Choose This Starch for Better Blood Sugar

Posted on September 3, 2010 by Brick ONeil
Brown rice.
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via realage.com:

You could lower your risk of diabetes by 16 percent with this starch substitution: brown rice instead of white.

Research shows that people who consume lots of white rice each week may up their diabetes risk, while people who regularly eat brown rice lower theirs.

One Big Bowl
In a study, the people who consumed five or more servings of white rice per week had a 17 percent higher risk of diabetes compared with the people who consumed less than a serving of the white stuff each month. And people who noshed on brown rice at least twice a week were far better off than those who rarely partook. The brown rice lovers had an 11 percent lower risk of diabetes.

All Grains Are Not Equal
Most Americans consume about 20 pounds of rice a year. So swapping a daily serving of white rice for an equal amount of brown rice would have a big impact on nutrition, adding more B vitamins, minerals, and fiber to diets. All of which may help lower diabetes risk. Most of the diabetes-fighting nutrients in brown rice live in the bran and germ layers — two layers that are stripped from white rice during processing. Plus, easy-to-digest white rice can make your blood sugar and insulin levels spike.

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Should You Give Up Gluten?

Posted on September 2, 2010 by Brick ONeil
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by Mehmet C. Oz, MD, and Michael F. Roizen, MD, www.realage.com:

Gluten is a plant protein that, if you’re unlucky, makes your immune system irritate (intolerance, we call it), annoy (allergy is now the term), or outright attack (celiac disease) your small intestine. The effects can range from barely noticeable (a little gas) to totally miserable. If it’s the latter, digestion becomes a nightmare of either running to the bathroom or not being able to go. You’re plagued with belly pain and bloating and maybe anemia, tingling legs and feet, mouth sores, blistering rashes, and unintended weight loss.

In other words, you’ve got celiac disease. That’s the condition for which gluten-free diets are prescribed. Celiac disease was barely on the radar until a study published in 2003 showed it was a hundred times more prevalent than had been thought: One in 133 people is genetically programmed to develop celiac disease. Left untreated, it may lead to weak bones, vitamin deficiencies, infertility, nerve damage, and even some kinds of cancer. If you’ve got celiac disease, a gluten-free diet isn’t an option, it’s a must. But it’s not an easy diet to follow, because you can’t eat any wheat, barley, rye and, often, no oats. Translation: You have to pretty much give up bread, crackers, breakfast cereals, pasta, tortillas, birthday cake, croutons, Asian noodles, Communion wafers, beer, artificial flavors, and a bunch of other surprising foods.

Read the rest: http://www.realage.com/blogs/doctor-oz-roizen/should-you-give-up-gluten?eid=7192&memberid=16983737

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The Buying Decision That Makes You Happy

Posted on September 1, 2010 by Brick ONeil
#52 microclick windmill
Image by slimmer_jimmer via Flickr

From RealAge.com:

When you find yourself with a little discretionary income, here’s a surefire way to make yourself happy with it: Buy an experience.

Seems counterintuitive, but recent research suggests that spending your spare change on transitory experiences — like a trip to the theater or a relaxing vacation — will bring stronger and longer-lasting satisfaction than if you’d spent the extra moolah on material objects.

The Joy of Shopping
Here’s the problem: Buying material goods — like high-tech gizmos or swank leather shoes — is inherently more likely to induce buyer’s remorse. It’s just too easy to compare what you bought to newer, better, or less expensive options and end up feeling unhappy with your choice. Plus, material goods lose their shiny appeal with time. Experiences, on the other hand? They often become an intrinsic part of your long-term identity, reminding you over and over of good times and happy moments shared with loved ones.

The Why, Not the What
When you do buy material goods, they may make you happier if you think about the reasons you bought them and the ways they can add happy experiences to your life. For example, that top-of-the-line outdoor grill you just bought? Think about the cookouts and fun-filled family picnics you’ll create with it.

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Keep Your Colon Healthy with This Main Course

Posted on August 31, 2010 by Brick ONeil
Salmon is a rich source of EPA.
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via realage.com:

To dodge colon cancer, make sure your dinner plate has plenty of room for fish.

Research suggests that the polyunsaturated fats in our fine finned friends may provide a mighty nice buffer against colon cancer.

The Fats That Protect Best
In a study, long-chain omega-3 fatty acids — including eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid — cut colon cancer risk in a big way in Caucasians. And these fats are found in abundance in fish. Interestingly, the short-chain omega-3s that are found in nuts and cereals and are oh-so-good for your heart did not have the same protective benefit. And although both Caucasians and African Americans were included in the research, the results suggest that more studies are needed to confirm if there is a benefit in African Americans as well — so stay tuned.

Triple Threat to Cancer
Why are omega-3 fatty acids in fish such strong adversaries against colon cancer? Both lab and animal studies suggest omega-3s may curb the birth of new cancer cells, hinder tumor growth, and inhibit the spread of tumor cells to other parts of the body.

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The Ultimate Fun Way to Get Fit

Posted on August 30, 2010 by Brick ONeil
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via realage.com:

Here’s the latest no-way-you-could-possibly-get-bored-while-you-whittle-that-waist workout: dance-based video games.

And a recent study confirmed their usefulness. When a group of sedentary, couch-lounging women were put on a computerized dance-video workout program, they were transformed into active, get-up-and-go devotees.

The Fitness Game
Sedentary postmenopausal women who spent 3 weeks exercising to computerized programs that combined dance-based aerobics with interactive video-game elements became quick and active fans, noting the fun, convenience, and mental and physical challenges the games provided. And in the end, the women’s coordination improved.

Exercise Made Easy
If you’re in the low-tech camp or you don’t have the cash for electronic gadgets and games, no problem. Try popping a dance-based exercise video into your DVD player instead.

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A Sweet Way to Help Your Cholesterol

Posted on August 26, 2010 by Brick ONeil
Alaska wild "berries" from the Innok...
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via realage.com:

Make that heart-friendly bowl of oatmeal even better for your cholesterol by mixing in some fresh berries instead of sugar.

A recent study showed that too much added sugar in the diet could contribute to high cholesterol levels. But trading sugar for fresh fruit is a sweet way to cut back on the white stuff.

Sickeningly Sweet
In a study, people who averaged about 90 grams of added sugar a day tended to have higher triglyceride levels and less of the good HDL cholesterol than did the people who typically ate less sugar. Other studies suggest that one of the monosaccharides in sugar may inhibit the removal of lipids from the blood.

Fruity Sweets for Your Heart
Nixing the table sugar in your coffee and cereal is just one way to start cutting back. You can also sleuth out the high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) hidden in processed foods — like drinks, condiments, salad dressings, and breads. Your goal should be no more than 100 calories of added sugar a day if you’re a woman, and 150 a day if you’re a man.

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Think This Thought to Curb Overeating

Posted on August 25, 2010 by Brick ONeil
Examples of pastina (on 4th row): anellini, st...
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via realage.com:

When you lift that forkful of whole-wheat pasta to your mouth, do you think “tasty,” or do you think “healthy“? To curb overeating, focus on the mouth appeal.

In a recent study, thinking about a food‘s delicious flavor rather than its nutritional or health-related benefits helped to curb hunger later in the day.

A Taste That Satisfies
Delectable, savory, juicy, crunchy, yummy . . . all good words to have running through your mind when you munch on something healthy. That’s exactly what people in a study did when they ate a chocolate-raspberry protein bar. And eating the bar with those kinds of thoughts in mind made the morsels much more satisfying than when the study participants thought of the treat as a fiber- and vitamin-packed health bar.

Thinking Is Believing
Although nothing could be further from the truth, many people mistakenly believe that healthy, low-cal foods simply can’t satisfy hunger the way tasty foods can — and this type of thinking may help explain the study results. Are you ready to turn that perception upside down?

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Sprinkle On This Spice for Cancer Protection

Posted on August 24, 2010 by Brick ONeil
A pepper mill.
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via realage.com:

Next time a waiter armed with a giant pepper mill asks whether you’d like some fresh-ground, say, “Yes, please. And how!”

In a recent lab study, the ingredient responsible for black (and white) pepper’s pungent zing — called piperine — appeared to stop cancer cells from growing and dividing.

Shaking Up Stem Cells
The study focused on breast stem cells — amazing tissue-repair cells that can morph into dangerous, long-lived cancer cells if their DNA is damaged. When researchers mixed piperine with these stem cells, the compound inactivated the cells with early signs of trouble — reducing the size of rogue cell colonies and silencing signals involved in making cells live far longer than normal (an avenue to cancer development).

Pick Up the Pepper Mill
The best news of all? In the lab study, piperine left healthy cells alone. Smart little compound. Researchers think that in the future, piperine might even be used in cancer-prevention drugs. But for now, it’s worth sprinkling on the black stuff liberally and often.

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The Best Walking Partner

Posted on August 20, 2010 by Brick ONeil
Olive the mini dachshund
Image by Brian Hathcock via Flickr

by realage.com:

Having trouble finding time for your daily 30-minute walk? Then make a date with this old pal: your dog.

Studies have shown that dog ownership has some decided health benefits, not the least of which is that a furry friend helps get people into better shape — even more so than a human walking partner!

See Spot Walk
Researchers at the University of Missouri wanted to see just how helpful it was to walk with a dog. So they assigned seniors to one of three walking programs: walking with a dog, walking with a friend, or walking alone. And they found that the people who hoofed it with a canine companion increased their walking speeds by an impressive 28 percent. People strolling alone or with a human companion only upped their speeds by about 5 percent.

The Canine Effect
Why did the dog walkers have so much more spring in their steps? The researchers posit that dog walking improved the seniors’ balance and confidence, making them want to walk even more. Add to this the fact that pet owners tend to handle stress better, be more emotionally stable, and make fewer trips to the doctor than pet-free people, and you’ve got a lot of reasons to thank your pooch for his presence.

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Slim Down with This Multitasking Side Dish

Posted on August 19, 2010 by Brick ONeil
barley salad closeup
Image by Lori_NY via Flickr

via realage.com:

For slimmer hips, skip the baked potato and make yourself a bowl of this for your next side dish: barley salad.

Barley is rich in beta glucan, a soluble fiber shown to reduce cholesterol. And now, new research shows that this special fiber may help with waist management, too!

Beyond Cholesterol Control
Barley actually has up to twice as much beta glucan as oats have. And a study found that getting 3 to 5 grams of beta glucan every day from barley can lower harmful LDL cholesterol between 9 and 15 percent in people with high cholesterol. Not too shabby. But the unexpected bonus in this study? The beta glucan helped decrease hunger, so people ate fewer calories overall.

Get a Grip on Hunger
How does barley banish blubber? Researchers suspect that beta glucan and other barley fibers expand in your stomach, so you feel full faster and end up eating less. And working this grain into your day is a snap. Start your day with barley cereal. For lunch, toss barley into soup, stew, or even salad. And use barley in place of rice at dinner.

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