Hello, Everyone!
This week's post concentrates on a disease that literally millions of people in both the U.S. and around the world suffer from - hypertension or high blood pressure - and its relationship to diet. Now, most of you have probably heard this before. In fact, it's one of those things that's so simple that most of us take it for granted and tend to forget about it a lot of times. But this is a prime example of how a little something (or, in this case, the lack of a little something!) can go a long way.
Common table salt or sodium chloride contains the main culprit - sodium. Now, sodium in and of itself is not bad. In fact, our bodies need a certain amount of sodium for things like helping to maintain normal cell function and proper fluid balance (RelayHealth, 2009). However, it's when this amount is exceeded that a corresponding increase in blood pressure is seen. Your body needs only about 500 milligrams (mg) of sodium (about one-quarter of a teaspoon of salt) each day. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend that no more than 2300 mg of sodium be eaten each day (one teaspoon of table salt contains about this much). For people with high blood pressure, the recommendation is to reduce this amount to 1500 mg a day or less. The average American, though, consumes quite a bit more than this - often between 4000 and 9000 mg of sodium daily (RelayHealth)!
So, as mentioned above, the answer is deceptively simple: Lower your sodium intake and you can lower your blood pressure!
For more information, please refer to:
RelayHealth. (2009). Salt in the Diet. CRS - Adult Health Advisor, 1. Retrieved from Health Source - Consumer Edition database.
As always, I hope that this week's post has provided you with some Food For Thought!
Until next time...!!
Vicky
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Sunday, September 19, 2010
U.S. Government Takes On Childhood Obesity!
Hello, Everyone!
A couple of weeks ago, I took on a rather tough subject by talking a little bit about Type 2 Diabetes. This week, with the help of the U.S. Government, I'd like to try to take on an equally tough - and closely related - subject: Childhood Obesity.
According to William H. Dietz, Director of the Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “Childhood obesity is an epidemic in the United States, one that is negatively impacting the physical and emotional health of our children, their families, and society as a whole” (Dietz, 2009). In fact, in congressional testimony before the House Energy and Commerce Committee on December 16, 2009, Dietz declared that the “CDC is monitoring national trends, developing policy and environmental strategies, and implementing innovative practices related to six target areas – increasing fruit and vegetable consumption, physical activity, and the initiation and duration of breastfeeding, and decreasing television viewing, consumption of energy dense, low nutritional value foods, and consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages. Through these activities CDC is striving to create supportive, healthful environments for children and their families to experience positive health outcomes throughout their lives” (Dietz).
The link between proper nutrition and the controlling of childhood obesity is irrefutable. In fact, if left uncontrolled, childhood obesity, and obesity in general, can lead toType 2 Diabetes! This "epidemic," as Director Dietz puts it, of childhood obesity is, in large part (no pun intended!) responsible for the overwhelming number of cases of Type 2 Diabetes now being seen in children, pre-teens, teenagers, and young adults.
For more information, please see:
Dietz, W. (December 16, 2009). Childhood obesity. FDCH Congressional Testimony. Retrieved September 6, 2010 from MasterFILE Premier database.
As always, I hope that this week's post has provided you all with some Food For Thought!
Until next time...!!
Vicky
A couple of weeks ago, I took on a rather tough subject by talking a little bit about Type 2 Diabetes. This week, with the help of the U.S. Government, I'd like to try to take on an equally tough - and closely related - subject: Childhood Obesity.
According to William H. Dietz, Director of the Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “Childhood obesity is an epidemic in the United States, one that is negatively impacting the physical and emotional health of our children, their families, and society as a whole” (Dietz, 2009). In fact, in congressional testimony before the House Energy and Commerce Committee on December 16, 2009, Dietz declared that the “CDC is monitoring national trends, developing policy and environmental strategies, and implementing innovative practices related to six target areas – increasing fruit and vegetable consumption, physical activity, and the initiation and duration of breastfeeding, and decreasing television viewing, consumption of energy dense, low nutritional value foods, and consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages. Through these activities CDC is striving to create supportive, healthful environments for children and their families to experience positive health outcomes throughout their lives” (Dietz).
The link between proper nutrition and the controlling of childhood obesity is irrefutable. In fact, if left uncontrolled, childhood obesity, and obesity in general, can lead toType 2 Diabetes! This "epidemic," as Director Dietz puts it, of childhood obesity is, in large part (no pun intended!) responsible for the overwhelming number of cases of Type 2 Diabetes now being seen in children, pre-teens, teenagers, and young adults.
For more information, please see:
Dietz, W. (December 16, 2009). Childhood obesity. FDCH Congressional Testimony. Retrieved September 6, 2010 from MasterFILE Premier database.
As always, I hope that this week's post has provided you all with some Food For Thought!
Until next time...!!
Vicky
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Prenatal Care Essential for Having Healthy Babies!
Hello, Everyone!
This week's health tip post involves proper prenatal care; that is, steps an expecting mom can take to insure that she has a heathy, happy baby! First, of course, is maintaining a healthy diet, even prior to conception. I know that this isn't always easy, since most of us may not know that we're even pregnant until at least a month or more into the pregnancy. But I urge you, if you're even remotely considering having a child, please eat properly, if not for your sake then at least for the sake of your unborn child! And yes, I realize that this may be difficult, too, if there is severe morning sickness involved. But Dr. John Challis, professor of medicine and physiology at the University of Toronto, Canada, states that "Even a modest restriction around the time of conception could have far-reaching consequences" (Poor nutrition associated with premature births, April 29, 2003).
Another way, after conception, to keep your unborn baby healthy is to take a prenatal vitamin supplement that contains both folic acid and docosahexanoic acid or DHA. Now, I'm sure that many of you know the importance of folic acid in preventing major birth defects such as anencephaly (improper brain development) and spina bifida (improper spine development) by 50 to 70% (Folic Acid, July 7, 2010), but some of you may not be aware of the importance or actions of DHA, which has been added to most prenatal vitamins in recent years. Researchers have found that infants who were born to mothers with higher levels of DHA at birth possessed advanced levels of attention spans well into their second year and, during their first six months of life, these babies were two months ahead of those born to mothers who had lower DHA levels (Boyles, 2004).
For more information, please refer to the following:
Boyles, S. (July 16, 2004). Pregnant? Omega-3 essential for baby’s brain; advanced attention span in babies whose mothers eat more essential fats. WebMD Health News. Retrieved August 30, 2010 from http://www.webmd.com/baby/news/20040716/pregnant-omega-3-essential-for-babys-brain
Folic acid. (July 7, 2010). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved August 29, 2010, from http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/folicacid/about.html
Poor nutrition associated with premature births. (April 29, 2003). Decision News Media. Retrieved August 29, 2010 from http://www.nutraingredients.com/Research/Poor-nutrition-associated-with-premature- births
So, eat right, take prenatal vitamin supplements with folic acid and DHA, and have healthy, happy babies! As always, I hope that you have enjoyed this week's post and that it has given you some Food For Thought!! Until next time...!!!
Vicky
This week's health tip post involves proper prenatal care; that is, steps an expecting mom can take to insure that she has a heathy, happy baby! First, of course, is maintaining a healthy diet, even prior to conception. I know that this isn't always easy, since most of us may not know that we're even pregnant until at least a month or more into the pregnancy. But I urge you, if you're even remotely considering having a child, please eat properly, if not for your sake then at least for the sake of your unborn child! And yes, I realize that this may be difficult, too, if there is severe morning sickness involved. But Dr. John Challis, professor of medicine and physiology at the University of Toronto, Canada, states that "Even a modest restriction around the time of conception could have far-reaching consequences" (Poor nutrition associated with premature births, April 29, 2003).
Another way, after conception, to keep your unborn baby healthy is to take a prenatal vitamin supplement that contains both folic acid and docosahexanoic acid or DHA. Now, I'm sure that many of you know the importance of folic acid in preventing major birth defects such as anencephaly (improper brain development) and spina bifida (improper spine development) by 50 to 70% (Folic Acid, July 7, 2010), but some of you may not be aware of the importance or actions of DHA, which has been added to most prenatal vitamins in recent years. Researchers have found that infants who were born to mothers with higher levels of DHA at birth possessed advanced levels of attention spans well into their second year and, during their first six months of life, these babies were two months ahead of those born to mothers who had lower DHA levels (Boyles, 2004).
For more information, please refer to the following:
Boyles, S. (July 16, 2004). Pregnant? Omega-3 essential for baby’s brain; advanced attention span in babies whose mothers eat more essential fats. WebMD Health News. Retrieved August 30, 2010 from http://www.webmd.com/baby/news/20040716/pregnant-omega-3-essential-for-babys-brain
Folic acid. (July 7, 2010). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved August 29, 2010, from http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/folicacid/about.html
Poor nutrition associated with premature births. (April 29, 2003). Decision News Media. Retrieved August 29, 2010 from http://www.nutraingredients.com/Research/Poor-nutrition-associated-with-premature- births
So, eat right, take prenatal vitamin supplements with folic acid and DHA, and have healthy, happy babies! As always, I hope that you have enjoyed this week's post and that it has given you some Food For Thought!! Until next time...!!!
Vicky
Monday, September 6, 2010
Tackling Type 2 Diabetes!
Hello, Everyone!
This week marks the opening of the regular season for pro football, and so, for this week's post, I've decided to try to tackle a tough subject in relation to nutrition: Type 2 Diabetes!
While researching for my final paper, I came across something very recent and, at least for me, very interesting in the prestigious British Medical Journal or BMJ. They published the results in their July 20, 2010 issue of a randomized controlled trial in England on the effects of individualized dietary advice in patients with poorly controlled Type 2 Diabetes. What they found was that such advice in these patients significantly lowered their hemoglobin A1c, a reliable biomarker of long-term blood sugar control, their Body Mass Index or BMI, and their waist circumference after six months (Clifton)!
Chalk one up in the win column for the Nutritionists, Registered Dieticians, and their patients!! For more info, please see:
Clifton, P. (July 20, 2010). Nutrition in people with poorly controlled type 2 diabetes. BMJ. 34(3393).
Retrieved September 1, 2010 from:
http://www.bmj.com/content/341/bmj.c3393.extract.
As always, I hope you have enjoyed this week's post and that it has provided you with some Food For Thought! Until next time...!!
Vicky
This week marks the opening of the regular season for pro football, and so, for this week's post, I've decided to try to tackle a tough subject in relation to nutrition: Type 2 Diabetes!
While researching for my final paper, I came across something very recent and, at least for me, very interesting in the prestigious British Medical Journal or BMJ. They published the results in their July 20, 2010 issue of a randomized controlled trial in England on the effects of individualized dietary advice in patients with poorly controlled Type 2 Diabetes. What they found was that such advice in these patients significantly lowered their hemoglobin A1c, a reliable biomarker of long-term blood sugar control, their Body Mass Index or BMI, and their waist circumference after six months (Clifton)!
Chalk one up in the win column for the Nutritionists, Registered Dieticians, and their patients!! For more info, please see:
Clifton, P. (July 20, 2010). Nutrition in people with poorly controlled type 2 diabetes. BMJ. 34(3393).
Retrieved September 1, 2010 from:
http://www.bmj.com/content/341/bmj.c3393.extract.
As always, I hope you have enjoyed this week's post and that it has provided you with some Food For Thought! Until next time...!!
Vicky
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