Healthful Bites

It’s been a few weeks since I’ve done my usual Good for you news post—it’s about time to get with it, don’t you think? Away we go!

Nod Off Noshes

Over the years, you’ve probably heard countless tips about foods that will induce sleep. That Thanksgiving feast makes you drowsy? Must be the turkey! Can’t put your mind to rest at the end of the day? Sip on a tall, warm glass of milk. While this advice won’t harm you, it is sometimes not based in science.

A Washington Post reporter recently delved into this topic and discovered that many more foods keep us awake then put us to sleep. The women involved in a recent Sleep Medicine study who ate more fat in their diets slept less at night, took more naps and racked up fewer minutes of restful sleep during the experiment than women who took in less fat. Being obese was also associated with fewer quality zzz’s, possibly linked to a case of sleep apnea, researchers said.

Here are a few tricks to remember so your sleep comes easier:

• Avoid caffeine if you are sensitive to it. Some forms can stay in your system and affect sleep up to 12 hours after consumption!
• Ditch the alcohol if you need restful slumber. It may interfere with restorative REM sleep.
• Popping a cup of red grapes may boost melatonin (an important hormone involved in sleep) levels a bit.
• Warm beverages such as herbal teas or heated milk will probably help you feel more relaxed, but probably don’t have any chemical components that make you nod off.
• You would need to consume about one full pound of turkey to accumulate a siesta-inducing amount of tryptophan. 

Exercising often and strenuously is a sure-fire way to help me to doze off in a short amount of time. What works for you?

 (Image from Karrels)

I could not stop laughing at this! Holy smokes, could this puppy be more adorable?!?

Chubby Connotations 

England’s public health minister is on a mission to ban “obese” from the vocabulary of health professionals, the BBC reports. Anne Milton says that “fat” is more likely to initiate action to improve health than obese, which she claims is less direct, more medical and less likely to encourage “personal responsibility.” It’s all about connotation, isn’t it?

Opponents have fought back, asserting that calling someone fat is more likely to offend them than to spur them to action. Obesity is a condition, while fat is an adjective describing an individual, one public health professor says. 

With all of the focus on political correctness these days, what is your opinion on this topic? Should doctors be very direct and possibly stigmatize their patients by saying fat or stick with the more clinical term obese?

 (Image from Zazzle)

I guess it’s all about the way you think about it! Either way, this guy certainly is in no need of this shirt…

Water cooler conversation starter: In an attention-seeking shocking health news story, a U.K. study has declared that cell phones are, on average, 18 times dirtier than public restroom flushing handles. While the germs on either generally don’t make us sick right away, they do illuminate areas that display poor hygiene of the user(s). Researchers claim that about one in every four cell phones in the U.K. could actually make the owner sick. 

I’ve taken to giving my phone a quick wipe with a disposable disinfectant wipe every few days (avoiding all electronic in/out holes), especially now that I am often grabbing subway handles and other grimy items around the city. Do you pay attention to the cleanliness of your electronics, or just hope that the bugs will die off eventually/ be too weak to cause illness?

A couple of the latest health headlines relate to phone use. Did you know that this chronically-criticized time waster can actually be helpful to your well-being?

E.T. Phone Home

With graduation just wrapped up, much of my focus is now turning to planning and packing for a move halfway across the country. Besides stressing a bit about my budget, housing, etc., it’s a bit nerve wracking to move so far away from those that I am so close too. How do I cope with being so far away from my family, especially my Mom (A.K.A. best friend)?

New mental health research has me covered: my stress hormones will receive a calming influence similar to an actual hug by hearing her voice over the phone. Both cortisol, a stress hormone, and oxytocin, the “love hormone” reacted similarly after a daughter hears her Mom’s voice as to when she feels Mom’s touch.

Child and preteen girls studied by University of Wisconsin-Madison researchers were divided into three groups after being involved in the same stressful situation (solving math problems or speaking in front of a group of strangers). After the situation-induced anxiety, the first group were comforted by their Moms in person, the second chatted with Mom on the phone and the third watched a neutral movie. Hormonal responses between the in-person and phone contact groups of girls were nearly identical. Mom, in any form, appears to lower stress and anxiety!

Interestingly, while researchers did not involve boys in the target population studied, they hypothesize that the results may have been drastically different among guys. They say that males are more likely to “fight or flight” while females seek solace in social connections.

What do you think: is a phone call as good as the “real thing” in terms of social connections? Do men and women react differently when in trauma?

A good kind of supersizing! (Image from Cartoon Stock)

Cue on the Queue

Lines are long and test your patience…don’t you think? Well hospitals are using technology to try to ease frustration and agitation among emergency room visitors.

At select hospitals in Virginia, Florida and the Midwest, potential patients can text a specific number to the E.R.’s number, and they will get a text response detailing the length of wait to receive care. “The Washington Post” reports that the average E.R. wait is about 55 minutes. If there are many medical centers in the area that share their line lengths, patients with fairly minor health issues could potentially choose the hospital at which they would receive the most prompt care.

Do you appreciate the transparency provided by this service or do you believe this is just a program to make up for the underlying problem (overcrowded medical centers)?

 
You’ve got mail! (Image from Cheap Stingy Bargains)

Water cooler conversation starter: Hey ramen lovers! Haven’t you always wanted to eat the noodles and slurp the soup at the same time? A new utensil has been created just for you: the Ramen Spork. As a terrible recent college grad, I have to admit that I’ve never actually consumed ramen. The high sodium counts and brick-like shape never seemed too appealing to me—although the price is! Perhaps this spork may be useful for a vegetable soup or chicken noodle soup. I do eat those!

Would you buy the ramen spork? And if so, do you think you would use it or would it lie in your silverware drawer collecting dust? :)

 (Image from Geek Pinoy)

Cookie Monster

Have you heard of the “Cookie Diet?” It’s been around the block a time or two after it was introduced in the 1970s. Many are claiming that the bakery-based diet is back in style, since cookies are now available for purchase online. Plus numerous celebrities have been spotted with the designer cookies, including Denise Richards, Jennifer Hudson and Kim Kardashian.

The cookies on various cookie diets claim to have a special formula of amino acids and/or fiber to keep you satisfied with an overall plan averaging about 1,000 calories each day. No wonder you lose weight on the cookie diet! While many studies have shown that calorie balance is crucial for weight maintenance, the cookie diet daily calorie count is very low for anyone, not to mention active individuals. Most plans suggest eating a diet of almost solely cookies, with perhaps one other meal for the day. One scary aspect: some of the cookie “formulas” are secret, so you aren’t completely aware of what your body is living off of for the vast majority of its sustenance. Plus, there is no mention of a couple of very important food groups—fruits and vegetables.

Founders claim that these plans are “behavior modification programs” not diets, but if I were to change my behavior to eat packaged cookies everyday, I don’t think that it would be something I could maintain. What would you do if you had a catered lunch at work or were invited to dinner with friends? Still, one woman quoted in the New York Times article said she was happy with her results: a weight loss of 40 lbs. in three months (with a price tag of $56/week for the cookies, that means $672 over the course of the three months).

What do you think about the cookie diet? Would you like to try it?

(courtesy of salon.com)

It’s a Party in the USA

Swine (H1N1) Flu parties are sweeping the nation. Why? Some parents feel that their kids will be better off acquiring the H1N1 virus from their friends at these get-togethers and receiving immunity that way, before the disease can mutate into something potentially more virulent. (Similar to chicken pox parties some parents have when a classmate contracts chicken pox. The aim is to get the child infected so that they gain immunity and are protected from the virus when it is more severe in adulthood). So should we be seeking out the latest sick person and cozying up to them? Experts think not.

Partygoers may acquire complications from a disease they may have completely avoided, or they may pass the virus on to someone who may be particularly at-risk for complications. Doctors quoted in this article say that your best bet is vaccination, when it becomes available to you.

What about the safety of the quickly-manufactured vaccine? It’s virtually the same as the seasonal flu vaccine distributed every year, just with a different viral component to combat this particular strain.

How are you feeling these days? Any tips that you swear by to keep healthy when others around you are ill?

(courtesy of mid-day.com)

Water Cooler Conversation Starter: Constant cell phone alerts harm memory, cognitive performance and decision-making skills, according to a study in the Journal of Environmental Psychology reported in SELF. Sounds as if “silent” mode may make you some friends at work! (Sidenote: when walking in a busy area, it’s best to hang up. You may miss the unicycling clown—or a car speeding through the intersection).