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Archive for February, 2010

Overweight But Otherwise Healthy – Still At Risk?

Dear Timi,
Although I’m probably thirty to forty pounds over my ideal weight, I’m healthy and feel fine about being a little chunky. I eat well and exercise regularly. Should I still be concerned about being overweight?

Dear Reader,
Yes, you should, and here’s why: Being thirty or more pounds overweight puts you clearly at risk for heart disease, stroke, hypertension, diabetes and also cancer. You may not suffer from any weight-related effects on your health right now, but the risks will increase over time. You say that you generally adhere to a health-conscious lifestyle. So, my guess is that your portion sizes are probably too generous, and you may want to start cutting back your servings and see what happens.

Whatever the reasons for your weight gain may be, you should try your utmost to turn things around right now, before more serious damage is being done. Extra weight puts stress on your body, especially your joints, and also your organs. If you reach the point down the road where you have to take medication against hypertension or diabetes, you have to expect an array of other related health problems – including the inevitable side-effects from the medication – all of which could be avoided, if you took decisive action.

Since you are otherwise in good health, you have the luxury of time and can afford to take small, incremental steps toward lasting weight loss. I recommend that you consult with a nutritionist or dietitian, and perhaps a fitness trainer as well, to work on a comprehensive weight loss plan that gets you slowly but surely back on the right path.

A Different Kind of Food Fight

No matter where you stand politically, sometimes you have to marvel when you see how free markets work. What Morgan Spurlock, the film maker of “Super Size Me,” could not achieve with his anti-fast-food crusade, is happening now: McDonald’s has jumped on the bandwagon of health-conscious eating. Most likely in response to Taco Bell’s heavily advertised “Drive-Thru Diet,” McDonald’s has decided to team up with Weight Watchers, the weight management giant, and has promptly received their seal of approval for three meals. For starters, the new partnership is currently being tested in New Zealand only.

The so-called “Weight Watchers Approved Meals” are the “Filet-O-Fish” meal, which includes a side salad (with a choice of Balsamic vinegar or Italian dressing) and a medium-size diet drink or water; the “Six-Pack Chicken McNuggetts” (plus sauce or ketchup), also with side salad and drink; and the “Sweet Chilli Seared Chicken Wrap” with a drink, but no salad.

McDonald’s New Zealand says they have been able to meet Weight Watchers’ nutritional requirements by reducing the fat content in these three items by up to 60%. Weight Watchers agrees and calls the new partnership “positive,” based on the company’s belief that “all food can be part of a healthy, balanced diet.” Both companies say they are committed to “change the face of the quick service industry.”

Weight Watchers gives its approval ratings through a system it calls the “Points Tracker.” Essentially, participants in their weight management program are asked to keep track of their daily food intake with the help of a counting system. Food items are given certain values or points to be added up throughout the day. The average daily allowance is around 28 points, depending on age, height, gender, weight loss goal, etc. Points are assigned based on calorie, fat and fiber content.

The three approved McDonald’s meals carry each 6.5 points, about a quarter of the total amount Weight Watchers recommends for daily consumption.

Not everyone shares the excitement over fast food going healthy. Critics, who have lambasted Taco Bell for misleading the public about the health benefits of their “Drive-Thru Diet,” are also protesting this latest move by McDonald’s. One of their concerns is that people will be lured into the company’s restaurants expecting to find healthier alternatives, but will then add on more “traditional” fast food items.

Like with Taco Bell’s campaign, I think we should applaud this growing trend towards better food choices, wherever we find them. If Weight Watchers approves of certain meals based on its rating system, it should not matter who produces them. And if dominant brands finally acknowledge the need for healthier eating, we are all better off.

Having said that, I wished more attention was paid to factors other than calorie and fat count. Never mind how much fat fast food manufacturers are able to reduce in their products; they still won’t achieve what one can honestly call healthy food.

Healthful eating is mostly a question of balance. Our bodies need to receive a number of important nutrients, which are best found in natural foods, such as fresh fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Fast foods do not provide these in sufficient amounts, no matter how they are dressed up.

In addition, manufactured and processed foods are all inherently high in sodium. People, who struggle with weight issues, often have also heart disease and hypertension to be concerned about. A diet high in sodium only adds to the risks. All three of the McDonald’s Weight Watchers approved meals have high sodium contents – between 407 mg and 801 mg each. That is a third to over a half of the daily allowance recommended for heart disease patients in only one meal. If you count the salad dressings, even the lighter ones, the sodium levels get pushed over the limit right there and then. These issues matter greatly and more attention must be paid to all relevant nutritional data, before premature endorsements get handed out by the health experts.

Today’s Home Cooking Takes Its Cues From Fast Food

 

As people find themselves strapped for cash, they cut back on discretionary expenses. Particularly eating out at fancy restaurants has been reduced from habitual to occasional to rare event. Eating at home is back big time. Sales of cook books are at an all time high. Rachael Ray and Iron Chef have larger audiences than most news outlets. Martha Stewart enjoys a continuously loyal following. Are we witnessing the revival of the “Joy of Cooking” in our country? Not exactly.

As reported in the New York Times (3/17/2010), the economy does indeed motivate more people to prepare their own meals, but unfortunately the art of cooking has been lost for too long. Not only the lack of time but also lacking skills with the skillet can bring your newly discovered love for home-style meals to a screeching halt. And if you haven’t used your oven for months or even years (or ever), you shouldn’t think of starting a culinary revolution now – it’s not going to happen.

On the other hand, kitchen appliance manufacturers have also taken note of the new trend. And they are at the ready to help. The newly coined term “index finger cook” is quite indicative. The latest inventions are a far cry from your mother’s microwave. Some are marvels of robotic engineering. They are fully computerized and able to take on multiple tasks of great complexity (unlike the people who use them).

Don’t get me wrong, I love technology, especially when it works. The downside I see here is that these highly efficient machines work best with processed and packaged foods. Pizza, frozen dinners, pastries, French fries, popcorn, etc. are all perfectly suitable to be prepared (or just warmed up) by these gadgets. If you buy these food items because you don’t have the time or don’t know how to cook from scratch, your diet resembles pretty much what you get from fast service restaurants.

By contrast, the really healthy stuff you should eat, like fresh vegetables and fruits, still requires a lot of traditional handling, such as washing, cutting, peeling, cooking, steaming, stirring and so on. For me, the old-fashioned type, this is also where the fun is. I love to go grocery shopping, preferably at the farmers market. I love to touch, squeeze, smell and taste the fresh food that was still in the ground or on the vine a short while ago and was never canned or frozen. I love it when family and friends huddle around the kitchen counter enjoying a glass of wine, while their mouths water in anticipation of a delicious meal.

You may say, she probably has all the time in the world and can afford being fussy over dinner. As a health care professional in private practice, mother and homemaker with a large household, I understand what it means to be constantly in a time crunch. But, a long time ago, I decided to look at cooking as something I enjoy and can relax with, instead of dreading it as another chore. Taking it slow in the kitchen has not only helped me to meet my nutritional needs, it has also taught me to get my priorities straight and has given me a deeper sense of what really matters to me in life – and something like that I really don’t want to rush.

The Right to Know What’s in Your Food

 With health care reform finally behind us, we are going to see many brand new legislative provisions that will affect all our lives in some ways. Not all are equally controversial. One that has received very little attention concerns new labeling requirements for restaurants. If you haven’t heard much about these measures in the press or at protest rallies, it is because the restaurant industry actually supports them.

In a nutshell, restaurant chains with more than 20 outlets must now disclose the calorie content of most of the meals they serve. Exempt are specials and limited time offers. Also affected are manufacturers of food items sold in vending machines.

The main reason why restaurants have supported the new requirements is that it is easier for them to comply with nationwide policies than with many individual state or local provisions. For instance, New York City introduced similar legislation some time ago and California and Oregon were about to follow suit.

Opponents see in the new regulations nothing but more interference with free enterprise and more invasion of privacy by the federal government. Proponents say that consumers have the right to know the facts about the food they eat to make better informed choices.

As consumers, we should be in favor of having as much information as possible available about the products we buy. Nobody would want to purchase a car, a TV or a computer without having the slightest idea what he or she is getting. We trust that the items we pay good money for function as advertised and, at the least, do us no harm. Why then would we not care in similar ways about the quality of the food we put in our bodies.

To be sure, the mandate for calorie disclosure in restaurants is only a small measure by any standard. Only if you actually make the effort of counting your daily calorie intake, you may benefit from reading (and remembering) the extra information. But with regards to the actual nutritional facts, you are still the dark. Counting calories is just that. What about fats, oils, sugar, sodium, preservatives, coloring agents (some of which are known carcinogens)? These are the true culprits behind the obesity epidemic and many of the nutrition-related diseases.

What is really required is more of what I call “food label literacy.” People must learn to read and understand the information that is given to them. I’m all for personal responsibility when it comes to lifestyle choices. But food manufacturers and restaurant owners must meet us half way. It doesn’t matter where they place their labels, on the front or the back, in big letters or small ones, in color or black and white. If consumers cannot make sense of what they are looking at, the additional labeling is of no use. The ways nutrition facts, serving sizes and ingredient lists are being presented right now is downright confusing, if not wantonly misleading.

The new legislation may be well intended, it may be a step in the right direction, but it will not do the trick – namely give people effective tools to change their diets in favor of their health.

Health Concerns of Families Traveling With Young Children

Dear Timi,
I am planning a trip to Africa to attend a wedding and would like to bring my granddaughter along who’s only 8 years old. We would be staying at a beach resort in Zanzibar and would not be traveling to other parts of Africa to avoid exposing her to more dangers than absolutely necessary. Am I crazy to invite the child on this trip? Of course, I would have her get all the inoculations she needs, but I wonder if she’s old enough to take medicine against malaria?

Dear Concerned Traveler,
Congratulations! Among all my travel experiences, Africa ranks very high up.

You are not at all crazy to bring your grandchild along on a trip that will leave a significant impression on her young mind. But I agree with you. It is prudent to consider the concerns you’ve mentioned.

Malaria is indeed a problem in many parts of Africa. Zanzibar is off the coast of Tanzania and has a different climate. Malaria is much less prevalent there. A beach resort sounds just perfect to give a child a first taste of Africa and keep her reasonably safe as well.

For vaccinations, however, you must consult with a tropical disease institute (most likely to be found at a University clinic). Don’t just go to your family doctor or a pediatrician with little or no first-hand knowledge of tropical diseases. Especially malaria medication can be hard on the liver and kidneys and may not be suitable at an early age.

Also, to prevent any number of diseases, you must be careful with your water supplies at all times. Don’t ever be tempted to drink water from a faucet and don’t use water from anything but sealed drinking water bottles, not even to brush your teeth with. Don’t put ice in your drinks. I only buy or order carbonated water, because I can be sure it has not been opened and resealed before.

Precautionary measures such as these should be taken in many parts of the world, not only in Africa.

Similar rules apply to your food. Cooked meals are preferable to salads and raw fruits. You can enjoy fruits as long as you cut and peel them yourself.

Generally speaking, keep your thinking cap on and avoid as many hazards and dangers as you can foresee.

Besides the medical considerations, let me assure you that Africa is a great country to visit, including with children. Since you are already in the area, you should take time to visit the famous wildlife parks, like the Masai Mara in Kenya and the Serengeti in Tanzania. They offer once in a lifetime experiences. Most safari camps are perfectly safe and some allow children under 12 and have special programs for them.

Last but not least, have fun! Don’t get overanxious. Keep in mind that having a good attitude is an important part of your health protection too. If you are fearful and stressed out, your immune system may respond in kind. And your granddaughter may also be affected.

Enjoy your trip. It will be a wonderful experience.

Moderate Drinking May Help Women Control Their Weight

A recently published study by Boston’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital has suggested that the moderate consumption of alcoholic beverages may help especially females to prevent weight gain. According to this research, women who drank regularly some alcohol when they were younger were less likely to become overweight or obese in their later years than women who never drank at all. Sounds like good news for everyone who enjoys a drink once in a while – it shouldn’t.

To be fair, this study does not recommend alcohol consumption, not even in moderation. The released data provide only statistical evidence. They do not proclaim the existence of a cause-and-effect relationship between drinking and weight control.

My concern is that many people will get the wrong message. Having a drink to prevent weight gain is just too good to be true. The potentially damaging effects from alcohol consumption are far greater than the benefits. It is common knowledge that excessive drinking can cause serious health problems and lead to addiction. Even the presence of small amounts of alcohol in the blood stream can interfere with nutrient absorption and metabolism.

Although alcohol itself contains no fat, it still has plenty of calories – 7 calories per gram, to be exact. That is significantly higher than the amount of calories you get from carbohydrate (4) and protein (4). Only fat has more (9).

When the body uses calories from alcohol for energy, it has less need for burning fat from other food sources. That extra fat gets stored – and, of course, can lead to weight gain. So it is clearly not the alcohol that kept those women in the study slimmer at the later stages of their lives, but other, more ordinary factors, like lifestyle and nutrition.

This is not the first time clinical studies have considered possible health benefits from moderate drinking. For instance, there have been suggestions that red wine may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease. Indeed, there are components in red wine, such as bioflavonoids and antioxidants, that may be beneficial for the heart. Resveratrol, an antioxidant, is found in the skins of red wine grapes. Some of these substances may help to prevent platelets in the blood from sticking together, which can lead to clot formation. You can get the same results from taking aspirin, but, of course, that would be much less fun.

The U.S. Dietary Guidelines define “moderate” drinking as two drinks for men and one drink for women per day. One drink equals 12 fl. oz. of beer, 5 fl. oz. of wine, or 1.5 fl. oz. of distilled liquor. Pregnant women should not drink any alcohol at all. Other health risks include high blood pressure, high triglycerides (fat content in the blood), some forms of cancer, birth defects and accident proneness.

Customize Your Travels According to Your Personal Needs

“Up in the Air” was by any measure a successful movie. It’s an intriguing story on many levels. The main character, Ryan Bingham, played by George Clooney, flies around the country on business. Although, he is in a somewhat ugly business – Ryan fires people for a living – he is quite content with his life that keeps him permanently on the run. Because he is so busy jetting from one assignment to the next, he rakes up an astronomical amount of frequent flyer miles – which gives him access to a highly exclusive club of airline customers with perks and privileges unknown to most earthlings.

The airline industry has only been too happy about the free advertising it received as a by-product from the film’s popularity. It could surely use some accolades. Since September 11, 2001, air travel has become increasingly cumbersome and passengers are on the lookout for as many breaks as they can get. Long gone are the days when one could just show up at the airport just in time for departure, amble through the gate with no security checks whatsoever, get on the plane and relax. Remember any of that?

It is indeed remarkable how the public has adapted to the many added inconveniences of today’s travel. However, the high level of stress we are now exposed to, inevitably takes its toll and should not be underestimated. The good news is that, although you may not qualify for the most prestigious VIP status the airlines have to offer, you can get your needs met and travel in comfort.

Avoid unnecessary stress, plan ahead and allow for extra time
Whether you travel for business or pleasure, short or long distance, by plane, train or car, you have to prepare yourself for any number of surprises, some of which may elevate your blood pressure. Experienced travelers know all too well that careful planning is half the trip. You don’t want to turn into a worrywart, but you should always look beyond the best case scenario before you head out the door. And while you can’t foresee all eventualities, it is a good idea to have several back-up plans in place, in case something goes terribly wrong. It doesn’t matter as much what is thrown at you, as long as you know how to handle it.

The best antidote to stress when you travel is to have plenty of time to deal with potential problems. If at all possible, allow for more time than you think is needed, just as an abundance of precaution. It is much less aggravating to have to wait a little longer for your connecting flight than to risk missing it, because you didn’t expect the lines at the security check points to be so long. The same goes for seat assignments, luggage, car rentals, hotel reservations, etc. All possible obstacles can be better dealt with when you’re not in a hurry.

Build up your strength before you travel
Even in this day and age, traveling can be physically demanding. I’m not just talking about running through airports and parking lots while hauling heavy luggage. The moment you leave home, most of your routines get interrupted. Your bathroom rituals, your eating habits, your sleep pattern – everything you do day in day out without thinking becomes an issue. Particularly your exercise regimen and diet restrictions are much harder to maintain when you’re outside your familiar surroundings.

So it makes sense to invest a little extra effort to get in shape in the days and weeks before your departure. Eat highly nutritious foods and work out longer and more often than usual – not only to build up your physical strength but also your immune system. Adding more fresh fruits, vegetables, fruit juices and vitamin supplements to your diet can also help. Fortifying your immune system is especially important when you travel long distance or to foreign countries where you may be exposed to potential health hazards your body is less equipped to handle.

Do not make the all too common mistake of exhausting yourself – physically and mentally – before you embark on your trip. Regrettably, most travelers continue to work or run errands right up to the time of their departure. Ideally, you want to have enough time to take (at least) one full day to rest before you go. You may also consider getting a little more sleep than usual to prevent or lessen the effects of sleep disruption when you cross several times zones and are likely to suffer from jet lag.

Include your health needs in your itinerary
When you arrive at your destination and are tired or jet-lagged, you may feel like crashing. But instead of exploring the room service menu or the mini bar, it may be a better idea to check out the hotel gym or swimming pool. If you have been sitting for many hours on a plane or in a vehicle, the best thing you can do for your body to recover is to get some quick exercise. A few minutes on the treadmill or in the pool will refresh you and also help with a good night’s sleep.

In any case, you should learn right away what facilities will be available to you during your stay. If you are planning on a full itinerary, you may want to schedule your exercise routine as early as possible before your days fill up. If your hotel provides no health spa services, or if they are not to your liking, find out what the alternatives are. Perhaps there is a public gym nearby or a park or a beach where you can go walking, running or bicycling. It doesn’t matter so much that you keep to your usual exercise regimen, but rather that you maintain some form of regular physical activity wherever you are.

Similarly, you can (and should) be pro-active in meeting your nutritional needs. It is not easy to maintain a balanced diet when you’re in transit. Even if you are committed to healthy eating habits at home, temptations to fall off the proverbial wagon lure everywhere the moment you hit the road. On business trips you may meet with partners or clients over lunch or dinner and want to appear generous. Or you’re on vacation and want to let loose a little and not spoil the fun. You may be stuck in a place that does not give you too many options, and so you reach for food you would otherwise not consider. Or you’re bored and try to kill time, so you munch mindlessly.

In situations like these, all you can do is counteract as much as possible. Start each day with a healthy breakfast that gives you enough energy for a few hours. If your hotel restaurant offers it, opt for the buffet where you have more control over your food choices. If you are on the move all day, bring a lunch box or some healthy snacks to keep you going. Carry some healthy provisions with you, so you don’t have to settle for fast food or sugary snacks when you need a boost. Don’t neglect to drink lots of water to stay hydrated at all times, especially during and after flying. But be certain to use only reliable water sources (preferably carbonated bottled water). When you travel in far-flung places, be aware that some exotic foods take time for your stomach to get used to. And be really cautious about all foods offered by street vendors.

You are not done when you get back home
Don’t assume that you can let your guard down the moment you get back home. In all likelihood, your body is fatigued from your trip or your circadian rhythm has not yet re-adjusted. It is highly advisable that you return at least one full day before you go back to work and reassume your normal routine. If you’re jet-lagged, you won’t probably sleep too well for some time. In fact, for each time zone you have traveled through, your body will need a day or so to reset its internal clock.

The back-end of your trip should also be filled with pro-active health measures: Get back into a healthy eating pattern right away and resume your work-out schedule as soon as possible. Don’t forget to spend some quality time with family, friends or pets from whom you were separated.

Know what is right for you
Last but not least, when you think of traveling, consider what is appropriate for you. When I was in my twenties, I often traveled spontaneously and on the cheap. Sleeping on trains and buses and spending the night at youth hostels or camp grounds was a lot of fun and offered no hardship. In later years, when I had young children with me, my main concern was about their safety and well-being, but also the educational benefits they would receive from our travels. When I travel today, my goal is to visit new and exiting places, but I do so in reasonable comfort and within the limits of my physical and mental abilities. I don’t pretend that my bodily strength is the same as it once was. At the same time, I am grateful that I can still live my life to the fullest – in some ways, perhaps, more so than ever before. Knowing what fits my needs, I look forward to many more adventures.