Encouraging Health

The U.S. Medicare program may expand reimbursement for bariatric surgery for the obese, in light of a study that found the treatment can help reverse diabetes, the agency said on Monday.

Recent research found the surgery can completely reverse type 2 diabetes, a metabolic condition spurred by weight gain and suffered by millions of Americans.

Medicare, the government health plan for the nation’s 44 million elderly, “will assess the nature of the scientific evidence supporting surgery for the treatment of diabetes,” the agency said on its Web site.

The agency will decide whether to set a “national coverage decision,” that would set reimbursement policy for all Medicare recipients. It could also decide to not cover the weight-loss surgery for diabetes alone.

The government already pays for the surgery in certain patients, generally those classified as “morbidly obese.”

The surgery has been controversial, as some studies have found a higher death rate among some patients.

The prevalence of obesity rose from 15 percent of the adult population in a 1976-1980 survey, to 33 percent from 2003-2004 data, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

At the same time, diabetes has become more common in the United States. From 1980 through 2005, the number of Americans with diabetes increased from 5.6 million to 15.8 million, according to CDC.

Allergan Inc sells a product called the Lap-Band that can be used during certain surgeries.

How do you feel about Medicare allowing Labp-Band surgeries for Obesity (and other health issues)? Is it money well spent? Should there be more information and teaching on healthy eating habits? How about increasing food stamps so those on Medicare can afford healthy foods? Whose fault is obesity?
Browse Encouraging Health.

You really can fight wrinkles from the inside out. And there’s a fruit that can lead the charge.

It’s papaya. What makes papaya so perfect? Easy. Vitamin C. Papaya has loads of it, and getting lots of vitamin C may mean more youthful skin — fewer wrinkles and less thinning and dryness. A recent study in women over 40 confirmed it.

The Mysteries of C
Vitamin C is a natural friend to skin. The nutrient is essential for making collagen, the protein fibers that give skin its strength and resiliency. And being a powerful antioxidant, C also disarms free radicals that would otherwise chip away and weaken collagen.

Vitamin C helps protect skin from this sun scourge, too:

If you’re slathering on sunscreen through the winter months, good for you! Your skin still needs it even if it’s chilly outside.

And here’s something else you can do for your skin this season: Stock up on sweet, juicy oranges. The reason?

Fabulous Flavonone
Oranges are ripe with naringenin, a naturally occurring flavonone that may help shield skin from UV rays. It won’t replace regular sunscreen use, but researchers hope it may help stop skin-cell death.

More Food for Your Face
A little extra vitamin C isn’t all it takes to plump your complexion. Here are a few more food tips that can help keep your face fresh:
Munch on walnuts. In the vitamin C study, researchers also noted that diets rich in linoleic acid — an essential fatty acid in walnuts — meant moister, plumper skin.

Ease up on fats and refined carbs. Scientists found both were linked to aging skin.

Think whole grains. The magnesium and B vitamins you get from them help with the regeneration of skin cells.

Keep the fruits and veggies coming. To stay smooth and healthy, your skin needs a whole slew of antioxidant-rich produce.

For more information on skin care, browse Encouraging Health.

When temperatures start rising, there’s no more refreshing meal than a crisp, fresh salad.

But as it turns out, not all veggies are created equal. Sure, they’re all good for you, but some — five in particular — are extra good, with antioxidant levels that are out of this world! Toss a handful of these superstar veggies into a salad bowl and you’ll instantly up your defenses against everything from wrinkles to heart disease.

Just season with some olive oil, vinegar, and a few of the herbs and spices below and you’ll punch up the antioxidant power even more. Health food doesn’t get any easy-breezier!

Five Superstar Veggies
Artichokes
Radishes
Broccoli
Red chicory
Leeks

Seven Stellar Seasonings
Sage
Rosemary
Marjoram
Thyme
Tarragon
Cumin
Ginger
Garlic

The Very Best Veggie
Of the 27 vegetables that scientists have studied, the almighty artichoke, rich in both fiber and folate, leads the antioxidant pack. Look for plump but compact globelike artichokes with thick, green, fresh-looking scales.

The Runners-Up
You’ll find radishes, broccoli, and even luscious leeks at most supermarkets. But what about red chicory? An Italian salad favorite with an oddly appealing bitter taste, red chicory is also called radicchio. It’s becoming more widely available, so keep an eye out for its purpley-red leaves. Once you get it home, try mixing it with romaine.

High-Powered Herbs and Spices
Sage, rosemary, and thyme . . . when Simon and Garfunkel made them famous, nobody knew these herbs had disease-fighting powers — but they do. And cumin, a spice used heavily in Indian food, is even more impressive, as is ginger. Truth: All of these seasonings can boost the healthfulness and flavor factor of any salad (soups, too). Here’s a recipe to get you started:

Cool-Beans Artichoke Salad
This elegant mix is both light and filling — perfect to serve to a few friends on a sultry night.

Serves 4

10 baby artichokes (outer leaves removed), quartered
2 cups diagonally cut asparagus
1/3 cup thinly sliced radishes
3 green onions, thinly sliced
1 19-oz. can white beans, rinsed and drained
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
8 large romaine leaves

1. Steam the artichokes for 8 minutes. Add the asparagus and steam about 2 minutes more, or until tender but still crisp. Drain and run vegetables under cold water. Let cool.

2. To make the dressing, whisk together garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper.

3. Combine radishes, onions, and beans in a salad bowl with half of the dressing and toss well. Gently stir in artichokes and asparagus.

4. To serve, place two romaine leaves on four plates. Divide salad equally among plates, and drizzle with remaining dressing.

For more health articles and recipes, browse Encouraging Health.

Feel a bit scatterbrained now and then? Make yourself a big jug of sun tea.

Not for the caffeine, but for one heck of a potent compound that could fine-tune your focus. It’s theanine.

Your Brain on Theanine
When people in a study consumed theanine (an amino acid) and then performed a challenging mental task that required both looking and listening skills, their brains became quite active. Specifically, the right parietooccipital cortex lit up. That’s a part of the brain’s circuit system tied to attention span. So if you feel more alert and focused after a tea break, it’s no wonder!

Be Like the Brits
More reasons to brew a pot — or steep a jug — anytime of year:
You’ll get antioxidants aplenty. Adding this could hinder the benefits:

Researchers are not sure why milk may blunt tea’s heart-healthy effects, but milk proteins called caseins are possible culprits. Tea is bursting with health-boosting polyphenols, but proteins have been shown to counteract them. In one study, when researchers added a small amount (10 percent) of milk to black tea, it reduced the tea’s concentration of catechins — polyphenols credited with giving tea its antioxidant punch as well as fighting heart disease and boosting weight loss. The study results may help explain, in part, why tea’s heart benefits appear to be missing in the United Kingdom, where milk is usually added to the brew.

Green Tea gives great face.

Two words: skinny jeans: Cupful of Catechins

A mild boost to your weight loss efforts may be brewing in your teapot.

In a small study, Japanese researchers recently noted that adding catechin-rich green tea to the daily diet mildly boosted weight loss efforts in a group of men. Catechins — a type of antioxidant — also are purported to provide heart-health benefits. Other sources of catechins include grapes, wine, chocolate, berries, and apples.

The best way to lose weight is to control your calorie intake and increase the number of calories you burn each week through extra physical activity. A nutritionally balanced diet that doesn’t exclude food groups or discourage healthy eating patterns is your best bet. Boosting your metabolism with muscle-building exercises will make weight loss easier as well. If your weight loss efforts have stalled, consider revising your workout schedule to increase the aerobic portion of your workout. Or, focus on other goals in addition to weight, such as body fat measurements or body size measurements; sometimes improvements in these areas are not apparent on the bathroom scale.

For more health information, browse Encouraging Health.

You’re eating right and working out, yet your pants keep getting tighter. What’s the deal? Could be your thyroid.

A sluggish thyroid — even one that is just a tad slow — can cause you to pack on the pounds. Read on to learn who’s most at risk . . .

The Thyroid-Weight Connection
As much as 2% of the U.S. population may have an underactive thyroid — called hypothyroidism. Women over 40 are at highest risk, but anyone can have it. And it matters, because your thyroid — the tiny gland right below your Adam’s apple produces hormones that control your metabolism. Too-low levels slow down everything, so your body burns fewer calories.

Strategies for Getting Slim
If your thyroid tests fine, try these tips for battling the bulge or getting over a weight loss plateau:

Revisit how many calories you really need. It changes with age and activity level.

Double-check your idea of a normal portion size: Here are three tips.

1. Retrain Your Eyes
Whether you are trying to lose weight or simply maintain your weight, controlling the amount of food you consume is just as important as the food choices you make. Simply by eating reasonable portions, you can eat the foods that you enjoy and still take off pounds. The first step is to retrain your eyes to recognize perfect portions for different types of food. Using smaller, 9-inch plates instead of large dinner plates also can help you retrain your eye. You’ll have a reasonable, yet filling, amount of food while still satisfying your psychological need to see a full plate.

2. Don’t Be Fooled by Misleading Food Labels
Comparing food labels at the supermarket is another good way to make healthier portion choices in your diet. But, be forewarned—a quick look at the label might not be giving you the whole story. If you’re like most shoppers, you notice the calories on the label first, but it’s important to consider the calories as well as the number of servings per package. Snack food favorites, such as cookies and chips, are especially prone to confusing food labels. Take, for example, a package of chocolate chip cookies: a serving of the regular cookies contains 160 calories while a serving of the peanut butter chip version of the same cookie brand has merely 80 calories per serving. An easy decision, right? Look closer—a serving of the peanut butter kind is only one cookie while the original flavor lists three cookies as a serving.

3. Use Nutrition Information to Your Advantage
Don’t sabotage your quest to eat the proper portions when dining out. Many fast-food restaurants now provide nutrition information about the foods they serve, allowing customers to choose a regular McDonald’s hamburger (260 calories) over a Big Mac® (560 calories). But at conventional restaurants where huge portions are the norm, the choice may not be so clear. An easy way to cut calories when dining out is to order a child- or appetizer-size plate, or ask for a doggy bag when your order arrives so you can put aside a part of your meal.

And, lastly, everyone’s favorite question: Are you exercising enough?

Browse Encouraging Health for exercise hints and tips.

Governments should stock several drugs to prevent resistance, experts say

Governments need to stockpile different sorts of flu drugs — not just Roche Holding AG’s Tamiflu — to counter the danger of resistance in a pandemic triggered by bird flu, British experts said on Wednesday.

The warning could boost demand for GlaxoSmithKline Plc’s inhaled medicine Relenza, which has been largely overlooked in favor of Roche’s more convenient pill.

Scientists analyzing the structure of a key flu virus protein found that both H5N1 and seasonal flu could develop resistance to Tamiflu, while still remaining highly susceptible to Relenza.

Most likely source of next flu pandemic
To date, H5N1 remains mainly a virus affecting birds, although it has killed more than 200 people since 2003. But scientists say it is the most likely source of the next deadly flu pandemic in humans, since it may soon mutate into a form transmitted easily from person to person.

Tamiflu, known generically as oseltamivir, and Relenza, or zanamivir, target the viral protein neuraminidase, which helps release newly-made viruses so that they can spread infection.

Using a technique called X-ray crystallography, Gamblin and colleagues examined the exact mutation in protein structure that can make some flu virus resistant to Tamiflu and showed the different nature of Relenza meant it was still effective.

Their results were published in the journal Nature.

The main seasonal flu virus circulating this year in the United States and Canada as well as parts of Europe has shown higher resistance to Tamiflu. But cases of resistance remain relatively rare.

Tamiflu, which was originally developed by Gilead Sciences Inc, had sales of $1.8 billion in 2007, making it a major profit driver for the Swiss group. Relenza, which Glaxo licensed from Australia’s Biota Holdings Ltd, sold $510 million last year.

Browse Encouraging Health.

Presliced fruit sure saves time. But here’s what you miss out on when you buy it: vitamin C.

Research shows that presliced fruit may have less vitamin C by the time you eat it than if you’d bought whole fruit and sliced it yourself.

The Whole Picture
Kiwifruit, pineapple, and cantaloupe seem particularly prone to vitamin C loss, according to John La Puma, MD, author of ChefMD’s Big Book of Culinary Medicine.

More Ways to Make a Good Thing Better
Why stop with whole fruit when you want to make the most of good foods. Here are more top choices for making a good thing even better.

Heat your olive oil this way so you don’t kill the health benefits:

You’ll kill the health benefits if you overheat it. It can become rancid and generate toxic chemicals. One solution: Instead of heating the oil in the pan, just spritz some on your veggies, meats, or taters before cooking them.

Tastes Bad, Too
It’s fairly easy to overheat both olive oil and cold-pressed canola oil, because they have relatively low smoking points (the point at which they begin to burn). You’ll know if you’ve overheated the oil, because it leads to that burned, charcoal flavor. Yuck.

Different Temps, Different Tastes
Semirefined sesame oil, peanut oil, grape-seed oil, and virgin olive oil may be your best choices for cooking, because they contain mainly unsaturated fat and have relatively high smoking points; all of the oils can be heated in excess of 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Extra-virgin olive oil starts to burn at about 320 degrees Fahrenheit. Unrefined canola and sunflower oils are even more delicate, burning at about 225 degrees Fahrenheit. (Read our ultimate guide on good and bad fats.)

Once an oil has been overheated, you end up canceling out the major benefits. But treat the oils right and they’ll treat your body right, too.

For more health information, browse Encouraging Health.

Forget the plastic surgery. Here’s a simple, cheap way to get back your youth: Start walking.

People who regularly lace up their walking shoes and get moving may be as much as 10 years younger than their couch-potato peers. Still sitting down? Read on.

All About Aerobics
Your aerobic power (read your body’s ability to take in the maximum amount of oxygen) declines as you age. So, over time, you simply don’t have the same energy as you used to. But here’s the good news: Research shows that regular aerobic exercise, such as walking, can boost your aerobic fitness so much that it’s like being 10 years younger!

1. I wish I had more energy.
A short brisk walk has both a calming and an energizing effect, according to research. And walking may help you feel more alert and well-rested because of its ability to improve the quality of your sleep. Walking at a moderate pace later in the day can help encourage deep, restful sleep. Finally, the mood boost you experience from walking may further enhance your energy levels.

Walking toward a good night’s sleep.
In a study, people who walked more than 6 blocks per day reduced their sleep problems by one third. Using a “brisk” pace cut their sleep problems in half.

2. I wish I could think more clearly.
Need to sort out some things in your head? Few activities help improve your perspective as quickly as a brisk walk, which will boost circulation in all parts of the body, including your brain.

Some research also has shown that walking is associated with less cognitive decline and a reduced risk of dementia later in life.

3. I wish I could protect myself from my parents’ diseases.
Your genetics determine only a small part of your health profile. Research shows it’s how you live your life that really counts, and walking regularly can prevent and improve many serious chronic diseases.
Here is a short list of ways that walking can reduce the impacts of disease. Moderately intense activities such as walking can: • Reduce cardiovascular disease by as much as 30-50 percent.
• Decrease osteoarthritis pain, and improve stability, endurance, and agility.
• Reduce the risk of colon cancer and possibly breast cancer.
• Protect against diabetes in high-risk people, and lower blood glucose and improve insulin action in diabetics.
• Lower blood pressure and reduce the risk of heart attack.

4. I wish I could lose weight.
Although you might think that losing weight is the only way to enjoy an improved health profile, the truth is that regular walkers may not have to worry quite as much about what the scale says.

5. I wish I felt happier in general.
Protecting and nurturing your mental health is an important part of overall wellness, and studies show that walking regularly has the ability to lower your stress levels. Also, studies show that aerobic exercise such as walking may bring long-term benefits to your mental disposition by warding off both depression and anxiety.

For more health tips, browse Encouraging Health.

Eating four of these a week can cut your kidney-cancer risk in half. Hint: You need to peel it.

Yep, we’re talking bananas. They’re bursting with phenolic compounds that appear to thwart renal-cancer cells. And that’s not all the monkey’s favorite fruit brings to your body . . .

Phenols, Potassium, and More
Phenols — plant-based substances linked to all sorts of health benefits, from cancer prevention to heart health — aren’t the only goodies that bananas have to offer. No doubt you already know about the super potassium stores in the yellow-skinned fruit (450 milligrams in one banana!). But they’re also a good source of B vitamins like B6 and folate, plus calcium, magnesium, and vitamin C.

Benefits of B Abound
Along with reversing moodiness, irritability, impatience, tension, anger, and depression, B vitamins may increase energy and promote a sense of well-being, writes Jack Challem in The Food-Mood Solution.

You can get all the B you need from a B-complex supplement or a multivitamin.
Or stock up on some of the best food sources of B:
For B1 (thiamin): wheat germ, peas, long-grain brown rice, lentils, pork, and whole-wheat bread
For B2 (riboflavin): fortified cereals, milk, almonds, and broccoli
For B3 (niacin): tuna, chicken, salmon, fortified cereals, and peanuts
For B5 (pantothenic acid): yogurt, avocadoes, sweet potatoes, mushrooms, and chicken
For B6: fortified cereals, bananas, salmon, and spinach
For B12: chicken, turkey, milk, and eggs
For folate: fortified cereals, lentils, garbanzo beans, orange juice

A fresh, whole banana makes a great snack. But why stop there with this versatile fruit?
For a healthy (and satisfying) snack, top rice cakes with bananas and natural peanut butter.

For more heath tips, browse Encouraging Health.

bEver wish there were a happy pill to spritz up your spirits when you’re out of sorts?

To make you laugh when you’re feeling down? Or to calm your nerves when you’re about to bite someone’s head off? Well, get this: There are several things in your kitchen that might just do the trick, and they taste a lot better than any pill.

A Little Dessert: Sugar soothes us when we’re stressed — or at least it soothes stressed-out rats — which are remarkably good models for stress in people. But before you race to the vending machine with a license to binge, know that while a little sugar may soothe rattled nerves, too much will re-rattle them by causing havoc with your blood sugar. Here are some treats that’ll give you just enough:

· A small slice of angel food cake with 1/2 cup of strawberries
· 2 Fig Newman cookies and a 6-ounce glass of juice
· Fast Fruit-and-Chocolate Fondue:

o 1 cup fresh strawberries
o 1 peeled, sliced kiwi
o 1/4 cup fat-free chocolate syrup

Dunk fruit into syrup, lean back, and smile!

Toast and Jam: “Carbs raise levels of the feel-good brain chemical serotonin, which lifts our spirits,” says Elizabeth Somer, RD, author of Food & Mood. That’s why we crave bread and other carbohydrates when we’re down. Opt for whole-wheat bread and other whole-grain carbs, because they also help stabilize blood sugar levels — unlike refined grains (white bread, pasta, rice), which send blood sugar on a roller-coaster ride, leaving you jittery, grumpy, and hungry. Get a happy serotonin boost from these snacks:

· Half a toasted whole-wheat English muffin or bagel with jam or honey
· A small bowl of oatmeal with some dried cranberries and a bit of brown sugar
· A comforting, creamy open-faced peach sandwich:

o 2 tablespoons fat-free cream cheese
o 1 teaspoon honey
o 1 peach, peeled and chopped
o 1 slice 100% whole-grain bread
o 1/2 teaspoon chopped walnuts
o 2 tablespoons fat-free cream cheese
o 1 teaspoon honey
o 1 peach, peeled and chopped
o 1 slice 100% whole-grain bread
o 1/2 teaspoon chopped walnuts

Blend cheese, honey, and chopped peaches; spread mixture on bread, and sprinkle with nuts. Yum!

Yogurt and Eggs: Numerous studies show that getting more of the omega-3 fatty acid called DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) in your diet may boost your mood and your brainpower. Even people battling tough-to-treat depression may feel as much as 50% better when they get lots of DHA. To keep your chin cheerfully up, aim for 200 milligrams (mg) of DHA a day. Mix and match DHA-fortified foods like these:

· 1 container Rachel’s Wickedly Delicious Yogurt (32 mg of DHA)
· 1 Gold Circle Farm egg (150 mg)
· 1 Oh Mama nutrition bar (115 mg)
· 1 cup of Horizon Organic reduced-fat milk plus DHA (32 mg)
· 18-ounce Odwalla Soy Smart drink (32 mg)

Popeye’s Fave: No wonder he was always in such a high-energy mood. Spinach is full of folate, a B vitamin that’s a must for making feel-good serotonin. Like DHA, folate may help ease depression, according to researchers. So if you’re trying to stay on the sunny side of life, make chowing down Popeye-style a habit. To get plenty of this happy green, (about 2 cups of cooked spinach) try these tasty tips:

· Add a 10-ounce packet of frozen chopped spinach to soups, stews, and casseroles, homemade or not.
· Use spinach instead of lettuce in sandwiches and wraps.
· Whip steamed chopped spinach into mashed potatoes.
· Make a meal of it: Pile your plate high with fresh baby spinach leaves, and top it off with a grilled chicken breast or broiled salmon fillet (another great source of DHA).

Black Bean Dip: Black beans, like most legumes, are a nifty source of iron. And if you’re low on iron — as many active women are — you may have trouble sleeping, or you might feel constantly tired, both of which can turn you into a major grouch. Here’s how to help keep your iron levels — and your mood — up:

· Mix black beans with chopped spinach, roasted red peppers, and salsa as a dip for a toasted whole-wheat tortilla.
· Heat black beans with onions, garlic, and cumin and serve over brown rice.
· Toss black beans and turkey cubes into a salad (the heme iron in poultry and meat helps you absorb more of the nonheme iron in beans).
· Add black beans to chili and soups.

Two quick tips: To help your body absorb optimal amounts of iron, combine iron-rich foods with foods that are high in vitamin C — like tomatoes, broccoli, red peppers, and OJ. But don’t wash them down with coffee, tea, or milk; all three can block iron absorption.

For more health articles, browse Encouraging Health.