Chia Seeds ... Who knew?

Monday, February 28, 2011

What we eat affects our waistlines, but our food choices can also affect...

(CBS News)
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We all know what we eat affects our waistlines, but our food choices can also affect how we feel
Who hasn't reached for that sugary snack when feeling stressed out?
But there are healthier options that may actually make us feel better, no matter what mood we're in.
On "The Early Show" Monday, Woman's Day magazine Special Projects Director Jaimee Zanzinger pointed to several healthy snacks that double as bad mood-busting foods.
She says, "Countless researchers have compared people who are deficient in particular nutrients to those who eat enough of them and determined that there are real, significant differences in how they feel.
As for the form the foods come in - meals or snacks or both - Zanzinger says that, "While it's ideal to make healthy choices throughout the entire day, one individual food can make a difference. Think about it: If you eat a sugar-heavy doughnut for breakfast, your blood sugar will spike, then drop soon after, leaving you feeling jittery and cranky by mid-morning -- whereas if you eat a bowl of oatmeal, the nutrients in the whole grains stabilize your blood sugar, giving you energy until lunch."
The mood-food connection is actually a two-way street, Zanzinger observes, pointing out that, "When we're feeling down, our first impulse is to reach for the pint of ice creams, but when you get to the bottom of the container, you feel guilty, bloated and unsatisfied. So the key is to stop yourself before you make that bad decision!"
Spinach Salad
Feeling sluggish? Snack on folate-rich foods:
Spinach is rich in iron, which carries oxygen to your brain. If you're not getting enough iron, you're depriving your brain of oxygen, which can make you feel fatigued. It's also rich in folate, a nutrient that can boost your levels of serotonin, a feel-good hormone.
Citrus can make you feel more alert
Citrus is another great pick, because the vitamin C helps your body absorb iron. Even the scent of citrus may help perk you up. The worst thing you can do is reach for a quick-fix like a candy bar that'll give you a burst of energy but then you'll crash. A food that's full of carbohydrates and fiber, however, like beans, will give you enough energy to power through the afternoon.
Apple with Peanut Butter
Feeling cranky? Try complex carbohydrate and protein combo
Often, crankiness is a result of a blood sugar drop. To combat it, you need the one-two punch from a complex carbohydrate and a protein to keep your blood sugar consistent throughout the day. An apple provides the healthy carbs and the peanut butter has the protein. Some other examples of this combo are carrots and hummus and blueberries and cottage cheese. Now if you need a grab-and-go fix, reach for a handful of edamame. The boiled soybeans are packed with both carbs and protein.
Grilled cheese sandwich with whole wheat bread
Women with PMS symptoms could snack on calcium-rich foods
It turns out that not all comfort foods are our enemies -- grilled cheese on whole grain bread is a perfect combination of carbs and calcium, both of which women particularly need in the days before their periods. Carbs boost seratonin levels, but you want to stick to whole grains, which won't leave you feeling sluggish the way refined carbs do. Researchers have found that some women with PMS have lower blood levels of calcium while they're ovulating, so the calcium-rich cheese will give you the boost you need to feel better.
Salmon Burger
Sad? Try Omega-3-rich fish
Low levels of omega3 fatty acids have been linked to depression. So you want to load up on oily fish, like salmon, mackerel and sardines. Salmon is also rich in B12, which is a mood-elevating vitamin, so it's a double whammy. If you don't like fish, snack on some walnuts, which are also a great source of omega3s.
Oatmeal with almonds on top
Anxious? Try magnesium-rich food
Both oatmeal and almonds are magnesium-rich foods, and magnesium is a naturally powerful relaxant - it can even help you sleep. In fact, both anxiety and insomnia are signs of magnesium deficiency.
Green Tea
Angry? Try L-Theanine & Vitamin B6 Rich Choices
Green tea contains L-theanine, an amino acid that's been proven to calm you down. You may also feeling irritable because your body is low in vitamin B6, so you can get your fill from foods like bananas, chicken, potatoes and brown rice.
Dark chocolate
Stressed? Dark chocolate lowers stress hormones
A recent study found that eating just a smidge of dark chocolate, 1.4 ounces, about two squares of a chocolate bar, has the power to lower the stress hormone cortisol in your body. If you feel like having an entire bar on hand is too tempting, pick up a bag of individually-wrapped chocolates, like Ghirardelli or Dove. And here's the best part: if you eat this amount every day, you'll reap even greater benefits.

Friday, February 11, 2011

Join the Cancer Commons — Donate Your Data Campaign.

Contribute your treatment experience to advance cancer research.


Tapping the crowds for the best cancer treatment  

The Cancer Commons web application taps the wisdom of the 
medical crowds to help doctors and patients find the best treatment 
solution for each particular case.



Cancer Commons is a bold open science initiative for physicians, scientists, and patients engaged in personalized oncology. Its goals are to: 1) give each patient the best possible outcome by individualizing their treatment based on their tumor’s genomic subtype; 2) learn as much as possible from each patient’s response, and 3) rapidly disseminate what is learned in time to help the next patient.
Cancer Commons provides patients with personalized, actionable information that can save lives, while providing the life sciences industry with a game changing infrastructure that will slash the time and cost of developing new drugs and diagnostics and getting them to patients.
                 Go to:  http://cancercommons.org/

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

DANGER -- YOUR COMPUTER CAN HARM YOUR HEALTH


Re: Beware of online medical advice!

You know "Dr. Google," don’t you? He’s become the go-to guy for most folks wondering whether that odd and slightly painful bump on the shoulder is something to worry about... if queasiness that won’t quit might be a side effect of that new medication... or whether a headache that started a day and a half ago actually might be a lethal brain tumor.

New research shows that 80% of regular Internet users now go online with their questions about health and medicine -- it’s easy, fast and free, and there’s a wealth of information. Most of us benefit greatly from having so much excellent information at our fingertips. But for some of us, online health information can become an obsession that turns us into "cyberchondriacs" who are not only tedious to sit next to at dinner parties but who actually end up suffering acutely from psychological distress.

Being constantly worried about your health is a hallmark of the complex psychological syndrome doctors call hypochondriasis. For people with hypochondriac tendencies, being able to go online to rapidly gratify an urgent "need" for medical information can spiral out of control. They have an addiction-like difficulty controlling this behavior -- getting answers may help them feel calm for a little while, but the anxiety returns and so back they go to their computers. It never ends, and it makes life miserable for them and -- it must be said! -- for the people close to them.

For the expanded version go to, (continued) at: http://HealthBloggs.wordpress.com

Monday, February 7, 2011

Perks of 5-hour Energy Put to Test


Popular Energy Drink Claims to Give Boost From Vitamins, but Is Loaded with Caffeine

(CBS)  It's one tiny bottle that promises to pack a lot of energy. And with an advertising budget of close to $90 million, the 5-hour Energy shot has America's attention.

Its promise is pretty appealing: no sugar, just a little caffeine, and a lot of vitamins to get you going. But are their claims too good to be true?

For many exhausted Americans, the idea of an instant energy shot is an alluring one. One of the most popular is the brand 5-hour Energy.

"5-hour Energy has seen huge growth in the last year. They control about 12 percent of the overall energy drink market, which is about $9 billion in sales," according to Natalie Zmunda of Advertizing Age.

The reviews are mixed:

"I think they definitely did something to stimulate you for awhile," says one tester.

"I didn't get a boost. I actually fell asleep on it," says another.

But these little bottles are making quite a big splash.

"They're really starting to go broad," Zmunda tells CBS News correspondent Michelle Miller. "It's not just men anymore; its men and women. Its 40 year olds, 50 year olds."

Commercials for the product downplay caffeine's role:

"It contains about as much caffeine as a cup of the leading premium coffee."

Instead, attributing the boost in energy to a special "blend" of vitamins:

"Its key ingredients can be found in everyday foods like avocados, broccoli, and bananas."

But some experts say these ads are misleading. "Energy is not obtained from vitamins or minerals.The feeling that you might get from this product is from the caffeine," says Dr. Tod Cooperton.

In fact, Dr. Cooperton of ConsumerLab.com ran tests on 5-hour Energy and found it has more caffeine than advertised.

According to the report, one shot contained 207 mg of caffeine. That's 15 percent more than the 180 mg of caffeine found in an 8 oz. cup of Starbucks Bold.

At up to $4 a shot, that's pretty expensive for energy that comes mainly from caffeine.

"The extra vitamins are not going to do anything for you," says Cooperton.

"The Early Show" took the findings to a representative for 5-hour Energy, but she stood by the advertised claims.

"The amount of caffeine is similar to what’s in one premium cup of coffee and the amount of B vitamins are essential for the energy metabolism - and for boosting the furnace of the powerhouse of the cells to provide energy," says Dr. Kathy O'Neil-Smith of 5-hour Energy.

Because energy drinks are considered dietary supplements, the FDA doesn't require them to list caffeine amounts. So if that's a number you'd like to know, you're probably better off with a cup of joe.

CBS News Medical Correspondent Dr. Jennifer Ashton warns that too much caffeine can be especially harmful for teens and pregnant women. For the rest of us, taking in too much can lead to nervousness, insomnia, rapid heart beat, increased blood pressure and nausea.

For most people, 200-300 mg of caffeine - about two to four cups of coffee - is OK.

Also, when mixed with alcohol, energy drinks can lead to dangerous drinking. Some pre-mixed alcoholic energy drinks, like Four Loko, have been banned by the FDA.

If you're the type who needs an energy boost, there are other ways to increase your level of alertness.

Dr. Ashton says you can fight your afternoon fatigue with exercise - even a walk around the block may perk you up. Maintaining a healthy sleep schedule can also boost your energy, as well as a power nap.

If you're feeling sluggish, drink more water. Ashton says you may be dehydrated, which we tend to forget during the winter because it's so cold.

She also suggests having a small power snack of protein, like a handful of nuts.

Saturday, February 5, 2011

Health & Longevity Booster.

A simple way to boost health and longevity--take 200 micrograms of selenium daily The mineral enhances immunity….diminishes the adverse effects of drugs and alcohol in the body. And, it helps protect against heart disease and some types of cancer, including colorectal, lung and prostate.

Thursday, February 3, 2011

Is dog food good for your dog?

Many of us have a misconception regarding proper nutrition for our canine companions.  Since we believe a high protein diet is not consistently best for humans, therefor it must not be complete nutrition for dogs. And, therefor many of us regard a high protein diet for Fido is not healthy either.


But, nothing could be further from the truth. If fact dogs are literally protein machines. They thrive on raw-meat protein, and with a little added graded raw- veggies,  (i.e., carrots, broccoli) it will works wonders for dog, and contributes to a healthy immune system, and a healthy and shiny coat. A defining sign of good health.



         The carbohydrate content of dry dog food. This is important, because your dog has no biological requirement for carbs. Food with a high-carb content is therefore not species-appropriate for your carnivorous canine. Chances are the carbs in the processed foods are displacing some percentage of protein your dog's body really needs.
          The use of the term 'crude' protein, fat and fiber on the dry food label. Crude can mean a lot of things. Shoe leather, for example, is a 'crude' protein. Bottom line: there's no way to determine how much of an ingredient categorized as 'crude' is digestible or will provide nourishment to your pet's body.
The pet food industry will claim almost anything to protect their secret that "carnivorous scavengers" require the food that nature intended them to eat, and that nothing compares to raw-meat like raw-meat. Dry dog food will eventually take its toll on your animals well being, and finally your Vet. bills will drive you to the truth. 
There's much misinformation to discover online regarding pet nutrition. If searching, just be sure the source is not a biased commercial dry pet food producer/supplier.
Supplements and vitamins are also very important for your pet's health. Processed dog food is cooked at high temperatures, and is thus void of most all nutrition and vitamins. And like ourselves, proper nutrition is an important part of the preventative medicine protocol we should all observe. If you love your dog, please be aware of its life-sake needs. 
Pet Meds. has free shipping right now, and discounted prices on nutrients and vitamins. Order online right from home.