Maintaining a diet high in linoleic acid - the main dietary polyunsaturated fatty acid found in certain plants and vegetables - appears to lower the risk of developing high blood pressure. A recent study, headed by Dr. Katsuyuki Miura of Shiga University of Medical Sciencs in Japan, examined ties between linoleic acid intake and blood pressure in 4,680 men and women between the ages of 40 and 59 in Japan, China, Britain, and the United States.The researchers found a trend toward lower blood pressure with higher consumption of linoleic acid among all the people surveyed. The results lend support to current recommendations for increased ingestion of polyunsaturated fatty acids from vegetable sources for cardiovascular disease prevention.

“From our findings,” said Dr. Miura, “we urge people to consume a fare that is at least moderate in linoleic acid from vegetables in order to keep blood pressure down and prevent hypertension.”

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Copyright Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives Feb 2009

(c) 2009 CCPA Monitor. Provided by ProQuest LLC. All rights Reserved.

As the children ate bits of whole grain crackers, their feelings were varied.”I’ve had this before,” one student said.

“It doesn’t taste like anything — can I have another?” said another.

Sandy Trybulski, a program associate from the UNH Cooperative Extension Nutrition Connections Program, brought the whole grain crackers to Mr. Jerry Pavao’s fourth-grade class at Charlestown Primary School Monday to teach kids how to eat healthy.

Monday was the first of three sessions for Mr. Pavao’s class, the other two taking place March 2 and March 9, before Trybulski moves on to Ms. Olsen’s fourth-grade class March 16, 23 and 30.

The program, which discusses and teaches the basics of the food pyramid to students, includes lessons about nutrition information based on the United States Department of Agriculture (USFDA) Dietary Guidelines on its Web site, MyPyramid.gov.

“For me, kids are more apt to taste new foods if they see other kids eating them,” Trybulski said. “They also bring the information home and share with their families, and I reach adults that way, too.” Trybulski, who said she’s been teaching the program since 2000, said that after she visits classrooms kids will start to bring in healthier snacks and look at their labels and measure sugar (and other nutritional information).

“It’s hands-on nutrition. I bring in fake food, an apple, a glass of milk and a bowl of cereal, so kids can see just how big portions are,” she said.

“Everyday, if they cut back on sugary, fatty foods, it would make for a healthier nation.” In addition to Charlestown Schools, Trybulski said she also visits Bluff School in Claremont, as an example.

She also said that her program incorporates other areas of the students’ curriculum.

“There are ways math is incorporated, by measuring and dividing teaspoons of sugar, (for example),” she said. “There’s also science in there.” Trybulski said the lessons she teaches to kids are hopefully ones they will use over their lifetime.

“I’m hopefully teaching (them) a diet they can live with for the rest of their lives,” she said. “Kids start learning at this age what it means to have a healthy diet.”

—–

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Copyright (c) 2009, Eagle Times, Claremont, N.H.

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.

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© YellowBrix, Inc. Copyright 1997-2009

Former Lake In The Hills resident Betsy Hicks says shes been on a quest for answers. For more than a decade, the mother of three sought solutions for her son, Joey, who battled the debilitating effects of autism since his diagnosis at age 2.In addition to finding a few of those answers, she also found something surprising romance and a partner in her search for solutions.

“Joey was very, very ill,” recalls Hicks, who says that despite her best efforts to find help, resources were not readily available. “His needs simply werent being met by conventional medicine and the fragmented maze of specialists, referrals and treatment.”

In addition to seeking the advice of leading specialists, Hicks searched the Internet, queried online support groups and explored word-of-mouth referrals. But nothing seemed to help with her sons screaming, self-injurious behavior, extreme hyperactivity, poor sleeping habits and other puzzling behaviors.

Navigating the grocery aisle

In researching a book on severe food intolerances, the mother of three twins, Joey and Mia, now 15, and Jessie, 12 shifted focus to a new pathway of information relating to nutrition and children.

“I eventually did diet consulting for patients of Dr. Joseph Mercola, an osteopathic physician in Schaumburg, lending a hand with his patients as they navigated the grocery aisles in search of foods according to diet recommendations which might help their families, and to avoid specific allergens like gluten and dairy items,” she reports.

After many exhausting and unsuccessful treatments, Hicks found that her sons suffering was lessened by regulating his diet. While researching the role of diet in Joeys life, Hicks attended a 2000 autism conference in San Diego, and met Dr. John Hicks, a pediatrician. He, too, was searching for alternatives to the mainstream methods of treatment.

“Love blossomed at the following annual conference and we married shortly later,” she reports.

Working together, Hicks reports Joeys condition improved with the combined use of nutritional therapy, supplementation and homeopathy.

“Joey steadily began to open up, started speaking, understanding others, listening and showing happiness,” she states.

A holistic approach

Inspired by success, Dr. Hicks left his private practice in 2001 and together the duo started Pathways Medical, a Delavan, Wis.- based community of health professionals specializing in the treatment of children with autism through a holistic approach of customized care and medicine for the body and spirit.

“Proper nutrition can and does play a role for many children on the autism spectrum,” Hicks reports. “Probably most important for many parents is to recognize the difference between food allergies and food intolerance.”

Allergies, she reports, involve an immune system reaction like anaphylactic shock or hives and is something with which you are born or can develop over time. Intolerance is an inability to digest and can be detected through special laboratory tests measuring peptides and/or immunoglobulin levels to the specific foods.

Because certain enzymes responsible for breaking down foods like glutens are damaged in children with autism, Hicks says its no surprise many of these children exhibit behavior similar to her sons.

“Joeys digestive system was in trouble,” she recalls.

“By taking away gluten and casein (dairy), corn and soy products, and nourishing his body with healthier alternatives, Joey was able to heal from the inside and thrive.”

The mission expands

What began as a mission to treat children with autism, quickly expanded to include adults with chronic illness and common ailments. In practice for 30 years, Dr. Hicks combines scientific medical testing with nutritional counseling, supplementation, homeopathic remedies and other innovative treatments.

“Theres no place more beneficial to begin than with a comprehensive assessment and look at diet,” reports Dr. Hicks. “Treating children with autism requires a very individualized approach.”

Among the Hicks tips for success garnered from their 10-year journey seeking answers for Joey?

“Keep a food log right from the start,” recommends Joeys mom. “That way youll have a good idea where to begin.

Learn all you can about your childs specific dietary needs, what foods they are best able to metabolize and be vigilant.”

While many nutritional experts point to the challenges of glutens and casein, Hicks, who is the owner of Elemental Health Food Stores, says others focus on specified carbohydrate diets, body ecology involving replenishing the digestive system with healthy bacteria, eliminating specific food items, or following recommendations based on blood type.

“Interestingly,” she reports, “Many are beginning to report individuals with specific blood types are better able to metabolize some foods than others. For example, those with Type B blood, may not do well with chicken, but fare much better with turkey. Or O blood types do great with beef products but make lousy vegetarians.”

(c) 2009 Daily Herald; Arlington Heights, Ill.. Provided by ProQuest LLC. All rights Reserved.

LOS ANGELES - Low-fat, low-carb or high-protein? The kind of diet doesn’t matter, scientists say. All that really counts is cutting calories and sticking with it, according to a federal study that followed people for two years. However, participants had trouble staying with a single approach that long and the weight loss was modest for most.As the world grapples with rising obesity, millions have turned to popular diets like Atkins, Zone and Ornish that tout the benefits of one nutrient over another.

Some previous studies have found that low carbohydrate diets like Atkins work better than a traditional low-fat diet. But the new research found that the key to losing weight boiled down to a basic rule - calories in, calories out.

“The hidden secret is it doesn’t matter if you focus on low-fat or low-carb,” said Dr. Elizabeth Nabel, director of the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, which funded the research.

Limiting the calories you consume and burning off more calories with exercise is key, she said.

The study, which appears in Thursday’s New England Journal of Medicine, was led by Harvard School of Public Health and Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Louisiana.

Researchers randomly assigned 811 overweight adults to one of four diets, each of which contained different levels of fat, protein and carbohydrates.

Though the diets were twists on commercial plans, the study did not directly compare popular diets. The four diets contained healthy fats, were high in whole grains, fruits and vegetables and were low in cholesterol.

Nearly two-thirds of the participants were women. Each dieter was encouraged to slash 750 calories a day from their diet, exercise 90 minutes a week, keep an online food diary and meet regularly with diet counselors to chart their progress.

There was no winner among the different diets; reduction in weight and waist size were similar in all groups.

People lost 13 pounds on average at six months, but all groups saw their weight creep back up after a year. At two years, the average weight loss was about 9 pounds while waistlines shrank an average of 2 inches. Only 15 percent of dieters achieved a weight-loss reduction of 10 percent or more of their starting weight.

Dieters who got regular counseling saw better results. Those who attended most meetings shed more pounds than those who did not - 22 pounds compared with the average 9 pound loss.

Lead researcher Dr. Frank Sacks of Harvard said a restricted calorie diet gives people greater food choices, making the diet less monotonous.

“They just need to focus on how much they’re eating,” he said.

Sacks said the trick is finding a healthy diet that is tasty and that people will stick with over time.

Before Debbie Mayer, 52, enrolled in the study, she was a “stress eater” who would snack all day and had no sense of portion control. Mayer used to run marathons in her 30s, but health problems prevented her from doing much exercise in recent years.

Mayer tinkered with different diets - Weight Watchers, Atkins, South Beach - with little success.

“I’ve been battling my weight all my life. I just needed more structure,” said Mayer, of Brockton, Mass., who works with the elderly.

Mayer was assigned to a low-fat, high-protein diet with 1,400 calories a day. She started measuring her food and went back to the gym. The 5-foot Mayer started at 179 pounds and dropped 50 pounds to 129 pounds by the end of the study. She now weighs 132 and wants to shed a few more pounds.

Another study volunteer, Rudy Termini, a 69-year-old retiree from Cambridge, Mass., credits keeping a food diary for his 22-pound success. Termini said before participating in the study he would wolf down 2,500 calories a day. But sticking to an 1,800-calorie high-fat, average protein diet meant no longer eating an entire T-bone steak for dinner. Instead, he now eats only a 4-ounce steak.

“I was just oblivious to how many calories I was having,” said the 5-foot-11-inch Termini, who dropped from 195 to 173 pounds. “I really used to just eat everything and anything in sight.”

Dr. David Katz of the Yale Prevention Research Center and author of several weight control books, said the results should not be viewed as an endorsement of fad diets that promote one nutrient over another.

The study compared high quality, heart healthy diets and “not the gimmicky popular versions,” said Katz, who had no role in the study. Some popular low-carb diets tend to be low in fiber and have a relatively high intake of saturated fat, he said.

Other experts were bothered that the dieters couldn’t keep the weight off even with close monitoring and a support system.

“Even these highly motivated, intelligent participants who were coached by expert professionals could not achieve the weight losses needed to reverse the obesity epidemic,” Martijn Katan of Amsterdam’s Free University wrote in an accompanying editorial.

——

On the Net:

U.S. biomedical scientists say they have determined excessive dietary fat causes a 300 percent increase in metastasizing tumor cells in laboratory animals.Purdue University researchers used an imaging technique to show how increased fat content causes tumor cells to undergo changes that are essential to metastasis. They then used another technique to count the number of cancer cells in the bloodstream of mice fed a high-fat diet and in animals fed a lean diet.

The scientists, led by Assistant Professor Ji-Xin Cheng, said their findings suggest the combined tools represent a possible new diagnostic technique to determine whether a patient’s cancer is spreading.

“It is generally accepted that diet and obesity are accountable for 30 percent of preventable causes of cancer but nobody really knows why,” Cheng said. “These findings demonstrate that an increase in lipids leads directly to a rise in cancer metastasis (and) open the possibility of an entirely new, relatively simple method for diagnosing whether cancer is metastasizing.

The research that included Thuc Le and Terry Huff appeared in the Jan. 30 issue of the journal BMC Cancer.

Richard Simmons doesn’t have anything on the hardcore aerobic instructors at the Powell Wellness Center.I used to watch the flamboyant, benevolent exercise guru and wonder how anyone could even begin to slim down by “Sweatin’ to the Oldies” or tunes of any other era for that matter.

On Monday, I learned how. Doing high-intensity aerobics with good form is harder than it looks. Halfway through the aerobics class, I felt muscles begin to burn that I never knew I had.

Occasional gasps and grunts from my classmates filtered to my ears over the pumping music, giving me some consolation that I wasn’t alone in trying to keep up.

Monday’s session was my latest taste of what I hope is a long-term journey toward a fitter lifestyle and I found it good.

Equally good was a healthy meal, which was prepared especially for our Lean on Me fitness class on Tuesday. I never thought chick peas and spinach could be tasty and appealing.

However, I know my problem is not eating the healthy food, but taking time to prepare it. I don’t mind preparing food — in fact, I find it rather therapeutic — but more days than not, the energy just isn’t there yet.

Still, I must report that the biggest benefit I’ve seen in me thus far is improved energy. That small change itself has made this a worthwhile endeavor.

—–

To see more of the Culpeper Star-Exponent or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.starexponent.com.

Copyright (c) 2009, Culpeper Star-Exponent, Va.

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.

For reprints, email tmsreprints@permissionsgroup.com, call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.

Vitamin supplements can prevent hearing loss in laboratory animals, University of Florida researchers said.The supplements used in the research are composed of antioxidants — beta carotene and vitamins C and E — and the mineral magnesium, senior author Colleen Le Prell of the University of Florida said.

When administered prior to exposure to loud noise, the supplements prevented both temporary and permanent hearing loss in test animals, the study said.

“What is appealing about this vitamin ‘cocktail’ is that previous studies in humans, including those demonstrating successful use of these supplements in protecting eye health, have shown that supplements of these particular vitamins are safe for long-term use,” Le Prell said in a statement.

In one study, researchers gave guinea pigs the vitamin supplements prior to a four-hour exposure to noise at 110 decibels, similar to levels reached at a loud concert.

University of Florida, University of Michigan and OtoMedicine scientists assessed the animals’ hearing by measuring sound-evoked neural activity and found that the treatment successfully prevented temporary hearing loss in the animals.

Repeated temporary hearing loss can lead to permanent hearing loss, and the scientists speculate that prevention of temporary changes may ultimately prevent permanent changes.

The findings were reported at the Association for Research in Otolaryngology’s annual conference in Baltimore.

Cancer is killing fewer Americans every year. And the news keeps getting better. “Data show we are winning the battle as people with cancer are living longer and more healthy lives than ever before,” says Julie Gerberding, M.D., director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control. According to the American Cancer Society, almost twothirds of Americans survived a cancer diagnosis during 19962003, the latest study period. That compares with just over half during the same time period from the mid-1970s. The median survival rate - which the Cancer Society defines as living at least five years without a recurrence - for all cancers at all stages of diagnosis is 65 percent.The Cancer Society’s report “Cancer Facts & Figures 2008″ says the gains result from improvements in discovering cancer earlier, treatment, and new knowledge about lifestyle and prevention. Diagnosis and treatment, the report says, frequently depend on the quality of health care and the diligence of patients and doctors to insist on appropriate screening. Often that is beyond our control.

However, lifestyle changes, especially regarding activity level and diet, are found to be bigger players in the war against cancer than once believed. According to the National Cancer Institute, a department of the U.S. governments National Institutes of Health, a link has been observed between cancer risks and behaviors such as alcohol consumption, tobacco use, physical inactivity, and obesity.

Additionally, studies have suggested a link between cancer development and nutrition. While the effects of body mass as an element of stroke and heart disease are well-known, The New England Journal of Medicine reported in 2003 that being overweight may additionally account for one-fifth of all cancers in American women and just over one-sixth in men.

“Overweight and obesity has a very broad impact on cancer across most cancer sites,” said Eugenia Calle, Ph.D., one of the researchers of the report. “That’s not something that s really in the consciousness of the American people.”

Medical professionals recommend some easy As an things Americans can do to improve their health in general and possibly stave off cancer. AU of these can be accomplished gradually instead of as part of a sea change in life:

1 . Keep moving. If you re just starting to get going, just 30 minutes a day of moderate activity (walking, vacuuming, or gardening) for at least five days a week can help. If you’re already active, try boosting your levels to 45 to 60 minutes on five or more days.

2. Drink responsibly. If you consume alcohol, limit your intake to no more than two drinks a day for men and one drink a day for women. The nonalcoholic ingredients of red wine have been indicated to help prevent some cancers, but moderation is suggested here as well.

3. Shun the Sun. Protect your skin from sun, particularly from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. when ultraviolet rays are most intense.

4. Preclude puffing. The American Cancer Society says that quitting tobacco use can prevent all related cancers.

5. Skip the chips. Foods produced by high-temperature cooking, such as potato chips and french fries, contain a chemical called acrylamide, which has been linked to some cancers.

6. Pursue the produce. A variety of fruits and vegetables contain antioxidants, which protect cells from damage caused by unstable molecules known as free radicals. Tea also contains antioxidants called cate chins, which may selectively inhibit the growth of cancer.

As an ROA member, you may be eligible for an affordable supplemental plan that can help you with the treatment expenses associated with fighting cancer. For more details on the ROA- sponsored Cancer Plan, call toll-free 1-800-247-7988 or visitwww.roainsure.com.

Copyright Reserve Officers Association Jan 2009

(c) 2009 Officer, The. Provided by ProQuest LLC. All rights Reserved.

© YellowBrix, Inc. Copyright 1997-2009

Your New Year’s resolution calls for two inches from the waist, 10 pounds dropped, and a 180-degree turnaround in your eating habits. Buh-bye, FritoLay. Sayonara, Snickers. Sniff, we’ll miss you. But, oh, hey, Pumpkin! (Pumpkin seeds, that is.) The best way to meet your goals is to make wise choices when you belly up to the cafeteria counter or open that refrigerator door. ALL TEACHERS LOVE STARBUCKS. (Okay, maybe not all… but an awful lot of you greet the barista before you turn on that classroom smile.) Is the daily latte a good way to start the day? It has 4.5 grams of saturated fat and 17 grams of sugar. If you order it “skinny,” you lose the fat, but the sugar remains at 18 grams. (Test your knowledge of daily drinks at www.starbucks.com.)DRINK THIS INSTEAD: A green tea. It has as many antioxidants as your lesson plans have standards. And, although many claims about its health benefits are unsubstantiated, a 2006 study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association suggests the tea may help you live longer. (Make the most ofthat defined-benefit pension plan!) Still, if you simply insist on a full dose of caffeinated coffee beans before facing your lovelies, try the cappuccino. It has about half the fat and sugar.

ELEVENSES… You’ve dropped the kids off at music, or you’re seizing the two minutes between classes. Now is that sweet time of the morning that Winnie the Pooh marked with honey on bread: snack time! Honey on bread isn’t the worst. (Whole grain, right?) It’s better than the elevenses celebrated in a certain Herman Wouk novel, which consisted solely of Scottish whiskey.

EAT THIS INSTEAD: When the munchies strike, grab a handful of almonds. In addition to the e-ssential Vitamin E, almonds are packed with cholesterol-reducing attributes, found Cyril Kendall, a University of Toronto scientist. In his study, published in the American Heart Association Journal, people who ate almonds daily saw significant improvements in cholesterol levels. “One ounce gives you a good effect. Two ounces gives you a better one,” he says. (Kendall also found a diet including oats, beans, and almonds can reduce cholesterol as effectively as medication.)

WHEN THE LUNCH BELL RINGS: The worst thing you can opt for is nothing at all. While skipping meals might save you calories, this strategy could backfire, suggests Alexandria, Virginia-based nutritionist Elizabeth M. Holm, DrPH, RD. Without food, you set yourself up for overeating or even bingeing later in the day. Plus, when your brain is deprived of glucose, you’re likely to feel irritable or dizzy. Try teaching algebra like that….

DO THIS INSTEAD: Get thee to the cafeteria, where your colleagues work hard to provide healthy choices. In Sayreville, New Jersey, where Pat Lieberman is cafeteria manager, the daily sandwich special is tops. (Make sure to stop by on a Thursday: grilled chicken on a honeywheat wrap with your choice of fat-free or light dressing.) “Sandwiches and salads are made fresh daily!” she promises.

when you pack your own, you want the same convenience. So, like your students, those handy little Lunchables tempt you. It’s grab and go! Well, here’s the thing: Even though Kraft has made them healthier over the years, most of the meat and cracker combos, as well as the “wrapz” still have close to 1,000 milligrams of sodium- and too much sodium is a sure-fire way to crank up your blood pressure and leave yourself vulnerable to a buildup of plaque in your arteries.

EAT THIS INSTEAD: An Amy’s Southwestern Burrito. No effort- and a lot less sodium, sugar, and saturated fat. Compared to the Lunchables Beef Taco Wrapz, which has 960 mg of sodium, the burrito has 680 mg. And, instead of 34 grams of sugar, the burrito has just 2.

Copyright National Education Association Jan/Feb 2009

(c) 2009 NEA Today; a newspaper for members of the National Education Association. Provided by ProQuest LLC. All rights Reserved.

The first step to becoming physically active is to find a physical activity that you will enjoy. Choose a physical activity that meets your skill level - walking, jogging, or climbing stairs are examples of activities that do not require new skills. Doing more of them will have an amazing impact on your health! If you do not like the first physical activity you try, then just try another one. Second, make sure to plan ahead. Identify community programs that offer free or low cost physical activity, resources. If you are not able to attend a class, find a safe and convenient place in your neighborhood where you can start doing physical activity. Mark your calendar with the time you will be doing physical activity. It is important to start slowly and work your way up in terms of time and intensity. Set goals, such as increasing time or distance, so you can see your improvement. Keep track of your levels of exercise and your goals using an exercise journal or calendar. When you reach a physical activity goal, reward yourself with something you enjoy, such as a new CD, outfit, or book.Third, find time in your schedule to be active on a daily (or every other day) basis. Find open time slots in your day when you can commit to doing at least 30 minutes of physical activity. You can add physical activity into your schedule by reducing sitting or screen time. For example, instead of watching television after dinner, go for a family walk. Also, try adding more steps during your day, such as taking the stairs instead of the elevator or choosing a parking spot that is far away from your destination.

Fourth, find support for keeping yourself physically active. Involve family, friends, and even pets in your exercise activities. You can start walking or attending a health class with a family member or friend. Having someone to do physical activity with will help you meet your physical activity goals. Involve your children when doing physical activity so your whole family can get the health benefits.

Fifth, don’t forget to warm up before you participate in physical activity. A warm up should start slowly and then gradually increase your heart rate. For example, a warm up for jogging would be a brisk walk. After your warm up you should stretch, starting with the larger muscles. If you are doing a specific physical activity, warm up the muscles that you will be using in that activity. After exercising, you need to cool down by slowing down your heart rate along with light stretching. If you have a chronic health condition, you should consult your doctor before beginning any exercise program. And remember to drink plenty of water to remain hydrated.

Keeping yourself physically active is key to living a healthy lifestyle. Starting a physical activity routine may seem difficult at first. But once you start, you will thank yourself the rest of your life!

This message is brought to you by the SDPRC Familias Sanas y Activas program. For more information on our free physical activity programs in South Bay, please contact Sara Solaimani at 619-594- 2965.

Copyright La Prensa San Diego Jan 23, 2009

(c) 2009 La Prensa San Diego. Provided by ProQuest LLC. All rights Reserved.