New Year's Resolution - To Your Health

How many years has 'lose weight' been listed in your top 3 New Year's Resolutions?

If it almost seems like listing it dooms you to keep the weight on, then try a different approach. Make 'losing weight' a side benefit of a more important resolution 'be healthier'.

There are lots of things you can do to be healthier. You can manage your health:

• Make the medical rounds
  - Get a physical, get a gynecological exam, see other doctors that you ought
  - Every two years, get an eye exam
  - See a dental hygienist
• Get tests
  - Blood tests, check blood sugar levels (A1C), cholesterol, Creatinine (the chemical found in blood or urine that estimates kidney function)
  - Mammogram and other tests your doctor will suggest
• Monitor your health
  - Know your blood pressure, weight
• Protect your immune system
  -Get a flu shot, pneumonia vaccine (once a life and worth it)
• Build and maintain good habits
  - Eat healthy, set-up an appointment with a nutritionist to start learning what eating healthy is
  - Eat only when hungry, stop when you're full
  - Exercise
  - Get on a weight lose program, vow to stay on it for the entire year.

The oldest food known to man may be the best.

Fresh and dried fruits were the staple of early man. In ancient times, fruits were considered to have magical properties. Perhaps we should give fruits their due reverence for what they consistently deliver to our bodies: substantial quantities of essential nutrients. Plus fruits are very easily digested and exercise a cleansing effect on the blood and the digestive systems.

Why eat fruit?

• Eat a lot of fruit and you will naturally enjoy better health.
• Fruits have a hydrating effect helping the body to absorb the sugar and minerals directly from the fruit.
• Fruits also have a diuretic and alkanising effect and the fibres promote good intestinal elimination.
• Fruits are easily and quickly digestible, they are a source of instant heat and energy. Fruits also have a natural laxative effect. The fibrous matter in fruits aids in the smooth passage of food in the digestive track and easy bowel action. The sugars and organic acids contained in the fruits also increase their laxative effect, especially in papaya and guavas.
• Fruits are best eaten in their natural form. Nutrients are lost when fruits are baked or cooked.
• Always eat fruits before other foods because they digest faster.

Change your 'comfort' food

A bad day at work, I used to be in the refrigerator eating ice cream out of the container. It was one of my comfort foods with cookies a close second.

I've changed what I go for in the cupboards for comfort. You can do it. I did it by promising myself that I could have ice cream if I really wanted it after eating a more low-calories and nutritious comfort food. Most of the time, I never opened the freezer for the chocolate chocolate mint.

The key to changing comfort foods is having them in the house and not having to do a lot of preparation to eating them. Here are some comfort foods to start embracing:

1. Soups - What mom made us, from a pan or from scratch, is what brings back warm memories of childhood.
   
   Progresso and Campbell's have come out with some great low-calorie soups. Talk about easy to fix, pull-open can top, pour in microwave cup, serve 3 minutes later.
   
   Always have them in the pantry. But don't stop there, I've found that acorn squash soup have a creamy taste that I think hit the comfort spot. Send some time in the soup aisle checking labels on some of your favorite soups.
   


2. Desserts - When it comes to comfort, rich and creamy is the name of the game. Rice pudding, vanilla pudding, chocolate flavored yogurt tend to be low in calories. Check the individual brands. Do some research and have some low-calorie treats in stock.
   


3. Breakfast, anytime of the day - Lots of people find breakfast such a comforting meal that they indulge in their favorite breakfast dishes for other times in the day. There are even restaurants that serve just cereals (waiters in PJs).
   
   I'm not suggesting french toast and pancakes, but why not an egg with a slice of toast or pouring some milk over your favorite cereal. Before I go to a party, I'll eat a bowl of cereal to fill me up. It helps subdue the pangs of hunger that would otherwise find a party snack tray tempting.
   


4. Vegetables - Make comfort food all about texture: crispy, soft or succulent. You can buy carrots, cauliflower, broccoli already cut-up ready for dip. And for dip, why not use a low-fat, low-calorie vinegarette.
   


5. Teas - Find a tea that hits the comfort spot. For me it's Teavana's chocolate tea. Oddly it doesn't taste like tea but it 'feels' like I've drank some chocolate.
   
   Do it up, make a tea ceremony just for yourself. Teapot, sugar and cream bowl (better yet find a tea you don't need sugar and cream), and a favorite cup, if all put on a tray and taken out to the deck it's all sublime. Find yourself a tea cozy and you'll be set.

With comfort food, it's about engaging our senses and our emotions in a deeply satisfying way.

Get Antioxidants From Food, Not Supplements

Antioxidant-rich fruits and veggies are associated with decreased risk of cancer and cardiovascular disease. So wouldn't it make sense that antioxidant supplements could do the same. However, supplements are largely ineffective in preventing heart disease, according to an American Heart Association (AHA) Scientific Advisory.

"At this time, there is little reason to advise that individuals take antioxidant supplements to reduce their risk of cardiovascular disease," said lead author Penny Kris-Etherton, Ph.D., of Pennsylvania State University, adding: "We know that diets high in fruits and vegetables are associated with decreased risk ... In addition, achieving and maintaining a healthy body weight and being physically active are important."

Another study of over 170,000 participants published in The Lancet found that antioxidant supplements did not lower the risk of gastrointestinal cancer and in fact seemed to increase overall mortality. Again these supplements may actually increase, not decrease, your chances of dying from cancer. For example

• Combinations of beta-carotene with either vitamin A or C, and vitamin E supplements were found to pose the most risk.


• Vitamin E pills actually increased LDL (bad) cholesterol in animal studies, reports The Journal of Clinical Investigation.

Dr. Ronald Krauss, director of atherosclerosis research at the Children's Hospital Oakland Research Institute, said: "If one wants to take advantage of antioxidants, which can have many health benefits, one should rely on eating foods that are rich in antioxidants and not rely on taking supplements to prevent heart disease."

Why would antioxidant supplements on their own show little benefit, or even potential risk? One possibility is that the many different nutrients -- vitamins, minerals and phytochemical antioxidants -- within whole foods work in synergy. Some antioxidants act as "big brother" to other nutrients, shielding them from oxidative damage and letting them do their job. What's more, plant-based diets also tend to be lower in harmful saturated and trans-fats and higher in beneficial fiber.

Fortunately, the supplements in question are found abundantly in nature.

• Beta-carotene: butternut squash, pumpkin, cantaloupe, carrots, kale, spinach and apricots.


• Vitamin C: red bell peppers, papaya, citrus fruits, kiwis, broccoli.


• Vitamin E: almonds, dark green leafy vegetables, vegetable juice cocktail, whole grains, corn.
  

Don't slip up on banana facts...

...because eating bananas is a great idea! Don't give them up just because of calorie content.

According to Dole, bananas are a well-known 'Superfood for Your Heart' because of their unique combination of nutrients all supporting various aspects of heart health:

• potassium (for blood pressure control)


• fiber (for cholesterol regulation)


• vitamin B6 (to reduce levels of homocysteine, an amino acid which at high levels can damage arteries)


• vitamin C (to prevent oxidation of LDL cholesterol).

If the above isn't enough...

• Astonishingly, eating two bananas a day can reduce blood pressure by 10% in one week.


• Those who consume diets rich in potassium are 50% less likely to have a stroke.


• Consume 3 or more bananas a week and you'll have a lower risk of developing leukemia, as well as colorectal and kidney cancer. 72% lower risk of colorectal cancer; such anti-cancer benefits may be due to bananas' high level of vitamin B6, which has been shown to inhibit DNA strand breaks.

The banana diet craze that swept Japan...

...is being promoted by the banana distributor, Dole.

The banana diet was created by an Osaka pharmacist, whose husband dropped 38 pounds by following it. Word spread and Japanese grocery stores couldn’t keep bananas on the shelves.

Now, Dole is trying to get Americans to join the bandwagon but with a healthier banana diet that helps you lose weight while enjoying the benefits of increased fruit consumption.

The Dole banana diet substitutes well-balanced meals and nutritious recipes for the “all you can eat” approach.

I've always felt that bananas got a bad rap in diet literature. When you think of it, so did fruits. The sugars in all fruits were considered dietary villians. But apply commonsense and fruits should be a large part of your losing weight strategy.

• The vitamins, minerals and other nutrients found in fruit work synergistically with each other, so much so that your body absorbs these essentials much easier than in supplement or 'fortified' food form.
• You can attack hunger cravings a lot easier with a piece of fruit than with a granola bar or other snack food.

The Dole Banana Diet may be a little extreme, but the recipes on the web site include a lot of fruits which I give a two thumbs up.

Lack Of Evidence For Multivitamin Benefits

If you're taking a multivitamin to get all the vitamins you need, think again. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) found "insufficient evidence on the benefits and safety of multivitamins/minerals to recommend their regular consumption."

"More than half of Americans are taking dietary supplements, the majority of which are multivitamins, and the bottom line is that we don't know for sure that they're benefiting from them. In fact, we're concerned that some people may be getting too much of certain nutrients," said panel chairman J. Michael McGinnis, M.D., M.P.P., Senior Scholar with the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences.

With many commonly consumed foods (cereal, protein bars, sports beverages, etc.) fortified with vitamins and minerals, it's easy to see how adding supplements to your regimen could easily put you over the top. For example:

1. Beta-carotene supplements were not found to protect against cancer or heart disease. In fact, beta-carotene supplementation among women who were smokers at some point in their lives more than doubles the risk of tobacco-related cancers. If you eat a healthy diet, getting too much beta-carotene is a concern.


2. Athletes and others take glucosamine to relieve joint pain, but research shows most commercial supplements are ineffective, while the safety of large doses remains uncertain.


3. High intake of multivitamins in general -- and zinc in particular -- hiked men's risk of dying from prostate cancer. Multis can also be a concern for women, as they're linked to increased breast density, which can mean a six-fold greater breast cancer risk.

This doesn't mean you should ignore your nutrient needs, as far too many Americans are deficient when it comes to fiber, calcium, potassium, magnesium and vitamins A, C and E. Rather, put your focus on deriving key nutrients from food, not supplements.