Health News - January 2005The Olive Branch |
========================================== Featured in this month's issue:
1. HEALTH BYTES: Facts and Tips for Better Living! 2. WELLNESS QUESTIONS & ANSWERS 3. FEATURED MINI-ARTICLE - * "What Are Probiotics?" 4. WATER FILTERS - Sale ending December 2004 ==================================================================== For the year 2005, make a decision to eat better and become healthier. Supplementing will help you reach and maintain that goal. Some people may think they can't afford it or maybe it just hasn't been a priority. We think you can't afford not to do it. DAILY BIOBASICS is a nutritional powerhouse containing essential vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, fiber, and more! Try our Bio-Veggi Tablets or BioBasic Powder today - you are worth it!
===================================================== 1. HEALTH BYTES Facts and Tips for Better Living
LIGHT MAY HELP PEOPLE WITH DEMENTIA -- A study indicates aromatherapy and bright light treatment may help people with dementia. The study, published in the "British Medical Journal," shows most older people with dementia develop such symptoms as agitation, aggression, depression, delusions, wandering, sleep disturbances, and hallucinations. The currently prescribed drugs such as neuroleptics and other sedatives can have adverse side effects, doctors said. New studies point to the promise of aromatherapy and bright light treatment. Three trials have shown aromatherapy can benefit agitated patients. There was nearly complete compliance and no serious side effects, the study authors noted. Lemon balm or lavender oil, the two main agents in aromatherapy, are delivered by inhalation or skin application. Three trials of bright light therapy showed a beneficial effect on people with sleep disturbances. Aromatherapy and bright light treatment appear safe and effective in managing behavioral problems in people with dementia, the authors concluded.
NUTS ARE HEALTHY -- With fat content that is predominantly monounsaturated, nuts are loaded with minerals. Recent studies have shown nut eating can lower risk of cardiovascular problems. Many nuts contain high levels of selenium, demonstrated to inhibit cancer of the mammaries and ovaries. Try Brazil nuts, cashews, or almonds.
VITAMIN B AND DEPRESSION -- Researchers say vitamin B supplements may help fight depression. Research published in "BMC Psychiatry" suggests people suffering from depression respond better to treatment if they have high levels of vitamin B12 in their blood. The investigators from the Kuopio University Hospital in Finland monitored 115 depressed patients for six months. The patients who responded fully to treatment had higher concentrations of vitamin B12 in their blood at both the start and the end of the study than those for whom treatment was less effective. "As far as we know, there have been no previous studies that have suggested a positive relationship between vitamin B12 and the treatment outcome in patients with major depressive disorder who have normal or high vitamin B12 levels," the authors said.
EXERCISE HEADACHES -- Some people with heart disease may get head pain instead of chest pain. Like chest pains, cardiac headaches begin during exercise and subside when exercise stops. See a doctor for an exercise stress test if the pain of your "exercise headache" is severe, you normally do not get headaches, you smoke, you are older than 50, or you have any risk factors for heart disease such as high blood pressure or a family history of heart disease.
FIGHTING THE WINTER BLUES -- With winter now upon us, it is very common for people to feel a little more depressed or unhappy with less daylight and sunshine. Getting outside on your lunch hour could help keep winter blues away. Whether you walk to the store, have lunch on a heated balcony, or simply walk around the outside of your office building a few times, spending your lunchtime outdoors could help boost your mood. Research suggests that blood levels of mood-boosting serotonin may increase with increased exposure to sunlight.
CANCER INHIBITING POWER -- Sipping on a cup of hot tea may be a safeguard against cancer. Population studies have linked the consumption of tea with a reduction in risk for several types of cancer. Researchers speculate that the polyphenols in tea may inhibit certain mechanisms that promote cancer growth. Both green and black teas have been credited with cancer-inhibiting powers. Tea consumption has been credited with reducing the risk of several different types of cancer, including colon cancer, stomach cancer, and bladder cancer. Studies also have suggested that tea is good for the heart and may boost immune system function. In one of these studies, people who drank 5 cups of tea per day had lower levels of blood clotting factors in their blood, which could in turn reduce the risk of stroke.
THE TOP 10 FOODS FOR HEALTH -- Tomatoes, olive oil, red grapes, nuts, whole grains, salmon and other fatty fish, blueberries, garlic, spinach, and tea.
CONVERT YOUR RECIPES TO LOWFAT -- The fat content in most recipes can be reduced in a variety of ways - here are ten:
1. For chicken, white meat contains less fat than dark meat. Try to buy boneless, skinless, chicken breasts. These contain relatively little fat. Turkey can be substituted for chicken. Boneless turkey breast is cheaper than chicken breast, and it is a little lower in fat (although chicken breast is low in fat also).
- 2. When buying hamburger, look for extra lean hamburger. This type has much less fat than regular hamburger. You can also substitute ground turkey for hamburger. Turkey has a slightly different taste, but it is good and generally costs less than hamburger. It can be seasoned with garlic, onions, other herbs and numerous sauces such as bar-b-que or soy sauce. This produces a very tasty meat. Ground turkey is generally very low in fat.
- 3. Use a healthier alternative to ham. Turkey ham is a good substitute. It really does have a similar taste to ham and can be used wherever a recipe calls for ham. Some people cannot tell the difference between the two. Turkey ham has very little fat compared to regular ham.
- 4. If you have never tried turkey bacon, you are missing out! Regular bacon is made entirely of fat, with no nutritional value whatsoever. Turkey bacon is not a pork product, it is made from turkey meat. Turkey bacon contains little fat (it is usually about 97 percent fat free). It still does not have a lot of nutritional value, but it is relatively low in fat and will give you a little protein. It tastes considerably different from regular bacon, but it is very good! You'll be glad that you made the change.
- 5. Tuna can be purchased packed in oil or water. Tuna packed in water contains almost no fat. Tuna packed in oil contains considerably more fat. If you do buy it packed in oil, rinse the Tuna in a strainer before eating.
- 6. Lowfat cream of mushroom and chicken soups are available at your grocery store. Check the labels to see which one is lowest in total fat grams per serving and use those in place of regular cream-based soups.
- 7. For the recipes that require milk, skim milk can be used without sacrificing flavor. Try soy milk in your recipes. You will be surprised.
- 8. For recipes that call for cheddar cheese, there are lowfat and nonfat varieties of cheddar cheese. The low fat variety works well in these types of recipes. The nonfat cheeses usually do not melt very well and are not great for cooking. Shredded soy cheese is also a surprisingly good alternative to use as a garnish.
- 9. Lowfat or nonfat sour cream, cottage cheese, cream cheese, and mayonnaise can be used without sacrificing any flavor. There's even a brand of soy cream cheese with a texture and taste that is very good! It is a bit milder than regular cream cheese. But, some people can't even believe that it's made from soy.
- 10. Butter can be eliminated from some recipes. When browning onions, hamburger, etc., you can spray your skillet with nonstick spray or use chicken or beef broth instead of butter to cook with. When baking, you can use reduced-calorie margarine instead of butter, but the texture will not always come out right. You have got to experiment a little. Health Food stores are offering some good alternatives to butters and shortening. Nonfat margarines currently on the market do not bake well at all. Just remember, with baked goods, it is not always the calorie content per cookie or piece of cake, it is how many you eat!
===================================================== 2. WELLNESS QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
** Q & A #1: Would you please provide a brief explanation of hypothyroidism?
Thyroid disease is second only to diabetes as the most common hormonal disorder in the United States, warn experts at the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP). Women and elderly people have the highest risk of developing hypothyroidism, or an underactive thyroid. It is easy to confuse the symptoms with those of other conditions because they occur in so many other disorders and vary from one patient to the next. The most common ones include lethargy, weight gain, hair loss, dry skin, forgetfulness, depression, and constipation. In the elderly, hypothyroidism often is misdiagnosed as Alzheimer's disease or other conditions that impair mental function, while in women; it may be mistaken for postpartum depression. Adding to the confusion is the fact that hypothyroidism often develops or worsens during or immediately following pregnancy. The AAFP warns doctors to maintain a high index of suspicion when someone develops these symptoms, especially if he or she is a member of a high-risk group.
** Q & A #2: What is vanadium and do I need it?
Vanadium is actually a mineral and serves many functions in our overall metabolism. One important benefit is its action as an antioxidant. There is a lot of interest in vanadium within the research community today. A recent study was published in the "Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine" which brings forth vanadium's value as a "bone builder" and its role in supporting healthy carbohydrate metabolism, especially in diabetic and hypoglycemic individuals. Some dietary sources of vanadium include skim milk, vegetable oils, lobster, and various vegetables and grains. The average daily intake seems to be between 10 mcg and 2 mg.
** Q & A #3: Does reducing stress really reduce my chances of heart attack?
Absolutely! One major study published a few years ago in the "Archives of Internal Medicine" divided the test subjects into three groups. Group 1 simply continued their regular medical care, group 2 added exercise, and group 3 added stress management techniques. 30% of members of group 1 had additional heart trouble, while only 21% of group 2 and 10% of group 3 had additional heart trouble. From this data you can see that stress management reduced the risk by two-thirds. Various methods of stress reduction are known to all be of value such as breathing exercises, stretching, group sessions, positive thinking, and meditation. If a new drug was ever introduced that produced these kinds of results it would make major headlines all over the world.
===================================================== 3. FEATURED MINI-ARTICLE - * "What Are Probiotics?"
Basically, probiotics are the opposite of antibiotics. They are live, friendly bacteria - such as lactobacillus acidophilus - that colonize the intestines and stomach and outnumber harmful bacteria to help maintain and restore health. Probiotics also help in the manufacture of B vitamins, including B12, a difficult vitamin for strict vegetarians to obtain.
Probiotics produce bacteriocins that have natural antibiotic activity. Evidence is mounting that probiotics can protect against infections. Latest studies in the field show that children given milk boosted with probiotic bacteria suffer fewer respiratory infections and require less antibiotic treatments.
There has been a lot of attention focused on bad bacteria and the viruses and germs that cause flu but what about the good bacteria? Probiotics are essential for good intestinal health and vital for absorbing vitamins and minerals, as well as protecting us against food poisoning and building-up our natural resistance. If we are put under too much stress or have a poor diet, essential bacteria can destroy themselves resulting in irritable bowel syndrome, thrush, or chronic fatigue. According to the experts, a healthy gut should contain at least a 1,000 grams or more of the good, probiotic bacteria.
Concerns about antibiotic resistance have seen a surge of interest in these bacteria for their potential to prevent illnesses occurring in the first place. A Finnish study has tested the efficacy of a particular strain of probiotic, lactobacillus GG, in preventing childhood diarrhea and respiratory infections. Lactobacillus GG is already known to reduce the duration of acute diarrhea in children, but there have been few studies into its possible preventive effects. The latest study in the British Medical Journal is the first to examine long-term effects in normal healthy children. The researchers monitored 571 children attending day care centers in Helsinki, Finland over a seven month winter period. The children were fed milk with or without Lactobacillus GG three times a day. The team found there was no difference in the number of days spent with diarrheal or respiratory symptoms. But the children given the probiotic had less severe disease - that is, they had fewer absent days, fewer complications of colds such as middle ear infections, and required less antibiotic treatment.
If you do not think you are getting enough probiotics, there are products on the market to help you receive your quota. They are present, either naturally or added, in certain foods as well as being sold in tablet form as dietary supplements. Probiotics are available in dairy and dairy-free forms. Acidophilus is one of the best-known probiotics and is found in yogurt. Live or bio yogurt contains health-giving bacteria and you should try to incorporate a small amount into your diet everyday - especially when on antibiotics.
===================================================== 4. WATER FILTERS - Sale Ending December 2004
Get a FREE filter system when you pre-purchase 10 replacement filters! Certified by independent labs for toxic contaminant reduction. Much cleaner water and less than you are paying for bottled water! Retail store brands can not compare to this certification. See more info - FILTER SYSTEMS
Sale ENDS this week - December 2004!!! Offices close early on Friday - so don't wait any longer. Take care of it today!
But, even if you don't catch the sale, it's still less per gallon than bottled water!
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=================================================================== We hope you will find this information useful and that it will encourage you to take better care of your health in this coming new year!
The Culbreths
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Please note: the information contained herein has been compiled from various sources. The above statements have not been evaluated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. We make no claims, either expressed or implied, that any products mentioned in this newsletter will cure disease, replace prescription medication, or supersede sound medical advice.