Nutrition Frenzy

Want to be happier, get in shape and have better sex? Try these strategies

MSNBC posted a great slide viewer on where the healthiest men in the world live and how they live their lives.

Here’s the Nutrition information:

Nutrition
Where men are well fed
1. Portugal
2. Spain
3. Canada
4. Italy
5. Greece
Worst diets
20. Ukraine

What went into the scores: We looked at each country’s per capita consumption of fish, vegetables, fruit, breakfast, tea, sweets, and take-out and fast food.

GREECE: Make vegetables a main event
Greek Orthodox men eat their greens religiously: Some go meatless half the year. “So they create tasty vegetarian dishes,” says Elena Paravantes, R.D., of the Hellenic Dietetic Association. Since these dishes are popular, so is produce.

What you can learn from Greece: “Stop trying to eat all your vegetables as sides,” says Paravantes. To that end, try this Greek stew, called ladera. Boil a pound of frozen green beans for 3 minutes, and then drain. Sauté a chopped onion in olive oil, and add a can of crushed tomatoes, a pinch of sugar, and some parsley. Cook for 10 minutes, add the beans and simmer for 20 minutes. Top with feta and serve with whole-grain bread. For more recipes, go to MensHealth.com, keyword world.

PORTUGAL: Keep a stash of seafood
Thanks to their country’s endless coastline, Portuguese men eat a serving of fish a day. That’s enough omega-3 fatty acid to reduce their risk of heart disease and possibly prostate cancer.

What you can learn from Portugal: The hardest part of eating more seafood is the forethought needed to buy and prepare it. Supplement the times when you cook or order fish with a cache of ready-to-eat tuna in your desk drawer. We like Bumble Bee’s Easy Peel Sensations in Lemon and Pepper and Spicy Thai Chili.

Here’s how to quickly and easily crush a craving for chocolate: Use your feet.

Literally. A walk worked wonders for a small group of chocoholics. When compared with a couch-potato group, the chocoholics experienced a major drop in chocolate cravings after only 15 minutes of putting one foot in front of the other.

Keeping the Pace
It’s a concept that’s gaining clout. Other research has shown that exercise reduces cravings for alcohol and cigarettes, too, by stimulating the activity of feel-good brain chemicals. This is the first study to apply the concept to chocolate cravings. Keep your pace moderately brisk and you may stifle that craving for up to 10 minutes after the walk. And by then, your thoughts should have moved on!

Cravings Schmavings
Need more help getting those comfort-food cravings under control? Here are some other ideas for you:

Stressed? Bored? Angry? Know why you’re reaching for food.

Wet your whistle. Science shows that people often confuse hunger and thirst.

Try an appetite suppressant. Not a pill — a natural one

FDA: Peanut Plant Knowingly Shipped Contaminated Products

Officials at the food plant in Blakely, Ga., responsible for the nationwide salmonella outbreak, knowingly shipped contaminated peanut butter and did not do anything to correct the mold growing on their walls and ceilings, Agence France-Presse reported.

The outbreak, which took place between Sept. 1 and Jan. 9, infected more than 500 people in 43 states, and one person in Canada, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

The CDC, along with the Food and Drug Administration, is conducting an investigation.

The recent salmonella outbreak may have contributed to eight deaths, according to the CDC.

According to the FDA, people became sick or died after consuming food products containing peanut butter produced at the Peanut Corporation of America.

“PCA distributed potentially contaminated product to more than 70 consignee firms, for use as an ingredient in hundreds of different products, such as cookies, crackers, cereal, candy and ice cream,” the FDA said on its Web site.

A report by the FDA released Wednesday revealed 12 instances between June 2007 and September 2008 where the plant’s testing discovered its products were contaminated by salmonella. However, the company still shipped the product.

What is this world coming to? Is the “bottom line” so all exclusive that Executives are now willing to put peoples lives at harm? Maybe China has the right idea by instituting the death penalty for Executives that harbor dangerous plans and willfully carry them out by executing them.

There would be more oversight and ‘playing by the rules’ if they company executives were actually held accountable, with their own lives.

Seven spices that give your health a boost.

Great advice from Web MD.

Over the past six years, since my Kidney Transplant, I’ve learned to love all vegetables. It wasn’t always so, and my poor mom couldn’t ’sneak’ them into foods, for I would patiently and diligently pick them out.

Go ahead and give these a try for the picky veggie hater in your life.

Eat More Vegetables Tip No. 1: Add veggies you almost like to dishes you already love.
Layer zucchini slices, chopped spinach, or cooked carrots into lasagna.
Eat More Vegetables Tip No. 2: Try them in soup.
Embellish your favorite soups with added veggies.
Eat More Vegetables Tip No. 3: Slip them into salads.
Load your salads with all the veggies you enjoy (or at least tolerate).
Eat More Vegetables Tip No. 4: Serve them raw.
Raw veggies can be more appetizing than their cooked counterparts to people who aren’t crazy about vegetables.
Eat More Vegetables Tip No. 5: Take raw vegetables skinny dipping.
There’s nothing like a little light ranch dressing or onion dip to make a platter of raw veggies disappear.
Eat More Vegetables Tip No. 6: Sneak them into spaghetti and pizza.
Most people like spaghetti and pizza, which makes them a good place to sneak in some vegetables.
(more…)

If you’re feeling tired, achy, fatigued and weak, you may need more Magnesium in your diet.

Magnesium supplementation may be indicated when a specific health problem or condition causes an excessive loss of magnesium or limits magnesium absorption.

You may need supplements:

Individuals with poorly-controlled diabetes may benefit from magnesium supplements because of increased magnesium loss in urine associated with hyperglycemia

Individuals with chronic malabsorptive problems such as Crohn’s disease, gluten sensitive enteropathy, regional enteritis, and intestinal surgery may lose magnesium through diarrhea and fat malabsorption

Individuals with chronically low blood levels of potassium and calcium may have an underlying problem with magnesium deficiency. Magnesium supplements may help correct the potassium and calcium deficiencies

What’s the best way to get more Magnesium? Eating a variety of whole grains, legumes, and vegetables (especially dark-green, leafy vegetables) every day will help provide recommended intakes of magnesium and maintain normal storage levels of this mineral. Increasing dietary intake of magnesium can often restore mildly depleted magnesium levels. However, increasing dietary intake of magnesium may not be enough to restore very low magnesium levels to normal.

More good news about Magnesium: scientific evidence from DASH clinical trials is strong enough that the Joint National Committee on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure states that diets that provide plenty of magnesium are positive lifestyle modifications for individuals with hypertension.

Talk to your healthcare provider if you feel you need Magnesium supplements.

Some people may simply be hard-wired to overeat, brain scans show.

Brian Alexander on MSNBC health wrote about an interesting idea that many claim that gives answers. Some people’s brains are just wired so they overeat and out of their control.

And now science is apparantly backing up those claims.

recent U.S. government study found that the number of obese American adults now outweighs the number of those who are merely overweight. While many factors contribute to excessive weight gain — from diet and cultural changes to decreased physical activity — there’s still a prevalent attitude that obesity is the fat person’s fault.

The researchers Andrew Calder, Luca Passamonti and James Rowe were trying to determine why some people are more likely to overeat. What they found was, “people who appear to be more sensitive to food signals have different wiring in their brains,” said obesity expert Marc-Andre Cornier, M.D., a University of Colorado endocrinologist who was not associated with the trial.

In the small study, just published in the January Journal of Neuroscience, brain scans showed how 21 participants reacted to three sets of images: appetizing food, bland food, and unrelated images of other subjects. The volunteers were of normal weight because obese people have already undergone “neurohormonal changes” that affect how their brains function, according to researcher Andrew Calder.

The participants were quizzed to determine their susceptibility to food cues. Then they fasted for two hours. At that point, their level of hunger was assessed. When researchers checked the brain scans, the results were clear.

What do you think?

Yesterday, the FDA confirmed that the source of the outbreak is peanut butter and peanut paste made by the Peanut Corporation of America (PCA) at its Blakely, Ga., processing plant.

PCA’s products aren’t sold to grocery stores. PCA only sells peanut butter to institutions and food manufacturers. Some food makers use PCA’s peanut butter or peanut paste to make products including crackers, cookies, cakes, cereal, candy, and ice cream.

The FDA’s web site has a list of recalls related to the salmonella outbreak:

Partial list, click link to see full list

List of Company Recalls
General Mills Issues Voluntary Recall of LÄRABAR and JamFrakas Peanut Butter Snack Bars (January 19) New!
Whole Foods Market Recalls “Whole Foods Carob Energee Nuggets” (January 23) New!
Amway Global Initiates Nationwide Recall of NUTRILITE Energy Bars Because of Possible Health Risk (January 23)
Brent and Sam’s Announces Nation Wide Recall of Two Varieties of Archer Farms Brand Cookies (January 23)
Brent and Sam’s Announces a Nationwide Recall of One Variety of Sam’s Choice Brand Cookies (January 23)
Trader Joe’s Announces Voluntary Recall of Trader Joe’s Peanut Butter Chewy Coated & Drizzled Granola Bars, Nutty Chocolate Chewy Coated & Drizzled Granola Bars and Sutter’s Formula Cookies Due to Possible Health Risk (January 22)
Parker Products, Inc. Announces Nationwide Voluntary Recall of Certain Peanut Butter Products (January 22)
Arbonne International Voluntarily Recalls Figure 8 Peanut Butter Chews Due To Possible Health Risk (January 22)
Jimmy’s Cookies Issues Nationwide Recall of Various Peanut Butter Cookies Due to Possible Health Risk (January 22)
Perry’s Ice Cream Company Adds Two Products to Voluntary Recall of Select Peanut Butter Ice Cream Products (January 22)
Kroger Recalls Additional Select Ice Cream Product Due to Possible Health Risk (January 20)
General Nutrition Centers, Inc. Announces Nationwide Voluntary Recall of Certain Lots of GNC Triflex Peanut Butter Soft Chews (January 22)

When it comes to weight loss, some calories count more than others. In a yearlong study of overweight people on a reduced-calorie diet, those enjoying soup each day lost more weight than people who got the same number of calories from other foods eaten for lunch or snacks.

The reason the soup-eaters lost more is likely because a bowl of it has a low ratio of calories to ounces. In other words, the soup takes up more space in people’s bellies, and those who ate it felt less hungry later and ate less of other foods over the course of the day.

What won’t work: Cream-based soups (after all, heavy cream packs 400 calories per half cup!). To keep you satisfied and help you trim down, choose soups with a base of low-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth and varieties loaded with vegetables, kidney beans, lentils, or brown rice. Those who ate two servings of low energy-dense soup per day (as part of a reduced-calorie diet) lost an average of almost 16 pounds in a year. People who got their calories from high energy-dense snack foods lost much less — an average of only 10.5 pounds.

Don’t love soup? Other foods with a low calories-to-ounces ratio include air-popped popcorn and fresh produce.

Health Insurance would rather pay for diabetes, heart and other symptoms of Obesity but not bariatric or obesity treatment.

A sign of the times: Insurance companys would rather fork over payments to keep diabetes and heart disease treated than pay for stomach stapling or other bariatric treatments, thus eliminating the need for diabetic or heart medications and tests. Better yet: pay for preventative measures, such as full health club memberships and supplements.

About two-thirds of American adults are overweight or obese, putting them at an increased risk for diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, osteoarthritis, stroke, gallbladder disease, sleep apnea and respiratory problems and even some cancers.

The direct and indirect costs of obesity is $117 billion each year, according to a 2000 report by the U.S. Surgeon General.

Christine Ferguson, associate professor at George Washington University School of Public Health and the director of STOP Obesity Alliance, said the stigma surrounding obesity and belief that it is not a disease are keeping the government from addressing the crisis.

“At the root of this is that people still have a real problem thinking about obesity as anything other than a willpower issue,” said Ferguson. “It is still perfectly acceptable to think about excluding treatment.”

In Mississippi, rated the nation’s fattest state for the third consecutive year, a bill that would have banned restaurants from serving obese customers died almost immediately after it was introduced in February.

The Trust for America’s Health, a nonprofit group that focuses on disease prevention, reported that adult obesity rates rose in 37 states in the past year, while no state saw a decrease.

In its 2008 report: ‘F as in Fat: How Obesity Policies are Failing in America’, the Trust said Mississippi has per capita medical costs that are among the highest in the nation. It also has a Medicaid policy that specifically excludes coverage for bariatric surgery.

From My Pyramid and the Ad Council have teamed to bring you a new serie sof Public Series Announcements regarding the New My Pyramid.

Here’s one:

Less than 25% of adolescents eat the daily recommended servings of fruits and vegetables. Few get regular physical activity. While mothers and caregivers are aware of the importance of healthy eating and physical activity habits, they struggle with the best way to implement them for their families. With obesity rates rising among children and adults, it’s important to provide information and realistic tips for making and sustaining healthy choices for kids.

This campaign motivates moms to encourage proper nutrition and physical activity for their families, emphasizing that a bright future starts with a healthy lifestyle. The notion that “Good Nutrition Can Lead to Great Things” reinforces that healthy eating and physical activity are fuel for a kid’s mind and body. The campaign encourages viewers to visit www.MyPyramid.gov and use the USDA’s Food Pyramid as an effective tool to help their children make healthy choices.

Disney Partnership

In an effort to extend this important campaign message, the Ad Council and USDA collaborated with Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment on a series of PSAs featuring the lovable characters and memorable songs from Disney’s original classic The Jungle Book. These PSAs highlight the importance of balancing good nutrition and physical activity by emphasizing the “Bare Necessities” of healthy living, and send a message to families that leading a healthy lifestyle can help you be the best at everything you love to do.

Tuesday January 20th
Watch President-elect Barack Obama become the next President of the United States on CNN.com Live. Update your own Facebook status and see status updates from your friends and other Facebook users on CNN.com Live.

Don’t miss out!

Add me on Facebook, Brick ONeil, as we watch this historic day when our Nation Inaugurates our first African American/Black President! What a proud day for the United States, and indeed, the World.

Remember where you were when America’s first chosen African American President was sworn in to bring America back! The entire world waits in eager anticipation, seeing President Elect Obama as the one person who can bring everyone together. What will his first actions, as President, be? How will world leaders welcome him? TIme will tell.

Enjoy history in the making.

According to real age, if women take time to plan, cook and eat dinner, they’ll not only be healthier, but enjoy it.

This makes sense, not only just for women, but for men, too. If they take the time to shop for healthy, nutritious foods they enjoy, cook it how they enjoy and sit at the dinner table, they’ll feel better about shopping, cooking and eating healthy foods. Not only that, but they’ll lose weight, too.

When I started eating more vegetables, I started planning meals according to recipes I found desirable. My favorite recipe is Ratattouille. Eggplants always fascinated me and I had never even touched one before. I read and studied eggplant recipes, how-to prepare, fix and store them. The key is buying solid, firm eggplant. That means they’re less seedy (think low-class bar) and will be less bitter tasting. You can salt and sit them for awhile to draw out more of the bitter juices, but they all cook away in the recipes with spices anyway, I’ve found.

Include 4-8 ounces of protein (that can be beef steak, fish steak, tofu steak, etc) and you’ve got a feast!

An easy meal I’ve found also is a veggie stir fry with sliced and diced veggies and a protein. Easy to fix, easy to eat. Or, if I’m in a hurry, open a can of low-sodium/low-fat soup and throw in a box of frozen single-serve veggies. Tasty, filling and good for you.

Need more ideas? Check out Real Age’s New Year, New You center where you can get grocery lists, recipes, and track-your-progress tools for losing holiday pounds.

The McKee Group, Kellogs and the Peanut Corp have issued recalls of products made with Peanut Butter due to salmonella .

Man, I love peanut butter. Right now, in my cupboard, there are five jars of the brown goo. Peanut butter nourished me throughout childhood, college and spare times. Luckily, I don’t buy many process foods made with peanut butter.

McKee Foods Corp. of Collegedale, Tenn. made a voluntary recall covers all sizes of two kinds of sandwich crackers — Little Debbie peanut butter toasty crackers and Little Debbie peanut butter cheese crackers.

Officials are focusing on peanut paste, as well as peanut butter, produced at a Blakely, Ga., facility owned by Peanut Corp. of America. Its peanut butter is not sold directly to consumers but distributed to institutions and food companies. But the peanut paste, made from roasted peanuts, is an ingredient in cookies, cakes and other products that people buy in the supermarket.

The Kellogg Co., which listed Peanut Corp. as one of its suppliers, has recalled 16 products. They include Austin and Keebler branded Peanut Butter Sandwich Crackers, and some snack-size packs of Famous Amos Peanut Butter Cookies and Keebler Soft Batch Homestyle Peanut Butter Cookies.

There have been deaths related to this current bad batch of peanut butter paste in all parts of the country. So, look through your cupboards and pantrys and throw these products away. The CDC said the bacteria behind the outbreak — typhimurium — is common and not an unusually dangerous strain but that the elderly or those with weakened immune systems are more at risk.

Apple Cider Vinegar does have scientific backing for various health claims.

Recently, a friend told me that Apple Cider Vinegar (in either liquid or tablet form) would help reduce my blood sugar, lower cholesterol and blood pressure. I was reluctant, because I had never heard of that before. For a few weeks I was looking for Apple Cider Vinegar Tablets and finally found some in a far off drugstore.

To back the claim, I did some research and found this:

Here’s a rundown of some more recent ones.

Diabetes. The effect of vinegar on blood glucose levels is perhaps the best-researched and the most promising of apple cider vinegar’s possible health benefits. Several studies have found that vinegar may help lower glucose levels. For instance, one 2007 study of 11 people with type 2 diabetes found that taking two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar before bed lowered glucose levels in the morning by 4%-6%.

High cholesterol. A 2006 study showed evidence that vinegar could lower cholesterol. However, the study was done in rats, so it’s too early to know how it might work in people.

Blood pressure and heart health. Another study in rats found that vinegar could lower high blood pressure. A large epidemiological study also found that people who ate oil and vinegar dressing on salads five to six times a week had lower rates of heart disease than people who didn’t. However, it’s far from clear that the vinegar was the reason.

Cancer. A few laboratory studies have found that vinegar may be able to kill cancer cells or slow their growth. Epidemiological studies of people have been confusing. One found that eating vinegar was associated with a decreased risk of esophageal cancer. Another associated it with an increased risk of bladder cancer.

Weight Loss. For thousands of years, vinegar has been used for weight loss. White vinegar (and perhaps other types) might help people feel full. A 2005 study of 12 people found that those who ate a piece of bread along with small amounts of white vinegar felt fuller and more satisfied than those who just ate the bread.

While the results of these studies are promising, they are all preliminary. Many were done on animals or on cells in a lab. The human studies have been small. Before we will truly know whether vinegar has any health benefits, much larger studies are needed.