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September 2007 - Posts
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For anyone that lives in the city, you know that getting away from the hustle sometimes can be rejuvenating. The people, the traffic, the fast-paced way of life, they all add stress to our lives. So I am headed to the country this weekend to get some fresh air and rest and relaxation.
This weekend, my friends and I are venturing out. We did some research and found that there are tons of ‘pick your own’ orchards just 10 minutes from DC. Depending on the orchard, you can pick apples, peaches, berries and other vegetables.
When I was a kid, my family used to take us to Blake’s Big Apple Orchard about 20 minutes away from our house. I remember rows and rows of apple trees and they had a huge red barn with a white apple painted on the side. My sister and I used to challenge each other to see who could fill up our bag first. I’m not sure who won. And after running around and picking apples for what seemed like hours, my parents would buy us each a piece of pie and fresh apple cider.
Remembering all the good times, I am really excited to head out of DC and go to an orchard. This weekend is supposed to be a perfect 75 degrees and sunny. Going fruit-picking will be an excellent way to get some exercise and enjoy the outdoors. I might even challenge one of my friends to see who can fill up the bag first.
So no matter where you live, step out this weekend and spend the last days of summers outdoors.
Justin - A Lumen
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The American Heart Association recommends a dietary pattern that keeps intake of trans fats and saturated fats as low as possible (with less than 10 percent of daily calories coming from trans fats and saturated fats combined). Both of these are associated with an increased risk of heart disease. Trans fat is worse than saturated fat since it raises the bad cholesterol (LDL) and also lowers the good cholesterol (HDL) – saturated fat only raises the bad cholesterol.
As of January 1, 2006, the Nutrition Facts Labels on packaged food products were required by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to list how many grams of trans fatty acid (trans fat) are contained within one serving of the product. The heart healthy recommendation involves eating a diet without trans fat. It is important to note that food labels are allowed to put 0 grams of trans fat if the product contains less than .5 grams of trans fat per serving. So you could purchase a food that you thought had zero grams of trans fat, but still could be getting them in your diet. To make sure you are not getting trans fat, look at the ingredient list. Be on watch for hydrogenated oils or partially hydrogenated oils and this will tell you if the product has trans fats.
Trans fats are a specific type of fat formed when liquid oils are chemically processed into solid fats, like shortening and hard margarine (see label below). They are typically found in baked goods, microwave popcorn, peanut butter, and other processed foods. Choose products listed as trans fat free and buy all natural peanut butter (see label below) to avoid trans fat.
Also, trans fats and saturated fats can be lurking in places that do not require labeling, like restaurants and cafeterias. There continues to be a push to work on expanding consumer access to this nutrition information in all of these locations so consumers can make healthy decisions when eating out.
Next week I will discuss what to look for in the diet to improve heart health.
 
Rebecca
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I love the title of Chapter 7- Life is Too Short for Fast Food. In this chapter, Dr. Bob gets to the heart of healthy eating, what it means exactly and how to achieve good health through our food choices. And, as you might guess from the title, not many of them have to do with fast food ! Dr. Bob describes healthy eating as "the Mediterranean Diet", or the "Informed Choice Plan", which includes colorful fruits and vegetables, fish, whole grains and monosaturated and polyunsanturated oils. Specifically, the following amounts are recommended: - 5 to 7 servings of fruits and vegetables per day
- 2 servings of whole grains per day
- Nuts and legumes (beans) at least twice per week
- Fish two times per week
- Limited portions, and nutritionally redeeming (non processed) foods
I especially liked the encouraging advice that small, gradual changes over time can really add up to a some major benefits over one's life. Making small changes over time doesn't seem as overwhelming as changing one's entire way of eating! How difficult do you all think it is to follow these guidelines ?
Chapter 8 discusses alcohol- defining what "a drink" is, and how much drinking is considered moderate. I found it interesting that moderate drinking seems to provide more health benefits than non drinking or drinking too much. Dr. Bob defines moderate drinking as 3 to 14 drinks per week- more than that can lead to problems. However, consuming moderate amounts of alcohol can reduce blood clotting, blood pressure, and improves HDL cholesterol. So, enjoy your glass of red wine with your Mediterranean dinner, and your health will benefit!
Next week, we'll wrap up the book club and discuss the final chapters, 9 and 10. Enjoy! Dell - a Lumen
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Ignite is hosting our 3rd free online Live Chat with registered dietitian and certified personal trainer, Rebecca Mohning -- Tuesday, September 25 at 12:00 noon ET. The topic of this Live Chat is How to Sustain a Fitness Program Long-Term.
Join us at noon and ask any of your fitness questions live online -- like How can I make a fitness program a permanent part of my routine? You can even just join to see what others are asking and the advice she's sharing.
To participate in the Live Chat, visit Ignite on Tuesday, September 25 at 12:00 noon ET and sign in. Then, on the home page, click on the orange Live Chat button (top right corner).
You could WIN a free one-hour phone consultation with Rebecca! Every Ignite user who posts a comment or question during the Live Chat will be entered into a Sweepstakes Drawing for a free one-hour private phone consultation with Rebecca (official rules attached). She can provide personalized advice on your fitness routine, diet, lifestyle and other fitness challenges.
See you at the Live Chat!
Kerry (a Lumen)
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I don’t know about you, but I had a busy week. Work has been crazy and every night I’ve had errands to run and engagements to attend. Well, it’s finally Friday and the weekend has arrived.
This weekend I wanted to do something different and I found just the activity. While looking in the local newspaper, I discovered a class that I’m going to take. It’s at this place called the Torpedo Factory Art Center in Alexandria, VA. They offer all different types of art classes like painting and drawing, but the one I want to take is called ‘Jump Start in Ceramics”. I’ve never worked with ceramics much (beside the ashtray I made in 7th grade) and it should be fun. I'm always looking to meet new people and I've heard that taking a class totally unrelated to work as a stress reliever
The neat thing about the class it’s only 2.5 hours long. So I don’t have to invest a lot of time – especially if pottery isn’t my thing. And it’s relatively inexpensive, it only costs about $35. So if it’s not for me, then I can find something else to do.
I bet if you looked you could find an art class in your area. Try drawing, pottery, or underwater basketweaving - you'll learn a new skill and have some fun.
Justin – A Lumen
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Last week I discussed eating for the prevention of diabetes. This week I am covering the nutrition guidelines for eating with diabetes.
If you have diabetes, diet plays a key role in controlling blood sugar. You probably already know the cornerstones of a diabetes diet — moderate portions of healthy foods and regular mealtimes. Now, the guidelines from the American Diabetes Association can help you make even better choices about what you eat.
The main challenge of the diabetes diet is learning how to incorporate carbohydrates into the daily intake. Carbohydrates are the body's main energy source. During digestion, sugars (simple carbohydrates) and starches (complex carbohydrates) break down into blood sugar. About half of your daily calories should come from carbohydrates. Focus on the healthiest carbohydrates:
· Fruits
· Vegetables
· Whole grains
· Legumes (beans, peas and lentils)
· Low-fat dairy products
To help control your blood sugar level, eat about the same amount of carbohydrates every day, spaced throughout the day. If you eat more or less carbohydrates than usual at a given meal or from day to day, your blood sugar level may fluctuate.
Be sure to choose fiber-rich foods – these foods involve either insoluble or soluble fiber. Dietary fiber includes all parts of plant foods that your body can't digest or absorb. High fiber food choices slowly raise blood glucose levels and therefore are better for diabetics. High fiber foods should have at least 3 grams of fiber per serving.
Lastly, remember the importance of portion control, too. Although carbs are an essential part of your diet, they're easy to overdo. Read food labels (see sample label below) to determine serving sizes and use them. To discourage overeating, skip second helpings and share restaurant meals.
Rebecca
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In chapter 5, Dr. Bob talks about the benefits of exercise, and the risks associated with a sedentary lifestyle. One statistic that really surprised me was the fact that 40% of Americans are considered "inactive", meaning they get almost no physical exercise and can only touch their knees when they bend over. Another 50% of Americans get some activity, while only 10% are considered "very active". It seems that inacitivity is more normal than you'd think! Dr. Bob says that being active is just as beneficial as stopping smoking, which is surprising. Thirty minutes of activity per day is enough to improve your health by leaps and bounds, even if you were not active before.. encouraging news! Dr. Bob makes it sound so easy- turn off the TV, walk outside your door, turn left, walk for 15 minutes then turn around and walk home. It doesn't get much more simple than that!
The next chapter deals with the epidemic of obesity- a growing problem among all age groups in America. The problem is so pervasive, obesity will replace smoking as the number one cause of premature death in the next few years. As serving sizes have increased over the years, so have our waistlines. Dr. Bob mentions the studies we are familiar with, by Dr. Brian Wansink, author of our last book club selection, Mindless Eating. We know from that book that our mindless eating can add up to several pounds per year very easily. Carrying extra weight, or a high BMI puts you at risk for all kinds of negative health problems, such as diabetes and heart disease. Dr. Bob gives sound advice on how to achieve permanent weight loss and maintain a healthy BMI, including watching the serving size, filling half your plate with colorful vegetables, being aware of what you are eating and how much, avoiding fried foods and processed foods in general. These tips can add up to lost pounds over time, as well as improved health.
The encouraging news is that even if you are currently not active enough and/or overweight, it's not too late to turn things around and achieve better health. A few simple changes can add up to a longer, healthier life. Which of Dr. Bob's tips did you fine the most useful ? I thought the advice about portions was very helpful. The idea is to really examine how much you are eating and how many calories you are consuming. I think I would rather have less of my favorite foods than avoid them altogether!
Next week we'll review Chapters 7 and 8- on Fast Food and Alcohol. Happy reading!
Dell -a Lumen
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We're getting ready for our next Live Chat  with Rebecca - Ignite's registered dietician and certified personal trainer. For this Live Chat , Rebecca will focus on 'How to sustain a fitness program long-term'. Many of us on Ignite are either participating in Ignite-A-Thon or some other fitness related activity or program and have set up fitness routines to meet our goals such as walking, biking etc. But what happens at the end of the program? How do you continue to stay fit and engaged with your health when you reach the end of your event? To answer these questions and more, join us next Tuesday, September 25 at Noon ET and bring along your questions for a one-on-one chat with Rebecca.
See you there!
rsood (A Lumen)
Rebecca's bio:
Rebecca Mohning M.S., R.D., L.D. is a registered dietitian and a certified personal trainer. She received her Bachelor’s degree in dietetics and her graduate degree in exercise and sports science from Iowa State University. She also has a personal training certification from the American College of Sports Medicine. Rebecca currently has her own private nutrition and fitness consulting business is the Washington DC area.
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I am a big history buff. I love to learn about things that happened in the past – because I feel we should both remember and appreciate what has come before us. Plus, like I mentioned in one my past blogs (CLICK HERE), I love to learn new and interesting tidbits of info. Because to me, no information is useless – there will be a day when it comes in handy (like when playing Trivial Pursuit).
So with that in mind, today is September 14, 2007 … and below I listed a few historical events that happened today in history:
1849 - Ivan Pavlov, the Russian scientist famous for his classical conditioning on dogs is born in Ryazan,
Russia. He was the recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1936.
1901 - President William McKinley dies in Buffalo, NY. Vice President Theodore Roosevelt
succeeded him.
1917 - Russia is officially proclaimed a republic.
1959 - The Soviet probe Luna 2 crashes onto the Moon, becoming the first man-made object to reach it.
1990 - Ken Griffey and his son Ken Jr. become the first father-son duo to hit back-to-back home runs.
2001 - Historic National Prayer Service held at Washington National Cathedral for victims of the September 11
attacks.
Justin – A Lumen
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There are 21 million Americans with diabetes – and nearly one-third of them (or 5.2 million people) do not know it. Diabetes exists in three forms: Type 1 - insulin dependent, Type 2 - non insulin dependent and gestational diabetes. The rate of Type 2 diabetes has more than tripled in the last 30 years, due to the growing number of people with obesity.
Diabetes is a serious disease, but the good news is that diabetes can be prevented. Nutrition plays an important role in the prevention of this disease. Studies show that people who eat breakfast on a daily basis are less likely to develop diabetes. Be sure to eat every 4-5 hours and not skip meals to maintain steady blood glucose levels. Also choose foods high in fiber (foods containing 3 or more grams of fiber per serving – see sample high fiber food below) instead of the refined starches and foods high in sugar. Eating sugar will not directly cause diabetes, but eating a diet high in calories will put you at increased risk. Limit calories from sugar to less than 10% of your daily total calories.
By losing a modest amount of weight, and by getting 30 minutes of physical activity 5 days a week and eating healthier, people with pre-diabetes can delay or prevent the onset of the disease.
Next week I will cover the new treatment guidelines for healthy eating with diabetes.
Rebecca
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In Chapter 3, we learn about the science of life expectancy and how our personal choices directly affect it. With the medical advances of the last century, life expectancy has increased by about 30 years, a huge leap from previous centuries. If you live to age 55, your chances of living to 80 or 85 increase dramatically. By 2050, it’s predicted there will be between 800,000 and 4 million Americans over 100 years old. The bottom line is, your chances of living a long life in this day and age are good, and they get better as time goes on.
The quality of that life is largely in your hands, according to Dr. Bob. Actuaries in the insurance industry know that smokers die sooner than non-smokers. Obesity (a BMI over 30) and sedentary lifestyle have the same effect as smoking, from an actuarial perceptive. And even though we enjoy one of the highest standards of health care in the US, our life expectancies rank 48th among all nations. I found it interesting that immigrants to the US live longer than American born citizens, even though they generally receive less health care. Scientists theorize this is because they keep active, healthy lifestyles from their native countries rather than adopting unhealthy American lifestyles and habits.
Then in Chapter 4, Dr. Bob talks about the adverse effects of smoking. If you are a smoker, you should read this chapter ! Although everyone knows that smoking is bad for you, this chapter really gives some interesting ways of looking at it. What I found most interesting is how quickly the body heals itself once a person stops smoking. Within hours and days, your blood pressure begins to fall and your senses regenerate. It’s amazing that after 15 years of quitting, ex-smokers have no higher risk or heart disease than someone who never smoked. However, smoking even one cigarette, cigar or pipe per day increases your risk. He gives specific reasons smokers should quit, and encouraging advice on how to quit. Although quitting is difficult and hardly ever achieved the first time, the benefits of not smoking are worth striving for.
Have any of you successfully quit smoking? Have you seen the health benefits of doing so? Which of Dr. Bob’s tips worked for you ?
Next we will discuss Chapters 5 and 6- Exercise and Weight. See you then!
Dell- a Lumen
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How much dietary fiber do adults need? How much fiber does a pregnant woman need? And what are the best sources of fiber?
Here’s my plug for Lumenos’ Personal Health Coach. I am currently nine weeks pregnant with my second child. Being a good consumer I immediately enrolled in the Future Footsteps program with Lumenos. My maternity nurse went over my dietary guidelines for dairy, protein and carbs (a whopping 11 servings). Unlike my first pregnancy this time around I’m having some issues with “regularity”. My first solution is to increase my water intake to 60-80 ounces but I don’t always get it all in. Second, I think I should be eating more fiber. But then I think, how much am I eating now? How much do I need? How can I get more without taking supplements?
The Harvard School of Public Health recommends 21-38 grams of fiber for adults. The Institute of Medicine recommends 14 grams of fiber per 1,000 calories. Ok, I probably need more fiber in my diet. So where do I get it? It doesn’t mean eating a dozen apples a day (although apples are a great source of fiber). Sweet potatoes, raisins, oatmeal, pine nuts, pear, and artichoke hearts are also high in fiber. Here are some other easy tips for getting more fiber in your diet:
- Eat whole fruit versus drinking fruit juice
- Try whole grain pasta or brown rice
- Top salads with pine nuts or dried fruit
- Add beans to soup or stew
Sarac - A Lumenos Plan Consumer
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When I got dressed this morning, I decided to wear a gray polo shirt. And yesterday I wore a green shirt. After leaving the house, I asked myself if there was a reason I chose the gray shirt today and the green one yesterday? But all I could come up was that I felt like it.
While most of us don’t focus on color on a daily basis, color does influence our lives. It can affect our mood and our thoughts. This is most obvious in our clothing choices. The colors we wear communicate to others how we feel. Think of the co-worker that always wears bright colors or patterns. They always seem to be cheery and energetic – and they always noticed by others. Now think of the co-worker that wears “blah” colors. They never seem to be cheery and they don’t get noticed.
Colors also influence our daily lives more than just our clothes. For example, studies have shown that weightlifters are able to handle heavier weights in gyms that are the color blue? Blue supposedly has a relaxing effect. Other studies have shown that the color yellow speeds up metabolism and makes you eat more. Never paint your kitchen yellow.
So the next time you head to your closet, remember that color choice is important. It reflects your mood and may even change it. Try picking the brightest thing in your closet – and see if you notice a difference in the way you feel or how people react to you.
Justin – A Lumen
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There is no known prevention for Alzheimer’s disease, but staying fit and eating healthy can help. Other recommendations for preventing or delaying Alzheimer’s disease include keeping your weight within recommended guidelines, avoiding tobacco and excess alcohol, staying socially connected and exercising both your body and mind.
According to the Alzheimer’s Association recent studies link a sedentary lifestyle to increased risk for a number of diseases, including heart disease and diabetes – and now Alzheimer's disease. Kivipelto found that being overweight or obese in one’s 50s increases the risk for Alzheimer's disease. Obesity in middle age, she says, roughly doubled the risk for Alzheimer's at the end of life. Just as dangerous, she says, is high blood pressure or high cholesterol, especially elevated levels of LDL, the so-called bad cholesterol. Moreover, she says people who were overweight and had high blood pressure and high cholesterol while in their 50s increased the risk of Alzheimer's disease by about six-fold, which is more than the increased risk in people who are genetically predisposed to Alzheimer's disease.
Lastly, research has found that consuming a diet rich in certain vitamins, called antioxidants, may help decrease one’s risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. Vitamin E and Vitamin C have proved to be most influential. Antioxidants help eliminate harmful free radicals from your body, helping to prevent a variety of diseases such as cancer. Antioxidants may also improve immune function as well as lowering one’s risk for infection. Vitamin E is a fat soluble vitamin found primarily in vegetable and nut oils, as well as in spinach and whole grain products. Vitamin C is a water soluble vitamin most commonly found in citrus fruits, as well as in tomatoes, spinach and red peppers. For maximum prevention, it is recommended that these vitamins be provided by actual foods and to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
 
Rebecca
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In Dell's last blog, she reviewed Chapters 1 & 2 of the latest Ignite Book Club selection, What Healthy People Know, by Dr. Bob Gleeson. CLICK HERE if you didn't have a chance to read it.
With this being a holiday week, we're giving you an extra week to buy the book and read the first few chapters. Stay tuned for next Tuesday's blog where Dell will review Chapters 3 & 4.
See you next Tuesday!
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