The ALCAT Test for Food and Chemical Sensitivity

10 Serious RA Symptoms to Never Ignore

2012-01-18T14:52:00.001-05:00

There's more than joint pain to watch out for.

By Shahreen Abedin

Painful, swollen joints are a hallmark of rheumatoid arthritis. But for people with RA, it's not the only thing to watch out for.

A result of the body’s immune system attacking its own tissues, rheumatoid arthritis requires more than just managing the pain. Other symptoms that might even seem unrelated to the condition may pose a threat.

Rheumatic diseases (rheumatism) are painful conditions that affect millions. These diseases cause inflammation, swelling, and pain in the joints or muscles. Some rheumatic diseases like osteoarthritis are the result of "wear and tear" to the joints. Other rheumatic diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, happen when the immune system goes haywire; the immune system attacks the linings of joints, causing joint pain, swelling, and destruction. Almost any joint can be affected in rheumatic disease,...

“This is a disease process, not just something that happens in the joints,” rheumatologist Joan Bathon, MD, tells WebMD. “It can be in all your tissues, causing problems wherever inflammation occurs,” says Bathon, who is chief of the rheumatology department at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center.
People with more severe rheumatoid arthritis are more likely to have other complications. But it can also happen in milder cases.

Here are the top 10 symptoms rheumatoid arthritis patients should never ignore.

1. Shortness of breath or chest pain

Because rheumatoid arthritis can affect the blood vessels and muscle of the heart, people with the condition are at a greater risk for heart attacks and heart failure.

“Chest pains or shortness of breath are big red flags,” says rheumatologist Brian Mandell, MD, PhD, of Cleveland Clinic’s Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Center.

If you’re getting winded easily, you could also have a lung infection. Or you could have some form of interstitial lung disease, which causes lungs to become inflamed and scarred, Mandell says. Fluid might also be surrounding the lungs, which would require drugs and drainage to treat.

Seek medical attention immediately if you’re having these problems, even if you've never had heart or lung issues before.

2. Numbness or tingling

Rheumatoid arthritis can cause connective tissues in the hand or foot to become inflamed and push up against a nerve causing numbness and tingling. As a result, you might experience weakness or clumsiness, or even nerve damage.

This type of swelling can happen in tissues throughout the body. But it most commonly occurs around the wrist area, causing carpal tunnel syndrome, Mandell says.

If you experience numbness or tingling, you need to be evaluated by your rheumatologist or another health care provider as soon as possible to determine the cause.

3. Inability to move or raise your hand or foot

Compared to numbness or tingling, suddenly not being able to raise or move a hand or foot is a much more severe complication to result from rheumatoid arthritis.

It’s also a much more rare occurrence, involving damage to nerves that are connected to muscles.
“It’s like having a heart attack for the nerves,” Bathon tells WebMD.
Seek emergency treatment for this symptom. Bathon says not doing so could lead to permanent paralysis.

4. Spots on or around your fingertips

Little red or black spots on or around the fingernails may mean that the tissue in those areas has died from small inflamed blood vessels.

Although very uncommon, the spots can signal an advanced form of systemic inflammation, says Bathon, who suggests promptly seeing a rheumatologist.

If the symptom goes untreated, it may ultimately lead to losing fingers or toes.

5. Red, inflamed eyes

Blood vessels in the eyes are another common target of rheumatoid arthritis, especially among people with more serious forms of the disease.

If the outer layer of your eye feels dry or irritated, eye drops can usually treat the problem, Mandell says.

However, sudden severe pain and redness of the eyes could mean deeper parts of the eye are affected. That’s a very serious complication, so see a doctor immediately if that happens, Mandell says.

6. Tummy troubles

If you take a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) such asibuprofen or naproxen to treat your rheumatoid arthritis, you are at risk for stomach problems.

These drugs can cause stomach ulcers, which could in turn make the stomach bleed or form a hole in its wall.

When taking an NSAID, report any tummy pain, black or bloody bowel movements, or nausea to your doctor.

7. High fever and other signs of infection

Another problem from rheumatoid arthritis treatment is infection related to TNF inhibitor drugs such as Cimzia, Enbrel, Humira, Remicade, and Simponi.

The most telling sign of an infection is high fever (greater than 101 or 102 degrees Fahrenheit), Bathon says. Others are an unexplained cough, or an area of the skin that is extremely hot, red, swollen, or more painful than usual.

This type of infection can spread very quickly and is usually tough to control since rheumatoid arthritis patients have compromised immune systems to begin with. That gives them a lower tolerance for fever, Bathon says.

If you suspect an infection, see a doctor immediately, even if it means a trip to the ER, she says.

8. Feeling blah

Symptoms that just make you feel not well could also signify infection. So don’t ignore your body when it’s telling you something isn’t right, Mandell says.

Specifically, things like loss of energy, night sweats, sudden weight loss, unexplained fatigue, or a low-grade fever might mean it’s time to re-evaluate your treatment regimen.

Be sure to discuss any of these symptoms with your doctor.

9. Bone fracture

A bone fracture in a rheumatoid arthritis patient may reveal underlying osteoporosis, especially among women.
Because of its inflammatory nature, rheumatoid arthritis can cause bone loss. On top of that, the risks of fracture can skyrocket if you’re taking prednisone, a common treatment for rheumatoid arthriti

In addition to exercising and following a diet rich in calcium and Vitamin D, people with rheumatoid arthritis should consider having a bone density test to detect osteoporosis soon after their RA diagnosis.

10. Suddenly bruising easily

If you find you’re suddenly bruising very easily, you could be experiencing a complication from rheumatoid arthritis that lowers your blood platelet count, Mandell says.

That could either be because of your treatment therapy, or due to the disease itself.
Be sure to see your doctor soon so you can get a blood platelet count. When blood platelet counts are very low, you are at increased risk of bruising and may experience serious bleeding.

Is It a Food Allergy or Intolerance?

2011-12-20T10:18:00.000-05:00

From WebMD:

What Is a Food Allergy?

A food allergy is an immune system response. It occurs when the body mistakes an ingredient in food -- usually a protein -- as harmful and creates a defense system (antibodies) to fight it. Food allergy symptoms develop when the antibodies are battling the "invading" food. The most common food allergies are peanuts, tree nuts (such as walnuts, pecans and almonds), fish, and shellfish, milk, eggs, soy products, and wheat.

What Is Food Intolerance?

Food intolerance is a digestive system response rather than an immune system response. It occurs when something in a food irritates a person's digestive system or when a person is unable to properly digest or breakdown, the food. Intolerance to lactose, which is found in milk and other dairy products, is the most common food intolerance.

What Are the Symptoms of a Food Allergy?

Symptoms of a food allergy can range from mild to severe, and the amount of food necessary to trigger a reaction varies from person to person. Symptoms of a food allergy may include:

Rash or hives
Nausea
Stomach pain
Diarrhea
Itchy skin
Shortness of breath
Chest pain
Swelling of the airways to the lungs
Anaphylaxis

What Are the Symptoms of Food Intolerance?

Symptoms of food intolerance include:

Nausea
Stomach pain
Gas, cramps, or bloating
Vomiting
Heartburn
Diarrhea
Headaches
Irritability or nervousness

How Common Are Food Allergies and Intolerances?

Food allergies affect about 4% of teens and adults and 5% of children. Food intolerances are much more common. In fact, nearly everyone at one time has had an unpleasant reaction to something they ate. Some people have specific food intolerances. Lactose intolerance, the most common food intolerance, affects about 10% of Americans.

What Causes Food Allergies and Intolerances?

Food allergies arise from sensitivity to chemical compounds (proteins) in food. They develop after you are exposed to a food protein that your body thinks is harmful. The first time you eat the food containing the protein, your immune system responds by creating specific disease-fighting antibodies (called immunoglobulin E or IgE). When you eat the food again, it triggers the release of IgE antibodies and other chemicals, including histamine, in an effort to expel the protein "invader" from your body. Histamine is a powerful chemical that can affect the respiratory system, gastrointestinal tract, skin, or cardiovascular system.

As a result of this response, food allergy symptoms occur. The allergy symptoms you have depend on where in the body the histamine is released. If it is released in the ears, nose, and throat, you may have an itchy nose and mouth, or trouble breathing or swallowing. If histamine is released in the skin, you may develop hives or a rash. If histamine is released in the gastrointestinal tract, you likely will develop stomach pains, cramps, or diarrhea. Many people experience a combination of symptoms as the food is eaten and digested.
Food allergies often run in families, suggesting that the condition can be inherited.

There are many factors that may contribute to food intolerance. In some cases, as with lactose intolerance, the person lacks the chemicals, called enzymes, necessary to properly digest certain proteins found in food. Also common are intolerances to some chemical ingredients added to food to provide color, enhance taste, and protect against the growth of bacteria. These ingredients include various dyes and monosodium glutamate (MSG), a flavor enhancer.

Substances called sulfites are also a source of intolerance for some people. They may occur naturally, as in red wines or may be added to prevent the growth of mold.

Salicylates are a group of plant chemicals found naturally in many fruits, vegetables, nuts, coffee, juices, beer, and wine. Aspirin also is a compound of the salicylate family. Foods containing salicylates may trigger allergy symptoms in people who are sensitive to aspirin. Of course, any food consumed in excessive quantities can cause digestive symptoms.

How Can You Tell the Difference Between a Food Allergy and Intolerance?

Food allergies can be triggered by even a small amount of the food and occur every time the food is consumed. People with food allergies are generally advised to avoid the offending foods completely. On the other hand, food intolerances often are dose related.

People with food intolerance may not have symptoms unless they eat a large portion of the food or eat the food frequently. For example, a person with lactose intolerance may be able to drink milk in coffee or a single glass of milk, but becomes sick if he or she drinks several glasses of milk.

Food allergies and intolerances also are different from food poisoning, which generally results from spoiled or tainted food and affects more than one person eating the food. Your health care provider can help determine if you have an food allergy or intolerance, and establish a plan to help control your symptoms.

How Are Food Intolerances Diagnosed?

Most food intolerances are found through trial and error to determine which food or foods cause symptoms. You may be asked to keep a food diary to record what you eat and when you get symptoms, and then look for common factors.
Another way to identify problem foods is to go on an elimination diet. This involves completely eliminating any suspect foods from your diet until you are symptom-free. You then begin to reintroduce the foods, one at a time. This can help you pinpoint which foods cause symptoms. Seek the advice of your health care provider or a registered dietitian before beginning an elimination diet to be sure your diet provides adequate nutrition.

How Are Food Intolerances Treated?

Treatment for a food intolerance is based on avoiding or reducing your intake of problem foods and treating symptoms when they arise.

Can Food Intolerances Be Prevented?

Taking a few simple steps can help you prevent the symptoms associated with food intolerance.

Learn which foods in which amounts cause you to have symptoms and limit your intake to amounts you can handle.

When you dine out, ask your server about how your meal will be prepared. Some meals may contain foods you cannot tolerate and that may not be evident from the description on the menu.

Learn to read food labels and check the ingredients for problem foods. Don't forget to check condiments and seasonings. They may contain MSG or another additive that can lead to symptoms.

Fibromyalgia Symptoms

2011-12-20T10:07:00.001-05:00

Reviewed By Laura J. Martin, MD
What Are the Symptoms of Fibromyalgia?

Symptoms of fibromyalgia include:

Chronic muscle pain, muscle spasms or tightness, weakness in the limbs, and leg cramp
Moderate or severe fatigue and decreased energy
Insomnia or waking up feeling just as tired as when you went to sleep
Stiffness upon waking or after staying in one position for too long
Difficulty remembering, concentrating, and performing simple mental tasks (“fibro fog”)
Abdominal pain, bloating, nausea, and constipation alternating with diarrhea (irritable bowel syndrome)
Tension or migraine headaches
Jaw and facial tenderness
Sensitivity to one or more of the following: odors, noise, bright lights, medications, certain foods, and cold
Feeling anxious or depressed
Numbness or tingling in the face, arms, hands, legs, or feet
Increase in urinary urgency or frequency (irritable bladder)
Reduced tolerance for exercise and muscle pain after exercise
A feeling of swelling (without actual swelling) in the hands and feet
Painful menstrual periods
Dizziness

Fibromyalgia symptoms may intensify depending on the time of day -- morning, late afternoon, and evening tend to be the worst times, while 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. tends to be the best time. Symptoms may also get worse with fatigue, tension, inactivity, changes in the weather, cold or drafty conditions, overexertion, hormonal fluctuations (such as just before your period or during menopause), stress, depression, or other emotional factors.

If the condition is not diagnosed and treated early, symptoms can go on indefinitely, or they may disappear for months and then recur.

Who Gets Allergies?

2011-12-20T10:04:00.002-05:00

Allergies can develop at any age, possibly even in the womb. They commonly occur in children but may give rise to symptoms for the first time in adulthood. Asthma may persist in adults while nasal allergies tend to decline in old age.

Why, you may ask, are some people "sensitive" to certain allergens while most are not? Why do allergic people produce more IgE than those who are non-allergic? The major distinguishing factor appears to be heredity. For some time, it has been known that allergic conditions tend to cluster in families. Your own risk of developing allergies is related to your parents' allergy history. If neither parent is allergic, the chance that you will have allergies is about 15%. If one parent is allergic, your risk increases to 30% and if both are allergic, your risk is greater than 60%.

Although you may inherit the tendency to develop allergies, you may never actually have allergy symptoms. You also do not necessarily inherit the same allergies or the same diseases as your parents. It is unclear what determines which substances will trigger a reaction in an allergic person. Additionally, which diseases might develop or how severe the symptoms might be is unknown.

Another major piece of the allergy puzzle is the environment. It is clear that you must have a genetic tendency and be exposed to an allergen in order to develop an allergy. Additionally, the more intense and repetitive the exposure to an allergen and the earlier in life it occurs, the more likely it is that an allergy will develop.

There are other important influences that may conspire to cause allergic conditions. Some of these include smoking, pollution, infection, and hormones.

Could Losing Weight Ease Your Arthritis Pain?

2011-12-20T10:02:00.000-05:00

By Gina Shaw

For 12 years, Robin Lutchansky spent most of her time in a wheelchair. The pain from her severe osteoarthritis, first diagnosed in her early 30s, made it difficult to walk more than short distances.

Then, a little over three years ago, Lutchansky found her way to a pain management clinic that taught her how to exercise -- first, teaching her how to walk again. Over the next three years, Lutchansky, now 51, gradually lost nearly 100 pounds with calorie reduction and exercise.

“I did it slowly. I started out just lifting 2-pound weights, and I walked in the pool every day,” she says.

Today, Lutchansky is out of the wheelchair and back at work as a public relations representative for a high-tech firm, and says that her daily pain levels have gone from an 8 or a 9 to a 1. “It’s amazing. It’s a new life. I had no idea it was possible.”

What Weight Does to Your Joints

If you are at all overweight, one of the best ways to reduce osteoarthritis pain is by taking off excess pounds. Being overweight increases the load that you put on your joints -- your knees, your hips, your ankle -- with every step you take.

“When we walk, when we go up and down stairs, or get into or out of a chair or car, we can put three to five times our body weight, and sometimes more, on the joints,” says Geoffrey Westrich, attending orthopedic surgeon and Director of Joint Replacement Research at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York. “So if you’re 50 pounds overweight, you’re putting around 250 pounds of increased stress across your knees and hips."

Over time, that extra weight makes you much more prone to developing arthritis and can cause arthritis to progress much more rapidly, leading to much more pain once it has developed.

Fortunately, the same principle works in reverse. “For every pound people lose, they lose 3 pounds of stress across their knee and 6 pounds of stress on their hip, on average,” says Westrich.

Small Steps, Big Changes

You don’t have to lose 100 pounds, like Lutchansky, to see a difference in your pain levels. C. Thomas Vangsness, Jr., MD, professor of orthopaedic surgery and chief of sports medicine at the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California, says most of his arthritis patients who lose weight notice that their pain is diminishing after losing about 20 pounds.

Jane Angelich, a 58-year-old California businesswoman, has lost 33 pounds on Weight Watchers.

“What a difference!” she says. “It starts when I get out of bed in the morning. No more limping around and groaning for the first few minutes. Instead of finding excuses to sit on my couch instead of walking around, I now walk the equivalent of a 5k without any issues and can even function the next day!”

Losing weight cannot repair the damage that’s already been done to your joints by arthritis, but in addition to decreasing your pain, it can also help to slow down the further progression of the disease. One study found that knee osteoarthritis in obese men would decrease by 21.5% if they lost enough weight to be categorized as merely overweight; for women, arthritis would decrease by 31%.

“The damage is already done, and arthritis is a progressive process,” says Westrich. “But weight loss can be tremendously helpful in alleviating pain, allowing greater function, and prolonging the period of time before someone needs joint replacement surgery.”

And if you haven’t developed arthritis but you’re worried about it, losing excess weight can significantly lower your risk. If you’re significantly overweight, every 11 pounds you lose cuts your risk of developing arthritis by more than 50%.

Making It Happen

The best way to lose weight, any doctor will tell you, is to eat less, eat healthy foods, and exercise more. But while someone with arthritis can start to change their eating habits in pretty much the same way that someone without the disease can, having arthritis makes exercise a little more complicated.
High-impact exercise, like running, jogging, and aerobics, can put too much stress on the joints, so doctors recommend against these activities. “They can hasten the arthritis process and cause injury,” says Westrich.

Instead, Vangsness recommends that his patients pursue one of three types of exercise that are particularly well suited for people with arthritis:

Swimming
Cycling (especially on a recumbent stationary bike, which is easier on knees and hips than a standard bike)
Elliptical trainers

“These all get your heart rate up without putting any stress on the knee,” he says. “The buoyancy of water helps to alleviate pain during water exercise. And working out using a stationary bike or an elliptical trainer can help strengthen key muscles like the quadriceps. If your quadriceps are strong, that can cushion the ‘heel strike’ moment when you step forward while walking, and decrease pain as well.”

He adds that some of his extremely obese patients have gotten their weight loss started through gastric bypass or gastric banding surgery. “They start peeling off the pounds, and this tremendous loss of weight really knocks down their pain,” he says. “It’s like a whole new knee. And after losing that weight, they can exercise where they couldn’t before, strengthen their muscles, and further reduce pain.”

Vitamin D FAQ: Vitamin D Sources, Deficiency and Intake

2011-12-20T09:17:00.002-05:00

The Truth About Vitamin D

By Daniel J. DeNoon

The hottest topic in medicine isn't the newest drug or the latest surgical device. It's vitamin D.

What brought the simmering debate to a boil was a 2007 study showing that people taking normal vitamin D supplements were 7% less likely to die than those who didn't take the daily supplements.

A year later, a major study found that when women with low vitamin D levels get breast cancer, they have a much higher chance of dying from their cancer than women with normal vitamin D levels.

That was surprising news. But just as surprising are assertions that many men, women, and children have insufficient blood levels of this important vitamin.

How many? Data suggest many of us don't get the vitamin D we need. For example, one study of childbearing women in the Northern U.S. found insufficient vitamin D levels in 54% of black women and in 42% of white women.

These findings led the American Academy of Pediatrics to double the recommended amount of vitamin D a child should take -- and have led many doctors to advise their adult patients to increase their vitamin D intake.

Not so fast, says an expert panel convened by the prestigious Institute of Medicine. In its long-awaited November 2010 report, the IOM committee expressed dismay at the idea that many people are vitamin D deficient.

"Of great concern recently have been reports of widespread vitamin D deficiency in the North American population," the committee wrote. "The concern is not well founded. In fact, the cut-point values used to define deficiency, or as some have suggested, 'insufficiency,' have not been established systematically using data from studies of good quality."

The IOM committee put its emphasis on what science has proved, not on what studies may suggest. Using this conservative approach, the committee found no proof that vitamin D has health effects beyond building strong bones.

"While the current interest in vitamin D as a nutrient with broad and expanded benefits is understandable, it is not supported by the available evidence," the IOM committee concluded.

Why do I need vitamin D?

Your body must have vitamin D to absorb calcium and promote bone growth. Too little vitamin D results in soft bones in children (rickets) and fragile, misshapen bones in adults (osteomalacia). You also need vitamin D for other important body functions.

Vitamin D deficiency has now been linked to breast cancer, colon cancer, prostate cancer, heart disease, depression, weight gain, and other maladies. These studies show that people with higher levels of vitamin D have a lower risk of disease, although they do not definitively prove that lack of vitamin D causes disease -- or that vitamin D supplements would lower risk.

The Vitamin D Council -- a scientist-led group promoting vitamin D deficiency awareness -- suggests vitamin D treatment might be found helpful in treating or preventing autism, autoimmune disease, cancer, chronic pain, depression, diabetes, heart disease, high bloodpressure, flu, neuromuscular diseases, and osteoporosis. However, there have been no definitive clinical trials.

That's why the Institute of Medicine expert committee's November 2010 review found no conclusive evidence that vitamin D, by itself, offers wide-ranging health benefits.

"Despite the many claims of benefit surrounding vitamin D in particular, the evidence did not support a basis for a causal relationship between vitamin D and many of the numerous health outcomes purported to be affected by vitamin D intake," the IOM committee concluded.

The only proven benefit of vitamin D is its role in helping calcium build strong bones. But that's far from the whole story. Vitamin D helps regulate the immune system and the neuromuscular system. Vitamin D also plays major roles in the life cycle of human cells.

Vitamin D is so important that your body makes it by itself -- but only after skin exposure to sufficient sunlight. This is a problem for people in northern climates. In the U.S., only people who live south of a line drawn from Los Angeles to Columbia, S.C., get enough sunlight for vitamin D production throughout the year.

Dark skin absorbs less sunlight, so people with dark skin do not get as much vitamin D from sun exposure as do light-skinned people. This is a particular problem for African-Americans in the northern U.S.

How can I get enough vitamin D?

Thirty minutes of sun exposure to the face, legs, or back -- without sunscreen -- at least twice a week should give you plenty of vitamin D.

But this much direct sun exposure might also expose you to potentially dangerous levels of cancer-causing UV radiation. And unless you live in the South or Southwest, you probably won't get enough sunlight during the winter months for your body to make enough vitamin D. The American Academy of Dermatology recommends against getting vitamin D from unprotected exposure to sunlight.

It's probably a better idea to get vitamin D from foods or from supplements.

Will a vitamin D test tell me if I need more vitamin D?

That depends on whom you ask. As part of your regular blood test, your doctor can order a test for 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25-OHD).

The problem is not with the test. The problem is how to interpret the results. An expert committee convened by the Institute of Medicine in November 2010 concluded that "the cut-point values used to define deficiency, or as some have suggested, 'insufficiency,' have not been established systematically using data from studies of good quality."

Even so, most experts agree that anyone with a 25-OHD level of less than 15 ng/mL or 37.5 nmol/L (depending on the units reported by a lab) needs more vitamin D. A 2002 study found that 42% of African-American women of childbearing age had vitamin D levels below 15 ng/mL.

The IOM committee says that people are at risk of vitamin D deficiency at 25-OHD levels below 30 nmol/L (12 ng/mL), and that some people -- but not everyone -- may be at risk of vitamin D deficiency at 25-OHD levels from 30 nmol/L up to 50 nmol/L (12-20 ng/mL).

The Vitamin D Council considers the ideal 25-OHD level to be between 40 ng/mL and 70 ng/mL. But the IOM says there is no evidence of increased benefit at levels above 30 ng/mL, and that "there may be reason for concern" at levels above 50 ng/mL.

"There is a critical public health and clinical practice need for consensus cut-points for serum 25-OHD," the IOM committee states

Which foods contain vitamin D?

Surprisingly few foods contain vitamin D -- unless it's added to the food. That's because your body is built to get vitamin D through your skin (from sunlight) rather than through your mouth (by food). But once your body has enough, it doesn't matter whether you got it through your skin or through your stomach.

There are three vitamin D super foods:

Salmon (especially wild-caught)
Mackerel (especially wild-caught; eat up to 12 ounces a week of a variety of fish and shellfish that are low in mercury)
Mushrooms exposed to ultraviolet light to increase vitamin D

Other food sources of vitamin D include:

Cod liver oil (warning: cod liver oil is rich in vitamin A; too much may be bad for you)
Tuna canned in water
Sardines canned in oil
Milk or yogurt -- regardless of whether it's whole, nonfat, or reduced fat -- fortified with vitamin D
Beef or calf liver
Egg yolks
Cheese

Nearly all milk in the U.S. is fortified with vitamin D. So are many brands of orange juice, yogurt, margarine, and ready-to-eat breakfast cereals.

How much vitamin D do I need?

In November 2010, the Institute of Medicine's expert committee set a new "dietary reference intake" for vitamin D.

Assuming that a person gets virtually no vitamin D from sunshine -- and that this person gets adequate amounts of calcium -- the IOM committee recommends getting the following amounts of vitamin D from diet or supplements (Note that the IOM's upper limit is not a recommended intake, but what the IOM considers the highest safe level):

Infants age 0 to 6 months: adequate intake, 400 IU/day; maximum safe upper level of intake, 1,000 IU/day

Infants age 6 to 12 months: adequate intake, 400 IU/day; maximum safe upper level of intake, 1,500 IU/day

Age 1-3 years: adequate intake, 600 IU/day; maximum safe upper level of intake, 2,500 IU/day

Age 4-8 years: adequate intake, 600 IU/day; maximum safe upper level of intake, 3,000 IU/day

Age 9-70: adequate intake, 600 IU/day; maximum safe upper level of intake, 4,000 IU/day

Age 71+ years: adequate intake, 800 IU/day; maximum safe upper level of intake, 4,000 IU/day

That's not enough, says Boston University vitamin D expert Michael Holick, MD, PhD, professor of medicine, physiology, and biophysics, Boston University Medical Center. Holick recommends a dose of 1,000 IU a day of vitamin D for both infants and adults -- unless they're getting plenty of safe sun exposure.

In 2008, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommended that breastfed infants receive 400 IU of vitamin D every day until they are weaned. This doubled the AAP's previous recommendation.

The AAP also recommends 400 IU/day of vitamin D for children and teens who drink less than a quart of vitamin D-fortified milk per day.

The Vitamin D Council recommends that healthy adults take 2,000 IU of vitamin D daily -- more if they get little or no sun exposure.

There's evidence that people with a lot of body fat need more vitamin D than lean people.

But it's clear that the IOM's conservative recommendations will stir debate in the scientific and medical communities. Here's a rule of thumb: If you're considering taking more vitamin D than the IOM committee recommends, first check with your doctor or pediatrician.

Can I get too much vitamin D?

Too much of any good thing is a bad thing. Too much vitamin D can cause an abnormally high blood calcium level, which could result in nausea, constipation, confusion, abnormal heart rhythm, and even kidney stones

It's nearly impossible to get too much vitamin D from sunlight or from foods (unless you take way too much cod liver oil). Nearly all vitamin D overdoses come from supplements.

The Institute of Medicine's Food and Nutrition Board's old 1997 recommendations suggested that 2,000 IU per day of vitamin D is safe for adults and that 1,000 IU per day is safe for infants up to 12 months of age. Many observers expected a drastic increase in the IOM's 2010 update.

That didn't exactly happen. The IOM committee did increase its "upper level intake" -- that is, the boundary at which it feared vitamin D would become unsafe. That dose is 4,000 IU/day for adults, 3,000 IU/day for kids ages 4-8, 2,500 IU/day for kids ages 1-3, 1,500 IU/day for infants ages 6-12 months, and 1,000 IU/day for infants ages 0-6 months.

But some recent studies suggest that healthy adults can tolerate more than 10,000 IU of vitamin D per day. John Jacob Cannell, MD, executive director of The Vitamin D Council, notes that the skin makes 10,000 IU of vitamin D after 30 minutes of full-body sun exposure. He suggests that 10,000 IU of vitamin D is not toxic.

According to the National Institutes of Health, 25-OHD levels that are consistently over 200 ng/mL are "potentially toxic."

The IOM committee found no conclusive evidence that increased vitamin D levels confer increased health benefits, "challenging the concept that 'more is better.'"

What kind of vitamin D is best?

The recommended form of vitamin D is vitamin D3 or cholecalciferol. This is the natural form of vitamin D that your body makes from sunlight. Supplements are made from the fat of lambs' wool.

However, a clinical study reported in 2008 suggested that vitamin D2 works as well as vitamin D3.

Many supplements contain vitamin D as vitamin D2 or calciferol. It's derived from irradiated fungus. Because this is not the form of vitamin D naturally made by your body, WebMD nutritionist Kathleen M. Zelman, MPH, RD, recommends using the D3 form for those taking vitamin D supplements.

Because of its potency, different forms of vitamin D are used in prescription medications. If you have a prescription for one of these medications, do not switch to another form of vitamin D without checking with your doctor.

Does vitamin D interact with other medications?

Yes. Steroid medications such as prednisone can interfere with vitamin D metabolism. If you take steroid drugs regularly, discuss vitamin D with your doctor.

The weight loss drug orlistat -- brand names include Xenical and Alli -- may cut absorption of vitamin D. So does the cholesterol-lowering drug cholestyramine (sold as Questran, LoCholest, and Prevalite). People taking these drugs should discuss vitamin intake with their doctors.

The seizure drugs Phenobarbital and Dilantin (phenytoin), affect vitamin D metabolism and affect calcium absorption. So do anti-tuberculosis drugs.

On the other hand, cholesterol-lowering statin drugs and thiazide diuretics increase vitamin D levels.

10 Health Problems Related To Stress that You Can Fix

2011-10-04T11:02:00.000-04:00

By R. Morgan Griffin

Need another thing to get stressed out about? Your stress itself could be making you sick.

"Stress doesn't only make us feel awful emotionally," says Jay Winner MD, author of Take the Stress Out of Your Life and director of the Stress Management Program for Sansum Clinic in Santa Barbara, Calif. "It can also exacerbate just about any health condition you can think of."

Studies have found many health problems related to stress. Stress seems to worsen or increase the risk of conditions like obesity, heart disease, Alzheimer's disease, diabetes, depression, gastrointestinal problems, and asthma.

Before you get too stressed out about being stressed out, there is some good news. Following some simple stress relief tips could both lower your stress and lower your health risks.

10 Health Problems Related to Stress

What are some of the most significant health problems related to stress? Here's a sampling.

1.Heart disease. Researchers have long suspected that the stressed-out, type A personality has a higher risk of high blood pressure and heart problems. We don't know why, exactly. Stress might have a direct effect on the heart and blood vessels. It's also possible that stress is related to other problems -- an increased likelihood of smoking or obesity -- that indirectly increase the heart risks.

Doctors do know that sudden emotional stress can be a trigger for serious cardiac problems, including heart attacks. People who have chronic heart problems need to avoid acute stress as much as they can.

2.Asthma. Many studies have shown that stress can worsen asthma. Some evidence suggests that a parent's chronic stress might even increase the risk of developing asthma in their children. One study looked at how parental stress affected the asthma rates of young children who were also exposed to air pollution or whose mothers smoked during pregnancy. The kids with stressed out parents had a substantially higher risk of developing asthma.

3.Obesity. Excess fat in the belly seems to pose greater health risks than fat on the legs or hips -- and unfortunately, that's just where people with high stress seem to store it. "Stress causes higher levels of the hormone cortisol," says Winner, "and that seems to increase the amount of fat that's deposited in the abdomen."

4.Diabetes. Stress can worsen diabetes in two ways. First, it increases the likelihood of bad behaviors, such as unhealthy eating and excessive drinking. Second, stress seems to raise the glucose levels of people with type 2 diabetes directly.

5.Headaches. Stress is considered one of the most common triggers for headaches -- not just tension headaches, but migraines as well.

6.Depression and anxiety. It's probably no surprise that chronic stress is connected with higher rates of depression and anxiety. One survey of recent studies found that people who had stress related to their jobs -- like demanding work with few rewards -- had an 80% higher risk of developing depression within a few years than people with lower stress.

7.Gastrointestinal problems. Here's one thing that stress doesn't do -- it doesn't cause ulcers. However, it can make them worse. Stress is also a common factor in many other GI conditions, such as chronic heartburn (GERD) and IBS, Winner says.

8.Alzheimer's disease. One animal study found that stress might worsen Alzheimer's disease, causing its brain lesions to form more quickly. Some researchers speculate that reducing stress has the potential to slow down the progression of the disease.

9.Accelerated aging. There's actually evidence that stress can affect how you age. One study compared the DNA of mothers who were under high stress -- they were caring for a chronically ill child -- with women who were not. Researchers found that a particular region of the chromosomes showed the effects of accelerated aging. Stress seemed to accelerate aging about 9 to 17 additional years.

10.Premature death. A study looked at the health effects of stress by studying elderly caregivers looking after their spouses -- people who are naturally under a great deal of stress. It found that caregivers had a 63% higher rate of death than people their age who were not caregivers.

Still, you might be wondering why. Why would stress make us sick? Why would an emotional feeling wreck havoc on our bodies?

Stress isn't only a feeling. "Stress isn't just in your head," Winner says. It's a built-in physiologic response to a threat. When you're stressed, your body responds. Your blood vessels constrict. Your blood pressure and pulse rise. You breathe faster. Your bloodstream is flooded with hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline.

"When you're chronically stressed, those physiologic changes, over time, can lead to health problems," Winner tells WebMD

Stress Management Works

While the number of health problems related to stress might be alarming, don't despair. Studies suggest that stress management techniques will not only make you feel better, but they might have concrete health benefits.

For instance, one study of heart attack survivors found that taking a stress management class slashed their risks of a second cardiac event by 74%. There's even some evidence that stress management will improve immunity.

Still, many of us remain skeptical about stress management. After all, our lives are just plain stressful. We have busy jobs, families to raise, tight finances, and no time to spare. Stress management might seem like a nice idea, but completely impossible.

It's true that you might not be able to remove all the stressful things from your life. But you can change how you respond to them, Winner says. That's what stress management is all about. Learning some basic stress relief techniques isn't hard either.

4 Ways to Fight Back Against Stress -- and Improve Your Health

The next time you feel stressed, here are four stress relief tips you can try.

1.Breathe deeply. Just a few minutes of deep breathing can calm you and tame the physiologic stress response, Winner says. While building in a specific time to relax each day is a good idea, one advantage to deep breathing for stress relief is that you can do it anywhere -- at your desk or in your (parked) car, for instance.

Winner recommends that as you breathe out, you relax a specific muscle group. Start with the muscles in your jaw. On the next breath out, relax your shoulders. Move through the different areas of your body until you're feeling calm.

2.Focus on the moment. When you're stressed, you're probably living in the future or the past. You're worried about what to do next or regretful about something you've already done. To get some stress relief, instead try focusing on what you're doing right now.

"You can calm yourself by bringing yourself back to the present moment," says Winner. "If you're walking, feel the sensation of your legs moving. If you're eating, focus on the taste and the sensation of the food."

3.Reframe the situation. So you're already running late and then find yourself stuck in terrible traffic. Getting worked up is a natural reaction, but it won't help you at all.

Rather than swearing and pounding the steering wheel, get a different perspective. Look at that time as an opportunity -- a few minutes to yourself where you don't have any other obligations.

4.Keep your problems in perspective. It might seem Pollyannaish, but the next time you're feeling stressed out, think about the things for which you're grateful.

"We get stressed when we focus so much on a specific problem that we lose perspective," says Winner. "You need to remind yourself of the basic ways in which you're lucky -- that you have family and friends, that you can see, that you can walk." It can be a surprisingly effective method for stress relief.

While these stress management techniques can help in the moment, you can also make a few larger changes to your way of life. Regular exercise is key to long-term stress management, says Winner. People who exercise tend to have better moods and more energy than people who don't. What's more, regular exercise will independently lower your risks for many health problems.

Learning some relaxation techniques, meditation, or yoga will help with stress management, too. Getting good at any of these approaches will take a little time and practice, but the payoff -- for your short-term mood and long-term health -- could be substantial.

5 Super Nutrients for Growing Kids

2011-10-04T10:51:00.000-04:00

Want your kids to grow up strong and healthy? These 5 super-nutrients will give them a great head start.

By Kathleen M. Zelman, MPH, RD, LD

Nutrition isn't kids' stuff. Good nutrition can help your kids fend off common illnesses and develop strong, healthy bodies. Include foods with these key nutrients every day so your children learn to enjoy the taste of eating right. And don't forget to help them exercise and get a good night's rest.

Calcium

Calcium is the super nutrient that helps make strong bones and teeth. It's most important during the growing years when bones are building. The best sources of calcium come from the cow.
1. Start your child's day with a bowl of cold or hot whole-grain cereal topped with skim or low-fat milk and sliced fresh fruit.

2. Serve low-fat yogurt, smoothies, or cheese after school and between meals for a nourishing snack.

3. Calcium-fortified juices and cereals are fine alternatives to help meet your child's daily requirement.

Snack idea. Boost your kids' calcium intake by blending low-fat chocolate milk, a banana, and ice into a delicious smoothie for a quick meal, dessert, or snack.

Fiber

Kids need fiber, too. Grandma called it roughage and everyone, kids included, needs plenty of it each day. Get your kids used to the delicious taste of fibrous foods.

1. A bowl full of high-fiber cereal is a great start to meeting your child's daily needs. Read food labels to find whole-grain cereals that provide 3 or more grams of fiber per serving. Usually, the more sugar in a cereal, the less fiber. Add sweetness to cereal with fresh, canned (unsweetened), or frozen fruit.

2. Have cut-up whole fruits and veggies on hand to help your child meet the recommended five-plus daily servings of fiber. Keep fruit juice to a minimum. Whole fruits and vegetables contain much more fiber and less sugar than most juices.

3. Beans are fun to eat and loaded with fiber and protein. Drain and rinse canned beans that you can toss into soups, stews, salads, scrambled eggs and omelets, and salsas.

Snack idea. Spread crunchy peanut butter onto celery sticks and top with raisins for a kid-favorite "ants on a log" snack.

Protein

Every cell in the body is made of protein, which makes this major nutrient essential for healthy growth and development. Protein is in animal products, such as dairy, eggs, seafood, and meats. In somewhat lesser amounts, it is also in beans, nuts, vegetables, and grains. Boost your kids' nutrition with these protein-rich food ideas.
1. Even finicky kids love eggs. French toast, scrambled eggs, pancakes, and omelets are kid-pleasing dishes that contain plenty of protein, iron, and other important nutrients.

2. Branch out from fish sticks and try salmon dishes that kids will enjoy. Top salmon or other fish fillets with salsa or teriyaki sauce to give your child lean protein along with heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids.

3. Add nuts to cereals, yogurts, or vegetables for added protein, fiber, and healthy fats.

Snack idea. Trail mix is a great portable snack that is also easy to prepare. Throw together a mix of dried fruits such as raisins, bananas, apples, or dried cranberries, nuts (soy nuts or peanuts), and high-fiber cereal.

Antioxidant Super-Foods

Antioxidants help defend the body against harmful substances that can damage the body's cells. Power up your child's diet with foods rich in antioxidants, such as almonds, berries, citrus, carrots, spinach, tomatoes, and bell peppers.
1. Bring orange wedges or 100% citrus juice, fruit, and nut granola bars to the next sports practice for a refreshing and energizing treat.

2. Pack school lunches with baby carrots, grape tomatoes, and red bell pepper slices for a fiber- and antioxidant-rich lunch or snack.

3. Add plenty of antioxidant-rich tomatoes or tomato sauce to pizza, spaghetti, meatloaf, soups, and stews.

Snack idea. Parfaits are beautiful to look at and fun to eat. Make one by layering low-fat yogurt, fresh or frozen blueberries, and toasted almonds into a tall glass.

Iron

Children's diets are often lacking in iron, an essential mineral that carries oxygen in the blood and helps keep kids energized. Boost the iron in your kids' diet with lean meats, eggs, fish, dark leafy greens, beans, dried fruits, and iron-fortified grains.
1. Pair eggs at breakfast with oranges or orange juice to boost the absorption of iron.

2. Serve spinach salads at mealtime, topped with strawberries, dried cranberries, and/or slivered almonds and light raspberry vinaigrette. This is a salad kids will devour.

3. When kids refuse a meal, offer iron-fortified cereal topped with low-fat milk or yogurt and fruit as a suitable meal substitute.

Snack idea. Wrap an iron-fortified whole-wheat tortilla with sliced turkey, low-fat string cheese, and dried cranberries for a healthy snack.

Can Your Diet Help Relieve Rhematoid Arthritis?

2011-10-04T10:42:00.000-04:00

If you suffer from rheumatoid arthritis, you may have heard that a specific diet or certain foods can ease your pain, stiffness, and fatigue. Someday, food may be the medicine of choice for those with arthritis and related inflammatory diseases. For now, though, here's information that may help you separate the facts from the myths about diet and rheumatoid arthritis.

Can the Arthritis Diet Help my Rheumatoid Arthritis?

Eating certain foods or avoiding certain foods may help your rheumatoid arthritis symptoms. However, according to the Arthritis Foundation, there is no specific "arthritis diet." On the other hand, if you find certain foods worsen your rheumatoid arthritis symptoms and others help your symptoms to improve, it makes sense to make some adjustments in your diet.

A recent study showed that 30% to 40% of people with rheumatoid arthritis may benefit from excluding "suspect" foods that are identified with an elimination diet. An elimination diet guides you in removing suspected "trigger" foods from your daily diet. Then, after a period of time, you slowly add the suspect foods back into your diet and watch for increased pain and stiffness. For some people, eliminating those foods that seem to trigger pain and stiffness may help decrease rheumatoid arthritis symptoms.

Can Some Fats Increase Inflammation in Rheumatoid Arthritis?

Yes. Studies show that saturated fats may increase inflammation in the body. Foods high in saturated fats, such as animal products like bacon, steak, butter, and cream, may increase inflammatory chemicals in the body called prostaglandins. Prostaglandins are chemicals that cause inflammation, pain, swelling, and joint destruction in rheumatoid arthritis.

In addition, some findings confirm that meat contains high amounts of arachidonic acid. Arachidonic acid is a fatty acid that's converted to inflammatory prostaglandins in the body. Some people with rheumatoid arthritis find that a vegetarian diet helps relieve symptoms of pain and stiffness. Other people with rheumatoid arthritis, however, get no benefit from eating a diet that eliminates meat.

Is Omega-6 Fatty Acid Linked to Inflammation With Rheumatoid Arthritis?

Omega-6 fatty acids are in vegetable oils that contain linoleic acid. This group of vegetable oils includes corn oil, soybean oil, sunflower oil, wheat germ oil, and sesame oil. Studies show that a typical western diet has more omega-6 fatty acids compared to omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 fatty acid is a polyunsaturated fat found in cold-water fish.

Consuming excessive amounts of omega-6 fatty acids may promote illnesses such as cancer and cardiovascular disease. It may also promote inflammatory and/or autoimmune disease such as rheumatoid arthritis. Ingesting fewer omega-6 fatty acids and more omega-3 fatty acids, on the other hand, may suppress inflammation and decrease the risk of illness.

Many studies show that lowering the ratio of omega-6 fatty acids to omega-3 fatty acids contained in the diet can reduce the risk of illness.

How Can Omega-3 Fatty Acids Help Rheumatoid Arthritis?

Omega-3 fatty acids, the polyunsaturated fats found in cold-water fish, nuts, and other foods, may have an anti-inflammatory effect in the body. The marine omega-3 fatty acids contain EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid). These are substances that may decrease inflammation. Some studies show a positive anti-inflammatory effect of omega-3 fatty acids with rheumatoid arthritis. The same is true for heart disease. This is important because people with rheumatoid arthritis also have a higher risk of heart disease.

Human studies with marine omega-3 fatty acids show a direct relationship between increased DHA consumption and diminished C-reactive protein levels. That means reduced inflammation.

Which Foods Have Omega-3 Fatty Acids That Might Help Rheumatoid Arthritis?

For omega-3 fatty acids, select cold-water fish such as salmon, tuna, and trout. Some plant foods are also sources of omega-3 fatty acids. They include walnuts, tofu, and soybean products, flaxseed and flaxseed oil, and canola oil.

Can Fish Oil Supplements Help Rheumatoid Arthritis?

According to the American College of Rheumatology, some patients with rheumatoid arthritis report an improvement in pain and joint tenderness when taking marine omega-3 fatty acid supplements. You may not notice any benefit at first from taking a fish oil supplement. It may take weeks or even months to see a decrease in symptoms. But studies do show that some people who have a high intake of omega-3 fatty acids benefit from decreased symptoms and less use of anti-inflammatory drugs.
The American College of Rheumatology reminds consumers that fish oil supplements may have high levels of vitamin A or mercury.

Can a Mediterranean-Type Diet Help Rheumatoid Arthritis?

Many studies suggest that a diet high in fruits, vegetables, and vitamin C may be linked to a lower risk of rheumatoid arthritis. In fact, we know that rheumatoid arthritis is less severe in some Mediterranean countries such as Greece and Italy. In those countries, the main diet consists of large amounts of fruits, vegetables, olive oil, and fatty fish high in omega-3s. The Mediterranean-type diet may even protect against severe rheumatoid arthritis symptoms.
Fruits, vegetables, grains, and legumes are high in phytonutrients. These are chemicals in plants that have disease-fighting properties and immune-boosting antioxidants such as vitamin C, vitamin E, selenium, and the carotenoids. A plant-based diet is also high in bioflavonoids. These are plant compounds that reportedly have anti-viral, anti-inflammatory, and anti-tumor activities.

Nutrition researchers who test the antioxidant activity of foods believe that certain foods may reduce the risk of some degenerative diseases associated with aging. These diseases include arthritis, heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. More recent findings show that the higher intake of omega-3 fatty acids with the Mediterranean diet may be linked to the improvement in rheumatoid arthritis symptoms.

What Vitamins and Minerals Are Important for Rheumatoid Arthritis?

Folic acid, or folate, is a B vitamin found in food. It can also be obtained by supplementation. It is important to you if you take methotrexate, a commonly prescribed medication for rheumatoid arthritis. Your body uses folic acid to manufacture red blood cells. Supplementing with folic acid may allow people with rheumatoid arthritis to avoid some side effects of methotrexate.
Selenium helps to fight free radicals that cause damage to healthy tissue. Some studies indicate that people with rheumatoid arthritis have reduced selenium levels in their blood. These findings are preliminary and no recommendations have been made for selenium supplementation. One 3.5-ounce serving of tuna gives you a full day's requirement of selenium.
Supplementing your diet with bone-boosting calcium and vitamin D is important, especially if you take corticosteroids (like prednisone) that can cause bone loss. The risk of bone loss is higher in people with rheumatoid arthritis. So check with your doctor to see how much calcium and vitamin D you need to get daily through foods, supplements, and sunlight.

What About Alcohol and Rheumatoid Arthritis?

A study published in the Annals of Rheumatic Diseases concluded that drinking alcohol may be linked to a significantly reduced chance of getting rheumatoid arthritis. While the researchers did not know how alcohol protects against rheumatoid arthritis, they believed the data should encourage further study on how arthritis may be prevented through diet and lifestyle measures. Talk to your doctor about drinking alcohol if you take any rheumatoid arthritis medication. Avoid alcohol if you take methotrexate because liver damage could be a serious side effect.

Can Weight Loss Help my Rheumatoid Pain and Stiffness?

Yes. Studies show that dropping extra pounds is important for your joints and overall health. Excess pounds put extra strain on knees, hips, and other weight-bearing joints, not to mention your heart. Being overweight or obese actually worsens the joints -- making them stiffer and more painful -- and can exacerbate rheumatoid arthritis flares.

3 Questions About Fragrance Allergies

2011-09-08T10:22:00.001-04:00

An interview with expert Clifford W. Bassett, MD, on fragrance allergies.

By Charlene Laino

If you find yourself developing a killer headache when riding an elevator with someone who was a bit generous dabbing on the perfume, you have company. More than 2 million Americans have fragrance allergies or sensitivities -- and the number is on the rise.

Although that person's perfume may have been all too obvious a culprit, there are many hidden sources of fragrances, says Clifford W. Bassett, MD, medical director of Allergy & Asthma Care of New York. Bassett helped WebMD sniff out the truth about fragrance allergies.

What are some of the most common sources of fragrance allergies?

Skin care products, colognes, perfumes, moisturizers, soaps, deodorants, aftershave – all kinds of products that smell nice but contain chemicals that our immune system may not like very much.
What are the most hidden sources of fragrance allergies?

Low-allergy or hypoallergenic products may contain fragrances that aren't obvious because of a less aromatic smell. Fragrance-free products may have a "masking" fragrance added to cover up the smell of the chemicals.

Also, many magazine ad inserts for perfumes and skin care products are laden with fragrance. People may actually have difficulty reading the publication as a result of the scent.

In some cases, the reaction to various products can be aggravated by exposure to the sun. This is known as a photosensitivity.

What are the symptoms of fragrance allergies?

Most commonly, the skin is affected. There may be rash or redness, itchiness or even blistering of the face and skin as a result of daily or one-time usage of a product.

Fragrance allergies can also affect the eyes, causing extreme redness, irritation, tearing and burning, and some swelling of the eyelids. Sneezing, runny nose, nasal congestion, headache, even breathing difficulties can also be triggered by a strong odor.

13 Ways to Fight Sugar Cravings

2011-09-08T10:16:00.000-04:00

Sweet tooth raging out of control? Here's how to tame those sugar cravings.

By Wendy C. Fries

Does that morning Danish leave you craving another treat two hours later? Do you grab a candy bar to cope with your afternoon slump -- and then reach for a cola to get out of your post-slump slump?
If you’ve found that munching sugary snacks just makes you crave more sugary snacks, you’re not alone. Eating lots of simple carbohydrates -- without the backup of proteins or fats -- can quickly satisfy hunger and give your body a short-term energy boost, but they almost as quickly leave you famished again and craving more.

How can you stop sugar cravings once and for all? Here's expert advice.

Why Do We Crave Sugar?

There are many reasons why we go for sweet things.
That appetite may be hardwired. "Sweet is the first taste humans prefer from birth," says Christine Gerbstadt, MD, RD, a dietitian and American Dietetic Association (ADA) spokeswoman. Carbohydrates stimulate the release of the feel-good brain chemical serotonin. Sugar is a carbohydrate, but carbohydrates come in other forms, too, such as whole grains, fruits, and vegetables.
The taste of sugar also releases endorphins that calm and relax us, and offer a natural "high," says Susan Moores, MS, RD, a registered dietitian and nutrition consultant in St. Paul, Minn.
Sweets just taste good, too. And that preference gets reinforced by rewarding ourselves with sweet treats, which can make you crave it even more. With all that going for it, why wouldn’t we crave sugar?

The problem comes not when we indulge in a sweet treat now and then, but when we over-consume, something that’s easy to do when sugar is added to many processed foods, including breads, yogurt, juices, and sauces. And Americans do overconsume, averaging about 22 teaspoons of added sugars per day, according to the American Heart Association, which recommends limiting added sugars to about 6 teaspoons per day for women and 9 for men.

How to Stop Sugar Cravings: 8 Tips to Use Right Now

If you're craving sugar, here are some ways to tame those cravings.
Give in a little. Eat a bit of what you’re craving, maybe a small cookie or a fun-size candy bar, suggests Kerry Neville, MS, RD, a registered dietitian and ADA spokeswoman. Enjoying a little of what you love can help you steer clear of feeling denied. Try to stick to a 150-calorie threshold, Neville says.

Combine foods. If the idea of stopping at a cookie or a baby candy bar seems impossible, you can still fill yourself up and satisfy a sugar craving, too. "I like combining the craving food with a healthful one," Neville says. "I love chocolate, for example, so sometimes I’ll dip a banana in chocolate sauce and that gives me what I’m craving, or I mix some almonds with chocolate chips." As a beneficial bonus, you'll satisfy a craving and get healthy nutrients from those good-for-you foods.

Go cold turkey. Cutting out all simple sugars works for some people, although "the initial 48 to 72 hours are tough," Gerbstadt says. Some people find that going cold turkey helps their cravings diminish after a few days; others find they may still crave sugar but over time are able to train their taste buds to be satisfied with less.

Grab some gum. If you want to avoid giving in to a sugar craving completely, try chewing a stick of gum, says nutrition advisor Dave Grotto, RD, LDN. "Research has shown that chewing gum can reduce food cravings," Grotto says.

Reach for fruit. Keep fruit handy for when sugar cravings hit. You'll get fiber and nutrients along with some sweetness. And stock up on foods like nuts, seeds, and dried fruits, says certified addiction specialist Judy Chambers, LCSW, CAS. "Have them handy so you reach for them instead of reaching for the old [sugary] something."

Get up and go. When a sugar craving hits, walk away. "Take a walk around the block or [do] something to change the scenery," to take your mind off the food you’re craving, Neville suggests.

Choose quality over quantity. "If you need a sugar splurge, pick a wonderful, decadent sugary food," Moores says. But keep it small. For example, choose a perfect dark chocolate truffle instead of a king-sized candy bar, then "savor every bite -- slowly," Moores says. Grotto agrees. "Don’t swear off favorites -- you’ll only come back for greater portions. Learn to incorporate small amounts in the diet but concentrate on filling your stomach with less sugary and [healthier] options."

Eat regularly. Waiting too long between meals may set you up to choose sugary, fatty foods that cut your hunger, Moores says. Instead, eating every three to five hours can help keep blood sugar stable and help you "avoid irrational eating behavior," Grotto says. Your best bets? "Choose protein, fiber-rich foods like whole grains and produce," Moores says.

But won't eating more often mean overeating? Not if you follow Neville's advice to break up your meals. For instance, have part of your breakfast -- a slice of toast with peanut butter, perhaps -- and save some yogurt for a mid-morning snack. "Break up lunch the same way to help avoid a mid-afternoon slump," Neville says.

How to Stop Sugar Cravings: 5 Tips for the Long Term

One of the best ways to manage sugar cravings is to stop them before they start. To help you do that:
Skip artificial sweeteners. Artificial sweeteners may sound like a great idea, but "they don’t lessen cravings for sugar and haven’t demonstrated a positive effect on our obesity epidemic," says Grotto, author of 101 Foods That Could Save Your Life.

Reward yourself for successfully managing sugar cravings. Your reward could be large or small. Remember why you’re working on it and then reward yourself for each successful step.

Slow down. For one week, focus on your sugar cravings and think about what you’re eating, suggests Chambers. Diet mayhem often results from lack of planning. So slow down, plan, "and eat what you intend to eat, instead of eating when you’re desperate," Chambers says.

Get support. Many people turn to sweet foods when they're stressed, depressed, or angry. But food doesn't solve emotional issues. Consider whether emotions are involved in your sugar cravings and whether you need help to find other solutions to those emotional problems.

Mix it up. You may need more than one strategy to thwart sugar cravings. One week you may find success with one tactic, and another week calls for an alternative approach. What’s important is to “have a ‘bag of tricks’ to try,” Gerbstadt tells WebMD. To tame sugar cravings, you really need to "figure out what works for you," Neville says.

Lastly, go easy on yourself. It may take time to get a handle on your sugar cravings. "It’s difficult to shift any system -- whether it’s the world economy or your eating," Chambers says.

6 Best Foods You're Not Eating

2011-08-24T12:07:00.000-04:00

From watermelon to red cabbage, find out why these foods should be part of a healthy diet.

By Kathleen M. Zelman, MPH, RD, LD

Some foods are so healthy they star on every nutrition expert’s super food list. But often missing on those lists are some nutritional gems or underrated foods that don’t get the attention they deserve.

Sorting out the best foods to eat is not always easy because the choices can be daunting. Adding to the confusion are overrated foods like salads that are perceived to be good for you but can be health horrors.

Here are six foods not typically thought of as nutritional powerhouses that can definitely upgrade your diet. Getting to know them -- and understanding more about the nutritional goodness of foods in general -- will help you to make more informed choices that can impact your health, weight, and wallet.

Criteria for the Best Foods

In order to make our best list, foods had to be whole foods that are familiar, widely available, affordable, nutrient-rich -- and most importantly, taste great. After all, what good is a super food if it isn’t a culinary delight?

Beyond the obvious ‘health halo’ super foods like blueberries, nuts, and salmon, WebMD asked nutrition experts for their opinion of the best underrated foods that belong on your menus. Here are their top six picks:

1. Beans and Lentils

Make no beans about it, beans and lentils are among the most overlooked items in the grocery store. Beans really are nutrition superstars rich in protein, fiber, complex carbs, iron, magnesium, potassium, and zinc.

New York-based nutrition consultant and author of Read It Before You Eat It, Bonnie Taub-Dix, MA, RD says healthy foods like beans and lentils defy the recommendation to only shop the perimeter of the grocery store. “There are hundreds of essential foods like beans and lentils lining the shelves in the center aisles that should not be overlooked.”
Versatile and easy on your wallet, Taub-Dix suggests lowering the sodium in canned beans by approximately 40% by thoroughly rinsing the beans in water.

Elisa Zied, MS, RD, author of Nutrition at Your Fingertips, says we don’t come close to eating the three cups a week recommended by the U.S. government's 2005 Dietary Guidelines. “Eating a diet rich in legumes can help promote weight loss and has been shown to lower LDL [low-density "bad" cholesterol] and raise HDL [high-density "good" cholesterol],” she says.
Toss these nuggets into soups, stews, salads, grain medleys, or greens or create a veggie dip by pureeing beans and adding your favorite seasoning, like hummus made from chickpeas.

2. Watermelon

Watermelon is everyone’s favorite summertime fruit. But because it is so naturally sweet, some people avoid it because they think it is high in sugar.

Elizabeth Ward, MS, RD and author of Expect the Best, says watermelon should be a staple in everyone’s diet. “It is fun to eat, sweet, juicy, low in calories, and chock full of vitamins C, A, potassium, and lycopene. Because it is so high in water, it helps meet fluid needs.”
A bonus is that the thick peel keeps pesticides far from the flesh, earning it a spot on the Environmental Working Groups ‘clean 15’ produce with least pesticide residue.

3. Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes are often thought of as high in calories and carbs because they are so naturally sweet. But don’t let that fool you.

American Dietetic Association spokeswoman Heather Mangieri, MS, RD says “sweet potatoes are nutritional all-stars and one of the best vegetables you can eat. Not only are they a great source of beta carotene, vitamin C, fiber, and potassium, but this highly underrated vegetable is so versatile it can be enjoyed with very few extra calories or embellishment.”

She suggests topping a slow-baked sweet potato with a sprinkle of cinnamon, applesauce, and crushed pineapple -- or black beans and salsa. Other options: Mash it or slice into fries and oven bake until golden brown.

4. Red Cabbage

Sarasota, Fla., physician and registered dietitian Christine Gerbstadt MD, RD, votes for the cruciferous vegetable, red cabbage.
“A great source of fiber, vitamins A, D, and K; folate; and lots of trace minerals with only 22 calories in one cup chopped," Gerbstadt says. " Rich in antioxidants, this veggie can boost cancer-fighting enzymes. You can eat it raw, cooked, sweet, savory, stand-alone in a dish like coleslaw, or add it to almost anything from soups, salads, casseroles, sandwiches, burgers, and more.”

She suggests keeping a head of red cabbage in your crisper to inspire creative ways to add more color and nutrition to your meals.

5. Canned Tomatoes

Fire-roasted petite diced tomatoes are a staple in the pantry of Georgia State University professor emeritus Chris Rosenbloom, PhD, RD. “Everyone thinks fresh is best but cooking tomatoes helps release some of the disease-fighting lycopene so it is better absorbed," Rosenbloom says.
A study in the 2009 Journal of Clinical Oncology shows that a diet rich in tomatoes may help prevent prostate cancer and that lycopene, a strong antioxidant, may also help prevent other types of cancer. Of course, many other lifestyle and genetic factors also affect cancer risk.

Stock your pantry with canned tomatoes for pizza, spaghetti sauce, and home-made salsa or toss a can into soups, stews, casseroles, greens, or pasta dishes. And if your power goes out, "canned foods are a lifesaver," Rosenbloom says.
If canned tomatoes are not your favorite, how about low-sodium vegetable juice? Miami registered dietitian Sheah Rarback, MS, RD, nominates the vegetable juice that has been around for a long time with only 140 mg sodium and an excellent source of vitamin C and potassium.

6. Plain, Nonfat Greek Yogurt

There are many yogurts on the market, and plain, nonfat Greek yogurt is a standout.
All yogurts are excellent sources of calcium, potassium, protein, zinc, and vitamins B6 and B12. What distinguishes Greek yogurt is its thicker, creamier texture because the liquid whey is strained out. Also, it contains probiotic cultures and is lower in lactose and has twice the protein content of regular yogurts.

“Skip the extra sugar calories found in most yogurts and pump up the protein by choosing Greek yogurt that contains twice as much protein, which is great for weight control because it keeps you feeling full longer,” says Judith Rodriguez, PhD, RD, president of the American Dietetic Association and nutrition professor at University of North Florida.
Rodriguez suggests pairing the tart yogurt with the natural sweetness of fresh fruit or your favorite whole grain cereal

10 Everyday Super Foods

2011-07-25T10:11:00.000-04:00

By Kathleen M. Zelman, MPH, RD, LD

These easy-to-eat foods are packed with multiple nutrients to help you stay healthy.

If only there were some kind of potion or pill that had everything you needed for weight loss and good health. Unfortunately, no such pill exists, but there is a solution -- something that not only promotes wellness and weight control but tastes good, too. These multitasking "super foods" provide multiple disease-fighting nutrients, fill you up so you can enjoy plenty of food without excess calories, and are easy to include in everyday meals. After all, what good is a super food that is hard to find, difficult to prepare, and the kids won't eat?

Eaten regularly, these foods will help you satisfy the recommendations of the U.S. government's 2005 Dietary Guideline, giving you nutrients that are typically missing from American diets. According to the Guidelines, Americans need to eat more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat dairy products.

Of course, experts are quick to point out, this list of top 10 super foods by no means includes all the nutritious foods that should be part of a healthy diet.

"What is ultimately the most important to good health is a dietary pattern that includes all these foods, along with a wide variety of other nutritious foods and regular physical activity," says Tufts University researcher Alice Lichtenstein, DSc.

And don't forget that portion size matters, even when it comes to healthy foods. You can take more liberties when eating simply prepared vegetables, but you should take care to eat other super foods in sensible portions.

"Foods like nuts are nutrient rich, but if you overeat them you can pack on the pounds, and that defeats the purpose," says Elisa Zied, MS, RD, author of Feed Your Family Right!

Top 10 Multitasking Super Foods

1.Low fat or fat-free plain yogurt is higher in calcium than some other dairy products and contains a great package of other nutrients, including protein and potassium. It can also be enhanced with other good-for-you substances. "Yogurt is a vehicle food that can be enriched with probiotics for a healthy balance of bacteria in your gut, and beneficial, heart-healthy plant stanols," says Zied. "And lactose sensitive people may tolerate yogurt better than milk." Look for plain yogurt fortified with vitamin D, and add your own fruit to control sweetness and calories. Versatile yogurt can also be used in entree and bakery recipes, in dips for veggies, etc. Don't like yogurt? Skim milk is another super dairy food that has only 83 calories per cup and is easy to slip into coffee to help you get one of the recommended three servings of dairy each day. "Dairy foods contain practically every nutrient you need for total nutrition -- and in just the right balance," says bone health expert, Robert Heaney, MD. "No other food group in the diet is as complete or as economical."

2.Eggs make the list because they are nutritious, versatile, economical, and a great way to fill up on quality protein. "Studies show if you eat eggs at breakfast, you may eat fewer calories during the day and lose weight without significantly affecting cholesterol levels," says Elizabeth Ward, MS, RD, author of The Pocket Idiot's Guide to the New Food Pyramids. Eggs also contain 12 vitamins and minerals, including choline, which is good for brain development and memory. Enjoy them at any meal or hard-cooked as a portable snack.

3.Nuts have gotten a bad rap because of their high fat content. But their protein, heart-healthy fats, high fiber, and antioxidant content earn them a place on the top 10 list. The key to enjoying nuts, experts say, is portion control. "All nuts are healthful in small doses, and studies show they can help lower cholesterol levels and promote weight loss," says Today Show nutritionist Joy Bauer, MS, RD. "I like pistachio nuts because they also contain plant sterols and it takes longer to crack the shell and eat them, making it easier to control the portion. Whether you prefer pistachios, almonds, peanuts, walnuts, or pecans, an ounce a day of nuts help fill you up. Nuts add texture and flavor to salads, side dishes, baked goods, cereals, and entrees. They taste great alone, too. Zied recommends putting together your own "100-calorie packs" of nuts for easy and portable snacks.

4.Kiwis are among the most nutritionally dense fruits, full of antioxidants, says Ward. "One large kiwi supplies your daily requirement for vitamin C," says Ward. "It is also a good source of potassium, fiber, and a decent source of vitamin A and vitamin E, which is one of the missing nutrients, and kiwi is one of the only fruits that provides it." The sweet taste and colorful appearance of kiwis makes it easy to slice in half, scoop out with a spoon and enjoy alone, or slice it into desserts, salads, or side dishes. Kiwifruit can also have a mild laxative effect due to their high fiber content.

5.Quinoa is now readily available in many supermarkets and is one of the best whole grains you can eat, according to Zied. "It is an ancient grain, easy to make, interesting, high in protein (8 grams in 1 cup cooked), fiber (5 grams per cup) and a naturally good source of iron," she says. Quinoa (pronounced keen-wa) also has plenty of zinc, vitamin E, and selenium to help control your weight and lower your risk for heart disease and diabetes, she says. Quinoa is as easy to prepare as rice and can be eaten alone or mixed with vegetables, nuts, or lean protein for a whole-grain medley. Try to make at least half your daily grain servings whole grains. In addition to quinoa, try barley, oats, buckwheat, whole wheat, wild rice, and millet.

6.Beans, beans, good for your heart -- really! Beans are loaded with insoluble fiber, which helps lower cholesterol, as well as soluble fiber, which fills you up and helps rid your body of waste. They're also a good, low-fat source of protein, carbohydrates, magnesium, and potassium. Bauer favors edamame (whole soybeans) because they also contain heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Beans can easily substitute for meat or poultry as the centerpiece of a meal, says Bauer, but they also work as a side dish, or tossed into soups, stews, or egg dishes. The U.S. Dietary Guidelines recommend 3 cups weekly.

7.Salmon is a super food because of its omega-3 fatty acid content. Studies show that omega-3 fatty acids help protect heart health. That's why the American Heart Association recommends eating fatty fish like salmon twice weekly. Salmon is low in calories (200 for 3 ounces) has lots of protein, is a good source of iron, and is very low in saturated fat. You can simply grill or bake it, top it with salsas or other low-fat sauces, or serve it on top of salad greens. If you don't like salmon, Lichtenstein recommends eating other kinds of fish, like canned tuna. And what about the mercury content? (Mercury is known to accumulate in fish.) "The benefits of eating salmon or other fatty fish twice weekly far outweigh any risks, but if you are concerned, check with your doctor," says Zied.

8.Broccoli is one of America's favorite vegetables because it tastes good and is available all year long. It's a rich source of vitamin A, vitamin C, and bone-building vitamin K, and has plenty of fiber to fill you up and help control your weight. "Some people think beta-carotene (vitamin A) is only found in orange and yellow vegetables, but broccoli is an excellent source," says Ward. You can eat broccoli raw, lightly steamed, stir-fried, roasted, or grilled. Eat it as a side dish, or toss into grains, egg dishes, soups, and salads.

9.Sweet potatoes are a delicious member of the dark orange vegetable family, which lead the pack in vitamin A content. Substitute a baked sweet potato (also loaded with vitamin C, calcium, and potassium) for a baked white potato. And before you add butter or sugar, taste the sweetness that develops when a sweet potato is cooked -- and think of all the calories you can save over that loaded baked potato. "If we eat more foods like sweet potatoes that are rich sources of potassium, and fewer high-sodium foods, we can blunt the effect of sodium on blood pressure and reduce bone loss," says Zied. Other dark orange vegetable standouts include pumpkin, carrots, butternut squash, and orange bell peppers.

10.Berries pack an incredible amount of nutritional goodness into a small package. They're loaded with antioxidants, phytonutrients, low in calories, and high in water and fiber to help control blood sugar and keep you full longer. And their flavors satisfy sweets cravings for a fraction of the calories in baked goods. Blueberries lead the pack because they are among the best source of antioxidants and are widely available. Cranberries are also widely available fresh, frozen, or dried. All can add flavor and nutrition to numerous dishes, from salads and cereals to baked goods and yogurt.

Top 10 Scariest Food Additives

2011-07-12T16:35:00.001-04:00

By David Zinczenko with Matt Goulding

There was a time when "fruit flavored" and "cheese flavored" meant "made with real fruit" and "made with real cheese." Today? It's artificial everything. Most of the food at your local supermarket is no more authentic than Snooki's tan. Our fruit comes packaged in Loops, our cheese delivered via Whiz. Sure, it's edible, but there's no way your great grandparents would recognize this junk as food.

The problem with additives runs deep. The FDA currently maintains a list of ingredients called Everything Added to Food in the United States (EAFUS), which features more than 3,000 items and counting. Thankfully, most EAFUS ingredients are benign, but a few of them do have potentially harmful effects. Why they're legal is a mystery to us. Some of them might be backed by powerful lobby groups, while others probably survive simply because some guy at the FDA has too much paperwork on his desk and hasn't made time to adequately review the data.

Below are 10 of the most dubious ingredients hiding in your food, compliments of Eat This, Not That! 2011. Even if you're not convinced of their danger, you have to admit this: The more filler ingredients you cut from your diet, the more space you have for wholesome, nutritious foods.

Scary Ingredient #1: Olestra

A fat substitute synthesized by Procter & Gamble. Because human digestive enzymes can't break down the big molecules, Olestra contributes 0 calories to your diet.

Why it’s scary: In the late ’90s, Frito-Lay released Olestra-enhanced WOW chips and Procter & Gamble introduced Fat Free Pringles. Both products were required to carry warning labels to notify customers about the risk of "loose stools." Within 4 years, some 15,000 people had dialed in to a hotline set up specifically to handle adverse-reaction complaints. Apparently the complaints didn't move the FDA, because in 2003, the administration revoked the warning-label mandate. If you want to take your chances with diarrhea, go ahead, but first consider this: Olestra also appears to interfere with the body's ability to absorb some crucial nutrients like beta-carotene and lycopene. To counteract the effect, processers add some nutrients back, but it's unlikely that all the blocked nutrients are adequetly replaced.

Furthermore, just last week I tweeted that an animal study at Purdue University found that fake fats like Olestra may cause more weight gain than real fat.

Where you’ll find it: Lay’s Light chips, Pringles Light chips

Scary Ingredient #2: Caramel Coloring

An artificial pigment created by heating sugars. Frequently, this process includes ammonia.

Why it’s scary: Caramel coloring shows up in everything from soft drinks and sauces to breads and pastries. When made from straight sugar, it's relatively benign. But when produced with ammonia it puts off 2-methylimidazole and 4-methylimidazole, chemicals that have been linked to cancer in mice. The risk is strong enough that the California government, a bellwether for better food regulation, categorized 4-methylimidazole as “known to cause cancer” earlier this year. Unfortunately, companies aren't required to disclose whether their coloring is made with ammonia, so you'd be wise to avoid it as much as you can.

Where you'll find it: Colas and other soft drinks, La Choy soy sauce, Stove Top stuffing mix

Scary Ingredient #3: Saccharin

An artificial sweetener discovered by accident in the 1870s.

Why it’s scary: Studies have linked saccharin to bladder tumors in rats, and in 1977, the FDA required warning labels on all saccharin-containing foods. In 2000, the agency changed its stance and allowed saccharin to be sold without warning labels. But that doesn't make it entirely safe. A 2008 Purdue study found that replacing sugar with saccharin in rats’ diets made them gain more weight, proving once again that you should be aware of these faux fat foes.

Where you'll find it: Sweet ‘N Low, TaB cola

Scary Ingredient #4: Potassium Bromate

A compound that conditions flour and helps bread puff up during baking.

Why it’s scary: Potassium bromate causes thyroid and kidney tumors in rats, and it's banned from food use in many countries. In California, products containing potassium bromate are required to carry a cancer warning. Fortunately, negative publicity has made the additive relatively rare, but until the FDA banishes it, you should remain on the lookout.

Where you'll find it: Johnny Rockets Hoagie Roll

Scary Ingredient #5: Butylated Hydroxyanisole (BHA) and Butylated Hydroxytoluene (BHT)

Petroleum-derived antioxidants and preservatives.

Why they're scary: The Department of Health and Human Services says BHA is “reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen," yet the FDA allows it to be used anyway. BHT is considered less dangerous, but in animal research, it too has resulted in cancer. Oddly, the chemicals aren’t even always necessary; in most cases they can be replaced with vitamin E.

Where you'll find it: Goya lard, Golden Grahams, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Orbit gum

Scary Ingredient #6: Partially Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil

A semi-solid fat created when food processors force hydrogen into unsaturated fatty acids.

Why it's scary: Partially hydrogenated fats are the principle sources of trans fat in the American diet, and a Harvard study estimated that trans fat causes 70,000 heart attacks every year. The good news: Partially hydrogenated oils are beginning to slowly retreat from our food. Progressive jurisdictions like New York City are starting to restrict the allowable amounts in restaurants, and many chains are switching to healthier frying oil. Still, the battle isn’t over. At Long John Silver’s, for example, there are still 17 menu items with more than 2 grams of the stuff. According to the American Heart Association, that's about the maximum you should consume in a single day.

Where you'll find it: McDonald’s McChicken, Long John Silver’s Broccoli Cheese Soup

Scary Ingredient #7: Sulfites

Preservatives that maintain the color of food, and by releasing sulfur dioxide, prevent bacterial growth.

Why it's scary: Humans have used sulfites to keep food fresh for thousands of years, but some people—especially asthma sufferers—experience breathing difficulties when exposed. In the 1980s, unregulated use resulted in at least a dozen deaths, prompting the FDA to slap warning labels on wine bottles and develop new guidelines for proper use. Now restaurants can no longer soak fresh ingredients in sulfites. According to the Center for Science in the Public Interest, there have been no known deaths since the new legislation took hold. The bottom line: If you're among the majority of people not sensitive to sulfites, consumption won’t hurt you. If you're not sure, ask your doctor for a test.

Where you'll find it: Wine, Sun-Maid Mixed Fruit, Jolly Ranchers, Fig Newtons

Scary Ingredient #8: Azodicarbonamide

A synthetic yellow-orange dough conditioner

Why it's scary: This chemical is used most frequently in the production of industrial foam plastic, and although the FDA has approved its use for food in the States, the United Kingdom has labeled it a potential cause of asthma. In a review of 47 studies on azodicarbonamide, the World Health Organization concluded that it probably does trigger asthmatic symptoms. The WHO concluded, “exposure levels should be reduced as much as possible.” I’ll put it more concisely: Avoid it.

Where you'll find it: Dunkin’ Donuts bagels, McDonald’s burger buns

Scary Ingredient #9: Carrageenan

A thickener and emulsifier extracted from seaweed.

Why it's scary: Seaweed is actually good for you, but carrageenan is a mere seaweed byproduct. Through animal studies, it has been linked to cancer, colon trouble, and ulcers. It isn’t certain that carrageenan harms humans, but avoiding it is clearly the safer option. Most studies examined degraded forms of the additive, and research from the University of Iowa found that carrageenan could be degraded through the normal digestive process.

Where you'll find it: Weight Watchers Giant Chocolate Fudge Ice Cream Bars, Skinny Cow Ice Cream Sandwiches, Creamsicles

Scary Ingredient #10: Ammonium Sulfate

An inorganic salt that occurs naturally near active volcanoes and is used commercially to nourish yeast and help bread rise.

Why it's scary: This nitrogen-rich compound is most often used as fertilizer, and also appears commonly in flame retardants. Thankfully, the ingredient only sounds scary—a 2006 Japanese rat study found the additive to be non-carcinogenic. Both the Center for Science in the Public Interest and the FDA deem it safe.

Where you'll find it: Nature’s Own bread, Subway rolls

USDA Ditches Food Pyramid for a Healthy Plate

2011-06-09T09:46:00.002-04:00

Fruits and Veggies Make Up Half of Plate, With Side of Dairy
By Daniel J. DeNoon

A colorful four-part plate, with a side dish of dairy, has replaced the 19-year-old food pyramid as the icon of the new U.S. Dietary Guidelines.

The new icon, called "My Plate," is split into four sections -- red for fruits, green for vegetables, orange for grains, and purple for protein -- with a separate blue section for dairy on the side.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack unveiled the icon at a news conference today. He said the food pyramid was "simply too complex to serve as a quick and easy guide for American families."

At the news conference, first lady Michelle Obama praised My Plate as "a wonderful, kid-friendly tool" that's practical for busy families.

"What's more simple than a plate?" she asked. "I'm confident that families will find this useful. They can start using this today."

The Obamas are already doing so. "Trust me: We are implementing this in our household," Obama said.

The icon represents more than the currently recommended diet. It's part of a drastic change. The old plan was to provide information. The new plan is to actively change American eating behavior, using all the tools of modern persuasion.

"The centerpiece of the program is this next-generation food icon," Robert C. Post, PhD, deputy director of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) center for nutrition policy and promotion, tells WebMD. "The icon is the visual cue to get to online resources, to online media, and to unified nutrition messages from public- and private-sector efforts."

Expect a barrage of messages and reminders from the food industry, nutrition gurus, chefs, schools, nonprofit agencies, and every government agency with anything at all to say about nutrition or health. Twitter feeds, Facebook pages, and blogs will trumpet the healthy diet program.

Eating is only half the picture. Michelle Obama's Let's Move program will take the lead in motivating Americans to get more exercise.

"We now have an easy-to-understand layout of what constitutes a healthy meal," Zelman says. "Whether you are grocery shopping, packing lunches, or assembling a meal on a plate, the new food plate icon will serve as a constant reminder of the essential ingredients for a nutritious meal -- five easy pieces."

The icon makes it clear that fruits and veggies should make up half of your meal, while protein is the smallest part of the plate. The grain portion is a bit larger and still offers the advice to "make half your grains whole," which some nutritionists say leaves too much room for less healthy refined grains such as white rice and white bread.

Other top-line advice accompanying the icon is less controversial:

Balance calories by enjoying food but eating less, and by avoiding oversize portions.
Eat more good stuff: Make half the plate fruit and vegetables, switch to nonfat or low-fat milk.
Eat less bad stuff: Look for lower-sodium soups, breads, and frozen meals; drink water instead of sugary drinks.

Food Pyramid History

The 2010-2011 dietary guidelines are neither the first nor the last Americans will see. Federal law requires the USDA and the Department of Health and Human Services to update the guidelines every five years.

But even before this mandate, the USDA has been issuing dietary advice. The first set of guidelines came in 1894, when Wilbur Olin Atwater, PhD, wrote a USDA Farmers' Bulletin suggesting that Americans should eat fewer fats and sugars, exercise more, and watch their calories.

Various USDA food guides through the 1950s stressed important foods that should serve as the foundation of a healthy diet. These guides took various approaches to make sure Americans ate enough of different kinds of foods to avoid malnutrition. By the 1970s, however, too little food was no longer a problem: Too much food was.

In 1977, a U.S. Senate committee published Dietary Goals for the United States. This revolutionary document stressed eating fewer of the foods linked to chronic diseases -- particularly fatty meats, cholesterol, fatty acids, sugars, and salt.

The USDA says it did not adopt these goals because they "were so different from usual food patterns." Others have blamed influence from the beef and dairy industries for delaying USDA action until 1979, when a watered-down version of the advice, the "Hassle-Free Guide to a Better Diet," advised more moderate intake of fats, sweets, and alcohol.

In 1980, the USDA put out its first official Dietary Guidelines for Americans. These guidelines continued to stress the foods that should form the foundation of a healthy diet. But in the early 1980s, the USDA began thinking more about the total diet, rather than nutrition basics.

By 1990, the guidelines began to promote eating patterns based on moderation and variety instead of on dietary restriction. In 1992, based on an icon already in use in Sweden, the USDA came out with its first Food Pyramid.

The base of the pyramid, suggesting the foods one should eat the most, was "bread, cereal, rice, and pasta." This changed with the 2005 "MyPyramid," which did away with the building-block approach but which many found far too busy and cluttered to be a useful tool.

MyPyramid is not actually dead. The USDA intends to keep it, and the many online tools that come with it, live for those who find it useful.

Protecting Yourself From Medical Costs and Disability

2011-05-23T10:50:00.000-04:00

Improve Your Odds for a Long and Healthy Life

By Joanne Barker

You know the story: Somebody's 99-year-old aunt never exercised, smoked her whole life, and lived on a diet of red meat and ice cream. So why bother with healthy living, right?

"For every one person who lives a long life of unhealthy choices, there are countless others who die prematurely because of them," says Robert Schreiber, MD, physician-in-chief at Hebrew SeniorLife, an elder health care provider and affiliate of Harvard Medical School. Betting that you will be one of these people is playing a game of Russian roulette, Schreiber says.

The seeds for illness in many of Schreiber's patients in their 70s and 80s were sown in their 30s, 40s, and 50s, he says. "Probably 50% of cases of the most serious conditions -- heart disease, diabetes, stroke, many forms of cancer -- are related directly to lifestyle and behavior," Schreiber tells WebMD.

No one is guaranteed a life free of disease or injury. As we age, many of us will face at least one of these common health problems. But certain lifestyle steps can help forestall illness and sometimes prevent it altogether. They can also improve your quality of life and recovery if disease or injury does strike. Read on to learn what you can do to improve your odds.

Better Health through Diet

"Food provides essential vitamins and minerals that play a number of different and overlapping roles," says Jen Sacheck, PhD, an assistant professor at Tufts University's Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy in Boston. Some vitamins support metabolism, some boost immunity, some are good for bones, some help synthesize protein -- and many do several of these things and more. "The key is: You have to have all of them for optimal health," Sacheck says.

Besides providing nutrients and fuel, food plays a decisive role in your weight. Maintaining a healthy weight reduces the risk for many cancers, heart disease, diabetes, and arthritis, to name a few. For people who are overweight, even a small amount of weight loss reduces the risk of many associated diseases.

If you do develop a medical condition, a nutritious diet is an important component of managing many diseases, including diabetes and heart disease.

Healthy Diet Basics

A healthy diet gives you enough fuel to get through the day without loading you up with excess calories. Start with foods from plants. The USDA's 2010 guidelines encourage Americans to eat more vegetables, fruits, nuts, and whole grains, as well as more seafood and fat-free and low-fat dairy products.

In addition to focusing on beneficial foods, limit foods that may increase risk of health problems, like sweets. "Chocolate has some nutritional value, but is also high in sugar and fat," Sacheck tells WebMD. If you really love chocolate, enjoy it in small amounts, keeping the calories in mind.

Watch out for empty calories. For example, soft drinks have no nutritional value and are loaded with empty calories. You can find red flags for calorie emptiness in the list of ingredients on the label. If you see added sugar, saturated or trans fats, or refined grains, proceed with caution.

Getting Started: 4 First Steps to a Healthy Diet

Begin with these strategies to eat less and healthier:

1.Plan meals ahead of time to ward off unhealthy temptations.

2.Replace unhealthy ingredients with healthy ones. For example, an omelet made with egg whites and vegetables is healthier than one heaped with cheese and sausage.

3.Serve yourself smaller portions.

4.Slow down when you eat.

Healthy Living Through Exercise

"There is a huge amount of evidence that exercise helps lower the risk for serious diseases," Sacheck says. Exercise lowers the risk for heart disease, type 2 diabetes, many cancers, weight gain, depression, and cognitive decline. Some benefits – such as increased muscle strength and improved depression or blood pressure – may start earlier. Others -- such as reducing the risk for some cancers, heart disease, and diabetes -- build with years of sustained exercise.

Exercise can also promote weight loss, as long as you don't use it to justify eating more food. To lose weight, you need to eat fewer calories than you use. But don't let the numbers on the scale make or break your exercise goals. Being overweight and active is much healthier than being overweight and inactive.

Exercise Basics

Exercise works best when it becomes part of your life. Ideally, by exercising regularly, you will feel as if something is missing in your day when you take time off.

How much people should exercise varies, but a good goal is 150 minutes (two and a half hours) of moderate exercise each week. Any physical activity that raises your heart rate or makes you sweat counts. This includes brisk walking, recreational sports, and heavy housework or yard work.

Getting Started: 4 First Steps to Regular Exercise

Try these steps to make exercise part of your daily life:

1.Some activity is better than none. When you have a choice between walking or driving, choose walking.

2.Find activities that you like and keep you coming back.

3.Start slowly. Overly ambitious plans tend to end in burnout.

4.Increase workout length or intensity in increments when you feel ready.

Quit Smoking for Better Health

Smokers, here's some good news: No matter how old you are when you quit, you improve your chances for a healthy life almost immediately.

A smoker's heart rate drops within 20 minutes after the last cigarette.

Carbon monoxide levels in the blood drop to normal 12 hours after quitting.

Within two weeks to three months after quitting, a smoker's heart attack risk begins to drop and lung function begins to improve.

One year of not smoking cuts the risk of coronary heart disease in half.

If you are a smoker who has developed a health problem, giving it up can still make a difference. If you face surgery, chemotherapy, or other treatments, quitting smoking helps improve your body's ability to respond to therapy and heal. It may also lower the risk of a cancer returning or a second cancer developing.

Getting Started: 5 Tips to Quit Smoking

To help you quit and prepare for quitting, try these strategies:
Make a list of reasons you want to quit.

Set a quit date.

Prepare yourself for challenges by mapping out ways you will cope.

Let friends and family know about your plans to quit.

Clear your surroundings of cigarettes and anything that makes you want to smoke.

Healthy Living: The Big Picture

Working toward a healthier life is not always easy, and some days may be harder than others. If you have trouble staying on track, Schrieber suggests this: "Ask yourself what kind of legacy you want to leave behind," he says. "Your purpose in life is up to you. When you have one, healthy choices make more sense."

Is Novak Djokovic's new, gluten-free diet behind his win streak?

2011-05-18T15:38:00.000-04:00

By Chris Chase
A simple allergy test could have led to one of the most dominant stretches in tennis history. Since Novak Djokovic's nutritionist discovered last year that he was allergic to gluten, the tennis star has switched to a gluten-free diet and is staying away from most processed carbohydrates.

That means no pizza, pasta, pretzels or various other starchy foods that don't necessarily begin with "p." Djokovic made the change last year. Since then he's made the final of the U.S. Open, won the Davis Cup and Australian Open, defeated Rafael Nadal four times, and is currently on a 39-match winning streak, the third longest of the Open era. So much for the idea of a carbo boost.

Those with an allergy to gluten often have trouble digesting the protein, which can lead to various medical issues. When he received the positive allergy test, Djokovic played it safe and cut out the starches altogether.

Is Djokovic better because the gluten allergy was affecting him phsyically or is he better because he improved his diet in general? It's a chicken and egg question. Though as a Cornell nutrition professor told The Wall Street Journal, the effects of the new diet could be more mental than anything.

"If you believe in a cause of your disorder, it becomes the cause," David Levitsky told the newspaper . "We see this in many different studies. If you believe it, you change your behavior in the direction of being cured."

Djokovic spoke about the change earlier this year. "I have lost some weight but it's only helped me because my movement is much sharper now and I feel great physically," he said in April.

The gluten-free diet didn't turn Novak Djokovic into a great tennis player. He was a Grand Slam champion and No. 3 in the world while eating the protein. The change may have turned him into a greater, more fit tennis player or it may have simply made him believe he was a greater, more fit tennis player. And, really, isn't that the same thing?

Diagnosing Fibromyalgia: Common Misdiagnoses

2011-05-04T11:22:00.001-04:00

The symptoms of fibromyalgia are similar to many other diseases.
By Jeanie Lerche Davis

Jackie Yencha hit the wall at age 22. "I couldn't handle the pain any more," she says. "I was terribly fatigued, not feeling well, not sleeping well." But it took Yencha seven years to get an accurate diagnosis of fibromyalgia.

Her first diagnosis -- reflex sympathetic dystrophy -- resulted in experimental surgery that did nothing to relieve her pain. In fact, numerous surgeries followed to correct the problems from that procedure. Years went by. Yencha was still in pain, still getting little sleep.

"I became desperate ... the pain never got better," Yencha tells WebMD. That's when she headed to the Cleveland Clinic, where comprehensive testing showed she had fibromyalgia.

"You need to find a doctor who will listen and who really knows fibromyalgia," says Yencha.

"A lot of doctors out there don't know much about it," she explains. "We hear from people all the time ... people in small towns who say no one here has ever heard of this."

What Is Fibromyalgia?
Fibromyalgia is a chronic condition that causes disabling pain all over the body -- as well as stiffness and tenderness in muscles, tendons, and joints, experts say. It is most common among women ages 35 to 55.

Although it's one of the most common muscle problems, the cause is a mystery, fibromyalgia researchers say. There is no inflammation or joint damage, as occurs with arthritis. There is no damage to internal body organs, as with rheumatoid conditions like lupus. It is called fibromyalgia syndrome because it is identified by a collection of symptoms.

Indeed, the list of possible fibromyalgia symptoms is a long one:

Chronic muscle pain
Muscle spasms or leg cramps
Sleep problems
Severe fatigue
Anxiety
Depression
Morning stiffness
Headaches
Difficulty concentrating
Skin sensitivities
Irritability
Intestinal problems

But these are also common to liver disease, lupus, Lyme disease, thyroid dysfunction, heart disease, arthritis, degenerative joint disease, chronic fatigue syndrome, irritable bowel syndrome, and other disorders -- and therein lies the difficulty in diagnosing fibromyalgia.

How fibromyalgia develops is also a mystery. "The onset can be fairly abrupt, triggered by a motor vehicle accident or a mishap at work," says Steven Berney, MD, chief of rheumatology at Temple University Health System in Philadelphia. "Very quickly the condition sets in. You feel bruised for the next couple of days, but there's the expectation that whatever is disrupted will heal. When the pain doesn't wear off, it becomes clear something else is going on."

More typically, there is a gradual onset, Berney tells WebMD. "The pain becomes more severe over time. That's more difficult to diagnose. You're looking for something that set this off, and you can't find it."

Fibromyalgia research shows that the disorder seems to run in families. Recent studies show that genetic factors may predispose some people to fibromyalgia. An illness or injury that causes trauma to the body can make subtle fibromyalgia symptoms more apparent -- and more troublesome, according to the National Fibromyalgia Association.

"The pain is very real and markedly impedes their lives," Berney says. "People who were very active become disabled by pain and fatigue. 'I want my life back' becomes the charge."

The Tender Points of Pain With Fibromyalgia

While it's not clear what exactly triggers fibromyalgia, researchers are homing in on the basic mechanisms. Fibromyalgia is considered a disorder of pain regulation. Patients have higher levels of two substances -- a nerve chemical called substance P, and nerve growth factor in the spinal fluid. They also have lower than normal levels of the brain chemical serotonin, as is also true with people suffering from depression and anxiety.

All this produces a dysfunction in the body's ability to process pain -- and creates supersensitive nerves throughout the body, explains Andrew J. Holman, MD, a rheumatology specialist at the University of Washington in Seattle. To make things worse, people with fibromyalgia have difficulty getting a good night's sleep -- so they constantly wake up feeling fatigued.

The result: Everyday sensations of discomfort and pain are amplified beyond the norm. Slight bumps and touches can cause disabling pain if you have fibromyalgia. This pain can be aggravated by outside factors -- noise, weather changes, and stress.

To figure out what's going on, doctors diagnose fibromyalgia by examining specific "tender points" on the body. "There are 18 specific tender points -- specific locations that are tender for everyone," Holman tells WebMD. "But for people with fibromyalgia, these points are significantly more tender. People are more sensitive at those points. A dysfunction in the central pain processing amplifies their sensations."

Tenderness or pain in at least 11 of these 18 points is the hallmark of fibromyalgia, says Holman. Also, the pain is widespread on both sides of the body -- neck, buttocks, shoulders, arms, upper back, and chest. Tender points are around the elbows, shoulders, knees, hips, back of the head, and the breast bone.

Doctors test these tender points to make the fibromyalgia diagnosis. Yet it's not always so clear-cut what the widespread pain indicates. It takes a careful ear to discern what's really going on, explains Martin Grabois, MD, chairman of physical medicine and rehabilitation at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston.

"Physicians are used to diagnoses like a herniated disc, where there's pain in a specific location," Grabois tells WebMD. "That's not so with fibromyalgia. Some pain is above the waist, some below the waist, at the shoulders, etc., and there are sleep disturbances, fatigue. These are symptoms of a number of diseases. They are not isolated to fibromyalgia."

The muscle pain can range from mild discomfort to severe enough that it limits a person's everyday life -- including work and social activities. The pain is often described as burning, gnawing, throbbing, stabbing, or aching. When the person relaxes, the pain may be more noticeable -- and less so when they're active.

Sleep Dysfunction Affects Pain Sensitivity

The sleep problems associated with fibromyalgia -- insomnia and fragmented sleep -- may be the root of the pain, says Holman. It deprives people of stage IV deep sleep, the non-rapid-eye-movement sleep that helps us feel refreshed in the morning.

Fibromyalgia research is showing that an automatic arousal is triggered in the brain during sleep, Holman tells WebMD. "The basic fight or flight response is activated at night while you're sleeping. The hormones epinephrine and adrenaline are released as the body becomes vigilant, aware. That causes the transition from deep restorative sleep into light sleep."

These disruptions rob the person of restorative processes that occur during deep sleep, he explains. "It's during deep sleep that most growth hormone is produced. Muscles regenerate and heal, and neurotransmitters are replenished in the brain. The body's ability to recuperate from the day's stresses -- including small pain sensations -- is believed to occur during deep sleep."

The brain has a "pain threshold," Holman adds. "During the day, low signals in the brain can be ignored and you continue doing what you're doing. But if the system is overwhelmed, at night the normally nonpainful stimuli become painful. Lack of deep sleep amplifies all sensations -- what we call central pain amplification."

"When people finally get deep restorative sleep, fibromyalgia improves substantially," Holman says. "But the best strategy to treat the sleep is not a sleeping pill. The strategy is to turn off the arousal in the brain stem that's interrupting the sleep. We want to allow people to sleep."

Difficulty Diagnosing Fibromyalgia

As with chronic pain, sleep problems are common -- and it's not always easy diagnosing fibromyalgia syndrome as the problem.

"The primary care doctor is at somewhat a disadvantage," Berney tells WebMD. "There are no specific tests for fibromyalgia diagnosis. To make a diagnosis, one has to make sure it's not something else -- lupus, thyroid dysfunction, rheumatoid arthritis. The list of possible diseases associated with these symptoms is fairly extensive. It's the vagueness of the symptoms that delays the diagnosis."

"You won't necessarily have all of the symptoms of these disorders, but you can have a component of each," says Grabois. "Patients often go to a lot of doctors trying to figure out what's wrong. The doctors are not familiar with fibromyalgia syndrome so they don't necessarily know the diagnostic criteria for it -- and they don't necessarily check for it."

Also, the level of misery is different for each patient, he points out. "Some have pain worse than others." For some, the pain is continuous. For others, it comes and goes. Some people wake up feeling like they have been exercising all night.

Getting a Correct Diagnosis

If you have seen several doctors -- yet still don't have relief -- see a specialist, Grabois advises. The National Fibromyalgia Association provides a list of specialists who understand the disease -- experts in pain management, rheumatology, and neurology.

Prepare for your appointment. Before meeting with the doctor, prepare to accurately communicate your symptoms. Think about these:

What your symptoms are -- and when they started.
How long they've been going on -- and whether it's been continuous, or off and on.
Have you noticed any triggers for your symptoms?
How do your symptoms affect you? Is pain sharp, a dull ache, does it cause nausea?
How do symptoms affect your feelings? Does pain make you depressed or anxious?
How do symptoms affect your work or home life? Are you very fatigued and can't do normal activities?
What drugs, herbal remedies or supplements are you taking?
What surgeries have you had?
What current treatments has another doctor or specialist prescribed?

Keep a pain journal. "Doctors will listen more if you keep a daily record of how you feel -- even if it's just for one month or for three months," says Yencha. In your pain journal, make note of intensity of pain (on a scale of 1 to 10), what you were doing at the time, and how you felt emotionally. It will help you and your doctor see patterns in the pain, she says.

There are no lab tests or scans that can help doctors diagnose fibromyalgia. But various blood tests can help them rule out other medical conditions. Some patients need to have respiratory problems checked or get a sleep apnea study, Berney says. "On occasion, the problem is sleep apnea or snoring, both of which disturb sleep."

Find the right doctor. It's important to find a doctor who cares about you -- and wants to help you, says Mary Rose, PsyD, clinical psychologist and behavioral sleep specialist at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. "It's very common, physicians having very little time. Sometimes they don't really hear everything a patient says."

Never stay with a physician you don't like or trust, Rose tells WebMD. "It's not all in your head -- and while you may be depressed, depression is not the whole picture of fibromyalgia. We see depression with cancer, cardiac disease, and we know those are real. Pain is very frustrating. In the medical community, we probably don't have the empathy for pain that we should."

Get emotional support. A therapist's support can be helpful when you're dealing with fibromyalgia, Rose notes. "Fibromyalgia has such a stigma. Sometimes it is really helpful to see a therapist -- not because you're crazy, but because you have to deal with pressure and stigma. It's nice to have someone objective to talk to."

Improve Your Odds For A Long and Healthy Life

2011-05-03T16:48:00.001-04:00

By Joanne Barker
Reviewed By Louise Chang, MD

You know the story: Somebody's 99-year-old aunt never exercised, smoked her whole life, and lived on a diet of red meat and ice cream. So why bother with healthy living, right?

"For every one person who lives a long life of unhealthy choices, there are countless others who die prematurely because of them," says Robert Schreiber, MD, physician-in-chief at Hebrew SeniorLife, an elder health care provider and affiliate of Harvard Medical School. Betting that you will be one of these people is playing a game of Russian roulette, Schreiber says.

The seeds for illness in many of Schreiber's patients in their 70s and 80s were sown in their 30s, 40s, and 50s, he says. "Probably 50% of cases of the most serious conditions -- heart disease, diabetes, stroke, many forms of cancer -- are related directly to lifestyle and behavior," Schreiber tells WebMD.

No one is guaranteed a life free of disease or injury. As we age, many of us will face at least one of these common health problems. But certain lifestyle steps can help forestall illness and sometimes prevent it altogether. They can also improve your quality of life and recovery if disease or injury does strike. Read on to learn what you can do to improve your odds.

Better Health through Diet

"Food provides essential vitamins and minerals that play a number of different and overlapping roles," says Jen Sacheck, PhD, an assistant professor at Tufts University's Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy in Boston. Some vitamins support metabolism, some boost immunity, some are good for bones, some help synthesize protein -- and many do several of these things and more. "The key is: You have to have all of them for optimal health," Sacheck says.

Besides providing nutrients and fuel, food plays a decisive role in your weight. Maintaining a healthy weight reduces the risk for many cancers, heart disease, diabetes, and arthritis, to name a few. For people who are overweight, even a small amount of weight loss reduces the risk of many associated diseases.

If you do develop a medical condition, a nutritious diet is an important component of managing many diseases, including diabetes and heart disease.

Healthy Diet Basics

A healthy diet gives you enough fuel to get through the day without loading you up with excess calories. Start with foods from plants. The USDA's 2010 guidelines encourage Americans to eat more vegetables, fruits, nuts, and whole grains, as well as more seafood and fat-free and low-fat dairy products.
In addition to focusing on beneficial foods, limit foods that may increase risk of health problems, like sweets. "Chocolate has some nutritional value, but is also high in sugar and fat," Sacheck tells WebMD. If you really love chocolate, enjoy it in small amounts, keeping the calories in mind.
Watch out for empty calories. For example, soft drinks have no nutritional value and are loaded with empty calories. You can find red flags for calorie emptiness in the list of ingredients on the label. If you see added sugar, saturated or trans fats, or refined grains, proceed with caution.

Getting Started: 4 First Steps to a Healthy Diet

Begin with these strategies to eat less and healthier:
1.Plan meals ahead of time to ward off unhealthy temptations.

2.Replace unhealthy ingredients with healthy ones. For example, an omelet made with egg whites and vegetables is healthier than one heaped with cheese and sausage.

3.Serve yourself smaller portions.

4.Slow down when you eat.

Healthy Living Through Exercise

"There is a huge amount of evidence that exercise helps lower the risk for serious diseases," Sacheck says. Exercise lowers the risk for heart disease, type 2 diabetes, many cancers, weight gain, depression, and cognitive decline. Some benefits – such as increased muscle strength and improved depression or blood pressure – may start earlier. Others -- such as reducing the risk for some cancers, heart disease, and diabetes -- build with years of sustained exercise.
Exercise can also promote weight loss, as long as you don't use it to justify eating more food. To lose weight, you need to eat fewer calories than you use. But don't let the numbers on the scale make or break your exercise goals. Being overweight and active is much healthier than being overweight and inactive.

Exercise Basics

Exercise works best when it becomes part of your life. Ideally, by exercising regularly, you will feel as if something is missing in your day when you take time off.
How much people should exercise varies, but a good goal is 150 minutes (two and a half hours) of moderate exercise each week. Any physical activity that raises your heart rate or makes you sweat counts. This includes brisk walking, recreational sports, and heavy housework or yard work.

Getting Started: 4 First Steps to Regular Exercise

Try these steps to make exercise part of your daily life:

1.Some activity is better than none. When you have a choice between walking or driving, choose walking.

2.Find activities that you like and keep you coming back.

3.Start slowly. Overly ambitious plans tend to end in burnout.

4.Increase workout length or intensity in increments when you feel ready.

Quit Smoking for Better Health

Smokers, here's some good news: No matter how old you are when you quit, you improve your chances for a healthy life almost immediately.
A smoker's heart rate drops within 20 minutes after the last cigarette.

Carbon monoxide levels in the blood drop to normal 12 hours after quitting.

Within two weeks to three months after quitting, a smoker's heart attack risk begins to drop and lung function begins to improve.

One year of not smoking cuts the risk of coronary heart disease in half.

If you are a smoker who has developed a health problem, giving it up can still make a difference. If you face surgery, chemotherapy, or other treatments, quitting smoking helps improve your body's ability to respond to therapy and heal. It may also lower the risk of a cancer returning or a second cancer developing

Getting Started: 5 Tips to Quit Smoking

To help you quit and prepare for quitting, try these strategies:
Make a list of reasons you want to quit.

Set a quit date.

Prepare yourself for challenges by mapping out ways you will cope.

Let friends and family know about your plans to quit.

Clear your surroundings of cigarettes and anything that makes you want to smoke.

Healthy Living: The Big Picture

Working toward a healthier life is not always easy, and some days may be harder than others. If you have trouble staying on track, Schrieber suggests this: "Ask yourself what kind of legacy you want to leave behind," he says. "Your purpose in life is up to you. When you have one, healthy choices make more sense."

Managing the Pain of Osteoarthritis Day by Day

2011-04-20T09:47:00.000-04:00

Weight Loss Strategies to Help Ease Osteoarthritis Pain

WebMD Feature
By Denise Mann
Reviewed By Brunilda Nazario, MD

It makes perfect sense if you think about it: carting around extra weight in your middle, for example, places a burden on your knees and hips. And study after study shows that this extra stress can put you at risk for developing osteoarthritis (OA), the wear-and-tear form of the disease. Being overweight or obese will also amplify your pain and make it harder for you to remain active and independent if you've already got OA.

With obesity rates soaring, it's no wonder that 27 million Americans now have OA, according to the Arthritis Foundation. But modest weight loss -- dropping just 10 to 15 pounds -- can make a huge difference in your knee and hip OA pain, and may even postpone or prevent joint replacement surgery.

As of now, there are no medications that can help modify or stop the OA disease process once it has started, so weight loss and exercise have become increasingly important.

"Being overweight puts too much pressure on the joint, and stresses the tendons and a number of other structures around the joint like your muscle," explains Emilio B. Gonzalez, MD, chief of rheumatology at University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston. "Overweight people usually develop accelerated osteoarthritis in their weight-bearing joints like hips and knees, so one of the treatment strategies is to lose weight."

Weight Loss and OA: Any loss Will Do

"Any weight loss can make a difference in pain control and delaying the progression of the condition," Gonzalez says. "In some cases, we can prevent the need for surgery, but this depends on how advanced the OA is."

Many orthopaedic surgeons won't even do the surgeries if you are overweight, so there is really no way to feel better without first slimming down, he says. Being overweight increases the risk of any surgery, including joint replacement.

His prescription? "Lose weight if you can, and exercise a little bit," he suggests. "The best exercise is aquatic because your body floats and there is no extra pressure placed on the joints and muscles."

Walking can also aid weight loss efforts. "The best surface to walk on is grass or a softer surface because pounding on concrete can increase tendon damage," Gonzalez says.

"If you achieve significant weight loss, you will get symptomatic relief," says Michael Parks, MD, an assistant attending orthopaedic surgeon at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City."There is no hard and fast number," Parks says. "It varies from patient to patient."

"If you decrease your body size, the load on your knees will go down," agrees Laura Thorp, PhD, an OA researcher at Rush University Medical center in Chicago. Higher than normal knee loads are characteristic of knee OA and progression, she explains. A study in Arthritis & Rheumatism showed that losing just 1 pound resulted in a fourfold reduction in knee joint load among overweight and obese people with knee osteoarthritis.

Weight Loss and OA: What Are You Waiting For?

But if losing weight were really so easy, wouldn't more people do it?

Yes, says David Felson, MD, a professor of medicine and public health at Boston University School of Medicine. "If we could only get people to adhere to weight loss and exercise regimens, we could forestall and even prevent the need for total knee replacement," he says. "Weight loss and exercise are the initial therapies for OA and the thing we speak to everyone about."

The trick is to set people up to succeed, not fail, he says.

"I usually tell my OA patients to lose 10 to 15 pounds," Felson says. "I do not want to create an impossible goal because unless they have bariatric surgery, losing 50 pounds is probably not reasonable."

"I say, 'look, let's keep this reasonable: how can we help you lose 10 to 15 pounds?'"

Being more active is just one part of the equation, he says. "I may recommend a nutritionist to help with diet, and then I will review their favorite foods and their calories and healthier substitutes with them."

Choosing whole-grain over white-bread products is a good place to start. Whole-grain products such as oatmeal and whole-wheat bread and pasta are better sources of fiber than their refined counterparts (white bread and white pasta). The more fiber a food has, the more full you feel, and the less likely you are to overeat.

Treating Rheumatoid Arthritis: The Role of Biologics

2011-04-19T09:33:00.000-04:00

4 Inflammation-Fighting Foods for Rheumatoid Arthritis

WebMD Medical Reference
Reviewed By Brunilda Nazario, MD

The centuries-old Mediterranean diet may be as good for the joints as it is for the heart.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) sufferers know all too well the inflammation and pain that comes with the disease. Although there's no "RA diet" that can treat the condition, some foods may help you lower inflammation in your body. And because they're good for you, these foods -- including fruits and vegetables, whole grains, olive oil, and fish – may help you feel better overall.

An Age-Old RA diet

People with RA have immune systems that attack the lining of their joints. This assault causes chronic inflammation, stiffness, and pain. Research shows the Mediterranean diet's healthful components can help lower inflammation, benefiting people with the disease.

A British study looked at the impact of foods from the Mediterranean diet in women with RA. Researchers split 130 women into two groups. One group took a cooking class on Mediterranean-style eating. The other group received only written information and made no dietary changes.

Women who attended the class ate more foods that were rich in antioxidants and other anti-inflammatory substances, including fruits, vegetables, and monounsaturated fats (the kind found in olive oil). Over the next six months, they had less joint pain and morning stiffness and better overall health compared to the other group.

How can you add these foods to your plate? Here are four foods to try.

Inflammation Fighter: Fish

People with RA have higher levels of substances called cytokines that ramp up inflammation in the body. Polyunsaturated fats – especially omega-3 fatty acids – help suppress cytokines and other inflammatory chemicals.

These good fats also help decrease LDL "bad" cholesterol and triglyceride levels when used to replace saturated and trans fats in the diet. High levels of LDL cholesterol and triglycerides (fats in the blood) promote inflammation, which is thought to play a critical role in heart disease. That's important for people with RA, who have a significantly higher risk of heart disease.

All fish have some omega-3s. But salmon, herring, sardines, and anchovies are chock full of them. Salmon provides the most, with up to 2 grams of omega-3 fatty acids per 3-ounce serving. Go lightly with the heat; overcooking can destroy more than half of the omega-3s. Bake or grill fish instead of frying it to preserve healthful fat.

The American Heart Association recommends eating fish twice a week. Fish high in omega-3s are powerful anti-inflammatory foods that offer a multitude of health benefits.

Don't like fish? Other foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids include walnuts, canola oil, and soybeans. Or ask your doctor about omega-3 supplements derived from plants.

Foods for RA: Colorful Produce

Nutritionists often advise people to add color to their diet. Why? The substances that give fruits and vegetables their color – flavonoids and carotenoids – are also potent antioxidants. Antioxidants are an important component of an inflammation-fighting diet. Vitamin C is another antioxidant found in many fruits and vegetables.

Fruits and veggies high in these antioxidants include blueberries, blackberries, squash, sweet potatoes, carrots, tomatoes, peppers, oranges, broccoli, and melons.

Choosing colorful foods – with red, orange, yellow, blue, green, and purple hues – will ensure you eat a variety of fruits and vegetables and help you have a balanced diet.

Anti-Inflammation Diet: Whole Grains

A study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that people who ate more whole grains such as oatmeal, brown rice, and barley lowered their levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), a marker of inflammation in the body. In people with RA, CRP levels may go up during a flare, and CRP is sometimes measured to track disease activity or to see how well a person is responding to treatment.

Whole-wheat pasta and breads -- hallmarks of the Mediterranean Diet -- also contain selenium, an inflammation-fighting antioxidant. Some people with rheumatoid arthritis have lower levels of selenium levels in their blood.

Another advantage of eating whole grains instead of refined carbohydrates – such as white bread and white rice – is that whole grains may help you manage your weight better. Staying at a normal weight – or losing weight if you need to – will take pressure off painful joints.

Foods for RA: Olive Oil

The olive symbolizes peace in Greek mythology. And its oil seems to have a calming effect on inflammation, as well.

A study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that people who ate the lowest amount of extra-virgin olive oil were more likely to develop RA, compared to people who ate the highest amounts. Studies show that a compound in olive oil stops the production of the chemicals that induce inflammation. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as aspirin and ibuprofen work to lower inflammation by reducing the production of these same chemicals. Another study found that olive oil was similar to ibuprofen at reducing inflammation.

When it comes to fighting inflammation, opt for extra-virgin olive oil. Extra-virgin olive oil comes from the first pressing of the olive and contains the highest content of health-promoting nutrients.

In addition to being a crucial component of an anti-inflammation diet, healthful olive oil makes a tasty substitute for saturated and trans fats. Saturated fats are found in foods such as whole milk, butter, ice cream, and fatty red meat. Trans fats are found in many processed baked goods.

'Added Sugar' May Add to Weight Gain in U.S.

2011-04-05T16:51:00.000-04:00

Study Sees Link Between Weight Gain and Eating Foods With Sugar Added to Ingredients

By Brenda Goodman

WebMD Health NewsReviewed by Laura J. Martin, MD March 24, 2011 -- Researchers taking nutritional snapshots of the population around a major metropolitan area for more than 30 years say they’ve noticed something interesting: as consumption of added sugars has increased, so too, have body weights.

Researchers parsing the myriad reasons for America’s collective growing girth have looked at the contributions of total calories and fat, experts say, but less is known about what role added sugars might play.

Added sugars are sugars in foods that aren’t naturally occurring. They’re mixed in as sugar or syrups during processing or preparation.

The sugar in fruit, fructose, for example, wouldn’t count as an added sugar. But the high-fructose corn syrup that’s added to some kinds of fruit cocktail would fall into that category. So would sugars added to sweeten yogurt, soft drinks, and processed snacks and desserts like cookies, cakes, and pies.

“We’re looking at trends,” says study researcher Lyn M. Steffen, PhD, MPH, an epidemiologist at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health. “We looked at them in women and men, and in both men and women, added sugar intake increased since 1980.”

“At the same time, BMI [body mass index] has also increased,” Steffen tells WebMD. Though the study isn’t designed to prove that one is causing the other, the closely parallel trends over 27 years of data collection may point to the need for closer investigation. “It looks suspicious,” she says.

The study was presented at the American Heart Association's Nutrition, Physical Activity and Metabolism/Cardiovascular Disease Epidemiology and Prevention 2011 Scientific Sessions.

Industry Perspective

An industry group that represents sugar producers says the evidence of a connection is lacking.

“A single study, performed by AHA [American Heart Association] or any other group, is inconclusive and needs further investigation,” says Andrew Briscoe, president and CEO of the Sugar Association. “When a major review occurs, the results always come back the same -- there is no scientific evidence to support a need to set an intake level for sugar.”

“It is necessary for consumers to understand the importance of practicing moderate consumption of all foods and beverages while maintaining a healthy lifestyle” Briscoe says. “Focusing on any one food takes away from the most important and more tangible goal of caloric balance.”

Looking at Added Sugars

Every five years since 1980, researchers have surveyed about 5,000 people around the Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minn. area, asking questions about what they ate within the last 24 hours. They also collected information about body weight, age, socioeconomic status, and lifestyle.

Researchers ran the answers through a software program that has compiled nutritional analysis information on hundreds of thousands of food products. By doing that, they were able to tell how much sugar people ate was added or naturally occurring.

Over 27 years since 1980, consumption of added sugars increased for all ages and both sexes.

In the latest survey, which was conducted from 2007 to 2009, for example, men were getting about 15% of their total daily calories from added sugars, nearly 40% more than was reported in the study’s first survey, which ran from 1980 to 1982.

Among women, added sugar intake rose from about 10% to about 13% over that same time period.

When researchers organized their results by age, they saw that younger adults reported eating more sugar than older adults.

At the same time, BMIs climbed along with sugar consumption.

There was one bright spot, however: in the 2000 to 2002 survey, added sugar consumption appeared to level off in both men and women and actually decreased a bit over the next seven to nine years. The BMIs of women also went down.

“I think women do pay more attention to their diet, and I think women are also paying attention to the messages of overweight and obesity,” Steffen says.

Watching Extra Sugar

The American Heart Association recommends eating no more than 5% of total calories from sugar. In a 2,000-calorie a day diet, for example, that’s about 100 calories of extra sugar, or about 24 grams, which is how sugar is listed on nutrition labels.

“It’s difficult because the label lists total sugars. The label doesn’t list added sugar,” says Rachel K. Johnson, RD, PhD, a professor of nutrition at the University of Vermont who has studied added sugars, but was not involved in the current research.

“So a good rule of thumb is, if there’s no milk or dairy products, which would have the sugar lactose, or no fruit, which would have the sugar fructose, the total sugars is a good indication of the amount of added sugars,” says. “If you have something like a flavored yogurt or a cereal with dried fruit in it, it’s a little more difficult.”

One way to figure out how much sugar has been added, she suggests, with a product like yogurt is to try to find a plain product to compare.

“Take a plain, unsweetened yogurt, if you can find one of the same brand, and compare the amount of sugars in that and compare the amount in the sweetened yogurt you’re looking at and the difference will tell you what’s been added,” she says.

Food Factors and Athletic Performance

2011-03-30T12:32:00.001-04:00

Food Factors and Athletic Performance

By Roger D. Deutsch

Eating healthful food is one thing, but eating in accordance with your own, unique, genetically determined biochemical makeup, is quite another thing.

One man’s meat is another man’s poison. Finding out what foods are right (and which are wrong) for you, is the key to health and performance.

Foods that are compatible with your make up will increase your strength and energy. Consumption of foods or added chemicals that YOUR body perceives as harmful will result in intolerance reactions. Food intolerance induces the excessive generation of toxic free radicals and inflammatory chemicals. The damage can result in a wide range of health problems. The following are some of the effects of food intolerance that are of strong interest to athletes:

1. Direct damage to the mitochondria in our cells. The mitochondria are the site where energy is produced. The wrong food activates the immune system and free radicals and attacking molecules produced can cause damage to the DNA, and other structures within the mitochondria, resulting in lower energy production. This is of special significance to athletes because intense exercise alone will generate damaging free radicals from normal metabolic process speed up somewhat by the intensity of the exercise. Usually this is not a problem if your anti-oxidant enzymes and nutritional anti-oxidants are sufficient. Complicate it with food intolerance and the generation of free radicals will overload your systems.

2. Related in some ways to this is that inflammation will also cause a shortening of the ends of the strands of your DNA called telomeres. Telomeres are like the plastic pieces at the end of a shoe lace, holding the DNA strands together. Whenever the cell divides, and immune cells divide frequently, the telomeres are shortened. When they become too short the cell can no longer reproduce; becomes old and dies. This could explain cancer and generalized weakened immunity in old age. Avoid this by avoiding inflammation. We can choose what we eat.

3. Auto-immunity can also arise from too much inflammation. How, some immune cells die in the process of trying to neutralize a food. The DNA from the dead cells release their own genetic material, which, if it is too great may become itself perceive as a “foreign” body the immune system must attack. However, this time you are attacking the blueprint for you own bodily proteins (structures) and auto-immune reacts may occur. Again, it’s better to avoid this if you can.

4. Certain immune chemicals with names like Interleukin 6, and tumor necrosis factor alpha, will block insulin receptors on your muscle (and brain and liver) cells. This is a recently discovered finding made by medical scientists which explains why food intolerance makes people fat. The muscles cells are starved of important energy material which is instead stored as fat in fat cells.

5. Food intolerance can cause inflammation in the gut. An extreme form is celiac disease. This reduces the absorption of nutrients that are needed for proper energy production as well as all other biologically processes. It also consumes serotonin in the gut. Serotonin deficits are related to sugar craving.

6. Toxic immune chemicals – such as elastase- damage muscle tissue.

7. Food intolerance can cause inflammation in the upper and lower airways. Decreased air intake limits aerobic metabolic function.

8. Chronic inflammation also makes you fatigued. Ever wonder why you feel so tired when you get the flu? It’s because the same immune chemicals that are intended to fight viruses cause fatigue so that you are forced to rest when you are sick. Your body wants you to rest, not exercise, so that your energy can be used to fight the invader. The immune system that’s inappropriately activated by the wrong food will thus cause you to be chronically fatigued to a lesser or greater extent. The immune system is now mistaking a food particle for a virus or bacterium.

In contrast with, “True” allergy, whereby, a few molecules of peanut may, for example, induce anaphylaxis, the sheer magnitude of exposures to intolerogenic foods, despite it’s less dramatic flare (pun intended) render FOOD INTOLERANCE FAR MORE COMMON.

Allergy vs. Intolerance

The biological cause of true allergy has been known since 1967. An immune system structure called, IgE, plays a central role. A small amount of allergen, interacting with IgE, can trigger the release of chemicals that create allergic symptoms. Many people react to animals, pollens; and, in rare, unfortunate cases, foods.

Food allergy symptoms are quite dramatic, and intentionally so, as this pathway represents our natural defense against large parasites, like helminths. Unlike other pathogens (i.e., viruses, bacterium) these parasitic worms are significantly larger than the cells that protect against them. Hence, our immune defense against must be very strong, which is why allergy produces such dramatic symptoms.

In contrast, intolerances to foods follow different pathways, and symptoms are dose related, chronic and delayed. Consequently, most people are unaware of their food intolerances.

Offending food may be tolerable until such time as a chemical naturally occurring within the food, or that has been added, exceeds a certain threshold. Many athletes are consuming energy bars that are complex. The modern diet is, in general, very complex and certainly not what our ancestors have been exposed to for sufficient time for us to adapt. Hence, even “normal” foods may be simply unfamiliar to us, from a genetic point of view, and aggravate the immune system.

Another consequence of the modern diet is that nutritional cofactors required for hepatic biotransformation are lower in commercially grown produce. When chemicals in foods (naturally occurring or otherwise) cannot be adequately detoxified by the liver, the immune system is called to action.

This “total load” is further impacted by the integrity of the gut membrane which, under normal circumstances, forms a natural barrier. Infection, an imbalance in gut flora, antibiotics, cortisone (exogenous or endogenously produced by excessive stress) and hormones used in birth control, compromise the gut barrier.

Classical, or IgE allergy to food, has been recognized for centuries. The first recorded anaphylactic reaction to egg occurred in the sixteenth century (1) and fish induced allergy was reported in the seventeenth century. However, the more recent development of other non-allergic adverse reactions to foods, including food intolerance, only began receiving recognition following the work of Chicago based allergist, Theron Randolf, in the 1950’s(3).

Modern agriculture causes modern diseases; inflammation

The link between food intolerance, chemical sensitivity and the dramatic increase in degenerative diseases is clear; coinciding, as it does, with consumption of junk food. When low quality and non compatible foods are avoided, inflammation resolves, weight normalizes, and a number of other inflammatory based health problems subside.

As seen from this necessarily simplified analysis, adverse food reactions may be toxic or nontoxic reactions. Toxic reactions occur in anyone, given sufficient exposure. Nontoxic reactions occur in susceptible individuals and may result from chemicals occurring in aged cheese, chocolate; and may involve either immune mechanisms (allergy or hypersensitivity) or non- immune mechanisms. The former are referred to as, “hypersensitivities” the latter, “intolerances”.

Food intolerances are the most common. They are most likely caused by the pharmacologic activities of chemicals that naturally occur in the food; or, that are added to the food.

However, some intolerances result from inherited enzyme deficiencies, and thus remain fixed. Some reactions are exacerbated by poor digestion related to intestinal disoders, or the overwhelming of specific detoxification pathways, that are rate limited. (4) Hence, addressing these underlying issues can result in tolerance of moderate quantities of the food.

Because numerous and varied mechanisms play a role in the pathogenesis of adverse reactions to foods definitive identification of offending foods relies upon provocation of symptoms following oral challenge under double blind conditions- not always a convenient option for a training athlete. Various serum tests exist but are of questionable value. Whereas testing serum levels of allergen specific IgE is a useful test for classical allergy, it is of limited value for identification of foods and chemicals associated with intolerance that are not IgE mediated. Rather, a useful test for intolerances would have to measure the direct effect of the food substance on the very immune system cells that are responsible for these intolerances. It should show a good correlation with clinical symptoms, as confirmed by double blinded oral challenges. The only test meeting these criteria is the Alcat test. The Alcat test was developed by scientists working in the US in the mid ‘80’s. It has since spread throughout the world and is now available in Germany. It has begun to start a revolutionary breakthrough in sports and general medicine that many have not yet come to terms with. However, it’s many benefits are well documented.

Other Manifestations

Previously, childhood diabetes was exclusively of the Type 1, auto-immune based type. The consequence: high blood sugar levels and tissue degeneration. Perhaps this is just the tip of the iceberg. Now, due to over activation of the innate immune system, due to food intolerance, so called, “adult onset” diabetes occurs even in children. Adult onset diabetes is not auto-immune per se, but occurs when insulin receptors on muscle, liver and brain, lose effectiveness. Insulin resistance is the hallmark of metabolic syndrome. Initially, insulin is produced, but it cannot sufficiently facilitate the uptake of glucose because of the insensitivity of the insulin receptors. The pancreas then produces increasing quantities of insulin but of lower quality. Blood sugar levels increase.

Interleukin 6 and tumor necrosis factor alpha block insulin receptors. Glucose is stored in adipocytes (fat cells) which in turn produce these very same mediators perpetuating the cycle of inflammation, muscle degeneration, and inefficient metabolism.

Solutions

The foremost approach to achieving health, leanness and improved energy and strength should be dietary; emphasizing healthy, natural, nutritious food along with exercise, stress management, intestinal health and adequate nutrition.

Foods that act as triggers require proper identification and avoidance. Testing of white blood cell reactions, is the best approach. It reflects pathological responses to foods that are mediated by immunologic, non-immunologic, pharmacologic as well as toxic pathways. The Alcat test is a scientifically validated approach that exhibits the highest degree of correlation with blinded challenges and is the most accurate. (5) Symptom resolution, normalization of weight, and broad clinical correlation, affirm this as a most beneficial tool to be added to any health and sports regimen. (6)

REFERENCES
1. Cohen SG, Saavedra-Delgado AM. Through the centuries with food and drink, for better or worse II. Allergy Proc 1989;10:363-73.
2. Harper DS. Egg?—Ugh! In: Avenberg KM, editor. Footnotes on Allergy. Uppsala: Upplands Grafiska AB; 1980. p. 52.
3. Bruijnzeel-Koomen C, Ortolani C, Aas K, et al. Adverse reactions to food. Allergy 1995;50:623-35.
4. Deutsch, R. The Right Stuff: Use of Alcat testing for determining dietary factors effecting immune balance, health and longevity. Anti Aging Therapeutics. Chapt. 9, Vol. 10, 2007
5. Høj L. Diagnostic value of ALCAT test in intolerance to food additives compared with double blind placebo controlled (DBPC) ora l challenges. Alleg Clin Immun 1996: No 1, part 3.
6. Brostoff, J., et. al., 45th An. Congress ,Am. Col. Of Allergy & Imm.

10 Everyday Super Foods

2011-03-25T15:36:00.000-04:00

10 Everyday Super Foods

These easy-to-eat foods are packed with multiple nutrients to help you stay healthy.

By Kathleen M. Zelman, MPH, RD, LD

WebMD Weight Loss Clinic-FeatureReviewed by Louise Chang, MD If only there were some kind of potion or pill that had everything you needed for weight loss and good health. Unfortunately, no such pill exists, but there is a solution -- something that not only promotes wellness and weight control but tastes good, too. These multitasking "super foods" provide multiple disease-fighting nutrients, fill you up so you can enjoy plenty of food without excess calories, and are easy to include in everyday meals. After all, what good is a super food that is hard to find, difficult to prepare, and the kids won't eat?

Eaten regularly, these foods will help you satisfy the recommendations of the U.S. government's 2005 Dietary Guideline, giving you nutrients that are typically missing from American diets. According to the Guidelines, Americans need to eat more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat dairy products.
Of course, experts are quick to point out, this list of top 10 super foods by no means includes all the nutritious foods that should be part of a healthy diet.

"What is ultimately the most important to good health is a dietary pattern that includes all these foods, along with a wide variety of other nutritious foods and regular physical activity," says Tufts University researcher Alice Lichtenstein, DSc.

And don't forget that portion size matters, even when it comes to healthy foods. You can take more liberties when eating simply prepared vegetables, but you should take care to eat other super foods in sensible portions.

"Foods like nuts are nutrient rich, but if you overeat them you can pack on the pounds, and that defeats the purpose," says Elisa Zied, MS, RD, author of Feed Your Family Right

Top 10 Multitasking Super Foods

1.Low fat or fat-free plain yogurt is higher in calcium than some other dairy products and contains a great package of other nutrients, including protein and potassium. It can also be enhanced with other good-for-you substances. "Yogurt is a vehicle food that can be enriched with probiotics for a healthy balance of bacteria in your gut, and beneficial, heart-healthy plant stanols," says Zied. "And lactose sensitive people may tolerate yogurt better than milk." Look for plain yogurt fortified with vitamin D, and add your own fruit to control sweetness and calories. Versatile yogurt can also be used in entree and bakery recipes, in dips for veggies, etc. Don't like yogurt? Skim milk is another super dairy food that has only 83 calories per cup and is easy to slip into coffee to help you get one of the recommended three servings of dairy each day. "Dairy foods contain practically every nutrient you need for total nutrition -- and in just the right balance," says bone health expert, Robert Heaney, MD. "No other food group in the diet is as complete or as economical."

2.Eggs make the list because they are nutritious, versatile, economical, and a great way to fill up on quality protein. "Studies show if you eat eggs at breakfast, you may eat fewer calories during the day and lose weight without significantly affecting cholesterol levels," says Elizabeth Ward, MS, RD, author of The Pocket Idiot's Guide to the New Food Pyramids. Eggs also contain 12 vitamins and minerals, including choline, which is good for brain development and memory. Enjoy them at any meal or hard-cooked as a portable snack.

3.Nuts have gotten a bad rap because of their high fat content. But their protein, heart-healthy fats, high fiber, and antioxidant content earn them a place on the top 10 list. The key to enjoying nuts, experts say, is portion control. "All nuts are healthful in small doses, and studies show they can help lower cholesterol levels and promote weight loss," says Today Show nutritionist Joy Bauer, MS, RD. "I like pistachio nuts because they also contain plant sterols and it takes longer to crack the shell and eat them, making it easier to control the portion. Whether you prefer pistachios, almonds, peanuts, walnuts, or pecans, an ounce a day of nuts help fill you up. Nuts add texture and flavor to salads, side dishes, baked goods, cereals, and entrees. They taste great alone, too. Zied recommends putting together your own "100-calorie packs" of nuts for easy and portable snacks.

4.Kiwis are among the most nutritionally dense fruits, full of antioxidants, says Ward. "One large kiwi supplies your daily requirement for vitamin C," says Ward. "It is also a good source of potassium, fiber, and a decent source of vitamin A and vitamin E, which is one of the missing nutrients, and kiwi is one of the only fruits that provides it." The sweet taste and colorful appearance of kiwis makes it easy to slice in half, scoop out with a spoon and enjoy alone, or slice it into desserts, salads, or side dishes. Kiwifruit can also have a mild laxative effect due to their high fiber content.

5.Quinoa is now readily available in many supermarkets and is one of the best whole grains you can eat, according to Zied. "It is an ancient grain, easy to make, interesting, high in protein (8 grams in 1 cup cooked), fiber (5 grams per cup) and a naturally good source of iron," she says. Quinoa (pronounced keen-wa) also has plenty of zinc, vitamin E, and selenium to help control your weight and lower your risk for heart disease and diabetes, she says. Quinoa is as easy to prepare as rice and can be eaten alone or mixed with vegetables, nuts, or lean protein for a whole-grain medley. Try to make at least half your daily grain servings whole grains. In addition to quinoa, try barley, oats, buckwheat, whole wheat, wild rice, and millet.

6.Beans, beans, good for your heart -- really! Beans are loaded with insoluble fiber, which helps lower cholesterol, as well as soluble fiber, which fills you up and helps rid your body of waste. They're also a good, low-fat source of protein, carbohydrates, magnesium, and potassium. Bauer favors edamame (whole soybeans) because they also contain heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Beans can easily substitute for meat or poultry as the centerpiece of a meal, says Bauer, but they also work as a side dish, or tossed into soups, stews, or egg dishes. The U.S. Dietary Guidelines recommend 3 cups weekly.

7.Salmon is a super food because of its omega-3 fatty acid content. Studies show that omega-3 fatty acids help protect heart health. That's why the American Heart Association recommends eating fatty fish like salmon twice weekly. Salmon is low in calories (200 for 3 ounces) has lots of protein, is a good source of iron, and is very low in saturated fat. You can simply grill or bake it, top it with salsas or other low-fat sauces, or serve it on top of salad greens. If you don't like salmon, Lichtenstein recommends eating other kinds of fish, like canned tuna. And what about the mercury content? (Mercury is known to accumulate in fish.) "The benefits of eating salmon or other fatty fish twice weekly far outweigh any risks, but if you are concerned, check with your doctor," says Zied.

8.Broccoli is one of America's favorite vegetables because it tastes good and is available all year long. It's a rich source of vitamin A, vitamin C, and bone-building vitamin K, and has plenty of fiber to fill you up and help control your weight. "Some people think beta-carotene (vitamin A) is only found in orange and yellow vegetables, but broccoli is an excellent source," says Ward. You can eat broccoli raw, lightly steamed, stir-fried, roasted, or grilled. Eat it as a side dish, or toss into grains, egg dishes, soups, and salads.

9.Sweet potatoes are a delicious member of the dark orange vegetable family, which lead the pack in vitamin A content. Substitute a baked sweet potato (also loaded with vitamin C, calcium, and potassium) for a baked white potato. And before you add butter or sugar, taste the sweetness that develops when a sweet potato is cooked -- and think of all the calories you can save over that loaded baked potato. "If we eat more foods like sweet potatoes that are rich sources of potassium, and fewer high-sodium foods, we can blunt the effect of sodium on blood pressure and reduce bone loss," says Zied. Other dark orange vegetable standouts include pumpkin, carrots, butternut squash, and orange bell peppers.

10.Berries pack an incredible amount of nutritional goodness into a small package. They're loaded with antioxidants, phytonutrients, low in calories, and high in water and fiber to help control blood sugar and keep you full longer. And their flavors satisfy sweets cravings for a fraction of the calories in baked goods. Blueberries lead the pack because they are among the best source of antioxidants and are widely available. Cranberries are also widely available fresh, frozen, or dried. All can add flavor and nutrition to numerous dishes, from salads and cereals to baked goods and yogurt.

My Thoughts: The ALCAT Test Surpasses All Other Allergy Testing

2011-03-23T09:41:00.000-04:00

From: Laura Griffin - Atlanta, GA

It is my opinion and experience after years spent in and out of doctor's offices, even when I already knew I couldn't eat wheat and gluten, that the ALCAT test is superior to all other blood work testing.

This is the only test, and I had at least 30 done over more than a decade, that ever showed I was gluten intolerant. All the other tests came back showing I wasn't even the slightest bit intolerant to wheat, barley, rye, malt, or gluten in it's entirety.

The test is expensive, insurance will only cover a portion (in my case), but at a time when I was having other immune issues and allergic to a lot of other foods, ALCAT is in my opinion the true Gold Standard when it comes to testing through blood. Not only did it say I should avoid gluten (which I was absolutely already doing for many years) but it showed an off the chart intolerance. Whereas, all the other antibody testing remained always negative.

I was lucky that my doctor used this test routinely and knew enough to suggest it for me as I was not testing for gluten intolerance but for other things that were making me sick during that period of time. It pulled up a lot of foods for me to avoid for some time until my immune system was strong again.

The website contains a lot of very useful information and I encourage you to check it out through the link above @ www.alcat.com

5-a-Day ‘Not Enough’ Fruits and Vegetables

2011-01-24T09:28:00.000-05:00

New Research Finds 8-a-Day May Be Needed to Cut the Risk of Dying From Heart Disease

By Tim Locke

Jan. 18, 2011 -- We’re all urged to eat five servings of fruits and vegetables a day, but new research finds eight servings may be needed to cut the risk of dying from heart disease.

The diet and lifestyles of more than 300,000 people across eight countries in Europe found that people who ate at least eight portions of fruits and vegetables a day had a 22% lower risk of dying from heart disease than those who ate three portions a day.

Each additional portion in fruits and vegetables was linked to a 4% lower risk of death.

One portion counted as 80 grams, such as a small banana, a medium apple, or a small carrot.

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the U.S. and around the world, accounting for more than one in every four deaths in the United States, according to the CDC.

Average Intake of Fruits and Vegetables

The average intake of fruits and vegetables in the various countries was five servings a day.

Spain, Greece, and Italy were the leaders in fruit and vegetable eating. Italian men enjoyed 7.5 portions a day, and Spanish women 6.7 portions.

Healthy eating tailed off the further north the researchers looked in Europe.

U.K. men managed 4.1 portions a day, and women 4.8 portions.

Swedish men and women were the worst, with only 3.5 and 2.9 portions a day.

The researchers say factors like cost and availability of fruit and vegetables are likely to account for differences in intake.

Data came from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC)-Heart study.

Every Portion Counts

Study researcher Francesca Crowe, MD, of the Cancer Epidemiology Unit at the University of Oxford in England, tells WebMD by email, “We do need to be cautious in our interpretation of these findings as participants with a higher intake of fruits and vegetables tended to be slightly healthier overall. So we are unable to say whether the association between fruits and vegetables and heart disease is causal.”

In other words, did the fruits and vegetables make people healthier, or are people who eat better also more likely to have healthier lifestyles?

Crowe says healthy eating also needs to be added to healthy lifestyle behaviors as well as other recommendations “such as not smoking, not having high blood pressure or high blood lipids [cholesterol] and being in a healthy weight range.”

Stepping up from five servings to eight servings a day might be hard, but Crowe says, “It may be a more manageable public health guideline to recommend that everyone increases their intake by one portion per day.

“This is a much more modest effect for an individual but if everyone could achieve this then at a population level the impact would be quite large.”

In a statement, Victoria Taylor, senior dietitian at the British Heart Foundation, says, “The take-home message is still that eating fruit and vegetables is healthy for your heart. We need to remember to make five portions our minimum as the more fruit and vegetables people ate the lower their risk of dying from heart disease became.”

Recent research from the British Heart Foundation and the University of Oxford suggested that 15,000 lives a year could be saved if everyone ate five servings a day.

Taylor continues: “We still don’t know exactly why we see this relationship between fruit and vegetables and heart disease. It may be something in the fruit and vegetables itself, but equally it could be something in the lifestyles of people who tend to eat more fruit and vegetables. There’s still work to be done by researchers to answer these questions.”

SOURCES:

News release, European Heart Journal.

Francesca Crowe, MD, Cancer Epidemiology Unit, University of Oxford, England.

British Heart Foundation.

NHS Choices: "Cardiovascular disease."

CDC.

The 9 Most Fattening Foods of Winter

2011-01-21T16:10:00.000-05:00

Cold-weather favorites that can lead to winter weight gain.

By Kathleen M. Zelman, MPH, RD, LD

WebMD Weight Loss Clinic-FeatureReviewed by Louise Chang, MDControlling weight during the cold, dark days of winter is an issue for most of us. Studies show that many people gain at least a pound between November and January. And the worst part: That gain is usually permanent. Blame it on the cold weather that makes outdoor exercise less appealing, cravings for fattening comfort foods, and the seemingly endless weeks of holiday celebrating. And of course, you can hide your expanding waistline under layers of warm clothing. It's a wonder more of us don't gain more than a pound each winter!

Once you no longer have that youthful metabolism that lets you eat donuts, French fries, and fried chicken without gaining an ounce, it is time to cut down -- or even eliminate -- some of the most fattening foods, experts say. It's certainly OK to splurge on the occasional small portion of a decadent food, but most adults do better if they stay clear of the temptations.

"Keep in mind that it is easier to keep your weight stable than it is to take off the pounds" says Jayne Hurley, RD, senior nutritionist for the nonprofit watchdog group Center for Science in the Public Interest.

The foods that "talk" to us in winter tend to be hearty comforting and holiday favorites that are also often packed with artery-clogging fat, calories, and sodium.

"In summer there is an abundance of light foods, but when winter rolls around it is natural to want to beef up and yearn for richer foods," says Katherine Tallmadge, MS, RD, an American Dietetic Association spokeswoman.

And, of course, the American way is to have more than just one calorie-rich dish (witness the popularity of the holiday buffet). Studies show, the greater the variety, the more we eat.

"If there are 10 types of holiday cookies or several creamed side dishes, it only makes sense that you want to try them all," says Tallmadge, "and in the end, a wide variety encourages overeating."

Most Fattening Foods of Winter

So what are the worst winter foods, the calorie-packed culprits that we should stay away from? The truth, experts say, is that there really are no "bad" foods. A few bites of even the most fattening food can fit into your diet. But there certainly are foods that are worse for us than others. When you check out the nutritional numbers on these foods, keep in mind that most adults need fewer than 2,000 calories, 65 grams of total fat, and 20 grams of saturated fat each day.

Here are picks from the experts for the nine winter foods most likely to pack on the pounds:

1.Macaroni and cheese. It's an all-time favorite comfort food for both kids and adults, but it can wreak havoc with your diet. A 12-ounce serving of Stouffer's macaroni and cheese has 529 calories, 25.7 grams of fat, and 10.6 grams of saturated fat. Calories can climb higher when ingredients like high-fat meats or sausage are tossed in. And some restaurants even sell deep-fried mac and cheese as an appetizer! Your best bet when eating out is simply to find another side dish. At home, "modify the recipe by using a low-fat cheese, low-fat milk, and stretch it with additional vegetables to improve the nutritional profile and still taste great," says Liz Weiss, author of The Mom's Guide to Meal Makeovers.

2.Cream-based soups, bisques and chowders. "Warm soups and chowders feel so nutritious, but if they are loaded with cream, they are also loaded with calories," says Tallmadge. Soups also tend to be high in sodium, and if you crumble salty crackers into the bowl or top with cheese, the sodium level soars even higher. A one-cup serving of Harry's Lobster Bisque (Costco) has 380 calories, 27 grams of fat, 16 grams saturated fat, and 1,240 milligrams of sodium. The New England clam chowder at Chili's, meanwhile, has 940 calories, 65 grams fat, and 34 grams of saturated fat. "Choose soups that are broth based, like vegetable or minestrone, and pair it with a salad or a whole-wheat roll," suggests Tallmadge.

3.Cream- and cheese-based casseroles, or those topped with cheese, bacon, fried onions, or buttered crackers. Who doesn't love the traditional hash brown casserole, gooey with cheese and potatoes? But brace yourself, because one serving has 568 calories, 40 grams of fat and 21 grams of saturated fat -- and this is for a side dish! Creamed, scalloped, and au gratin dishes may start out with healthy ingredients like broccoli, green beans, or potatoes. But when you add cream, butter, and canned soups and top them with cheese, bacon, and/or fried breadcrumbs, you can easily quadruple the calories. "Shave calories by substituting low-calorie mix-ins such as fat-free sour cream, low-fat cheese, or reduced-fat soups," says American Dietetic Association spokeswoman Suzanne Farrell. For a tasty, healthy side dish, try oven-roasted vegetables -- 6 ounces of oven-roasted new potatoes has just 100 calories and 4.5 grams of fat.

4.Cheesecake treats. Cheesecakes are typically loaded with artery clogging fats. In just one slice of chocolate Oreo mudslide cheesecake from the Cheesecake Factory, you get 1,050 calories, 71 grams of fat, and 34 grams of saturated fat. And don't think ordering a muffin will save you when you're craving a cream-cheese treat. Starbuck's pumpkin cream cheese muffin has 490 calories, 24 grams of fat, and 6 grams of saturated fat. Better to skip these rich desserts and satisfy your sweet tooth with a 150-calorie Skinny Cow ice cream cone -- or suck on a peppermint for a mere 20 calories.

5.Chili and stews loaded with ground beef, sausage, and/or cheese. When you make them yourself, with small portions of lean meat, lots of vegetables and beans and a sprinkle of low-fat cheese, chili and stews can be nutritious and filling. But when you order them out, beware. At Chili's, a bowl of chili with cheese will cost you 500 calories, 35 grams of fat, and 15 grams saturated fat. At Quizno's, the bread bowl chili has 760 calories, 23 grams of fat, and 7 grams saturated fat. "Stews or chili have the potential to be very hearty, high in protein, and a great meal as long as you control the high-fat ingredients such as ground meat, sausage and cheese," says Hurley. Stick to your own recipe or go to Wendy's for a cup of chili with 220 calories, 6 grams of fat, and 2.3 grams saturated fat (without cheese or crackers).

6.Pies topped with whipped cream or ice cream. These winter favorites often start with healthy ingredients, like heart-healthy nuts or antioxidant-rich fruits, but they also include high-calorie ingredients. "Rich, buttery pie crusts on the top and bottom, sweet fillings, and the customary whipped cream or ice cream topping make these pies decadent and full of calories," says Farrell. A slice of coconut cream pie at Denny's, for example, will set you back 701 calories, 32 grams of fat, and 20 grams saturated fat. Shoney's apple pie a la mode has 1,203 calories, 53 grams of fat, and 23.7 grams of saturated fat in one serving -- equivalent to the total daily calories in some weight loss plans. "Skip the crust(s), add a dollop of light whipped topping, and serve yourself only a sliver" if you want to enjoy these desserts, suggest Farrell.

7.Cookies. Enjoying one small cookie is not a problem. "Most small (about 1 -2 ounces) cookies are around 200-250 calories, which is not bad if you eat only one -- but who can stop at one?" asks Tallmadge. The CD-sized cookies you commonly find at bakeries and restaurants pack a real caloric punch. At Dunkin' Donuts, the peanut butter cup cookie (4.5 ounces) has 590 calories, 29 grams of fat, and 13 grams saturated fat. At Panera, the shortbread cookie (2.5 ounces) has 350 calories, 21 grams of fat, and 12 grams saturated fat. So split it in half, or take along a 100-calorie pack of your favorite cookie.

8.Fried side dishes -- chili cheese fries, onion rings, and plain old French fries. Sadly, the most popular vegetable in the U.S. is the French fry, which is loaded with fat, calories, and salt. Most people think nothing of adding a side of 6-ounce fries to their order at McDonald's, even though it adds an additional 570 calories, 30 grams of fat, and 6 grams saturated fat. Sharing a Chili's Awesome Blossom (1/2 portion) gives you 1,355 calories, 101 grams of fat, and 18 grams saturated fat – all before the entree. A serving of Del Taco's chili cheese fries has 670 calories, 46 grams fat, and 15 grams saturated fat, while White Castle onion rings have 750 calories, 39 grams of fat, and 6 saturated fat. "Best bet: Have a side salad with your entrée and skip the high-calorie, deep-fat fried appetizer, and look for something that is not fried and has vegetables," says Hurley. Think bruschetta or edamame.

9.Creamy pot pies with pastry on the top and bottom. It looks innocent enough but when you have pastry on the bottom and top, you get a double dose of high-fat crust plus the filling. The individual Boston Market chicken pot pie has 780 calories, 47 grams of fat, and 17 grams of saturated fat. Forget the creamy pie and enjoy a roasted chicken breast and a whole-wheat roll for a fraction of the calories.

Beyond limiting the most fattening foods, here are some more general expert tips for avoiding winter weight gain:

Have plenty of low-sodium soups and stews that are broth- or tomato-based and contain lots of vegetables. Studies show that eating broth-based soup before a meal can fill you up and help you eat fewer calories during the meal.

Heat up your food with spices and peppers to give it more pizzazz so you won't miss the high-fat ingredients.

Use only lean meats in casseroles and other dishes. Even then, remember to keep portions reasonable.

Drink plenty of water with your meals

Include plenty of lean protein in your diet to keep you feeling full and satisfied

Replace cream in recipes with fat-free half-and-half or low-fat milk

Use 2 egg whites instead of each whole egg in recipes.

Get plenty of natural sunlight, and stay fit to keep your metabolism perking.

Keep your menus simple and reduce the number of choices to reduce the temptation to try everything, Tallmadge says.

During the holiday season, "keep your routine as normal as possible, and if you do splurge, just get right back on track so Thanksgiving dinner does not extend all the way to New Year's Day," says Hurley.

SOURCES: Katherine Tallmadge, MA, RD, author, Diet Simple: 192 Mental Tricks, Substitutions, Habits & Inspirations; spokeswoman, American Dietetic Association. Jayne Hurley, RD, senior Nutritionist, Center for Science in the Public Interest. Liz Weiss, author, The Mom's Guide to Meal Makeover. Suzanne Farrell, MS, RD, spokeswoman, American Dietetic Association. Calorieking.com web site.

Microbes in Our Gut Regulate Genes That Control Obesity and Inflammation

2011-01-19T11:02:00.000-05:00

ScienceDaily (Jan. 14, 2011) — If you are looking to lose weight in the coming year, you may need help from an unexpected place: the bacteria in your gut. That's because scientists have discovered that the bacteria living in your intestines may play a far more significant role in weight loss and gastrointestinal problems than ever imagined.

In a new research report published online in The FASEB Journal, researchers show that a deficiency of Toll-like receptor 2 (Tlr2) -- used by mammals (including humans) to recognize resident microbes in the intestines -- leads to changes in gut bacteria that resemble those of lean animals and humans. This discovery builds on previous research demonstrating that a deficiency of TLR2 protects against obesity, while at the same time promoting gastrointestinal problems like excessive inflammation. It also shows that genes controlling TLR2 expression play a very important role in one's gastrointestinal health and weight management.

"Our work highlights the remarkable capacity for an orchestrated reprogramming of the intestinal inflammatory network to overcome significant genetic challenges in the mammalian bowel," said Richard Kellermayer, Ph.D., a researcher involved in the work from the Section of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. "The appropriate exploitation of this remarkable capacity may provide means for the prevention and optimized treatment of common metabolic (such as obesity and diabetes) and gastrointestinal disorders."

To make this discovery, Kellermayer and colleagues studied normal mice and mice deficient in TLR2 using the large intestinal lining of these mice. They compared the TLR2-deficient ones to the normal group, as well as the bacteria, the epigenome (more specifically DNA methylation, a molecular change in the DNA associated with decreased gene expression), and the gene expression of the animals. The researchers found that the absence of TLR2 leads to microbial changes in the gut that resemble lean animals and humans, as well as immunologic changes similar to those observed in ulcerative colitis.

"Every New Year, a significant percentage of us resolve ourselves to lose weight," said Gerald Weissmann, M.D., Editor-in-Chief of The FASEB Journal, "but national statistics on obesity show that we're failing fast. This research linking gut bacteria to TLR2 expression opens entirely new doors for weight control solutions, first by cementing TLR2 as a drug target for obesity, and second by providing further evidence that managing gut bacteria may be an important and effective way to control weight. The challenge, of course, is to find a way to tip the scales just enough to keep weight under control without causing serious gastrointestinal problems."

Fighting Midlife Weight Gain

2011-01-17T11:35:00.000-05:00

An interview with Pamela Peeke, MD

By Kathleen Doheny

First, you notice shopping for clothes isn't as fun or simple as it used to be. Next comes the "muffin top" spilling over the jeans. Then the scale delivers dire news: You're 10, 15, maybe 20 pounds beyond your "normal" weight.

Midlife weight gain is common. Many Americans gain a pound or so every year as they make their way through young adulthood, ending up fat and flabby at age 40 and beyond.

But it is not inevitable, says Pamela Peeke, MD, MPH, the author of the best-seller Fight FatAfter Forty. Peeke also serves as the chief medical correspondent for Discovery Health TV and often appears as a medical commentator on television news and talk shows.

Why do so many people gain weight in midlife?

Blame it on hormones in convergence with poor lifestyle choices, overeating, not exercising enough, and stress.

But hormones only account for about 2 to 5 pounds. The rest is the result of overeating, poor lifestyle choices -- such as not exercising enough -- and stress.

How can I not be one of those people who gains?

The keys are three: mind, mouth, muscle.

Use your mind to control stress. If you walk around and everything is stressful, you have a problem. You may respond to stress by making poorer lifestyle choices, such as not eating healthfully and not exercising enough.

Look at your nutrition -- in terms of quality, quantity, and frequency of eating. You should eat often.

Quality is all about eating whole foods, fruits, and vegetables, whole grains, lean protein.

Processed foods are bad. Anything that comes in a family-size bag, turn in the opposite direction and run.

Quantity is where a lot of people fall. The majority are baffled by what a serving size should look like. When eating out, and in doubt, eat half of it or less.

Be accountable for calories. You need a general idea of how many calories you need. An average woman, not an athlete, in her 40s or 50s, needs about 1,500 to 1,600 calories a day, on average, if she is exercising. A middle-aged man, average height and not an athlete but exercising, needs about 1,800 to 2,000.

Muscle, of course, refers to the need to exercise and, of course, to weight train.

Should my goal weight increase when I hit midlife?

A better goal than focusing on scale weight is to keep track of body fat. The goals should be to decrease body fat and optimize bone strength.

For a man, a body fat percentage of 18% to 25% is not bad for 40-plus. For women 40-plus, 22% to 27% is not bad.

To get that body fat percentage, you need to have excellent fitness to maintain a good muscle base.

Also, a man should have a waist circumference below 40 inches and a woman below 35 inches.

I'm 40-plus, eating right, and exercising but not losing weight. Why do I have midlife weight gain?

If you have tailored your portion sizes to ones that are appropriate, look at the frequency of your eating. Eat every three or four hours. But not too late at night. The later you eat, the lighter you eat is a good rule.

Eat a balance of lean protein, fats, and carbs. Make the fat good fat, not palm oil or hydrogenated oil, but high-quality good fats [such as those in nuts]. The protein should be lean -- a turkey burger or a veggie burger.

Most people have been doing the same exercise routine for years, and your body acclimates. Fat cells at 40 are reticent to give it up. Mix up the exercise routine. Exercise at least five times a week, and I mean cardio.

Add intensity. Add some level of weight training, and challenge yourself with the weights. [Getting professional instruction is advised if you're a novice.] Weight train two or three times a week.

Building muscle gives you that metabolic edge, since muscle mass burns more calories than fat.

Does HRT cause midlife weight gain, is that the culprit?

You can't blame the low doses of HRT in use today for midlife weight gain, at least not for any more than a few pounds. You do get a little more bloated on it, but it does not cause body fat accumulation. Overeating, not exercising, and stress do.

What's up with this belly? I never ever had one before.

I call it the menopot. On a man, it's the manopot.

Excess body fat occurring in the lower abdomen is associated with aging, after 40. This excess body fat in the normal range is usually only 2 to 5 pounds. And you do get a little pooch.

How can I lose this belly?

You minimize it by following the mind-mouth-muscle concepts.

But it's probably unrealistic to expect a stomach as flat as your 20-something stomach.

Can I boost my metabolism?

Absolutely. You can optimize your metabolism throughout life relative to your age by maintaining the highest level of training you can, within the limits and constraints of your life.

If you lose muscle mass [by not exercising], obviously your metabolism is going to drop.

Of course strength or weight training is crucial.

What workout or workouts are best for midlife people?

Creative cardio. Burn 400 to 500 calories a day in cardio. On the elliptical, for instance, you can burn about 400 calories in about 35 minutes. Cross train as much as you can. Burn the 400 to 500 calories all at once or accrue it.

And don't forget the weight training.

What's your weakness? What's the hardest part, for you, of staying on track and fighting flab after 40?

Because of long days and all my commitments, getting enough sleep. I remind myself: the poorer your sleep, the wider your girth.

Eating dinner not too late. Sometimes I am on a plane or a train, I don't have the control I want over how late I eat. In general, do not eat dinner past 8:30. I like to eat right about 7.

SOURCE:

Pamela Peeke, MD, MPH; author of Fight Fat After Forty.

Reviewed on November 25, 2008

Aging Well: Eating Right for Longevity

2011-01-12T13:04:00.000-05:00

Is your diet the key to longevity? Find out why eating right just may mean aging right, too.

By Elizabeth M. Ward, MS, RD

Aging: everyone does it, yet some people seem relatively unaffected by getting older. Could good nutrition be the key to a healthier, longer life?

Does Aging Equal Illness?

"Aging is often associated with the development of one or more chronic diseases, but it doesn't have to be that way," says Jeffrey Blumberg, PhD, professor at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University.

It's not always just a matter of time before you have a heart attack or stroke, get type 2 diabetes or cancer, break a hip because of osteoporosis, or develop Alzheimer's, even though these conditions are often associated with aging, Blumberg says.

Your risk for disease and disability increases with inadequate physical activity, genetic susceptibility, and poor diet.

Aging: Defy It With Diet

So what's the best eating plan for preventing, delay, or minimizing the conditions associated with aging, including inflamed joints, flagging memory, and failing eyesight?

"The most beneficial diets rely heavily on fresh vegetables, fruits, and legumes -- foods that are naturally lower in calories and packed with nutrients," says Bradley Willcox, MD, MPH, co-author of The Okinawa Diet Plan and professor of geriatrics at the University of Hawaii.

Experts suspect the antioxidant compounds found in produce, legumes, and whole grains are largely responsible for holding back the march of time.

Antioxidants, such as vitamins C and E, and other compounds, including polyphenols and anthocyanins, battle free radicals -- unstable forms of oxygen that damage cell function. Free radicals form from normal metabolism. Your body also produces them in response to strong ultraviolet rays from the sun; air pollution; smoking; and secondhand smoke.

The buildup of free radicals contributes to the aging process and to the development of a number of age-related diseases such as cancer, heart disease, and inflammatory conditions, including osteoarthritis. What's worse, aging increases free radical production. That means your diet should be healthier than ever with the passage of time.

The question, of course, is how do we do that?

Anti-Aging Nutrition

Antioxidants generate a lot of buzz when it comes to longevity, but aging well takes more. You must optimize a myriad of beneficial nutrients, including protein, calcium, and vitamin D, and minimize detrimental dietary components including saturated and trans fats.

While none of these foods is the "Fountain of Youth," including them on a regular basis as part of a balanced diet can reduce the toll time takes on your body.

Nuts

Nuts are cholesterol-free protein sources, and are worthy substitutes for fatty meats. Research published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that in a group of nearly 35,000 women, those who ate foods rich in vitamin E, including nuts, lowered their risk of having a stroke.

Top picks:

Almonds for their high vitamin E levels; pecans, for their antioxidants; and walnuts, for omega-3s.

Tips:

Top breakfast cereals, yogurt, salads, and cooked vegetables with an ounce of chopped nuts.

Snack on an ounce of whole almonds (about 24) for almost half the vitamin E you need for the day.

Enjoy a nut butter sandwich on whole-grain bread.

Concoct a smoothie by blending a medium frozen banana, 1/2 cup plain fat-free yogurt, 1/4 cup chopped walnuts, and 2 teaspoons sugar (optional).

Fish

According to the American Heart Association, fish harbors omega-3 fats that reduce the risk of plaque buildup in your arteries; decrease blood triglyceride (fat) levels; help lower blood pressure; and lessen the odds of sudden death. Fish is a wise protein choice because of its relatively low saturated fat and cholesterol content.

Top picks:

Salmon, sardines, and canned tuna are among the fish with the highest levels of omega-3 fatty acids.

Tips:

Have at least two fish meals a week instead of fatty meats.

Add canned light tuna or canned salmon to salads instead of chicken or cheese.

Olive Oil

Olive oil is rich in heart-healthy monounsaturated fats and beneficial plant compounds. It's also free of the trans fats found in some margarines and other processed foods, and that's a good thing. A study published in the journal Neurology found that among healthy people 65 and older, the higher the saturated and trans fat intake, the greater the cognitive decline during a six-year period.

Top pick:

The extra virgin variety. A recent report in the Annals of Internal Medicine found extra-virgin olive oil more beneficial than other types for increasing the high-density lipoprotein levels (HDL or good cholesterol) in men.

Extra-virgin olive oil also offers beneficial levels of oleocanthal, a compound that mimics the effects of anti-inflammatory medications including aspirin and ibuprofen.

Tips:

It's good for you, but don't go overboard; olive oil is caloric. Limit total oil consumption to 7 teaspoons daily (assuming all of the added fat you use is from olive oil) on a 2,000-calorie diet; 5 for a 1,600-calorie plan.

Make salad dressing with one part olive oil and three parts balsamic vinegar.

Choose olive oil instead of butter or margarine.

Lightly coat chopped broccoli, sweet or white potato, or carrots with olive oil and roast on a baking sheet at 400 degrees until done.

Fruits and Vegetables

Produce provides fiber, vitamins, and minerals, as well as hundreds of anti-aging phytonutrients. When it comes to age-defying properties, some produce is better than others, according to the United States Department of Agriculture's tests for antioxidant activity.

Still, any fruit and vegetable is better than none. People who take in the most produce -- upwards of 10 servings a day -- have higher levels of antioxidants in their bloodstream, which probably translates to better aging. Produce-lovers also have stronger bones, thanks to the magnesium and potassium that fruits and vegetables supply (dark greens are also rich in vitamin K, necessary to bolster bones).

Top picks:

Fruit: Blueberries, cranberries, blackberries, raspberries, strawberries, apples, and cherries.

Vegetables: Kale, spinach, broccoli, artichokes, avocado, asparagus, cauliflower, sweet potato, carrots, pumpkin, and onions.

Tips:

Include berries at least once daily on top of breakfast cereals, in smoothies or salads, or snack on them as is.

Add dried cranberries or cherries to cooked whole grains.

Make a quick guacamole by mixing a ripe avocado and large, diced tomato with 1 tablespoon each of olive oil, fresh chopped cilantro leaves, and finely chopped onions.

Prepare a pumpkin smoothie with 1 cup canned pumpkin, 1/2 cup low-fat milk, and ground cinnamon and sugar to taste. Heat the remainder of the can as a side dish. Add chopped frozen kale or spinach to soups and pasta dishes.

Legumes

Legumes are packed with complex carbohydrates and fiber to ensure steadier blood glucose and insulin levels, and they provide a cholesterol-free source of protein. Legumes are also packed with antioxidants.

Top picks:

From black beans to soy beans, they're all good for you.

Tips:

Add beans to soups, salad, egg and pasta dishes

Puree cooked beans (includes canned) and add to soups or stews

Snack on bean dips and fresh vegetables or whole grain crackers

Munch roasted soy nuts or thawed edamame (green soy beans)

Substitute firm tofu for meat in vegetable stir-fry dishes

Whole Grains

Whole grains retain more of their natural nutrients, particularly age-defying vitamin E, fiber, and B vitamins, than refined varieties. They are also a wealth of antioxidant compounds.

Top picks:

Quinoa, millet, barley, oatmeal, whole-wheat pasta, cracked wheat, wild rice.

Tips:

Wrap sandwiches in whole-wheat tortillas instead of white

Choose whole-grain cereal for breakfast and snacks

Try wild or brown rice or whole-wheat pasta

Add leftover cooked whole grains to soups

Low-Fat Dairy

Dairy foods are excellent sources of bone-strengthening calcium. They also supply protein that bolsters bones and muscle, and is needed for peak immune function.

Top picks:

Milk, either 1% low-fat or fat-free. Milk is fortified with vitamin D, necessary for calcium absorption. Adequate levels of vitamin D may reduce prostate, colon, and breast cancer.

Tips:

Sip café au lait or cappuccino made from decaffeinated coffee and fat-free milk

Make mashed potatoes with fat-free evaporated milk

Enjoy a smoothie made with milk, berries, and crushed ice

Indulge a chocolate craving with fat-free chocolate milk

Fight Fat, Live Longer?

It's not only what you eat when it comes to stalling the aging process. Calories count, too.

"Being overweight stresses your heart, blood vessels, and joints, accelerating age-related diseases," says Willcox.

Excess body fat also plays a role in the development of dementia, certain cancers, and eye diseases, including cataracts and age-related macular degeneration.

Cutting a few hundred calories a day from your regular eating plan may be all it takes to make it into your 80s or 90s in relatively good health.

That's what Willcox and his colleagues found when they related eating habits to death rates among 2,000 nonsmoking men. In his study, the men who consumed an average of 1,900 calories per day -- about 15% below the average for the entire group -- were less likely to die over the 36-year study period.

Nobody knows exactly how a lower calorie diet works to lengthen life. Perhaps the secret lies in a slower metabolism that comes with eating less food. A reduced metabolic rate means your body produces fewer free radicals.

Calorie reduction plans also lower the body's core temperature and insulin levels, two indicators of longevity. A recent study in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that overweight people who cut their daily calorie intake by up to 25% were more likely to have a lower core body temperature and normal fasting levels of insulin in their blood.

Aging: We're all doing it. Perhaps combining a diet rich in "anti-aging" foods with fewer calories overall may help us do it better -- and live longer.

SOURCES: Jeffrey Blumberg, PhD, professor, Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University. Bradley J. Willcox, MD, clinician-scientist, Pacific Health Research Institute, University of Hawaii. United States Department of Agriculture. American Heart Association. Yochum, L. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, August 2000; vol 72: pp 476-438. Morris, M. Neurology, 2004; vol 62: pp 1573-1579. Covas, M-I. Annals of Internal Medicine, September 2005; vol 145: pp 333-341. Beauchamp, G. Nature, Sept. 1, 2005; vol 437: pp 45-46. Willcox, B. The Journals of Gerontology Series A: Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences, 2004; vol 59: pp B789-B795. Heilbronn, L. The Journal of the American Medical Association, 2006; vol 295: pp 1539-1548. Garland, C.F. American Journal of Public Health, February 2006; vol 96: pp 252-261.

RA and Your Diet

2011-01-10T10:22:00.000-05:00

How to eat to avoid joint inflammation, increase bone and heart health, and feel better all over.

By Camille Peri

How much can what you eat help -- or hurt -- your rheumatoid arthritis (RA)? For decades, researchers have looked into whether there is a link between food and RA. For almost as long, various diets and supplements have claimed to relieve swollen joints and morning stiffness -- or even falsely "cure" RA and "end joint pain forever."

Though many diet claims that promise relief from pain are unproven, they can lure and confuse even the savviest women with RA. Kathy Lubbers, who has had rheumatoid arthritis for more than 20 years and is a CEO at a communications firm, sums up why it's easy to fall for false claims: "When I was in excruciating pain, I'd try anything," she says.

If you have RA, there's no question that a good diet is vitally important. But which diet? And why? Here's the latest on how to eat for your health with RA -- and enjoy every bite.

RA and Nutrition: What to Consider

To figure out what's the best diet for you, it helps to keep in mind some of the nutritional challenges you have with RA. If painful fingers or wrists make it tough to chop vegetables and cook healthy meals, you may be more likely to grab a burger from the drive-thru. If your medications give you an upset stomach or make you feel like you don't want to eat, you may wind up skipping meals. If you routinely have an upset stomach or no appetite, you may also be missing important nutrients.

Sometimes your medications, while they may provide relief from RA pain, can bring other nutritional challenges. Taking corticosteroids (like prednisone) may cause your body to get rid of too much potassium. Methotrexate can lower your folic acid levels.

It's common for women with RA to not get enough vitamin D and calcium. It's especially important that you get enough of those nutrients because having RA -- and taking certain treatments for it -- raises your risk of osteoporosis.

Do Some Foods Cause Joint Inflammation?

Should you cross some foods off your list? Although no scientific studies have found any definitive link between food and RA, some people with RA say that eating certain foods makes their RA worse. For Kathy Lubbers, it's white sugar and cheese. For author M.E.A McNeil, an organic farmer and beekeeper in San Anselmo, Calif., it's foods with chemical additives. For other people with rheumatoid arthritis, it may be vegetables in the nightshade family, such as eggplant and tomatoes.

"Some patients say that certain types of food seem to make their RA worse," says Tracey Robinson, MD, a rheumatologist in Redwood City, Calif., and clinical professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco. "It may be highly processed foods with a lot of chemicals, foods that are very fatty, red meat, or milk products. It tends to be very individual."

Although no diet can cure RA, research has shown some evidence of a link between certain foods and inflammation. For example, eating a lot of saturated fats (such as bacon, steak, and butter) can increase the chemicals in the body that are responsible for inflammation, pain, and swelling in the joints. Even so, many people with RA don't have any food problems.

Even McNeil and Lubbers say that they aren't sure if their "trigger" foods are really guilty of causing inflammation or whether it just seems that way.

"It's difficult to draw a conclusion about virtually anything that you do because the disease waxes and wanes so much," says McNeil.

Getting Rid of Problem Foods

If you think certain foods are making your RA worse, try eliminating them from your diet. The only real way to tell if the foods are at fault is to add them back in, slowly and one at a time, to see if your RA flares when you start eating a particular food again. For example, McNeil says she found that she feels better when she doesn't eat commercially produced red meat.

Eliminating foods from your diet is generally safe as long as you don't cut out whole food groups, say medical experts. But it can be hard to stick with an elimination diet. If you want to try it, your doctor or a registered dietitian can help you.

Robinson says she doesn't give blanket diet recommendations to her patients with RA. "But if a person finds that eliminating certain foods seems helpful, I encourage them to try it as long as they still maintain good nutrition, calcium intake, and vitamins," she says.

The Mediterranean Diet

One diet that is showing some promise for people with RA is also one of the tastiest. The Mediterranean diet is loaded with fruits and vegetables and includes healthy non-saturated fats (like olive oil and canola oil), nuts, whole grains, herbs and spices (instead of salt and butter), and heart-healthy fish (instead of red meat).

Eating fish such as salmon, sardines, and tuna may double your benefit. They help protect against heart disease, which is a risk when you have RA. And the omega-3 fatty acids they contain, in addition to being heart healthy, also help fight inflammation. If that isn't enough, the Mediterranean diet can also help you maintain a proper weight, which takes pressure off your joints.

"The best data we have is that a diet high in omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidants is good for RA," says Nathan Wei, MD, clinical director of the Arthritis and Osteoporosis Center of Maryland. "The Mediterranean diet is high in both, and it's also good for people who want to be careful about weight gain. Of course, it's also important to couple the diet with exercise."

Supplements and RA

Herbal remedies and dietary supplements are often touted to relieve RA pain. And some may indeed help. But keep in mind that no herb or supplements can "cure" RA, and there's no evidence that they can actually stop the disease from progressing, as certain prescription medications (called disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs, or DMARDs) can.

Supplements are not regulated by the FDA, so it's hard to know exactly what's in them. And they can react with prescription or over-the-counter (OTC) drugs. Always talk to your doctor about what supplements may be helpful -- or harmful -- for you.

Here are some that may help:

Fish oil. Scientific studies of fish oil or other omega-3 fatty acid supplements show promise in treating RA symptoms such as painful joints and morning stiffness, according to the National Institutes of Health's National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM). People with RA who take fish oil may sometimes be able to cut back on other pain medications, like nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Fish oil supplements may also help lower your risk of heart disease. Keep in mind that fish oil can cause stomach upset and some types of fish oils increase the risk of bleeding, especially if you also take blood-thinning medication.

The Arthritis Foundation suggests 2.6 grams of fish oil twice a day for people who are interested in supplementing their diet. It may take weeks, or even a few months, for you to tell if it's working.

Vitamins and Minerals. If you have RA, you may want to take a good multivitamin that also contains minerals. Ask your doctor about whether you need to take calcium and vitamin D supplements. "Vitamin D deficiency is a huge concern in general, and especially for women with RA because they have more bone health issues," says Robinson. "They're more susceptible to osteoporosis even without adding in factors like steroid use, and many people are on steroids, which is also a negative for bone health." Check with your doctor about how much vitamin D and calcium you need.

Selenium and vitamin E supplements may decrease damage to the joints, easing swelling and pain. People who take methotrexate may also need to take a folic acid supplement.

Turmeric and ginger. There is some evidence that turmeric may help to relieve joint inflammation. Ginger supplements may also reduce joint pain and stiffness in people with RA. However, both may increase the risk of bleeding, especially if you take blood-thinning medication, and should not be used if you have gallstones.

RA and Diet: The Bottom Line

McNeil says she feels best following a Mediterranean diet. For Lubbers, a basic balanced diet seems to work well.

"I also eat smaller portions more often to keep my blood sugar level even-keeled," Lubbers says. "When it's not, it's another opportunity for a bad physical response. And I feel better when I eat lighter -- more soy and vegetables, and less bread and meat."

Both women say they shifted to a healthier diet not so much to tame specific symptoms but as part of an overall plan to improve their health with rheumatoid arthritis. "When you have a chronic condition," says Lubbers, "you want to have every positive thing you can on your side."

SOURCES:

Johns Hopkins: "Nutrition and Rheumatoid Arthritis," "Complementary and Alternative Medicine for Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis."

Arthritis Foundation: "Diet and Your Arthritis," "Alternative Therapies Overview."

Tracey Robinson, MD, rheumatologist, SOAR Medical Group, San Francisco; assistant clinical professor of rheumatology, University of California, San Francisco.

Mayo Clinic: "Rheumatoid arthritis diet: Do certain foods worsen symptoms?" "Mediterranean diet: Choose this heart-healthy diet option."

American Family Physician: "Omega-3 Fatty Acids."

Nathan Wei, MD, FACP, FACR, fellow of the American College of Rheumatology; clinical director of the Arthritis and Osteoporosis Center of Maryland, Frederick.

Arthritis Today: "Supplement Guide: Fish Oil, Turmeric, Ginger."

Kathy Lubbers, Key Biscayne, Fla.

M.E.A. McNeil, San Anselmo, Calif.; author, The First Year: Rheumatoid Arthritis: An Essential Guide for the Newly Diagnosed (De Capo, 2005).

Reviewed on January 15, 2010

Imagination Tricks the Brain Into Eating Less

2011-01-10T10:15:00.000-05:00

Researchers Say That Repeatedly Imagining Eating a Food May Help You Eat Less of It

By Bill Hendrick

Dec. 9, 2010 -- Simply imagining eating a certain food may help you eat less of it, new research indicates.

The finding challenges the assumption that thinking about a favorite food makes you crave it more and likely to eat more of it when it’s available.

In a series of experiments involving dozens of volunteers at Carnegie Mellon University, researchers found that people who repeatedly imagined eating a certain food, such as a cube of cheese or an M&M candy, subsequently ate less of it than they otherwise would have.

Suppressing Thoughts About a Desired Food Not a Good Strategy

“These findings suggest that trying to suppress one’s thoughts of desired foods in order to curb cravings for those foods is a fundamentally flawed strategy,” says Carey Morewedge, PhD, of Carnegie Mellon and author of the study.

“We think these findings will help develop future interventions to reduce cravings for things such as unhealthy food, drugs, and cigarettes; and hope they will help us learn how to help people make healthier food choices,” Morewedge says in a news release.

In one of Morewedge’s experiments, a group that imagined putting three quarters into a laundry machine and then imagined eating 30 M&Ms one at a time ate significantly fewer of the candies when given a bowl of M&Ms afterward, compared to a group that imagined putting 33 coins into a laundry machine and a third group that imagined inserting 30 quarters into a laundry machine and then imagined eating three M&Ms.

In other experiments, people were asked to imagine themselves eating cheese or another food, or doing something else completely different, like repeatedly putting coins into a laundry machine.

In each case where the group repetitively imagined eating a food, the researchers detected a gradual reduction in motivation to obtain food and a decrease in its subsequent intake, a process they called habituation. The research points to the conclusion that repetitive mental imagery has a different effect than picturing a single mental image, according to the study.

The study is published in the journal Science.

SOURCES:

News release, Carnegie Mellon University.

Morewedge, C. Science, Dec. 10, 2010;vol 330: pp 1530-1533.

Women's Weight Tied to Healthy Aging

2011-01-06T13:55:00.000-05:00

Study Shows the More Weight Gained From Ages 18 to 50, the Lower the Odds of Being Healthy at 70

By Miranda Hitti

Sept. 29, 2009 -- For women, the odds of being healthy at age 70 are best for those who don't gain a lot of weight between ages 18 and 50 and who aren't obese at 50.

That news appears in the "Online First" edition of BMJ.

But millions of middle-aged women are overweight and obese, and they can't go back in time to change that. Researcher Qi Sun, MD, of the nutrition department at the Harvard School of Public Health, doesn't want those women to give up on the possibility of healthy aging.

"The key message from our paper is that to enjoy a healthy yet long life, women need to maintain a healthy body weight throughout adulthood," Sun tells WebMD in an email. "Meanwhile, I believe it is never too late to take initiatives to lose weight (in a safe and healthy way) to maximize the probability to achieve healthy survival," Sun writes.

Sun points out that being physically active, at any weight, is a healthy habit.

"The bottom line is women who are already age 50, no matter what [their] current weight is, can still benefit from physical activity to increase their odds of having wonderful health at later life," Sun writes. "Of course, the best way to maximize the probability of healthy survival is to maintain at least moderate levels of physical activity AND a healthy body weight throughout adulthood."

Tracking Healthy Survivors

Sun's study focuses on "healthy survivors." That's the term Sun and colleagues coined for women they studied who lived to age 70 without any of the following:

Cancer (except nonmelanoma skin cancer)

Diabetes

Heart attack

Coronary artery bypass

Congestive heart failure

Stroke

Kidney failure

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)

Parkinson's disease

Multiple sclerosis

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, or Lou Gehrig's disease)

Major impairment of mental skills

Major limitation of physical function

Mental health that's less than good (based on scores from a mental health survey)

Data came from a long-term health study of 121,700 female U.S. nurses.

The women answered questions about their height, weight, health, and lifestyle every two years for decades, starting in 1976, when they were 30-55 years old.

About 17,000 women were still alive, with enough data for Sun's team to study, at age 70.

Only 10% of those women qualified as healthy survivors.

Weight and Healthy Aging

Women who were obese at age 50 were 79% less likely than women with a normal BMI at that age to be healthy survivors.

What had happened to the women's weight between age 18 and 50 mattered most.

Women who were overweight (but not necessarily obese) at age 18, and who gained at least 10 kilograms (about 22 pounds) by age 50, had the worst odds of becoming a healthy survivor. Only 18% of those women became healthy survivors.

The more weight the women gained between the ages of 18 and 50, the less likely they were to become healthy survivors.

The study doesn't prove that the women's weight affected their survival. Observational studies, like this one, don't prove cause and effect. And it's possible that the nurses in the study don't represent all women.

However, the results held when the researchers adjusted for these factors: women's age upon enrolling in the study; level of education; marital status; husband's level of education; hormone use after menopause; smoking; various diet patterns; family history of heart disease, diabetes, or cancer; and physical activity.

SOURCES:

Sun, Q. BMJ, Sept. 30, 2009; "Online First" edition.

Qi Sun, MD, department of nutrition, Harvard School of Public Health.

Craving Carbs: Is It Depression?

2010-12-30T12:23:00.000-05:00

Many people crave carbohydrates when they feel low.

By Kathleen Doheny

Does a bad day at the office or a tiff with your spouse send you marching to the cookie jar or the corner bakery?

Or do you find yourself at the vending machine every day precisely at 4 p.m. for some crackers or candy?

If either scenario fits, you're not alone. Many people crave carbohydrates -- especially cookies, candy, or ice cream -- when they feel upset, depressed, or tired.

"Carb craving is part of daily life," says Judith Wurtman, PhD, a former scientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and co-author of The Serotonin Power Diet. She and her husband, MIT professor Richard J. Wurtman, have long researched carbohydrates and their link to mood and depression.

The Wurtmans published a landmark article about carbs and depression in Scientific American in 1989. They are convinced that the carbohydrate craving is related to decreases in the feel-good hormone serotonin, which is marked by a decline in mood and concentration.

Other experts aren’t so sure. Some wonder if depressed mood and reaching for carbs are both related to an external event -- such as the stock market decline -- or to simply habit.

Carbohydrate Cravings: What's Known? What's Debated?

Carb cravings seem to be related to decreases in serotonin activity, says Wurtman.

"We discovered years and years ago that many people experience the 'universal carbohydrate craving time' between 3:30 p.m. and 5 p.m. every day," she says. "I suspect the tradition of English tea with its carb offering is a ritual developed to fill this need."

"It's a real neurochemical phenomenon," she says.

The Wurtmans’ work, however, has its skeptics.

Edward Abramson, PhD, a psychologist and professor emeritus at California State University, Chico, wrote the book Emotional Eating. He does not think the link is strong and clear-cut.

"You could be down because of loss of money in the stock market," he says. "The depression is triggered by an external event, not by [only] a dip in serotonin. It may be the external event causing the dip in serotonin, not the dip occurring, then the craving, he says.

Another possibility, says Abramson, is that carb craving may be just a habit, learned early. For instance, a woman brought up to believe that anger is not an acceptable emotion may turn to eating treats such as cookies instead -- because that's what she did as a kid and perhaps was encouraged to do by a parent.

Carb cravings can also result from diets, says Evelyn Tribole, RD, a dietitian in Newport Beach, Calif., and author of Healthy Homestyle Cooking.

She sees quite a few dieters who crave carbohydrates, especially if they’re on one of the high-protein, low-carb diets.

"You don't want to kill for a piece of broccoli, but you'd kill for a piece of bread. It's a clear signal,” she says, “that your body needs more carbs. It’s not an abnormal craving.”

Carbohydrate Cravings: The Research

Several research studies have uncovered interesting facts about carb cravers.

Wurtman found that carb cravers can eat 800 or more calories a day than other people. While many carb cravers do become overweight or obese, others control their weight by exercising more, eating less at meals, or turning to low-fat carbs such as popcorn.

Researchers at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago found that carb cravers who have a mildly depressed mood seem to be self-medicating. They studied women who were overweight and had a history of carb cravings. They gave them a choice between a protein-rich beverage or a carb-rich one. They found that when the women reported being in the worst moods, they picked the carb beverage more often than the protein one. In addition, the carb drink improved their mood better.

Eating carbohydrates seems to help carb cravers feel better in about 20 minutes, according to Wurtman’s research. When you eat carbs, your body makes more serotonin, the feel-good hormone that is boosted when you are on an antidepressant. Eating the carbs, she says, is an attempt to undo the depressed mood.

Carbohydrate Cravings: Normal or Not?

Step back and analyze your cravings a bit, Wurtman suggests.

Do you crave carbs only when you see someone eating something you like? Then, says Wurtman, you may simply be succumbing to the power of suggestion.

Or do you crave carbs when you face an unpleasant task, like balancing the checkbook, and feel better after you’ve had some? Then you may be “self-medicating.” Your serotonin is up, and you are doing what you are supposed to, says Wurtman.

Late-afternoon carb cravings are also quite normal, Wurtman says, and don’t necessarily signal depression. "The reason we want to self-medicate with carbs late in the afternoon is not just that life is difficult and filled with frustration, but that it is a normal day-night cycle."

When is a carb craving over the top? If you go to great lengths for a carb-rich food continually, you may want to seek professional help, Wurtman says.

She recalls a woman who was driven to have a brownie from her favorite bakery many times a week. When a ride wasn’t available, she would go to great lengths to get it, even walking several blocks in the dark or bad weather.

That kind of persistent craving may be a sign of depression, not just a funky off mood, and perhaps a clue you should seek mental health care, Wurtman and others say. If your mood stays low and the carbs don't seem to be helping, you should also consider checking in with a health care provider.

Carbohydrate Cravings: Living With Them, Taming Them

If you're a carb craver, you can learn to cope with them -- at minimal or no expense to your health or waistline, experts say.

Time your eating to accommodate your cravings. The carb cravings typically grow stronger as the day goes on, experts agree. So eat healthfully at breakfast and lunch and focus on protein-rich foods. "In the afternoon, by the time the sun and your mood start sinking, have a carb snack -- popcorn or breakfast cereal -- around 4 p.m.," Wurtman says. Then for dinner, pick pasta, rice or waffles, she suggests.

Choose sensible carbohydrate-rich foods. Carbs don't have to be gooey and chocolatey every time, Wurtman says. She suggests low-fat crackers, for instance, or pretzels. It keeps the fat low but gives you the carbs you want.

Don't buy into the guilt. "The current low-carb phase is making people feel guilty," Wurtman says. "There is nothing wrong with having a carb for dinner, or for a snack. You have to have it in a very low-fat form."

Focus on carbs that are "slow foods." Think sip, not gobble, when eating these. One of Tribole's favorites: hot chocolate. "You get carbs in the milk and the sweetened chocolate," she says. "It's hard to guzzle hot chocolate, so you are going to savor it."

SOURCES:

Judith Wurtman, PhD, former research scientist, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Mass.; co-author, The Serotonin Power Diet.

Evelyn Tribole, RD, dietitian, Newport Beach, Calif.; author, Healthy Homestyle Coking and Ultimate Omega-3 Diet.

Edward Abramson, PhD, professor emeritus of psychology, California State University, Chico; author, Emotional Eating.

Wurtman, R. Scientific American, January 1989; vol 260: pp 68-75.

Corsica, J. Eating Behaviors, December 2008; vol. 9: pp 447-454.

Diet 911: After You Overindulge

2010-12-30T12:15:00.000-05:00

What to do after you've blown your calorie budget.

By Daphne Sashin

Holiday parties, gourmet meals, and celebratory dinners can easily get a little (or a lot) more decadent than you expected. Let’s face it: Everyone blows his or her calorie budget every now and then.

Do you need to worry? Is that old dieter’s saying, “a moment on the lips, forever on the hips” really true? And what should you do next?

WebMD asked medical experts, registered dieticians, and weight management specialists about the damage done by one-time splurges and their tips for getting back on track. Here’s what they recommend, whether you’re looking to maintain your weight or lose some extra pounds:

Relax (For a Moment)

The good news is, one meal is not going to ruin you if you eat sensibly and exercise regularly the rest of the time and get back to your routine, experts say. You need to eat 3,500 calories to gain one pound of body fat, so it’s unlikely that a single overindulgence will show up on the scale, experts say.

“We call these ‘taking time-outs,’ and we all take them,” says Rebecca S. Reeves, DrPH, RD, assistant professor at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. “No one is perfect in their eating habits. What we have to learn is that we are giving ourselves permission to do this, and as soon as it’s over, we should go back to the eating plan we normally follow. This does not give us permission to continue to overeat and binge.”

The problem is, overeating is not a one-time affair for most Americans, says cardiologist Allen Dollar, MD, chief of cardiology at Grady Memorial Hospital and assistant professor of medicine at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta.

“Most people overeat somewhere between 500 and 1,500 calories every single day,” Dollar says. “If they don’t consciously think about their dietary intake every day, they will be overweight.”

Don’t Beat Yourself Up

Too many dieters throw in the towel after a splurge, says Kathleen M. Laquale, PhD, a licensed nutritionist, athletic trainer, and associate professor at Bridgewater State University in Massachusetts.

“You may feel defeated and say, ‘Oh I blew my diet, and I’ll just eat the whole Christmas season and the heck with it,” Laquale says. “When you do overindulge, don’t be self-deprecating. You overeat for one day; let’s get back on track again. Let’s be more conscious of our portion sizes the next day.”

Think of Your Diet Over the Course of Several Days

It’s typical to eat more sensibly during the week and take in more calories on the weekend, says Joan Salge Blake, MS, RD, clinical associate professor at Boston University.

So if you eat more calories than you should at a party on a weeknight, consider that one of your “weekend” days and compensate for it accordingly.

“In other words, you had a party on a Tuesday, and that party was quite fun and it almost became like a Saturday,” Salge Blake says. “Just make sure that the days that come after that festive occasion reflect more of the structured Monday-through-Thursday eating pattern, rather than the weekend.”

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Resume Sensible Eating

You may be tempted to compensate for the extra calories by skipping meals the next day. But skipping breakfast or lunch will only leave you hungry and at risk for pigging out later.

Salge Blake recommends cutting back throughout the day with a series of small meals packed with fiber-rich fruits and vegetables:

Wait until you’re hungry. Then have a light breakfast such as a bowl of low-fat yogurt and berries.

Mid-morning snack: A piece of fruit and an ounce of low-fat cheese

Lunch: A big salad with lean protein such as fish or chicken, or a whole-wheat pita pocket with lettuce and tuna or turkey

Afternoon snack: A cup of vegetable soup and an orange

Dinner: A piece of fish and plenty of vegetables

Skip the Scale

After a feast, your weight is bound to be inflated. That’s not because of an increase in body fat, but because of water retention brought on by the excess salt you likely ate.

Weighing yourself will only make you feel defeated. Salge Blake tells clients to weigh themselves on Fridays, when they’re likely to weigh their lowest.

Stick to Your Normal Exercise Routine

Compensating for the extra calories by over-exercising will leave you burned out or worse, Laquale says.

“If you overload and do more than your regular routine, you could strain a muscle, you could hurt a joint. So muscle soreness may set in. Then you can’t exercise,” she says. “So now we’re into your third day, and you’re tight all over and you’re still feeling down because you overate, so it creates a vicious cycle.”

Track What You Eat

Setting a caloric goal for the day and recording what you eat keeps you conscious of what you’re eating, Dollar says. There are many calorie-counting web sites and mobile applications to choose from, including WebMD’s Food & Fitness Planner.

The only way to win the game “is to be meticulous about your total calories for the week,” Dollar says. “If you don’t stay on top of things, you’ll slowly and subtly lose the battle. You have to be conscious every time your hand goes from a plate to your mouth.”

SOURCES:

Rebecca S. Reeves, DrPH, RD, assistant professor, Baylor College of Medicine.

Allen Dollar MD, chief of cardiology, Grady Memorial Hospital; assistant professor of medicine, Emory University School of Medicine.

Kathleen M. Laquale, PhD, licensed nutritionist; athletic trainer; associate professor, Bridgewater State University.

Joan Salge Blake, MS, RD, clinical associate professor, Boston University

Beyond Dieting: Alternative Approaches to Weight Loss

2010-12-28T11:42:00.000-05:00

How acupuncture, hypnosis, meditation, prayer, and other mind-body practices may help you lose weight.

By Shahreen Abedin

To lose weight, some people look beyond diet and exercise. Would methods like hypnosis, acupuncture, meditation, prayer, and traditional Eastern methods help budge the pounds?

Perhaps. But if you want to ditch diet and exercise altogether, think again.

“The bottom line is to be more active and consume less calories,” says Elisabetta Politi, MPH, RD, LDN, CDE, nutrition director at the Duke Diet and Fitness Center in Durham, N.C. “There is no magic bullet for solving your weight loss problem."

So the basics will always be eating right and exercising.

But there is a "third part, the mind-body aspect, you need to make sure you're not missing out on," says Wendy Kohatsu, MD, an integrative medicine specialist and assistant clinical professor of family and clinical medicine at the University of California, San Francisco.

Most complementary approaches don't have much research showing how well they work for weight loss. Some are tricky to test by Western standards, and not enough studies have been done to determine effectiveness.

Here's what you need to know before you consider trying these methods.

Acupuncture

One of the best-known branches of traditional Chinese medicine, acupuncture aims to remove blockages in the flow of your qi, or life force.

Practitioners do this by sticking very thin metal needles into strategic points on the skin. Qi is thought to circulate throughout the body and balance out spiritual, emotional, mental, and physical health.

In 2007, about 3 million U.S. adults reported using acupuncture in the previous year, especially for back pain, nausea, depression, and arthritis.

Weight loss isn't a traditional acupuncture goal, says Victor Sierpina, MD, an acupuncturist, holistic medicine expert, and family doctor at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, Texas.

But some aspects of acupuncture seem particularly useful in losing weight, Sierpina says.

Acupuncture may help you relax. That's useful if you eat because you're stressed or depressed

Acupuncture is generally safe when done by a competent practitioner. The cost -- typically $50-$85 per session -- can be pricey, Sierpina says.

Acupressure

Like acupuncture, acupressure targets certain points on the body. But it's done with pressure from the fingers or other devices, not needle sticks.

In 2007, a small study lasting six months showed that people using one form of acupressure lost about 2.5 pounds more than those who went to a support group. But more research is needed for experts to support acupressure as an effective weight loss method.

You can learn to do acupressure yourself, and it can even be learned from a book or video, Sierpina says.

Ayurveda

A form of traditional Indian medicine, Ayurveda strives for harmony and balance between body, mind, and spirit. In modern India, Ayurveda is still widely used, though not exclusively.

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A key to Ayurveda is developing your “dosha,” or “life force” profile. The three doshas are called kapha, pitta, and vata. Your dosha balance is based on your eating habits, behaviors, lifestyle, and medical history.

For weight loss, an ayurvedic practitioner will probably try to rebalance your doshas through your diet. For example, kaphas may be told to switch to leaner proteins and trim calories for better harmony.

Ayurveda is a highly personalized method that requires careful guidance by an experienced practitioner. So be sure to ask about background and training, Sierpina says.

Also, be careful about any herbal supplements prescribed. Choose only high-quality products to avoid dangerous contaminants and heavy metals. And tell your mainstream doctor about any supplements you take.

Mindfulness and Meditation

Meditation and mindfulness have a lot in common. And they can both help with your eating.

Mindfulness is a nonjudgmental way of paying attention to the present moment.

For weight loss, mindfulness includes noticing when you're hungry and full, so you don’t eat out of automatic patterns, Hecht says.

Try it. Study a piece of food intensely before putting it in your mouth. Then eat it very slowly, paying close attention to the taste, texture, and how your body responds as you eat.

That's very different from eating food on the run, disconnected from your feelings.

When you're mindful, you might even notice that you're not all that hungry, or that you're satisfied sooner than you think. That may help you not overindulge.

“There is strong weight loss evidence that eating slowly and mindfully helps you eat less, even without meditation,” Politi says.

Meditation is about focusing your attention -- often on your breath, thoughts and feelings, or mantra.

People use meditation to deal with anxiety, pain, depression, stress, sleep problems, and just to feel better. A 2007 study showed that more than 9% of American adults had meditated in the previous year.

Frederick Hecht, MD, researches meditation and mindful eating. “Based on our preliminary research, we do think both mindfulness and meditation may assist people in losing weight, especially in maintaining weight loss, but it would have to be in combination with diet and exercise,” says Hecht, the research director at the Osher Center for Integrative Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco.

Meditation and mindfulness are easy to learn. It may help to take some classes, but once you know how, they cost nothing to practice and can be done anywhere.

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Qi Gong

Qi gong, a Chinese form of meditation, has shown some early success in weight loss and is being studied further.

The practice includes gentle movements to help stimulate digestion and mental exercises to learn how your body works best, in terms of energy, sleep, and activity.

“As you become more in tuned with what your body needs, you get more from what you eat, so you eat less,” says Alex Holland, MAc, LAc, president and co-founder of the Asian Institute of Medical Studies in Tucson.

Holland stresses finding a reputable instructor and using qi gong to complement a regular weight loss program.

Hypnosis

The research is still scarce, but there is some evidence that hypnosis might help you lose extra weight when used with diet and exercise.

Studies have shown an average of about 6 pounds of weight loss through hypnosis, according to the Mayo Clinic.

“You learn to focus your concentration and enter a state of inner absorption, like a trance,” says mind-body psychologist and clinical hypnotherapist Steven Gurgevich, PhD, author of The Self-Hypnosis Diet.

Combining hypnotic suggestions with other mind-body methods -- such as affirmations, visualizations, and mentally rehearsing how you will approach food and exercise -- can train you to make those changes, Gurgevich says.

“Effective self-hypnosis relies on being highly motivated, and on believing it’s going to help you,” says Gurgevich, , a clinical associate professor of medicine at the Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine at the University of Arizona College of Medicine.

It takes consistent effort. People practice at least twice a day for about 20 minutes for a few months before seeing results, Gurgevich says.

Some people might require extensive work with a licensed hypnotherapist to get past certain barriers, like past psychological traumas. But after learning the techniques, most people practice self-hypnosis on their own or with a CD for guidance.

Gurgevich recommends finding a medical professional trained to treat your specific condition who also practices clinical hypnotherapy.

Prayer

Popular faith-based weight loss books include The Weigh Down Diet, The Hallelujah Diet, The Prayer Diet, and The Maker’s Diet.

Some of them suggest that spiritual hunger is often mistaken for physical hunger, and encourage people to turn to God, rather than food, to ease their emotional pain.

Many of these programs focus on your mental and emotional relationship to food, hunger, and feeling full -- and on how you relate to a higher power.

Some faith-based weight programs take a relaxed attitude toward eating, instead emphasizing your spiritual side. Others tout stricter regimens, like vegan diets or 40-day diet plans.

“Prayer can be a contemplative, peaceful event to help you control your life emotionally. Like meditation, it’s a great way to tune out mental noise and use your inner resources for positive reinforcement,” says Roberta Lee, MD, vice chairwoman of the integrative medicine department at New York City’s Beth Israel Medical Center.

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Many faith-based weight loss programs include support groups. Those can help, Lee says.

“As long as a program uses a reasonable plan that’s not extreme, I can imagine a prayer-based weight loss program can work,” says Lee, author of The Superstress Solution.

But such programs, Lee says, still need diet and exercise as their backbone.

Her advice: If this type of program appeals to you, look for one that encourages you and makes you feel more centered, and be wary of those that judge or shun people who fall off the wagon.

SOURCES:

Barnes P. National Health Statistics Reports; December 2008; pp 1-24.

Elder, C. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, January/February 2007; vol 13: pp 67-78.

Sharpe, P. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, March 2007; vol 13: pp 217-222.

CDC: 2007 National Health Interview Survey.

Steven Gurgevich, PhD, clinical associate professor of medicine, Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine, University of Arizona College of Medicine; mind-body psychologist; clinical hypnotherapist, Sabino Canyon Integrative Medicine, LLC; co-author, The Self-Hypnosis Diet.

Frederick Hecht, MD, research director, professor of medicine, Osher Center for Integrative Medicine, University of California, San Francisco.

Alex Holland, MAc, LAc, president, co-founder, Asian Institute of Medical Studies, Tucson, Arizona.

Wendy Kohatsu, MD, assistant clinical professor of family and clinical medicine at University of California, San Francisco; director, Integrative Medicine Fellowship, Santa Rosa Family Medicine Residency program; chef, Santa Rosa, California.

Roberta Lee, MD, vice chairwoman, Department of Integrative Medicine, Beth Israel Medical Center, New York, NY; integrative medicine specialist at the Continuum Center for Health and Healing at New York City’s Beth Israel Medical Center; author, The Superstress Solution.

Elisabetta Politi, MPH, RD, LDN, CDE, nutrition director, Duke Diet and Fitness Center, Durham, North Carolina.

Victor Sierpina, MD, acupuncturist, holistic medicine expert, WD and Laura Nell Nicholson Family Professor of Integrative Medicine, University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) in Galveston, Texas; founding diplomat, American Board of Integrative and Holistic Medicine; author, The Healthy Gut Workbook.

FDA.

Mayo Clinic: "Is Hypnosis Effective for Weight Loss?"

National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine: “Ayurvedic Medicine: An Introduction.”

National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine: “Meditation: An Introduction.”

National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine: “Traditional Chinese Medicine: An Introduction.”

The Deadliest Diets: Study ID's 2 Eating Patterns That Make Older Adults Die Sooner

2010-12-27T12:29:00.000-05:00

By Daniel J. DeNoon

Dec. 22, 2010 -- Two specific eating patterns increase the risk of death for older adults, a 10-year study finds.

Compared to people who ate healthy foods, men and women in their 70s had a 40% higher risk of death if they got most of their calories from high-fat dairy foods or from sweets and desserts.

University of Maryland researcher Amy L. Anderson, PhD, and colleagues monitored the eating patterns of 2,582 adults aged 70 to 79. They found that these diets fell into six patterns or clusters.

After adjusting for risk factors such as sex, age, race, education, physical activity, smoking, and total calories, "the High-Fat Dairy Products cluster and the Sweets and Desserts cluster still showed significantly higher risk of mortality than the Healthy Foods cluster," Anderson and colleagues found.

The six dietary patterns were:

Healthy Foods: Higher intake of low-fat dairy products, fruit, whole grains, poultry, fish, and vegetables. Lower intake of meat, fried foods, sweets, high-energy drinks, and added fat.

High-Fat Dairy Products: Higher intake of ice cream, cheese, and 2% and whole milk and yogurt. Lower intake of poultry, low-fat dairy products, rice, and pasta.

Sweets and Desserts: Higher intake of doughnuts, cake, cookies, pudding, chocolate, and candy. Lower intake of fruit, fish and other seafood, and dark green vegetables.

Meat, Fried Foods, and Alcohol: Higher intake of beer, liquor, fried chicken, mayonnaise/salad dressings, high-energy density drinks, nuts, snacks, rice/pasta dishes, and added fat. Lower intake of low-fat dairy products, fiber/bran breakfast cereal, and other breakfast cereal.

Breakfast Cereal: Higher intake of fiber/bran and other breakfast cereals (especially the latter). Low intake of nuts, refined grains, dark yellow vegetables, and dark green vegetables.

Refined Grains: Higher intake of refined grains (such as pancakes, waffles, breads, muffins, and cooked cereals such as oatmeal) and processed meat (such as bacon, sausage, ham, and other lunchmeats). Lower intake of liquor, breakfast cereals, and whole grains.

Several of the groups got an unusually large amount of their total calories from just one food group:

The sweets and desserts cluster got 25.8% of its total energy from sweets.

The refined grains cluster got 24.6% of its total energy from refined grains.

The breakfast cereal group got 19.3% of its total energy from cold cereals other than those full of fiber and bran.

The high-fat dairy products group got 17.1% of its total energy from higher-fat dairy foods.

Healthy Eaters Live Longest

Overall, people in the healthy foods cluster had more years of healthy life and a lower death rate than all other groups. Moreover, their blood tests came back with significantly more indicators of health than the other groups.

But not all of the study findings were so predictable.

"Unexpectedly, in this and in several other studies, a [dietary] pattern higher in red meat was not significantly associated with increased risk of mortality," Anderson and colleagues note.

It's also not entirely clear why the Meat, Fried Food, and Alcohol cluster didn't have a significantly higher death risk, as most diets warn people to limit or avoid such foods.

"In our study, the Meat, Fried Food, and Alcohol cluster did have a slightly higher percentage of total energy from vegetables, fruit, and whole grains than both the High-Fat Dairy Products and Sweets and Desserts clusters, which showed higher risk of mortality," Anderson and colleagues suggest.

This was by far the most common eating pattern seen in the study: 27% of participants were in the meat, fried food, and alcohol cluster. But Anderson and colleagues do not recommend such a diet.

Instead, they point to the fact that 14.5% of study participants were in the healthy foods cluster.

"Adherence to such a diet appears a feasible and realistic recommendation for potentially improved survival and quality of life in the growing older adult population," Anderson and colleagues conclude.

The study appears in the January 2011 issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association.

SOURCE:

Anderson, A.L. Journal of the American Dietetic Association, January 2011; vol 111: pp 84-91.

U.S. Spending Millions to See if Herbs Truly Work: Research aims to remove the mystery around popular dietary supplements

2010-12-24T10:33:00.000-05:00

By Dennis Thompson

HealthDay Reporter

THURSDAY, Dec. 16 (HealthDay News) -- People have been using herbal supplements for centuries to cure all manner of ills and improve their health. But for all the folk wisdom promoting the use of such plants as St. John's wort and black cohosh, much about their effect on human health remains unknown.

"A lot of these products are widely used by the consumer, and we don't have evidence one way or the other whether they are safe and effective," said Marguerite Klein, director of the Botanical Research Centers Program at the U.S. National Institutes of Health. "We have a long way to go. It's a big job."

In August, the U.S. National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine and the Office of Dietary Supplements awarded about $37 million in grants to five interdisciplinary and collaborative dietary supplement centers across the nation. The grants were part of a decade-long initiative that so far has awarded more than $250 million toward research to look into the safety and efficacy of health products made from the stems, seeds, leaves, bark and flowers of plants.

The increase has prompted some concern from doctors and health researchers. There are worries regarding the purity and consistency of supplements, which are not regulated as strictly as pharmaceutical drugs.

Some products contain less than the promoted amount of the supplement in question -- such as a 400-milligram capsule of echinacea containing just 250 milligrams of the herb. Other products are tainted by pesticides or heavy metals.

But even when someone takes a valid herbal supplement, it may not be as effective when taken as a pill or capsule rather than used in the manner of a folk remedy.

Researchers also are concerned that there just isn't a lot of evidence to support the health benefits said to be gained from herbal supplements. People may be misusing them, which can lead to poor health and potential interactions with prescription drugs.

Botanical research efforts that received recent federal funding include:

•Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge, La., to investigate how supplements such as artemisia and St. John's wort can reduce a person's chances of developing metabolic syndrome.

•University of Illinois at Chicago, to examine how the body processes herbal supplements.

•University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, to investigate the safety and efficacy of such botanical estrogens as wild yam, soy and dong quai, and particularly their potential to contribute to cancer in women.

•University of Missouri, Columbia, to look at the molecular pathways used by supplements such as garlic and elderberry to affect human health.

•Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center, Winston-Salem, N.C., to study the potential of botanical oils to boost the immune system and reduce inflammation.

Despite the concerns of the medical community, researchers believe there are a lot of valid health benefits that can be derived from botanical supplements. These benefits just need to be proven in the lab.

To read the entire story, go to:

http://consumer.healthday.com/Article.asp?AID=644082

Kids' Diets Rarely Mimic Their Parents' By Brenda Goodman

2010-12-20T12:49:00.000-05:00

Dec. 10, 2010 -- A new study suggests that parents have minimal sway over their children's diets.

The review, which flouts conventional wisdom and previous research, takes a new look at studies of family eating habits published since 1980 and finds little similarity between the diets of children and their parents.

"This result contradicts other studies," says Marion Nestle, PhD, MPH, a professor of nutrition and sociology at New York University, who was not involved in the current research.

Nestle says previous work has found that parents have a good deal of influence over what their kids eat, but that the degree of influence lessens as kids move into their tweens and teens.

"If it's little kids, parents have plenty of influence. High school? Forget it. Peer pressure is overwhelming," Nestle says.

Still, she thinks the study, which is published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, may have captured an important shift in how children make choices about what to eat.

"It's certainly true that advertisers have penetrated the consciousness of even very young children, as any parent of a 2-year-old can attest," Nestle says. "The very purpose of marketing to children is to convince kids that they are supposed to eat 'kids' food,' not what their parents eat, and that they know more about what they are supposed to eat than their parents do. So if this study is correct, they are succeeding."

Kids, Parents, and Eating Habits

The authors of the new review, who were from Johns Hopkins University and the National Institutes of Health, combed the scientific literature for studies that assessed the diets of parents and their children from January 1980 through September 2009. Only 24 were deemed to be strong enough to be included.

The reviewers point out that many of the studies were small, which may weaken the statistical power of the results, and that the conclusions of the individual studies varied considerably.

When taken together, though, researchers say it appears that kids eat the same percent of recommended daily calories and fat as their parents only about 20% of the time.

"It was a weak to moderate association," says May A. Beydoun, PhD, staff scientist at the National Institute on Aging in Baltimore, who co-authored the study.

Beydoun thinks several factors probably contributed to the results.

"It's possible that there are only one or two shared meals with parents each day, especially if kids are eating at school, and that has an effect, or that parents who are trying to save money are giving their kids different foods than they eat," Beydoun says, "or because of the increasing influence of marketing that kids are making more of their own food choices."

The study's authors also found that children eat more like their parents in other countries, particularly non-European ones. A study in Brazil, for example, found that kids eat like their mothers do about 40% of the time.

Expert Opinions

But other nutrition experts said they were perplexed by the conclusions of the review.

"I'm a little surprised, actually," says Susan H. Babey, PhD, a research scientist for the Center for Health Policy Research at the University of California at Los Angeles. She published a policy brief in 2009 that found that teenagers were more likely to copy either the good or bad nutrition habits of their parents.

"It does make me wonder what's causing the difference in these findings," Babey says.

Her paper found, for instance, that adolescents whose parents drink soda daily were 40% more likely to drink it themselves compared to kids whose parents did not drink soda. And children whose parents ate at least five daily servings of fruits and vegetables were at least 16% more likely get their recommended amounts, compared to children whose parents didn't eat at least five servings of those foods.

"Our data suggests, and it's my own personal belief as a parent that I have some control over what my kids eat. I'm not really sure how to reconcile the two," she says.

And other experts cautioned that it is very difficult to make any assessments about how kids eat compared to their parents, largely because of the difficulty of getting kids to accurately remember the details of meals and snacks.

But even with questions about the reliability of the data, they say the study's conclusions rang true.

"I'm doing a large childhood obesity study, and we were just talking about this the other day, how kids don't eat like their parents," says Kerri N. Boutelle, PhD, associate professor of pediatrics at the University of California at San Diego, who was not involved with the study.

"My 9-year-old daughter is eating a peanut butter sandwich for lunch, and I'm having a salad," Boutelle says. "And kids eat the same things over and over again, while adults won't. So I'd say no, kids don't really eat like their parents, especially as they get older."

SOURCES: Marion Nestle, PhD, MPH, professor of nutrition and sociology, New York University.Babey, Susan, PhD, research scientist, University of California, Los Angeles.May Beydoun, PhD, staff scientist, National Institute on Aging.Kerri Boutelle, PhD, associate professor of pediatrics, University of California, San Diego.Susan H. Babey, PhD, research scientist, Center for Health Policy Research, University of California, Los Angeles.Da Veiga, G. Nutrition Research, October 2006; vol 26: pp 517-523.Wang, Y. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, published online Nov. 4, 2010.

Diabetes and Weight Loss: Finding the Right Path By Jeanie Lerche Davis

2010-12-17T14:08:00.000-05:00

There's no question about it: If you're overweight and have type 2 diabetes, dropping pounds lowers your blood sugar, improves your health, and helps you feel better.

But before you start a diabetes weight loss plan, it's important to work closely with your doctor or diabetes educator - because while you're dieting, your blood sugar, insulin, and medications need special attention.

Make no mistake -- you're on the right path. "No matter how heavy you are, you will significantly lower your blood sugar if you lose some weight," says Cathy Nonas, MS, RD, a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association and a professor at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City.

A National Institutes of Health study found that a combination of diet and exercise cuts the risk of developing diabetes by 58%. The study involved people who were overweight (average body mass index of 34) and who had high -- but not yet diabetic -- blood sugar levels.

"We know it's true -- that if someone with diabetes loses 5% to 10% of their weight, they will significantly reduce their blood sugar," Nonas tells WebMD.

"We see it all the time: people can get off their insulin and their medication," she says. "It's wonderful. It shows you how interwoven obesity and diabetes are."

Even losing 10 or 15 pounds has health benefits, says the American Diabetes Association. It can:

Lower blood sugar

Reduce blood pressure

Improve cholesterol levels

Lighten the stress on hips, knees, ankles, and feet

Plus, you'll probably have more energy, get around easier, and breathe easier.

On a Diabetes Weight Loss Plan, Watch for Changes in Blood Sugar

Cutting back on just one meal can affect the delicate balance of blood sugar, insulin, and medication in your body. So it's important to work with an expert when you diet.

Check with your doctor before starting a diabetes weight loss plan, then consult with a diabetes educator or nutritionist, advises Larry C. Deeb, MD, a diabetes specialist in Tallahassee, Fla. and president-elect of the American Diabetes Association.

"Don't try to lose weight on your own," says Deeb. "With a doctor and a good nutritionist, it's very safe to do. This is very important if you're taking insulin or medications."

Go for the Right Balance in a Diabetes Weight Loss Plan

Christine Gerbstadt, MD, a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association, warns: "You don't want to run the risk of high or low blood sugar while you're dieting," she tells WebMD. "You want tight glucose control while you lose weight."

Gerbstadt suggests cutting 500 calories a day, "which is safe for someone with diabetes," she says. "Cut calories across the board -- from protein, carbohydrates, and fat -- that's the best way." She recommends that people with diabetes maintain a healthy ratio of carbs, fat, and protein. The ideal:

50% to 55% carbs

30% fat

10% to 15% protein

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For people with diabetes, a refresher course on carbs may also be in order, Gerbstadt says.

That's because carbs have the biggest effect on blood sugar, since they are broken down into sugar early in digestion. Eating complex carbs (whole-grain bread and vegetables, for example) is good because they are absorbed more slowly into the bloodstream, cutting the risk of blood sugar spikes, Gerbstadt explains.

"Worst case scenario is sliced white bread," she says. "Whole-wheat bread is an improvement. Adding a little peanut butter is even better."

Simply cutting lots of carbs -- a common dieting strategy -- can be dangerous, Gerbstadt says. When your body doesn't have carbs to burn for fuel, your metabolism changes into what's known as ketosis -- and fat is burned instead. You'll feel less hungry, and eat less than you usually do -- but long-term ketosis can cause health problems.

"Ketosis decreases oxygen delivery to the tissues, which puts stress on eyes, kidneys, heart, liver," Gerbstadt says. "That's why the low-carb, high-protein Atkins diet is not really safe for people with diabetes. Diabetics need to try to stick with a more balanced diet so your body can handle nutrients without going into ketosis."

Special Challenges when Following a Diabetes Weight Loss Plan

"For anyone, losing weight is challenging enough," Luigi Meneghini, MD, tells WebMD. Meneghini is director of the Kosnow Diabetes Treatment Center at the University of Miami School of Medicine. "For people who inject insulin, it's even more difficult because they have to eat when they have low blood sugar. When you have to reduce calorie intake, prevent overmedication, and eat to correct your low blood sugar, it's very challenging."

Indeed, both low and high blood sugar levels are the two big concerns for people with diabetes.

Low Blood Sugar (hypoglycemia) occurs when the amount of insulin in the body is higher than your body needs. In its earliest stages, low blood sugar causes confusion, dizziness, and shakiness. In its later stages, it can be very dangerous -- possibly causing fainting, even coma.

Low blood sugar is common when people lose weight because cutting calories and weight loss itself affect blood sugar levels. If you don't reduce your insulin dosage or pills to match new blood sugar levels, you'll be risking high blood sugar.

High Blood Sugar (hyperglycemia) can develop when your body's insulin level is too low to control blood sugar. This happens when people on insulin or sugar-lowering medications don't take the correct dose or follow their diet.

The Effects of Exercise on Diabetes

One of the benefits of exercise is that it helps keep your blood sugar in balance, so you won't have to cut as many calories.

"Walk an extra 20 minutes a day, and you can eat a little bit more," Gerbstadt explains, and instead of cutting 500 calories, "you can cut back just 200 or 300 calories, and still get excellent results in weight loss. You'll also control your blood sugar. And the weight will be more likely to stay off if you lose it slowly, safely."

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Keep in mind: Each type of exercise affects blood sugar differently.

Aerobic exercise -- running or a treadmill workout -- can lower your blood sugar immediately.

Weight lifting or prolonged strenuous exercise may affect your blood sugar level many hours later. This can be a problem, especially when you're driving a car. It is one of the many reasons that you should check your blood sugar before driving. It's also a good idea to carry snacks such as fruit, crackers, juice, and soda in the car.

"With physical activity, you burn blood sugar as well as sugar stored in muscle and in the liver," explains Meneghini. "People using insulin or medications to simulate release of insulin should closely monitor blood sugar levels when they begin exercising more. Over time, as you exercise regularly, you can reduce doses of medications and insulin."

Getting Started on Your Diabetes Weight Loss Plan

Losing weight is never easy. That's where a diabetes educator or a nutritionist can help, advises Deeb A diabetes educator or nutritionist can develop a program that fits you and your lifestyle -- a program with realistic goals, he says.

"You will need a meal plan, one that you can follow every day. You'll need to know how to alter your insulin and medication based on what you're eating and whether you're exercising more," Deeb tells WebMD. "That's the safest way to lose weight."

A consultation with a diabetes educator or dietitian/nutritionist can cost from $60-$70. Typically, insurance covers the first two visits, but may not cover additional visits, says Meneghini.

Reasonably priced diabetes support groups and classes are available, frequently through hospitals. Ask your doctor or physician assistant for recommendations.

There are also diabetes web sites with in-depth exercise and weight loss information, including:

American Diabetes Association at http://www.diabetes.org

National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) http://diabetes.niddk.nih.gov/

"Information is power, and the better informed you are, the better decisions you can make," says Meneghini.

SOURCES: Cathy Nonas, MS, RD, spokeswoman, American Dietetic Association. Christine Gerbstadt, MD, MPH, RD, LDN, spokeswoman, American Dietetic Association. Luigi Meneghini, MD, director, Kosnow Diabetes Treatment Center at the University of Miami School of Medicine. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases: "Taking Care of Your Diabetes at Special Times." Larry C. Deeb, MD, president-elect, American Diabetes Association. WebMD Medical News: "How to Avoid Diabetes -- Landmark Results Unveiled." American Diabetes Association: "Healthy Weight Loss." WebMD Medical Reference provided in collaboration with the Cleveland Clinic: "Diabetes." WebMD Medical Reference provided in collaboration with the Cleveland Clinic: "Weight Loss."

The Truth Behind More Holiday Heart Attacks By Katherine Kam

2010-12-16T09:40:00.000-05:00

Why cardiac problems spike during the holidays and how to stay heart healthy.

Your heart may leap with delight at the electronic gizmo or emerald bracelet that you’ve just unwrapped from under the Christmas tree. But you can’t say the same for that nasty holiday surprise known as the “Merry Christmas coronary” or “Happy Hanukkah heart attack.”

For many years, researchers have been intrigued by a disturbing pattern: Deadly heart attacks increase during the winter holiday season. One study even found distinct spikes around Christmas and New Year’s Day.

“We certainly know that there are certain risk factors for coronary artery disease. There’s obviously smoking, hypertension, dyslipidemia [high cholesterol], diabetes, lack of exercise, and age,” says Robert A. Kloner, MD, PhD, a researcher at Good Samaritan Hospital in Los Angeles and a professor at the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California.

“But we’re also learning that there are certain triggers for cardiovascular events,” he adds, “including time of the year and seasons. If we can get a true handle on the seasonal variation, we could knock down death from coronary disease.”

Heart Attack Weather?

Coronary artery disease stems from atherosclerosis, a condition in which fatty plaques narrow the arteries to the heart. When a plaque ruptures, it can trigger a blood clot that leads to a heart attack.

In a national 2004 study published in Circulation, researchers at the University of California, San Diego, and Tufts University School of Medicine examined 53 million U.S. death certificates from 1973 to 2001. They discovered an overall increase of 5% more heart-related deaths during the holiday season. When researchers looked at individual years, they found varying increases in cardiac deaths for every holiday period they studied, except two.

Doctors have long known that cold weather is hard on the heart. Blood vessels constrict, which raises blood pressure. Blood also clots more readily. Frigid temperatures increase strain on the heart, and too much physical exertion can worsen the burden and trigger a heart attack. For example, doctors have treated many patients whose heart attacks followed strenuous snow shoveling.

Holiday Heart Attack Triggers

But cold extremes don’t really explain why fatal heart attacks peak on Christmas and New Year’s Day, especially among the most rapidly stricken patients. According to the Circulation study, “The number of cardiac deaths is higher on Dec. 25 than on any other day of the year, second highest on Dec. 26, and third highest on Jan. 1.”

Adding to the mystery, why do holiday heart attacks shoot up consistently across the country, even in balmy climes such as Los Angeles, where winter weather stays mild and no one ever wields a snow shovel?

In Kloner’s own research, he found one-third more coronary artery disease deaths in December and January than in June through September during a 12-year period in Los Angeles County.

In the Circulation study, researchers suggested people might delay getting treatment because they don’t want to disrupt Christmas and New Year’s festivities. Kloner, who did not participate in this study, agrees. “People just tend to put off seeking medical help during the holidays. They tend to wait till afterwards, which I think is a mistake,” he says. Or holiday travelers might take longer to find competent medical care, which heightens the risk. Also, hospitals may be short-staffed on major holidays.

Kloner believes other factors may play a role, such as emotional stress and overindulgence. During the holidays, legions of Americans eat too much and drink more alcohol -- while ditching their exercise routine. Needless to say, this combo isn’t healthy for the heart. “People tend to gain weight during the holiday season and take in more salt, which can put additional stress on a weakened heart,” according to Kloner.

Preventing Holiday Heart Attacks

While researchers are still trying to pinpoint the exact reasons for the Christmas coronary, Kloner recommends these common-sense measures during this special time of year:

Pile on the layers. Try to avoid exposure to very cold temperatures. Dress warmly.

Take a load off. Steer clear of heart stressors, including too much physical exertion (especially snow shoveling), anger, and emotional stress.

Make good choices. Avoid excess salt and alcohol. Too much drinking -- for example, binge drinking -- can lead to atrial fibrillation, an abnormal heart rhythm in which disorganized electrical signals cause the heart’s two upper chambers to contract irregularly. Atrial fibrillation increases the risk of stroke, heart attack, and heart failure.

Get a shot. Consider getting a flu vaccination. Infection and fever put extra stress on the heart.

Breathe. Go indoors during air pollution alerts but try to avoid breathing smoke from wood-burning fireplaces. If you’re visiting another home during the holidays, sit as far away as you can from a burning fireplace. Ultra-fine particles in the air can be bad for the heart.

Get help. If you feel chest pain or other symptoms, call 911 for emergency help. The stakes are high. So give yourself and your family a gift this season. Don’t postpone treatment because you don’t want to spoil the holiday merrymaking.

SOURCES:

Robert A. Kloner, MD, PhD, researcher with Good Samaritan Hospital in Los Angeles; professor at the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California.

Phillips, D.P. et al., Circulation. 2004; 110:3781-3788.

Kloner, R.A. “Circulation. 2004;110:3744-3745.

National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute: “What Is Atrial Fibrillation?”

Foods That May Worsen Pollen Allergies By Neil Osterweil

2010-12-15T12:13:00.000-05:00

What do yet get when you cross a cantaloupe with a ragweed plant, or an apple with a birch tree? An itchy mouth.

For many people with hay fever, eating cantaloupe can cause itching or hives in their mouths. Eating uncooked apples may do the same to people with birch pollen allergy.

They have oral allergy syndrome. So do up to a third of pollen allergy patients, notes the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, & Immunology (AAAAI).

Most cases are mild. But some can be an early warning sign of a serious or even life-threatening allergic reaction called anaphylaxis.

Oral Allergy Syndrome: What Happens

You can blame oral allergy syndrome on the immune system trying a little too hard to protect the body.

In hay fever (seasonal allergies), the immune system treats certain inhaled pollen proteins as foreign invaders. It prompts sneezing, runny nose, watery or itchy eyes, and other unpleasant symptoms to flush the intruder out of the body.

In oral allergy syndrome, the immune system treats proteins similar to those in pollen that are sometimes found in fruits or vegetables the same way. It's as if it says, “Close enough!” and attacks it. That's called cross-reactivity.

Foods to Watch Out For

Here are foods that may have proteins that cross-react with pollen proteins:

Ragweed Allergy: “Ragweed, in theory, cross-reacts with bananas and melons, so people with ragweed allergies may react to honeydew, cantaloupe, and watermelons, or tomatoes,” says Warren V. Filley MD, from the Oklahoma Allergy & Asthma Clinic in Oklahoma City.

Zucchini, sunflower seeds, dandelions, chamomile tea, and echinacea also go on that list, notes the AAAAI's web site.

Birch Pollen Allergy: People with birch pollen allergies may react to kiwi, apples, pears, peaches, kiwi, plums, coriander, fennel, parsley, celery, cherries, carrots, hazelnuts, and almonds.

Grass Allergy: People with grass allergy may react to "peaches, celery, tomatoes, melons, and oranges," the AAAAI states.

Latex Rubber Allergy: Like pollen allergy, people allergic to latex rubber may react to "bananas, avocados, kiwi, chestnut, and papaya," the AAAAI states.

Hannelore A. Brucker, MD, of the Southdale Allergy & Asthma Clinic in Minneapolis, often asks her allergy patients about possible oral symptoms.

“I ask if they have itching in the mouth when they eat apple, and if they say 'No' and then I see a skin test and it’s high-positive for birch, I ask again,” Brucker tells WebMD.

Oral sensitivity tends to develop over time, with repeated exposures to inhaled pollens. Brucker says most of her patients with oral allergy syndrome are in their 20s and 30s.

Filley's advice: See a board-certified allergist. "It could be oral allergy or could be something more serious," Filley says.

You may get a skin-prick test. A bit of the suspected trigger goes on a light scratch on your back or forearm. If that spot turns red or swells in about 15 minutes, it's an allergic reaction.

Next, the doctor has to analyze the problem. Either this is mainly oral allergy and not to worry, or this could be more serious and [you need to] take more precautions, such as carry epinephrine with you," Filley says.

A recent study shows that in about 2% of patients with oral allergy syndrome, oral allergy symptoms could progress to anaphylactic shock, a serious reaction that could be deadly without immediate treatment such as an epinephrine shot.

Treating by Not Eating Trigger Foods

The basic rule: If a food makes you uncomfortable, don’t eat it!

Cooking may help. It often breaks down or alters the trigger proteins so that the immune system doesn't target them.

Peeling fruits such as apples may also help some people, because most trigger proteins are in the peel. Canning also breaks down those proteins, so canned fruit may be an option.

SOURCES:

Hannelore A. Brucker, MD, Southdale Allergy & Asthma Clinic, Minneapolis.

Warren V. Filley, MD, Oklahoma Allergy & Asthma Clinic, Oklahoma City.

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology.

Webber. C.. The Annals of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, February 2010; vol 104: pp 101-182.

Healthy Eating: Easy Tips for Planning a Healthy Diet and Sticking to It

2010-12-13T14:24:00.000-05:00

By Gina Kemp, M.A., Maya W. Paul, Certified Holistic Health Counselor, and Robert Segal, M.A.

Healthy eating is not about strict nutrition philosophies, staying unrealistically thin, or depriving yourself of the foods you love. Rather, it’s about feeling great, having more energy, and keeping yourself as healthy as possible– all of which can be achieved by learning some nutrition basics and using them in a way that works for you.

Healthy eating begins with learning how to “eat smart”—it’s not just what you eat, but how you eat. Your food choices can reduce your risk of illnesses such as heart disease, cancer, and diabetes, as well as defend against depression. Additionally, learning the habits of healthy eating can improve your health by boosting your energy, sharpening your memory and stabilizing your mood. Expand your range of healthy food choices and learn how to plan ahead to create and maintain a satisfying, healthy diet.

Healthy eating tip 1: Set yourself up for success

To set yourself up for success, think about planning a healthy diet as a number of small, manageable steps rather than one big drastic change. If you approach the changes gradually and with commitment, you will have a healthy diet sooner than you think.

* Simplify. Instead of being overly concerned with counting calories or measuring portion sizes, think of your diet in terms of color, variety and freshness—then it should be easier to make healthy choices. Focus on finding foods you love and easy recipes that incorporate a few fresh ingredients. Gradually, your diet will become healthier and more delicious.

* Start slow and make changes to your eating habits over time. Trying to make your diet healthy overnight isn’t realistic or smart. Changing everything at once usually leads to cheating or giving up on your new eating plan. Make small steps, like adding a salad (full of different color vegetables) to your diet once a day or switching from butter to olive oil when cooking. As your small changes become habit, you can continue to add more healthy choices to your diet.

* Every change you make to improve your diet matters. You don’t have to be perfect and you don’t have to completely eliminate foods you enjoy to have a healthy diet. The long term goal is to feel good, have more energy and reduce the risk of cancer and disease. Don’t let your missteps derail you—every healthy food choice you make counts.

Think of exercise as a food group in your diet.

Find something active that you like to do and add it to your day, just like you would add healthy greens, blueberries or salmon. The benefits of lifelong exercise are abundant and regular exercise may even motivate you to make healthy food choices a habit.

Healthy eating tip 2: Moderation is key

People often think of healthy eating as an all or nothing proposition, but a key foundation for any healthy diet is moderation. Despite what certain fad diets would have you believe, we all need a balance of carbohydrates, protein, fat, fiber, vitamins, and minerals to sustain a healthy body.

* Try not to think of certain foods as “off limits.” When you ban certain foods or food groups, it is natural to want those foods more, and then feel like a failure if you give in to temptation. If you are drawn towards sweet, salty or unhealthy foods, start by reducing portion sizes and not eating them as often. Later you may find yourself craving them less or thinking of them as only occasional indulgences.

* Think smaller portions. Serving sizes have ballooned recently, particularly in restaurants. When dining out, choose a starter instead of an entrée, split a dish with a friend, and don’t order supersized anything. At home, use smaller plates, think about serving sizes in realistic terms and start small. Visual cues can help with portion sizes—your serving of meat, fish or chicken should be the size of a deck of cards. A teaspoon of oil or salad dressing is about the size of a matchbook and your slice of bread should be the size of a CD case.

Healthy eating tip 3: It's not just what you eat, it's how you eat

Healthy eating is about more than the food on your plate—it is also about how you think about food. Healthy eating habits can be learned and it is important to slow down and think about food as nourishment rather than just something to gulp down in between meetings or on the way to pick up the kids.

* Eat with others whenever possible. Eating with other people has numerous social and emotional benefits—particularly for children—and allows you to model healthy eating habits. Eating in front of the TV or computer often leads to mindless overeating.

* Take time to chew your food and enjoy mealtimes. Chew your food slowly, savoring every bite. We tend to rush though our meals, forgetting to actually taste the flavors and feel the textures of what is in our mouths. Reconnect with the joy of eating.

* Listen to your body. Ask yourself if you are really hungry, or have a glass of water to see if you are thirsty instead of hungry. During a meal, stop eating before you feel full. It actually takes a few minutes for your brain to tell your body that it has had enough food, so eat slowly.

* Eat breakfast, and eat smaller meals throughout the day. A healthy breakfast can jumpstart your metabolism, and eating small, healthy meals throughout the day (rather than the standard three large meals) keeps your energy up and your metabolism going.

Healthy eating tip 4: Fill up on colorful fruits and vegetables

Eat a rainbow of fruits and vegetables every day—the brighter the better. Fruits and vegetables are the foundation of a healthy diet—they are low in calories and nutrient dense, which means they are packed with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fiber. Fruits and vegetables should be part of every meal and your first choice for a snack—aim for a minimum of five portions each day. The antioxidants and other nutrients in fruits and vegetables help protect against certain types of cancer and other diseases.

Eat a rainbow of fruits and vegetables every day—the brighter the better.

The brighter, deeper colored fruits and vegetables contain higher concentrations of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants—and different colors provide different benefits. Some great choices are:

* Greens: Greens are packed with calcium, magnesium, iron, potassium, zinc, vitamins A, C, E and K, and they help strengthen the blood and respiratory systems. Be adventurous with your greens and branch out beyond bright and dark green lettuce—kale, mustard greens, broccoli, Chinese cabbage are just a few of the options.

* Sweet vegetables: Naturally sweet vegetables add healthy sweetness to your meals and reduce your cravings for other sweets. Some examples of sweet vegetables are corn, carrots, beets, sweet potatoes or yams, winter squash, and onions.

* Fruit: A wide variety of fruit is also vital to a healthy diet. Fruit provides fiber, vitamins and antioxidants. Berries are cancer-fighting, apples provide fiber, oranges and mangos offer vitamin C, and so on.

Don’t forget to shop fresh and local whenever possible

The local farmer’s market, fruit stand or Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) group are great ways to get access to fresh, local produce. To find local growers, farmer's markets, and CSAs in your area, visit Local Harvest.

Avoid: Fruit juices, which can contain up to 10 teaspoons of sugar per cup; avoid or dilute with water. Canned fruit is often in sugary syrup, and dried fruit, while an excellent source of fiber, can be high in calories. Avoid fried veggies and those with dressings or sauces—too much unhealthy fat and calories.

Water—a vital part of a healthy diet

Water makes up about 75% of our bodies and helps flush our systems of waste products and toxins. Yet many people go through life dehydrated—causing tiredness, low energy and headaches.

Caffeinated beverages, in particular, actually cause the body to lose water. Fresh fruits and vegetables, on the other hand, contain plenty of water and can help with hydration, especially when you are looking for an alternative to your eighth glass of water for the day.

Healthy eating tip 5: Eat more healthy carbs and whole grains

Choose healthy carbohydrates and fiber sources, especially whole grains, for long lasting energy. In addition to being delicious and satisfying, whole grains are rich in phytochemicals and antioxidants, which help to protect against coronary heart disease, certain cancers, and diabetes. Studies have shown people who eat more whole grains tend to have a healthier heart.

A quick definition of healthy carbs and unhealthy carbs

Healthy carbs (sometimes known as good carbs) include whole grains, beans, fruits, and vegetables. Healthy carbs are digested slowly, helping you feel full longer and keeping blood sugar and insulin levels stable.

Unhealthy carbs (or bad carbs) are foods such as white flour, refined sugar and white rice that have been stripped of all bran, fiber and nutrients. Unhealthy carbs digest quickly and cause spikes in blood sugar levels and energy.

* Include a variety of whole grains in your healthy diet, including whole wheat, brown rice, millet, quinoa, and barley. Experiment with different grains to find your favorites.

* Make sure you're really getting whole grains. Be aware that the words stone-ground, multi-grain, 100% wheat, or bran, don’t necessarily mean that a product is whole grain. Look for the new Whole Grain Stamp. If there is no stamp look for the words “whole grain” or “100% whole wheat,” and check the ingredients.

* Try mixing grains as a first step to switching to whole grains. If whole grains, like brown rice and whole wheat pasta, don’t sound good at first, start by mixing what you normally use with the whole grains. You can gradually increase the whole grain to 100%.

Avoid: Refined grains such as breads, pastas, and breakfast cereals that are not whole grain.

Fiber: An essential component of a healthy diet

Dietary fiber, found in plant foods (fruit, vegetables and whole grains) is essential for maintaining a healthy digestive system. Fiber helps support a healthy diet by helping you feel full faster and for a longer amount of time, and keeping your blood sugar stable. A healthy diet contains approximately 20-30 grams of fiber a day, but most of us only get about half that amount.

The two types of fiber are soluble and insoluble.

* Soluble fiber can dissolve in water and can also help to lower blood fats and maintain blood sugar. Primary sources are beans, fruit and oat products.

* Insoluble fiber cannot dissolve in water, so it passes directly through the digestive system. It’s found in whole grain products and vegetables.

Healthy eating tip 6: Enjoy healthy fats & avoid unhealthy fats

Good sources of healthy fat are needed to nourish your brain, heart and cells, as well as your hair, skin, and nails. Foods rich in certain omega-3 fats called EPA and DHA are particularly important and can reduce cardiovascular disease, improve your mood and help prevent dementia.

Add to your healthy diet:

* Monounsaturated fats, from plant oils like canola oil, peanut oil, and olive oil, as well as avocados, nuts (like almonds, hazelnuts, and pecans) and seeds (such as pumpkin, sesame).

* Polyunsaturated fats, including Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids, found in fatty fish such as salmon, herring, mackerel, anchovies, sardines, and some cold water fish oil supplements. Other sources of polyunsaturated fats are unheated sunflower, corn, soybean, and flaxseed oils, and walnuts.

Reduce or eliminate from your diet:

* Saturated fats, found primarily in animal sources including red meat and whole milk dairy products.

* Trans fats, found in vegetable shortenings, some margarines, crackers, candies, cookies, snack foods, fried foods, baked goods, and other processed foods made with partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.

Healthy eating tip 7: Put protein in perspective

Sizzling Salmon Protein gives us the energy to get up and go—and keep going. Protein in food is broken down into the 20 amino acids that are the body’s basic building blocks for growth and energy, and essential for maintaining cells, tissues and organs. A lack of protein in our diet can slow growth, reduce muscle mass, lower immunity, and weaken the heart and respiratory system. Protein is particularly important for children, whose bodies are growing and changing daily.

Here are some guidelines for including protein in your healthy diet:

Try different types of protein. Whether or not you are a vegetarian, trying different protein sources—such as beans, nuts, seeds, peas, tofu and soy products—will open up new options for healthy mealtimes.

* Beans: Black beans, navy beans, garbanzos, and lentils are good options.

* Nuts: Almonds, walnuts, pistachios and pecans are great choices.

* Soy products: Try tofu, soy milk, tempeh and veggie burgers for a change.

* Avoid salted or sugary nuts and refried beans.

Downsize your portions of protein. Most people in the U.S. eat too much protein. Try to move away from protein being the center of your meal. Focus on equal servings of protein, whole grains, and vegetables.

Focus on quality sources of protein, like fresh fish, chicken or turkey, tofu, eggs, beans or nuts. When you are having meat, chicken, or turkey, buy meat that is free of hormones and antibiotics.

Complete, incomplete and complementary proteins

* A complete protein source—from animal proteins such as meat, poultry, fish, milk, cheese and eggs—provides all of the essential amino acids.

* An incomplete protein—from vegetable proteins like grains, legumes, nuts, seeds and beans—is low in one or more essential amino acids.

* Complementary proteins are two or more incomplete protein sources that together provide all of the essential amino acids your body needs. For example, rice and dry beans are each incomplete proteins, but together they provide all of the essential amino acids.

* Do complementary proteins need to be eaten in the same meal? Research shows that your body can combine complementary proteins that are eaten within the same day.

* Why are complete and complementary proteins important? Complete and complementary proteins that provide all of the essential amino acids will fill you up longer than carbohydrates because they break down more slowly in the digestive process.

Healthy eating tip 8: Add calcium & vitamin D for strong bones

Dairy products, which come already fortified with vitamin D Calcium and vitamin D are essential for strong, healthy bones—vitamin D is essential for optimum calcium absorption in the small intestine. Recommended calcium levels are 1000 mg per day, 1200 mg if you are over 50 years old. Take a vitamin D and calcium supplement if you don’t get enough of these nutrients from your diet.

Great sources of calcium include:

* Dairy products, which come already fortified with vitamin D.

* Dark green, leafy vegetables, such as kale and collard greens

* Dried beans and legumes

See Osteoporosis, Diet and Calcium for more about the role of calcium in your diet.

Healthy eating tip 9: Limit sugar, salt, and refined grains

If you succeed in planning your diet around fiber-rich fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean protein, and good fats, you may find yourself naturally cutting back on foods that can get in the way of your healthy diet—sugar, salt and refined starches.

Sugar and refined starches

It is okay to enjoy sweets in moderation, but try to cut down on sugar. Sugar causes energy ups and downs and adds to health problems like arthritis, diabetes, osteoporosis, headaches, and depression.

* Give recipes a makeover. Often recipes taste just as good with less sugar.

* Avoid sugary drinks. One 12-oz soda has about 10 teaspoons of sugar in it! Try sparkling water with lemon or a splash of fruit juice.

* Eliminate processed foods. Processed foods and foods made with white flour and white sugar cause your blood sugar to go up and down leaving you tired and sapped of energy.

Salt

Salt itself is not bad, but most of us consume too much salt in our diets.

* Limit sodium to 2,300 mg per day, the equivalent to one teaspoon of salt. Most of us consume far more than one teaspoon of salt per day.

* Avoid processed, packaged, restaurant and fast food. Processed foods like canned soups or frozen meals contain hidden sodium that quickly surpasses the recommended teaspoon a day.

Healthy eating tip 10: Plan quick and easy meals ahead

Healthy eating starts with great planning. You will have won half the healthy diet battle if you have a well-stocked kitchen, a stash of quick and easy recipes, and plenty of healthy snacks.

Plan your meals by the week or even the month

One of the best ways to have a healthy diet is to prepare your own food and eat in regularly. Pick a few healthy recipes that you and your family like and build a meal schedule around them. If you have three or four meals planned per week and eat leftovers on the other nights, you will be much farther ahead than if you are eating out or having frozen dinners most nights.

Shop the perimeter of the grocery store

In general, healthy eating ingredients are found around the outer edges of most grocery stores—fresh fruits and vegetables, fish and poultry, whole grain breads and dairy products. The centers of many grocery stores are filled with overpriced, processed foods that aren’t good for you. Shop the perimeter of the store for most of your groceries (fresh items), add a few things from the freezer section (frozen fruits and vegetables), and the aisles with spices, oils, and whole grains (like rolled oats, brown rice, whole wheat pasta).

Cook when you can

Try to cook one or both weekend days or on a weekday evening and make extra to freeze or set aside for another night. Cooking ahead saves time and money, and it is gratifying to know that you have a home cooked meal waiting to be eaten.

Have an emergency dinner or two ready to go

Challenge yourself to come up with two or three dinners that can be put together without going to the store—utilizing things in your pantry, freezer and spice rack. A delicious dinner of whole grain pasta with a quick tomato sauce or a quick and easy black bean quesadilla on a whole wheat flour tortilla (among endless other recipes) could act as your go-to meal when you are just too busy to shop or cook.

Stock your kitchen to be meal ready

Try to keep your kitchen stocked with recipe basics:

* Fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables.

* Recipe and soup starters such as garlic, onions, carrots, and celery.

* Healthy staples like brown rice, white Basmati rice, whole-wheat pasta, quinoa, and wild rice.

* Whole wheat bread and tortillas for healthy sandwiches and wraps.

* Beans such as lentils, black beans, chickpeas, black-eyed peas, kidney beans, fava beans, and lima beans.

* Frozen corn, peas, and other vegetables to add to recipes or for a quick vegetable side dish.

* Frozen fruit and berries to make smoothies or frozen desserts.

* Dark greens for salads, plus salad add-ins like dried fruit, nuts, beans, and seeds.

* Fresh and dried herbs and spices.

* Healthy fats and oils for cooking, such as olive oil and canola oil. You can also try specialty oils like peanut, sesame, or truffle oil for adding flavor.

* Unsalted nuts for snacking, like almonds, walnuts, cashews, peanuts, and pistachios.

* Vinegars, such as balsamic, red wine, and rice vinegar for salads and veggies.

* Strong cheeses, like aged Parmesan or blue cheese for intense flavor in salads, pasta, and soups.

New Food Allergy Guidelines Out By Kathleen Doheny

2010-12-13T09:27:00.000-05:00

Comprehensive Guidelines Aim to Help Doctors Diagnose, Treat Food Allergies

Dec. 6, 2010 -- Comprehensive new guidelines on food allergies are out from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID).

The new guidelines are directed at doctors to help them diagnose and manage food allergies.

Experts say food allergies appear to be on the rise, affecting nearly 5% of children younger than 5 and about 4% of teens and adults.

''We hope the guidelines will help patients and family members work better with their physician'' to identify the causes of food allergies, said Matthew Fenton, PhD, chief of the asthma, allergy, and inflammation branch of the division of allergy, immunology and transplantation at NIAID. He spoke at a Friday news conference detailing the new guidelines and led the guidelines development project for NIAID.

The guidelines address diagnostic tests, treatment, and prevention, among other areas.

While the guidelines are aimed at doctors, it will help parents and those with food allergies to be aware of their existence, said Hugh Sampson, MD, professor of pediatrics at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York, who serves on the guidelines coordinating committee and also spoke at the news conference. "When they see their physician or request a referral to an allergist, they should know what type of questions will be asked of them and have some idea of what kind of tests their physician will be doing."

Food Allergy Guidelines: Back Story

A coordinating committee representing 34 professional medical organizations, advocacy groups, and federal agencies oversaw the guidelines development.

Then, a 25-member expert panel was selected; it pored over published literature and drew on clinical opinions to draft the guidelines.

Public comment was invited before the final guidelines were issued.

Food Allergy Guidelines: Definitions and More

The guidelines define food allergy as "an adverse health effect arising from a specific immune response that occurs reproducibly on exposure to a given food."

It distinguishes allergies from intolerances. Foods that cause the same reproducible adverse reaction but don't have a likely or established immune system response are not considered allergies, but rather intolerances.

For instance, someone allergic to cow's milk due to an immune system response to milk protein has a food allergy. But someone who has a difficult time drinking milk due to an inability to digest the lactose in milk has a food intolerance.

Among the most common food allergies are reactions to:

* Peanuts

* Tree nuts

* Seafood

* Milk

* Eggs

Anaphylaxis, a serious allergic reaction that comes on rapidly and may cause death, can occur in response to food. Up to 65% of anaphylaxis cases are thought to be due to food.

Food Allergy Guidelines: Diagnosis

Under the new guidelines, the panel of experts recommends that intradermal or skin testing should not be used to make a diagnosis of food allergy.

The experts recommend skin puncture tests, in which a small amount of the extract of a suspected food in placed on the skin, then the skin is punctured through the droplet, to help identify possible troublesome foods but not to make a diagnosis based on it alone.

It also recommends against the routine use of measuring total blood IgE, the antibody formed in reaction to an allergen.

It recommends allergen-specific IgE blood testing but cautions that the test results alone are not enough to make a diagnosis.

Food elimination diets -- taking away one or a few specific foods to see if the reaction disappears -- may help.

Oral food challenges -- exposing the person to the suspected food under medical supervision -- are thought to be helpful.

If exposure to a certain food triggers symptoms, the doctor should then see if that finding matches with lab tests and medical history.

Food Allergy Guidelines: Management

Avoidance is best, the experts agree. They write: "There are nomedications currently recommended by the EP [expert panel] to prevent IgE-mediated food-induced allergic reactions from occurring in an individual with existing food allergies."

When food allergies trigger anaphylaxis, the experts recommend epinephrine injections first.

Food Allergy Guidelines: What About Prevention?

While some pregnant women may hope restricting their diets during pregnancy or during breastfeeding may help their children avoid allergies, the experts disagree and don't recommend this.

They don't recommend soy formula as a strategy for preventing the development of allergies, either.

Outgrowing Food Allergies

A child with food allergies may outgrow them, Sampson said.

It depends on the food, partially. “If their child is allergic to egg, for example, chances are very good that children will outgrow it,” he said. “We know that about 80% will.” According to the guidelines, most children will eventually also tolerate milk, soy, and wheat.

Outgrowing tree nut and peanut allergies is much less common.

Feeding Baby: How to Avoid Food Allergies by Louise Chang, MD

2010-12-09T09:47:00.000-05:00

Starting to feed a baby solid foods is an exciting milestone for parents -- and one that also comes with a lot of new questions and concerns. What’s the best way to avoid food allergies once your baby has mastered single-grain cereals and is ready to move on to new foods? What foods are most likely to cause allergies in babies?

Start Gradually to Identify Any Food Allergies

It’s important to introduce baby to new foods gradually, and one at a time, in case of food allergies. Otherwise, you’ll have trouble tying an allergy to a specific new food. For example, if you give your baby three new foods over the course of a day and she develops an allergic reaction, you won’t know which of the foods provoked it.

It doesn’t matter all that much which foods you introduce to your baby, or which order you introduce them in, as long as the foods you are offering are healthy and well-balanced. But each time you offer a new food, you should wait three to five days before adding another to the menu. Don’t eliminate all the other foods your baby is already eating during that time -- just don’t add anything else new.

Babies and Allergies: The Top 8 Allergenic Foods

With each new food, you’ll want to be on the lookout for allergic reactions. There are more than 160 allergenic foods, but these eight foods and food groups are the culprits 90% of the time. You may want to wait until baby is older to try some of these foods, especially peanuts. In fact, many experts suggest waiting until your child is 3 before trying peanuts. Ask your pediatrician if you have any questions about a food.

* Milk

* Egg

* Peanuts

* Tree nuts (such as walnuts or almonds)

* Fish

* Shellfish

* Soy

* Wheat

Food Allergy Symptoms to Watch for in Your Baby

Food allergy symptoms usually appear very soon after the food is eaten -- within a few minutes to a couple of hours. If you’re introducing a new food to your baby, keep an eye out for these symptoms:

* Hives

* Flushed skin or rash

* Face, tongue, or lip swelling

* Vomiting and/or diarrhea

* Coughing or wheezing

* Difficulty breathing

* Loss of consciousness

Severe Food Allergy Symptoms: When to Call 911

If your baby is having trouble breathing, has swelling on her face, or develops severe vomiting or diarrhea after eating, don’t take time to call your pediatrician. Call 911 immediately. Severe allergic reactions can be fatal very quickly.

Dealing With Mild Food Allergies in Baby

If you see mild symptoms, such as hives or a rash, contact your pediatrician, who will make an appointment for allergy testing for your child. Once your baby’s specific allergies are identified, the doctor will give you an action plan for managing the allergies (usually, eliminating the food from your baby’s diet) and dealing with accidental exposures.

Remember, just because a baby’s initial allergic reaction to a new food may be mild, it may not stay that way. Talk to your pediatrician about any food allergy symptoms in baby.

Some allergies go away with time. Peanut, tree nut, and shellfish allergies tend to persist, while egg and milk allergies often go away as children get older.

The Family Food-Allergy Connection

Until very recently, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommended that parents wait until age 1 to introduce dairy products, age 2 to introduce eggs, and age 3 to add peanuts, tree nuts, and fish. In early 2008, however, the AAP amended these recommendations, which were based on expert opinion rather than specific evidence.

The new AAP guidelines say that unless there is a significant history of food allergies in a child’s family, there’s no evidence that waiting until after a year to introduce these foods reduces her risk of developing allergies. In fact, there is some evidence that early introduction of some of these foods, such as peanuts, may make your child less likely to become allergic. Ask your pediatrician for guidance.

Protecting Baby Against Food Allergies: Easy Does It

Many pediatricians still recommend waiting until your baby is a bit older -- 9 or 10 months -- before offering these foods. Even if there’s no added risk of causing an allergy, they note that an allergic reaction may be easier to manage in an older baby. And some pediatricians, concerned about the particular severity of allergic reactions to peanuts and shellfish, still suggest staying away from them until your child is up to 3 years old.

Whole cow's milk should not be given to babies younger than 1 year old because the proteins in whole milk can irritate the stomach. Yogurt and soft cheeses are fine, however, because the proteins in these dairy products are broken down and less likely to cause tummy trouble. You should also still wait until at least 1 – some experts say 2 -- to introduce honey, which can cause a potentially serious disease called infant botulism.

SOURCES:

American Academy of Pediatrics: "Starting Solid Foods."

Rachel Lewis, MD, assistant professor of clinical pediatrics, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York.

American Medical Association: "Allergic reaction: Food allergies increasing, especially among children."

Medline Plus Medical Encyclopedia: "Food Allergy."

Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD on July 08, 2010 WebMD

De-Inflame with Superfoods, Part II

2010-11-11T17:20:00.000-05:00

Saturday, April 17, 2010 by: Dr. David Jockers, citizen journalist

(NaturalNews) The human body has an incredible ability and desire to heal itself. Part of this self-healing process is the inflammatory cascade. This process is critical, but typically for a short period of time. However, when balancing mechanisms such as anti-inflammatory mediators are deficient or of poor quality, the inflammatory response grows too strong.

The food we eat every day plays a critical role in the inflammatory balance within our system. Here are several great foods to quiet down the inflammatory fires.

1. Apple Cider Vinegar: This super tonic contains acetic acid which is known to help the body absorb iron more effectively. Iron is primarily used as the mineral backbone within hemoglobin. Hemoglobin is the oxygen carrying molecule within red blood cells. Myoglobin, the oxygen extracting molecule within muscle, also consists of an iron backbone. Higher levels of bioavailable iron allow the body to better utilize oxygen. Boosting oxygen levels increases both energy production and detoxification processes.

The Acetic acid and active enzymes within the ACV also help the body metabolize protein and absorb the amino acids more effectively. This is a critical step for building healthy hormones and enzymes and repairing tissue. Through these mechanisms, ACV helps to recover from injury, excessive exercise, and states of chronic pain. Additionally, better enzymatic function will increase energy and sense of well-being.

ACV is an acid on the outside of our body, but has an alkaline ash when it is digested within our body. This is the best of both worlds. As an acid it is a powerful sterilizer that is great for improving the quality of our skin & hair. Additionally, it is great at removing warts, acting upon acne, and cleansing the body of dead skin cells.

Within the body, ACV balances our overall pH by providing alkaline buffering minerals in ionic potassium and magnesium. This benefit enhances overall energy production and detoxification processes. Be sure to purchase your ACV completely raw and unpasteurized with an intact "mother."

2. Turmeric: This powerhouse is the 4st highest anti-oxidant rich herb, containing an incredible ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbency Capacity) score of 159,277. The major ingredient curcumin is what gives turmeric its characteristic orange color. The curcuminoids within turmeric are said to be 5-8 times stronger at scavenging free radicals than Vitamin C & E. The molecules are strong enough to take on the hydroxyl free radical which is considered to be the most reactive of all free radicals.

Curcuminoids help to cleanse & nourish your skin while balancing the skin`s natural microflora that protects you from infections. Turmeric is a natural anti-inflammatory, acting to down-regulate the inflammatory mediating COX-2 & MMP9 receptors. Additionally, it reverses many common cancer cell transcription factors such as NF-Kappa Beta. The curcuminoids have been labeled by many as some of the most powerful cancer fighting substances on the planet.

3. Oregano: Oregano is extraordinarily high in antioxidant activity, ranking in as the 3rd highest herb with an ORAC score of 200,129. The primary anti-oxidant components are phenolic acids and flavonoids. Oregano oil has incredible anti-bacterial functions due to its high content of thymol, a powerful phenol. Additionally, oregano has been found to be the most effective substance against MRSA staph infections, beating out the 18 currently used anti-biotics in a recent study.
Oregano oil has been classically used as a disinfectant, an aid for ear, nose, & throat/respiratory infections, candida, and any sort of bacterial or viral conditions. Additionally, it works to suppress inflammatory mediators and cancer cell production. Oregano oil is more potent than the dried herb; however, the dried version still contains many powerful health benefits.

Scientists discover olive oil directly impacts genes to halt inflammation

2010-11-11T17:17:00.000-05:00

Tuesday, July 27, 2010 by: S. L. Baker, features writer

(NaturalNews) Research has been steadily accumulating that olive oil, a main component of the Mediterranean diet, has extensive health-protective properties. For example, phytonutrient components of olive oil have been found to be effective against breast cancer cells and studies suggest the abundance of olive oil in the Mediterranean style of eating may be the reason that diet helps prevent depression. Now scientists have discovered that phenolic compounds in olive oil directly repress genes linked to inflammation.

This could be especially important in halting the dangerous effects of metabolic syndrome. Characterized by excess abdominal fat, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and high blood glucose levels, metabolic syndrome is linked to type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and early death.

Research published in the journal BMC Genomics investigated changes in genes mediated by olive oil phenols (which are most abundant in the extra-virgin varieties of olive oil). The double-blind, randomized study, headed by Francisco Perez-Jimenez from the University of Cordoba, involved 20 research subjects, all with metabolic syndrome. For six weeks, the patients did not take any supplements or drugs and they were all placed on similar low-fat, carbohydrate-rich diets. Then, for breakfast, they ate either a breakfast containing virgin olive oil with a high content of phenolic compounds or a similar breakfast with low phenol content.

The research team took blood samples after the meals to check for the expression of over 15,000 human genes. The results? The high phenol olive oil clearly impacted the regulation of almost 100 genes -- many of which have been linked to obesity, high blood fat levels, type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

"We identified 98 differentially expressed genes when comparing the intake of phenol-rich olive oil with low-phenol olive oil. Several of the repressed genes are known to be involved in pro-inflammatory processes, suggesting that the diet can switch the activity of immune system cells to a less deleterious inflammatory profile, as seen in metabolic syndrome," Dr. Perez-Jimenez said in a statement to the press. "These findings strengthen the relationship between inflammation, obesity and diet and provide evidence at the most basic level of healthy effects derived from virgin olive oil consumption in humans."

The ability of olive oil's phenolic compounds to reduce or prevent inflammation also provides a molecular basis for the reduction of heart disease observed in Mediterranean countries, where virgin olive oil represents a main source of dietary fat.

Gluten Sensitivity: More Than Indigestion By Jody Smith

2010-10-25T12:58:00.000-04:00

Let's begin with what gluten sensitivity is not. It's not celiac disease and it's not wheat allergy.

Celiac disease is a sudden onset allergic reaction to the ingestion of gluten, which is found most commonly in the grains wheat, rye and barley. Celiac disease can lead to serious malnutrition.

Wheat allergy is a histamine reaction to wheat that operates much the same as hay fever or peanut allergy. The body's reaction is severe and happens immediately after eating wheat products.

Gluten sensitivity symptoms develop more slowly and subtly over time, making it harder to diagnose. The body reacts to the proteins glutenin and gliadin found in wheat, rye and barley. And some of the symptoms are not the sort we'd expect from food intolerance.

If you are suffering from gluten sensitivity you may experience a number of different symptoms that seem unrelated to each other. Outside of the digestive issues you might expect, a vast array of things can go wrong if you're unwittingly continuing to eat gluten.

You may have problems with your menstrual cycle, and if you're trying to conceive it may not be happening. Your teeth may be deteriorating. You may experience seizures.

Perhaps you're experiencing nerve damage or respiratory problems. Maybe you have acne or a skin disorder called rosacea. You may suffer from night blindness.

You may have one or more autoimmune disorder like Hashimoto's disease, Sjögren's syndrome or lupus erythematosus. Maybe you're losing your hair. You may have eczema or psoriasis, swelling and inflammation.

Eating gluten for some may trigger migraines. You may have joint and bone pain, osteoporosis and muscle cramps. Gluten ataxia is a neurological abnormality involving clumsy and jerky movement which may respond well to a gluten-free diet.

You may be deficient in a number of vitamins and minerals, weakened from iron-deficiency anemia, bruising easily or developing canker sores. You may suffer from lactose intolerance or hypoglycemia (low blood sugar). Focusing your thoughts may be increasingly difficult.

Perhaps most surprising to many people, behavioral and mood disorders, as well as neurological disorders, may be worsened or caused by gluten sensitivity. People with autism may experience a lessening of symptoms when they avoid gluten. ADHD, bipolar disorder, clinical depression and schizophrenia may respond to living gluten-free.

Resources:

Gluten and the Brain

http://www.nutramed.com/celiac/celiacbrain.htm

Gluten Intolerance Symptoms

http://gluten-intolerance-symptoms.com

Non Celiac Gluten Sensitivity

http://gluten.lovetoknow.com/Non_Celiac_Gluten_Sensitivity

How Gluten Affects Behavior

http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/how-gluten-affects-behavior.html

Symptoms of Gluten Sensitivity and Celiac Disease

http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/symptoms-of-gluten-sensitivity-and...

Gluten Intolerance Symptoms - How Do You Know If Gluten Is Making You Sick?

http://glutenfreenetwork.com/faqs/symptoms-treatments/gluten-intolerance...

Is your favourite food making you ill? By Roger Davis Deutsch

2010-10-25T12:50:00.000-04:00

YOU may probably have heard of lactose intolerance, a sensitivity to lactose in milk and other dairy products that affects as many as 75 per cent of adults around the world.

But lactose intolerance is just one of the many types of food intolerance.

Food intolerance occurs when your digestive system is irritated by something in the food you consume or when you are unable to properly digest or break it down.

A person's sensitivity to certain types of food can have a wide ranging effect on one's health that may include memory problems, mood swings, migraines, weight problems, narcolepsy, eczema, acne, aching legs, breathing difficulties, restlessness, ear aches and heartburn.

Is it food allergy?

Food intolerance is not to be confused with food allergy, which can be triggered by even a small amount of the offending food.

Food allergy creates an instant and obvious response, while reactions from food sensitivity or food intolerance are usually delayed or hidden, with the symptoms not as recognisable.

Those with food allergies generally need to avoid the culprit food.

Food intolerance on the other hand is usually related to regular consumption and sufferers may not show symptoms unless they consume a large portion of the foods or eat them frequently.

For example, a person who is lactose intolerant may be able to take milk with coffee or a single glass of milk, but reacts if he or she downs several glasses of milk at once.

It is also not the same as food poisoning, which normally happens when one consumes spoiled or tainted food and always affects others eating the same thing.

What can cause food intolerance?

Our fast-paced convenient lifestyles often mean that we eat the same type of food groups repeatedly.

We also always eat with such speed that our stomachs do not have the time to properly digest food. At the same time, some people lack the necessary enzymes to break foods down.

Some show signs following consumption of food that have chemicals produced naturally such as caffeine, salicylates and histamine in foods like chocolate and cheese.

Additives that give food longer shelf life can also cause food intolerance. Any type of food can be a culprit as it varies from one person to the next.

It is also normal to be intolerant to several different foods at the same time.

Diagnosis

It is not easy to diagnose as the signs are often unclear.

Usually, sufferers complain of feeling fatigued and bloated, symptoms that often appear with problems concerning the bowel, skin, joints or headaches.

They may have one or many of the following symptoms:

Nausea

Stomach pain

Headaches

Irritability or nervousness

Gas or bloating

Cramps

Vomiting

Heartburn

Diarrhoea

Common ailments

According to the book, Your Hidden Food Allergies Are Making You Fat, by Rudy Rivera and Roger Davis Deutsch, food intolerance can take its toll on a person's long-term well-being.

These include weight problems, skin conditions, fatigue, breathing difficulties and migraine.

Fatigue

People normally experience fatigue after they have spent a great deal of energy.

If the tiredness is not brought on by any kind of exertions, is unrelieved by rest and is frequently worse in the morning, many health practitioners believe it is probably associated in some way with food and or chemical sensitivities.

Evidence suggests food intolerance as a cause of fatigue and even may be an early indicator of it.

Skin conditions

Many suffer from skin conditions such as eczema, urticaria, angioedema and severe acne but in many cases, these skin conditions can be prevented through elimination of reactive foods.

Weight issues

Many overweight individuals are likely to suffer from food sensitivities as the very nature of being overweight suggests a negative response to food.

Food intolerance may result not only in overeating, but also in malnutrition, by interfering with the metabolism of fat for energy.

By eliminating reactive foods, they may be able to resume a normal weight loss programme related to calorie intake and exercise.

Breathing problems

Doctors generally believe that airway problems such as asthma, hay fever and sinusitis are caused exclusively by inhalant allergies.

However, allergic airway diseases may also be due to food intolerance.

A theory suggests that in a person with food intolerance, the food allergen combined with an airborne allergy puts additional stress on the body and it collapses under the pressure.

Migraines

Many turn to drug treatments for fast relief of migraines although some have discovered eliminating or reducing it through treatment of food intolerance.

It is however not clear how by removing food and chemical intolerances, migraines can be alleviated.

Identifying food intolerances

If you suspect that you might be suffering from food sensitivity, talk to your healthcare provider.

They should be able to establish a plan to help control symptoms.

To identify the offending foods, the process may involve one of the following methods:

Keeping a food diary: A sufferer goes through a trial and error period to determine which food or foods cause reactions.

Sufferers may be asked to keep a record of the food consumed on a daily basis and note down when symptoms appear. Common factors are then singled out.

The Elimination Diet: This involves completely eliminating any suspect foods from the diet until one is symptom-free.

Then one begins to reintroduce the foods, one at a time, until one pins down the problem items.

The Alcat Test: This is one of the easier and most reliable methods, as it is done via a simple blood test, to identify food sensitivities as well as sensitivities to mould and common chemicals.

It can pinpoint trigger foods which are usually easily found foods such as oranges, wheat, seafood, nuts, celery, milk or eggs, amongst others.

The Alcat Test measures the final common pathway of all pathogenic mechanism, whether immune, non-immune or toxic.

It is also the only test that correlates with clinical symptoms by double blind food challenges.

Treatment and prevention

Treatment for food intolerance is based on avoiding or reducing your intake of problem foods and treating symptoms when they arise.

Once you have identified the food that you are intolerant to, be vigilant about the food you consume and try to keep family, friends and associates informed about your sensitivities.

Prevention is always better than cure.

If you face certain persistent ailments despite maintaining a well-balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle, think about the possibility that you may be suffering from food sensitivities.
Talk to your healthcare professional.
The writer is the CEO of Alcat Worldwide and author of 'Your Hidden Food Allergies Are Making You Fat'.

Food allergies more likely in kids born in winter By Steven Reinberg, HealthDay

2010-10-25T12:41:00.000-04:00

The chances of a child developing food allergies may be increased if that child is conceived in the early spring, a preliminary study by Finnish researchers suggests.

Studies have already shown that children born in autumn or winter are more likely to have eczema, wheezing and asthma than children born in spring or summer, the researchers noted.
ALLERGIC? Socializing can be tricky

AWAY FROM HOME: Colleges change for students with food allergies
There may be several reasons for this new finding, said lead researcher Dr. Kaisa Pyrhonen, of the Institute of Health Sciences at the University of Oulu, including concentration of pollen in spring, exposure to sunlight, which is related to synthesis of vitamin D, and viral infections.

"These are possible explanations, but our study design did not allow any assessment of the causal role of the above factors," Pyrhonen said.

Pyrhonen said the study findings are preliminary and families should not plan pregnancies around specific times. "Because our study was an observational study, we cannot give any recommendations to families," Pyrhonen said.

The report is published in the Oct. 20 online edition of the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.

For the study, Pyrhonen's team collected data on 5,920 Finnish children born between 2001 and 2006. From birth to four years, 961 of these children were tested for food allergies.

Up to age of 4, the odds of having a food allergy varied according to season of birth, ranging from 5% for children born in June and July to 9.5% for those born in October and November, the researchers found.

In fact, 11% of children whose 11th week of development occurred during April or May had food allergies, compared with 6% of children who reached that stage of development in December or January, Pyrhonen's group found.

In terms of specific allergies, a child whose first three months of fetal development ended in April or May was three times more likely to be allergic to milk and eggs compared with those who reached that stage in November or December, the researchers said.

Commenting on the study, Dr. Erick Forno, an assistant professor of pediatrics at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, said there could be a variety of reasons for this finding.

"But what is important is that we are understanding more that there are environmental factors that at some point during pregnancy play an important role in developing the immune system that predisposes the kid to have either food allergies or environmental allergies or asthma or eczema or something of that sort," he said.

Forno cautioned that this was an observational study (a type of study in which people are observed or certain outcomes are measured and no effort is made to affect the outcome — for instance, no treatment is given). "So there may be other things that these researchers didn't measure that are also associated. What they are looking at is the common consequence. So we can't say it's a causal association," he said.

Parents need to realize that things outside the uterus are very important in the developing fetus, Forno said, adding, "We are only beginning to understand what goes on."

KNOW THE DIFFERENCE

Allergy experts say it's important for people who have reactions to certain foods to sort out why with the help of their health care provider, because different food-related problems may require different management techniques and treatments.

Food allergy:

An immune system reaction that occurs soon after eating a certain food. Even a tiny amount of the allergy-causing food can trigger symptoms such as digestive problems, hives or swollen airways. In some people, a food allergy can cause severe symptoms or even life-threatening anaphylaxis.

Food intolerance:

Much more common than food allergy. Because a food intolerance can cause some of the same symptoms as a food allergy, people often confuse the two. Food intolerance generally doesn't involve the immune system. It can be caused by the absence of an enzyme needed to fully digest a food. A common example is lactose intolerance. Irritable bowel syndrome and sensitivity to certain additives also fall under the umbrella of food intolerance.

Celiac disease:

An immune system reaction that causes inflammation in the small intestines when a person eats any food containing gluten, a type of protein found in wheat.

Sources: Mayo Clinic; Robert Wood, Johns Hopkins

Dr. Dipnarine Maharaj Featured Guest at Cell Science Systems to discuss Reducing Inflammation and Risk for Cancer by Collecting and Storing Healthy Stem Cells

2010-09-27T21:03:00.000-04:00

Speech to focus on inflammation, cancer and healthy stem cells

September 23, 2010 – Deerfield Beach, FL – Dr. Dipnarine Maharaj, MD, FACP of The South Florida Bone Marrow/Stem Cell Transplant Institute will be a featured speaker at Cell Science Systems / The ALCAT Laboratories on Monday, October 18, 2010. The topic of his speech is How to Reduce Inflammation and Risk for Cancer by Collecting and Storing Healthy Stem Cells. It will highlight the importance of how stem cell therapy can benefit patients.

Roger Deutsch, President and CEO of Cell Science Systems, and author of the book, Your Hidden Food Allergies Are Making You Fat, will also be a featured speaker at the dinner discussion.

“We are delighted to have Dr. Maharaj as our guest to lecture about this increasingly important topic. It is a valuable addition to any regenerative integrative medical practice” said Deutsch.

Dr. Maharaj is dedicated to refining Bone Marrow Stem Cell transplant treatments in order to achieve the highest quality of care possible. Dr. Maharaj is also an accomplished author and frequent speaker. He has published several scientific papers in journals such as, Biology of Blood and Marrow Transplantation, British Medical Journal, and, The Lancet.

“I chose to study Hematology/Oncology to make a real difference in the quality of cancer care and to help change people’s lives for the better. My education helped shape me as a doctor and as a person. But for me, learning never ends. My patients are far too important” stated Maharaj.

Dr. Maharaj has extensive experience in performing outpatient bone marrow / stem cell transplants since 1995. He has demonstrated that the majority of patients can be treated safely with minimal complications on a totally outpatient basis. This has been achieved by close monitoring and early intervention through all phases of the treatment by the same staff. Patients who receive a totally outpatient bone marrow / stem cell transplant return home following treatments and remain with family and loved ones.

Every day, lives are changed as a result of the South Florida Bone Marrow / Stem Cell Transplant Institute. Under the direction of Dr. Dipnarine Maharaj, The South Florida Bone Marrow / Stem Cell Transplant Institute offers a full range of outpatient treatments for many hematologic cancers including: Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, Leukemia, and Multiple Myeloma. There are also other treatments such as immunotherapy for cancers. Patients are cared for by a team of highly-skilled professionals with extensive training and experience in treating cancers that react favorably to stem cell transplants. This specialized approach helps patients whose cancer has shown little or no response to other methods of treatment.

The “day 100” post-transplant mortality rate and patient success rate of being alive and disease free match or exceed those of nationally know transplant centers. The incidence of infections in this program is significantly lower than at inpatient transplant centers. That says a lot about trusted, quality care that you can feel good about.

Cell Science Systems., Corp. (CSS), located in Deerfield Beach, Florida, is a life sciences company and the worldwide market leader in food sensitivity testing as the manufacturer of the ALCAT Test. ALCAT identifies cellular reactions to over 350 foods, chemicals and herbs. These inflammatory reactions are linked to chronic health problems like obesity and diabetes, as well as skin, heart, joint, and digestive disorders. CSS is expanding research into the area of cellular activity related to nutrition, immune function and other aspects of regenerative medicine.

For more information on Cell Science Systems visit www.ALCAT.com. For more information on The South Florida Bone Marrow / Stem Cell Transplant Institute visit www.BMSCTI.org.

Media contact: Mr. Lee Rolnick, CSS, (954) 426 2304

Common Food Sensitivities: What You Need to Know By Susan Brady

2010-09-27T13:02:00.000-04:00

Rashes, asthma, gastrointestinal discomfort, migraines, anaphylactic shock—whatever the resulting symptom, food sensitivities take their toll on your body and your patience. Whether in the form of an actual allergy or an intolerance due to disease or illness, a significant portion of the world population is affected and must monitor their diet—some with just a watchful eye, others will full-blown vigilance.

It is estimated that 12 million Americans suffer with food allergies alone. Typically, avoidance is the best way to keep symptoms at bay, but for some there are alternatives, such as regular/periodic allergy shots, supplements, and desensitization treatments. The best weapon you can have is knowledge, about the sensitivity and how best to work with or around it.

Here are the basics on 5 common food allergies. For additional information you can check out the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network or the Food Allergy Initiative.

(1) Peanut

This one has been in the news a lot lately, with airlines discontinuing peanut service, and some schools banning peanut butter. Peanut allergies are the most common of food allergies and probably one of the most dangerous. Anaphylactic shock can occur from just peanut particles or peanut dust for those who have severe sensitivity.

The Food Allergy Initiative reports that peanut allergies are on the rise, and in the U.S. the number of children with a peanut allergy doubled between 1997 and 2002. To add insult to injury, this allergy tends to be life-long, not something that you can grow out of, and it increases the likelihood that you will be allergic to other tree nuts, such as almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, and cashews.

The federal government requires that packaged food products list peanuts as an ingredient, making it slightly easier to determine the presence of the offending allergen. But you also need to steer clear of anything cooked in peanut oil and many ethnic foods which use ground nuts in food preparation. For those with a severe allergy, you may have to eliminate anything that is processed in the same plant as peanuts, such as candies, baked goods, and ice creams.

(2) Dairy/Beef/Lactose

Typical symptoms of dairy/beef/lactose sensitivities include respiratory (asthma, wheezing, constriction of throat), gastrointestinal (severe gas, diarrhea, vomiting), and dermatological (hives, rashes). Whether you are allergic to dairy, sensitive to beef protein, or have a lactose intolerance, you need to be very careful about checking ingredients in everyday products: there are the obvious ones like milk, ice cream, yogurt and cheese, but can also be hidden in bread, cereal, instant soups, powdered breakfast drinks, margarine, lunch meats, pancake/biscuit/cake mixes, and more. Look not only for milk in the ingredient list, but also casein, whey, rennet, lactalbumin, lactalbumin phosphate, lactoglobulin, lactoferrin, lactulose, hydrolysates, and even things like cheese flavoring and artificial butter flavor. So read those nutrition labels closely!

Milk allergies affect 2 to 3 percent of infants in the United States and is the most common allergy in infants and small children. According to the National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse, between 30 and 50 million Americans are lactose intolerant. It is also the case that certain ethnic and racial populations are more affected than others by lactose intolerance. Up to 80 percent of African Americans, 80 to 100 percent of American Indians, and 90 to 100 percent of Asian Americans are lactose intolerant.

Alternatives: Soy products, such as milk, yogurt, cheese, ice cream; Goat milk products. Mocha mix and other non-dairy liquids; Lact-AID or Dairy Ease milk; rice milk; almond milk

Make sure you get enough calcium if you have any problem with dairy products. Calcium is important for formation of bones and teeth when young, and preservation of bone tissue as you age.

(3) Shellfish

This type of allergy is not as common in young children, developing in young adulthood and later. It is the most common adult-onset allergy and is not something you typically “outgrow” or become desensitized to. Once it hits, that will mean no shrimp gumbo, crabcakes, or tasty little crawdads for the rest of your life. While these are not everyday or basic food items, like milk, eggs and wheat, it will take some adjusting.

Typically people are more highly allergic to what I call the “legged” shellfish, such as shrimp, crab, lobster, langoustine, crawdads. But the allergy can extend to bivalves (clams, mussels, scallops, oysters, cockles) and other types of mollusks (squid, octopus, conch). To be safe, most people allergic to shellfish will steer clear of all types. You will also need to read packaging on all prepared items. Again, this is a foodstuff which the government requires specific labeling, making it a bit easier to spot than reading the whole list of ingredients.

As with other severe allergies, you may need to avoid cross-contamination when eating out. You aren’t going to be able to eat those hush puppies if they have been fried in the same oil as the popcorn shrimp; no steak from the same grill used for lobster; no sushi prepared on the same work surface as a California Roll. This will require diligence at restaurants and asking more questions that you probably want to.

(4) Wheat Allergy/Gluten Intolerance (aka Celiac Disease)

An increasing number of Americans are being diagnosed with wheat and gluten intolerance, due to increased awareness programs surrounding Celiac disease. A wheat allergy deals specifically with the wheat grain, while Celiac disease is brought about by an autoimmune disorder which affects the body's ability to process gluten proteins within grain (wheat as well as others).

Those diagnosed with wheat allergies have about a 20 percent chance of being allergic to other grains. With Celiac disease, you must also avoid barley, rye and oats. There is the possibility of outgrowing a wheat allergy, however those suffering from Celiac disease will have a lifelong issue with gluten and wheat products. Celiac disease can lead to severe malnutrition if not properly diagnosed and because it will require a lifestyle change, make sure that you seek out a proper diagnosis from trained medical personnel, such as an allergist, rheumatologist, or gastroenterologist.

As with other common allergens, the government has mandated packaged food be properly labeled as containing wheat (although not gluten). Be particularly careful about baked goods, bread crumbs, cereals, and grains like semolina, couscous, and farina. You may also find wheat, in various incarnations, in beer, breaded food, sausage, sauces, and even ice cream, salad dressings and soups. General food guidelines for wheat allergy can be found here at the Lucille Packard Stanford Children’s Hospital website.

(5) Egg

Egg allergies are second only to cow’s milk in children, according to the Food Allergy Initiative, but it is one that many children outgrow. The allergy is to the protein in the white part of the eggs, but it is recommended that all egg products be avoided, including the eggs of other birds.

Ingredients to watch for are albumin, egg, globulin, and any ingredient starting with ova-. Labels are required, once again by the government, to show the presence of egg. Foods to avoid include mayonnaise, meatloaf and meatballs, baked goods, salad dressings, frostings and meringue, marshmallows, custards/puddings, and some soups.

Battling Inflammation Through Food By Shara Yurkiewicz

2010-09-24T10:57:00.000-04:00

Though it's an emerging field, proponents of anti-inflammatory diets point to growing evidence that foods like vegetables and fish can ease an overactive immune system.

If you want to live longer -- avoid heart disease, Alzheimer's disease and cancer -- then pick and choose your foods with care to quiet down parts of your immune system.

That's the principle promoted by the founders and followers of anti-inflammatory diets, designed to reduce chronic inflammation in the body.

Dozens of books filled with diets and recipes have flooded the market in the last few years, including popular ones by dermatologist Dr. Nicholas Perricone and Zone Diet creator Barry Sears.

Those who frequent message boards that discuss arthritis or acne trade tips on which pro- or anti-inflammatory foods may help or trigger their symptoms -- urging co-sufferers to try cherries for their rheumatoid arthritis or avoid gluten for their psoriasis.

But proponents claim the benefits go far beyond that, fighting not just pain from inflamed joints or skin flare-ups but also life-threatening diseases.

"If your future currently looks bleak because of high levels of silent inflammation, don't worry, because you can change it within thirty days," Barry Sears promises in his book, "The Anti-Inflammation Zone."

There's still a lot of science to be done. And should you try such a diet, you probably shouldn't expect any 30-day miracles. But there may be something to eating in an anti-inflammatory way.

"[Chronic inflammation] is an emerging field," says Dr. David Heber, a UCLA professor of medicine and director of the university's Center for Human Nutrition. "It's a new concept for medicine."

The point of an anti-inflammation diet is not to lose weight, although it is not uncommon for its followers to shed pounds. The goal: to combat what proponents call "chronic silent inflammation" in the body, the result of an immune system that doesn't know when to shut off.

The theory goes that long after the invading bacteria or viruses from some infection are gone, the body's defenses remain active. The activated immune cells and hormones then turn on the body itself, damaging tissues. The process continues indefinitely, occurring at low enough levels that a person doesn't feel pain or realize anything is wrong. Years later, proponents say, the damage contributes to illnesses such as heart disease, neurological disorders like Alzheimer's disease or cancer.

In general terms, following an anti-inflammatory diet means increasing intake of foods that have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. (Antioxidants reduce the activity of tissue-damaging free radicals at sites of inflammation.) The diet includes vegetables, whole grains, nuts, oily fish, protein sources, spices such as ginger and turmeric and brightly colored fruits such as blueberries, cherries and pomegranates.

Foods that promote inflammation -- saturated fats, trans fats, corn and soybean oil, refined carbohydrates, sugars, red meat and dairy -- are reduced or eliminated.

It would seem logical that a diet that could dampen an overactive immune system could help prevent or slow diseases that are caused or exacerbated by inflammation. And evidence is certainly mounting that such diseases include heart disease, cancer and Alzheimer's.

Studies with animals suggest that the diet's followers may be on to something.

"If you feed rodents different diets, you can very strongly modulate inflammation," says Dr. Andrew Greenberg, the director of the Obesity and Metabolism Laboratory at the Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University in Boston. "Fish oil, for example, ameliorates inflammation in rodents."

Resveratrol, found in grape skin and red wine, has been shown to improve blood vessel function and slow aging in rats.

Pomegranate juice decreases atherosclerosis development in mice with high cholesterol. Garlic improves blood vessel functioning in the hearts of rats with high blood pressure.

And curcumin (an antioxidant chemical found in turmeric) improves ulcerative colitis, rheumatoid arthritis and pancreatitis in mice and has anti-cancer effects in the animals too.

Curcumin has also been shown to ease the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis in people, reducing joint swelling, morning stiffness and walking time. In India, turmeric is used to promote wound healing and reduce inflammation. But though curcumin's effects are being tested in several clinical trials addressing various diseases, rigorous human results are lacking -- as is the case for most anti-inflammatory foods.

Large, careful human clinical trials are expensive and few have been designed to test dietary interventions. Small trials on individual supplements have been done, though. And scientists have learned a lot from studying populations -- chronicling the natural habits of people and seeing what diseases they get and which they don't.

Large, careful human clinical trials are expensive and few have been designed to test dietary interventions. Small trials on individual supplements have been done, though. And scientists have learned a lot from studying populations -- chronicling the natural habits of people and seeing what diseases they get and which they don't.

The drug factor

It makes sense that anti-inflammatory diets might help the heart, says Dr. Robert H. Eckel, a past president of the American Heart Assn. and professor of physiology and biophysics at University of Colorado Denver's Health Sciences Center.

Statin drugs, for example, are known to cut heart disease risk by reducing cholesterol levels -- among other things, these meds fight inflammation.

"We don't know how much of statins' effect are due to their anti-inflammatory effects," Eckel says. But, he adds, a growing number of researchers suspect that this property is important.

Fish oil, rich in anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids and derived from oily fish such as tuna, salmon and mackerel -- is already recommended by the American Heart Assn. to help prevent cardiovascular disease. It has been shown to reduce blood triglyceride levels and slightly lower blood pressure, lowering the risk for heart attacks and strokes.

There is also reason to believe that anti-inflammatory substances would help to ward off cancers. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs have been shown to prevent tumors with people with inherited colorectal cancer, for example.

And population studies have shown that people who had been taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory meds for other conditions were less likely to develop Alzheimer's disease.

In trials, such drugs have failed to treat already-developed Alzheimer's, but the studies suggest that it might be possible to prevent the disease by reducing inflammation, says Greg Cole, a professor of medicine and neurology at UCLA and associate director of the UCLA Alzheimer's Disease Research Center.

But it is not safe to take non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for years because of harmful side effects, such as gastrointestinal bleeding. What about anti-inflammatory foods? Several clinical trials, in the U.S. and abroad, have shown that people with mild memory complaints related to aging (not necessarily Alzheimer's disease) showed significant improvement when given the omega-3 fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid, Cole says.

And in an 18-month study released in June sponsored by the National Institutes of Health, treating Alzheimer's disease with docosahexaenoic acid slowed its progression in a subgroup of the study population.

There are other trials with positive results for fish oil in early Alzheimer's cases, but they are not large enough to be definitive, Cole says.

But, he adds, "the real utility is not to slow the progression of someone who's already demented, but it's to treat before dementia happens. We'd like to turn off or keep down [the inflammation] with something that doesn't cause gastrointestinal bleeding or other side effects."

Cole's laboratory is looking at the potential for Alzheimer's prevention by controlling inflammation with omega-3 fatty acids and curcumin. Other food substances -- such as resveratrol in red wine and flavonoids in fruits -- may have anti-inflammatory effects by acting along the same pathway that curcumin does, he says.

Cole suspects that people are more likely to take a supplement or two than to radically change their diets. "Nutritionists, they'll tell you to eat right. It is good, sound advice, but you can't always get people to do it," he says. "The question is, can you find an easier supplement approach that doesn't require a restricted diet?"

Supplements do have their drawbacks. "Many Alzheimer's researchers were prescribing vitamin E [an antioxidant] to all their patients," says Debra Cherry, a clinical psychologist and the executive vice president of the Alzheimer's Assn. of the California Southland. "But some data came out that people had high bleeds and suffered from cardiovascular problems."

Dietary revamp

Perhaps a complete diet overhaul -- difficult though that may be -- would be a better strategy. The Mediterranean diet, named for the region in which it originated, has many anti-inflammatory features.

It includes fruits, vegetables, nuts, fish, whole grains, alcohol, and healthful fats like olive and canola oil. It has been shown to lower LDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels and reduce the risk of blood clots. Studies have shown that diets high in fish, olive oil and cooked vegetables reduce the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis. A Mediterranean diet or elements of it seems linked to reduced risk for a number of chronic conditions, including cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes and Alzheimer's.

"If people noticed they're slightly overweight, or if blood pressure is starting to creep up, or if blood sugar [increases], and they went on a Mediterranean-type diet, they might be able to decrease inflammation and stop the progression of disease," says Dr. Wadie Najm, a clinical professor of family medicine and geriatrics at UC Irvine who directs an integrated medicine clinic at UCI that focuses on complementary and alternative medicine.

Many patients visiting his clinic have chronic inflammatory conditions, including autoimmune diseases such as arthritis and gastrointestinal problems such as Crohn's disease. Patients begin a specialized diet and exercise, and make other lifestyle changes to decrease inflammation.

"In three weeks, if [patients] follow the protocol, we see great results in improvement in symptomology and reduction in flare-ups," says Bianca Garilli, a naturopathic doctor at the clinic.

Of course, these dietary and other lifestyle changes might help treat pain conditions through the placebo effect -- a belief in a treatment rather than the treatment itself, says Dr. Roger Chao, an associate professor of medicine at Oregon Health and Science University and director of clinical guidelines development for the American Pain Society.

"You're giving something for people to focus on and do something good for themselves," Chao says.

At the end of the day, there is evidence to suggest that your best bet at curbing inflammation is to eat a healthful diet -- and keep your weight in check -- without specifically thinking about anti-inflammatory foods.

"There is no doubt that if you lose weight, inflammation is dramatically improved," Greenberg says. When a person is overweight or obese, body fat breaks down into fatty acids, which circulate in the blood. These fatty acids promote an immune response in the same way that infection does, increasing inflammation.

It will take time to tease apart the effects of anti-inflammatory diets and supplements. But Cole thinks the effort is well worth it. "The alternative to these kinds of things aimed at prevention is to pay for treatments," he says. "And we can't always afford them."

--

health@latimes.com

Food Factors and Athletic Performance by Roger Davis Deutsch

2010-06-16T11:06:00.003-04:00

One man’s meat is another man’s poison. Finding out what foods are right (and which are wrong) for you, is the key to health and performance. Follow this link to read more in an article written by owner/founder Roger Davis Deutsch and published in Chiropractic Economics.

http://www.chiroeco.com/chiropractic/news/9721/42/food-factors-and-athletic-performance/

Gluten Allergies Force Changed Eating Habits

2010-05-21T16:44:00.000-04:00

Wonderful story by MyFoxHouston on Gluten sensitivities and all the harm it can cause. Check it out!

Gluten Allergies Force Changed Eating Habits

ALCAT Case Study by Dr. David Brady

2010-05-05T10:42:00.001-04:00

The following link is to a case study conducted by Dr. David Brady. The patient suffered from severe facial rash, pruritis, frequent colds and asthma. This case study will be published in Naturopathic Doctor News and Review.

http://bit.ly/cZwPgo

Michael McLean joins Cell Science Systems as new laboratory supervisor

2010-04-30T16:59:00.001-04:00

Creation of new position signals continued growth for the leader in food sensitivity testing

Michael McLean, formerly of Signet Diagnostics, has joined Cell Science Systems Corp. (CSS), manufacturer of the ALCAT Test, as Laboratory Supervisor. Mr. McLean comes to CSS with over 24 years of supervisory experience in the food sensitivity and laboratory industry. In his new role, Mr. McLean will focus on Research & Development and laboratory supervision.

“I’m happy to be at a company on the cutting edge of testing for immune aberrations associated with dietary factors,” said McLean.

CSS Corp, an ISO 13485, U.S. FDA Registered Devise Manufacturer, and CLIA Licensed laboratory provides testing services in the areas of food and chemical sensitivity and nutrition; and sells CE certified products to laboratories worldwide.

“It is gratifying to me as a laboratory scientist to be working within a company that is so concerned with quality management and uses that strength as a base for innovative research, especially in the current regulatory environment,” continued McLean. “I’m proud to be working for a company that fosters a higher standard of quality management and scientific excellence.”

“We are extremely pleased to have Michael join our company,” said Roger Deutsch, President and CEO of CSS and author the book Your Hidden Food Allergies Are Making You Fat.

Mr. Mclean graduated from Florida International University in 1989 with a Bachelor’s of Science in Biology and Chemistry and a Master’s of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics in 1994. He is on track to earn a doctorate in Dietetics and Nutrition in 2011 and has second authorship on several publications.

Continued Deutsch, “People should be watching our laboratory for some very new diagnostic inventions related to chronic inflammatory conditions such as cardiovascular disease, obesity and diabetes, as well as innovative technologies for determination of individual nutritional needs. Mr. McLean is going to play a large part in that.”

Cell Science Systems (CSS), located in Deerfield Beach, Florida, is a life sciences company and the worldwide market leader in food sensitivity testing as the manufacturer of the ALCAT Test. ALCAT identifies cellular reactions to over 350 foods, chemicals and herbs. These inflammatory reactions are linked to chronic health problems like obesity and diabetes, as well as skin, heart, joint, and digestive disorders.

Leaky Gut

2010-04-27T10:31:00.000-04:00

Leaky Gut is one of the major tenets of the ALCAT Test and a primary contributor to many of the inflammatory conditions that we face every day. The Institute for Functional Medicine posted online an excerpt on the The Gut-Liver Axis: Genetic and Environmental Influences on Detoxification from its Textbook of Functional Medicine.

We highly recommend every practitioner read both the IFM textbook and excerpt on healing the gut.

Upcoming ALCAT Events

2010-04-20T12:32:00.000-04:00

Cell Science Systems - The ALCAT Laboratory - just attended the A4M and Illinois Dietetic Association conferences this past weekend. We had a great time meeting with hundreds of ALCAT users and thank everyone for their time.

We have some great events coming in the next month or so. ALCAT will be attending the American Chiropractic Association Council on Nutrition, Maryland Dietetic Association conference, Georgia Dietetic Association conference, Virginia Osteopathic Medical Association conference and National Basketball Association Strength and Conditioning Association coaches convention.

The NBASCA is especially exciting for us as we'll get to meet with all 32 NBA teams and discuss incorporating ALCAT into their nutrition programs. Several Orlando Magic players and countless professional athletes have had great success conquering their chronic inflammatory conditions, improving energy levels and reducing recovery time.

Stay tuned for updates!

A few keys to wellness...

2010-04-19T11:27:00.001-04:00

Whether or not you decide to take the ALCAT Test is a personal decision that is the beginning of an overall lifestyle change. There are, however, a few things you can do to take those first steps to wellness if an ALCAT Test is not in your immediate plans. Below are some tips and links from the Mayo Clinic.

Avoid gluten. There are TONS of resources and literature that explain the detrimental effects of consuming gluten. A simple Google search
Rotate your foods. Varying your diet will prevent a cumulative 'loading' effect and development of new food sensitivities. If you consume too much of one thing your body may become sensitive to it.
Eat your veggies. Your mother was right when she told you to do this. Maybe have a vegetarian meal now and then instead of that steak. (Yes, steak is delicious. We know.)
Get some exercise. Get your blood flowing, sweat a little and improve your metabolism.
Drink water. Put down the soda, EVEN DIET SODA, and drink water. High fructose corn syrup is awful for you as are artificial sweeteners. Have water instead and save those calories.
Take a probiotic. Over 60% of your immune system resides in the gut. Doesn't it make sense to take care of the flora and fauna in there? Be sure to take one from a reputable manufacturer and know if it contains the proper strains.
Get some fiber in your diet. Get it from natural foods, grains and veggies. Trust us, you'll feel a lot better if you follow this one.

Follow these simple tips and you'll be on your way to wellness. For more information on these tips or the ALCAT Test, call 800-872-5228 or visit the ALCAT Website.

A4M Orlando

2010-04-12T12:02:00.000-04:00

Cell Science Systems - The ALCAT Lab - will be attending the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine (A4M) from April 15-17, 2010. If you're in Orlando and want to see some great speakers we highly recommend you stop by.

Dr. Mitchell Ghen, Associate Medical Director and Scientific Advisory Board member of the ALCAT Lab, is scheduled to speak on Friday the 16th about Bioactive Silver Hydrosol in Anti-Aging Practice. Be sure to check it out!

Surfers for Autism

2010-04-09T13:56:00.000-04:00

For those of you in South Florida this weekend there will be a GREAT event by Surfers For Autism on Saturday, April 10, 2010 at the Deerfield Beach pier. There will be food, vendors, and a stage set up for local bands. When you see these kids catch a wave it will bring a tear to your eyes. It’s AWESOME!!!

Here are a few links:

http://www.surfline.com/surf-news/florida-surfers-give-autistic-children-something-to-splash-about-healing-waters_14659/

http://www.surfersforautism.org/

To make a donation to Autism Speaks, go here: https://secure.autismspeaks.org/page/contribute/donate1

Gluten Free Grocery Guide

2010-04-06T11:09:00.002-04:00

ALCAT came across the Triumph Dining last year and we think their publications, Gluten Free Grocery Guide and Gluten Free Restaurant Guide, are great to help make a gluten free lifestyle much easier.

The booklets are updated yearly and they include an easy to read reference table of contents for quick searches.

We live our lives so fast and it can be very difficult to stick with dietary limitations. Why not make it a little easier?

You can find Triumph Dining on Twitter! Click the image below to go to their page.