Saw a short discussion in the NYT about an article on normal eating on the PsychCentral blog.

Eating has become a minefield. We are constantly told what we should be not eating.

Apart from eating more fruit and veg, currently it seems that most advice is restrictive. Eat less fat, eat less carbs, don’t eat this, don’t eat that…

The article gives examples of the “experts” tips on how to eat better – which most of the time really means don’t do this if you want to lose weight.

How did eating become a test of willpower and the inevitable guilt that follows not having the willpower of saint? Once we reach adulthood, how many of us don’t have huge hang ups about eating?

My thoughts on this are that what has become abnormal about eating is not how we eat, but the large choice of constantly available food.

Our ancestors were programmed to want to eat everything in sight, since the next meal might not be for a while. There would have been times when the food supply would not have been stable. We had to hunt or forage for food.

We also developed a taste for high calorie foods for making sure we had sufficient energy. We often needed to have a plenty of energy to obtain our next meal.

So a normal diet is eating whatever is available. Unfortunately with supermarkets full of food, fast food restaurants on many corners and the candy machine at work, food is way too available for most of us. We just follow our predetermined behaviors and eat lots of tasty high calorie foods.

Is it hopeless? I hope not.

small> photo credit: Яков

Technorati Tags: normal eating, willpower, guilt, ancestors

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Vinegar is made from many plants including fruits such as apple, barley, rice and wine. Different vinegars have diverse flavors. However, they all contain acetic acid, which is what the makes the vinegar acid, and gives it many of its properties.

Over the years, vinegar has been suggested to have many healthful effects. Some of these suggested positive effects on health have included fighting infections and detoxifying the body.

In most countries the sale of vinegar is not regulated, so there are huge variations between brands and types. The range of amount of acetic acid can be quite significant.

If large quantities of vinegar, or vinegars with high acetic acid content, are taken there can be negative health consequences. Vinegar can burn your throat, esophagus and stomach. Taking too much over a period of time can deplete your body of potassium in the body, increase the rate of osteoporosis and increased blood pressure.

In new research, mice were fed a high fat diet and some were given acetic acid. Those with acetic acid supplementation gained less body fat. Up to 10% less body fat!

The researchers suggest that acetic acid is acting on the liver, turning on genes that are involved in breaking down fat. If more fat is broken down, there is less to be taken up by fat cells. Therefore, there is less fat on the belly or other places.

So perhaps taking a sensible amount of vinegar every day may help with weight gain. However, exercise caution. Too much vinegar could have bad health effects such as those described above. More is not necessarily better.

photo credit: Andyrob

Technorati Tags: vinegar, body fat, weight gain, acetic acid

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Well before the Adkins diet became popular, some research had suggested that eating a lot of high carb foods increased the risk of cardiac events.

New research suggests that this increased risk may in part be due to meals with high simple carbohydrate levels causing arteries to have reduced function for at least several hours after the meal.

The arteries in our blood system can get wider and narrower as required by the body. For instance, to lower blood pressure, the body can make arteries wider, increasing the volume,which then lowers the pressure. Think of water coming out of the hose. If you squeeze the end to make it a bit narrower the water would squirt out with a higher pressure.

If your arteries become less elastic, or become less able to contract the body cannot control things like blood pressure as well. Studies comparing people with normal body fat and obesity have shown that arteries are less elastic.

In the new study expansion of the brachial artery, the major blood vessel of the upper arm, was compared in study subjects who ate either one of two different types of a high carb meal, a low carb meal or got water. The three meals and water were rotated, so all subjects were analyzed after consuming all three meals and water. The artery function was reduced after eating, but not when just drinking water. The effect on arteries was much greater for the both the high meals, than for the high fiber meal.

This research is another piece of evidence that eating a high carb diet may not be the best for your health.

photo credit: saragoldsmith – Walkers potato chips (crisps) – even cajun squirrel flavour are high carb

Technorati Tags: high carb, artery, elastic, reduced function

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The subtitle of the article, about the Xtreme Eating Award, put out by the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) is “Care for an entrée with your entrée?” Another good quote is, “Forget the arms race. It’s the waist race.”

The article highlights some of the more extreme choices at chain restaurants.

An example is the Chicken and Biscuits from the Cheesecake Factory. This entrée has 2,500 calories. Since most of us would probably have some type of appetizer, and a drink or too, we could be consuming close to 3,500 calories at one meal.

Another featured dish is Applebee’s Quesadilla burger. Which is a bacon cheeseburger inserted into a quesadilla. This actually sounds quite good to me. However, it has 1,820 calories, 46 g of saturated fat and 4,410 mg of sodium. Apparently you can add chili fries, or more cheese to this entree.

To put the Quesadilla burger in perspective, 46g of saturated fat is more than 3 oz of butter (3/4 of a stick). The entrée also contains 4,410 mg of sodium. The daily recommended amount of dietary sodium in the US is 2,300 mg per day and in the UK it is 1,600 mg. The DASH diet, designed by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NIH) to lower blood pressure, suggests a goal of 1,500 mg dietary sodium for effective lowering of blood pressure. Using the UK level, or the lower level suggested for blood pressure control, the quesadilla has almost 3 days worth of sodium. With that much sodium I am sure I would drink quite a bit, which would increase the calorie intake.

The question is, would seeing the calories, saturated fat and sodium listed for every item on the menu make us make better choices. My guess is that initially yes, but then we would not pay much attention. What do you think? Would seeing the nutrition data affect what you chose? Check out the article.

photo credit: Wyscan

Technorati Tags: Xtreme Eating Awards, calories, saturated fat, sodium, blood pressure, quesadilla

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Thinking about it, whenever we go overboard with something, we then find that it is not as good for us as we thought. Like low fat diets; they were going to make us really healthy. Now it is low carb that are healthy.

Then it seems that antioxidants may have a down side.

First there was the recent report that suggested that taking antioxidant supplements cancelled out the positive effects of exercising. One of the benefits of exercising is an increase in insulin sensitivity. The study indicated that this increase in insulin sensitivity did not occur when vitamin C and E supplements were taken, but did for those taking placebo tablets. A decrease in insulin sensitivity (development of insulin resistance) is part of the development of type 2 diabetes. Those participants in the study that were given antioxidant vitamins took vitamin C, 500 mg, twice per day and vitamin E, 400 IU, daily.

Now another study confirms something that had been suggested before, that a small amount of oxidative stress primes the body and makes it better able to cope with bigger stresses. The idea is that the response to a small stress activates pathways in the body and makes it able to deal with bigger stress. In some ways this is not surprising since it has been known for a long time that if a big heart attack follows a smaller heart attack there is less damage than if there is just a big heart attack. This is called preconditioning.

This second study raises an interesting question. Does some oxidative stress actually slow aging? And, if this is the case, is taking large amounts of antioxidant supplements actually increasing the rate of aging?

Bear in mind that this research may only apply to people who take high doses of antioxidant supplements daily. Regular and varied healthy diets may provide the right level of antioxidants.

Why is nothing ever simple – will we ever understand the human body?

photo credit: zappowbang

Technorati Tags: antioxidants, preconditioning, insulin sensitivity, exercise, oxidative stress

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My answer would be something like the following. A healthy lifestyle is eating a good diet that has lots of servings of vegetables and fruits and is not too high in “bad” fats or simple carbs. It is not smoking, not drinking too much alcohol, exercising and maintaining a BMI (body mass index) appropriate for height and muscle mass.

Why did I even ask? We are bombarded with news items, articles, etc., about diet, exercise and lifestyle habits. Nearly everybody already knows all this.

However, comparison of NHANES (National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey) data from 1988-1994 and 2001-2006 shows that though we might know this, we are not following through.

In the 10+ years between the surveys, in adults who were 40-74 years, the percentage with a BMI greater than 30 (considered obese) has increased from 28% to 36%, and eating 5 or more fruits and vegetables has decreased from 42% to 26%. Looking at five categories, physical activity, eating a diet high in fruits and vegetables, maintaining a healthy weight, moderate alcohol use and not smoking the percentages of people who were in all five categories had dropped from 15% to 8%.

Is this a big surprise? No.

Education and knowledge is not where it is at. It is what is available, makes our lives easier and more pleasurable. Plus unhealthy lifestyles are usually cheaper.

How do we reverse this change? Short of transporting us all back 50, or more, years to a different era, I don’t think we can. We are in a different era, busy, stressed and short of time. Preparing healthy tasty meals takes personal interest and time. Not something that is that common.

The current economic crisis has to be making this worse, since cheap and frugal means more fast food. Plus major stress does not usually lead to good lifestyle choices.

Hell, now that I have decided that it is hopeless, I might as well have to have a drink to forget about my unhealthy lifestyle.

photo credit: ripplestone garden

Technorati Tags: healthy lifestyle, unhealthy lifestyles

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Previously on this blog there have been several posts about how lack of sleep has negative health effects. A recent post Sleep more and weight less discussed how the regulation of appetite is controlled by the hormones. Lack of sleep decreases leptin levels and increases ghrelin levels, resulting in more food intake, less energy expenditure and more fat deposition.

Yet another study has come out showing that those who tend to sleep less are more likely to be obese. A study of nurses who wore 24 hour activity monitors, showed that those who slept the least more likely to have a higher BMI (body mass index).

Further it has been shown in a study that eating a high fat diet, particularly having a fatty evening meal, can result in poorer and less sleep, suggesting that in some people there could be a sort of negative downward spiral.

Short sleep times have also been suggested to increase the risk of both high blood pressure and diabetes. And of course, there can be a link between diabetes and obesity.

Here are some suggested guidelines for getting more and good quality sleep.

- Follow a consistent bedtime routine.
- Establish a relaxing setting at bedtime.
- Do not watch TV in bed.
- Avoid foods or drinks that contain caffeine, or any stimulant, including medications, prior to bedtime.
- Do not go to bed hungry, but don’t eat a big meal before bedtime either.
- Make your bedroom quiet, dark and relatively cool.
- Get up at the same time every morning

Perhaps it is time to consider good sleep habits as important as other health factors such as good nutrition. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine has a website www.sleepeduction.com that has guidelines and useful information about sleep.

photo credit: greenkozi

Technorati Tags: sleep, diet, weight, weight gain, obese, fatty meal, health

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For instance, over the weekend I was looking at the ingredient lists for a number of cosmetic products, including daily chemical peel products and after peel moisturizers. Many of the products had tea extracts in them, usually called extract of Camellia sinensis. Additionally, tea extracts have been suggested to be helpful for treating skin damaged in cancer patients after radiation.

White tea has been suggested to help with obesity. An extract of white tea has been shown to stop the formation of new fat cells, and to make the existing fat cells start to break down the fat that they contain.

So what is white tea? I had no idea. It made from the same plant as regular tea, but only young still downy white buds and young leaves are used, and not fermented like regular tea. If you are going to make it and drink it, apparently you should not use boiling water. The water used for brewing should be quite a bit cooler than boiling water. This is supposed to be the best for its delicate taste. White tea is lower in caffeine but higher in antioxidants than regular tea.

Another news item suggests that an African tea that is used in traditional Nigeria medicine may help with diabetes. It is made from leaves of the lovely sounding Rauvolfia vomitoria and the fruit of Citrus aurantium. The tea helped mobilize fat, and in a small human trial after 4 months there was better glucose control. The genus Rauvolfia, a tropical evergreen shrub, is widely used in folk medicine and has been shown to lower blood pressure, have psychological effects, be a hypnotic and can irritate those with digestive diseases.

In Asia though the population tends to smoke heavily there is less cardiovascular disease and cancer than in the west. This is known as the Asian paradox. It has been suggested that part of the reason, for the lower levels of these diseases, is the high consumption of tea, particularly green tea.

Green Tea has also been suggested to have antibacterial activity too.

Low calorie and healthy. So, have a cuppa (used in the UK, for a cup of tea).

photo credit: A.Sevik

Technorati Tags: teas, white tea, green tea, Rauvolfia, obesity, fat cells, diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular disease, skin, chemical peel, antibacterial

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Macular degeneration is reduced or loss of vision in the center of the visual field. To see what the loss of the middle area of what you are looking at check out the Macular Degeneration Stimulator at the American Society for Ophthalmology website. It is pretty scary.

More information about two types of macular degeneration, wet and dry, how it is detected and treatments can be found on the same website.

Macular degeneration has no cure. There are treatments that can reduce the symptoms, but so far there is nothing available that reverses the damage.

One thing that has been found to lower the risk of macular degeneration, by about 25% is eating a healthy diet.

The AREDS (age-related eye disease study) found that a diet high in vitamins C and E, zinc, lutein, zeaxanthin and the omega-3 fatty acids lowered the risk. Further, those who followed a low glycemic index diet (low carb) which included the above nutrients had the lowest risk.

Lutein and zeaxanthin are found in eggs and leafy green vegetables, broccoli, garden peas and corn. Zinc is found in whole grains, nuts, seeds and red meat.

A low glycemic index diet is one that does not result in spikes of glucose in the blood. This is basically low carb, but not completely. Some higher carb foods have a low glycemic index because they do not result in a rapid increase of blood glucose. For more information see the Glycemic Index website and look at the database.

Healthy diet = healthy eyes.

photo credit: zachd1_618

Technorati Tags: macular degeneration, zeaxanthin, lutein, zinc, glycemic index, low glycemic index diet, glucose, healthy eyes

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Though plants and many animals make vitamin D, many foods in our diet do not contain much vitamin D. A major dietary source is fish. Eggs, dairy products and mushrooms are other sources, but they are much lower than many fish. Milk is usually fortified with vitamin D, as are some cereal products and margarines.

Our skin can make all the vitamin D that we need. Strong UV light hitting the skin activates the synthesis of vitamin D.

However, many adults do not get the RDA for vitamin D. Some estimates are that half the adult population is vitamin D deficient. The RDA is 200 IU from birth to 50 years, 400 IU from 51 to 70 years, and 600 IU for 71 years and older. There are some nutritionists who feel that these numbers are too low, and should be revised up.

Vitamin D has many important roles in the body. It is involved in immune responses, maintenance of bone, prevention of some cancers, and the cardiovascular system. Low levels have been implicated in arthritis, high blood pressure, heart disease and osteoporosis.

A study of seriously ill patients found that 45% of them had very low vitamin D levels. Generally the sicker they were, the lower their levels of vitamin D.

It is not clear whether the patients had low levels of vitamin D and this increased their risk of becoming seriously ill, or they depleted their vitamin when they got very sick.

Vitamin D is important for the health of many of our organs. So it is important particularly when seriously ill to have adequate levels of vitamin D.

The authors of the study suggest that perhaps the very sick should get vitamin D supplementation to boost their levels.

The bottom line: If you are not getting much sun exposure or live in an area with weak sun , taking vitamin D supplements is probably a good idea. But don’t overdo it, too much vitamin D supplementation taken over an extended period of time is toxic.

photo credit: loop_oh

Technorati Tags: vitamin D, RDA, seriously ill, low vitamin D, vitamin D deficient

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