Hello, Everyone!
You may have noticed that Vicky's Nutrition Corner is now Food For Thought. I actually came up with the idea for the new blog name after my first posting but decided not to change it until now. I don't know, I just thought it was a little more clever. I hope you like it!
Now onto this week's post. In my research, I came across something in the Harvard Heart Letter, a newsletter published by the esteemed Harvard University Medical School. It concerns the importance of a comprehensive rehabilitation program for cardiac patients, whether they be at home or in the hospital. It states that: "The best cardiac rehab programs integrate supervised exercise with other ways to protect the heart. They include help with smoking cessation and weight loss, information about medications and healthful eating, and approaches to depression and stress reduction. They also offer invaluable support from the cardiac rehab team and others going through the program. Standard programs include three one-to-two-hour sessions a week for 12 weeks. They are generally covered by Medicare and most private insurers. The more sessions you complete, the more long-term protection you get against future cardiovascular trouble" (Persistence pays off in cardiac rehabilitation, June, 2010). For even more information please see:
Persistence pays off in cardiac rehabilitation. (June, 2010). Harvard Heart Letter, Vol. 20, No. 10. Retrieved August 22, 2010 from http://www.health.harvard.edu/rehab.
As always, I hope you have enjoyed this week's post and that it has given you some Food For Thought!
Vicky
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Is Vitamin D the New Vitamin C?
Hello, Everyone!
First of all, I wanted to give you a little more information concerning last week's post on the connection between diet and the prevention of colon and breast cancer; for example, where the info came from!. So, here it is if you care to check it out for yourselves:
Global report: One-third of U.S. cancers are preventable. (2009, September). Environmental Nutrition, Volume 32, Number 9, pg 1-1. Retrieved August 9, 2010 from Academic Search Premier Database.
OK, now onto this week's topic. Some of you may have heard some of the current hype surrounding Vitamin D, thus the title of this week's post. Like Vitamin C that seems to come around every few years as a cure-all for everything from cancer to the common cold, Vitamin D has now made it to the forefront of the media's vitamin frenzy as "the next best thing." While to some it may seem like they're just going through the alphabet (and who knows, maybe in a few years it will be Vitamin E!), there is clinical merit to some of Vitamin D's health claims, especially if it is taken along with calcium; Vitamin D allows better absorption of calcium into the bones. This is of particular importance in postmenopausal women who are at greater risk of osteoporosis and losing what's called Bone Mass Density or BMD. In fact, in my research I came across the March 2006 Proceedings of the renowned Mayo Clinic on Vitamin D insufficiency and its implication for public health, in which it was reported that during randomized trials "At the end of 1 year, the Vitamin D [and calcium] group had significantly reduced wintertime bone loss and improved BMD of the spine" (Holick, 2006, p. 359). I should mention that the wintertime aspect comes into play due to the fact that Vitamin D can be produced in the body by the action of UV rays from the sun converting cholesterol in the skin into Vitamin D, thus it is sometimes referred to as "the sunshine vitamin." For those of you interested in findng out more, you can at:
Holick, M. (2006). High prevalence of vitamin D inadequacy and implications for health. Mayo Clinic Proceedings, 81(3)I, pgs 353-373. Retrieved August 21, 2010 from Academic Search Premier Database.
I hope you enjoyed this week's post and until next time...!
Vicky
First of all, I wanted to give you a little more information concerning last week's post on the connection between diet and the prevention of colon and breast cancer; for example, where the info came from!. So, here it is if you care to check it out for yourselves:
Global report: One-third of U.S. cancers are preventable. (2009, September). Environmental Nutrition, Volume 32, Number 9, pg 1-1. Retrieved August 9, 2010 from Academic Search Premier Database.
OK, now onto this week's topic. Some of you may have heard some of the current hype surrounding Vitamin D, thus the title of this week's post. Like Vitamin C that seems to come around every few years as a cure-all for everything from cancer to the common cold, Vitamin D has now made it to the forefront of the media's vitamin frenzy as "the next best thing." While to some it may seem like they're just going through the alphabet (and who knows, maybe in a few years it will be Vitamin E!), there is clinical merit to some of Vitamin D's health claims, especially if it is taken along with calcium; Vitamin D allows better absorption of calcium into the bones. This is of particular importance in postmenopausal women who are at greater risk of osteoporosis and losing what's called Bone Mass Density or BMD. In fact, in my research I came across the March 2006 Proceedings of the renowned Mayo Clinic on Vitamin D insufficiency and its implication for public health, in which it was reported that during randomized trials "At the end of 1 year, the Vitamin D [and calcium] group had significantly reduced wintertime bone loss and improved BMD of the spine" (Holick, 2006, p. 359). I should mention that the wintertime aspect comes into play due to the fact that Vitamin D can be produced in the body by the action of UV rays from the sun converting cholesterol in the skin into Vitamin D, thus it is sometimes referred to as "the sunshine vitamin." For those of you interested in findng out more, you can at:
Holick, M. (2006). High prevalence of vitamin D inadequacy and implications for health. Mayo Clinic Proceedings, 81(3)I, pgs 353-373. Retrieved August 21, 2010 from Academic Search Premier Database.
I hope you enjoyed this week's post and until next time...!
Vicky
Saturday, August 14, 2010
One-Third of Cancer in U.S. Preventable Through Diet!
Hello, Everyone!
While researching for my English Comp 2 paper on the importance of proper nutrition in preventing or slowing certain diseases and health conditions, I came across something interesting. It was an article from 2009 in a spin-off of Science Magazine called Environmental Nutrition citing a Global Report stating in its findings that nearly one-third of cancers in the U.S., namely colon and breast cancer, are preventable through diet, physical activity, and weight management! Wow!
OK, now I understand the connection between diet and colon cancer - that seems pretty straightforward. But diet and breast cancer? The best that I can come up with is that breast tissue is mostly adipose or fatty tissue and, I suppose, a diet high in fat adds to that tissue, increasing the risk of breast cancer. Either way, these results do give some food for thought, no pun intended!
Vicky
While researching for my English Comp 2 paper on the importance of proper nutrition in preventing or slowing certain diseases and health conditions, I came across something interesting. It was an article from 2009 in a spin-off of Science Magazine called Environmental Nutrition citing a Global Report stating in its findings that nearly one-third of cancers in the U.S., namely colon and breast cancer, are preventable through diet, physical activity, and weight management! Wow!
OK, now I understand the connection between diet and colon cancer - that seems pretty straightforward. But diet and breast cancer? The best that I can come up with is that breast tissue is mostly adipose or fatty tissue and, I suppose, a diet high in fat adds to that tissue, increasing the risk of breast cancer. Either way, these results do give some food for thought, no pun intended!
Vicky
Friday, August 6, 2010
Welcome!
Hello, Everyone! Welcome to Vicky's Nutrition Corner, a blog that will (hopefully!) ask, answer, and discuss, at least to some extent, issues dealing with proper nutrition.
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