Food Safety and Sanitation Can Prevent Long-Term Health Problems

E. coli and certain other foodborne illnesses can sometimes trigger serious health problems months or years after patients survived an initial bout. The Associated Press described high blood pressure, kidney damage, even full kidney failure striking 10 to 20 years later in people who survived severe E. coli infection as children. Other symptoms from foodborne illness included arthritis after a bout of salmonella or shigella and a mysterious paralysis that can attack people who just had mild symptoms of campylobacter.

The CDC says foodborne illnesses cause 325,000 hospitalizations and 5,000 deaths a year. Among survivors, some long-term consequences are obvious from the outset. Some required kidney transplants. The survivors may have scarred intestines that promise lasting digestive problems.

But when people appear to recover, it is difficult to prove that later problems really are a food-poisoning legacy and not some unfortunate coincidence. It may be that people are prone to certain gastrointestinal conditions, for instance, or also genetically more vulnerable to germs that cause foodborne illness.

Providing a connection will require tracking a lot of patients who can provide very good medical records documenting their initial foodborne illness. Until then, there is not enough information to link reasoning for problems later in life. Regardless, it is important to take preventative action by practicing proper food handling techniques, especially for immune compromised, young, or elder persons. To learn about proper food handling techniques, visit the USDA website at: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Fact_Sheets/Safe_Food_Handling_Fact_Sheets/index.asp
To read more about foodborne illness and long-term effects, visit:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080121/ap_on_he_me/healthbeat_food_poisoning

New Food Guide Pyramid for Senior Citizens

I’m sure most of you are aware of the Food Guide Pyramid that is available on www.mypyramid.gov. However, unless you are over 70 years old or care for someone 70 or older, you may not be aware of the pyramids for older adults.

The needs for people 70 and older are different than they are for, say, a 25 year old, or even a 50 year old person. Older adults generally are less active and tend to eat fewer foods high in nutrition. Digestion isn’t as efficient as it was when younger, so the quality of the foods eaten is actually more important, with certain nutrients of greater importance at an older age.

The Food Guide Pyramid at mypyramid.gov is an interactive food guide pyramid. Although it is a wonderful resource, many older adults don’t use the internet, so Tufts University has revised its pyramid for seniors. This is an extremely colorful and graphic pyramid that is actually enjoyable to look at.

The “Modified MyPyramid for Older Adults” stresses, with a flag at the top that older adults should make sure to get enough fiber, calcium and vitamins D and B-12. It also includes exercises that older adults are most likely to take part in, such as walking, swimming and yard work. It also emphasizes adequate fluid intake. The new pyramid also points out that packaged versions of fruits and vegetables, such as frozen vegetables and canned or dried fruit, might be good alternatives to fresh varieties for some older adults. A big issue to be aware of is that when people don’t feel well enough to shop regularly, having healthy foods on the shelves or in the freezer can ensure they eat well. Many older adults live by themselves, so these alternatives can help prepare foods for one without a lot of spoilage.

This new Tufts pyramid is definitely a tool that anyone over 70 could benefit from. If there is a limitation to the pyramid, it just seems that there are no recommendations for serving amounts on it. However, if a person using it would focus on the healthy choices and listen to their body, in terms of hunger and fullness, and be sure to stay active, they shouldn’t have to worry so much that they ate 5 servings of whole grains instead of 3, as an example.

To read more about the pyramid or to download and print a copy for someone you know who could benefit from it, click here:
http://nutrition.tufts.edu/1197972031385/Nutrition-Page-nl2w_1198058402614.html

Can Lack of Sleep Make you Fat?

There have actually been several studies looking into this very question, and so far, there has consistently been a link between obesity and regular sleep of less than 7 hours a night.

The latest study was published in a recent issue of Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine. Researchers found that people who stated they slept less than 7 hours each night were three times more likely to be obese than those who got 8 or 9 hours of sleep. But they also found that those who slept MORE than 9 hours also suffered from excessive weight.

There have been other studies looking into why research continues to show a link between the lack of sleep and obesity, but all are still just speculation. One theory is when people are up longer, they spend more time eating. Certainly if someone is awake later into the night and eat, they are more likely to eat higher fat, higher calorie foods. Sometimes people will specifically eat in order to stay awake, too!

Another theory that has received a lot of attention in the research is that sleep deprivation raises the body’s levels of an appetite-stimulating hormone known as ghrelin. At the same time, the levels of a hunger-suppressing hormone, leptin, goes down.

Regardless of the cause, the bottom line question is what can YOU do about it? Are you struggling to lose weight? If so, how much sleep are you getting per night on a regular basis? I have actually noticed a trend with my own clients; those who get less than 8 hours of sleep per night continue to struggle with weight! Now, I recommend more sleep for many more reasons than just to lose weight, but what a nice benefit that would be, huh?

If you are getting less sleep than you honestly feel you need (because SOME people function just fine on less than 7 hours of sleep), ask yourself why. If you would like to feel more energized and refreshed for the day by getting more sleep, start putting a plan together, now, to make it happen. Perhaps you just stay up on the computer or in front of the TV too long! I remember when my daughter was very small; I would stay up very late because that was my only ‘quiet’ time. However, I then was dragging during the day and really suffered MORE for trying to ‘enjoy’ my time without a toddler.

We are into a New Year. What would you like to do to create a New You? Maybe a good first step is to get more sleep!

Abstract of the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine study:
http://www.aasmnet.org/jcsm/ViewAbstract.aspx?citationid=3426

Other articles related to sleep and obesity:
http://tinyurl.com/22vvcl
http://data.healthis.org/pv/200706/a06.pdf
http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1467-789X.2006.00277.x
http://content.karger.com/produktedb/produkte.asp?typ=fulltext&file=000097543