Archive for April, 2012

Preventing Chronic Illness Through Healthy Eating

April 30th, 2012

Preventing Chronic Illness Through Healthy Eating

Eating healthy can greatly reduce the likelihood of developing chronic diseases such as heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, and diabetes. Disease prevention through proper nutrition is but one of the benefits of eating healthy.

Developing heart disease is probably the highest risk of having a poor diet. Foods high in saturated fats, cholesterol, sugars, and sodium contribute to weigh gain and increases the risk of developing heart disease. Proper nutrition has such benefits as lowering your bad cholesterol, increasing your good cholesterol, lowering your blood pressure, and regulating your body weight. By reducing the fat in your diet, lowering your salt intake, cutting down on sugars, and eating plenty of fruits and vegetables. You can greatly reduce your chances of developing heart disease.

Diabetes runs a close second to heart disease in chronic diseases developed through poor eating habits. Many of the same things that lead to heart disease also contribute to the development of diabetes. According to the American Diabetes Association, one of the major steps in preventing the development of diabetes is healthy eating. Recommended foods such as whole grains and fresh vegetables should be eaten on a daily basis. Being overweight puts you at a higher risk of developing diabetes. A weight loss of 5 to 10 percent of your body weight can reduce the risk of developing diabetes by 60 percent. By choosing to eat unhealthy foods you greatly increase the chances that you will become overweight and develop diabetes. The good news is that these risks can easily be reduced through dietary changes.

All too often people are unaware that poor nutrition can contribute to developing cancer. The second leading cause of death among Americans is cancer. We often assume that getting cancer is simply the luck of the draw. While genetics may play a role in this, luck has nothing to do with getting cancer. Scientists have found that lifestyle choices are the biggest cause of cancer. Cigarette smoking, excess stress, over exposure to the sun, and poor nutrition are but a few of the factors associated with the development of cancer. This article is about proper nutrition as it relates to health problems so I will focus on that as a cause. Researchers have found that eating red meat can be linked to nearly one-third of all cancers. Studies have also found a link between sugar and the development of some cancers. Yet another potential cause of cancer is charred foods. Drinking alcohol also increases the risk of getting cancer.

A poor diet can increase the risks of developing many other illnesses. Improving your nutrition can greatly lower the risks of developing life threatening conditions. Making these changes will also make you feel better and improve your overall general health.

By Dennis W Weaver

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The Danger in Delayed Diagnosis of Eating Disorders in Children

April 29th, 2012

The Danger in Delayed Diagnosis of Eating Disorders in Children

There is a great danger in delayed diagnosis of eating disorders in children, primarily because people do not think of children as being old enough to have an eating disorder. A lot of the time, eating disorders occur in adolescents, because their hormones are turning on and they are having a tough time dealing with new changes to their bodies and peer pressure, and in adults who are struggling with their weight. The unfortunate truth is, most diagnoses of eating disorders in children don’t come until their condition is life-threatening.

You might be further surprised to learn that young boys are more likely to develop an eating disorder than girls of the same age, according to the Medical Journal of Australia in 2009. Believe it or not, boys and men are just as self-conscious about their looks and bodies as women. Instead of being pressured into just looking thinner, men also have the added worry about being adequately strong and toned. Because society traditionally expects only girls to have self esteem issues that would lead to an eating disorder, doctors often don’t even know to look for those signs in boys.

Think about these odds: If an eating disorder were caught early on in a child and treated properly, those children would have a 70% to 80% better chance of fully recovering within a year, and about a 90% better chance of improving those children’s condition fully within five years. Comparatively, an adult might only have a recovery rate of 50% in five years. The good news is that children can recover more easily if the signs are recognized, but the bad news is, those signs often go undetected far longer than they would in an adult.

Another thing to realize is that eating disorders are not just about your diet. Having an eating disorder is often a way of coping with stress and anxiety, so children who are watching their parents get a divorce might succumb to an eating disorder more easily, or children who have lost a close loved one.

To further complicate matters, the media and society in general have indoctrinated in children at a younger and younger age the importance of beauty and looking good. The effects of Disney teen stars like Miley Cyrus and the Jonas Brothers, all of whom are mostly catering to a preteen and younger crowd, are excessively glamorous and intending to promote looking sexy. In the past, most children probably would not be exposed to that kind of message until sometime in their teens. The pressure to look as good as their favorite teen idols may seem frivolous, but it is no different than adults who strive to look like their favorite celebrities.

If we want to reverse the trend of eating disorders in children, it is important to recognize the effects of the media and peers on impressionable young people. They are still at a delicate stage in their development, and it is important to reinforce their worth beyond their looks and decry superficiality.

By Emile Jarreau

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How to Eat Healthy and Lose Excess Weight

April 29th, 2012

How to Eat Healthy and Lose Excess Weight

In our fastfood and massive portion sized culture, maintaining a healthy weight can be quite difficult- and losing weight, even tougher. Adding to this difficulty is the abundance of fad diets and quick fix plans that doesn’t really do any good, at least not in the long term. If you are one of those people who have tried and failed to lose weight in the past, don’t lose hope. There are plenty of small changes that you can make to your daily diet to achieve lasting weight loss. Let me share to you some of them.

1. Instead of eating three big meals a day, split it into six smaller meals and smaller portion sizes of course.

2. Avoid eating refined carbs such as white flour, rice, pasta and bread. Eat only whole grain carbs such as brown rice and whole wheat pasta.

3. Never skip breakfast. Those who think skipping breakfast is a great way to cut calories usually end up eating more throughout the day. Eating early in the day keeps us from “starvation eating” later on. Apart from that, eating breakfast also jumpstarts your metabolism, making you burn more calories throughout the day.

4. Get rid of junk food and stock up on healthy ready to eat snacks instead. Salt free nuts, whole grain granola and vegetable sticks are yummy and healthy snacks that can help you feel more satisfied.

5. Learn to read a nutrition label. Avoid buying food with ingredients you can’t easily pronounce. Chances are, these are loaded with preservatives and additives. Again, if you can’t say it, don’t eat it.

6. Reward yourself occasionally. Don’t be too hard on yourself. Treat yourself to your favorite ice cream or a big fat juicy hamburger once a week. The more you deprive yourself, the higher the chance you end up overeating.

7. Try to learn how to cook healthy food. This way you can eat healthy food anytime at the comforts of your own home.

8. Reduce your sodium and sugar intake. Excess sugar and sodium intake both carry their own sets of problems. Eating too much sugar can increase weight, blood glucose levels and your risk for heart disease. On the other hand, too much salt in your diet can cause bloating and water retention which can cause weight gain and heart strain.

9. Use a smaller plate when eating. This creates the illusion that the plate has a lot of food in it.

10. Avoid emotional eating. Bingeing can only make you feel worse about yourself in the long run.

By Mich Ching

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Get Active and Eat Healthy If You Want to Prevent Diabetes

April 29th, 2012

Get Active and Eat Healthy If You Want to Prevent Diabetes

The experts have recognized the link between diabetes and obesity.

In today’s day and age, obesity is becoming more and more common. With this rise in obesity, we have seen a rise in diabetes. This link is causing the life span of those who are obese and diabetic to be decreased by 10 or 20 years depending on the severity. The worst part of this is that many of those who are obese and diabetic are children and those in their teen years.

However, this type of situation can be prevented. Many times obesity is caused by overeating and inactivity. Preventing this type of situation can be handled rather simply. Watch what you and your children eat and get active. Watching what you eat does not mean that you can’t eat what you want. It just means that you must eat in moderation. Don’t overload your plate because you think you are starving. The key is to start out small and stop when you no longer feel hungry. Eat small meals so that your body has a chance to digest everything properly. This will help to avoid overloading your body on sugars and fat.

Being active doesn’t mean that you should be out there working out every day and running 5 miles every morning. All you need to do is get up and move around. Go for a walk, do some extra cleaning, take a bike ride, and so on. These little things can add up quite easily and before you know it you are feeling better, losing weight, becoming fit and healthy. A little activity goes a long way. Including the whole family or a buddy to do things with can help bring the support you need and make it more fun. Diabetes and obesity are related but they don’t have to be related to you.

Take the time to learn about obesity and diabetes as you are already doing. Do some research and teach your children what it means to be healthy. Show them that your and their life is worth living. A few small lifestyle changes can make a huge difference in obesity and diabetes. Lowering the risk of diabetes in the obese means lowering obesity as a whole. Obesity doesn’t have to be a problem of the future. It can be something you overcame and conquered. Get out there and get active and eat healthy. Take it one step at a time.

By Girdhar Gopal Sharma

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You Will Eat What Is In Front of You

April 28th, 2012

You Will Eat What Is In Front of You

I was on vacation recently and I realized that many people are fighting a losing battle every day. I knew this was happening already. When I talk to my client companies about their employee concerns and my health coaching participants their personal struggles, I see it. When I was in an airport, I saw it clearly enough to make me think again.

As I thought about it again, my realization was: If it is in front of you, you will eat it. I’ve known this for some time, but I have new appreciation for just how difficult eating healthy can be. I know firsthand how difficult it is to choose healthy foods. I also know firsthand how difficult it is to avoid unhealthy foods.

Sometimes it is a combination of the two that leads to a struggle, but often the struggle and ultimate defeat actually take place before we even leave the house.

Let’s take the airport scenario for example:

Situation: sitting in an airport waiting for a delayed flight

Challenge: hungry

Options: go to fast food place, newsstand or vending machine

Result: eating a processed, fatty, sugary meal that doesn’t provide much nutrition

I not only watched dozens of people stuck in this situation, but I also heard people openly complaining about it. I already heard this complaint from friends, family and clients, but to hear it while seeing such a no-win situation unfolding for these people was truly an eye-opening for me.

The Perceived Problem:

There are no healthy options at the airport so I am forced to eat junk.

The Real Problem:

You didn’t plan ahead, so you are eating junk because you are too hungry to wait for something else

The Perceived Solution:

There is no solution to this problem other than eating it and vocalizing my complaints about it

The Real Solution:

This is actually a long answer, because there are so many options. That’s right, you have options. You have more options than most people realize. When it comes to eating on the run and eating while traveling, there is more than what’s right in front of you. Often, what is in front of you can be made healthier just by consciously making a choice.

Solution #1 – Eat it, but less of it. That’s right, you can eat fast food, but if you eat less of it, you are taking in fewer calories and putting less junk into your body.

Solution #2 – Bring something with you. Bringing a healthy snack with you can keep the cravings at bay as well as give you an alternative to the fast food or vending options that are in front of you while you wait.

Solution #3 – Choose wisely. There are obvious choices at most fast food restaurants that can make a bad situation better. Grilled vs. Fried is one option. Skipping on fries or substituting something in their place can help too. Even your beverage can save you hundreds of calories each meal.

There are many more solutions that can help you get through a travel day. The airport is not always the best place to be when trying to eat healthy, but that doesn’t mean that you have to suffer. Use one of these solutions or find another that works for you and you can successfully eat healthy anywhere.

The airport is an easy place to pinpoint unhealthy eating habits. The home is another. It may not be quite as easy, but you may be putting more pressure on yourself at home than you need to. Just like you can make choices at the airport, you can make choices at home too.

Problem: I have healthy items at home, but I keep eating the junk

Solution #1 – Don’t buy it. It’s that simple. If you don’t buy something you can’t eat it. If you don’t bring something into your home, you won’t eat it. The solution is really at the store. Making a smart purchase makes eating the smart food much easier.

Solution #2 – Plan your meals and have healthy items ready. If you don’t have the food ready, you won’t eat it. If you don’t plan and prepare a meal, you won’t eat the food. There is no way around it. You can’t eat a salad without tossing, mixing or at least pouring. You can’t eat veggies without chopping. If you make healthy choices easier to eat, you will at them.

Everyone has their own vices. We all have certain foods that we like and we all have certain foods that we can’t resist. If you are sitting at a table with your favorite food on it (good or bad) you will eat it. If you get hungry anywhere, you will eat what is available. That is why the solutions listed above have to become your strategies if you want to eat healthy.

You can want to eat healthy and you can think about it all you want, but the fact remains, convenience is king. Easy options are going to win every time. Make healthy choices easy and you will win. You can’t win in a no-win situation. Don’t put yourself in a no-win situation and you will…well, you will win. It all comes back to the original statement: If it is in front of you, you will eat it.

By Joseph R. Byrd

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