Misc. short hits

[Sis]

I see lots of short paragraphs with health hints in magazines. Most of these will come from Woman's Day unless otherwise specified.

Chapped lips - Avoid licking your lips in the winter. Saliva contains digestive enzymes designed to break things down, so it's like putting salt on a wound.

Sick? - Tuna is loaded with selenium, a mineral that helps tackle the flu. It stimulates two key parts of your immune system - cytokines and gamma interferon - that wash the firus out of your system. (suggestion, eat one to two servings a week)

Winter Blahs - Instead of going to the gym, take a walk in the great outdoors. Studies show being active outside does more to overcome ild depression than exercising indoors, because of the fresh air and natural light. and since early morning light works best when it comes to boosting happiness hormones, like Melatonin, try scheduling an hour-long jaunt in the morning.

Are high-tech toothbrushes best?  They may make brushing easier, but electric toothbrushes don't remove plaque any better than the old-fashioned manual kind - providing you brush properly.  Angle the bristles 45 degrees toward your gums, and brush gently with circular motions for two minutes.

Wear Contact lenses?  Putting them in before showering increases the risk of eye infections from waterbourne microbes, say University of Illinois at Chicago's researchers.

Walking can lower bloodpressure - Walking at a moderate pace boosts the efficiency of the heart muscle, requiring it to do less work to pump blood. That makes it a great way to control your blood pressure. But be patient: it takes one to three months for the full effects to show. (NYU Hospital for Joint Diseases/Orthopedic Institute, NYC)

[The Purple Fuzzy]

Thanks for sharing!

[Sis]

Companies Swapping Trans Fats for a Different, but Also Dangerous, Fat

When it comes to the increasing public awareness about the dangers of trans fats, there's good news and there's bad news. The good news: more and more cities are considering bans on toxic trans fats, and increasing numbers of food companies are taking these health-harming fats out of their products.

The bad news? Some of these companies may be trading one disaster for another. A study has found that a new method of modifying fat in commercial products to replace trans fats raises blood glucose and depresses insulin, both precursors to diabetes. Meanwhile, like trans fat, the new fat also lowers good "HDL" cholesterol.

The modified fat, called interesterified fat, is fast becoming the method of choice for food manufacturers to replace trans fats because it still allows for longer shelf lives in the foods. Interesterified fat is a modified fat that includes hydrogenation followed by rearrangements of fats molecules by the process called interesterification.

This process unnaturally rearranges the position of individual fatty acids on the fat molecule, and can alter metabolism in humans. In the study, unmodified saturated fat, which has unfairly gotten a bad rap all along, was not associated with negative effects.

If you want to avoid dangerous fats of all kinds, your best option is still to avoid processed foods, even those with no trans fats, and opt for healthy fat sources from whole foods, according to your nutritional type.

Nutrition & Metabolism January 15, 2007, 4:3

Science Daily January 18, 2007

[Sis]

Are Cookbooks Sabotaging the American Diet?

A recent study showed that recipes from "The Joy of Cooking" have increased substantially in calorie count and portion size since the book's original publication. There was a nearly 40 percent increase in calories per serving for practically every recipe reviewed.

The study focused primarily on "The Joy of Cooking" because the well-known cookbook has been updated consistently from 1930 through 2006. Of the 18 recipes that have appeared in each version, 17 have increased 63 percent in calorie count per serving, due both to higher overall caloric content and larger portion sizes.

However, Beth Wareham, editor of the 2006 edition of "The Joy of Cooking," argued that the book has become healthier overall by cutting out processed ingredients.

Sources:

  Finding Dulcinea February 18, 2009


  Annals of Internal Medicine February 17, 2009;150(4):291-2

[Sis]

Vegetables Aren't as Good for You as They Used to Be

According to new research, produce in the U.S. not only tastes worse than it did in your grandparents' days, but also contains fewer nutrients. In fact, the average vegetable found in today's supermarket is anywhere from 5 percent to 40 percent lower in minerals such as magnesium, iron, calcium and zinc than those harvested just 50 years ago.

Today's vegetables are larger, but do not contain more nutrients. Jumbo-sized produce actually contains more "dry matter" than anything else, which dilutes mineral concentrations.

An additional problem is the "genetic dilution effect," in which selective breeding to increase crop yield has led to declines in protein, amino acids, and minerals. Breeders select for high yield, effectively selecting mostly for high carbohydrate content.

And finally, as a result of the growing rise of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, modern crops are being harvested faster than ever before, meaning that produce has less time to absorb nutrients either from synthesis or the soil.


Sources:

  Time February 17, 2009


  The Journal of HortScience February 1, 2009

[Sis]

From Woman's Day: 

Common Wisdom: The Thinner You Are, the Longer You'll Live
Reality: Experts have long debated this topic, but lately it seems that having a little meat on your bones may be better when it comes to longevity. Underweight people are more apt to be lacking various nutrients that keep you healthy. They're also more likely to suffer from osteoporosis and break a bone (which can lead to disability and even fatality in older people). On the other hand, obesity can be even more dangerous, since it increases the risk of serious conditions like heart disease and type 2 diabetes, which can lead to dying prematurely.

So who lives the longest? Most people think that a body mass index in the "normal" range is ideal, which may be true. But interestingly, a recent study in the journal Obesity found that people who were just slightly overweight seem to live the longest. The researchers say that this isn't an excuse to go out and gain weight, or to stop trying to lose it if you're overweight or obese, because there are just too many unknowns. The takeaway, for now: Worry a little less about how much you weigh (unless you're substantially overweight or underweight) and a little more about how healthy you are overall.

http://www.womansday.com/Articles/Health/9-Health-Facts-Demystified.html

[Sis]

Washington Health Department Suspends Mercury Restrictions for Swine Flu Vaccine


In preparation for swine-flu vaccinations next month, the state of Washington's Health Department has temporarily suspended a rule that limits the amount of a mercury preservative in vaccines given to pregnant women and children under the age of 3.

Thimerosal has been eliminated from most vaccines in the United States, and the compound may  be linked to autism. But it will be added to the bulk of swine-flu vaccines.

Thimerosal will be added to the vaccine because it is being produced in vials that contain enough medication for 10 shots. The mercury compound kills bacteria, lowering the risk that the drug will be contaminated by needles used to withdraw separate doses.

A smaller amount of mercury-free vaccine will be produced in single-dose vials. Nasal sprays do not contain mercury but are not recommended for children under the age of 2 and pregnant women, because they contain live, weakened virus.

Five biopharmaceutical companies have been awarded massive contracts by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for development and production of more than 195 million doses of swine flu vaccine.

The companies -- Novartis, GlaxoSmithKline, MedImmune, Australian drug maker CSL, and Sanofi-Pasteur -- will likely make a great deal of money.

Drug companies have sold $1.5 billion worth of swine flu shots, in addition to the $1 billion for seasonal flu they booked earlier this year.

These inoculations are part of a much wider and rapidly growing $20 billion global vaccine market.

"The vaccine market is booming," says Bruce Carlson, spokesperson at market research firm Kalorama, which publishes an annual survey of the vaccine industry. "It's an enormous growth area for pharmaceuticals at a time when other areas are not doing so well," he says, noting that the pipeline for more traditional blockbuster drugs such as Lipitor and Nexium has thinned.

As always with pandemic flus, taxpayers are footing the $1.5 billion check for the 250 million swine flu vaccines that the government has ordered so far and will be distributing free to doctors, pharmacies and schools. In addition, Congress has set aside more than $10 billion this year to research flu viruses, monitor H1N1's progress and educate the public about prevention.

Drugmakers pocket most of the revenues from flu sales, with Sanofi-Pasteur, Glaxo Smith Kline and Novartis cornering most of the market.

But some say it's not just drugmakers who stand to benefit. Doctors collect copayments for special office visits to inject shots, and there have been assertions that these doctors actually profit handsomely from these vaccinations.


  The Scientist September 23, 2009

[Melody]

info is so beneficial!

They can keep their swine flu and other flu vaccines, my family will not be participating.  Especially since the guy that's over health (forgot his name) wrote a book in the 70's about reducing population reproduction!  Means of doing this were putting infertility things in food staples.  It's not a conspiracy theory to be suspicious of things now. 

[Sis]

That's odd. I had a friend who used to refer to the 1970's swine flu scare where everyone got flu shots, said it was a practice for giving birth control to the population. LOL Maybe he wasn't kidding after all!

[Ashlee]

An additional problem is the "genetic dilution effect," in which selective breeding And finally, as a result of the growing rise of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, modern crops are being harvested faster than ever before, meaning that produce has less time to absorb nutrients either from synthesis or the soil.


Sources:

  Time February 17, 2009


  The Journal of HortScience February 1, 2009

Ok, after reading this and a few other articles, we might be safer and get more nutrients if we just eat dirt....oh but wait..there's chemicals in dirt and they're bad for us.

[Sis]

We just need to watch what we eat, and pray God takes the junk out. 

I just wish God would take the fat cells out of candy and pizza!

[Melody]

I read/or heard that our grandparents generation was the last one that didn't NEED to take vitamins.  The cells in your body are all replaced in one year's time.  Less healthiness= less healthy cells or as many even. 

Processed anything is not good for you or stewardly of the body God gave you, BUT we are human.  Take milk for example.  The homogonizing process is so intense it actually changes the molecular structure of the milk for longer shelf life and so it doesn't separate by cream.  This foreign molecular structure tastes like milk but it is not the way God made it and our bodies are made to process natural things.  Anything you eat that is already processed, your body does not process it, we think we just digest it but no.  It is stored with fat in various places where it has the potential someday to instigate cancer cells.  This is what free radicals are and this is what antioxidants eliminate.  However, it is nearly $7 for a gallon of non-homogonized milk!  I cannot afford that, nor can I run to a farm and get raw milk, nor am I guaranteed to use a gallon of milk in time before it naturally expires.  And to reshake it everytime because the cream keeps separating... not hard, just different.

It's near impossible to eat enough fresh produce, almost inaffordable to buy everything organic, and very inconvenient to make everything homemade.  Baby steps, as long as we're trying.

our church is on a 40 days Daniel's fast (well, except Sunday because pastor called for clemency..lol) and people are losing weight and feeling great!  MANY have said that by Sunday, junk food is not tasting so great if appealing at all.  I've heard some say they'd like to keep it going just for health's sake.  Still eating meat, dairy or an occasional treat on Sundays.  At 1st, Sunday was welcomed with drooling hunger, only to realize that since we don't eat as much, our stomachs shrink a bit & we are full so much faster.  One lady who is diabetic said her Dr. is impressed and her insulin reading is much better.  She has also opted to not have carbs during the week for her own thing.

A real Daniel's fast is a major shock to many so there is leniency.  Like, a real D.fast doesn't have leavened bread.  That's hard to find, make, and buy in 100% whole grains.  So we eat 100% grain breads, but they have leavening in them.  Also, a real D.fast you only drink water, whereas we are consented to water and juice.  At first I thougth surely tea would be ok because it's from a leaf, or honey because it's all natural but no.  He only drank water...lol  That's hard!

What is neat about this is everyone is participating so while we don't brag about it, it's no secret, we're all in it together so there's some conscienciousness toward others.  If people go out to eat, they find things that fit, which is nearly impossible.

It's been very awesome.  Church services have been more anointed that is for certain!  I know 1 person who has been doing a water fast, days according to what week it is.  So last week was week 5, I think next week will be quite the challenge!  Then next week Royce Wilson is coming to preach a 3 day revival.  We've all been evagelizing so we are excited with what God is going to do w/ that too! 

I said all that to say that while we don't necessarily have the means to eat like Daniel permantly, fasting cleanses the body and I believe God gave us that practical effect just for such purposes, not just spiritual. 

Some book I read.... can't recall but maybe you have read it to and can site it for me?   A lady had cancer, she went on a 21 day fast (I think water).  On day like 17 her eye started twitching.  She went to the Dr. to find out why, cause it was a bit intense, somehow he found out it was novacain from 10 YEARS earlier when she had teeth work done!  How wild is that?  It could have led to more cancer in her face but fasting purged it out.

Anyway.  this is a subject I'm passionate about cause I am convicted against the unGodly lifestyle of pentecostal tradition with the justification of unscriptural "faith."  We do what we have to do sometimes but when we can do better and know better....

[Sis]

That sticker on your apple has a secret to tell
When you buy an apple at the grocery store, you know what that little sticker is for. It gives the cashier a code to ring up the sale.

But that sticker also has a secret to share with you – something that doesn't concern the cashier at all.

According to the website Fruit Sticker (fruitsticker.com), the code reveals some very useful information:

* Conventionally grown produce has a four-digit number on the sticker.
* Organic produce gets a five-digit number that begins with a 9.
* And produce items that are genetically modified also get five digits, but they begin with an 8.

So the produce aisle, more than anywhere else in life, is where being a 9 makes you MUCH better than being an 8!

http://hsibaltimore.com/2010/01/11/apple-sticker/