Encouraging Health

RealAge.comtells us about the positive benefits of Americas most loathed vegetable.

Broccoli may take up calm and quiet residence on your plate, but those lean, green spears could help you make some noise.

No, not that kind of noise. We’re talking about your ability to yammer, yell, and otherwise voice your opinion. High-fiber veggies like broccoli may protect against cancer of the larynx, that thing in your neck better known as your voice box.

It’s the Fiber
High intake of fiber from fruits and vegetables cuts the risk of laryngeal cancer. Whole-grain cereals do, too, as long as they are high-fiber cereals and not chock-full of refined grains.

Super Fiber Sources
Besides broccoli, other vegetables high in fiber include peas, artichokes, winter squash, and cabbage. Fiber-rich fruits include raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, and dried figs.

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Don’t like boiled Broccoli? Who does! Ty it steamed with lemon & capers! How about sautéed in Extra Virgin Olive Oil with Onion, garlic and ground cayenne Pepper ?

broccoli, laryngeal cancer

broccoli, laryngeal cancer

Barbara Rolls, Ph.D. at MSNBC.com has a good article on watching what you eat when you dine out:

If you like to dine out but are trying to watch your weight, the deck is stacked against you.

In many restaurants, a pasta bowl can hold 2 pounds. A plate of steak or fish weighing more than a pound is not unusual. Even sandwiches can contain more than 1,000 calories.

With Americans eating out more than ever and restaurant portion sizes growing steadily since the 1980s, it’s no wonder our waistlines have expanded too.

A survey of 300 American chefs from casual and fine dining restaurants helps explain the portion bloat.

While three-quarters of chefs believed they prepared regular-size servings, the portions they offered were two to four times larger than a typical person should eat, according to a survey I helped conduct along with Julie Flood, a Ph.D. student in nutrition at Penn State, and Marge Condrasky, a nutrition professor at Clemson University in South Carolina. The results are due to be published this summer.

For example, a popular restaurant chain’s smallest steak is 9 ounces and has 740 calories. An appropriate portion would be 4 ounces with only 300 calories.

To read more, read above.

portion control, restaurant portions

portion control, restaurant portions

According to CNN.com, A man’s expanding waistline may affect urinary, sexual function.

An expanding waistline in older men is associated with worsening lower urinary tract symptoms and poorer sexual function, according to new research.

Waist size is one component of the so-called metabolic syndrome, which signifies an elevated risk of heart disease and diabetes, said Dr. Steven A. Kaplan from Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, at a briefing at the recent American Urological Association.

“It is becoming very clear that when you have multiple components of the metabolic syndrome you can bet that you will have components of pelvic dysfunction, which we would define as sexual dysfunction and voiding dysfunction,” Kaplan said.

He and his colleagues tested the idea that waist circumference may be a useful predictor of prostate volume and the severity of pelvic dysfunction.

They grouped 88 men (average age, 62 years) with moderate or severe untreated voiding symptoms by waist circumference: 30-36 inches, 36-40 inches, and more than 40 inches.

Increasing waist circumference was significantly associated with “every parameter we looked at,” Kaplan said. Prostate volume, PSA level, voiding symptom score, erectile dysfunction, and ejaculatory dysfunction all increased as waist size increased, he explained.

To read more, click above.

mens health, waistline, urinary health, sexual health, diabetes

mens health, waistline, urinary health, sexual health, diabetes

Here’s a recipe I’ve loved, from one of the low-fat or vegetarin cookbooks I have. This recipe is full of anti-oxidents, cancer fighting properties and good for arteries.

Breakfast Bake

Wisk 4 eggs with 2 tbsp flour
Add any spices you like. I add pepper, Garlic and Onion powder and sometimes cayenne pepper.

Slice 1/2 each zucchini and yellow squash and add to egg mixture. Sometimes I add 2-3 asparagus spears, evenly chopped into one inch slices.

Sprinkle some of your favorite cheese on top, if wanted.

Place in buttered pie tin and bake for 20-30 mins at 350-400.

Done when firm and toothpick or cake tester comes out clean.

Let cool slightly, then slice and serve.

breakfast recipes, breakfast bake, zucchini, yellow squash

breakfast recipes, breakfast bake, zucchini, yellow squash

From RealAge.com

Here are some simple things you can do to make heart-healthy changes to your diet:

• Choose nonfat or low-fat dairy and packaged foods
• Reduce your use of salt and avoid salty foods. Too much sodium can increase blood pressure, which is hard on the heart
• Drink no more than 2 alcoholic beverages a day
• Add fruits and vegetables to your diet. They fill you up, so you don’t
load up on foods that are higher in fats and calories
• Read labels to look for hidden fat and salt. Choose alternative foods
that don’t have added salt or are fat-free

Remember to talk to your doctor before starting any diet plan.

heart health

heart health

From RealAge.com:

Tune In to Dinner Time

Are SpongeBob SquarePants and Dora the Explorer sabotaging your child’s eating habits? If he or she is seeing too much of those characters, then perhaps so.

Too much TV is associated with poor eating habits in kids, there’s no doubt about that. A recent survey of more than a thousand parents found it to be true. The survey also revealed that not eating meals together as a family tends to keep fruits and veggies off the menu. So flip off the set and switch your clan’s focus to what’s on the plate and who’s around the table.

RealAge Projection: If kids get into the habit of enjoying a diverse mix of foods, they’re likely to maintain this eating style as adults. And by getting 4 servings of fruit and vegetables per day as an adult, they could look and feel as much as 4 years younger at age 40.

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Lots of good advice can he found on their site

kids, healthy eating

kids, healthy eating

from RealAge.com:

Sad and Old: It Ain’t So

We may lose our hair, not hear as well, and get more wrinkles — but we’ll have big smiles on our faces.

It turns out that growing older isn’t such a drag. Time and time again, 70-year-olds report higher levels of happiness than 30-year-olds. Are you happy?

Better with Age
Why might older adults be happier? It could be that the kind of maturity that can only come with age allows people to keep an emotional even keel. Or that with advancing years, we simply become more skilled at coping with our circumstances — even those that are life changing. Whatever the reason, it’s good news for our health.

From www.RealAge.com:

Is your blood pressure just a little high? Taste your food before you salt it.

Seems that letting go of the shaker provides big benefits not just for people with high blood pressure but also for people with prehypertension. It can slash their risk of cardiovascular disease as much as 25 percent. Here’s how to cut back.

The Trouble with Prehypertension
Over one-quarter of U.S. adults have prehypertension. That’s a condition where your numbers are just a bit high — 120-139 systolic or 80-89 diastolic — but not high enough to be officially classified as hypertension. Still, research shows even slightly elevated numbers boost your risk of heart troubles down the road. The solution? Early intervention.

3 Salt Lickers
Here are three easy ways to kick some salt out of your diet:
1. Limit meals out. Typical restaurant meals are notoriously high in sodium. Try cutting your dining-out schedule in half — unless you know you can special order low-sodium meals.
2. Read labels closely when you buy premade, prepackaged, or canned foods. Words to look for on ingredients lists: sodium chloride, monosodium glutamate, baking soda (sodium bicarbonate), baking powder, disodium phosphate, sodium nitrite, sodium propionate, and sodium sulfite.
3. Put away the saltshaker. Don’t add salt before or after cooking. Instead, experiment with flavors like black pepper, lemon pepper, garlic, curry, lime or lemon juice, and red wine vinegar.

salt, sodium, blood pressure

salt, sodium, blood pressure

Courtesy of webmd.com and redbook magazine, Your Guide to Never Feeling Tired Again:

Energize Your Diet

Why is it that filling up on pasta or Chinese food for lunch leaves us snacky and sleepy an hour later? Or that falling short on fluids makes us forgetful and foggy? Fact is, eating habits play a powerful role in how well we function on every level. Below, six top fatigue-fighting nutrition strategies to chew on.

* Have breakfast… even if you don’t feel hungry.
* Eat every three to four hours, small, healthy snacks.
* Fill up on more fiber.
* Fuel your brain with omega-3s.
* Stay hydrated. That means good old H2O: Water!
* Watch caffeine intake after noon. This means no coffee or soda.

Energize Your Spirit

We’re all familiar with physical exhaustion, but mental strain — sadness, boredom, worry, anger, and general stress (the biggie) — can take an even heavier toll on vitality, completely wearing you out. Life happens, and these difficult emotions will, too. But if you react wisely, your brain and body will rebound — along with your vim and vigor.

* Splash some water on your face or take a shower when you’re feeling burned-out.
* Suit up in a “power” outfit to beat the blahs.
* Vent your feelings. Talk with the guys, share with the gals.
* Turn on some tunes.
* Let go of grudges.

To read more tips and hints more fully in-depth, click on the above link.

refresh, pep, destress, energize

refresh, pep, destress, energize

One company was working on their sand scupture live during the week.

Another angle.

The last sand sculpture was a sports theme, as you can tell.

Viewing from the other side.

View of a canal running through the downtown park, and in the middle of the Omaha Food Fest. I nibbled on some artichoke dip with tortillias, pizza rolls, eggrolls and a frozen yogurt shake.

Closeup of the dock for the Missouri Cruise Boat.

On the way back to the car, saw this statue. Very cool.

The last picture is of the plaque on the above statue.

Hope you enjoyed the week-long view of the Taste of Omaha and Sand Sculpture!

Omaha Festivals, Omaha Farmers Market, Taste of Omaha, Omaha Sand Sculpture

Omaha Festivals, Omaha Farmers Market, Taste of Omaha, Omaha Sand Sculpture