Headaches and Quality of Life

Could your headache give you a stomachache? Possibly! Headaches can be caused by many things: Stress, allergies, and medications are just a few. Your diet is another. Headaches can range from mild to depilating. When they are combined with other stomach problems, it only compounds the discomfort.

Over a period of two years, a total of 51,383 people were surveyed in the Head-HUNT Study. 43,782 people answered questions about stomach problems such as nausea, reflux, diarrhea and constipation. The findings showed that those with tummy troubles also suffered from more headaches. Interesting, huh? Where do you lie with this?

In a different study about chronic frequent headaches, combined with other chronic issues, including gastrointestinal, researchers were looking to see how these headaches affect overall quality of life. They found that people with chronic frequent headaches had a much lower quality of life than those with infrequent headaches. Well, again, if you have frequent headaches, you know how that affects your life!

What does this mean for you?
First of all, researchers will continue to study the question of headaches. But there are a couple comments about the studies I first want to make, then I will comment on a trend in general.

When you really think about it, if you have frequent headaches, it pretty much makes you feel lousy all over. And, if that headache is a migraine, for those of you who ever HAD a migraine, you probably chuckled reading that increased headaches increases tummy troubles. Yea, how many times have you sat next to the toilet in the midst of a migraine, waiting for something to come up or go out??? It’s almost as if it would flush the pain away!

The second study is another ‘duh’ conclusion. Need I say more? Neither concluded much.

So, what DOES this mean for you? First of all, there is definitely a link between migraines and the foods we eat. I cannot eat barley. If I do, I can be guaranteed I will wake up with a migraine! I have been migraine free for years, since discovering this. For anyone suffering from regular migraines, I strongly suggest you consider delayed food sensitivies. Today there is a specific blood test to help indentify foods that could be causing your migraine. If you go to my Resources page on www.megfit.com,you will find a dietitian who specializes in testing and counseling for this type of condition.

But what if your headaches are not migraines? If you suffer from ongoing headaches and don’t know the reason, be sure to get them checked out. They could be caused by something as simple as allergies to environmental conditions, or you could suffer from ongoing, low-grade sinus infections. None are fun and no one should continue to suffer. There is no doubt headaches affect quality of life.

Finally, your diet and lifestyle habits can influence headaches! Look at what you eat and drink regularly. Most people are already aware of the foods or drink they should cut down. Does that mean you?

To read the abstract of the Head-HUNT study, go to:
http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1468-2982.2007.01486.x

To read the abstract of the quality of life study, go to:
http://tinyurl.com/3crvwm

Exercise to Cut your Stroke Risk

Just walking briskly 30-minutes a day can lower the risk of having a stroke. Even for people who have other risk factors for stroke, a moderate level of aerobic fitness can significantly reduce the risk in both men and women, according to a large, long-running study from the Cooper Aerobics Center in Dallas, Texas. Most people can reach a moderate fitness range by walking briskly for 30 minutes a day, five times a week.

Researchers from the Arnold School of Public Health analyzed data on more than 60,000people who participated in the Aerobics Center Longitudinal Study between 1970 and 2001 at the Cooper Aerobics Center.

Stroke is the third leading cause of death in the US, with about 150,000 deaths resulting from around 780,000 strokes per year. A stroke occurs when blood flow to the brain is stopped when a blood vessel is blocked by a clot or that clot bursts. Physical activity can help lower blood pressure and prevent blood clots and the buildup of artery-clogging plaque.

So, what does this mean for you? First of all, always check with your doctor before starting any type of exercise program, no matter how moderate. Then, if you are not exercising at all, it’s time to kick it up a notch! This doesn’t mean you have to go run a marathon tomorrow. Find different ways to be more active during the day. Try taking the stairs instead of the elevator or parking a little further from your destination. Take your shoes to work with you and walk during your break or lunch. Even three bouts of 10 minutes a day has been found to be as beneficial as one 30-minute session per day. But also check out the local health clubs, your local YMCA/YWCA and even see what your church offers. If necessary, start your own walking club! Get some neighbors together and meet at a regular time. Often finding someone to keep you motivated, and who you will motivate, can make all the difference.

If you feel dizzy, have pain (especially in your chest) or have difficulty breathing, stop exercising immediately and tell your doctor.
To read more about this study, go to:
http://sph.sc.edu/news/cardiofitness.htm
To learn more about stroke prevention, go to:
http://tinyurl.com/2j6yg3
http://www.stroke.org.uk/information/preventing_a_stroke/exercise.html

Beans Lower Cholesterol

If you have been paying attention to health information, you know that beans can be one of the healthiest foods you can eat, outside of fruits and vegetables! Research is always looking into what beans can do for us, and here is another study that shows benefits.

Because beans are full of beneficial fiber they may be just what you need to lower bad, LDL, cholesterol levels. Just by eating as little as one-half cup of cooked dry beans everyday, you could lower your LDLD cholesterol levels. And these cooked dry beans can be canned without added salt or flavorings, also, which makes it REALLY easy to eat more beans!

Published in the Journal of Nutrition, researchers investigated the role beans would play in effecting blood cholesterol levels in people with Metabolic Syndrome. For 12 weeks one group was randomly selected to eat one-half cup of cooked dry pinto beans daily along with their regular daily diet. The other group ate a replacement serving of chicken soup instead of the pinto beans. The findings show that, compared to measures taken prior to the 12-week test phase, all the volunteers--the healthy ones as well as those with symptoms of Metabolic Syndrome--who ate pinto beans saw a reduction in their cholesterol levels, which included total cholesterol, HDL (“good”) cholesterol, and LDL (“bad) cholesterol.

Metabolic Syndrome is directly related to cardiovascular disease. Because cardiovascular disease is a lifestyle-related disease, changes to improve LDL cholesterol levels are beneficial to your health. The more you exercise and eat a well balanced diet, the more likely you are to improve not only your cardiovascular health but also your overall health.

Beans are actually a vegetable, but they're high enough in protein that the government also considers them a meat substitute. Since they fit into two food groups, they're often lost in the shuffle. Given what beans have to offer us, they're probably the most neglected food in our diets. Dry peas and beans and tofu (soybean curd) are great meat substitutes that are low in saturated fat, and are cholesterol free. Dry peas and beans also have a lot of fiber, which can help to lower blood cholesterol. Another benefit of beans is they are high in iron.

So what does this mean to you? Simple: Add more beans to your diet! I actually have a favorite lunch or dinner that I make often, and here is the recipe: I slice up an onion, sauté it in olive oil until it’s soft, add a can of pinto beans (plain beans, no sauce), and a can of plain corn. I add seasonings that I like, heat up a couple flour tortillas (you could use whole wheat), cut up half an avocado (excellent fat source) and make a couple burritos! Combining the vegetable with the beans and tortilla give me a complete protein and the avocado provides some healthy fats in my diet.

So, play around with how you can add beans to your diet. They can replace the rice or potatoes at dinner, and today many great options are available canned, making it easier than ever to eat beans. And, if you need to lower your cholesterol levels or get more iron or fiber into your diet, this is a very simple way to do it!


To read the abstract of this study, go to:
http://jn.nutrition.org/cgi/content/abstract/137/11/2391
Or to read more about beans in your diet, go to:
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/Diet/story?id=3689588&page=1

Soft Drinks Increase Risk of Metabolic Syndrome

We know that the consumption of soft drinks has been linked to obesity in children and adolescents, but it is unclear whether it increases metabolic risk in middle-aged individuals.

Metabolic Syndrome includes a variety of conditions linked to an increased risk of heart disease including high blood pressure, low counts of good cholesterol, high sugar levels, and high amounts of fatty acids.

One study suggests that middle-aged adults may have up to a 40% higher risk of developing Metabolic Syndrome from drinking more than one soft drink per day. What researchers found most interesting, however, was that it didn’t matter if it was regular or diet. They found that the dietary habits of both types of soft drinkers was the same; people who drink more soft drinks are known to also eat more high-calorie, high-fat food and exercise less. The study was a segment of the ongoing Framington Heart Study by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health, and involved nearly 8,000 people.

What does this study mean for you? I have always felt that the more natural our diets are the better. And this includes the intake of diet sodas. I will admit that I love a good cherry coke when I’m eating out. However, I probably average one or two a month. And I have never been able to switch over to the diet versions of any foods. I feel that sugar replacements are an unnatural food that I prefer to avoid.

So, for you, if you drink any type of soda, what can you do to cut them down? If you drink diet soda thinking it will help you lose weight, ask yourself just how much weight have you lost on them! Many people actually have an addiction to diet sodas and do not lose weight.

Then look at what types of foods are you eating. Can you increase your intake of fruits and vegetables? I challenge you to add one new fruit or veggie to your diet each week between now and Easter. Then, if you have been successful, keep going until summer! You would be surprised to see what happens to your weight if you did such a thing.

To read the abstract of this study, go to:
http://www.nih.gov/news/pr/jul2007/nhlbi-23.htm

To Treat or Not to Treat: Weight Loss

It is no secret that excess body fat is a major risk factor for disease. In recent years several criteria have been introduced to evaluate this risk factor. Nevertheless, the need for treatment is typically only assessed on the basis of a person's Body Mass Index (BMI).

One study’s goal was to determine whether application of the BMI, compared to other weight measurement options could change how they were classified in the underweight, normal weight, overweight and obese categories. In addition to BMI, they looked at a person’s percentage body fat, metabolic syndrome risk, waist circumference, and Body Fat Mass Index.

They found that a number of people were being misclassified in their weight categories. BMI compared to almost all of the other weight and fat measuring options identified that less people would be recommended for treatment. Thus, using more methods to determine a person’s body fat, more people were found to need weight management treatment.

What does this mean for you? Something researchers have found is that many people don’t recognize that their weight is an issue. However, if your weight is affecting your activities or how you feel each day, you know if you would feel better if you lost weight. So, if you believe that perhaps your doctor is just being ‘kind’ by telling you your weight is fine, you can take charge and do something about it, now!

In fact, spring is just about upon us and is a great time to start increasing activity and choosing more foods that are fresh and whole, such as fruits and vegetables. So my advice is to take a serious look at your weight and your health and make a decision on these on your own. Then make a plan to do something about it!

To read the abstract of this study, go to this link:
http://www.nutritionj.com/content/7/1/5