Does Your Food Suit Your Mood? Part 2

By Anita Rangaswami (Guest Blogger)

Are we paying close attention to the “negative effects” of certain foods that are consumed on a daily basis?   Here is an example that may sound a little too familiar and clearly illustrates these “negative effects”. An ice cream treat can be an earned reward after a particularly stressful day and without noticeable consequence when consumed infrequently. But what happens when infrequent turns into the “stress-relief” solution multiple times a week? We are definitely creatures of habit and it becomes easy to succumb to the temptation. Very soon, there is not only an uncomfortable increase in the midsection, but there are many other significant health ramifications to a weekly hot fudge brownie sundae therapy!

After a few weeks of brownie therapy, the “negative effects” begin to manifest. A cold may develop with chest congestion, a runny nose, dull headache and a cough that lasts seemingly forever. It feels as if a bad cold and chest congestion “suddenly” appeared, but in reality, the shift to excessive dairy and sweets consumption may have played a significant role. We know that the same foods can be processed very differently by individuals – one man’s food is another’s poison.

When we can properly identify an imbalance, avoid the foods causing it, and choose the appropriate foods to pacify the imbalances, we begin the healing process. As we become more observant of the nature of the food we eat, when and why we indulge in the foods that we do, we may be able to voluntarily change those patterns that are not nourishing for our mind and body.

Here are three key principles to help feed your mind and body:

1. Don’t let your mood influence your food!

2. Know what you are eating; always eat with total awareness

3. Know your Ayurvedic mind/body type and be in tune with nature’s rhythms …. Bon Appétit!

Anita Rangaswami is an Ayurveda Consultant and Founder of Prana Gyana Holistic Health and Wellness Center in Tempe. Go to www.pranagyana.com for more details. Phone – 480-598-9961

Does Your Food Suit Your Mood?

By Anita Rangaswami (Guest Blogger)

Know how to feed your mind and body properly!

Individuals who lead a "wellness-oriented" lifestyle are generally concerned with nutrition, fitness, stress, and typically care about their environment as well. Health conscious individuals are into eating raw foods, drinking Kombucha tea, being on the cutting edge and going to yoga/pilates fusion classes, running ultra marathons, meditating, dancing, drumming, and so much more, just to keep fit.

However, in this age of information overload in every field, there is too much to digest and the consumer is often times overwhelmed with confusing and sometimes contradictory information. We pay more attention to ensure we consume foods that are listed as healthy or rich in anti-oxidants, but are we paying close attention to the “negative effects” of certain foods that are consumed on a daily basis?

With Ayurveda, a natural medicine system known as the “Science of Life,” we learn to understand our mind body type and become aware of foods that are nourishing for our body, while avoiding others that may not be as conducive. According to Ayurveda, every individual is unique and has a specific mind body type. “You are what you eat,” an old adage, takes on special significance when we use these nature based principles and work towards alleviating physical and mental imbalances or disease symptoms. Food is considered to be the first and foremost form of medicine, and without the right kind of food in the body all other healing modalities can only be partially effective.

Join me next week for more on Ayurveda including three key principles to help feed your mind and body.

Anita Rangaswami is an Ayurveda Consultant registered with AAPNA (Association of Ayurvedic Physicians of North America), Yoga & Meditation Instructor certified through the Chopra Center and Yoga Alliance registered. Originally from Bangalore, India, Anita has practiced Bhakti yoga, the yoga of love and devotion for over 30 years. She is the Founder of Prana Gyana Holistic Health and Wellness Center in Tempe, offering holistic, Ayurvedic consultations, group and individual yoga and meditation classes, chakra balancing and holistic nutrition, and stress relief workshops for kids and adults. Go to www.pranagyana.com for more details. Phone – 480-598-9961

A New and Improved Life

To live long and well, we must exercise.  We’ve been told this for years, and we still don’t get it.  There’s just no substitute.  Dieting and maintaining a healthy weight are great, but they’re not enough.  Exercise does things for the mind and body that nothing else, including diet, can do.  Check out three ways regular exercise can improve your life and see if you can get excited enough about just one to get you going.

1. Cancer - Exercise reduces your risk of cancer or improves your prognosis if you do develop it.  As the people I know age, I learn of new cancer diagnoses almost every week.  The risk of colon , breast , endometrial , pancreatic , and several blood forming cancers are all affected by exercise, either directly or indirectly through weight management.  Strive to do the highest level of aerobic exercise that you can manage safely and will continue with, since some cancer risks are reduced only with moderate to vigorous exercise.

2. Dementia - Exercise creates new brain cells.  Aerobic exercise increases blood flow to the brain and stimulates new brain cell growth and the connections between them.  It also increases the supply of BDNF, a protein that promotes the growth of nerve cells and synapses that enhance memory and learning.  Three years ago I lost my father after watching his abilities in these areas diminish over several years.  It was a painful experience for both of us and something I’d like to see us all avoid.

3. Diabetes - Exercise improves insulin sensitivity.  As we age or put on weight (or both, as many people do), our bodies become less insulin sensitive, increasing our risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes.  In this case, both aerobic exercise and strength training will garner these benefits provided you exercise at least every other day.

In addition to lowering your risk of developing these debilitating conditions, exercise is a simple and inexpensive way to look, feel, and be your very best!

Source: Nutrition Action December 2009

To Replace or Not to Replace

I was surprised to learn how many knee and hip replacements are being done on people under the age of 65.  According to Prevention magazine, almost 40% of all hip replacements done in 2010 were done on people under age 65, and 42% of that year’s knee replacements were on folks aged 45 - 64.  But experts say the reasons for this aren’t all bad.  One major reason for early joint replacement is because this age group is more active than in previous generations, and people don’t want to stop doing what they love.  However, it’s also true that an increase in overweight and being out of shape at a younger age also are partly to blame.

To avoid surgery, engage in low-impact exercise, wear proper footwear, and keep your weight in check.  Each additional pound you carry increases the pressure on your hips and knees by 3 pounds, making those ten extra pounds feel like 30 to your joints!  Strengthening your leg muscles will also help support the knees and certain supplements can help.  SAMe has been shown to be as effective as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in reducing stiffness, pain and swelling while increasing range of motion and walking pace.  Also worth your consideration are glucosamine and chondroitin taken in combination.  While the evidence is not as strong, these supplements are thought to slow down the natural breakdown of joint cartilage.

If you must have surgery, take comfort in the fact that joint replacement surgery has improved over the years due to changes throughout the process.  The procedures are less painful and recovery is quicker than in days past.  Better still, the replacement joints are lasting longer, with over 80% lasting more than 20 years.

Please don’t let your apprehension about surgery slow you down or, worse yet, force you into a sedentary lifestyle.  As you’ve heard many times here, when it comes to wellness, exercise is the closest thing to a magic bullet we’ve got.

Source: Prevention December 2012

A Day Older and Years Wiser

If you’re reading this, you’re a day older today than you were yesterday. Congratulations!  When you consider the alternative, this is a good thing.  Rather than dwell on getting older each day, why not think about how you’ve gotten wiser with each passing year?  Perhaps when we celebrate our birthdays with loved ones, we could gift them with our reflections on what we’ve learned during the past year.  As Baby Boomers age, it’s a perfect time for Americans to begin revering the elderly, as other cultures do.

Aging does not have to mean failing health.  Researchers have also become wiser over the years and have the following advice for us:

·       Double your produce consumption to two servings at every meal and one with every snack to boost your antioxidant intake and combat the free radicals that are linked to over 200 diseases.

·       Cut way back on unhealthy (animal) fats such as butter, cheese, and red meat and replace them with healthy plant-based fats which include nuts, soy, legumes, and ground flaxseed as well as fish.

·       Consult your physician about your need for supplementing critical vitamins and minerals: vitamins D and B12, calcium, and magnesium.

·       Choose unprocessed foods whenever possible: oatmeal not granola bars, broccoli not broccoli with cheese sauce, a baked potato rather than French fries, and quinoa over white bread.

·       Enjoy coffee in moderation and green tea, and indulge in single servings of red wine and dark chocolate.

I have several friends who are professionals and over age 70 and the gal who toured us around the Tovrea Castle last weekend is almost eighty.  They all enjoy an active, vital lifestyle.  Let’s join them!

Preventing Cancer

Use sunscreen frequently!

As I mentioned last week, the folks at the UC Berkeley Wellness Letter have reported that there are many factors under your control when it comes to preventing cancer.  Begin by affirming daily, “I enjoy perfect health in body, mind and spirit.”  Then add fuel to this intention with these nine practices:

·       Don’t smoke or use tobacco products such as smokeless tobacco.

·       Maintain a healthy weight; body fat is linked to increased cancer risk and chronic inflammation, another condition connected with cancer.

·       Engage in physical activity most, if not all, days of the week - it’s never too late to start!

·       Eat a healthy diet emphasizing vegetables, fruits, and whole grains (in that order) and minimizing red meat, pork and salt-preserved foods.

·       Drink alcohol in moderation if at all (1 drink for women, 2 for men per day).

·        Minimize high-heat cooking of meat, fish and poultry; this includes grilling and pan-frying.

·       Minimize sun exposure and use sunscreen as the instructions indicate; most people under-apply and then fail to reapply.

·       Limit exposure to radiation from medical testing; discuss the pros, cons, and alternatives for all testing with your doctor.

·       Minimize your exposure to indoor and outdoor air pollution; I’m sorry that wood burning, candles, air fresheners, and incense are among the worst culprits!

Source: UC Berkeley WellnessLetter Special Supplement Preventing Cancer

What Causes Cancer?

Did you know that almost half of American men and one-third of women will develop cancer at some time in their lives?  No wonder it is the biggest health concern of most people!  (Cancer is not the leading cause of death, however; that distinction goes to heart disease.)  Studies show that almost 30% of those surveyed believe there’s not much people can do to prevent cancer, and nearly 75% stated that there were too many recommendations made to know what actions to take.

Just what does cause cancer and can we do anything about it?  Recently the American Cancer Society developed estimates amazingly similar to those presented 30 years ago by cancer-researchers Richard Doll and Richard Peto who estimated that smoking accounts for about 30% of all US cancer cases and poor diet and lack of exercise (resulting in overweight) are responsible for another 35%!  For those that are math adverse, that’s 65% related to lifestyle.  Another ten percent of cancers are caused by genes and the rest are a combination of microorganisms, hepatitis B and C viruses, Helicobacter pylori (linked to stomach cancer), reproductive factors, alcohol consumption, radiation, and finally carcinogens and environmental toxins.

So what can you do to reduce your risk?  Begin by being diligent with your cancer screenings - self-exams, mammograms, colonoscopies, and the like.  Test your home for radon (call the National Radon Hotline at 800-55-RADON) and your water supply for arsenic if you live in a rural area and have a private water source (contact the EPA at 800-426-4791).  Limit your exposure to carcinogens in the workplace; download a governmental pocket guide to chemical hazards at cdc.gov/niosh/npg.  For nine more lifestyle preventative measures, check back next week. 

Source: UC Berkeley WellnessLetter Special Supplement Preventing Cancer

Eating When You’re Not Hungry

Wait a minute - eat when you’re not hungry?  Why would I advise you to do that?  There are times when you should eat even if you’re not hungry, such as upon rising in the morning or after several daytime hours without eating.  There are various reasons people sometimes don’t feel hunger, including having a history of calorie restricted dieting or being physically ill.  Depression, grief, and anxiety are other common reasons hunger is diminished.  Some sedentary people rarely feel tremendously hungry.  It’s important to pay attention to your body signals and emotional states.  Going more than four hours during the day without eating causes the metabolism to drop as the body strives to preserve energy.  It also may result in overeating later in the day.

However, from years of experience working with overweight people, I can tell you that there are many unwise reasons people eat besides hunger.  People eat to relieve stress; some find food takes their mind off of the stressor while others choose crunchy foods to expend the energy that is building up.  Sometimes people eat to be social and “fit in,” perhaps succumbing to peer pressure.  Workplaces are filled with opportunities to feel the need to eat.  Often people eat to decrease fatigue, when what they really lack is sleep.  Some folks eat out of habit, because it’s mealtime or because they always eat when they come home from school.  A major reason people eat too much is because it tastes good.  This common restaurant behavior brings up one last reason diners overeat – because they paid for it. 

Enjoying a well balanced diet and eating at least three times a day is best for overall health and weight management.  Let me know if you need help with either what or when you eat, so you can look, feel, and be your very best!

Are You Allergic or Intolerant?

While about 25% of adults claim to have a food allergy, only about 2% have a true allergy. Most of the rest of are experiencing some level of food intolerance, a much less serious condition. Understanding the difference can make life easier for those with intolerances while avoiding a serious reaction for those with a real allergy. Take this true-false quiz to test your knowledge:

1. If you experience gas or cramps from milk, bran, or broccoli, you’re probably allergic to them.

2. If you find lactose or high-fiber foods difficult to digest, you should avoid them altogether.

3.You can experience harmful reactions to wheat and not even realize it.

4. The greatest food allergy risks are from seafoods, not nuts.

5. Products labeled as “manufactured in a facility that processes peanuts” are just as risky as those labeled “may contain peanuts.”

Answers: 1. False. These are common signs of a food intolerance resulting from digestive problems such as a lack of certain enzymes or difficulty processing some substances such as fiber or sulfites. With an allergy, the immune system treats certain food proteins as invaders.
2. False. Often these foods can be tolerated in small quantities while gradually increasing the amount consumed.
3. True. Celiac disease strikes about 1 out of 130 people, a cross between intolerance and an allergy to the gluten in wheat. Many who have the disease have no recognizable symptoms other than nutrient deficiencies.
4. True. Seafood allergies are twice as common as nuts or peanut allergies and can be very serious. See your doctor if you have a reaction after eating seafood, even if you’ve never had a problem before.
5. True. Manufacturers can use either phrase, so if you have an allergy, avoid foods with either label.

Source: Consumer Reports on Health November 2007

If you find yourself experiencing discomfort and various symptoms after eating, keep a journal of exactly what you eat, how much and when. Look for patterns and try to isolate the source by combining fewer foods. Consult your doctor if serious discomfort occurs or for help in determining the cause (and remedy) of such symptoms. Gas, bloating, nausea and other forms of digestive distress are not normal, so don’t dismiss them. Nurture your body today!

Save Your Health and Your Pocketbook

Last week I looked at the high cost of being overweight or obese.  Today I’d like to brighten the news and give you some very doable changes you can make to keep more money in your bank account.  Let’s begin with the biggest money saver – lowering blood pressure. 

In July 2009 the American Journal of Health Prevention reported that that a 400 mg. reduction in daily sodium intake could save some 1.5 million people with uncontrolled hypertension (high blood pressure) over $1500 per year.  A 400 mg decrease in sodium is a very realistic goal.  Read the labels on canned soup, teriyaki and soy sauce, pickles, and even unsuspecting foods such as cottage cheese.  Look for reduced sodium versions of all kinds of foods in your supermarket and at lowsaltfoods.com.    

If overweight or obesity is your concern, you may be pleased to know that the Journal reported that a 100 calorie reduction in food intake per day would save some 71 million people an estimated $815 a year.  Like sodium, there are many ways to accomplish a 100 calorie reduction.  Eliminating one chocolate covered Oreo gets you 115 fewer calories.  Substitute it with a regular Oreo and save half the calories.  Switch from regular beer to light beer to shave 40 calories off each serving, and eliminate one beer altogether to cut 140 calories on average.  Similarly, one glass of wine is about 120 calories and a can of soda is 150 calories.

Finally researchers looked at what lowering high cholesterol would save each of the almost 4 million people affected and found it was over $500 per year.  To accomplish these savings, this population would need to reduce their saturated fat intake 5 grams per day.  Saturated fat is found in animal products such as butter, milk, and meat.  An 8 ounce glass of whole milk has about 8 g of saturated fat, 2% has 5 g, 1% has 2 g and non-fat or skim milk has less than .5 g.  Choosing chicken (without the skin) or fish over sausage or bacon will result in similar reductions.  While 1 tablespoon of butter has 7 g of saturated fat, margarines have trans fat, another dietary hornet’s nest we won’t get into here.  Strive to cut your intake of both in half and your unhealthy fat intake will decrease accordingly.

Overweight is Expensive

We all know that illness is expensive, given doctor bills, tests, treatments, and medications.  Have you ever thought about the additional costs of time lost from work, travel to and from the doctor, and hiring someone to do what you were physically unable to, even if it’s just washing the car?  George Washington University researchers assessed all these factors and calculated something close: the cost of being overweight or obese.

Someone who is overweight has a body mass index (BMI) greater than 25 but less than 30.  For someone 5’ 5” tall, this would mean a weight between 150 and 179 pounds, regardless of gender.  An overweight man or woman 5’ 9” tall would weigh between 169 and 202.  The cost of being overweight varies between women and men: for women, it’s $524 annually while for men it’s $432. (The cost difference between women and men is due to the findings that overweight and obese women earn less than those at a healthy weight, while men are not disadvantaged this way.)

Obesity begins where overweight ends, so having a BMI over 30 makes someone obese.  The annual cost of carrying this much additional weight is alarming: $4879 for women and $2646 for men.    What’s equally concerning is that two-thirds of Americans are either overweight or obese and almost 18% of teenagers are obese.  Can you imagine what the cost of this weight will be to these teens over their lifetimes if they don’t take the weight off?

While there are so many reasons to lose weight and maintain a healthy weight besides cost, money is a big motivator for lots of us. Next week I’ll look at some ways we can actually save money by making healthy lifestyle changes.

Source: USA Today 9/22/10

Some of the Craziest Things I’ve Heard

Last week I encouraged you to hold a new thought, and I suggested several for you to consider.  Sadly, there are plenty of not-so-great approaches to wellness out there that you’ll want to avoid. For fun, I’d like to share a few of my favorites with you:

·       Ever try to seal a wound using Krazy Glue?  Well, please don’t try!  There are special skin adhesives that medical personnel may use, such as Dermabond, but Krazy Glue is not the same thing.  It can cause inflammation and infection.*

·       Have you considered delaying beginning an exercise program until you really need it to lose weight, sort of holding onto a trump card?  I had a client who tried this approach.  I don’t follow this reasoning, because everyone needs to exercise to be healthy, and even more so if they’d like to lose weight.

·       Then there was the public speaker who announced that he’d stopping exercising four years ago, just because, as if being sedentary was a personal choice he’d made, like adopting veganism.  What’s up with that?

·       I hope you haven’t purchased a whole body vibration machine to fight osteoporosis.  It’s hard to believe these are back in style, but I’ve seen them advertised around town for a while now, with the pitch that they help reduce bone loss.  (I remember as a kid watching Wilma Flintstone on one of these machines!)  Last year the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality reviewed all the research on this issue and reported that there is no evidence to support these claims.*

·       Finally, I’m all for calorie-burning activities, but chewing gum is not an effective one for weight loss.  Gum chewing only burns only 11 calories per hour.  (There are 26 calories in a Hershey’s Kiss.)  However, if it keeps you away from the Hershey’s Kiss, I’m all for it.  Just make it sugarless gum.*

* Source: Berkeley Wellness Letter February 2012)

Get a New Thought

Sometimes all it takes to shift perspective and get going in the right direction is a new thought.  Just the simplest expression can make all the difference, I’ve found.  Here a few of my favorites relating to wellness.  The first three come from my experience as a Weight Watchers Leader.

If you bite it, write it. Corny, I know, but it really helps clients realize that every little crumb, taste or morsel has calories and makes a difference!  Often, just writing down everything you eat in a day raises your awareness and enables you to figure out a better approach.

Feedback, not failure.  Rather than beating yourself up for a choice you made, see it as feedback - “Guess that didn’t work very well!”  Then ask yourself what you could do differently next time to have a better result.  Promise to take that action and move on.

Nothing tastes as good as thin feels. This is my all-time favorite WW expression because I love food.  But, I remember how good it felt to reach my goal weight and go shopping for clothes at my new size.  It was definitely more fun than any piece of cheesecake or pizza I’ve ever had.

Practice makes progress.  Michelle Duggar uses this encouragement with her 19 children.  Whether it’s establishing an exercise habit, learning to say “no” or creating a new eating routine, you don’t have to be perfect to be successful.  Staying with it and practicing will bring progress, which creates momentum and motivation.

More Ways to Avoid Overeating

According to feedingamerica.org, “in 2010, 48.8 million Americans lived in food insecure households.”  Given that statistic, it’s hard to believe that overeating is a major problem in our society - but it is.  It’s a common issue with eating that many of my clients face.  Here are a few more ways to help you stay in control and avoid eating too much:

·       Be aware of when you’re feeling stress, because it’s true that food alleviates anxiety.  Thankfully, so do many stress relievers that are calorie-free.  Visit Kebba Buckley Button’s website to learn more about ways to reduce your stress without eating more.

·       Engage in aerobic exercise to increase the volume of your brain’s cortex, enabling you to more effectively rein in the impulse to overeat.  Exercise can also reduce your stress level, and it doesn’t need to take more exertion than brisk walking.

·       Eat off of smaller dishes and avoid eating directly out of a large box or bag.  Studies show that when people are offered equal amounts of food, they consume more of it when it’s served on a larger dish.  Help yourself by placing a serving onto the smallest dish possible. 

·       Distract yourself with something pleasurable when a food craving hits.  While it’s true that our bodies may crave a needed nutrient, most of the time a craving is emotionally- or habit-based.  Break the automatic response with music, reading, an activity, or a talk with a friend.

If you still find yourself overeating, keep a food journal. For many, the simple act of writing down what they eat motivates them to eat less.  If not, the record will help you identify the patterns so you can look at ways to avoid the situations altogether.

Source: Nutrition Action, Center for Science in the Public Interest, May 2012

Don’t Eat “The Whole Thing”

Are you old enough to remember the AlkaSeltzer ad where a man moaned, “I can’t believe I ate the whole thing”?  I am, and although that was long time ago, overeating is still a problem for many people.  Researchers have done numerous studies on what makes people eat, and they give the following advice to refrain from eating too much:

·       Stay aware while you’re eating.  If you begin with an appropriate portion on your plate to start with, you’ll avoid getting so engaged in the conversation that you continue eating past the point of satiation.  Mindless eating is the primary problem with eating in front of the television or computer.

·       Recognize the cues that are present that trigger eating.  Waitstaff bring the tray of desserts to your table and movie theaters pump the aroma of popcorn into the air to tempt you into buying - and eating.

·       Identify and change the habits you have that prompt you eat or overeat automatically, regardless of hunger. If eating at a certain restaurant means always ordering a decadent dessert, eat somewhere else.  If you can’t have a carton of ice cream in the freezer without eating the whole thing, buy individual serving sizes one at a time or don’t have it in the house at all.

·       Avoid getting overly hungry because it prompts overeating.  Carry snacks with you and don’t skip meals.  Your metabolism will work to your advantage if you keep it fueled regularly, not in fits and starts.

Didn’t find your issue addressed? Join me next week for more ideas.  Until then, pay attention to what makes it past your lips.

Source: Nutrition Action, Center for Science in the Public Interest, May 2012

Organic Foods Quiz

Organic foods continue to draw great interest, but how much do you really know about them? Take this true/false quiz and find out.

1. The organic seal means “pesticide free.”

2. Organic products are more nutritious than non-organic foods.

3. Organic foods are less likely than conventional foods to have bacteria that can cause illness.

4. Organic snacks have fewer calories and are more nutritious than their conventional counterparts.

5. The production of organic meat and poultry is more humane than the non-organic variety.

I hope you answered “false” to every statement, because none of them are accurate.  Organic farming involves botanical pesticides, and synthetic pesticide residue from nearby farms has been known to drift over and contaminate organic crops.  The nutrient level of produce, meat and dairy products is dependent on many factors including plant variety, soil, climate, and processing and storage methods.  The data do not support a higher level of nutrition in organic foods.  Organic foods can harbor harmful bacteria, just as conventional foods can, due to growing, handling, and processing methods.  Organic snacks and sweets unfortunately are not lower in calories than non-organic products, and they may have an equal amount of sugar, salt, and saturated fat, although they do not contain trans fats - a definite plus. 

The statement closest to being true is the last one.  There are standards for the grazing of organic dairy and beef animals that require at least four months of pasture grazing and year-round access to a pasture.  While this gives the animals freedom from cages, length of time outdoors and the quality of outdoor space are not specified.  There is no regulation that organic animals be slaughtered more humanely either.

Source: UC Berkeley Wellness Letter March 2012