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The
Health Zone Newsletter
Vol
08/2005
In
this issue:
A
Healthy Life: Cancer Prevention and More
6
Ways To Ward Off Heart Disease
Niteworks™
supports energy, vascular and circulatory health.
A
Healthy Life: Cancer Prevention and More
By Kathleen Zelman, WebMD,
January 2005
Science
is evolutionary, not revolutionary. While a new day often brings a new
study looking at the link between cancer and diet, a single study rarely
turns the world upside down. WebMD turned to experts to get to the bottom
of the connection between cancer and nutrition.
"The
evidence on fruits and vegetables has weakened over the last few years
with respect to breast cancer yet remains strong for other forms of cancer
such as respiratory and gastrointestinal cancers," Tim Byer, MD, tells
WebMD. "There is no doubt that a diet rich in fruits and vegetables
continues to be beneficial for cancer prevention in general."
"Regular
physical activity, weight control, and a heart-healthy diet are the best
defenses for both men and women to prevent disease and promote a long
and healthy life," says Byer, epidemiologist and professor of preventive
medicine at University of Colorado School of Medicine.
Food,
Genetics Interact
There
are a whole host of benefits of a healthy diet that go beyond cancer.
Fruits, vegetables, and whole grains - the foundation of a healthy diet
- contain fiber, antioxidants, phytochemicals, and other healthy substances.
These nutrient-dense foods are naturally fat free, very satisfying, low
in calories, and the cornerstone of a weight-control eating plan.
Food
interactions are very complex. Healthful substances in food continue to
be discovered. Researchers are unraveling the mystery of exactly which
components in foods are responsible for preventing cancer and other chronic
diseases. In addition to foods themselves, our own unique genetic profile
determines how our body responds to health-promoting substances in foods.
To get the health protection and disease prevention benefits from food,
experts recommend eating a wide variety of plant-based foods.
Back
to Basics
Years
ago, the American Cancer Society moved away from making recommendations
on specific foods to reduce cancer risk to an emphasis on improving dietary
patterns.
"Clearly, some foods are more beneficial than others, and we continue
to advocate five servings a day of colorful fruits and vegetables" Colleen
Doyle, MS, RD, American Cancer Society nutrition and physical activity
director, tells WebMD. Doyle adds that physical activity and weight control
are just as important as a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and whole
grains and limited in saturated fat.
The
strongest evidence for cancer prevention lies in weight management and
regular physical activity, according to Doyle. "Following the guidelines
for alcohol (1 drink/day for women, 2 for men) and not smoking are also
essential to wellness and disease prevention."
Obesity
Link
Americans are overweight; 64% of adults are classified as overweight or
obese, according to the CDC. Losing weight and getting regular physical
activity may just be the magic bullet in cancer and disease prevention.
According
to the American Institute for Cancer Research, a thorough review of existing
scientific studies shows that obesity is a factor in some of the most
common cancers.
"Obese
individuals are at risk for certain types of cancer," Wahida Karmally,
PhD, RD, Columbia University associate research scientist and director
of nutrition, tells WebMD. She urges Americans to lose weight with a diet
rich in fruits and vegetables because they are a powerhouse of antioxidants
and help people feel full, so they eat fewer calories. "We have strong
evidence that a healthy diet containing lots of fruits and vegetables
is beneficial to good health and can reduce risk for cancer, high blood
pressure, heart disease, diabetes, stroke, arthritis, and others," says
Karmally.
Everyday
Choices
The American Cancer Society, American Heart Association, and American
Diabetes Association, have launched a joint program called Everyday Choices
to help Americans reduce their risk of cancer, diabetes, heart disease,
and stroke. The program advocates the importance of a healthy diet, weight
control, regular physical activity, avoiding smoking, and regular checkups
with a health care provider.
The
trio of well-respected health organizations recommends a diet that
includes:
- At
least five servings a day of colorful fruits and vegetables. The richer
the color, the more abundant the antioxidants.
- Limit
intake of saturated fats and cholesterol by choosing seafood, poultry,
lean meat and pork, beans, soy, and low-fat dairy products.
- Control
portion sizes, especially foods high in fat and sugar.
- Use
methods of cooking that are lower in fat such as baking, broiling and
grilling.
- To
lose weight, eat fewer calories and exercise regularly - at least 30
minutes a day.
The American Institute for Cancer Research offers this list of tips to
lower cancer risk in addition to not smoking or using tobacco in any form:
-
Choose a diet rich in a variety of plant-based foods.
- Eat
plenty of fruits and vegetables.
- Maintain
a healthy weight and be physically active.
- Drink
alcohol in moderation, if at all.
- Select
foods low in fat and salt.
- Prepare
and store foods safely.
Putting It All Together
Don't throw out the salad spinner. Whether you are trying to prevent cancer,
lose weight, or promote heart health, the advice for a healthy diet remains
the same. The best advice to lower cancer risk is to eat a plant-based
diet, increase physical activity, maintain a healthy weight and don't
smoke. Food is not a panacea to cure everything that ails you. A commitment
to a healthy diet, weight control, and regular physical activity is the
winning combination for disease protection and good health.
[Back
to top of page]
6
Ways To Ward Off Heart Disease
By Jodie Lynn - eDiets.com,
May 2005
Now
that more information is being made available to the general public on
heart attacks, we know that you could be at risk whether you are male
or female. In fact, chances are pretty good that you might be a candidate
for a heart attack if you are overweight, smoke, don't exercise, have
high blood pressure and/or high cholesterol.
Additionally,
you don’t even have to be overweight or even a certain age. You may say,
so what? We all are going to die someday. Let’s face it, there’s a wide
variety of things that can affect the condition of our heart and lungs
like, well, anything we do in excess.
Let’s
take a look at some potential problems:
- Don’t
forget high blood pressure. The damage can sometimes be irreparable
if the blood pressure is consistently high. Some high blood pressure
can be treated with medication but must also include a change in lifestyle
including a fitness plan.
- Weighing
in next is high cholesterol.
Again, there is some medicine that can make a difference, but modifications
in diet make the biggest impact.
- Lack
of exercise runs hand in hand with heart disease. Twenty to 30-minute
daily workouts are imperative for a healthy heart.
Let’s take a look at some ways to get a healthy heart:
-
Quit smoking.
I know first-hand that this is terribly hard to do. I used to smoke
at least three to four cigarettes a day. In one of my college classes,
Drug Use and Abuse, I learned that nicotine was just as addictive as
the top drugs, right up there with LSD and cocaine. I was shocked! Nicotine
has chemicals that severely damage blood vessels and deteriorate lungs
leading to a failed heart, asthma, emphysema, dizziness and others,
and this is only a partial listing.
- Exercise.
If you cannot find the time to exercise for a period of more than 20
to 30 minutes each day, did you know that cleaning house is an excellent
way to burn calories? Something else that is often overlooked is spot
exercising. This doesn’t do much for the heart, or at least not as much,
but you can spot train by focusing on various body areas in 10 minute
segments and, depending on how fast you do them, it is better than doing
nothing at all.
-
For example, stomach exercises, can actually make a difference to
your stomach if you do them every other day for at least 10 minutes.
Arm exercises can make a difference in the same sequence and so
on.
- Use
stairs instead of the elevator. If you can walk up and down stairs,
do it as opposed to riding the elevator. Stop every third step and
do a leg raise by lifting up one leg in the position of a crane
(the bird) and lifting up and down on the opposite leg for a count
of 10 times. Switch legs and repeat.
- You
can see how these compliment in strengthening your heart, not to
mention your leg muscles, but would have to be done quickly to get
your heart rate up to be considered a cardio workout.
- Eat
Healthy. If possible, take a multivitamin. There are so many to
choose from that it is best to buy smaller containers first to see if
it is the right vitamin for your system. For example, many vitamins
do not set well with my system and have a tendency to make me hungry.
When I asked the doctor about this, he said to take the vitamin at night.
-
Try to eat more fiber. Fiber can come in fruits, cereals, oats
and plenty of other ways. Try to stay away from packaged foods and if
you must grab something unhealthy, at least eat an apple or pear afterward
to help absorb some of the fat.
-
Eat smaller meals and more frequently. This is easier said than
done. However, if you really make a special effort, it can be done and
you will see the benefits sooner than you think.
- Eliminate
Stress.
Has anyone ever told you that you were going to die due to a high stress
level? It’s true. People in the medical fields have noticed that oftentimes
in the brief periods, of let's say, just a few weeks, after devastating
emotional trauma (like a layoff, being fired, death of a relative, close
friend, pet, spouse, and/or bankruptcy, divorce or a huge disappointment),
a heat attack occurs and oftentimes, age is not a factor but the stress
level is a major contributing factor.
- Of
course, the best alternative to stress is to stop doing whatever
it is that is causing the problem in the first place. (Yeah right!)
-
Oftentimes, this is as simple as delegating responsibilities to
others. To be able to do this, you have to let go of control and
go with the flow. Squash the "perfect" syndrome. You know what I
am talking about: perfect project, meal, house, kids, dog, car,
golf game, yard, etc.
- Decide
today what you can do tomorrow to make your life, and those around
you less stressful and you will have a successful head start into
gaining a healthier heart and a healthier life.
[Back
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