Monday, September 24, 2012
When considering a diet, choose wisely
Your doctor says you need to lose weight, but there are so
many diets out there — Atkins, Cabbage Diet, South Beach, even the Lemonade Diet — it’s so
confusing!
Always check with your primary care doctor, but there is one
diet that most health professionals agree is the most healthful.
It doesn’t
skimp on nutrition or essential vitamins and minerals. My registered dietitian
colleagues consistently recommend the “Mediterranean Diet” which focuses on a
mainly plant-based diet featuring whole grains, whole fruits and vegetables,
healthy oils, nuts, beans, fish and poultry.
Key components include:
• Using herbs and spices instead of salt to flavor foods
• Replacing butter with healthy fats such as olive oil and
canola oil
• Limiting red meat to a few times a month
• Getting plenty of exercise.
Its anti-inflammatory, high-antioxidant benefits include a
reduced risk of developing cardiovascular disease or metabolic syndrome, the
precursor to diabetes.
It’s easy to
follow — just keep portion control in mind. For example, eating whole grains doesn’t mean the whole loaf
of whole wheat bread, just a slice.
Alice Facente is a community education nurse for the Backus
Health System. To comment on this column or others, visit the Healthy
Living blog at www.backushospital.org/backus-blogs or e-mail Ms. Facente or any of the Healthy Living columnists at healthyliving@wwbh.org.
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
Popular energy shots are not healthy
At a recent blood pressure screening at a community event, a
33-year-old man stopped to get his reading. It was the highest reading of the day: 165/104.
I explained that
according to American Heart Association guidelines, normal blood pressure
should be around 120/70. When questioned if he had a history of high blood
pressure, he denied any knowledge of it. Upon further probing, he admitted he just finished drinking a
5-Hour Energy shot, something he did at least once daily.
When I explained how unhealthy energy shots were, he
replied, “Then why do they sell them?” Of course, my answer was, “Because people will buy
them. They sell cigarettes, don’t they?”
Energy shots are loaded with caffeine, even though the
manufacturers are not required to disclose their products’ caffeine
content.
Caffeine is the stimulant that gives the “kick” or energy
boost. Although it boosts energy
temporarily, the unwanted side effects are rapid heartbeat, elevated blood pressure,
insomnia, nervousness, difficulty concentrating, nausea, and more. It simply
forces the heart to work harder. Adding
up the caffeine consumed in a day with energy shots, coffee, and sodas like
cola or Mountain Dew just spells trouble.
Alternatives to energy shots include fruit juices, decaffeinated
green tea, and low-fat milk.
Hands down, the healthiest choice for a beverage is
water. No calories, no
preservatives, no fat, no sugar and especially no caffeine.
Water keeps you refreshed and hydrated, boosts energy
naturally, and aids digestion.
For people who
insist they don’t like the taste of water, I suggest adding a squeeze of fresh
lemon or lime juice to make it more palatable.
Bring a reusable
water bottle wherever you go — and avoid energy shots and be kind to your
heart.
Alice Facente is a community education nurse for the Backus
Health System. To comment on this column or others, visit the Healthy
Living blog at www.backushospital.org/backus-blogs or e-mail Ms. Facente or any of the Healthy Living columnists at healthyliving@wwbh.org.
Monday, September 10, 2012
Fresh apples have many health benefits
Is there anything
more satisfying than going to a local orchard, picking crisp, juicy apples and
crunching into one, fresh off the tree?
It’s enjoyable for people of all ages. I wouldn’t mention this to the kids, as they would
inevitably roll their eyes, but there are many health benefits of apples, too.
First, an apple contains several important vitamins: B1
(thiamine), B2 (riboflavin), B3 (Niacin), B5 (pantothenic acid), B6, B9 (folate)
and vitamin C. Also vital to good
health are the minerals calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, and
potassium.
Phytonutrients are also beneficial to human health — these
are compounds found in plants.
These phytonutrients may protect the brain from diseases such as
Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Disease, and are believed to be beneficial in the
prevention of heart disease and diabetes.
Last year, the
Iowa Women's Health Study reported that, among the 34,000-plus women it's been
tracking for nearly 20 years, apples were associated with a lower risk of death
from both coronary heart disease and cardiovascular disease.
Then there is fiber.
Apples contain both soluble and insoluble fiber, which aids in digestion
and weight loss. Apples are
considered a low-glycemic food and therefore do not cause a rapid rise in blood
sugar. To get the most benefit out of apples, the whole fruit should be
eaten. Peeling the skin or cooking
apples results in loss of some of the nutrients.
As apple season gets under way, let’s all get out in the fresh air, support local
farms and orchards, have fun, and reap health benefits as well.
Alice Facente is a community education nurse for the Backus
Health System. To comment on this column or others, visit the Healthy
Living blog at www.backushospital.org/backus-blogs or e-mail Ms. Facente or any of the Healthy Living columnists at healthyliving@wwbh.org.
