What Cardiologists Tell Their Friends

By Redbook | Healthy Living – Mon, 1 Apr, 2013 9:45 AM EDT

What's better than having a fashionista or a foodie as a BFF? Being pals with a heart doctor. The health advice these experts give their nearest and dearest can help you live longer, healthier, and more sanely.

By Lisa Mulcahy, REDBOOK.

"Go easy with the exercise"

"A lot of my female friends are very focused on staying fit, and that's great. But new research shows that running even 20 to 25 miles a week, which a lot of women log, can actually age your heart. Repeated excessive effort can overstretch the heart muscle, causing micro-size tears--damage that is often seen in marathon runners. The scary truth is that it can reverse the benefits of cardio exercise, putting you in the same fitness boat as couch potatoes who never work out! I have a friend who is a triathlete--she swims, runs, and bikes every day--and I told her, 'If you want to see the Olympics in 2052, start cutting back your workouts now.' It's fine to run, but don't clock more than four running days per week or more than about four miles per run. The other three days? Take a walk!" --James O'Keefe, M.D., preventive cardiologist at Saint Luke's Mid America Heart Institute in Kansas City, MO

"Try not to wake up before 5 a.m."

"One friend of mine, a CEO of a very successful company, prides himself on getting out of bed at 4:30 to get a jump on his business competition. I told him, 'If you don't let yourself sleep till 5, you're setting yourself up for a heart attack.' He laughed, 'I'm too rich to die!' But he listened when I told him that most people's internal clock resets itself every morning at approximately 5 a.m. Wake up before that and your stress hormones can surge--this is one reason why most heart attacks occur around 3 or 4 a.m. Making this adjustment won't destroy your career, but it potentially will save your life." --Lisa Matzer, M.D., cardiologist in Los Angeles

"Don't use the Pill past age 40"

"If a friend of mine who is over 40 mentions to me that she's on the Pill, I'm not shy about advising her to get off it right away. As you get older, you really have to pay attention to how estrogen can potentially cause damage to your heart. Most women don't think about this when choosing contraception, but birth control pills can lead to blood clots that could cause a heart attack or stroke in women in their mid-30s to late 40s. The good news? Once you go off the Pill, your hormones regulate quickly and your heart-attack or stroke risk will go away in about six weeks." --Karla Kurrelmeyer, M.D., cardiologist with the Methodist DeBakey Heart & Vascular Center in Houston

"Any soda is too much soda"

"Most of us grew up with the idea that soda in moderation can be part of a healthy diet. But science is now telling us that those who drink just one serving a day have an increased risk of a heart attack. A can of regular soda packs the equivalent of 14 teaspoons of sugar, and unlike the white stuff in solid foods, liquid sugar in soda is absorbed by the body immediately. That's one reason why drinking soda regularly results in low levels of HDL, the protective cholesterol that prevents heart attacks. If friends or family members still drink regular soda, I tell them to quit it." --Jeff Ritterman, M.D., cardiologist in Richmond, CA

"Think twice about throwing surprise parties"

"A woman I know was thrown a birthday party--she walked into a dark room, everyone yelled 'Surprise!' and she was so stunned that she instantly suffered heart-attack symptoms and ended up in the ICU. She experienced a condition called 'broken heart syndrome,' which is most common in women. Shock, fear, or extreme nervousness can temporarily impair the heart's ability to function, possibly because the surge of hormones like adrenaline overloads the blood vessels. You don't always have the power to prevent a shocking event in life, but you can let your friends know you'd prefer it if the party really wasn't a surprise!" --Ilan S. Wittstein, M.D., cardiologist at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore

"Listen to your intuition: If something feels off, get to a doctor"

"When friends ask me about heart-attack symptoms, I always stress the importance of their own intuition. Women don't often present with the crushing chest pain men do. Almost every female survivor I've treated has told me that her gut said something was very wrong before she went into cardiac arrest, even if she showed no symptoms. One woman I know felt some arm pain and body aches and had a 'funny feeling' about it, but her doctor told her the problem was probably muscular. Sure enough, she suffered, but thankfully survived, a massive heart attack. So if you feel any symptoms that nag at your intuition--discomfort that's unusual, intense, or just gives you a bad vibe--listen to it, and call 911 right away." --Suzanne Steinbaum, M.D., attending cardiologist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City and author of Dr. Suzanne Steinbaum's Heart Book

"Pack your bags--you need a vacation"

"My friend is a really high-powered executive who thought she was perfectly healthy--until her doctor discovered a coronary blockage that required a stent. She was shocked, and exclaimed to me, 'I'm too young for this!' I told her that heart disease absolutely can happen to a woman in her 40s; if you don't take time to recharge your batteries, stress hormones like cortisol may be putting you at risk. I told her she had to start leaving the office on time: Studies have found that working more than 11 hours a day can raise your odds of heart disease by 67 percent. She made a real effort to change her lifestyle, and got her health back on track." --Shyla High, M.D., cardiologist in Dallas

LiveJournal Tags: Health,Heart,HealthyDiet,Fitness

Eating Disorders, Dieting and Body Image: One Therapist’s Perspective

By Kenneth Bruce, Ph.D, Clinical Psychologist  March 10, 2013

Being a psychologist is a challenging and intensely rewarding experience.

In my day job, I am a psychologist. Sounds humble enough, right? In my therapy role, I work with many types of patients, but mainly with women who have an eating disorder (usually anorexia or bulimia). It’s the world’s best day job, and I mean that sincerely.

I should probably tell you how I came to be so lucky as to become a psychologist (and to be working mainly with women clients) in the first place. First thing, is that I was blessed with wonderful parents and gentle older siblings. Growing up, my family taught me to respect and help myself and others too. They were all strong and resilient role models, who –happily—also never took themselves too seriously; this made the whole process more fun.

I was lucky also because my family made the repeated point of showing me that women were in some ways different from men, but always equal to them. This left a lasting and positive impression on my attitudes towards both women and men for sure.

Now, let’s fast forward through adolescence and on to university, where the deal to become a psychologist was clinched for me. The real hook to become a psychologist happened at the University of Toronto. It was one of those fabled “A-ha” moments. I was taking an abnormal psychology class, and the professor was showing us a video of an elderly, heavily European-accented therapist interviewing a young woman with schizophrenia. You know, hallucinations and delusions, the real deal.

The interview was amazing: the woman with schizophrenia was discussing the most unbelievable and bizarre things (hearing voices, being followed by the FBI, aliens landing in the back yard, and on and on…) and I saw that the interviewer was not judging or acting shocked or surprised in any way. In fact, the interviewer was being genuinely interested and full-on empathic. As a result of how the interviewer acted, the woman with schizophrenia somehow felt comfortable enough then to reveal amazingly bizarre personal and intimate thoughts and feelings. And the result was that the interviewer was able to offer her some much-needed understanding, compassion and help, too. I was riveted.

So, what hooked me to become a psychologist was partly that video, but mainly the reaction of the majority of my classmates. Many were laughing out loud in reaction to what the person with schizophrenia was saying. I’d like to think mostly their laughter was the novelty of it, or maybe their nervousness, but I am sure some of it was ignorance, insensitivity and a little condescension too. The seeds of my desire to help de-stigmatize mental illness for the public at large, and to help those psychologically in need was planted that day. The focus on eating disorders came a little later on.

Fast forward to after grad school– I needed a job, obviously, and hopefully I could find a career too! I liked biology and genetics, I liked what shaped long-lasting personality problems, and I liked how the environment shapes everything along the way. I had been studying alcoholism, but what initially drew me to eating disorders as a specialty (or career) was that eating disorders, like alcoholism, are surprisingly so biologically determined. Obviously the environment is important in causing eating disorders too, and the intersection of the two is what is so fascinating.

In the public at large, and even in the psychology community, people with eating disorders can get a bad rap. They are often misjudged as difficult to engage in treatment, or worse, little entitled princesses deserving of their suffering.

What causes eating disorders? Good question, indeed! Well, it’s hard to develop an eating disorder without dieting somewhere along the way. Dieting is very common in most western societies (with about a third to a half of women being on a diet at any one time). Eating disorders (thankfully) are less common: Anorexia affects about 1% of adolescent and adult females, bulimia affects about 2% of same. Other similar eating disorders (varying in symptom definitions) can affect up to 10% of women. Men are affected too, but much less frequently: about 10% of anorexia and bulimia cases are men.

What is the role of dieting in eating disorders? Diets come and go, and vary from one country to another as well (and, by the way, none of them is particularly effective in the long run for the average person– sorry everyone!) But the rates of anorexia and bulimia are roughly the same around the world, however, which means that the role of society’s push to diet on the development of eating disorders is surprisingly less than you might think.

Dieting is socially-driven, but not all dieters develop an eating disorder. So it’s not just dieting, but something else too: Why do some dieters develop an eating disorder, while others are spared?

Well, genetics and biology seem important, as do prenatal and perinatal stressors. Puberty is important, obviously as well: Eating disorders are relatively rare before puberty. This may also be a biological process, although it’s the peak time when adolescent girls feel the societal pressures to be thin as well.

Developmental factors play a role too. Childhood adversity (particularly sexual abuse), and being overweight in childhood too, are predisposing factors for eating disorders. The body becomes a source of guilt and shame.

Genes also shape personality, and traits like perfectionism and impulsiveness seem to be risk factors for eating disorders as well.

Finally, not everyone who diets takes it seriously. People with an eating disorder become consumed by their caloric restriction; dieting becomes perceived as a necessity for self-worth and survival.

If you are concerned that you, or someone you love might be suffering, here are five tell-tale red flags that suggest a possible eating disorder:

1. Increasingly driven focus or preoccupation with food, dieting weight or shape, to the exclusion of formerly valued interests and activities.
2. Intensely engaging in weight-control behaviors (strict dieting, eliminating or limiting calorie-dense foods, intense and prolonged exercising to burn calories, misuse of appetite suppressants, laxatives, diuretics or enemas to lose weight).
3. Intense guilt, shame, anxiety or anger around eating. Refusing to eat normal portions or expected types of food. Refusing regular meals and snacks.
4. Precipitous or marked weight loss or refusal to maintain a normal weight for age and height.
5. Frequent episodes of excessive or out-of-control eating (emptying cupboards or fridge, eating much more than normally expected, large amounts of money spent on food) or evidence of self-induced vomiting after eating.

So how to treat eating disorders? Well, this leads me to an old and tired (but still funny) joke. How many psychologists does it take to change a light bulb? Answer: just one, but the light bulb has to want to change.

So, engaging the person with an eating disorder in treatment is the first step, obviously. If she/he is not on board with the goals of therapy, nothing good happens in the long run. This can get scary in severely underweight cases, but the principal remains the same: the patient has to want it. Helping her find what she wants (and why) is the therapist’s job, and their job together is achieving what they want together. This usually means helping patients feel less distressed, or be less impaired, by preoccupations relating to weight and shape. It can also mean finding other sources of autonomy and self-worth (like family, school, and friends).

Hopefully, another benefit is that the underweight patient’s weight normalizes, and binge eating or vomiting (if present), will cease. The idea is not to make the patient happier with her shape, but to make her weight and shape less dominant in the bigger picture of her life.

Roughly half of patients will improve after a cycle of therapy, and it can take many cycles before everyone gets better. That’s encouraging, but we need to do better, obviously.

For me, it’s highly rewarding trying to help each new patient. And I wouldn’t do any other job, or dream of any other career. Well, ok, maybe a race-car driver could be cool too.

-Ken

–

About Kenneth Bruce

Ken Bruce is a clinical psychologist, specializing in treating eating disorders (anorexia, bulimia and binge

LiveJournal Tags: eating disorders,health,weight

eating disorder), anxiety disorders, stress, depression, grief and relationship difficulties. Ken has been a psychologist at the Douglas Mental Health University Institute over over 13 years, and an Assistant Professor for over a decade at McGill University. Passionate about therapy, he now works in private practice. You can visit Ken at his website at PsyPrestige.com

The Major Health Risk You Take Every Day

This article originally ran in Shine from Yahoo Canada!
By The Editors at Sharecare | Healthy Living – Mon, 3 Dec, 2012 3:39 PM EST

 

Sitting all day may be the worst thing you can do for your health.
These tricks will get you moving.

By Rachael Anderson

Most people think smoking is the worst thing they can possibly do for their health. But in reality, perhaps the worst thing of all is something most of us do every day: sit. We sit when we drive, work, eat, use the computer, watch TV and read. In fact, before you read any further, you should probably stand up. It turns out that the more time you stay planted on your rear, the less time you're destined to live on this planet.

Take a break from sitting

Here's what we know:

Eye-opening research shows that keeping your butt in a chair (or on the couch) for hours at a time can lead to cancer, obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and premature death. One study by the American Cancer Society found that women who sat six hours a day were 37 percent more likely to die by the end of the 13-year study period; men who sat were 18 percent more likely to die. Another study tied 49,000 U.S. cases of breast cancer and 43,000 of colon cancer to prolonged sitting.

Sitting isn't dangerous just because it means you're not exercising. It's dangerous all by itself.

Prolonged time spent on your bum has significant metabolic consequences. It negatively affects your blood sugar, triglycerides, good cholesterol, resting blood pressure and levels of the "appetite hormone" leptin, all of which are biomarkers of obesity and cardiovascular disease.

Sitting also sabotages the lymph system, which helps the body fend off infections. Lymph vessels, which drain waste materials created by an infection, don't have a pump like the heart; they're controlled by rhythmic contractions of the muscles in your legs. So when you sit, the lymph system can't do its job.

If you sit all day but make sure to get to the gym or go for a walk after work, isn't that enough?

Unfortunately, no.

"Bursts of exercise is not the answer; two hours of exercise per day will not compensate for 22 hours of sitting," says cancer specialist and author David Agus, MD. In fact, sitting for five or six hours a day, even if you spend an hour a day at the gym, is the equivalent of smoking an entire pack of cigarettes.

How to sit less during the day

Moving more is tough, especially since most people's jobs revolve around sitting. But breaking up endless time on your bum, even for a few minutes, can make a huge difference. Key enzymes move, blood flows, mind and muscles flex. Here is what you can do to sit less:

• Get up and move at least every 30 minutes. Get water or coffee. Pace up and down the hall or just stand when you're on a phone call. Even fidgeting helps.
• Go ahead, watch your favorite TV shows-but don't just sit there. Cook, fold laundry, empty the dishwasher or ride a stationary bike.
• If you have to spend all day at your computer, consider investing in a treadmill desk like Michael Roizen, MD. That way you can keep moving even while you work.
• Make sure you exercise. Even though working out won't completely rid you of the negative effects of sitting, a study found that active people who sat for long periods lived longer than inactive people who sat for long periods.

 

LiveJournal Tags: health,longevity,health risks,sitting,obesity

11 Foods Most Likely to Cause Sickness

This article was originally posted in Shine from Yahoo on Tue, 25 Sep, 2012 4:50 PM EDT
No authors were credited on the original article.



As long as there are no allergy issues, a simple peanut butter sandwich seems like one of the safest and most wholesome foods one could eat or feed to a child. However, the recent Trader Joe's peanut butter recall (which has now been expanded to include 100 different products that contain nuts and seeds made by supplier Sunland) highlights how food poisoning can come from our favorite, most nutritious foods. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reports that about 48 million Americans per year are infected with bacteria, viruses, or other pathogens from contaminated food. Nearly 150,000 people are hospitalized and 3,000 die. Some sources say that the numbers could be as much as double the CDC estimates. Germs spread from meat and poultry account for 30-40 percent of infections, and according to Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), 10 other items cause another 40 percent of cases. Safe handling, washing and cooking are highly recommended to reduce the risks.




Photo by: Thinkstock

Poultry and meat
Raw poultry and meat may contain harmful bacteria, including salmonella, listeria, campylobacter, and E. coli. Estimates vary, at least 30-40% of food borne illnesses are caused by meat and poultry. Thorough cooking kills these pathogens. Be careful not to cross-contaminate other items in the refrigerator, sink, or on the countertop....  







     
Photo by: Thinkstock

Leafy greens
Lettuce and other leafy greens are super healthy but also susceptible to contamination through improper processing or handling. The CDC says about 14% of food poisoning comes from these vegetables. Most of the bacteria are in the outer leaves, discard and rinse the rest a few times. Bagged salad should also be washed.




      


 Photo by: Thinkstock

Eggs
Eggs can be contaminated with salmonella. Store in the refrigerator and cook thoroughly before eating. Avoid raw or runny eggs. In 2010, more than 500 million eggs were recalled after 1,500 people were infected with salmonella.    







      

Photo by: Thinkstock

Tuna
Raw tuna that is not properly refrigerated can cause poisoning from a substance that develops in decaying flesh called scrombotoxin. Symptoms include: headache, cramps, nausea, and loss of vision. Cooking does not destroy the contaminant. The FDA warns scrombotoxin is particularly dangerous for the elderly and those with compromised immune systems and say it often goes unreported because people don't associate the symptoms with fish consumption.







         Photo by: Thinkstock

Oysters
Raw oysters may be infected with norovirus, which causes gastroenteritis, or vibrio, a dangerous bacterium related to cholera. The FDA recommends that people with certain health conditions avoid raw oysters. For more information, click here.       






  Photo by: Thinkstock

Potatoes
 Food poisoning linked to this popular vegetable is often caused by dishes like potato salad that are improperly refrigerated. Potatoes baked in foil and kept warm can too long can also develop botulism. Scrub well, cook thoroughly, and store prepared dishes in the refrigerator







.       
Photo by: Thinkstock

Ice cream
Outbreaks of food poisoning can occur when pasteurized milk is cross-contaminated with unpasteurized milk. Soft ice cream machines that aren't regularly cleaned may also harbor bacteria. At home, the USDA recommends people making their own ice cream use a cooked egg base.








      
Photo by: Thinkstock

Cheese
Cheese can become contaminated during processing, but the greatest danger comes from eating cheese made from unpasteurized milk. Raw, soft cheese, such as Brie or Mexican-style Queso Fresco, may carry listeria, a pathogen that is particularly dangerous for pregnant women. The FDA recommends avoiding cheese that is not labeled pasteurized.    







Photo by: Thinkstock

Tomatoes
Because of the way food is distributed through the agricultural system, an outbreak of salmonella at a single facility can affect thousands of people. Salmonella can live in the raw fruit, but multiply when tomatoes are cut and left in a warm environment. Store items like fresh salsa in the refrigerator. Home canned (and occasionally processed) tomatoes may harbor botulism, which the CDC says is destroyed by boiling for ten minutes





        Photo by: Thinkstock

Sprouts
The warm, moist conditions that are ideal for growing sprouts are also great for cultivating bacteria. The CDC recommends that children, the elderly, and anyone with a compromised immune system avoid consuming raw sprouts











           Photo by: Thinkstock

Berries
Since 1990, CSPI reports there have been 25 reported outbreaks of food poisoning from berries. The FDA says contamination usually occurs during harvesting or from contaminated water. The big problem is, outbreak can impact thousands of consumers such as when farm worker contaminated 2.6 million pounds of strawberries with Hepatitis A in 1997. Rinse berries thoroughly and find trusted local source for in season fruit.

LiveJournal Tags: foods,sick,wash,clean,food poisoning

Surprising ways fish oil improves your health

It’s no secret that fish oil keep inflammation down but it can also protect you from air pollution

 

 

The benefits of fish oil: Seven surprising ways it improves your health

Known to improve skin and help manage hot flashes, we find seven new ways fish oil can make you healthier

  Natasha Turner, ND Thu Aug 09 2012

 

Photo credit: Getty Images

It’s no secret that fish oil keeps your inflammation down and digestion in check. But what you may not know is that its benefits can impact everything from city living and bone density to fat burning and brain power. Here are seven things you may not know about the benefits of fish oils and how you can go about ensuring you get enough each day
:
1. Protect yourself from air pollution
Who knew that one of the many benefits of fish oil includes protecting your heart from air pollution? But, according to a recent American study it's true. Twenty-nine healthy, middle-aged adults received either three grams of fish oil or a placebo daily for four weeks and were then exposed to unclean air for two hours. Researchers found that those who took the fish oil didn’t have the same negative responses as those who only took the placebo.

Bottom line: Omega-3 fatty acid supplements offer protection against the adverse cardiac and lipid effects associated with air pollution exposure, which makes them a must especially if you live in the city
.
2. Reduce symptoms of osteoarthritis
According to a University of Bristol study, omega-3 fish oil could significantly reduce the signs and symptoms of osteoarthritis. Omega-3-rich diets fed to guinea pigs, which naturally develop osteoarthritis, reduced the disease by 50 percent compared to those who ate standard diets
.
Bottom line: If you have joint pain of any kind, you can cut the inflammatory process in half by taking fish oil daily
.
3. Reduce the signs of aging
Growing evidence suggests that telomere shortening (the DNA at the end of your chromosomes) can inhibit stem cell function and cellular regeneration causing unhealthy aging. A 2010 study uncovered an link between blood levels of fish oil and the rate of telomere shortening over five years, suggesting an explanation for the protective effects of omega-3 fatty acids.

Bottom line: Researchers from the University of California, San Francisco studied more than 600 patients and found that the higher the blood levels of fish-derived omega-3 acids in patients with coronary heart disease, the longer the telomeres. Adding fish like salmon to your diet at least twice a week is a great way to boost your omega-3 intake
.
4. Improve fat burning
When Peter Howe and his colleagues at the University of South Australia studied the effects of diet and exercise on the body, they found fish oil supplements and exercise made for a powerful fat-loss combination. During the study, overweight and obese adults with metabolic syndrome, and a greater risk of heart disease, took omega-3 fish oil daily in combination with moderate aerobic exercise three times a week for 12 weeks. Body fat stores, particularly abdominal fat, were significantly reduced in the fish-oil-plus-exercise group, but not in those who used fish oil or exercise alone.

Bottom line: The insulin-sensitizing ability of DHA, the anti-inflammatory benefits of EPA, and the fat burning benefits of both make choosing a supplement containing significant amounts of each a good idea
.
5. Boost brain power and memory
Researchers have found positive associations between fish oil supplements and cognitive functioning as well as differences in brain structure between users and non-users of fish oil supplements. Compared to non-users, fish oil supplements were associated with better cognitive functioning during the study. The unique finding, however, is that there was a clear association between fish oil and brain volume in two critical areas utilized in memory and thinking (cerebral cortex and hippocampus). In other words, fish oil use was associated with less brain shrinkage in patients taking these supplements.

Bottom line: A diet lacking in omega-3 fatty acids, may cause your brain to age faster and lose some of its memory and thinking abilities. Add to keep your brain healthy through the years.

6. Preserve lean muscle
Supplementing the diet with fish oil may prevent muscle loss that commonly occurs in cancer patients who undergo chemotherapy. The trial involved 16 patients who took fish oil (2.2 grams of eicosapentaenoic acid/day) and 24 patients who did not. Patients who did not take fish oil lost an average of 2.3 kilograms whereas patients receiving fish oil maintained their weight. What’s even more interesting is that 69 percent of patients in the fish oil group gained or maintained muscle mass.

Bottom line: Remember, muscle is metabolically active and burns calories even while you sleep. Adding in fish oil will help preserve muscle, even while dieting.

7. Improve bone health
When it comes to maintaining bone density, calcium, vitamin D and magnesium shouldn’t be your only supplements. The omega-3 fatty acid DHA is essential for optimal bone health. Researchers compared the effect of an omega-6 DPA and the omega-3 DHA in the growth of long bones in rats. The results showed that the rats fed the omega-6 supplemented diet had the lowest bone mineral content and bone mineral density compared to the rats fed the omega-3 supplemented diet.

Bottom line: The authors concluded that omega-3s appear to be a vital constituent of healthy modeling bone and maintaining bone mineral density. In addition to the above supplements, be sure to add in a regular strength training routine to prevent osteoporosis.

I recommend taking three capsules (or one teaspoon) of a high quality fish oil with meals twice daily for reduced inflammation, weight loss, healthy skin and these added benefits. Click here for my recommended brands.

Note on contents of capsules: Each fish oil capsule is approximately 900-1000 mg. The amount of EPA and DHA can vary quite a bit according to the brand, but a good rule of thumb is to add the DHA + EPA and ensure it equals half, or more than half, of the content of the capsule. For example, in a 980 mg capsule, EPA + DHA may equal 500 mg in total. Depending on the situation, you may also opt for a different ratio of EPA to DHA. If your goal is to reduce acute inflammation (such as post-surgery), you may choose a capsule that is higher in EPA, whereas if mood/brain health is your goal (such as during pregnancy), you should select a capsule that is higher in DHA. These are often available in a 6:1 ratio.

Natasha Turner, N.D. is a naturopathic doctor, Chatelaine magazine columnist, and author of the bestselling books The Hormone Diet and The Supercharged Hormone Diet. Her newest release, The Carb Sensitivity Program, is now available across Canada. She is also the founder of the Toronto-based Clear Medicine Wellness Boutique.
For more wellness advice from Natasha Turner, click here.

 

LiveJournal Tags: blood health,cardiac,dha,diet,fish oil,health,natasha turner,omega-3,osteoarthritis,pollution

The Worst Snacks for Your Body

By SHAPE magazine | Healthy Living – Mon, 13 Aug, 2012 10:35 AM EDT

To snack or not to snack? That depends on the snack. Done the right way (calorie-controlled, nutrient-rich), snacking can keep cravings in check and up the nutritional quality of your diet. But all too often some of the most common snacks-even the ones that seem healthy-are filled with salt, sugar, excess calories, and even harmful chemicals, according to Tiffany Jackson, ND, and Kate Kennedy, RD, practitioners at Cenegenics Carolinas, an age-management medical practice in Charleston, South Carolina. Here, they share the 5 worst snacks for your health:



Canned peaches1. Canned peaches: Canned fruits and veggies may seem like a great snack in a pinch, but not only are canned fruits (particularly the highly popular canned peaches) loaded with excess sugar, their nutrient content is typically much lower than fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables, which are flash frozen at the peak of ripeness.
Canned fruit, on the other hand, has had its flavor bolstered by sweeteners so there's no need to use the most flavorful fruit, which is also the most nutrient-dense. Even worse, notes Jackson, the cans are often lined with a toxic chemical that acts as a preservative.









Potato chips2. Potato chips: This is a triple threat snack if there ever was one. Not only are potato chips high in fat , calories, and sodium (threat No. 1), they are a high glycemic vegetable (threat No. 2), which can spike blood sugar. And finally (threat No. 3), when potatoes are heated to a high temperature, they release acrylamide, a harmful chemical associated with nerve damage. And no, you can't eat just one.













Rice cakes3. Rice cakes: Rice cakes, while blandly low in calories, are made from processed white rice, which is high in blood-sugar spiking carbohydrates. Plus, many come with flavorings that are loaded with sugar and salt. So even if your net calories are low, munching on these nutrient-void disks is about as healthy (and tasty) as eating Styrofoam packing peanuts.

















Blueberry muffins4. Blueberry muffins: Or, as Kennedy calls them, "sugar-laden calorie bombs." This popular muffin's still fools even health savvy people, thanks to its promise of fruit and the fact that, despite the artificial flavorings, added sugars, and ridiculous portion sizes, they just sound wholesome and harmless. Unless you made the muffin yourself, steer clear (and even then it's better as a treat than an everyday snack).













Granola bars5. Granola bars: Part of the problem with granola bars is their sheer ubiquity as an afternoon snack-and the organic promise that is on so many of these bars' labels. Nearly all of them are loaded with processed carbs, dried fruit (which is high in sugar), and held together with even more sugar in the form of honey or even the health-nut favorite agave . Plus, they don't contain much in the way of filling fiber and are often loaded with calories. Save them for the 10-mile hike.

LiveJournal Tags: unhealthy foods,unhealthy snacks,snacks,diet,healthy eating

Hidden Reasons You’re Not Losing Weight

By AMY HENDEL | iVillage Canada – Tue, 12 Jun, 2012 9:33 AM EDT

You think you're doing the right stuff to keep trim, but just can't seem to shed that extra weight. What are the hidden reasons we can't drop those last few pounds?


Reason #1: You Don’t Realize That Sugar Lurks Everywhere
Many foods that we don’t think of as sweet, like pasta, soups, cereal, salad dressings and sauces, contain sugar and often it goes by another name like agave nectar, high-fructose corn syrup, evaporated cane juice, fruit juice concentrate(s), glucose, dextrose, sucrose, honey, malt syrup or molasses -- just to name a few!. If your diet is high in sugar you may be missing out on important nutrients and overeating more often than you realize since sugar stimulates taste. A high-sugar diet can also cause a rapid rise and fall in blood sugar, which can zap your energy and make you feel hungry again.

Solution: Read nutrition labels and steer clear of cereals and sauces that have more than 8 grams of sugar per serving. If you need a sweet fix, choose fresh fruit as often as possible. Skip sodas in favour of water (plain or flavoured with a bit of lemon, lime or juice essence) and unsweetened teas.

Reason #2: You Choose “Healthy” Processed Food
Foods labeled “low sugar,” “low sodium,” “multi grain,” “organic,” “natural,” “vitamin-enriched,” “high fibre,” or “sweetened with honey or agave” may be high in calories or hidden sweeteners or unhealthy additives. And if you assume it’s healthy, you may eat more of it.
Solution: Switch to whole foods like fresh produce, fish and meat and beans and legumes and limit consumption of processed foods.

Reason #3: You Snack On Nutrition Bars
How often do you eat a nutrition bar as a snack rather than to fuel a workout? If it’s often, you could be downing 400 or more calories without realizing it. Although touted as healthy, many nutrition bars are no better than a candy bar. If you use them for fuel, choose carb-loaded bars for aerobic exercise and protein bars for weight training. If you eat them in the normal course of your day, choose 100-calorie bars for a snack and 350-calorie bars for a meal (and don’t combine with them other high-calorie foods) and avoid bars with trans fats.
Solution: Eat whole-food snacks, like sliced apple and peanut butter, and reserve bars for emergencies.

Reason #4: You Exercise Too Leisurely
If you rely on the calorie counts on machines or the numbers of calories you’ll burn promised to you by instructors you could be exerting too little effort to jumpstart weight loss. To burn 100 calories an hour, you need to maintain a high level of aerobic activity the entire hour.
Solution: Determine your target heart rate for optimal exercise then check your pulse several times during workouts (or wear a heart-rate monitor) to make sure you’re consistently in that calorie-burning zone. Try interval training (a mix of fast and slow pace), fun classes (Zumba anyone?) or outdoor exercise to keep you engaged and burning calories at maximal capacity. Choose exercises that offer a challenge or cross train on different equipment to push your body out of weight-loss plateaus.

Reason #5: You Ignore Fibre
Fibre-rich foods are good for weight-loss in two ways: They require more calorie-burning effort during digestion and they are filling and satisfying, which helps curb cravings.
Solution: Aim for 30 grams of fibre a day. Good sources include fruits, vegetables, unprocessed whole grains, beans and legumes and unprocessed nuts.

Reason #6: You're Seduced By "Diet" Foods
Beware of baked chips, whole grain pretzels, low carb dressings, diet sodas, frozen prepared diet entrees and fat-free deli meats. Many of these "diet versions" are actually high in sodium, which can cause fluid retention; or sugar, which can create a rapid rise and fall of blood sugar, triggering another cycle of eating.
Solution: Stick to fruits, vegetables, beans, legumes and nuts, fat-free dairy products, portion-controlled whole grains and a bit of healthy fat. Prepare your own food as often as possible so you know exactly what how much sugar, fat and salt you are eating.

Reason #7: You Skip Breakfast
More and more research shows that breakfast eaters lose weight and keep it off more easily than those who skip the morning meal. And the heartier the breakfast, the better – you'll be less likely to overeat later in the day.
Solution: The ideal breakfast is a combination of protein, carbs and fat, and adds up to 400 or 500 calories. Try whole-grain, high-fibre cereal, with low-fat Greek yogurt, berries and nuts; a whole-grain waffle with homemade peanut butter, banana slices and a skim latte; or two scrambled eggs with peppers and shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese on a whole grain tortilla.

Reason #8: You Forget About Fat
Pizza isn’t the only food that’s high in oil and fat. Muffins are, too. A lot of processed and refined foods have hidden trans fats, which are partially-hydrogenated oils that can clog and damage your arteries. These fats are predominantly found in fried foods and processed baked goods, stick margarines and shortenings.
Solution: Because manufacturers can claim “zero trans fats” if the food contains less than .5 grams of trans fats per serving, read nutrition labels carefully. If you see “partially hydrogenated oil” in the ingredient list, put it back on the shelf.

Reason #9: You Eat Out Too Much
Studies suggest that eating out socially often means eating more. Between bread or chips, appetizers, wine and dessert -- on top of an entree -- you can consume a lot of calories without realizing it. You may also feel pressure to clean your plate to get the full value of the meal or not waste any food.
Solution: Commit to eating at home more. Invest in cookbooks for beginners or look for simple recipes online. Plan your meals for the week and create pre-measured snacks ahead of time so you have something healthy to grab on the go. Limit eating out to once or twice a week.

Reason #10: You Eat “Unclaimed” Calories
Do you take candies or treats from bowls at work? Do you sample food from your partner’s plate? Do you nibble and taste as you cook? These unaccounted for calories add up.
Solution: Keep a food journal and jot down everything you eat so you can see how often you nibble, sample and taste. Make a point of cutting back on those unclaimed calories and keep healthy snacks on hand so you’re less likely to munch on empty calories.

Reason #11: Your Environment Encourages Eating
The color of the room, the amount of lighting and whether you listen to music or watch TV can all affect your appetite, according to research by Brian Wansink in the Cornell Food and Brand Lab. Warm colors like red and yellow stimulate appetite while cool colors like blue and green suppress it. Listening to music and watching TV or reading may cause you to overeat either by increasing your appetite or promoting mindless eating. Bright lighting makes you eat faster while eating outdoors slows consumption.
Solution: Dim the lighting, turn off any distractions like the radio, TV or the computer and eat your meal at a set table as often as possible.

Reason #12: You Drink Alcohol Before or During Meals
If you have a drink or two most nights before dinner, your ability to gauge fullness may be blunted making you more likely to overeat, especially at a buffet. You also need to add those liquid calories to your day’s tally -- at average of 100 calories per drink, it's easy to rack up a few hundred empty calories.
Solution: Drink an occasional glass of wine or wine spritzer, but remember to count those calories and be aware of appetizer, entree and dessert portions
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Reason #13: You Don’t Discriminate Against Condiments
Calories from condiments like mayonnaise and ketchup, salad dressing and other add-ins like croutons, add up, especially since most of us eat more than one serving. A tablespoon of mayonnaise, which is mostly fat, and one ounce of croutons is 132 calories.
Solution: Choose condiments wisely, substituting lower-calorie mustard, hummus or avocado for mayonnaise, and measure by the teaspoon.

Reason #14: You Graze All Day
Grazing can be healthy but it can also go haywire, if you’re not keeping track of how much you’re eating or paying attention to hunger signals.
Solution: Keep a food journal (or download an app) to track how much you eat, how often you eat, the specific amounts or serving sizes of carbohydrates, fats and proteins you are eating daily and be mindful of how often you graze.

Reason #15: You Think Gluten-Free Equals Calorie-Free
Many people who aren’t allergic to gluten are still choosing gluten-free foods because they equate them with lower calories. The same goes for “diabetes-friendly foods” and foods labeled with terms like “low carb” or “low fat.”
Solution: Skip gluten-free foods if you’re not allergic to gluten. They won’t help your waist, wallet or overall health. If you are allergic to gluten, keep track of your carbohydrate consumption and make sure you get enough protein.

LiveJournal Tags: weight,health,nutrition