Encouraging Health

This Article over on RealAge.com sums up perfectly the way people view low-fat stickers on food:

“That’s because people aren’t good at estimating serving sizes of low-fat foods, so they eat up to 50 percent more calories than they would with the “full-fat” version.”

The article does give three hints on how to help yourself not to fall into that trap:

1. Check Calories
2. Check Ingredients
3. Check Portions

I admit, when I see ‘low-fat’ on a package, its a sure bet i’m going to eat the whole thing. Is it right? no. Is it human? yes.

All the information in the world, admonishments and lectures aren’t going to help one iota. It boils down to one thing: are we willing to help ourselves in the long run, to stop ourselves from overeating? Only you can answer that question.

This article on ABCnews.com is interesting. A Scientist has created a virus that helps heal blindness, if I understand correctly. From the Article:

“A top eye scientist at the National Institutes of Health has called a new procedure that uses gene therapy to correct a condition that leads to blindness “an exciting development” that could pave the way for additional gene treatments for blindness and other conditions.

But some ophthalmology experts remain skeptical. And with months remaining before the procedure can be declared a success or a failure, the weeks in between will likely be filled with debate, speculation and, possibly, high hopes.

Surgeons at London’s Moorfields Eye Hospital, led by Robin Ali, a professor, performed the first-of-its-kind procedure Tuesday on Robert Johnson of the United Kingdom, the BBC reported. Johnson was born with Leber’s congenital amaurosis, a gene-linked sight disorder that gets worse with age.”

For more on the article, click above.

Hopefully this will lead to other successful treatments and cures for blindness. My brother is blind in one eye, from birth, and doctors have no clue how it happened. Who knows if this will help him and others.

blindness, treatment, infection

blindness, treatment, infection

This story on ABCnews.com is frightening. From the article:

“Drug-resistant versions of the AIDS virus passed from mother to child can quickly hide in the infant’s immune system cells and lurk for years, researchers reported on Monday.

While mother-to-child transmission of the AIDS virus has been slowed in the United States by giving drugs to both the mother and the baby at the time of birth, it is still a major cause of HIV infection in the developing world.”

The article goes on to state that given a cocktail of a combination of the 20 drugs available, they can arrest the virus before it damages the babies any further.

Hopefully Science can obliterate this and many other diseases.

HIV, Babies, drug resistant

HIV, Babies, drug resistant

Alzheimers memory reversal is a great boost for combating this disease.

From the Article:

“Mental stimulation and drug treatment may help people with brain ailments such as Alzheimer’s disease regain seemingly lost memories, according to newly published research.

Scientists used two methods to reverse memory loss in mice with a condition like Alzheimer’s — placing them in sort of a rodent Disneyland to stimulate their brains, and also using a type of drug that encourages growth of brain nerve cells.

Neuroscientist Li-Huei Tsai of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology said such methods might yield similar benefits in people with Alzheimer’s disease or other types of dementia that rob them of their memory and ability to learn.”

Hopefully this will aid in those stricken with the disease to recover memories of their loved ones.

[tag]alzheimers, memory reversal[/tag

In today generation of supersize-me, it’s no wonder we don’t know what a correct portion of food is.

This article from RealAge.com shoves how to retrain ones eyes and a correct serving portion

Most any food site these days tells you now to guage, like the Food & Drug Administration.’

For example, here are examples of what correct portions are in the “Grain” section.

Cornbread (RG*) 1 small piece (2 ½� x 1 ¼� x 1 ¼�) 1 medium piece (2 ½� x 2 ½� x 1 ¼�) = 2 ounce equivalents

Crackers WG*: 100% whole wheat, rye 5 whole wheat crackers
2 rye crispbreads

RG*: saltines, snack crackers 7 square or round crackers

English muffins
WG*: whole wheat
RG*: plain, raisin ½ muffin 1 muffin = 2 ounce equivalents

Muffins
WG*: whole wheat
RG*: bran, corn, plain 1 small (2 ½� diameter) 1 large (3 ½� diameter) = 3 ounce equivalents

Oatmeal (WG) ½ cup cooked
1 packet instant
1 ounce dry (regular or quick)

Too see more, visit .

food portion, dietary rules

food portion, dietary rules

I will tell you I am a C-O-F-F-E-E lover! I limit myself to two cups a day (the other 100 oz is of water). When I keep reading stories like these, it does my heart good.

In part, the article states:

“Drinking coffee can help ward off type 2 diabetes and may even help prevent certain cancers, according to panelists discussing the benefits — and risks — of the beverage at a scientific meeting.”

This is great news! Now there is an excuse for drinking that cup of coffe or two in the morning. Just don’t over do it.

Another part of the Article:

“There’s evidence, Arab noted, that the beverage may protect against certain types of colon cancer, as well as rectal and liver cancer, possibly by reducing the amount of cholesterol, bile acid and natural sterol secretion in the colon, speeding up the passage of stool through the colon (and thus cutting exposure of the lining of the intestine to potential carcinogens in food), and via other mechanisms as well.

However, Arab did find evidence that coffee may increase the risk of leukemia and stomach cancer, with the case for leukemia being strongest.”

So, as with anything, moderation is key.

coffee, diabetes

coffee, diabetes

From RealAge.com, Displacement Theory for Diets:

“You’re less likely to see the numbers on the scale creep higher along with your age if you do this: Eat a bit more fruit with each passing year.

The very logical theory behind this phenomenon? Each additional serving of low-cal, high-fiber fruit displaces some of the calorie-packed, waist-expanding edibles in your diet, like chips and cookies.

Part of Aging
Your weight, body fat, and waist size tend to grow over time. It’s all part of the wonderful world of a slowing metabolism — something that occurs naturally with age. But you can do something about it — like exercise more. And make subtle changes to your diet.

Fruit and Fat
It makes sense that adding more fruit to your diet would, over time, help control your weight. Your body needs fewer calories as you age, so eating more low-calorie fruit fits the bill.

The fastest way to an inflated midsection after middle age? A diet that gives fatty foods more and more stage time.

So leave the cannoli, take the cantaloupe.”

This sounds great! Prices need to comedown before people on Social Security can afford to eat all the fruits and vegetables they’re supposed to.

Did you know the food organizations only help with food One time every three months? How are the disabled and Elderly supposed to eat healthy?

displacement-theory, fruits, fiber

displacement-theory, fruits, fiber

Everyone knows fish is brainpower, now there is even more reason for the Elderly to eat fish.

This article on cnn.com,states: “High blood levels of omega-3 highly unsaturated fatty acids, which are found in fish oil, may help preserve thinking ability in the elderly, according to the findings of two studies published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. The results were particularly striking among subjects with high blood pressure or high cholesterol levels.

Subjects who ate fish had a slower decline in cognitive function than subjects who did not eat fish.

The investigators conclude that “fish consumption and EPA+DHA intake are not significantly related to cognitive impairment but are significantly related to cognitive decline.â€? ”

I would suggest giving your mothers and fathers a fish dish at least once per week.

There may be some truth to waistlines and heartburn.

From the article:

“Gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD, is a common digestive disorder that can affect people of all ages. As recent studies continue to confirm the longstanding link between excess weight and GERD, soaring obesity rates are likely to lead to an increasing number of Americans who are affected by this disease.

Scientists say, however, that although occasional heartburn is not a worry, frequent heartburn can lead to serious complications if left untreated.

GERD is an established risk factor for esophageal adenocarcinoma, a type of esophageal cancer that has increased approximately 600 percent since 1971. If both obesity and GERD are present, the risk of this kind of cancer increases even more than seen with GERD alone.

Instead of trying to make unhealthy eating tolerable, it may be time to develop better eating habits and shape up to a healthy weight to reduce GERD and risk of esophageal cancer.”

I’ve noticed problems with heartburn occur more frequently, plus my BMI is 27, well over the Government’s FDA recommended 18.5-24.9. I’ve re-started my total body fitness plan again.

Have you?

This story find an interesting link between Depression and Diabetes. From the article:

“Elderly people who are depressed are more likely to become diabetic than those who are not, according to a study that suggests depression may play a role in causing the most common form of diabetes.

Writing on Monday in the Archives of Internal Medicine, the researchers said people with a high number of symptoms of depression were about 60 percent more likely to develop type 2 diabetes, formerly called adult-onset diabetes, than people not considered depressed.”

This shows that the more we take care of ourselves, the less likely we’ll develop life-threatening diseases. Taking care of ourselves means more than taking the right medication, seeing a dr once a year or eating right. Have some sort of social life, do hobbies regularly, get some physical exertion going.

For those who may say Diabetes is inevitable, read this from the article:

B”ut the study statistically accounted for known lifestyle risk factors for diabetes like being overweight and sedentary, and still found that depression increased the risk of diabetes.

Carnethon said the findings suggest depression may play a role in causing diabetes. While the study did not explore possible biological mechanisms, Carnethon said a high level of the stress hormone cortisol in depressed people may be the reason.”

So go out there and get happy!

depression, diabetes

depression, diabetes