Balance Your Health

Less Sugar Equals Better Health

The average American consumes over 22 teaspoons of added sugar each day according to the American Heart Association (AHA). That equals about 355 more calories each day and has been linked with all sorts of negative health conditions including metabolic abnormalities and not eating enough of the right nutrients.

 

Not surprisingly, the AHA recommends that we cut back on the amount of added sugar in our diets. The reasoning is that if we concentrate on healthy foods there won't be enough room for added sugar and all the problems that go with it. Added sugars, which are primarily found in processed and packaged foods, take up too much space in a well-balanced diet.

 

The AHA says we should add no more than 100 calories per day of added sugar for American women and 150 calories for men.  Since each teaspoon of sugar is 16 calories that equals about 6 to 9 teaspoons of added sugar per day. This amount is determined after you meet your basic daily requirements of nutrients.

 

For instance, a 50 year old woman needs about 1,800 calories to maintain her current weight and probably has only a few hundred discretionary calories per day. The experts tell us that the majority of our calories should come from fruits and vegetables and lean proteins and low-fat dairy foods. However, alcohol, fats and added sugars account for most of the discretionary calories and those numbers indicate that we are going way beyond the number of discretionary calories recommended.

 

I suppose that is why so many of us are always dieting. High amounts of added sugar in our diet can lead t many problems including obesity. Let's face it most sugary foods are high in calories so that even if you are consuming a lot of sugary beverages you probably will eat more solid food since liquid calories don't satisfy you as much as calories from solid foods.

 

Sugar comes in many forms. Here are some to look for on ingredient lists.  I know you'll be surprised when you count the numbers.

• Sucrose
• Fructose
• Dextrose
• Lactose
• Maltose
• Maltodextrin
• Corn syrup High-fructose corn syrup
• Carob syrup

 

Many products will list the ingredients but they don't tell you how many calories. If the food product tastes sweet chances are the added sugar is a significant portion of the total caloric value of the product.

 

I don't know about you but I have been so busy paying attention to the fats in a product that I haven't paid much attention to the sugar content. It looks like I am just going to give myself more time when I go grocery shopping and do more reading.

 

To your success at balancing your health.

 

Ruthan Brodsky

Study Says Organic Food Isn't Healtheir

I always thought that organic food was supposed to be healthier and more nutritious then conventionally grown food. Looks like I may be wrong.

Interestingly, my first question is how is Whole Foods going to deal with the challenge of this new study conducted by British researchers and published in the peer-reviewed American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. The researchers examined all the relevant research for the past 50 years eliminating studies the authors believed weren't scientific. It was undertaken because there has not been any independent statement on the nutrition question.

Reduce Headaches - Watch What You Eat

Focusing on your diet is the first thing you need to concentrate on to prevent headaches. What you eat and drink can make the difference whether or not you get a headache. That’s not just me talking. The National Headache Foundation, which collects and supports research on headaches, has the data to show that for some of us, there are safe and easy ways to prevent headaches – by not consuming the food and drinks that trigger headaches.

Most of us know that that too much alcohol will leave us with a headache. We may not be aware, however, that some foods can also trigger a headache or even a migraine headache.

Foods high in tyramine can trigger a migraine headache. Tyramine is an organic compound that occurs in plants and animals, especially during fermentation or decay.  The problem is not all foods high in tyramine trigger migraines for everyone so it’s important to keep track if which foods do. 

Foods high in tyramine include ripened cheeses, chocolate, nuts, sourdough bread,

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and fava beans, processed meats such as salami and pepperoni, and olives, You may have to limit some fruits listed to a half –cup rather than a whole serving to avoid headaches: figs, red plums, bananas, papayas.

Also no more than a half-cup daily of yogurt, sour cream and buttermilk just to be on the safe side because, again, for some people, they trigger headaches.

Aspartame has NOT been proven to trigger headaches. Aspartame, is a sugar substitute sold as Equal and Nutra Sweet, People have reported problems with Aspartame since the products first were introduced. According to the National Headache Foundation, aspartame is not the cause of migraines.  However, if you think it causes your headaches, avoid aspartame and find other sweeteners that work for you.

Alcohol, on the other hand, can cause headaches in several ways.  For some, alcohol’s vasodilating effect, which leads to a lower blood pressure, can cause a headache.  Alcohol can also cause dehydration and chemical imbalances because it acts as a diuretic. As a diuretic it causes the body to excrete salt and minerals and the lack of those minerals can trigger headaches. 

If you frequently suffer from headaches you should consider limiting your caffeine. Although caffeine is often used to help relieve headache pain, the rebound effect often stimulates new headaches.

Most importantly, if you are one of the unfortunates that do suffer from frequent headaches, talk to your healthcare provider. A good partnership may be your best solution to managing your headaches.

Watch for the next post which will list some foods and vitamins that are being studies for possible beneficial effects for headache sufferers.

Love to hear which foods trigger your headaches.  Scroll down to Comments and type your headache triggers in the blank box. If you have time, tell us what you do about them.   Thanks

To your successful health,

Ruthan

Your guide to a balanced health.

Energy Drinks for Better Workouts Don't Work

When I write an article about Energy Drinks I make sure that somewhere in that article there’s a warning or at least a caution that not everyone should be guzzling these drinks.

First of all, they can increase your blood pressure and if your pressure is already on the high side or you’re taking meds to lower your pressure, energy drinks are off limits for you.

Secondly, for many people, including teens, energy drinks can over stimulate the heart or nervous system resulting in side effects that are not healthy. Some of these products have powerful, drug-like effects and shouldn’t be underestimated.

Energy Drinks or a Better Way to Get a Boost?

In my last post (May 26) I talked about Energy Drinks and their secret ingredient – mostly caffeine.

Yesterday my thoughts kept returning to the question: why do we want/need energy drinks? They’ve become the fastest growing beverage category in the United States. Do we feel compelled to maintain our speed even though we’re sleep deprived and should be slowing down? Is everyone so competitive that we have the need to outperform everyone else? Are we all on diets and want to increase our metabolism? Or do the drinks just give us enough of that positive feel good attitude that we can’t quite reach without some help?

Maybe it’s a little of everything. I don’t know.

My concern is that there must be better ways to balance our lives.

What I do know is that energy drinks and alcohol don’t mix. Alcohol is a depressant and caffeine is a stimulant and both are diuretics that can lead to dehydration.

First of all coffee doesn’t sober you up after you’ve been drinking. That’s a myth. It may make you feel more energetic but it doesn’t change your level of blood alcohol.

Using energy drinks as mixers with alcohol really become dangerous because you can feel more energetic (sugar and caffeine) and take on even more alcohol! Not good. Club soda, water and juices are better mixes.

If you want to stay up all night drink a glass of water in between cocktails. It will keep you hydrated!

Any ideas why we consume so much of the Energy Drinks? I'd be very interested in your opinion. Scroll down to "Comments" and let us know what you think. Just type your ideas in the blank window.

To your successful health.

Ruthan Brodsky

Writer for Business and Health Care Providers

www.upsideofaging.com

www.theagingofanorexia.com

Energy Drinks: The Buzz and the Facts

My energy drink is caffeine- serious caffeine.

I order a vente coffee with 3 extra shots. I know it gives me a physical lift for a time and I also know there’s a ‘come down’. For me, more importantly, just knowing I’ve had ‘my Starbucks’ gives me a mental boost.

I thought I was a caffeine nut even if it were 2 or 3 times a month. Then I found out about Red Bull, Cocaine and Rage – just a couple of the high-powered energy drinks marketed to young adults.

Energy Drinks: The Buzz and the Facts

My energy drink is caffeine- serious caffeine.

I order a vente coffee with 3 extra shots. I know it gives me a physical lift for a time and I also know there’s a ‘come down’. For me, more importantly, just knowing I’ve had ‘my Starbucks’ gives me a mental boost.

I thought I was a caffeine nut even if it were 2 or 3 times a month.  Then I found out about Red Bull, Cocaine and Rage – just a couple of the high-powered energy drinks marketed to young adults. 

I checked out their web sites.  Have you seen them?  They sure aren’t marketing to me… images of young studs immersed in macho lifestyles.  Even so they’ve become popular with teens and adults because of their claim to increase stamina and mental and athletic performance.

Food Allergies: Foods That Trigger Symptoms

The other day I received a lengthy e-mail from a former client*. She had just read a couple of posts from this blog and was thrilled to know there were other people in this world that care about healthy living.

She told me the story about how she had been ill for several years with respiratory problems including pneumonia. She had been examined and treated by several physicians and was on all sorts of medications, two and three times a day.