Americans Still Short on Vegetables Intake

I may have shared this recently, but something dawned on me the other day. When the low carb diets came into vogue, people believed that the foods that caused their weight gain were foods such as fruits, veggies and whole grains, so they eliminated ALL fruits, veggies and grains. However, as I started to really think about the usual client that I see, I realize that these were NOT foods people were eating in the first place! It was no surprise, however, that when people started to eliminate the crackers, potato chips, and the endless amounts of snack foods they lost weight. It’s such a shame, though; people still thought it was the whole foods mentioned above that attributed to their weight problem. They don’t realize that they have eliminated evening snacking. No one enjoys ‘snacking’ on a hunk of meat while watching TV at night.

Generally when I start working with a new client, we will investigate just how many servings of fruits and veggies they eat per day, and it’s quite often they are eating NO veggies each day and maybe one fruit per day. So, this newly reported survey by the CDC is no big surprise. The telephone survey of more than 305,000 adults in 2005 showed that 38% of all Americans eat two servings of fruit and three servings of vegetables per day. The goal is for 75% of all American’s to be eating this much daily by 2010, but this level is no different than it was in 1994.

Specifically the survey showed that 27 percent of adults ate vegetables three times a day, and about 33 percent ate fruit twice a day. A serving size is a half-cup for most fruits and vegetables, one cup for leafy greens. Senior citizens were more likely to eat veggies, but younger adults, between 18 and 24, had the fewest with nearly 4/5ths having no veggies at all! Findings were similar with fruits. And we wonder why we are seeing increased obesity in young adults??

This brings us back to what I said above; it is found that people are eating more refined sugars and eating protein foods instead of fruits and vegetables. They are confused and many don’t realize, or believe that fruits and vegetables are much lower in calories and fill you up more quickly. People also want convenience and processed foods fit that need easier than whole, natural foods. It’s showing, America! We are getting bigger and bigger.

To take and see the results of a quick survey, click this link: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15923252/

Is the School your Child goes to at Risk for Food Poisoning Outbreak?

A recent study on school cafeteria food safety pointed out some scary statistics that I would want to know if I had a child in school. Did you know that only 61% of all the schools in the US that are required to have two health inspections per year get those inspections? In fact, when I look at how MY state of California rates, I learned that only 32% of all our schools were inspected! What does this mean? It means your kids could be at risk for contracting a serious food-borne illness. Examples include E. coli and hepatitis A.

Now that I have your attention, however, let’s talk about statistics and why this condition exists. Don’t get me wrong, if it is YOUR kid who gets sick or even dies, these numbers mean nothing, so increasing awareness is why I am addressing this story, today.

In 2005, Congress increased the required inspections to two per year. These inspections apply to all schools that participate in the federal school lunch program, which provides free and reduced-priced meals to low-income children. However, when Congress increased the inspection requirement, they didn’t provide for more money for these inspections. Consequently, state and local health authorities don’t have the staff to meet this requirement. The smaller and more rural areas appear to be the areas most at risk.

Schools are also lower on the priority list for health departments because there are fewer outbreaks in schools than in restaurants, as indicated by government data. School cafeterias were the source of only about 3% of the documented 7,390 food poisoning outbreaks reported between 1990 and 1999, according to the CDC and congressional investigators.

Fewer inspections may not necessarily mean more cases of food poisoning, but the inspections help prevent things like inappropriate temperatures and making sure there are not rat droppings and other ‘gross’ things accumulating in the school kitchens. Inspectors ensure that cafeteria workers wash their hands properly and that they keep foods such as pizza hot and milk cold, to prevent germs from growing. E.coli results from improper handling and temperatures and hepatitis A is from improper food handling and hand washing. Simple preventative measures. Recent outbreaks of food poisoning in things like peanut butter have renewed this focus on safety.

While outbreaks in schools are rare, children are at greater risk for complications from E. coli, salmonella and other food borne germs.
To read the full report by the Center for Science in the Public Interest , click here; http://www.cspinet.org/new/pdf/makingthegrade.pdf

Another link between diet and cancer

First of all, I should share that I am not a vegetarian. However, I also have to admit that I’m not a big fan of beef, although I will eat it. I graduated from a vegetarian university, however, and learned all the science behind why we should limit (or, for some people, avoid) beef from our diet. As I progressed in my practice and became more educated on functional nutrition and the more detailed science behind how the substances in beef react in the human body, I am more discouraged from eating beef. But at least this last study makes me feel ok, because although I do eat it, it is in very limited and small amounts, on a very infrequent basis.

This newest study is part of the Nurses Health Study II, which followed over 90,000 pre-menopausal women for 12 years. Although researchers found no relation between red meat consumption and overall breast cancer risk across time, when they did an analysis of breast cancers fueled by the hormones estrogen and progesterone, they did find a link. After adjusting for established risk factors, they found that the women who reported eating over one and a half servings of red meat per day had almost twice the risk of cancer, compared with women who reported eating three servings or less of red meat per week.

There is still debate over what exactly causes this increase. There are three current theories: First of all, previous studies have suggested that one reason for the increased cancer risk has more to do with the heterocyclic amines (HCAs) that form when red meat is cooked at high temperatures to very well-done status, such as when grilled or fried. In lab studies, HCAs bond to estrogen receptors and create estrogen-like effects. Earlier studies have shown that post-menopausal women who consistently ate hamburger, beef steak and bacon, very well-done, and were getting very high levels of HCAs, they had over four times the breast cancer risk than women who ate these meats rare or medium done. Further research is finding that some people are more susceptible to developing cancer from this exposure than others. This recent study is the first to look at both breast cancers that are and are not sensitive to estrogen, together, which is what may be the most important aspect of this research.

The second theory has to do with the fact that red meat is higher in heme iron than other meats and that heme iron may increase colon cancer risk by damaging the colon lining and increasing the growth of precancerous cells. Several studies have linked this combination and scientists theorize that heme iron may interact with estrogen in enhancing the initial development of breast tumors.

The third theory considers the link between higher fat intake with higher levels of estrogen and another substance that the body can convert to estrogen. Higher saturated fat intake seems to raise levels of insulin, which is a hormone that may promote the development of breast cancer regardless of estrogen sensitivity.

Regardless of HOW increased red meat increases your breast cancer risk, all studies still point to decreasing how much you eat of it. This does not mean you have to cut it out, completely. Really, all foods CAN fit! Just start increasing the amount of fruits, veggies and whole grains and make beef intake less often each week and when you do eat it, make it a complementary dish rather than the main course.

Click here to test your breast cancer IQ; http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3296963/

Neurological condition found linked to weight loss surgery

Gastric bypass surgery is becoming more and more popular in the US and other developed counties. In my opinion, we are a country of people who would prefer the easiest way out to resolve a problem, and gastric bypass is a perfect example of that easy way out.

About 170,000 people had the procedure in the United States in 2005, a tenfold rise from the early 1990s. A study last week found that use of the surgery tripled among U.S. adolescents from 2000 to 2003. Teens!

However, it’s really not such an easy solution. First of all, as a nutrition professional who has been working in the field for over 17 years, it’s very apparent to me that people do not gain over 100# of excess weight because they ‘just’ eat too much. Often there is an emotional reason a person eats to this excess. If these emotional issues are not addressed, just closing up or bypassing a section of the stomach is not going to resolve the problem. If anything, it will make their problems worse. I have known several people who did not receive pre-surgery assessment and counseling and after the initial ‘honeymoon’, regained all their weight. Some have pulled open their staples and needed corrective surgery! Those problems are beyond the purpose of this blog, today, however.

Second, gastric bypass surgery often has very real and serious side-effects, which can lead to death. I have known several people who had serious complications that put their health and life at risk.

Finally, is surgery really a solution? Should our children be receiving such alterations to their physical bodies? What lesson do they learn and how will that impact their future? Has the family learned how to prepare and eat a healthy diet and learned how to incorporate exercise into their lives before opting for the ‘easy way’ out? These are questions that parents should seriously consider before allowing or requesting gastric bypass for their children.

There has already been research that has found that people who opt for gastric bypass surgery suffer from nutritional deficiencies. It is known that many will suffer hair loss and other symptoms of vitamin and mineral deficiency as an expected consequence of the surgery.

A recent study, published in the journal Neurology, reported on cases of 27 women and 5 men who developed a disease previously linked to severe alcoholics, called Wernicke’s encephalopathy, after bariatric surgery. Nearly all experienced frequent vomiting in the weeks after surgery and two of them died.

Wernicke’s encephalopathy can develop when the body does not get enough vitamin B1, also known as thiamine. It affects the brain and nervous system, with symptoms including double vision, eye movement abnormalities, unsteady walking, memory loss and hallucinations.

Researchers are still investigating how common this condition is, but they think it appears in people who have had the surgery and stopped taking their vitamin supplements or when they so often that they are unable to absorb their vitamins. If the condition is recognized quickly enough, it can be treated with injections of thiamine. Researchers found that the condition most frequently appeared 1-3 months after surgery, especially in young women, but also developed as late as 18 months after surgery.

Now, for some people, surgery could be a very realistic and viable option to keep them alive. However, I think these surgeries are also becoming much more common and accepted today. Again, it comes down to that ‘easy’ solution. Just imagine going into the hospital and coming home and losing a quick 50# or more before summer!

Since I coach people who struggle with large amounts of weight, I know how hard it is to lose by diet and exercise alone. It IS hard, but it can be done; there are stories of such successes all the time! A person has to really want it and know they can do it, AND be willing to seriously make changes in their lives to achieve that goal. It is not easy! However, for anyone considering bypass surgery as an ‘easy’ option, spend a lot of time doing your homework. Consider what your future will look like and take a hard look at what you have been willing to do so far. Have you really wanted that weight loss? Sometimes people really do NOT want to lose weight. This is where pre-surgical counseling is essential. You have to first understand why you ate yourself into your condition before you can allow yourself to lose that weight.

For the abstract to the above mentioned report, click here: http://www.neurology.org/cgi/content/abstract/68/11/807

New Heart Healthy Guidelines for Women

The American Heart Association released new guidelines to help women and doctors decrease their risk of heart disease. It is estimated that American women are at much greater danger of heart disease or stroke than previously though, and they are urging physicians to focus on the long-term risk of high blood pressure, smoking, lack of exercise and overweight as risk factors, even if her current health seems fine. It is estimated that just one risk factor for a woman at 50 years old raises her chance of heart disease or stroke later in life. Only about 10% of all American women are free of any risk factor!

The guidelines are the result of the gathering of a large amount of evidence in women and were drafted by dozens of groups worldwide.

Here are the basic recommendations and questions for you to consider:

· Exercise at least 30 minutes a day, but if you want to lose weight, you need to exercise at least 60-90 minutes a day. How much exercise did YOU do last week? Studies have also found that breaking your exercise up into 10 minute pieces is just as effective as one 30-90 minute session.
· Eat mostly fruits, vegetables and whole grain and high fiber foods, fish at least twice a week, and little salt. Limit saturated fat to less than 7-10% of total calories and trans fats to less than 1% of calories. Limit alcohol to one or less drink per day. I know this is an area many people struggle with. Plus, people who followed the low carb diets may still be avoiding these foods that have been shown time and again to be helpful to not only heart health and cancer, but also weight control! How many servings of fruits and veggies did you eat last week? Start with a goal of 3 servings per day of a combination, and then expand into 5-10. It CAN be done! Don’t smoke. If you do, get help and quit, now.
· Weight recommendations are for a BMI (body mass index) of under 25. To find out what your BMI is, go to my resources page, http://www.megfit.com/resources.htm, and find ‘Assessment links to help you determine 'where you are'.
· More and more research supports the use of omega-3 fatty acid supplements (fish oils) to support a healthy heart. The AMA recommends supplementing if you already have heart disease, but discount the use of extra folic acid, vitamin E, vitamin C and beta carotene for heart disease prevention. Are you taking a fish oil supplement?
· Keep blood pressure and high blood cholesterol under control. The recommendation for the bad cholesterol, LDL, is to be under 100 if you are at high risk for heart disease and under 70 if you are at very high risk. Many doctors are advised to medicate to keep both of these conditions under control. Do you know what your blood pressure and cholesterol numbers are? You should!
· The most controversial recommendation by the AMA is that women should take a baby aspirin daily. As a consequence, always ask your physician before starting aspirin therapy because of the negative side effects from daily aspirin. Researchers have found that benefits of a daily aspirin usually don’t show up until a woman is over 65 years old. In fact, one 10-year study on aspirin for stroke prevention showed that only one additional cardiovascular problem among 35,000 women under 65, where 20 women had such significant bleeding that they required transfusions.
· Finally, it is recommended that women do not take estrogen or progesterone supplements to prevent heart disease. Several years ago, it was shown that taking menopausal hormones can actually raise the risk of heart disease as well as cancer.

If you are not exercising, if you tend to eat little fruits, veggies and whole grains, you’re not a fish eater, and you’re a bit, or a great deal overweight, now is the time to start making some changes in your lifestyle. If you smoke or drink and have high blood pressure or high cholesterol, you are taking an even greater gamble! Look at what little change you could make, today. It doesn’t have to be much. Maybe add one extra apple to your food intake! Maybe see who will walk with you at work. I know many people who have ‘unexpected’ heart attacks at a very young age. Everyone is surprised, but now we can’t say we didn’t know!

To read all the entire report, click here: http://circ.ahajournals.org/cgi/reprint/115/7/936

To learn more about YOUR risk, go to this site: http://www.goredforwomen.org/