Encouraging Health

But study has strange twist — the opposite effect is seen in boys

Sitting down for regular family meals may protect teen girls from developing eating disorders, according to a new study published in the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine.

Dr. Dianne Neumark-Sztainer and colleagues from the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis found that adolescent girls who ate five or more meals each week with their families were approximately one third less likely to engage in extreme weight control behaviors, such as making themselves vomit, taking diet pills and abusing diuretics or laxatives than girls who ate less frequently with their families.

Some studies have suggested that family meals may help shield girls from developing unhealthy or extreme weight control behaviors, Neumark-Sztainer and her colleagues note, but this research has only looked at a single time point or has relied on past recall of eating habits.

To better understand the relationship, the researchers analyzed results of the Project EAT (Eating Among Teens) Study, in which 2,516 adolescent boys and girls completed a questionnaire in 1999 and 2004. The researchers hypothesized that study participants who reported eating more frequent family meals at the first assessment would be less likely to report disordered eating behavior five years later.

However, the researchers found that boys who ate with their families more often were actually at increased risk of unhealthy weight control behaviors. They speculate that boys who eat regularly with their families may have certain characteristics that predispose them to unhealthy eating habits, or that eating with family somehow benefits girls more than it does boys.

Past research has identified a number of benefits of family meals, the researchers note; however, the way that some families interact at mealtimes can actually promote unhealthy eating habits, they add.

Check out http://www.parentingteensblog.com for great ideas for communicating with your teens.

family dinner, eating disorders

family dinner, eating disorders

Top Smile Savers and Spoilers

Somewhere in America, right now, a student’s science fair project is demonstrating cola’s ability to eat through tooth enamel. It’s not pretty. But soda isn’t the only food that does a number on your grin. Here are some of your smile’s worst enemies — and best friends.

The Enemies List

Soda, fruit juice, and sports drinks: They’re not only sugary but also acidic, and that creates a perfect home for the bacteria that cause cavities and gum disease — especially if you tend to sip all day on one or another of these drinks. Acid-neutralizing saliva just can’t keep up.
The realistic fix: Nobody’s saying you have to go cold turkey, but for all-day swigging, choose water. Reserve the pick-me-ups for once-a-day use. And buy some straws — sipping through them reduces the amount of time your teeth are exposed to a drink.

Sticky stuff: We’re not just talking gooey caramels or fruit roll-ups. Bread, crackers, chips, sweet rolls, and other refined carbohydrates are nearly as likely as a Tootsie Roll to cling to teeth — and they hang on for at least 20 minutes. Not good.
The realistic fix: Try to say no to sticky sweets and carbs when you can’t brush afterward. Alternatively, slosh some water around in your mouth or chew a stick of sugarless gum that’s sweetened with xylitol. The gum helps remove sticky food particles from your teeth, and xylitol curbs cavity causers and increases healthy saliva.

Your Smile’s Best Friends

Cheese, please: Eating a bit of cheddar (or whatever) at the end of a meal helps protect teeth. It stimulates the production of cleansing saliva, and the calcium in cheese helps harden teeth.

Crunchy things: Crisp apples, celery, and carrots are nature’s little toothbrush alternatives. Not only do they help rid your mouth of food particles, but also their rough, fibrous texture actually scrubs away as you chew, slightly brightening your smile.

Have a cuppa: Drinking tea after eating can help destroy the germs that cause cavities, gum disease, and less-than-fresh breath. That goes for both green and black teas.

Shiitake mushrooms: These delicate, delicious flavor boosters contain lentinan, a plant substance that’s anything but a lightweight: It fights both tooth plaque and the bacteria that live in it.

For more healthy tooth tips, browse Encouraging Health

healthy teeth, white teeth

healthy teeth, white teeth

A hot cup of something steamy always sounds good first thing in the morning.

But which — coffee or tea?

Both coffee and tea are chock-full of antioxidants, so feel fine about sipping either. But this might sway your decision: Tea also contains something that seems to fight nasty infections. What is it?

Bacteria Basher
It’s L-theanine, an amino acid that boosts immune responses to bacteria, including the ones that cause gut-churning food poisoning. Coffee, which lacks L-theanine,
shows no such antibacterial activity in studies.

More Reasons to Sip a Cuppa
Black, green, or oolong tea all provide a nice dose of the bacteria-thwarting compound. And these fragrant brews give you a host of other health benefits, too, from helping your heart to cutting cancer risk.And although it’s lower in caffeine than coffee, tea still provides about as much of the pick-me-up stuff as a soda. So pour yourself a cuppa!

Adding this to your tea makes it even more of an antioxidant powerhouse:

Okay, we know you probably don’t have a yellow-capped squeezy bear of buckwheat honey in your pantry. But the next time you’re in a natural-foods grocery or speciality market, pick up a jar. Although several types of honey have some antioxidant effects, researchers have pronounced buckwheat honey far and away the star. And buckwheat itself (think pancake mixes, Japanese soba noodles) is being investigated as a “functional food,” thanks both to its high levels of protein, fiber, and minerals, and its lab-tested ability to reduce body fat and cholesterol and even prevent gallstones. So the next time you’re making yourself a cuppa, try sweetening it with something that’s got a lot more going for it than sugar’s empty calories.

Look for honey recipes over on http://www.elementarychef.com/

tea, honey, antioxidents

tea, honey, antioxidents

Be it sweater or swimsuit season, a daily dose of the “sunshine vitamin” may significantly shrink your risk of disease and death.

And although the stuff naturally occurs in your skin when exposed to the sun, you should faithfully pop a vitamin D supplement as well, because you need more D than Mother Nature — or your diet — can probably provide.

A Vital Vitamin
Vitamin D may be particularly helpful in thwarting cancer and arterial diseases.

Why? It’s not entirely clear yet. But these conditions rely on cell proliferation to do their damage, and vitamin D may help slow down that process.

Making D Work for You
So how can you tap into the sunshine vitamin’s benefits? A bit of safe sun and some D-rich foods will boost your blood levels — but only so much. To gain the life-extending effects researchers recently identified, you’ll need a daily supplement, too. Either form you find at your drugstore, vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol) or vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol), will do the trick.

The following foods are both heart-healthy and have strong anti-inflammatory effects.

Fruits and Vegetables
No surprise here, but do you know why? Many fruits and vegetables
– especially red grapes, cranberries, tomatoes, and onions — contain powerful antioxidants called flavonoids and carotenoids. These vitamin-like substances decrease inflammation by handcuffing free radicals and escorting these troublemakers out of your system.

Garlic
It’s still being debated, but a clove a day may help thin your blood and lower your blood pressure. If you don’t like the taste or the fact that coworkers shrink away when they pass you in the hall, take garlic in pill form (called allicin) at 400 milligrams a day (though the odor may still emerge through your sweat glands).

Olive Oil
The extra-virgin kind contains lots of healthy phytonutrients as well as monounsaturated fats, which boost good HDL cholesterol. Aim for 25% of your diet to come from healthy fats such as those found in olive oil, avocados, and nuts. Doing so can make your RealAge up to 6 years younger.

Fish
Omega-3 fatty acids — abundant in fatty fish — reduce triglycerides in your blood (high triglycerides cause plaque buildup) and help reduce the risk of arrhythmia after a heart attack. In addition, they decrease blood pressure and make platelets less sticky, which reduces clotting.

Aim for three portions of fish per week. The best choices: mahimahi, catfish, flounder, tilapia, whitefish, and wild, line-caught salmon

Check out this post on Vitamin D!

vitamin d

vitamin d

Nearly half have prescribed dummy pills at some point, study finds

Placebos are a surprisingly common prescription, according to a U.S. study in which nearly half of the doctors surveyed said they had doled out a dummy pill at some point.

Researchers at the University of Chicago said on Thursday the study raises ethical questions and suggests a need for greater recognition and understanding of placebo use.

“It illustrates that doctors believe expectation and belief have therapeutic potential,� said Rachel Sherman, a medical student at the University of Chicago, whose study was published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine.

The idea behind placebos is that when patients think they are getting an effective treatment, they sometimes feel better, even though the pill has no proven benefit.

They are often used in clinical trials to compare the benefits of drugs, and many times patients taking placebos show some improvement. But few studies have shown how doctors use placebos in routine practice.

Sherman and Dr. John Hickner, a family medicine professor at the University of Chicago, sent surveys to 466 internists at three Chicago-area academic medical centers. About half, or 231, responded.

Of those, 45 percent said they had used a placebo during their clinical practice, a number that surprised the researchers. But 12 percent of those surveyed said placebos should never be used.

“I think this shows that it strikes a chord among physicians. We may underestimate the body’s natural healing potential,� Sherman said in a telephone interview. “This shows that doctors may think that, too.�

Part of the reason doctors are not forthcoming about giving a placebo is that in order for it to work, patients need to believe it can help, Sherman said.

One way around this dilemma is to ask all new patients for their consent in advance. “The patient could say no. Then you avoid any of these ethical questions,� Sherman said.

See Encouraging Healthfor more health news.

medication, placebo

medication, placebo

Being overweight not longer equated with unattractive

Dieting has fallen out of favor while eating healthier is in, a consumer marketing research firm that tracks what Americans consume said on Friday.

Twenty-nine percent of women and 19 percent of men are on diets based on the responses of 26,000 American adults, compared to 10 years ago when 35 percent of women and 23 percent of men said they were dieting, according to Port Washington, New York-based NPD Group Inc.

“The problem with diets is most people feel deprived, or they’re disappointed with the results. Of course, results will come if you stick with it,� NPD Vice President Harry Balzer said in a telephone interview. “But people see dieting as not a long-term healthful way to live.�

Improving overall health was the prime motivation for 68 percent of those on a diet, the survey found.

“We’ve become more accepting of our weight and the most important thing is, are you healthy?� Balzer said.

The most popular diet among dieters was one they made up for themselves — helped by more detailed nutritional labels on packaged foods and a plethora of guides to slimming down.

One-third of the dieters in NPD’s surveys said they had formulated their own approach, usually through portion control, while 9 percent subscribed to an “extreme diet� calling for either severe calorie reductions or eliminating a food group such as carbohydrates.

Adults’ desire to lose weight — specifically, 20 pounds in NPD’s surveys — is one thing that has not shifted much since topping out in 2001 at around 60 percent of respondents, Balzer said. The portion of American adults who are overweight has plateaued at around 62 percent, he noted.

Eight out of 10 dieters said their goal was both to lose weight and improve their health — a sign of growing acceptance that a healthy weight may not equate to slimness.

The percentage of adults who viewed an overweight person as unattractive has dropped to 25 percent from more than 50 percent in past decades, Balzer said.

Despite the penchant for healthier eating, many Americans still opt for convenience, as NPD’s surveys and the array of fast-food restaurants in many communities showed, Balzer said.

“The problem with fresh vegetables is they’re not easy,� he said. “Most important is how much does it cost and how easy it is to get it? A secondary factor is how healthy is it?�

For already meal, Try this pasta meal from Coaching Cooking

healthy living, dieting

healthy living, dieting

Which is the more unfriendly place for your lungs — the smoking section inside a cafe or the one outside on the patio?

The answer may surprise you. Tests recently revealed that the air quality is often equally poor in both locations. So steer clear of that smoking section whenever you can. Now, which of these is worse for your lungs?

Cars or Bars?
Would your lungs be worse off if you spent a few hours in a car, windows cracked, with someone who’s smoking or if you whiled away an evening in a smoky bar? Again, the answer may seem counterintuitive. Seems the air in a car, after a few cigarettes, can be even worse than the air in a smoky bar — even with the windows open a bit. So now you know what to say the next time your pal wants to light up on a road trip.

Love Your Lungs
Try these other tips for battling bad air:

Eat some fish.

Put fish on the menu to help your heart and lungs battle pollution.
The fats in fish may help prevent the unhealthy irregular heartbeats that can be caused by breathing in particulate matter, the fine airborne particles from car emissions, industrial processes, and other sources. Dine on some chunk light tuna or salmon to help get your fill of heart-healthy fish fats.

Buy a spider plant for your bedroom.

Quite simply, because plants are nature’s air freshener — they continually improve a room’s air quality by increasing the oxygen and removing pollutants. Easy-to-grow spider plants, philodendrons, and golden pothos are the most effective, according to a NASA study. Talk about potluck!

Clean your air filter more often, and don’t overdo it with vitamins.

Air-filtering systems seem like they’d be the best things for your lungs since snorkels. Air filters are supposed to take allergens out of the air, but, unfortunately, many of them don’t work that well. The primary reason isn’t mechanical malfunction; it’s owner malfunction. People don’t change the filters often enough, so they’re not all that effective.

taking in more than 2,500 international units (IU) of vitamin A or the vitamin A equivalent in beta carotene — from supplements. When you add that amount to what you are likely already getting from food, the nutrient doesn’t serve its purpose as a disease-fighting antioxidant. In fact, it does the opposite and oxidizes tissue, which can cause DNA damage. One study from Finland found that people who took vitamin A had a higher risk of lung cancer, atherosclerosis, and, for smokers, stroke. So if you take vitamin A or beta carotene, choose one that contains under 1,500 to 2,500 IU a day, because you’ll get some in food.

Search Encouraging Health for more health tips.

second hand smoke

second hand smoke

If you’ve been avoiding burgers, ice cream, and pizza thinking you’re doing your waistline a favor, don’t.

They can actually help you lose weight — and keep it off, too. Here are the hidden slim-down perks of five foods that get a bad rap and the best way to add each one back into your diet.

Even burgers and meatballs can be light fare if you make them with ground sirloin, says Bonnie Gluck, M.S., R.D., a clinical dietitian at New York Methodist Hospital in New York City. “Lean red meat — lean being the operative word — is a great choice for women who are trying to shed pounds,” she says. “It’s an excellent source of protein. And protein takes longer to digest, helping you feel full and cutting the likelihood that you’ll snack later on.”

A study of 100 women from Australian researchers found that overweight women who ate reduced-calorie diets rich in protein from red meat and dairy lost more weight than those whose reduced-calorie plans had little meat and more carbs. “Protein can reduce hunger,” says study author Manny Noakes, Ph.D., associate professor with the Commonwealth Scientific Industrial Research Organization (Australia’s national science agency) in Adelaide. And being less hungry while you’re trying to lose weight can prevent overeating.

Best way to enjoy it: Choose ground beef labeled “97 percent lean” or “extralean,” which means it has less than five grams of fat per serving. Want steak? Get lower-fat cuts from the loin, like sirloin tip, T-bone, or strip steak, Gluck says.

Watch out for: Beef that’s labeled Prime. “It’s very high in fat,” Gluck says. Buy cuts graded Choice; the meat has less fat and still tastes good. And remember to limit your portion size, no matter how lean the meat. “Many restaurants will serve an eight-ounce steak or burger, which means you’re getting twice the amount you actually need,” says Dave Grotto, R.D., author of “101 Foods That Could Save Your Life.” Stick to a three-ounce serving (roughly the size of a deck of cards).

Ice cream

Good news for ice cream lovers: A recent Swedish study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition shows that women who have at least one serving of full-fat dairy products a day gain less weight than women who don’t. Researchers aren’t entirely sure why, but it’s believed that a compound in milk fat called conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) may aid weight loss

Eggs

After years of being barred from the average American diet, things are looking sunny-side up for eggs. According to a study from Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, overweight women who eat egg breakfasts lose twice as much weight as women who start their days with bagels. Researchers say the protein in eggs increases satiety and decreases hunger, helping women eat fewer calories throughout the day. “Eggs are a perfect protein source because they have all eight essential amino acids,” Grotto says. “And recent research debunks the idea that they have adverse effects on the heart.”

Pizza

You already know you can enjoy some mozzarella on your favorite pie and still drop pounds. But there are other ways you can make that slice even healthier. To hike the diet-friendly fiber, choose a whole-wheat crust and top your pizza with veggies like peppers, artichokes, and broccoli. “Like protein, fiber is digested slowly and helps keep you feeling full, longer,” Gluck says.

Even better? By sticking with healthful toppings like veggies and lean protein (grilled chicken is a good choice), a medium slice will set you back only 200 to 250 calories.

Canadian bacon

Unlike a regular strip of crispy pork fat, Canadian bacon — which comes from the loin, one of the leanest parts of the pig — is a dieter’s best friend, with a third less fat than regular bacon. If that isn’t reason enough to put Canadian bacon on your plate, a recent study from Purdue University shows that women who eat a diet rich in lean pork and other protein keep more lean body mass during weight loss than women who eat a low- calorie diet with little pork and other protein sources. An added bonus: Women who eat meals rich in protein from pork report that they feel satisfied, in spite of the fact that they are on reduced-calorie diets, and say they’re happier overall.

Check out Nutrition Frenzy for more good food ideas.

good junk food

good junk food

A married couple who sailed to America from England around 1630 are the reason why thousands of people in the United States are at higher risk of a hereditary form of colon cancer, researchers said on Wednesday.

Using a genetic fingerprint, a U.S. team traced back a so-called founder genetic mutation to the couple found among two large families currently living in Utah and New York.

Cancer researchers at the Huntsman Cancer Institute in Utah did not name the families but said thousands of people across the country may have the mutation that spread widely as the couple’s descendants branched apart over many generations.

“The fact that this mutation can be traced so far back in time suggests it could be carried by many more families in the United States than is currently known,” said Deb Neklason, who led the study. “In fact, this founder mutation might be related to many colon cancer cases in the United States.”

Colorectal cancer is the third-leading cause of cancer death in the United States. It will affect 153,000 Americans in 2008, according to the American Cancer Society, and will kill 52,000.

Family history, smoking and diet are all linked with colorectal cancer but experts are still struggling to identify the causes that underlie most cases.

An estimated less than 1 percent of these cases are due to this particular genetic mutation, according to the study published in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology.

The U.S. team first focused on the Utah branch of the family — numbering about 5,000 people today — 14 years ago because its members had an unusually high risk of colon cancer.

Because the family was Mormon, the researchers were able to mine a wealth of genealogical information taken from detailed church records over the years that is now part of a large genetics database in Utah, Neklason said.

While most of the records in the study related to the Utah part of the family, the researchers eventually identified the New York branch as well.

“We just know about these two branches of the family,” Neklason said. “The significance of it going so far back is there are probably many branches of the family out there that aren’t aware of the mutation.”

In the study, the team identified the mutation that causes a condition called attenuated familial adenomatous polyposis (AFAP), which makes people more prone to developing polyps that can cause colon cancer.

Without proper treatment, people with this mutation have a greater than 2 in 3 risk of developing colon cancer by age 80, compared to about 1 in 24 for the general population. Early treatment, however, can just about eliminate this risk.

“This study highlights that you need to pay attention to your family history,” Neklason said. “With intervention to remove the polyps, the risk goes to near nothing.”

See more information on Colon Cancer here, on Encouraging Health.com

colon cancer, common ancestor

colon cancer, common ancestor

Top Smile Savers and Spoilers

Somewhere in America, right now, a student’s science fair project is demonstrating cola’s ability to eat through tooth enamel. It’s not pretty. But soda isn’t the only food that does a number on your grin. Here are some of your smile’s worst enemies — and best friends.

The Enemies List

Soda, fruit juice, and sports drinks: They’re not only sugary but also acidic, and that creates a perfect home for the bacteria that cause cavities and gum disease — especially if you tend to sip all day on one or another of these drinks. Acid-neutralizing saliva just can’t keep up.

The realistic fix: Nobody’s saying you have to go cold turkey, but for all-day swigging, choose water. Reserve the pick-me-ups for once-a-day use. And buy some straws — sipping through them (try this trick) reduces the amount of time your teeth are exposed to a drink.

Sticky stuff: We’re not just talking gooey caramels or fruit roll-ups. Bread, crackers, chips, sweet rolls, and other refined carbohydrates are nearly as likely as a Tootsie Roll to cling to teeth — and they hang on for at least 20 minutes. Not good.

The realistic fix: Try to say no to sticky sweets and carbs when you can’t brush afterward. Alternatively, slosh some water around in your mouth or chew a stick of sugarless gum that’s sweetened with xylitol. The gum helps remove sticky food particles from your teeth, and xylitol curbs cavity causers and increases healthy saliva.

Your Smile’s Best Friends

Cheese, please: Eating a bit of cheddar (or whatever) at the end of a meal helps protect teeth. It stimulates the production of cleansing saliva, and the calcium in cheese helps harden teeth.

Crunchy things: Crisp apples, celery, and carrots are nature’s little toothbrush alternatives. Not only do they help rid your mouth of food particles, but also their rough, fibrous texture actually scrubs away as you chew, slightly brightening your smile.

Have a cuppa: Drinking tea after eating can help destroy the germs that cause cavities, gum disease, and less-than-fresh breath. That goes for both green and black teas.

Shiitake mushrooms: These delicate, delicious flavor boosters contain lentinan, a plant substance that’s anything but a lightweight: It fights both tooth plaque and the bacteria that live in it.

Speaking of smiling, lets look at politicians for a change.

smile, tooth decay, healthy teeth

smile, tooth decay, healthy teeth