Why is dietary fiber such an important part of an adult diet?

Surveys show American consumers are actively looking for products that contain fiber. Over the past five years, the number of consumers increasing their use of fiber has risen steadily.

Fresh vegetables is a great source of natural fiber

A Health Focus Trend Report showed that in 2006, more than 42 percent of consumers reported they were actively increasing their fiber intake, while 9 percent reported increasing their use of carbohydrates that promote digestive health.  A Survey from the International Food Information Council’s Consumer Attitudes showed that in 2007, consumers ranked fiber as a top 10 functional food, actually rating it higher than green tea.

The traditional understanding of dietary fiber and its nutritional benefits has been mainly in the area of regularity. Dietary fiber may help keep our bowels moving regularly. In the United States the recommended daily intake of fiber is 25-38 grams per day, the vast majority of Americans consume far less.

This trend seems to be changing as evidenced in breakthrough research from as early as 1986 in the journal Gastroenterology highlighted the beneficial effects of colonic bacterial fermentation of complex carbohydrates such as fiber. Since then, multiple additional studies by leading researchers in renowned journals such as the British Journal of Nutrition and the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition have provided even more insights into this critical process.

Banana and Mango are fruits that provide great natural fiber

The traditional categories for fiber were bakery or cereal products. While these products still are abundant, the discovery of new sources of soluble fibers in particular has enabled food and beverage manufacturers to add fiber to nontraditional products, such as beverages and dairy products. There are now prebiotic fibers in beverages, yogurt and bars. Dietary supplements containing prebiotic fibers also are very common.

Food manufacturers have obviously responded to consumers’ demand for fiber and digestive-health products, and there are now more products with fiber or digestive-health claims in the marketplace. In fact, according to the global new products database, the number of new products in 2006 with a fiber descriptor on the label surpassed the number of new products with more traditional and established claims like “added calcium” or “reduced fat.”

 Even more astounding, the number of new products with digestive-health claims introduced into the marketplace was second only to products with a vitamin fortification claim. In 2007, the term prebiotics was used on at least 54 food and beverage products, a remarkable increase from approximately 23 a year earlier.

For more info: Refer to another article in this area on healthy gut bacteria.

“To sleep, perchance to dream?”

William Shakespeare isn’t the only one to espouse the benefits of adequate sleep. The question remains, however: How much is enough? Certainly, not enough sleep can be detrimental to your health, but can you also suffer health risks from catching too many zzz’s?

Daniel Kripke, co-director of research at the Scripps Clinic Sleep Center in La Jolla, Calif., compared death rates among more than 1 million American adults who, as part of a study on cancer prevention, reported their average nightly sleep totals. He recently discussed the results of his findings in an interview with Time magazine.

According to Kripke, “Studies show people who sleep between 6.5 hr. and 7.5 hours a night, as they report, live the longest. And people who sleep 8 hours or more, or less than 6.5 hours don’t live quite as long. There is just as much risk associated with sleeping too long as with sleeping too short. The big surprise is that long sleep seems to start at 8 hours. Sleeping 8.5 hours might really be a little worse than sleeping 5 hours.”

He added that risks for various illnesses, such as depression, obesity, heart disease and diabetes increase both with not enough and too much sleep. “Morbidity [or sickness] is also u-shaped, in the sense that both very short sleep and very long sleep are associated with many illnesses.”

Finally, getting out of bed when you’re not sleepy and restricting your time in bed actually helps you to sleep more. Kripke noted this helps people get over their fear of the bed. “Spending less time in bed actually makes you sleep better. It is, in fact, a more powerful and effective long-term treatment for insomnia than sleeping pills.”

The motto here at CAIR is “eat right, get plenty of rest & breath deep!”  Seems like good advice when you read the research.

How you deal with stress will determine your overall health

Stress affects nearly everyone, but some people handle it better than others. And the simple truth is the people who are good at dealing with stress live healthier and happier lives compared to people who struggle with stress. The good news is if you are one of the many people who get caught up in life’s sticky web of stress; you can get untangled and stay untangled. Keep these tips in mind the next time you’re feeling the pressure:

* Stay clear of the drama. As Rudyard Kipling writes in his poem “If,” if you can “keep your head when all about you are losing theirs and blaming it on you,” you’ll be able to keep your cool under pressure and tackle your challenges much more effectively.

* Lighten up! Many of the things you worry about won’t occur, and worrying cannot help those problems that invariably do take place.

* Say or do the opposite of what you are feeling. When someone or something pushes your hot buttons, you may feel justified to react with anger, but this negative reaction only brings more stress to the situation.

* Override your pride. Think of a time in your life when you insisted that you were right and another person was wrong. Did this really bring you more happiness, or did it just create more stress for both of you?

* Appreciate life’s little detours. Each time you have to pick yourself up to get back on track, you learn important lessons and develop new skills that will help you in life.

Stress in many forms is common in society, and it’s a problem because it can rob you of your health, happiness and potential for greater success. Talk to your doctor about ways to minimize stress and escape the stress web for good.

Which juice is best?

Scan the grocery store shelves and you’ll find a variety of juices on display. The old favorites still remain – apple, orange and grape – but you’ll also see some new flavors these days, such as blueberry-pomegranate, cranberry-raspberry, guava and even “lychee” (an edible fruit native to the Kwangtung and Fukein provinces of China).

Juice can provide many health benefits, especially for those trying to squeeze in the recommended number of servings. Just 6 ounces or ¾ of a cup of 100-percent fruit juice can equal one serving of a fruit or vegetable. Fruit juices can contain a number of important vitamins and nutrients our bodies need including potassium, antioxidants and vitamins A and C.

It’s important to read the labels as you make your juice selection. You want to look for labels that say “100% juice.” Only juice with this on the label can truly be considered juice. Anything less than 100-percent juice and the label must clearly be labeled a juice “drink,” “beverage,” “cocktail,” “punch,” “blend” or “sparkler.” These products might contain as little as 10 percent or as much as 99 percent juice. The rest of the ingredients might include artificial sweeteners, sugar or other artificial ingredients. Review the list of ingredients on the products. Ingredients must be listed in order of volume. The farther down the list of ingredients juice appears, the less there is of it in the drink.

In your grocer’s freezer section, you’ll find juices from concentrate. These are the same as the original juice, except most of the water has been removed. Once you add the water back in, the juice has the same nutritional profile as it does in its original form. Many people think fresh-squeezed juice offers a nutritional advantage and some experts might agree. However, the important thing is to realize that the goal is to incorporate the right amount of fruits and vegetables into your diet, and when juice is consumed as part of a well-balanced diet, this can be achieved without consuming fresh-squeezed juice all the time.

Some juice is fortified with extra vitamins, minerals, cholesterol-lowering sterols and omega-3 fatty acids – something to consider if you aren’t getting enough of any of these nutrients in your normal diet. Recent research indicates certain juices also might help in protecting against certain health conditions and diseases. Pomegranate juice has been shown to lower total cholesterol and reduce systolic blood pressure, while cranberry juice helps women maintain proper urinary tract health.

Check with your doctor to make sure certain juices won’t interfere with any prescription medication you’re taking. For example, grapefruit contains a natural substance that inhibits the liver’s ability to metabolize certain drugs. These restrictions aside, 100-percent juice is a great way to get those recommended daily servings of fruits (and vegetables) into your diet.

3 ways to boost your memory

Memory is the ability to store, retain and recall information.  With so much of health care concerns looking at aging issues, dementia and Alzheimer’s is high on most peoples list. Exercising your brain is just as important as exercising your muscles so here are a few simple suggestions to keep your memory sharp: 

1. Play games, particularly ones that require you to remember previous moves and conceptualize future moves and combinations. Chess is a great example. 

2. Pay attention to details wherever you go, particularly when the situation involves multiple stimuli. See how many details you can remember after a quick scan of your environment.

3. Teach while you learn. Whether you’re helping a friend study for a test or reading to your children, you’re more likely to retain information the more you repeat it. 

Foods that fight cancer, especially in women

 Eat your vegetables has been a command at the dinner table from parents to their children for many years.  Well it seems that science is now able to back up Mom’s threats with research based findings. 

Over the years, various studies have suggested that people who regularly consume cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, cabbage, turnips, bok choy, etc.) have lower rates of many cancers, including breast and prostate cancer. Researchers have investigated cruciferous vegetables in an attempt to identify the active agent(s) that account for this cancer-protective effect. As it turns out, cruciferous vegetables are unique in that they contain compounds called sulforaphane and indole-3-carbinol. Both of these natural agents enhance the body’s ability to detoxify cancer-causing chemicals, but indole-3-carbinol in particular exhibits other impressive anti-cancer effects that should be recognized.

Experiments show that indole-3-carbinol and its by-products not only stop the growth of certain types of cancer cells, but also trigger them to die. This is an important mechanism by which the indole-3-carbinol is thought to lower the risk of cancer.

So, in addition to speeding up the body’s ability to neutralize (detoxify) and eliminate cancer-causing chemicals, indole-3-carbinol also appears to help ensure that any emerging cancer cells die before they can become a threat to the body. Research suggests supplementation with indole-3-carbinol also reverses cervical dysplasia and vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia (tumor), two precancerous conditions that occur in women, in a high percentage of cases. Another study showed that indole-3-carbinol supplementation reversed respiratory papillomas as well.

In addition to these impressive cancer-fighting capabilities, indole-3-carbinol also helps prevent the buildup of the form of estrogen that is linked to breast and uterine cancers. Researchers have identified that when a woman’s body makes more of one form of estrogen (16-OH estrone) and less of another form (2-OH estrone), her risk of reproductive organ cancer is greater. Indole-3-carbinol promotes the conversion of estrone to 2-OH estrone, the form of estrone that is safer and less potent, and reduces the buildup of the dangerous 16-OH estrone.

Indole-3-carbinol may be one of the most powerful cancer-fighting nutrients ever identified. Studies suggest optimal benefits from this important compound are derived when you consume broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts or some combination of cruciferous vegetables at least four to five times per week. In addition, studies say to consider indole-3-carbinol supplementation to further optimize the cancer defenses on a daily basis. Talk to your doctor about how to reduce your risk of developing cancer and other diseases through the proven power of nutrition.

Swine flu returning after 91 years. The best ways to protect yourself are the easiest.

wearing a mask during flu season may be inconventient but is essential to prevent the spread of the virus.

Most people living today were not around when the Swine Flu made its first deadly appearance in April 1918 and reappeared in the fall killing over 50 million people.  It was the H1N1 virus that was responsible for the worst single source of casualties in US history according to Tommy Thompson former US Secretary of Health & Human Services.  The flu season of 1918 killed more Americans than all modern wars we’ve been in combined.

Hospitals around the country have been monitoring cases since last April and have seen the same pattern developing that occurred in 1918.  The World Health Organization declared this a pandemic during the winter flu season in the southern hemisphere while the rest of us in the northern parts of the globe have not been left alone.  Local stories of healthy adults getting sick and dying from the H1N1 virus have alarmed many.

Doctors have been troubled by reports from Australia, deep in their flu season that at least 20 percent of ICU beds are being taken by H1N1 patients.  In Sacramento a similar surge would prompt some hospitals to delay elective procedures and have to shift more stable patients out of intensive care to make way for flu victims.  According to Dr. Christian Sandrock, an infectious disease specialist with the UC Davis Medical Center said, “it is moderately likely that UC Davis could fill up with intensive care flu patients so when an outlying hospital wants to transfer a patient we won’t have the room.”

Those being asked to care for the highly infectious patients have concerns as well.  In a recent article in the Sacramento Bee, reporter Anna Tong reported on the concern area nurses have of a reported shortage of protective masks or respirators at the hospitals that will care for the flu patients.  She states that according to the federal CDC half the health care workers infected with the H1N1 virus were exposed at work.  In Sacramento one nurse has already died from the H1N1 virus.

With the correct mask, you can prevent getting the flu from others in public places as well as preventing the spread from you to someone else.

According to Tongs article nurses say their concern is not limited to their own ranks.  “This is about patient and healthcare worker protection,” said Karen Brown, an adult intensive care unit nurse at UC Davis Medical Center.  Masks or respirators have been proven to be an effective protection against the spread of the airborne virus by those trying to avoid getting it and preventing those that have it from spreading every time they cough, sneeze or even breathe.

VantageRx, a Rocklin based company specializes in the distribution of medications and some specialty supplies says they have an answer to the shortage.  According to Richard Orchard the companies President, “we have exclusive rights to one of only two FDA approved respirator masks available.”  According to Orchard most dust mask or even surgical masks that the general public can get do not stop the tiny virus or airborne particles we expel when we cough or breathe.  Masks have to pass several rigid tests to be FDA approved on is a fit test, there can’t be any openings around the mask on your face otherwise anything can get in or out.

VantageRx through its representatives have been working since late this spring to get the word out through their doctor offices they service and by producing an online video explaining the truth about the flu and how their supply of respirator masks should be part of the protective package people in public places should use.  “Everyone is listing the usual have hand sanitizer available, get a flu shot, take Tamiflu, or some of the natural herbal formula’s that seem to work effectively too, but little is being said about the public wearing protective masks.”

 According to Orchard one of the main problems with the general purpose N95 respirator mask that health care workers are asked to wear is that they are only rated for 2 hours and should be discarded according to FDA guidelines.  To solve that problem Orchard has struck a deal with a manufacturer of an anti-viral mask that is effective for 24 hours use.  “This mask is made of seven layers using nanotechnology to create a bidirectional mask that neutralizes a virus or bacteria.  The standard N95 respirator used by nurses is only 3 layers and has no true anti-viral neutralizing capabilities,” said Orchard. 

“We just encourage people to go to our web site, www.truthaboutflu.com and get the facts about the real dangers we all face with this specific flu.  If they decide a respirator is a smart thing to get they can be ordered off the web site, but we encourage people to contact their primary care physician and get them through their office,” Orchard said.  The company has a reduced price to people who order with a discount code they can obtain from their doctor.

Obesity is causing the health care crisis in the US

Obesity is not easy to hide

Obesity is the single most solvable cause for America’s health crisis according to recently released findings given to the US Government.  Americans who are 30 or more pounds over a healthy weight cost the country an estimated $147 billion in weight-related medical bills in 2008, double the amount a decade ago, according to a study by government scientists and the non-profit research group RTI International.

The financial burden on our health care system is staggering and it keeps growing.  Obesity now accounts for 9.1% of all medical spending, up from 6.5% in 1998.  It is the single biggest reason for the increase in health care costs according to Eric Finkelstein, a health economist with RTI and lead researcher on the new study.  “If you really want to rein in health care dollars, you have to get people dieting, exercising and living a healthier lifestyle.  Otherwise somebody is going to be paying for treating these weight-related illnesses.”

Obesity is not just a problem for adults anymore

“People don’t take obesity or obesity-related illnesses like type 2 diabetes seriously enough because they don’t realize that they can have dire consequences,” says Ann Albright, PhD, RD, past president of health care and education for the American Diabetes Association (ADA).  In fact, an ADA survey recently suggested that people are more afraid of shark attacks and snake bites than diabetes, even though diabetes contributes to over 230,000 deaths every year compared to 5 – 10 a year from shark and snakes.

In the RTI study which looked at direct medical expenditures such as prescription medications, visits to doctors’ offices and both out patient and hospital services tax payers picked up about half the $147 billion tab in 2008.  This was done through the Medicare and Medicaid programs which spent $600 a year more in prescription medications than patients at a healthy weight.

“Obesity is not a problem that is going to respond to a silver bullet or single solution,” says William Dietz, director of the CDC’s Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity.  “Comprehensive policy and environmental changes are needed.”

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