nutrition During and After Cancer Treatment". It is full of practical dietary strategies to help survivors remain healthy during treatment and prevent recurrence of their cancer.
PositiveTip for
What is in the Food I Eat?
Posted by Fred Hardinge on
Easy and fun tools to discover what is in the food you eat.
Ever wondered what is in the food you eat? You don't have to find a nutritionist, or even look in a big fat textbook, to discover a wide range of food composition knowledge. All this and more is easily available on the web--for free! The United States Department of Agriculture hosts What's In Food, where you can find a host of resources to help you discover the nutrients found in individual foods and calculate the same for recipes. You can even find the composition in selected fast foods by brand. Wondering how much sugar is in beverages? There is a resource for that. MyFood-a-pedia is an easy to use searchable database of one food with the ability to compare with two items.
Bravo to the Institute of Medicine for New School Meal Guidelines
Posted by Fred Hardinge on
In the United States. many children receive up to one-half their daily calories from meals served at school. Everyday, millions of children get free or low-cost food through the National School Lunch Program or the School Breakfast Program.
To be reimbursed from the federal government, school meals must meet specific nutritional standards. Currently those standards are rather loose, allowing questionable quality meals for our young people. They certainly deserve much better!
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) asked the Institute of Medicine (IOM) to evaluate current policies and to make recommendations for improvements. This report, School Meals: Building Blocks for Healthy Children is now available. The IOM deserves commendation for the following important changes:
Preventing Cancer: Is Progress Being Made?--2
Posted by Fred Hardinge on
As promised in the last post, I will share with you more of my impressions of the 2009 American Institute for Cancer Research's Conference on Food, Nutrition, Physical Activity and Cancer in Washington, DC a couple of weeks ago:
Aging:
Preventing Cancer: Is Progress Being Made?
Posted by Fred Hardinge on
My head is spinning this evening! Not because I am dizzy, but because all day I have been attending the 2009 American Institute for Cancer Research's Conference on Food, Nutrition, Physical Activity and Cancer in Washington, DC. It is really amazing how much is known about risk factors, genetics, treatment, and prevention of this dread disease! Here are a few "headlines" from my notes of today.
Colorectal Cancer:
PositiveTip for
Nutritional Quality of Organic Foods
Posted by Fred Hardinge on
Organically grown produce not found to be nutritionally superior to conventionally grown.
The perception among many consumers today is that organically grown produce is nutritionally superior, and more healthy for you, than conventionally grown products. A new study published late last month sheds some important light on this sometimes heated topic. Researchers at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine reviewed the findings of 162 scientific papers published over the past 50 years on this topic and concluded "there is currently no evidence to support the selection of organically over conventionally produced foods on the basis of nutritional superority."