Are you HANGRY?

     Are you daydreaming about your latest or upcoming meal? Are you insanely jealous of other people you see eating food? Do the cries of frustrated babies parallel your current emotions perfectly? Look out: you might be hangry.

     The term “hangry” is a new slang term that describes a person’s emotional state when feeling super hungry. They are very touchy and irritable, claiming to need food immediately to keep their sanity.  The truth is, “hanger” is a very real thing. When a person has not eaten in a while, the amount of sugar in their blood begins to lower. The body has mechanisms to keep it from becoming too low for a while, but some people are more sensitive to this drop than others. Those sensitive to the blood sugar decrease can exhibit emotional symptoms such as irritability and anger. Mood swings are common and feeling out of control and desperate for food are not out of the ordinary.

     Do you get hangry? Understanding the root of your emotions is the first step in helping to control them.  You do not want to lose friends just because you missed lunch! The good news: “hanger” is preventable! The trick is to maintain blood sugar levels. To help do this, try eating more whole foods over processed foods and never eat carbohydrate foods alone. This allows your body to slowly absorb and utilize the sugar you take in, rather than having a sugar spike high and then drop low. Make sure you plan out your day, preparing snacks or meals to have on hand when the hanger strikes.

New Strain of Bird Flu: The Season is Not Over

The first human case of a new strain of avian flu has been confirmed in China at the end of January.  The woman was admitted into the hospital with a fever and sever pneumonia, and passed away not long after due to organ failure, despite antibiotics and antiviral medications.  Cultures of the microbes in her system were researched and found to be a new strain of the H10N8 virus. This new strain has been called JX346, and is believed to have adapted from poultry to humans in such a way that is more advanced than previous strains and so can better reproduce and thrive in the human body.

Although the majority of flu season seems to be behind us this year, this new identified strain warns us all that it is still highly important to keep healthy habits to prevent illness. Practicing good personal hygiene, eating well, exercising daily, and getting adequate sleep are all essential in keeping our immune system strong and invader-free. While this new strain of bird flu may not have traveled around the world yet, it may only be a matter of time. Regardless, all other strains are still around! Get vaccinated; it is not too late!

Choose Your Friends Wisely

Do you often go out to eat with friends at some of your favorite restaurants? Recent studies show that your food choices may be affected more by your dining companions than by your own mindful decisions.  For example, it has been seen that people tend to choose items off of the same menu areas (pasta, salads, burgers, etc.)  It seems to be a psychological factor, wanting to be similar to our friends, although not mirror images.

Think about it: have you ever wanted to order off the breakfast menu but changed your mind because all your friends were ordering lunch foods? This research suggests that if we choose dining companions that are health conscious, we will also reflect that in our own food choices. So invite along a salad-loving friend or two and let their choices help your own! Happy, healthy eating!

Eating Healthy for Less

 Are you on a tight budget, but still want to balance a healthy diet into the mix of bills? Eating healthy does not have to be a budget-busting lifestyle. All it takes some careful planning and tactful purchasing. Follow these 10 steps to keep your budget low and your health high!

 1: Plan, plan, plan! Before you make your trip to the store, plan out your meals for the week, making sure to incorporate left overs and bulk items into the mix. The more you can stretch out the expensive purchases over multiple meals, the less you’ll waste and the more you’ll save!

 2: Get the best price! Search local newspapers and coupon books for weekly sales, ad coupons, and other discounts. Do this while you’re planning out your week so you can incorporate sale items onto your list and keep that extra change in your pocket.

  3:Compare and contrast! While at the store, compare different brands of the same product using the “unit price” listed on the shelf with the item price. This helps determine which brand can give you the most for your money.

4: Buy in bulk! Buying foods in bulk is almost always a cheaper option, as long as you have the storage for it. Frozen vegetables, chicken, steak, and potatoes are great items to buy in bulk

 5: Buy in season! Purchasing fruits and vegetables that are in season usually results in a cheaper price and increased freshness.  They likely have less food miles on them and so will have had less time from the vine/tree/ground to your plate!

 6: Convenience costs…go back to the basics! Frozen dinners, pre-cut fruits and vegetables, and instant cooking foods often cost much more than it would cost to make these dinners or prepare the vegetables on your own.  Don’t be afraid of a little work; it will save your wallet from distress.

 7: Easy on your wallet! There are many foods that are available for a low cost all the time! Try incorporating more of these foods into your meal plan. They include: beans, carrots, potatoes, bananas, and greens!

 8: Cook once…eat all week! Cooking large batches of food ahead of time when you have a free day helps cut down on costs of foods for the week. Try making a large batch of a meal and then freezing portions in small containers to defrost and reheat for later in the week.

 9: Get your creating juices flowing! Instead of throwing out leftovers, spice them up with new meal creations! Turn leftover chicken into a stir fry or enchiladas. Make salads and chilis, pizzas and stews!

 10: Eating out! While eating out at restaurants can be expensive, there are ways to save a little cash when enjoying some time out. Try getting to the restaurant for an early-bird special, eating lunch out instead of dinner, and ordering specials from the menu to keep costs down. Ordering water instead of other beverages also helps keep a little more green in your pocket!

Article adapted from USDA 10 tips Nutrition Education Series: http://myplate.gov/food-groups/downloads/TenTips/DGTipsheet16EatingBetterOnABudget.pdf

Metabolism Mysteries, Unveiled

                Many people are quick to chalk up their metabolism to genetics, claiming that no matter what they do, it cannot be changed.  This gives a seemingly acceptable excuse for weight loss struggles, food intake, and energy levels. What exactly is the body’s metabolism and can it be altered? Here, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics helps debunk some common claims regarding metabolism.

                Metabolism is our body’s rate of using the energy we ingest from food. It powers every bodily process we have keeping us alive, from breathing to running. While it is true that genetics plays a role in a person’s metabolic rate, it is not the only factor in play. Here are some common claims and the truth about them:

                Claim: Our metabolic rates can’t change.

                Truth: We can actually alter our metabolic rates via several avenues. Muscle mass plays a big role in metabolism; the more muscle mass you have, the higher the metabolic rate because it takes more energy to keep muscle tissue alive and pumping than it does fat tissue. Fat cells are simply storage vesicles while muscle cells are living, functioning cells that constantly need nutrients. Therefore, increasing muscle mass can help boost metabolic rates. Unfortunately, age causes a natural reduction in metabolic rate over time, so adding resistance training exercises to a workout routine is especially important as you get older!

                Claim: A diet of green tea and chili peppers will boost metabolism.

                Truth: While these foods may temporarily boost your metabolism during the digestive processing, no food is a magical metabolism booster. And even with this temporary boost, it doesn’t allow for the intake of too many extra calories because of it. The best way to achieve weight loss is through a balanced, healthy diet, not through the addition of “metabolism-boosting foods.”

                Claim: Eating late at night slows metabolism.

                Truth: It is likely not the time of day that the snacking took place, but instead the amount of calories taken in during the eating session. Evidence does not show that eating past 8pm causes weight gain. It is known, however, that mindless eating occurs often in the evening hours while snacking and watching television, surfing the internet, etc. So instead of blaming the time of day, instead be mindful of the amount of food being eaten!

                Claim: Very low calorie diets and skipping meals can jumpstart weight loss.

                Truth: While is it true that weight loss requires less calories in that the number of calories out/burned, a technique such as this can easily backfire on the dieter. Our bodies need a certain amount of energy (food) to survive, and when it does not receive this amount for a period of time (e.i. when someone starts a very low calorie diet and skips meals) it can enter into a starvation mode. This means that instead of using the calories that are eaten, it slows the metabolism down and stores what it can in order to preserve energy for a longer period of time. The body thinks that it needs to conserve what it has in order to survive and outlast the starvation period. This is exact opposite of the intended result that the dieter wanted.

The best way to keep a strong, healthy metabolism is to eat a balanced, healthy diet and follow a smart exercise program that includes resistance training to build lean muscle mass. Forget the claims and stick to the science!

http://www.eatright.org/Public/content.aspx?id=6442471883

Herbal Mysteries

There are over 29,000 herbal products sold over-the-counter in stores today. But do you really know what is in each bottle? A recent study published in BMC Medicine revealed that we actually do not. It found that nearly 60% of products tested contained substances that were not listed on the ingredient list. In addition, many products contain unlisted fillers that can contain matter such as soybeans, rice, and wheat, which is concerning when it comes to allergies and intolerances. Contaminants and substitutions of herbal products are concerning because some of these substances could be toxic either on their own or in conjunction with other herbs, foods, or medicines. Unfortunately there are no standards or regulations for herbal products, even though the medicinal herb market is one of the fastest growing segments in North America. Be careful about what you are buying and consuming!

For the full article: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/267363.php

Kick it Up a Notch to Kill Cancer

The benefits of the compound resveratrol have been known and studied for years. This compound can be found in the skin of grapes as well as in red wine. Recently, another advantage has been discovered. It has been found that resveratrol helps to destroy cancer cells; first studied in prostate cancer cells, it has now been shown to also be potent in melanoma (skin cancer) cells. Experiments at the University of Missouri found that with resveratrol treatment alone toward a melanoma tumor, 44 percent of cells were killed. But with both resveratrol and radiation of cells, 65 percent of them were exterminated. This greater susceptibility to radiation treatment offers hope for more effective treatment, possibly treating other types of cancers as well. Further studies are being conducted and eventually will lead to human subjects. The future of cancer combat appears promising.

For full article: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/267387.php

Meat Consumption on the Rise

Recent studies have shown that the consumption of meat and animal products in on the rise across the globe. While a few places, such as Iceland and Mongolia, have seen slight decreases in meat consumption, other areas including India and China have seen sky-rocketing increases. In these regions, the booming economy has allowed people to pull themselves out of poverty, allowing their diets to change from little more than rice to including a lot of seafood and meats.

                A work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences revealed the extent of the increase. The study described mankind’s food consumption in comparison to other types of consumers on the food chain. This is done on what’s called a trophic scale, labeled from one to five. A one on the scale corresponds to the plants and algae that make their own food/energy. Level two relates to the animals that eat the plants, or herbivores. The animals that eat the herbivores are considered level three, and those animals that eat them are at level four (including fish such as cod that eat other fishes). Level five is reserved for the lucky few that have no predators coming after them for a meal: the top of the food chain.

 In 2009, our humanity’s trophic level was estimated to be at 2.21, placing us in with the lower omnivores. However, in the past four years, that number has increased by about .06 globally, and is currently the highest it has ever been. Not including India and China in the mix, the rest of the world sits just above 2.30. Don’t let these small numbers fool you. The small, 3% increase that has been seen in the past 40 years has a major impact on our ecosystem. In 2006, the livestock industry was directly responsible for about 18% of greenhouse gas emissions. In addition, the water and land use to raise livestock and produce meat products is far greater than that of vegetation.

 If this trend continues, it could have major impacts on our ecosystem. Think about this next time you prepare a meal. Cutting out all meat from your diet is not necessary, but incorporating plant-based proteins to replace meat a couple days per week may be a good idea for both your wallet and the ecosystem. 

Detox Your Brain by Sleeping

We've heard for years that sleep is important for our health. During sleep is the optimal time for physical growth and memory storage, and now also for detoxing. New research at the University of Rochester Medical Center revealed a system for removing waste products from our brain, and it can only happen when we are asleep. This process has been termed the “glymphatic system” (because it relates to the body’s lymphatic system which cleans the blood of toxins, and brain cells are referred to as “glial cells”).  Dr. Maiken Nedergaard, the study’s lead author, explains the necessity of sleep for the glymphatic system:

“’The brain only has limited energy at its disposal and it appears that it must [choose] between

two different functional states-awake and aware or asleep and cleaning up. You can think of it

like having a house party. You can either entertain the guests or clean up the house, but you

can’t really do both at the same time.’”

During this time of sleep, the brain cells actually shrink in size by up to 60% to increase space and allow for the glymphatic system to be as efficient as possible.  As more information becomes known, it is clear that sleep is a vital part of our brain and body health. Make time to rest; your brain will thank you.

Source: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/267611.php

Foods for Fall Health

Just as you switch up your wardrobe with each season, it is also recommended to switch up the food on your plate as the weather changes. Fall is in full swing here in northern Ohio! Chilly fall weather also brings the flu virus and colds, but fortunately nature has equipped us with foods to fight it. Great fall harvest foods to bring to your plate include apples, grapes, onions, and garlic. Apples, grapes, and onions contain the antioxidant quercetin, which may help reduce your body’s susceptibility to the flu virus. Be sure to keep the skin on these fruits, though, as the quercetin is found only there! Onions again, along with garlic, contain allicin, an antiviral antioxidant. Adding these foods to salads and stir fries can help fight off illness as the cold weather rolls in, and they are all in full harvest right now!

For other seasonal foods, check out: http://www.clevelandclinicwellness.com/food/SeasonalEating/Pages/SeasonalEatingforYourBody.aspx?utm_source=EmailMarketing&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=DailyTip&CS_003=3699740

A Chocolate per Day Keeps the Dementia Away

Are you a chocolate lover? Good news: research has shown that cocoa may be beneficial in improving memory by stimulating blood flow to the brain. A study conducted with older adults found that drinking hot cocoa each day for a month helped improve their memory recall. Now, this doesn't mean that it’s okay to scarf down a king size Hershey milk chocolate bar after each meal. The cocoa plant is the important component of the chocolate-dark chocolate (70% cocoa) is the best source. Serving size is also important: one ounce per day is recommended. Besides improving memory, dark chocolate has also proven beneficial in improving blood pressure and promoting general heart health. So go ahead and indulge (mindfully) on a cup of hot cocoa or a square of Special Dark and enjoy the sweet taste of health.

For more information about dark chocolate and its benefits, check out: http://www.clevelandclinicwellness.com/food/mediterranean-diet/Pages/The-Health-Benefits-of-Dark-Chocolate.aspx?utm_source=EmailMarketing&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=DailyTip&CS_003=3699740