Balance Your Health

Fiber Is Very Good for Your Health

Eating foods with fiber is healthy for us. We know that because our doctors and health writers have been telling us that for the last 25 years. Just about everyone knows fiber for its ability to prevent and relieve constipation. Some of us even have a vague notion that fiber may help prevent other diseases but those facts are fuzzy. We just take it for granted that fiber is good. I'm here to tell you that it is really good for you.

Dietary fiber, the kind you eat, is vital to your overall heath. Your fiber intake from foods such as nuts, fruits and vegetables and whole grain flour helps control your cholesterol and it lowers your body's need for insulin. Consuming fiber also helps you control your weight, even lose weight, and has been shown to lower the incidence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and some cancers. Research also shows that it lowers the risk of cancer, diabetes, atherosclerosis, diverticulitis and hemorrhoids.

The term fiber itself refers to carbohydrates that cannot be digested. It is something that is present in all plants that are eaten for food, including fruits, vegetables, grains and legumes.

However, not all fiber is the same. One way of categorizing fiber is by how easily it dissolves in water. Soluble fiber partially dissolves in water. Insoluble fiber does not dissolve in water. Soluble fiber forms a gel when mixed with liquid and makes it loner for food to pass through your stomach so that sugar is released and absorbed more slowly. Oat and oat bran, dried beans and peas, nuts, barley, apples, carrots are foods that contain soluble fiber. Fruits and vegetables also slow down gastric emptying and help you control your weight which helps prevent type 2 diabetes.

Insoluble fiber, on the other hand, passes through the intestine almost whole and helps prevent constipation. Dark leafy green vegetables, fruit and root vegetable skins, whole wheat and corn bran products are sources of insoluble fiber which helps protect against colon cancer.

These differences are important when you examine fiber's effect on your risk of developing certain diseases. For example, insoluble fiber is better for preventing diverticulitis, an inflammation of the intestine. Soluble fiber or cereal fiber from grains is better for preventing heart disease. Both are great for controlling weight.

The next time you go to the market, select those foods which give you a major dose of healthy fiber.

To your success at balancing your health.

Ruthan Brodsky

http://www.secretstohealthandaging.com

Vitamin D Makes a Difference

Vitamin D is important to bone health. I have written about that many times especially focusing on the importance of vitamin D for anyone over 50. That's because people age 65 and over generate something like four times less vitamin D than people in their 20s.

Even though it's more likely that someone 65 will be living in the Sun Belt, there's a competing tendency as we grow older to become more sedentary and remain indoors. That is especially true among those who have chronic health problems.

The good news is that we can make up for the lack of sunshine by getting vitamin D in our diets. However, that isn't always easy either. Not everyone likes fish or eggs. Even though many foods are now fortified with vitamin D, such as Cheerios or Grape Nuts, we can also take supplements to make up the difference.

My suggestion: find the best resources you can for vitamin D because now there's new studies to show that a deficiency of vitamin D can bring about impaired brain function. Scientists have now linked this fat=soluble nutrient's hormone like activity to a number of functions throughout the body, including the operations of your brain.

Studies have already shown that vitamin D activates and deactivates enzymes in the brain and reduces inflammation. New studies (University of Cambridge, England) now show that the lower a person's vitamin D level, the more negatively their performance is impacted on mental tests. What we don't know is if high levels of vitamin D enhance cognitive functioning.

Even so the recommended dosage is between 1,000 to 2,000 IU daily, about the amount your body synthesizes from 15 to 30 minutes of sun exposure two or three times a week.

How much vitamin D are you getting? How do you handle protecting yourself from the sun and skin cancer and getting enough sunshine to manufacture your own vitamin D? Share your stories with our readers.

To your success at balancing your health.

Ruthan Brodsky

The Calcium Question

I learned that calcium was the first defense against osteoporosis. In my studies on aging I was taught that consuming calcium rich foods and taking calcium supplements is the way to prevent osteoporosis. Today that theory is in question. There is now a growing consensus in the medical community that we need to increase the recommended daily intake of vitamin D as the premiere nutrient in the battle against osteoporosis. Calcium is falling or has fallen out of favor.

Even the National Osteoporosis Foundation updated their recommendations for calcium and vitamin D. According to the new NOF guidelines, adults under age 50 need 1,000 mg of calcium daily. Adults age 50 and over need 1,200 mg of calcium daily.

Actually, these are the amounts that you should be getting from your food sources together with your supplements. For years, we women have been hammered on that we are not getting enough calcium so it is not unusual for many of us to now take 1500 mg or more a day just in supplement form.

The problem is most of get about 600 to 750 mg of calcium in our diet. Another 1500 mg is clearly overkill.

There is not much evidence that too much calcium does any good, and it may not be harmful. However, it can be constipating.

Part of the problem is that the science behind calcium supplementation is not simple. In fact, recent research seems to offer opposite answers about whether you should or should not take extra calcium. To get the most out of your bone and health efforts, it is important to understand that bone is not just calcium and that calcium does not function in isolation.

More on calcium in my next post to help you answer the calcium question.

To your success at a healthy and well balanced life,

Ruthan Brodsky

Caloric Restriction with Nutrition

The Caloric Restriction Society or CR Society emphasizes the importance of preparing meals that focus on vegetables that are dense with nutrients, fruit, lean protein and healthy fat sources such as nuts and avocados.

I recently learned about the group, which is dedicated to promoting calorie restriction, when I did research on caloric restriction for this blog. What I also learned since I wrote the last post was that experiments on calorie restriction with animals actually began in the 1930s, 50 years earlier than I thought.

Is Calorie Restriction Healthy?

Calorie control isn't about just losing weight anymore. A relatively new trend Known as calorie restriction is in the news more frequently. It is a regimen that involves reducing the amount of food you eat to reduce the number of calories you take in over a period of time.

5 Supplements to Take Off Your List

 

In my previous post I wrote about foods to blacklist from your diet. Today I am writing about supplements to avoid.

 

1. Do not purchase 714X.  You have probably seen the commercials for this product on TV. It is supposed to be a cancer treatment.  Also called trimethylbicyclonitramineoheptane chloride, the inventor claims it cures multiple sclerosis, fibromyalgia and other diseases. The American Cancer Society, our official research centers, or any other research facility have not found any evidence to substantiate those claims.

 

2. Policosanol  does not work. This supplement is used to treat cholesterol. It is derived from sugar cane and is found in popular multivitamins but it not effective in lowering your LDL or the bad cholesterol.

 

3. Do not waste your money on herbal weight-loss products.  Most of the time these products have no effect on losing weight and some can be harmful.  Ephedra, for example, is now banned from the market. Just because a product says it is ephedra free doesn't mean the product is danger free.

 

4. Saw palmetto extract does little to help an enlarged prostate. Men take saw palmetto as a treatment for enlarged prostate or a common condition known as prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). A relatively new federally funded clinical trial found no difference in benefits between saw palmetto extract and a placebo.

 

5. Glucosamine and chondroitin promise more than they give. Unless you are in severe pain from arthritis keep your money. In a random, double blind study, the supplements were found to be no more effective than a placebo against arthritis pain.  Only a small subgroup, maybe the 20 percent with the worst pain, saw any meaningful benefit.

 

I am sure there are a slew of other supplement you think we need to avoid. Again, scroll down to comments and type your recommendations. Let's find out what the rest of us think.

 

To your successful well balanced health.

 

Ruthan Brodsky

5 Foods To Blacklist From Your Menu

The negative impact or the report of zero good results of many foods and supplements has been reported throughout the years. Sometimes the list changes based on research that is more recent. Here are the top 5 foods that I have in my blacklist.

1. Processed meat is the first. Every report I've read says that we need to eliminate or at the very least reduce the amount of processed meats we eat such as cold cuts. One study found that patients who ate the most processed meats were at a much greater risk of recurrence for benign colorectal tumors. An older study and still regarded highly says that people who ate the most processed meat were 50 percent more likely to develop lower colon cancer. The other problem is processed meat is high in salt content and that is not good for blood pressure.

2. Fried fish is the second food to avoid. Granted, fish is good for you but do not fry it for fish sticks, fish sandwiches and fish and chips. A study of ultrasound images of 5,000 older adults found that those who ate fried fish showed greater evidence of arteriosclerosis and other heart problems.

3. Avoid trans fats. You can hardly turn on the TV or read an online health blurb without someone telling you to give up trans fat. An increase of just 2 percent.In caloric intake of trans fat was associated with a 23 percent higher risk of coronary heart disease. On a per-calorie basis, trans fat increased the risk of heart disease more than any other micronutrient.

4. Skip the power bars. Unless you are an athlete running marathons, most power bars and so called energy bars are glorified candy bars. They are packed with calories that you do not need.

5. As long as I am on the topic, then also skip the energy drinks. There is nothing nutritious about them. They are loaded with caffeine and extra sugar. Unless you are participating in some athletic activity that lasts longer than 2 hours, plain, ordinary water is your best source of hydration.

Okay, what food would you like to add to this list? Scroll down to comments and tell us what food you think we should avoid and why. Maybe our list will grow.

To your successful well balance life.

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.

Tips to Curb Emotional Eating

Major life events such as divorce, health problems, loss of job or just the hassle of every day life can trigger emotions that lead to over eating. In my last post I wrote about his in more detail. Now I want to show you what you can do to regain control of your eating habits.  Try these suggestions:

Practice mindful eating.  Pay focused attention without making judgment about what you're eating and when you eat it. When you focus you become more aware of the feels and thoughts connected with food and eating.

Know your triggers.  For the next few days write down what you eat, how much you eat, when you eat, how you feel when you eat and how hungry you are. Over time you may see patterns that show negative eating patterns and triggers to avoid.

Don't keep unhealthy food around. Take the salty high fat content food out of your pantry and frig. Keep in mind that foods don't have to be drowning with calories and fat to be comforting. A bowl of tomato soup or a cup of hot tea can be chosen.

Exercise regularly and get enough sleep. When your body and mind are well rested and fit you can manage your moods more better!

Figure out how to manage your stress in healthy ways. Learn to develop skills to lower your stress activity. Or you may want to do something aerobically which may also be settling.

Ask your friends and relative what they do when they're feeling anxiety.  Maybe their solution will also work for you.

To your well balance health.

Ruthan Brodsky

Emotional Eating - Another Spin On Weight Gain

Emotional eating has been a hot topic for about two years. Sometimes I become very frustrated about why there's always new spin to healthy eating which tends to complicate matters. Then I think I wish I had thought of the term emotional eating three years ago.

It is not something new. Advertisers for mac and cheese products have been touting them as comfort foods for years. Oatmeal and cream of wheat and stews and stuffings: all comfort foods. Chocolate – how could we forget chocolate.

Emotional eating is a term they now use to identify another reason why you are overweight. It's because you eat when you are stressed, bored or feeling down in the dumps. Eating is a way to suppress those negative feelings. Food becomes your friend and calms you down.

The problem is when food becomes your friend you eat too much especially high-caloric, sweet, salty and fatty foods. Women are more prone to be emotional eaters than men. If you think about that it shouldn't come as a surprise. Women, in general, are more emotional than men. Being told to eat less and exercise doesn’t work with emotional eaters.

The good news, according to the emotional eating experts, is that if you can find out what triggers that emotion you may be able to stop the eating.

The bad news is if you're going through a divorce or your job is stressful you won't be able to just cut off the emotions or the eating. Those are long term stresses.

Practice mindful eating say the experts. More on that on my next post.

To your success at a well balanced life.

Ruthan Brodsky