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

What Are Your Odds?

Just how much can women affect their odds of getting breast cancer?  More than they might think, according to a study published in Breast Cancer Research.  While it’s true that having a mother or sister with breast cancer increases a woman’s odds of contracting the disease, even these women can lower their risk.  Research suggests that all women can help avoid breast cancer by doing three things:

1. Exercise at least 20 minutes at a moderate to vigorous rate a minimum of five times a week.  The American Cancer Society encourages 45 - 60 minutes of exercise most days.

2. Achieve and maintain a healthy body weight.  Strive for a body mass index (BMI) between 18.5 and 25.  To find your BMI, click here.

3. Limit alcohol consumption to one drink per day.  One drink is five ounces of wine, 1.5 ounces of 80-proof spirits, or 12 ounces of beer.  Keep in mind that this is a limit, not a goal.  While one drink a day can help protect the heart, minimizing or abstaining from drinking is correlated with a lower risk of breast cancer.

Taking these steps can lower your risk 15 - 20%.  Although that may not be huge, regular exercise and weight management will improve your health in many ways.  You’ll increase your energy level, raise your self esteem, and help prevent a host of other diseases including diabetes, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, arthritis, and other forms of cancer.   (Source: UC Berkeley Wellness Letter October 2011)

Just How Helpful Are PSA Tests?

It’s said that we all have a cross to bear, and in the health arena, it appears to be true.  Women have mammograms and men have PSA tests, both of which have caused some controversy over the years.  Most recently PSA testing has come under fire, with U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommending that men not undergo routine PSA screening for prostate cancer.  In addition, in 2010, the American Cancer Society stopped advising routine screening as well and now advise men to confer with their physicians.

PSA stands for prostate specific antigen, a protein produced by the prostate and released into the blood.  While PSA levels can increase due to cancer, they can also be elevated for unknown reasons or from infection or benign enlargement.  Only 20 - 30% of men with high PSA levels have cancer, and perhaps more disturbing is that a similar percentage of men with normal PSA levels do have cancer.

Prostate cancer is unusual in that most of its tumors are small and slow growing, do not spread, and have no symptoms.  This form of cancer is fatal in only about 15% of diagnosed cases.  Men are at increased risk if they are black, over age 60, and/or have an immediate family member with the disease.

The only way to determine if someone has prostate cancer is to do a biopsy, which can cause pain, anxiety, infection, and treatment for a cancer that would never have been life-threatening.   What’s worse is that the standard treatments are surgery and radiation, both of which often cause erectile dysfunction, urinary problems and incontinence.  See why a consultation with your doctor is essential?

My source for this article is the Berkeley Wellness Letter, January 2012.  It’s interesting to note that the Editorial Board for the publication is on the fence with this issue: some will stop having PSA screening, others will continue with some uncertainty, and the rest are undecided.  Even doctors consult their doctors!

Exercise Preference Assessment

The key to regular exercise is doing something you really enjoy.  I’d like to share an assessment I have developed to help my clients figure out the best types of activity for them.  If you want to actual form, contact me.  Otherwise, take a piece a paper and create your own form.

Begin by listing the following factors in a row on the left-side of the page: Know how to do it, Can do alone,  Have equipment needed, Can do at home, Done outdoors, Performed in or on the water, Involves competition, Aerobic benefits, Strength-building, Flexibility benefits, Possess skills needed, Instructor led, Affordable.

Then draw a table, making several columns across the page.  At the top of each column, fill in the forms of exercise/activity that you enjoy or think you would enjoy.  Now consider each factor as a question.  For example, ask yourself, “do I know how to do this?” or “is this performed in the water?”  Then reflect on if the way you answered is a good thing.  If so, put a + in the box.  If your answer suggests that exercise may not work for you, put a - in the box. 

For example, if you are assessing swimming and you love being in the water but you don’t have access to a pool, you would put a + in the “Performed in or on the water” box and a - in the “Have the equipment needed” box.  If walking is one of the exercises you listed, you might put a - for “Done outdoors” if it’s summer in Phoenix and a + at the other times of the year when walking outdoors would be enjoyable.  Leave the box blank for neutral responses and use a ? if you don’t know and need to do some research.

Fill in each box and total the +, -, and blanks/? at the bottom.   When you’re done, review your scores.  Are you regularly doing the activities with the most plusses?  If not, what would it take for you to begin?    See if you can overcome those negatives and get started today!  Let me know if I can help.