Wellness WORD Health And Fitness Tips

Paying attention to blood sugar levels are no longer just for people with diabetes, but suggested for the whole population. Recent studies from The U.S., Denmark, and Australia show the amount of glucose, or sugar in the blood, can influence everything from your weight to your risk of developing heart disease, stroke, and cancer.

Here are a couple of tips to prevent your blood sugar levels from skyrocketing.

1. Pay attention to the Glycemic Index. You can get a calculated number of how high your blood sugar rises within 2 hours after eating 50 grams of a particular food.  Visit glycemic index for more information.

2. My preferred stategy is to consume less processed foods, low in sugar, and high in fiber. If you stick to this, you blood sugar will be very happy.

3. Another tip is to sprinkle cinnamon on higher glycemic foods. Several studies show that cinnamon lowers blood sugar and improves insulin resistance.

4. Exercise portion contol.

5. Eat lean protein with each meal.

By following these tips your blood sugar levels will be stable leading to a healthier, leaner body.

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Surprise! Surprise!  The low carbohyrate diet news is back again. The reason the low carb diet buzz fizzled was the talk of being unhealthy due to high amount of fat intake. It was believed that high fat intake showed a greater risk for hardening of the arteries which can lead to heart disease.

Researchers from Harvard just completed a 20 year study of 82,802 women looking at the correlation between low carbohydrate diets, and heart disease. The study concluded no apparent increased risk of heart disease for those who stuck to a low carbohydrate, high fat, and high protein diet.

What was even more fascinating is when the participants made low fat protein choices such as vegetables, and consumed low fat meats, their coronary heart disease risk may be cut by as much as 30%.

The bottom line - There is no apparent difference in the risk of coronary heart disease from low carb, high protein, high fat diets versus high carbohydrate, and low fat diets. I believe it all comes down to the amount of calories you are taking in per day which can promote obesity leading to heart issues. However, I do recommend considering low fat protein sources if you wish to follow a traditional low carb, high protein, higher fat diet. Consume good fats. Avoid the protein sources which are loaded with saturated, and trans fat.

Let’s keep researching this topic to see which diet is really better for our health, if indeed one actually is.

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A recent study was just published interviewing 300 chefs from across the United States regarding their awareness of calories, and portion size when serving meals. The fact is only 1 in 6 chefs felt calorie content is a very important consideration when serving their meals. One half of the chefs said it didn’t matter at all. Therefore, when you go out to eat please know that chefs really concentrate on taste, looks, and customer expectations. Most chef could care less about your waistline.

It goes back to the “personal choice” theory. Restaurants and chefs feel it is your responsibility to monitor what and how much you are eating, not theirs. They feel you can determine how much, and are welcome to a “doggie bag” if you wish to take it home.

Once again economics take over! Restaurants are focused on giving you a good experience, good value in spite of what it does to your health. Good value, good experience equals good profits. Remember, they are in business to make money. I’m not saying I agree with this, but it is what it is.

It is our own individual responsibility to be aware of what is really going on in restaurants. Generally you are not getting low fat, low calorie meals unless you go to a health food restaurant. Instead, you are getting large portions, and lots of calories that make the food taste great.

Now the first thing you can do is make yourself aware of what is going on when dining out. Secondly, there are things you can do to re-calibrate your concept of a portion. Portion sizes have skyrocketed in American restaurants. This contributes to, as I have mentioned before, the huge increase in obesity. My healthy eating tip for you is to ask for a doggy bag right away when servers deliver your food. Don’t eat it until you have cut their portion in half and boxed or bagged up one half of the meal. This will generally leave you with a normal portion. I also recommend eating slowly, and consider what you drink as part of your caloric intake. Good luck!

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DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone) has been shown in a recent study to not be an effective anti-aging treatment. Mayo clinic researchers concluded that DHEA has no beneficial effect on body composition, physical performance, insulin sensitivity, or quality of life.

The supplement manufacturer has tried to provide “spotty research” in promoting DHEA as some wonder anti-aging pill. The previous research studies used very small in samples, and were very short in duration.

The much more effective Mayo Clinic study which was a a two-year placebo-controlled, randomized, double-blind trial sampled 87 older men with lower levels of the sulfated form of DHEA and bioavailable testosterone, and also included 57 older women with low levels of sulfated DHEA. The result of this 2 year DHEA study showed no conclusive evidence that taking DHEA will, in fact, turn back the clock. There was also no change seen in body composition as a result of consistent injections of DHEA.

The study also looked at the results of low dosage testosterone also as an anti-aging treatment. The results showed no benefit and could possibly pose a risk to cancer, and prostate disease.

More research needs to be done on higher dosages of DHEA, and testosterone, but the medical risks could far outway their benefits.

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I’ve just completed the October 12, 2006 edition of Wellness Word Multimedia Newsletter.

Inside this edition you will discover-

* Tips for improving your health producting sleep.

* Gym Workout Secret Tips (Feature Article)

* 7 Energy Boosting Tips (Audio Podcast)

You can view the newsletter by clicking the following link fitness newsletter .

Enjoy the Wellness Word Fitness Newsletter!

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Most people feel if they start exercising they will quickly lose weight. That isn’t always the case!Don’t get me wrong, physical activity most definitely will aid in losing body fat. However, just working out, and not watching the diet will slow weight loss efforts to a crawl.

A recent study conducted at the Glasgow University concluded that exercise alone doesn’t necessarily help children battle childhood obesity. They studied more than 500 pre-school students from 36 day care centers in which some students were put in groups who exercised regularily throughout the week. To their great surprise, the exercise group had very little change in childhood obesity rates.

The moral of the whole story is start your children off young with not only sound exercise values, but also good nutritional background. It is the combination of exercise, and proper eating which helps children set those all important health values in stone. Healthier younger children have a tendency to make healthier adults.

Parents, it all starts with you! You must be a good roll model for your children. Preach proper physical activity, and healthy eating from the start of life.  As parents, we create a child’s original blueprint regarding exercise and nutrition.

Parents, too, need to take advice from this article. It is not just working out alone that controls weight, but a wholistic approach. Don’t ignore more than half of the puzzle.

For current information regarding fitness, health, and diet visit our Wellness Word Multimedia fitness newsletter.

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According to the current data we have a huge worldwide problem when it comes to weight gain, and obesity,

What ideas do you have to improve this situation?

 Simply comment to this post below, and maybe we can help solve this major health challenge.

Jim

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I just read the latest research report stating that America continues to gain weight year after year. The study stated the fact that 31 states showed an increase in obesity in the year 2005. It is considered official that obesity rates are at 25% or greater in 13 states,  mainly in the south. Obesity must be stopped!

The more and more obese people get, the greater the strain on their health; thus, resulting in huge demands on the healthcare system. Let’s face it, obesity kills! We, as a nation, must fight this battle, and halt the obesity rates immediately.

Due to the fact that food is widely available, and physical activity is on the decline, people are packing on the pounds at record pace. As a matter of fact, the high fats, high sugar, and processed foods are the cheapest, and easiest to consume. Therefore, the not so well off people tend to buy these health hurting foods.

What needs to be done immediately?

First, more education needs to be done. We need to blitz the press about the benefits of physical activity. We need to educate individuals on how easy it is to incorporate fitness plans into their lives. Everyone, if not physically disabled, should be participing in an exercise program. We need to hit this point harder.

Food manufacturers need to highlight how many calories are in a portion. We must strart thinking calories!

The government could also help us promote physical activity by allowing more budget money on walking trails, and exercise incentives. Our employers should provide us with education, and incentives to keep weight in control, and exercise.

And finally, our health insurance companies should be rewarding people who work at maintaining a health weight, and participate on a fitness plan.

Together, we can all help halt obesity. Our health, and longevity depends upon it.

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A new 10 year study of more than 500,000 people was just published stating individuals who are overweight by 50 have a 20% - 40% increased risk of premature death within the next decade. Individuals who were considered obese, a BMI of above 30, had a whopping 100% - 200% increased risk of premature death within the next decade.

The moral of the whole story is to take responsibility of your health by exercising on a regular basis, eating healthier foods with smaller portions, and pay close attention to your body fat and overall weight.

My biggest advice is to re-evaluate what a typical portion actually is. Cut down the portion size, and increase physical activity. Take a weekly assessment to determine if enough exercise has been done. If not, schedule times for activity. Your health, and longevity may depends upon it.

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There was a new study just published at Harvard Medical School in Boston that found the proportion of overweight babies has risen by almost two-thirds over the past two decades. This translates into 10 percent of all babies born. That number is way too big!

The study actually showed an increase obesity rate for the infant if, in fact, the mother was vastly overweight throughout her pregnancy.

However, don’t blame it all on pregnancy weight, and genes. We all teach our children certain nutrition values starting at an early age. In fact, young children tend to model our eating behavior as they grow up. If you have poor eating habits, there is also a good change your child will too. Remember, your child is watching every move you make!

Learning poor eating habits in early years can lead to childhood, and adult obesity which possibly results in heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. Start your kids off in life on the right foot with sound, steady nutritional values. Always remember, they are watching you!

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