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?

Toned and Tidy

People with spick-and-span homes are more likely to be physically active than those who have messy abodes, says a study presented at the American College of Sports Medicine’s annual meeting.

After researching residences and activity levels of almost 1,000 St. Louisians? STL-ers? well, anyways…the cleanliness of the inside of the dwelling was the only factor correlated to total physical activity level. External factors such as noise, air quality and nearby surroundings (neighborhood/community factors) were not shown to be linked in this research.

While it’s unclear as to whether those who are physically active keep their homes cleaner or those who keep their homes cleaner are more able to be physically active, the link has been found, so that’s a first step. Cleaning house can be a great active endeavor—all the reaching, bending, pushing and scrubbing. In fact, a SELF magazine calculator says that a 150 lb. woman burns about 215 calories during one hour of general cleaning. So grab that vacuum and some Windex and squeak in some activity while straigtening up!

What is your choice active chore? Despite my slight grass allergy, I dig mowing the lawn. Being outside, listening to some tunes, getting a good walk and a bit of pushing strength in? That’s my idea of “house work.” Plus the results are so tangible to the naked eye!

 (Image from The Daily Green)

Things are looking up, like a cleaner’s activity level!

The Latest TV Dinner

In a fascinating attempt to learn more about food advertising on TV, scientists at Armstrong Atlantic State University decided to see what a diet would look like if people followed a 2,000 calorie meal plan involving only advertised foods in their promoted proportions. So if 40 percent of ads were for sugary cereal and treats in the 96 hours of TV examined by the researchers, the meal plan would be filled with 40 percent sugary items.

No big surprise: foods advertised on TV during the studied period in 2004 were almost always the less-than-nutritious ones. But check out these findings: following a diet based on TV ads would lead to consuming about 20 times the government recommended daily amount of fat and about 25 times the suggested intake of sugar. That amount of sweetness is about equal to how much one person should have in a whole month!

In fact the diet promoted in advertising is about as if the food pyramid was turned on it’s head: fats and sugars are promoted the most, and in this TV diet, fruits and vegetables would be about half as common as they should be.

But the persuasive nature of advertising can be used for good, study authors say. We know that spending $11.3 billion each year to sell food items is powerful and persuasive, and that same force can promote less processed eats. Interestingly, the researchers found that in past research, ads urging the public to increase “nutritious food” intake was not very beneficial. But if food manufacturers advertise their specific food products that are healthful, consumers will take notice and buy them.

What grabs your attention in advertising? Do you feel at all persuaded by what you see in between your favorite TV show segments?

 (Image from Yale University)

Homemade popcorn can be a great TV treat :)

Water cooler conversation starter: as if I wasn’t feeling ambivalent enough about having a baby…this woman’s story may push me over the edge to adopt. A 17-year-old mom from the UK was in labor with her son for nearly three weeks (!) before he was born five months premature at just 1 lb. 3 oz. Doctors gave little Daniel a 15 percent chance of survival. Thankfully, he just turned one. In hindsight, doctors believe the prolonged labor-like symptoms may have been part of an infection mom had at the time she delivered. 

So if you were in labor for 20 days like this woman, (and if you’re male, this may take a bit more imagination, but go with it… ;) ) what would you do during that time? How would you distract yourself? And what is the most amazing feat you believe the human body can accomplish? 

That’s Kosher

The term “kosher” was used more commonly by my Mom as a synonym for “acceptable” than discussed in regards to food. But according to market research, more and more people who may know little, if anything, about Jewish life are looking for the kosher label on their foods for health reasons. From 2003 to 2008, sales of kosher foods increased by 64 percent!

Kosher rules are extensive and can vary, but here are a few basics: animals for meat use are usually killed quickly and inspected for disease (sick or possibly sick ones are discarded). Interestingly, the tail and some fats in animals are actually handed over to non-kosher meat packagers. Produce and carbohydrates are scrutinized for bugs (not kosher in my book either!) and dairy and meats must be processed separately.

The breakdown of who’s buying kosher foods is fascinating. Just 15 percent of those asked in the market research study purchase kosher foods for religious reasons, while slightly over half of respondents buy kosher for health. Others mentioned their desire for higher quality foods.

So what makes kosher foods so appealing to those who are not eating the food to meet religious standards? Mainly more oversight and controlled preparation. A food science professor noted in the New York Times article discussing the topic said that there has never been evidence that kosher food is actually better for you than traditionally produced eats. But the certification of “kosher” does mean that the food has been produced in ways that have met kosher laws: overseen by trained personnel/inspectors and usually prepared over longer periods of time than traditional food products.

Would seeing these symbols  make you feel more comfortable buying something at the grocery store?

 (Image from Info Rochester)

No More Needles?

Were you one of the people who desperately avoided any doctor’s office, medical professional or person on the street wearing one of those goofy cartoon figure-covered nurse’s frocks this spring in fear of being stuck with an H1N1 vaccine needle? You may not need to hide in fear any longer, according to German scientists.

A patch with a “magical” molecule could be the solution for vaccinating needle-haters that need medicine administered into muscles (so nasal or oral vaccines are out). This molecule carries the protein into the inner part of cells sans shot. The patches are so snazzy, they may even speed up the booster shot routine in the future. In coming years, you may be able to be your own doctor at home by administering your prevention patch after it was prescribed by your M.D.

The patch also could make inoculating those in third world countries (this is a tough issue! Read more about it here) simpler. Transportation and storage would not require special treatment such as protecting vials from breaking, strict temperature control, etc. Neat!

 (Image from Liberty Chiropractic)
 
 

Water cooler conversation starter: As if Spring Breakers weren’t getting enough alcohol…Whipped Lightning has jumped on the scene. What is that, you ask? Alcoholic whipped cream—suggested to top shots because they need more alcohol. Made with 36.5 proof liquor, the Lightning comes in Amaretto, Spiced Pumpkin Pie, White Chocolate Raspberry and Spiced Vanilla. 

Is this the free market at its best: a company meeting consumer demand? Or a dangerous product attempting to lure underage drinkers to consume even more liquor?

Smile Mile After Mile

For those searching for the magic pill to cure anxiety and depression: you’re in luck! Scientists have discovered it—and the best part? You don’t even need a prescription. Just move!

Boston University professors hope that their findings can help to encourage mental health professionals to recommend exercise and even get trained in exercise therapy to help their clients. After reviewing many previous studies, the researchers found that physical activity can supplement, or even replace, drug therapies for some suffering from depression and anxiety (this by no means suggests that those doing well on psychological medications should stop taking them, however).

Self-reported levels of anger, stress, anxiousness and sadness decrease after sweat sessions, possibly because of neurotransmitter (or brain chemical) changes. In fact, mood improvements can be felt less than 30 minutes after beginning a workout! Mental health improves almost immediately, while physical health improves over the long-term if exercisers keep at it. Talk about motivation to move :)

 (Image from Kirklees Council)

Mind Your Meal

I like my nutritious food (healthful bites!) as much as, or probably more than, the average person. Little did I know, thinking about my eats as good for me may make me want to eat more. Study participants eating a “tasty” food rather than a “healthy” food felt more satisfied and less hungry later, even when the food consumed was identical.

Findings published in the Journal of Consumer Research noted that those focusing on making positive health changes may compensate for wise wellness choices later on. This could be a partial explanation for why some claim that exercise is actually detrimental to weight loss efforts; people may ride their bikes for 30 minutes and reward themselves with a Double Down (ick)! Or, those who order a salad for dinner may go home and have a healthy-sized piece of apple pie a la mode for dessert since they ate so “well” at their meal.

In one of the studies noted in the research article, all of the student study participants ate the same raspberry and chocolate protein bars: one group noshed on bars labeled as a healthful, the others were told it was a chocolate bar. Those who ate the so-called chocolate choice rated their hunger levels later on as lower than those who ate the content-conscious bar. In a similar study, subjects were told they were eating a piece of bread that was low-fat or a slice that was tasty. Later, both groups were offered pretzels to nosh on. No surprise: those who were told they ate less fat ate more pretzels.

But when people are given the choice between an option that is good for them and one that is less so, and they partake in whichever one they want, reported hunger levels are equal among both camps.

So next time you sit down to try a new vegetable, think about how delicious it will taste! You may be more satisfied afterwards.

Do you feel that label claims or other nutrition descriptions affect your perceptions of satiety?

 (Image from Life Info Centre)

 

Water cooler conversation starter: A recent article published in SELF magazine and on the Today Show’s Web site poses a controversial “Would You Rather?” question…larger and happy or thinner and miserable? The author added about 80 pounds after beginning an antidepressant regimen. Pills kept her mood manageable, but made her ashamed of her once thinner body. 

So would you prefer to be slimmer if that meant you would be less joyous? Or, more broadly, which do you think comes first, good mental health or physical health?

A new labeling system is stirring up controversy among food science and obesity researchers and it’s hitting your grocery store shelves now. The New York Times introduced the program and the debate earlier this month. Click here to read “For Your Health, Froot Loops.”

So why do we need another labeling system about nutritional content of food when we already have the facts on the side of the box? The president of the Smart Choices board and dean of Tufts University’s Nutrition Science and Policy school explained:

…the program was also influenced by research into consumer behavior. That research showed that, while shoppers wanted more information, they did not want to hear negative messages or feel their choices were being dictated to them.

“The checkmark means the food item is a ‘better for you’ product, as opposed to having an x on it saying ‘Don’t eat this,’ ” Dr. Kennedy said. “Consumers are smart enough to deduce that if it doesn’t have the checkmark, by implication it’s not a ‘better for you’ product. They want to have a choice. They don’t want to be told ‘You must do this.’

Kellog’s, Kraft, PepsiCo and General Mills have all boarded the Smart Choice ship and will display a large green checkmark, saying that the product has been approved by the program and is a nutritious buy.

(Courtesy of nytimes.com)

This program raises so many questions that I feel like an inquisitive four-year-old bothering their busy parents.

• Do these companies actually care about providing a nutritious option for their consumers or are they more concerned with their own bottom line—hoping that this check mark will increase sales?
• And what makes a food “healthy?”
• How do you make choices about what foods you eat? Is there a specific nutrient/listing on the nutrition facts that you look to first?
• Would a positive reinforcement system like Smart Choices have more influence on your supermarket pick than the traditional nutrition facts label?
• Does the Smart Choices system do too much to highlight the benefits of a food (for example, fortified with vitamins, some whole grains) while avoiding nutritional pitfalls (such as added sugars or high sodium levels)?
• Should food labeling be regulated so that food producers can’t create their own system that could potentially “trick” customers?

I’d love to hear your responses on any or all of the above questions…or your general opinion of the article or the Smart Choices program.

Have a great Thursday and I’ll see you Saturday for an eats post (unless I come up with more interesting articles or other items to post in the meantime). Look forward to a yummy product review!

Edited to add: How do I get one of those green checkmark suckers on my peach?