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Friday, July 20, 2007

All the News That's Fit to Eat

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By Joanne Eglash
eDiets Healthy Lifestyle Columnist

Natural isn't Always Safe
If you're diabetic, your doctor probably frequently discusses your nutrition, exercise, and medications with you. Your health care provider may also ask you about over-the-counter medications that you take. But if you are taking herbs, homeopathic remedies, or other alternative supplements, you may assume that they're "safe." As a result, you may not consider those factors worth discussing with your doctor.

Bad assumption. As reported in the Journal of Advanced Nursing 2007; a survey of international health literature revealed that herbal medications and nutritional supplements rank as the most frequently used complementary therapies by diabetics. The problem: many patients don't reveal their use to their doctors. Some of these alternative treatments can, however, impact key diabetes tests. For example, your blood sugar levels can be altered by using fenugreek. As a precaution, check with your doctor before you start taking any new nutritional or herbal supplement.

Big Apple Regulation Update...
The Big Apple is the place to be if you're counting calories. On July 1, the New York City Board of Health's new regulation requiring chain restaurants to list their calories on their menu boards took effect. First to comply: Subway. Walk into a Subway restaurant in New York City and you'll have no excuses for not sticking to your calorie allotment for the day.

Choose a six-inch Veggie Delite, for example, and you'll consume 230 calories. Ask for a six-inch Chicken and Bacon Ranch sandwich, and you swallow almost 600 calories! If your lunch includes a package of chips washed down with fruit punch, and two white macadamia nut cookies for dessert, you just took in more than 1,200 calories for lunch. For a petite woman on a diet, that can use up her entire day’s allotment of calories. Ouch.

Don't Take Teen Bad Eating Lightly
Teens are notorious for their bad health habits. Staying up late at night... lunching on pizza every day... scoffing at the notion of eating their veggies and fresh fruit at home... skipping breakfast or substituting a doughnut for their morning cereal.

If that sounds like your teenage offspring, don't shrug it off with the comment, "Oh, she’s just a typical teen." According to new research on asthma reported in the medical journal Chest, being deficient in key vitamins and nutrients can impact respiratory health.

The researchers' study showed that teenagers who limited their intake of good-for-you foods such as veggies and fruits were more apt to have breathing problems, which ranged from chronic asthma to bronchitis to wheezing and coughing. Teens who combined smoking with bad nutritional habits were even more at risk: the researchers reported that the two bad habits combined resulted in seven times the risk of asthma for teens. The message for parents: start teaching your children good eating habits at a young age, and make certain they understand just how deadly smoking can be. If you have teens at home who won't listen to you, don't despair. Skip the lectures, and create meals that are healthy and tasty. For example, make pizza with a whole-wheat crust that's topped with good-for-you tomato sauce and lots of cut-up veggies. For dessert, serve a fresh fruit and low-fat frozen yogurt blender "milkshake" topped with a tablespoon of low-fat whipped topping and zucchini bread or carrot muffins.
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Comment: Friday, July 20, 2007 5:16:00 PM - Blogger joyce jones said...  

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Comment: Friday, July 27, 2007 1:19:00 AM - Blogger misha8792 said...  

I love this article and agree whole heartedly. I have an almost 14 yr old, and left to his own design, he would exist miserably on Muffins and meat. He likes some Raw veggies and fruits, but wouldn't choose them on his own. It is a concerted effort to keep him on track. His Dad and I are on a good eating Plan involving whole foods and nearly no sugar. I certainly don't make him hold to all of that, but his meals with us are just that...what we eat and what will give him healthy eating habits. Yes, he does sneek in extra things I can't have and that is fine by me. I think he has a good base for what to enjoy, and hope he will keep trying new things.


Comment: Monday, July 30, 2007 12:51:00 PM - Anonymous Anonymous said...  

What i hate about these things is they don't specify WHAT to eat WHAT time of the day. I mean at least things that are reachable and don't cost 327189378571304311 dollars. Food that's in our reach and easy to get to...Some people need a written out diet so that they can actually follow it and know exactly what they have to eat....Baby steps...


Comment: Wednesday, September 19, 2007 4:35:00 PM - Anonymous Anonymous said...  

Starting early is crucial for two reasons. First, it improves health in growing years, which cannot be made up in the future. Second, it builds habits that the individual carries throughout life. I found a similar article on meddlinks.com, and really hope more people pay attention to healthy eating.








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