Aquileo | Nurse's Thoughts

Showing posts with label diet. Show all posts

11 July 2008

Coke Zero - Just Sharing

Hey everyone. I am sharing this to at least slow down the rumors on Coke Zero. It's not that I'm the ultimate loyalist of Coke. But friends and relatives have been asking me about aspartame so here are some facts for your info and peace of mind. Mind the second to the last paragraph. Aspartame is also being used in other products that we normally consume. Thanks!!!

What is aspartame? Aspartame is an artificial sweetener used in over 6,000 products in over 100 countries worldwide. It is used in low-calorie food and beverages to substitute for the sweetness of regular sugar but without the calories...[cont]

It has been proven safe by many international health agencies, including the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Other organizations which have approved its safety are Europe’s Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (JECFA), the Scientific Committee for Food of the European Union (SCF), the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and the US National Cancer Institute (NCI).

According to the AspartameInformationCenter, “In 1981, when the US FDA first approved aspartame, it noted: "Few compounds have withstood such detailed testing and repeated, close scrutiny, and the process through which aspartame has gone should provide the public with additional confidence of its safety." FDA has affirmed the safety of aspartame 26 times over a period of 23 years (www.aspartame.org.... 2006).”

[get this widget]

05 April 2008

Losing Weight

Like many others, I also struggle to lose weight for so long. I tried all Weight Loss regimens and programs that I can afford so that I can wear again my small size shirt and medium pants. There are a lot of weight loss pills to choose from in the market like the food supplement Calorad, even surgical procedures like tummy tack and liposuction is considered a trend nowadays. I consider that Weight Loss Success cannot be achieved if without strong determination. Whatever pills, program or plans we have chosen to get the figure we dream of, it would be nothing if we do not commit ourselves to it.

[get this widget]

23 March 2008

The Best Diet is a Balanced Diet

Maintaining a balance diet is one of the difficult hurdles a type 2 diabetes mellitus patient endures everyday. It is the major intervention or management to prevent from having hypoglycemic or hyperglycemic attacks. Variety of food supplements are coming in the market that promises therapeutic effects or aids to a certain illnesses or diseases. Thousands of those kinds have the same content but different names and marketing strategies to attract consumers.

Supplemental nutrients are needed by those suffering with non insulin dependent diabetes mellitus because not all the nutrients they need are can be found in most of our daily diet. They require something that can help them metabolize blood sugar more efficiently than others. Controlling the diet in patients with diabetes could help also in preventing the development of some complications like neuropathy, which could eventually lead to more problems and restrictions of usual lifestyle.

A balance diet that covers the food pyramid is the right diet not only for those having diabetes mellitus but for all of us. But for some reasons, it is not easy to follow the food requirements to complete the body's needed nutrients.

The reason why rampant use of food supplements is popular around the world it is because some of the food we need to obtain a well balanced diet because of the busy lifestyle we have. Problems like high blood pressure is also been a concern by many because of nothing else, but wrong diet.

So try to look again at your food pyramid and fill what is missing in your diet.

21 November 2007

Eating Whole Wheat And Loving It!

Wheat is the most important cereal crop in the world. Wheat, in its natural unrefined state, characterizes a host of important nutrients.

So better include whole-wheat-made products in your daily diet to enjoy its benefits. These are just some of the many health benefits we can get from whole wheat.

Women Who Consumed Whole Wheat Gain Less.

A study whether eating whole wheat or refined wheat would help in maintaining healthy body weight was done at American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. They found out that women from 38-63 years old who consumed whole wheat are less likely to gain 49% of their weight compared to those eating foods from refined grains..

Reduce Risk of Metabolic Syndrome

First we were told, "Don't eat fat, and you'll stay trim." After following this advice only to see obesity expand to never before seen proportions, we're told by the food gurus, "Eating fat is fine. Shun carbohydrates to stay slim."

There is a latest research that consuming more refined grains and the foods that are made of them, such as white bread, cookies, pasta and rice are now being linked to increased risk of Type 2 Diabetes and metabolic syndrome. And while eating whole grain foods can protect us from all these diseases. .

Lowers Type 2 Diabetes Risk

Whole grains are a rich source of magnesium, a mineral that acts as a co-factor for more than 300 enzymes, including enzymes involved in the body's use of glucose and insulin secretion.

The FDA permits foods that contain at least 51% whole grains by weight (and are also low in fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol) to display a health claim stating consumption is linked to lower risk of heart disease and certain cancers. Now, research suggests regular consumption of whole grains also reduces risk of type 2 diabetes. (van Dam RM, Hu FB, Diabetes Care).

Helps Prevent Gallstones

A study published in the American Journal of Gastroenterology shows that eating foods high in insoluble fiber, such as cereals and breads made from whole wheat, can help women avoid gallstones by 17% and a 5-gram increase in insoluble fiber intake dropped risk to additional 10%. Insoluble fiber reduces secretion of bile acid, increases insulin sensitivity and lower triglycerides (blood fats).

It Gets You Going

Wheat bran is a popular bulk laxative. A third of a cup per day is all that is needed. Research studies support this popular practice. A fiber-rich diet, primarily composed of whole wheat breads, cereals high in bran and supplemental "millers bran" was shown to alleviate the symptoms of diverticular disease (pain, nausea, flatulence, distension, constipation, etc.) in 89 percent of patients enrolled in a study which examined the effects of fiber on bowel regularity. Diverticular disease, a condition often marked by inflammation and lower abdominal pains in which chronic constipation and excessive straining results in a sac or pouch in the wall of the colon, is typically treated with dietary roughage such as cereal fiber (i.e., wheat bran), fruit and vegetable fiber, and plenty of fluids.

Promotes Women's Health and Gastrointestinal Health

Wheat bran is also been said as an anti-cancer agent. It is thought to accelerate the metabolism of estrogen, which is a known link in developing breast cancer.

Interestingly, whole grains such as wheat also contain lignans, which are phytonutrients that act as weak hormone-like substances. Lignans occupy the hormone receptors in the body, thus actively protecting the breast against high circulating levels of hormones such as estrogen. By accelerating the metabolism of estrogen and occupying estrogen receptors in the body, the components of wheat appear to have a dual function in protecting women against one of the leading causes of cancer death.

Abundant in all whole grains, insoluble fiber is also found in nuts and the edible skin of fruits and vegetables including tomatoes, cucumbers, many squash, apples, berries, and pears. In addition, beans provide insoluble as well as soluble fiber.

11 November 2007

Top 5 Foods for Women by Joan Raymond

Here are the top 5 foods for all women out there! I find this article very helpful to us, women so I am sharing this with you...

Cranberries

They earn super status for their ability to help fight off nasty urinary tract infections. About 10 ounces of juice a day does the trick. Plus, recent research shows that cranberries might also help fend off colds and fight stomach bugs, gum disease, and certain types of cancer. Add a little unsweetened cranberry juice to smoothies, and sprinkle some dried berries into cereal and muffin mix[...]

Walnuts

These nuts are rich in omega-3s, which help reduce inflam-mation and increase good cholesterol. They may even help with depression and reduce your risk of Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases. Top your salad with 1/4 cup or try them in pesto.

Beans

The humble legume may prevent heart disease and help head ?off colon cancer. Rich in two heart-friendly phytochemicals, beans are packed with magnesium, potassium, folate, and fiber. Get a 1/2 cup five to six times per week by adding canned kidney and garbanzo beans (rinse and drain first) to salads, burritos, and dips.

Fish

Studies show that eating seafood rich in omega-3s at least twice a week could reduce your risk of heart disease. And the reports say women of childbearing age and nursing mothers can safely eat as much as 12 ounces of seafood a week if they avoid high-mercury swordfish, shark, tilefish, and king mackerel; albacore tuna should be limited to 6 ounces a week.

Tomatoes

Loaded with the antioxidant lycopene, tomatoes and ?cooked tomato products pack a big health punch (at 32 milligrams, 1 cup of spaghetti sauce serves up the day’s recommended intake). Studies show that women with lycopene-rich diets can have as much as a 50 percent lower risk of developing breast cancer. The antioxidant can also lower your blood pressure and bad cholesterol, and may even reduce your risk of getting macular degeneration and a host of cancers.

23 June 2007

Alli: The First FDA approved OTC diet pills in USA

GlaxoSmithKline the manufacturer of Orlistat recently released a fat-blocking pill called alli (pronounced as al-eye) to the US market. Alli is a lower dosage form of Orlistat or better known with its brand name as Xenical. It is the first FDA approved diet pills in the USA. USA is one of the countries that has an increasing overweight population. Before, diet pills are needed to be purchased with a prescription, but GlaxoSmithKline seen the weight problem of most americans and the arising complications it may bring like hypertension, diabetes mellitus, etc. So they gave the public the power to keep fit and healthy by producing OTC diet drug. Alli is indicated for person over 18 years old. Proper diet and exercise can contribute a lot in getting the desired weight and figure we want, so it is not necessary to depend everything on taking the pill alone. In the Philippines, the BFAD approved lower dosed Xenical is the counterpart of alli. We had it since last year and it sells like hotcake until now, while USA just had alli available recently.

We cannot deny that most of us (including myself) considered losing weight as a major task to do with less positive result. There are a lot of ways to lose weight and proven to be working. We know ourselves better than others so choose a diet plan or weight-loss programs that suits you and try working hard to stick to it. Taking diet pill is a great help to lose weight, but having the determination to make it happen is more than the good effect that a diet pills can give us.

26 May 2007

Gluten-free diet for life

Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder of the small bowel. Some People who are affected by this disorder does not manifest any symptoms at all. Some have the signs and symptoms since childhood, others started to have the manifestations by adulthood. In other words, its effect to people varies a lot. Recognizing celiac disease can be difficult because some of its symptoms are similar to those of other diseases. In fact, sometimes celiac disease is confused with irritable bowel syndrome, iron-deficiency anemia caused by menstrual blood loss, Crohn's disease, diverticulitis, intestinal infections, and chronic fatigue syndrome. As a result, celiac disease is commonly underdiagnosed or misdiagnosed. Although this disease is for life, Diet plays a major part in maintaining a normal life. A gluten-free diet which excludes Barley, Rye, Oat, and Wheat (BROW) can prevent in developing its complication. To know and understand more of this disorder watch this interview with Dr. Peter Green, the director of Celiac Disease Center in Columbia University. This video also shows what food in our daily diet does contains gluten that we even never knew.

28 April 2007

Is Leptin the Missing Link in Preventing Obesity in the Future?

Have you ever thought of an effective solution to stay fit and healthy? Or praying that someday we will survived obesity and live a normal life?

There are a lot of medications, treatments, surgical interventions, exercise regimens that has been done to maintain or to achieve the figure that we want but to no surprise few were just successful.

And what about the teasing and the bullying that we get from school because we are fat and/or obese? It decreases our self esteem and destroys our body image perception.

These are the reasons why researcher are dying to discover a solution so that no child would suffer from obesity in the future. And that they would live a healthy life without experiencing the trauma that obesity may bring them.

Researchers at University of Buckingham led by Dr. Mike Cawthorn are studying about adding LEPTIN to infant formula and other food to prevent future occurrence of obesity especially those of with family history.

Why LEPTIN?

Leptin is a protein hormone that plays a key role in regulating energy intake and energy expenditure. It came from the greek word leptus meaning "thin". Leptin is located in chromosome 7 in humans and produced by the adipose tissue and interacts with six types of receptors. One of the important receptors is the LepRb which is present in the hypothalamic nuclei. It binds in the Ventral Medial nucleus in the hypothalamus which is the "satiety center". When it binds in the nucleus, it signals to the brain that the body has had enough to eat. Thus, circulating leptin levels give the brain a reading of energy storage for the purposes of regulating appetite and metabolism.

In short, the more leptin, the more our body will not crave for food because it commands the brain that we have enough energy. Hmm, sound very interesting right?

The research is very young for now, they have just tried the experiment in pregnant rats and noted that offsprings did not gain too much weight and did not developed obesity as compared to untreated pregnant rats. Professor Steve O'Rahilly of clinical biochemistry and medicine at University of Cambridge said that there are several researchers who tried this to animals and eventually worked well in preventing obesity. But this needs to be firm up according to him.

How about proving its effect to human?

Now, the criticism begins, experts in chemistry and industry are skeptical with this finding due to human testing. They said it is a " wildly optimistic science fiction"

Dr Nick Finer, clinical director of the Wellcome Clinical Research Facility at Addenbrookes Hospital, Cambridge, agreed. He said that the concept is exciting but scary because its a new approach of testing. It needs evidence that this will work in human.

With its extraordinary claims, " Would it be tested to newly born children?"

I don't know.

If ever this will be marketed, it would be a surprised for the experts. And a great news for the consumers and obese patients.

As of know, we have to stick on the usual and proven techniques in maintaining weight. We don't know, maybe in the near future we can see "fortified with Leptin" in labels of some infant formulas and foods.

12 April 2007

losing weight

I struggle for so many years just to lose weight though I am not overweight or obese. I gain some then after a couple of months lose some... I became frustrated. I cannot maintain the weight and the body figure that I desire. I cannot see myself in a two-piece bikini without worrying the fats around my waist rolling as I run and jump. I cannot look my face at the mirror not thinking how it became blotted.

I do worry a lot and I want to worry not.. Although I know as nurse that I have an appropriate weight for my height but I still can't help myself to think of losing weight. I tried a lot of things just to achieve the figure I want, well except for cosmetic surgery because I can't afford that, but to no avail.

Now, I am 30 and still struggling. But there are a lot of things that I realized as I strongly pursue my desire to be curvaceous. I learned that it is the determination that can make it happen. Whatever diet programs or exercises I am in, it will be useless if without determination and I am lack of that. I do think much of my physical aspect which sometimes I forgot that I needed to prioritized my health more than anything else.

Now for me, the best diet in the world is a balanced diet. It should be with the six essential nutrients which are the carbohydrates, fats, protein, water, minerals and vitamins that our body needs for energy. People tend to gain weight because they eat more than the dietary prescription. Maintaining the balanced diet that is right for the weight plus exercise would mean a desirable weight.

Although now I still think of my disproportioned, shall I say it, figure but I have already begun to think how lucky I am that I am healthy and that alone makes me happy.

Labels

Nurse's Thoughts