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Archive for the "Health News & Reviews" Category

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. Read more »

Health News and Reviews

Health News and Reviews are listed from top to bottom in the order of their publication. You may also search by topic, by key word(s) or by date. At the end of each article, you are invited to leave your comments or questions which may be addressed in future issues.

 

A Different Kind of Food Fight
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The Drive-Thru Diet,  Fact Or Fiction?
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Gastric Surgery For Overweight Kids – Last Best Chance Or a Bridge Too Far?
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Reshaping the Nutritional Environment for Our Children
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Counting Calories at the Coffee Shop, But Not the Fast Food Places
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Too Much Salt in Our Food Creates Serious Health Hazards
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New Year’s Resolutions – Count on Failure
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Staying Healthy in Tough Economic Times
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The Message of Good Health – Keep Paying it Forward
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Where Does Your Food Come From – Should You Care?
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Scary Statistics of the Diabetes Epidemic
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What the Health Care Reform Bill Can Learn From the “Cash-For-Clunkers” Program
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Growing Up With Healthy Eating Habits
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Young Bodies Need to Exercise
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More Supermarkets in Poor Neighborhoods
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Why We Should Be Worried About Sodas
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“Smart Choices” – Why It Is So Hard to Make Sense of Food Labels
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A Balanced Diet May be Your Best Anti-Depressant
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For Weight Loss, Lifestyle Changes Matter More Than Dieting
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Is There a Connection Between Healthy Eating and Mental Health?
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Weight Loss is a Health Issue, Not a Sport
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Retirement and Second Chances
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What You Should Know About Seafood
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The Benefits of Lifetime Learning
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Sustainable Longevity
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Spring Cleaning for Body, Mind and Soul
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The Meaning of Good Health
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Modern Day Travel
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May We Stay Forever Young
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Making the “Bucket List”
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Your Health – A Larger Picture
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In Pursuit of Happiness
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Living Life to the Fullest – But How?
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Expect Miracles This Year
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New Year’s Resolutions Revisited
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A Season to Slow Down
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Long Live the Curious Mind
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Mind Matters
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Enjoying the Gifts of Winter
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Eating With All Our Senses
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Getting Re-acquainted With Nature
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Healthy Eating Requires Education
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Fitness Exercise for the Aging Mind
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Health Literacy
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Good Health – A Matter of Choice
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Achieving Our Best
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Writing Our Stories
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In Praise of Play
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How to Travel
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An Experience of a Lifetime – Make It a Good One
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Everything in Moderation
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Knowledge is Power
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Testimonials & Press Accolades
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What the Health Care Reform Bill Can Learn From the “Cash-For-Clunkers” Program

“Cash-for-clunkers” was extremely successful by any measure. Even those who can’t fathom government doing anything right were soon silenced by the program’s popularity. But the overwhelmingly positive outcome should be of no surprise. Give people the right incentives and they will modify their behavior accordingly. In this case, newer, more efficient and less polluting cars were made affordable through government-sponsored subsidies and they sold like hot cakes. The other government initiative of this year, the infinitely larger and by far more controversial Health Care Reform Bill, could learn a thing or two from “cash-for-clunkers.”

In the unlikely event that some readers are not completely up to date on the most recently debated version of the bill, please allow me to reiterate a brief summary of the main issues as they stand at the moment.

As you probably heard, the Senate Finance Committee is getting ready to vote on its own version this coming week. Although, we all just lived through a tsunami of controversy over health care, it seems that only two major issues have kept the legislation from going forward: Coverage and costs.

The goal of universal health care coverage in America is nothing new, of course. After all, we are an anomaly among industrialized nations in our inability (or unwillingness) to provide access to health insurance for all our citizens. The reform bill, as it stands right now, would probably still not achieve that goal, however, most of the currently uninsured would be required by law to purchase insurance or face financial penalties. In return, insurance companies would no longer be allowed to deny coverage to applicants, e.g. on the basis of “pre-existing conditions.” Those who still could not afford the mandatory insurance coverage would be eligible for government assistance through tax incentives and other subsidies as well as additional expansions of certain Medicaid programs. There is still much debate over the potential costs of these subsidies and the best ways to pay for them, especially since President Obama has repeatedly vowed that health care reform must be “deficit neutral” – in other words, pay for itself.

As a matter of disclosure, I want to identify myself as a strong supporter of a “single payer” universal health care system as it exists in different varieties in Europe and Canada. As a second-best choice, I would like to see the so-called “public option” included in the final bill as a viable alternative to private insurance plans.

Having said that, I am also a strong believer in individual responsibility as an essential part of public health policies. But our current system is too single-mindedly focused on the treatment of illnesses and not enough on pro-active preventive health care. In other words, we are better at making sick people healthy than keeping healthy people from getting sick.

The health care system itself, in its current form, is not designed to change that. Insurance companies pay physicians and hospitals readily for ever more expensive procedures and services, but next to nothing for preventive measures, such as nutrition- and lifestyle counseling. For instance, if you see a doctor because you have difficulty breathing, he or she will be reimbursed for having your lungs x-rayed but doesn’t get a dime for explaining the dangers of smoking. Likewise, it is relatively easy to get coverage for leg amputations in cases of severe diabetes or bariatric surgery to treat morbid obesity, but not for instructions on dieting and weight loss – and this despite the well-known fact that treating preventable lifestyle-related diseases form the heaviest financial burden on health care.

Rethinking the priorities in our health care delivery system is a matter of urgency. The aging of large parts of our population combined with an epidemic growth of obesity, diabetes, hypertension and cancer are already pushing the system precariously close to the breaking point and will render it unsustainable in the foreseeable future.

Coming back to the “cash-for-clunkers” approach, it is easy to see how large scale behavior modification can be directed by providing the right incentives. This, of course, can be a tricky undertaking, as the most recent controversy over the so-called “soda tax” has demonstrated. Nobody wants to feel manipulated, and Americans in particular pride themselves in their independence and self-determination. The “clunkers” program was at least in part so successful because it did not pressure people (to buy new cars) but offered options they could take advantage of, if they chose to do so at their own volition.

All parties to the Health Care Reform Bill could learn a valuable lesson from this event. Health care costs will go nowhere but up if we don’t succeed at improving public health. Universal coverage and affordable access to medical services can only be part of the equation. Serious investments in pro-active, preventive health care programs are imperative. Educating the public about health and health-promoting lifestyle choices must be at the core of these efforts. Employers should be encouraged (e.g. through tax credits) to enroll their employees in gym memberships or sponsor regular nutrition-, health- and fitness seminars and the like. Schools at every level should be required to include health education in their curriculum – and, of course, PE must be brought back and made an indispensable priority.

Nobody should expect that significant progress on a large scale will happen over night, nor will we become a health-conscious nation anytime soon. Just consider how long it took to alter the public’s view on tobacco. Promoting lifestyle changes requires time and patience. It may even take as long as one or two generations. But eventually these changes will have to happen. The question for us today is what we are able and willing to do to at least move the process in the right direction.

Young Bodies Need to Exercise

America has long been a nation of athletes. Americans win the most medals at the Olympics, rank among the top players in many disciplines and hold a great number of world records. Many new sports, including the X-games, have been invented here. The vast majority of our children play sports at an early age. For many parents, supporting their kids’ athletic activities becomes often a full-time job. Soccer moms, hockey moms and coaching dads rush back and forth between events to provide their offspring with everything they may need to excel on the fields and courts of their choice.

By contrast, physical education (PE) has long fallen victim to financial cut-backs in most public schools all over the country. When it comes to physical exercise, especially poor children are regularly “left behind,” and the consequences for their health are often devastating. Why and when it was decided that PE should be considered as an expendable part of their schooling, I don’t know. But the thought of our kids growing up without ever having been taught about the important health benefits of regular physical activity gives me the creeps.

Physical exercise is a necessary part of life for all children. Especially during their growth spurts, their bones and muscle tissues must be put to work in order to develop to their full size and strength. The health of hearts and lungs, the ability to digest food and burn calories all depend on their physical fitness. Even self-esteem and confidence are built in large parts on their athletic competitiveness and success.

I’m by no means opposed to computers, video games and the Internet. Spending time with modern day gadgets from early on is necessary to prepare our kids for the challenges of a technology-driven world. But I am against young lives being thrown off balance by a sedentary lifestyle, often combined with poor eating habits, which can cause severe health problems at a critical stage. Childhood obesity and diabetes are part of an unacceptable epidemic that we must not allow to spread any further. Make no mistake, children who lose their health lose their future – and that will eventually affect us all.

Parents, of course, are the best line of defense we can hope for. Young children learn mostly by imitating the adults and the older siblings in their families. So, for them having good role models matters greatly. As always, actions speak louder than words. Kids who grow up in surroundings where physical activities are valued and practiced will find it easier to maintain a lifelong fitness regimen. On the other hand, kids who adhere to a sedentary lifestyle early on are much more at risk of developing weight problems later in life.

Every child must be given opportunities to be physically active in some ways. That doesn’t mean that parents have to go out and buy the latest, most expensive sports equipment. All sorts of games and leisurely activities can be useful. What matters is that they take place with regularity.

For instance, there are many informal ways of exercising that can be part of a family’s daily routine, such as walking or bicycling to the shopping center or a nearby park, instead of driving. Taking stairs instead of elevators whenever possible is a good idea. Weekends can be filled with hiking, swimming, roller skating, shooting hoops, even gardening or raking leaves.

Whatever you decide to do as a family, it is important that everybody is having fun. If your kids are forced to participate in some silly family event, they will soon resist. It is better to respect their choices if they don’t feel like kicking a ball around but rather play video games or listen to their music – as long as there is a healthy balance. If they don’t enjoy their physical activities at a young age, they won’t continue them on their own in later years, no matter how beneficial it would be for their health.

More Supermarkets in Poor Neighborhoods

New Yorkers know a good thing when they see it. As reported in the New York Times, the Big Apple wants to make healthy nutrition available for everybody. Because fresh groceries are harder to come by in poor neighborhoods than in affluent communities, city officials plan to offer supermarkets a number of incentives to set up shop in places where they are “underrepresented.”

Of course, there are good reasons why underprivileged areas have long suffered from a chronic scarcity of grocery outlets. Fresh produce, meat, dairy products and other perishables have all become increasingly expensive in recent years. Some foods with the highest nutritional value are outright unaffordable for people on a limited budget.

Critics of the proposed program point out that it is unclear whether easier access to healthier foods would automatically improve people’s health. This is not a simple “supply and demand” issue, they say. Although the underprivileged are disproportionately hard hit by diet-related illnesses, such as obesity, diabetes and hypertension, it is by no means guaranteed that the availability of better quality foods will make them change their existing eating habits. Poor diets are common among poor people, but so are alcohol and drug abuse.

What needs to be taken into account as well is a widespread lack of knowledge and education about issues of health and nutrition. Without accompanying educational efforts to raise nutritional awareness, we can’t expect behavioral changes to take place by themselves.

Yet despite of all these obstacles, accepting the dismal existing situation is no longer an option. Health care for the poor on an emergency basis is unsustainable. Instead of treating people only when they are sick, we all would be better off if we did more to keep them healthy, starting with good nutrition. Improving access to fresh food supplies for everyone is one of the best preventive health care measures we could come up with.

Government can play an important role in facilitating preventive health care, especially for those in society who are the most vulnerable. But whatever course of action government officials will eventually decide to take, it must be practical and it must be reality-based.

This should be quite feasible! For instance, I read recently with great satisfaction about the increasing acceptance of food stamps at farmers markets. As a friend of mine once said, local farmers markets are candy stores for health nuts. So are the “urban farms” that are springing up in inner cities all over the country. For inexperienced food shoppers, these small, individually owned outlets are far less overwhelming and intimidating than the upscale supermarkets – and, of course, much more affordable.

The great success of Alice Water’s “Edible School Yard” project, which she started to help improve the quality of school lunches for inner city kids, did not come from the food that she grew on a deserted lot in downtown Oakland. It came from the spirit she awakened in everyone she engaged and challenged to spread the idea of healthy nutrition in their homes and their communities until it took hold and changed people’s lives.

Why We Should Be Worried About Sodas

We are having a brand new food fight on our hands. This time, it is about beverages – soft drinks and sodas, to be more precise. A new tax has been proposed for sodas based on the rationale that they may significantly contribute to our national obesity crisis. Advocates for the tax argue that additional revenues are needed to pay for health care costs and that it would be justified to hold the soft drink industry responsible for the damage caused by its hazardous products. They also predict that resulting price increases would cause consumers to cut back on consumption, which would have positive effects on their health.

Opponents say that people should be free to make their own choices and that it would be unfair to single out individual items, such as sodas, as culprits for widespread health problems. Weight issues, they argue, are caused by overindulgence in all food products, not just soft drinks.

The “war on sodas” is actually not all that new. Schools across the country have long made efforts to remove soda vending machines from their premises, often against their own financial interests. State legislators and school boards have endured immense struggles against the soda industry.

The whole tax issue aside, as a dietitian and health counselor who has worked with children for many years, I believe indeed that sodas are harmful to our health and should not be consumed in large quantities, especially at a young age. And not just because their high sugar content can make us fat. What bothers me as much is the fact that almost all diet and regular sodas are carbonated.

Carbonated drinks have high levels of phosphoric acid (phosphate) and carbonic acid. Elevated acidic levels can cause an imbalance of calcium (an alkaline mineral) in our blood stream. Under normal circumstances, our body’s natural mechanism maintains a steady ratio of calcium to phosphate in the blood (also known as “acid base balance” or “blood pH”) with the help of a healthy diet.

However, if we overindulge in foods and beverages that throw off the delicate acid-alkaline balance, the body has to struggle hard get it back by adding calcium. The more phosphate from carbonated drinks is ingested, the more calcium is needed. If that calcium is not supplied in sufficient quantities from food products, such as milk, cheese, salmon and sardines (with bones), dark green leafy vegetables and the like, calcium that is already stored in the body will be “pulled” from bone mass and teeth, thereby damaging their density. Severe osteoporosis and premature loss of teeth may result in later years.

To growing kids, an acid-alkaline imbalance is especially harmful. Potentially serious damage to their bone structure is being done at a critical time when they build up their bone mass that has to last for a lifetime. The consumption of large amounts of carbonated drinks can jeopardize this process. Once the damage is done, it is hard to reverse.

Supporters of the soda tax are right to compare the consumption of carbonated drinks to tobacco products and alcohol as equally harmful to minors. In the absence of any meaningful government regulation efforts of the soft drink industry, we consumers have to educate ourselves about the facts of carbonated sodas, so we can make better informed choices to protect ourselves and our children.

Growing Up With Healthy Eating Habits

When World War II broke out, I was a young child living in London, England. Our part of town on the east side took the brunt of the “London Blitz,” enduring relentless air raids at day and night. Eventually, it was decided that parts of the civilian population and especially the children had to be evacuated to the safer countryside up north.

My older sister and I were lucky. Mr. and Mrs. Andrews offered us shelter in their little old farm house for the duration of the war, which at the time had no end in sight. They were complete strangers to us, but their kindness, in all likelihood, saved our lives.

Even in retrospect, it is hard to imagine how we survived those horrifying times. Although, we were relatively safe from the bombings, we had little else to count on. Everyone was focused on the war effort and the defense of our country. Life as we had known it was in complete disarray. Worst of all, there were no regular food supplies. All the goods we take normally for granted were unavailable or rationed. In rural areas, where we now lived, people were by and large on their own.

Thankfully, the Andrews knew a thing or two about self-reliance. Their farm was small but it was run efficiently, making the most of its land and livestock. I clearly remember the vegetable garden behind the house: Tomatoes, carrots, cucumbers potatoes, green beans and lettuce grew side by side, row by row. At harvest time, the pantry was stocked like a produce department in a small grocery store. An adjunct apple orchard and berry patch provided fresh fruit in the summer and fruit preserves, made by Mrs. Andrews, throughout the year. A few chickens gave us fresh eggs and for meat supply, Mr. Andrews went out on his bicycle once in a while to hunt rabbits and wild turkey.

Being so young, it was easy for me to make the transition from the big city to life in the country. I was too young to appreciate the differences in lifestyle. As an adult, however, and especially when I had my own children, I often looked back to these years on the Andrews farm with fondness and gratitude – not only because these kind people had kept me out of harms way, but also because they had taught me many things I benefitted from all my life. Among those is a deep appreciation for fresh, healthy food.

I remember specifically the days of spring when I got all excited about planting new seeds in the ground, anxiously awaiting them to grow into something as big and as beautiful as the vegetables pictured on the little envelopes they came in. I recall baskets filled with green and red apples freshly picked from the trees and eating them safely unwashed and unpeeled, because they had not been sprayed with insecticides. I particularly treasure my memories of the home-made bread that I was given as a special treat the moment it came out of the oven. Mrs. Andrews was an artisan baker who probably could have become rich in a place like New York City, but she never gave such things a second thought. She and her husband just did what was necessary to survive, and they took us kids graciously along.

After I was allowed to return to London toward the end of the war, my parents tried hard to make up for the time we had lost living as a family. As soon as food rationing ended, my mother would buy us every treat she could get her hands on, from fish n’ chips to chocolate to ice cream and candy. There was practically no sugar available during the war years and her appetite for sweets was stronger than ever. Her intentions towards us kids were all good, but the nutritional quality of our diet worsened considerably.

Thankfully, I was an extremely active child always playing in the streets and therefore able to burn off the empty calories and extra fat. Besides, I was way too young to distinguish healthy food from junk. And yet, the time spent on the farm with its vegetable garden and apple trees has left an indelible impression on me and has influenced my eating habits throughout my adult life. As a mother, I did my best to pass on to my own children what I had learned through early exposure, hoping they would continue a good tradition of healthy living.

“Smart Choices” – Why It Is So Hard to Make Sense of Food Labels

A new food labeling campaign is being launched by some of the country’s top food manufacturers. It is called “Smart Choices” and is meant to guide all of us who are interested in healthy eating. An easily identifiable label is printed on the front of the selected food packages. Its spiffy logo with green letters on white background suggests that you are getting food that is natural, fresh, clean – and therefore healthier. An oversized checkmark signals some kind of approval or endorsement and makes it look more official.

According to the “Smart Choices” program’s own website, “the program was motivated by the need for a single, trusted and reliable front-of-pack nutrition labeling program… to help guide consumers in making smarter food and beverage choices.”

On face value, this seems to be a good idea whose time has come. Consumers want to be better informed about their food, but they need help. So, the industry says, all you have to do is “follow the green checkmark.”

In addition, detailed calorie and serving size information is being moved to the front as well. Since many consumers find it hard to decipher traditional Nutrition Facts labels, it seems only logical to put the most relevant information in places where it is not so easily missed.

But the new campaign is not yet in full swing, and it already faces plenty of controversy about the seriousness of the whole enterprise. Some critics, among them Food and Drug Administration (F.D.A.) advisers, have expressed uneasiness about the fact that this is a food industry sponsored initiative whose primary goal is not so much to inform consumers but to market its products. In fact, there have been complaints about the dominating role allegedly played by food manufacturers in the making of the program from the start. That should not come as a surprise!

Whatever the disagreements may be, it is of concern to see that already some food products have been labeled as “Smart Choices” that would not be considered nutritionally beneficial by most nutrition experts. For instance, according to a recent report in the New York Times, Kellogg’s Froot Loops cereal has been approved, despite the fact that it contains a whopping 12 grams of sugar per serving, which is 41% of the entire product. Other highly processed foods, such as mayonnaise, have also been given the seal – and not just for the light and fat-free versions, but for the “real” thing as well. The same with peanut butter. Needless to say that health watchdogs are weary.

I’m not by nature a suspicious person, and I don’t assume that good ideas are automatically corrupted because they serve somebody’s business interests. On the other hand, I’m not inclined to place my blind trust in people whose actions are mostly driven by their bottom line. As a dietitian, I am especially cautious about claims and promises made by food manufacturers, not because I consider them as untrustworthy, but because health benefits are usually not the main concern in food manufacturing, period. Food companies focus their attention on products that are attractive, competitively priced and have long shelf lives. A diet dominated by fresh foods is much more wasteful by comparison. There is a reason why the produce departments carry the most expensive food items in grocery stores. But there is where the really good stuff is – where you can make the “smartest choices” of all, if you will.

The food we eat affects our health and well-being more directly and more profoundly than almost any other purchases we make. This is where we need to pay close attention and make the necessary efforts to learn the facts for ourselves. To me, knowing how to eat right is a part of being educated about the things in life that matter the most. So, notwithstanding all the good intentions to make our lives easier, in the end we have to do hard work ourselves and become better informed consumers on our own merits. The seal of approval that really counts, after all, is our good health.

A Balanced Diet May Be Your Best Anti-Depressant

A recently published study by the Columbia University Medical Center and the New York State Psychiatric Institute found that over a period of just ten years (1996 to 2005) the number of Americans taking regularly antidepressant medication has doubled – from 13.3 million to 27 million. That means ten percent of all people living in America feel depressed enough to seek medical help.

There may be any number of reasons for this epidemic spreading of depression in the population. Since I’m not a psychologist, I have neither the expertise nor the inclination to voice an opinion in this matter. However, as a clinical dietitian, I have seen a great number of patients over the years for whom diet and lifestyle changes had also a significant impact on their mental and emotional well-being.

Unfortunately, there is no definite scientific evidence of a causal relationship between “food and mood.” But, while a specific diet to treat depression effectively does not exist, it is widely accepted in the medical profession that certain lifestyle and dietary guidelines can contribute to the successful treatment of clinical depression.

The uninterrupted presence of certain nutrients – such as vitamins, minerals, water, carbohydrates, protein and fat – is essential for the proper maintenance of all our body functions, including our brain functions. A healthy, well-balanced diet can provide all these nutrients in sufficient amounts. However, if important nutrients are missing over extended periods of time, negative effects will inevitably manifest themselves, including in the brain. Simply put: Neither the body nor the mind can work on a poor diet for long without getting sick.

When people are overly stressed, exhausted or suffer from depression, they often don’t have enough energy left to take care of their health needs. Some lose their appetite and let themselves go in other ways. Smoking, drug and alcohol abuse may contribute to a rapid downward spiral. Some seek relief by indulging in unhealthy “comfort” foods that are often loaded with empty calories, fat or sugar. The inevitably resulting weight gain only adds to the scenario.

On the upside, carbohydrates can have a mood-boosting effect. Bread, pastries and pasta all raise the level of serotonin, a chemical in the brain that has typically a calming effect. For the purpose of easing the symptoms of depression, eating carbs is not necessarily a bad idea. But not all carbs are the same. Whole grain breads, fruits, vegetables and legumes also contain carbohydrates and are much better choices than food items made of refined carbs.

Protein can also serve as an energy booster. Foods rich in protein contain tyrosine, an amino acid that helps to increase the levels of dopamine and norepinephrine in the brain which are responsible for alertness and concentration. Protein does not only come from meat and poultry, but also from beans, dairy products, soy and, of course, fish. We are only beginning to understand all the nutritional benefits from omega-3 fatty acids which are richly present in fish, especially salmon, but also in flaxseed and nuts. In fact, clinical studies have suggested that a significant deficit in omega-3 fatty acids may be associated with depression.

Antioxidants, which are found in whole grains and many fruits and vegetables, also play a very important role as a preventive “medicine.” The brain seems especially vulnerable to so-called “free radicals,” which are harmful toxins naturally produced in the metabolism during the digestive process, but they are also caused by many environmental pollutants we’re all exposed to every day. Free radicals can wreak havoc by damaging cells, thereby causing diseases, including cancer, and accelerating aging. Antioxidants, such as vitamin C and E as well as beta-carotene have been proven to combat these free radicals quite effectively by strengthening the inner defense mechanisms of the cells against such destruction, thereby preventing diseases and, perhaps, slowing down the natural aging process.

A lack of vitamin D is another potential cause for depression. Insufficient exposure to sunshine is common among office workers and the elderly. Thankfully, vitamin D deficiency can easily be treated with dietary adjustments and a daily multi-vitamin supplement. But it is important to get regularly tested for vitamin D deficiency.

Our understanding of depression is far from complete. But we have good reasons to believe that the pursuit of a healthy lifestyle and balanced nutrition has much to contribute to any treatment we can think of, for now and in the future.

As I mentioned before, there is no definite diet plan that has been scientifically proven to be effective in the treatment of depression. Thus, the menu below can only be considered as a contribution to a diet plan designed to overcome nutritional deficiencies that may partly be responsible for depression.

Dietary Treatment of Depression
(Sample Menu)

Designed to optimize the effects of food on mood- and energy cycles

Breakfast
Fresh Blueberries
3 Egg White Omelet with Low Fat Cheese and Fresh Tomato Salsa
Whole Wheat Toast
8-ounce Glass of Fat Free Milk
Decaffeinated Coffee

Lunch
Tuna Salad on Whole Wheat Pita Bread
Spinach Salad topped with Chick Peas and Low Fat Dressing
Iced Herbal Tea

Mid-Afternoon Snack
Orange
Sparkling Mineral Water

Dinner
Heart of Romaine Salad with Low Fat Caesar Dressing
Whole Wheat Pasta with Marinara Sauce
Fresh Steamed Asparagus
Whole Grain Sourdough Bread
Sparkling Mineral Water

Evening Snack
Graham Crackers
8-ounce Glass of Fat Free Milk

 This menu suggest that you eat most of the high protein food items early in the day and carbohydrate-rich meals and snacks later. I also recommend to have good sources of the vitamins that are being studied for benefits in the treatment of depression. Whole wheat toast, pita bread, pasta, orange and spinach are among those foods found to be particularly helpful because of their high content in folate. Also important: Thiamin (B-1), found in the chick peas and Riboflavin (B-2) in milk, asparagus and spinach. Niacin (B-3) is found in the bread, pita and tuna. Pyridoxine (B-6)  is present in all whole wheat products, eggs and tuna fish. Milk is always a good source of Vitamin D. Vegetables, fruit, whole wheat breads and chick peas are all solid sources of fiber.

Please note the importance of sufficient water consumption. Six to eight 8-ounce glasses of water daily are highly recommended. Since alcohol and caffeine can induce mood changes, you should try to abstain from those beverages.

For Weight Loss, Lifestyle Changes Matter More Than Dieting

Americans love to diet. Nearly 40 percent of women and 25 percent of men in America are on a weight-loss diet at any given time. Nationwide, we spend over 15 billion dollars annually on dieting-related products and services. And yet, we have the highest rates of obesity, heart disease and diabetes anywhere in the world. It is the sad truth that the vast majority of dieters eventually fail, despite their earnest efforts to control their weight.

Quick fixes are naturally more attractive than long term strategies. Diets that promise immediate results and don’t require too much effort enjoy the highest popularity. The problem is that fast results are rarely sustainable over time. The word “diet” itself suggests an only “temporary” break from one’s regular lifestyle. There is the implicit assumption that the diet will end as soon as the intended goals (i.e. weight loss, lower blood pressure, etc.) are accomplished. Dieting may be hard, but at least it’s not permanent. It is needless to say that this kind of attitude makes relapsing into old habits almost inevitable.

Of course, dieting is not altogether to be dismissed as futile because of lousy success rates. If the goal is to lose a few pounds in a hurry for swimsuit season, almost any weight loss program will do the trick. However, instead of looking for a magic bullet that does the job as quickly and as efficiently as possible, I think, it would be more beneficial to have a long-term strategy that goes beyond instantly gratifying results. In other words, instead of focusing on dieting for the single purpose of weight loss, I would rather favor a systematic development of (and permanent adherence to) an overall healthy lifestyle.

A diet plan I’m particularly fond of is called the Mediterranean diet, especially since it is rather a “lifestyle” than a “diet.” Read more »

Is There a Connection Between Healthy Eating and Mental Health?

As the Baby Boomers approach retirement age, there is a lot of interest in the subject of aging, or, more to the point, possible ways to slow down the aging process.

A number of studies have been published recently that indicate that there are in fact connections between our lifestyles – especially our eating habits – and aging. This should not come as a surprise. As most of us can expect to live longer nowadays, the consequences of our youthful indiscretions may become more obvious as we get to the golden years.

One study claims to have shown a direct link between calorie restriction and memory improvement – even at a mature age. In tests that involved intense memorization, the participants with the most calorie- and fat restricted diet reportedly performed up to 20 percent better than their counterparts who were allowed to consume as much food as they wanted, including foods high in fat. The cognitive functions of the human brain seem especially afflicted by poor eating habits. Conversely, this would suggest that the mind benefits from sound nutrition just like the body does. Read more »

Weight Loss is a Health Issue, Not a Sport

Obesity is not only a worldwide epidemic, it is also big, big business. For example, NBC’s TV hit, “The Biggest Loser,” which features overweight to morbidly obese people struggling to shed as many pounds as possible in a race-like contest, has become an enormous success in many countries around the world.

According to the show’s producers, participants are challenged to the breaking point in a rigorous regimen of supervised dieting and exercise and are tested by many real life temptations as they compete for the grand prize of $250,000. NBC also offers “top-selling fitness DVDs, diet books, club memberships, etc. In terms of dollars and cents, there are certainly no losers here.

From a professional perspective, not surprisingly, I’m highly skeptical of the validity of any incentive-driven, tough-love, boot camp-style weight loss or fitness programs that are so much the hype right now. And I don’t merely question the benefits for the actual participants, but also for the viewers who take their cues for their own lifestyle choices from shows like these.

No professional health and lifestyle counselor who is worth his or her money believes in quick fixes. Weight loss, especially on a large scale (no pun intended), cannot and should not be tried in a hurry. It may make for great drama to watch people being transformed from couch potatoes to sexy hardbodies. It may be fun to see contestants struggle and sweat, and one may even feel inspired by their efforts. But shedding pounds can only be part of the story if the changes should last.

What matters more are the underlying, much less visible changes that need to take place. These involve many more aspects of a person’s life than the reduction of body weight. All the diets and fitness regimens in the world will not work if the people who are doing them are not fully invested in meeting their health needs. People who value their health and want to live their lives accordingly should have no need for monetary rewards or other incentives to keep them motivated.

The permanent adoption of a healthy lifestyle is first and foremost a matter of choice, a change of one’s mindset, if you will. It takes a complete and integrated approach that reaches far beyond a quick, and in all likelihood temporary do-over of outer appearances. As such, it affects the entire person from the inside out.

The majority of patients who come to me for help with weight issue expect me to hand them a list of dos and don’ts to be followed to the letter. When I say that I don’t believe in the prescription of rigorous regimens but rather let them find out for themselves which approach works best for them, they seem greatly surprised. However, once they become more comfortable with the idea of taking responsibility and ownership for their own well-being, they often experience a deep sense of liberation or – as Oprah would say – empowerment. I have witnessed it over and over again with my patients: When they lose control over their health, it affects every aspect of their lives – and, visa versa, when they regain their footing healthwise, they are ready again to take on the world. But the most important part in their recovery process is that they own it every step of the way. Only then, the changes will last.

Significant lifestyle changes can have equally significant effects on a person’s identity. Coming back to the “Biggest Loser” show, I can only imagine what it means for the participants trying to cut their body weight in half in front of a worldwide audience that demands that they perform or find themselves booted off the stage. Their entire lives become a public spectacle and they themselves become actors in it. How can they ever own that, even if they succeed?

In the day and age of reality TV shows, Face Book and Twitter, not much privacy is left nor does it seem in high demand. But the public display of our lives should not result in disrespect for others, especially not where they are at their most vulnerable.