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April 2008 - Posts
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Like a satisfying meal, this chapter of Dr. Northrup’s book is full and balanced. There’s a wealth of specific information, as well as general advice. Perhaps one of the most important examples of the latter is what she says right at the start: “Eating healthy, high-quality food is one of the simplest and most powerful ways to create health.” Another critical point she makes in this chapter – one that our diet-conscious society needs to learn – is this: we should be eating for health, not for weight control. For starters, as she points out, body fat is a more important measure of health than body weight. But that’s only the beginning, because no matter what our weight, most of us probably aren’t eating the right foods in the right proportions.How do we eat for health? Dr. Northrup gives a good overview of much that medical science has learned – and unlearned – about this topic. As she notes, human beings evolved over thousands of years to assimilate foods found in nature. In the past few decades, Western diets have veered away from this tradition, with many new (and often highly processed) foods that may be causing or exacerbating health problems.Dr. Northrup also makes the point that for women, food and eating can be a bigger issue for women than for men – and it’s not just a physiological problem. Women tend to do most food shopping and preparation. And women are more victimized by absurdly unrealistic images of idealized body size and shape.There’s a lot to digest here, if you’ll pardon the pun, but well worth the effort.
Next week, I’ll discuss Chapter 18, The Power of Movement.
Dr.Ray 
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An interesting, yet not surprising study by the University of Pittsburgh found that although marriage has no effect on how much time men or women exercised, having kids does. The study observed 525 adults and found that new moms lost about a third of their pre-pregnancy workout time while new dads lost about half.
The reasons cited as barriers to exercising were fatigue, limited time and a lack of social support. The US Center for Disease Prevention and Control focuses on identifying and breaking down these barriers. Here's what they suggest -- Recommended 30 minutes of exercise each day does not need to happen all at once.
One easy way to overcome this barrier is to break down the exercise time into 10 or 15 minute intervals. Another great way to exercise is to be active throughout your day. So, cut back on television or computer time and instead be active along with your kids -- maybe walk or run with them in the park.
Although the study only confirms what we've always known about the relationship between exercise and health, it helps to remind us that a life change - such as having children - should not deter us from focusing on being, staying healthy in the long-term.
Happy Monday Everyone!
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With April finally here and
the warm weather upon us, it’s time to venture out of the house and be active.
This is especially true if you have children. Physical activity, such as
playing a sport, is an excellent way to improve a child’s motor skills, social
skills and build their confidence. Plus, playing a sport benefits a child’s
health, building strength and endurance, both of which are necessary to grow up
healthy and happy.
But in order to stay healthy, most
importantly, children need to keep safe while being active. It’s estimated that
each year, about five million children are sent to hospital emergency rooms due
to sports injuries and another eight million are treated by family physicians1.
That is why April is National Youth Sports Safety Month. Coordinated by the
National Youth Sports Safety Foundation, safety month is strives to educate children
and adults about youth sports safety and ways to prevent injury.
So if you have children,
encourage them to play a sport. And educate them on the ways to play safe. To
get you started, below are a few basic safety tips to keep in mind:
o
Make sure to get
your child a physical exam before they play a sport to rule medical conditions
or potential risk factors
o
Make sure your
child knows how to use athletic equipment
o
Always warm up before
playing and cool down afterwards
o
Avoid playing
when very tired or in pain
o
Stay hydrated,
especially during hot or humid weather.
Justin – A Lumen
1. National Youth Sports Safety Foundation. www.nyssf.org/information.html
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Thanks to everyone who joined the Webcast on Tuesday. We had a great turnout with a lot of great questions. Several people requested a copy of Rebecca's slide presentation. It is enclosed.
Thanks and stay tuned for our next live event -- a Book Club discussion on Women's Health, Women's Bodies with Dr. Ray Morales.
Kerry
Tips for Optimal Health and Weight Loss for Women.pdf
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To follow along with this week’s topic in the Book Club discussion, in this blog we’ll take a look at how women can live vibrantly through all ages – by taking a look at how food and exercise play a role throughout a woman's life.
In your 20s and 30s:
These are the childbearing years. If you're considering conception, you need to make sure that you get 400 micrograms (mcg.) daily of folic acid. Folic acid is a B vitamin that can be found in beans, spinach, brewer's yeast, fortified cereals, orange juice, wheat germ, asparagus and romaine lettuce among other foods. Studies have proven a clear link between low folic acid intakes and neural tube defects in fetuses.
If you're in your 20s, the thought of facing heart disease, cancer or osteoporosis may seem unrealistic. But during these years you'll be laying the foundation for middle age and beyond. If you gradually become more sedentary, as many Americans do, your cholesterol may creep up. In addition to heart disease, extra pounds have been linked with various cancers, including those of the colon and breast, so now is the time to establish or reinforce exercise and low-fat eating habits.
Although antioxidants are important throughout life, in the 30s is when many people begin to think about aging and load up on vitamins C and E and beta carotene. These antioxidants, found in fruits and vegetables, help neutralize the damaging free radicals that might lead to cancer in the future. The National Cancer Institute recommends that everyone eat at least five servings a day of fruits and vegetables; seven to nine servings are even more protective against increased risk for some cancers. In your 40s:
It’s important to watch your saturated fat and trans fat intake. No more than 30% of total calories should come from fat. In addition to helping you maintain a healthy weight, less dietary fat lowers your risk of heart disease. Keep the good fats like nuts, olive oil, and all natural peanut butter.
Focus on eating phytoestrogens as these plant-based compounds enhance cardiovascular health by lowering blood cholesterol. Soy-based phytoestrogens are found in tofu, soy nuts, soy milk, and soybeans. Other forms of phytoestrogens are found in whole-grain cereals, nuts, berries, peas, beans, sunflower seeds, red clover, and bean sprouts.
Osteoporosis can be a concern at this age so be sure to meet your calcium needs of at least 3 servings of dairy daily. Consume less soda since these leach calcium from your bones and lead to bone loss. Be sure to maintain a balanced diet. As you grow older, you may find that your appetite changes and your stomach cannot hold as much as before. Try eating smaller amounts several times a day to be sure that you get sufficient nutrition. In your 50s and on:
The likely appearance of reading glasses on your nose will reinforce the importance of eye health as you age. But if you need another reason to eat your green vegetables, individuals who consume the greatest amount of carotenoids (plentiful in dark, leafy greens) have a 43% lower risk for age-related macular degeneration, the leading cause of irreversible blindness in adults.
The risk of high blood pressure increases with age, so take note that populations with low calcium intake have high rates of hypertension. In addition, a diet rich in potassium (found in oranges, bananas, yogurt and potato skins) may protect some people from developing hypertension. Exercise and age:
By developing good exercise habits when you are young, fitness becomes a lifetime habit. But it is never too late to start. Remember to always get your doctor's okay before starting any exercise program, but particularly if you have any chronic health concerns.
Most fitness experts recommend at least 30 minutes of exercise a day most days of the week to get the health benefits you need. Your exercise should include a mix of cardiovascular exercise (such as jogging, cycling, or racquetball) strength training (for example, using free weights or resistance bands) and flexibility activities (such as stretching, yoga, and tai chi). Remember that you are never too old or young for exercise. Even just a little exercise can go a long way. In fact, studies show that those who exercise for ten minutes three times a day achieve the same cardiovascular fitness effects as those whose workouts continue for 30 minutes. Whichever decade you are in, you can tailor an exercise program to meet your age, fitness level, and individual preferences.
Rebecca
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This week, rather than focusing on a specific food label, we’re going to take a look at how to listen to your body when you are eating. Your body needs to have food for fuel and it knows what it needs to run effectively. That’s why it’s important to listen to your body and respond to its natural hunger. If you decide to ignore the hunger, it can result in a headache, a growling stomach, and/or food craving.
The first key to listening to your body is determining when you are actually hungry. You want to make sure it is real hunger and not your emotions. For example, common emotional reasons for eating include stress, boredom, or procrastination. To tell if you are really hungry, you can take the “apple test”: ask yourself if you would eat an apple? If you say no, then you most likely just want to eat for an emotional reason – or because there is a plate of cookies in front of you that are creating a craving.
The second key to listening to your body is being able to know when you have had enough to eat. The goal is to feel satisfied after eating, not stuffed or full. Remember that it takes about twenty minutes to feel that you are full, so eat slowly – sit down to eat, and enjoy the taste and smell of the food.
The third key to listening to your body is eating in moderation – it’s important not to go to extremes with eating. Eating in moderation means paying attention to the cravings for nutrients it needs. To eat in moderation, you must be sure to include foods from all the food groups. If it is an empty calorie food that you are craving, be sure to only eat in it smaller portions and less often.
Rebecca
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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As a health plan consumer, you probably hear the word ‘wellness’ quite often. In chapter 15, Steps for Creating Vibrant Health, Dr. Northrup deals with an underappreciated aspect of wellness: the fact that wellness is a state of mind as well as of body. Dr. Northrup begins the chapter with what sounds like a simple step, but one which I think many of us would find surprisingly difficult: learning to visualize yourself as a truly healthy, happy and vital person. Wellness is not a passive condition; you have to be an active participant. Getting regular exams and health screens, monitoring and discussing health risks with your doctor – all of these things are critical. But achieving wellness may also mean dealing with issues in your life or your lifestyle that are keeping you from becoming the healthiest persons you can be. Like a computer that keeps crashing, you may have a glitch in your personal programming that needs to be reset. For example, many women in particular need to overcome cultural programming that causes them to have unhealthy attitudes about their bodies, or to form unhealthy relationships. And all of us, men and women, have difficulty releasing our emotions, a problem that can directly affect both physical and mental health. This is a lengthy chapter, and Dr. Northrup breaks her discussion down into 12 ‘Steps for Healing’ that range from releasing emotions, to examining your beliefs, to getting help when you need it. Some of the ideas in each step overlap with others, but that may be okay – we’re so used to thinking and acting in certain ways, it may take some repetition to get us to change. What do you think?
Next week, I’ll discuss the chapter on Nourishing Your Body (page 687).
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