FDA & You

The just made it easier for consumers to stay current on the latest information on food and medical product safety and prevention and wellness topics they offer.  In the current Consumer Updates page, they annouce their partnership with Everyday Health, an online health source visited by 30 million unique users each month.  

 The partnership will initially include 2 products: 
www.EverydayHealth.com/FDA
a new co-branded web site which will offer a variety of health information from FDA, including the latest information on food and medical product safety as well as prevention and wellness topics. In the event of breaking public health information, Everyday Health will also feature special “FDA Alert” modules in select locations throughout the site and network, and in e-mail newsletters.
FDA/Everyday Health co-branded weekly newsletter
The latest FDA consumer health information will be sent to subscribers in a weekly Everyday Health newsletter. The newsletter will contain “FDA Alerts” as well as up-to-date information on topics such as drug safety, cosmetics and skin care products, and children’s health products.
                     

2009 Healthy & Fit Magazine Expo

Plan to join the staff of Healthy & Fit Magazine as they present their annual Healthy & Fit Magazine Expo at the Lansing (Michigan) Center on Saturday, September 26 from 10am to 4pm.  

This is a FREE family friendly event that’s fun for all ages. With 120 vendors the expo offers all of the newest innovative information available in regards to health and fitness. It will also get you on your feet and involved with its free interactive workout areas, kid’s games, demonstration stage, Tiki-head (inflatable rock wall for kids), live aerobics and cardio hip-hop demonstrations, giveaways, kayak demonstrations on the Grand River, and an inflatable obstacle course for all ages.

 

Brain Food

The Capital Area District Library adds new cookbooks to the collection on a daily basis and when I was reviewing the latest offerings, I came upon some very interesting titles I want to mention.  CADL has over 3,300 items under the cooking/cookery subject area — books for adults and children, DVDs, and magazines, so chances are you will find something of interest.  Here’s what I found:

               

Red or White Wine?

A nice glass of wine is a natural compliment to most meals including heart healthy fish and can be a healthy addition to your diet.  But with 100s of varieties, is it possible that some are healthier than others?   maybe.  Studies have determined that red wine may have a health edge over white wine due to resveratrol, the heart-healthy substance derived from grape skins.  Red wine is exposed to the grape skin longer and thus contains more flavonoids, antioxidants, and the bitter-tasting tannins that are also linked to cardiovascular health.  Further, red wines produced in Spain and southwestern France seem to have the greatest concentration.  But, study is ongoing and there still is much to learn about the health benefits for humans so stay tuned. 

In the meantime, you can search CADL’s Health Resources including the Health & Wellness Resource Center database for articles on red wine health benefits and find ones such as that from the June, 2009 issue of Consumer Health News :  Health Secrets of Red Wine Uncovered; but for maximum benefits, sip don’t gulp, research shows.  Also, use the CADL catalog to find books on wines, healthy cooking, and nutrition.

Cheers to you and your good health! 

Ice Cream as Health Food?

 Maybe you didn’t realize that July is National Ice Cream Month!  And, even better, that July 19 is National Ice Cream Day.  Thanks to President Ronald Reagan who made the proclamation in 1984 we have official sanction to celebrate and enjoy this delightful treat.  According to the International Dairy Foods Association(IDFA):

The U.S. ice cream industry generates more than $21 billion in annual sales and provides jobs for thousands of citizens. About 9% of all the milk produced by U.S. dairy farmers is used to produce ice cream, contributing significantly to the economic well-being of the nation’s dairy industry.

But, you’re thinking, can ice cream qualify as healthy?  Of course!  Ice cream has evolved over the years since it’s development into the product we know today.  Sure you can eat only those types that are full of calories from fat and sugar, but just as easily, you can fill up on blends that contain yogurt (with live cultures), are sugar free, fat free, low-carb, even lactose free. 

Want to read more about ice cream?  Check out the IDFA’s Ice Cream Media Kit for details on the history of ice cream, trends on what’s hot in ice cream, and tips on storing and handling ice cream.  The Capital Area District Library (CADL) lists several books on ice cream (and it’s relatives – ices, gelato, sorbet) for kids and adults in it’s catalog.  You’ll find recipes, history, and literature.  So whether it’s vanilla (still #1 in the U.S.) or something more exotic (chocolate-chipotle, saffron rosewater, lavender) – “I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream”!  (from The Ice Scream You Scream Song by Johnson, Moll & King)

Healthy Cooking

Healthy living requires health eating, but healthy doesn’t have to be boring or plain.  These healthy cooking titles have just been added to the collection at the Capital Area District Library and might help you satisfy your cravings for tasty cuisine or trying something new and exotic.  Check these out:

A to Zinc

Taking your daily multivitamins and supplements is taking on new meaning in today’s economy.  According to Information Resources, Inc., a market research firm in Chicago, sales of vitamins rose nearly 8% during the last 3 months of 2008 compared with the same period in 2007.  Some researchers speculate that as people lose their health insurance or deductibles increase, they are turning to more preventative or self-treatment options.  Part of many daily regimens already include vitamins, herbs, supplements, and minerals but they take on new significance when people see them as an affordable option to unaffordable traditional treatments.  For a healthy diet are fish oil capsules for example, more economical than buying fresh fish every day?  Will echinacea and zinc (long touted as treatment for colds) replace OTC drugs?  Need to tame heartburn?  Is Aloe Vera juice as effective a soother as regular antacids?  

A study prepared by Packaged Facts, A division of Market Research Group, LLC  using data sets from Information Resources, Inc.  examines the entire industry and finds it is “…poised for healthy growth, with sales forecast to climb 39% from 2007 to 2012 to reach $8.5 billion, following a major rebound in 2006-2007. “

But before you run out and stock up on everything from A to Z, you need to make sure you are informed about the pros and cons of nutritional supplements and how they can interact with prescribed medicines and other supplements.  Nutritional supplements can be gender, disease, or even age specific.  Sometimes referred to as “alternative therapies”, nutritional supplements and vitamins can be researched in authoritative resources in print and online.  Several titles are available through the Capital Area District Library  including: PDR* for nutritional supplements (*Physician’s Desk Reference), Desk reference to nature’s medicine, and Gale encyclopedia of alternative medicine.  Online is the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine which is part of the National Institutes of Health.

Disclaimer: The above material is intended for informational purposes only.  It is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical diagnosis and advice. 

To Diet or not to Diet

A recent search at Amazon.com  shows hundreds of diet books being published in 2009.  Every kind of diet approach is covered – 4 day diet, Mediterranean, instinct diet, vegan, writing diet, lemon juice diet, inner peace diet, etc., etc., etc.,  in addition to the traditional low fat, low calorie, low carbohydrates.  With so many choices, it can be difficult to make an informed and healthy selection.  Fortunately, a study published recently in the New England Journal of Medicine gives us the bottom line:  the key to maintained weight loss is simple, calorie reduction in whatever healthful, balanced diet is followed.  The study followed 800 adults over a 2 year period.  They were assigned to 1 of 4 groups which followed distinct diet styles.  At the end of the study, all groups had lost and gained relatively the same amounts of weight with the only commonality being calorie reduction.

“It really does cut through the hype,” said Dr. Frank M. Sacks, the study’s lead author and professor of cardiovascular disease prevention at the Harvard School of Public Health. “It gives people lots of flexibility to pick a diet that they can stick with.”

Conclusions:  Reduced-calorie diets result in clinically meaningful weight loss regardless of which macronutrients they emphasize. (ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00072995)

So there you have it.  Calorie reduction is all you need to remember.  To see a sampling of diet books you can always visit your local public library of the Capital Area District Library system and browse the 613.25 Dewey number area.  Or, for specific titles or authors, search the library catalog.   Good Luck and Happy Dieting!

February is American Heart Month

February is American Heart Month and what better time to see how you and your lifestyle measure up.  We all know that heart disease is rampant.  It is the #1 killer of women and men in the U.S.  Fortunately, there are many resources available for us to access to improve our chances of preventing or treating heart conditions.  The risk factors include: sedentary life styles, stress, anxiety, high fat diet, smoking, being overweight, high cholesterol levels. 

Organizations like the American Heart Association, Centers for Disease Control and PreventionCleveland Clinic and Vascular Institute, and WebMd.com among others, provide incredible resources to help you assess and address all of these factors. 

 

Visit any one of these sites to get more information, and  pay attention to your health; you’re too important not to!
Disclaimer: The above material is intended for informational purposes only.  It is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical diagnosis and advice. 

 

Nutrition I.Q.

USDA food pyramidA recent article in the New York Times about nutritious eating in harsh climates like the Arctic got me thinking about just how much I know about what constitutes healthy eating.  The Times article answers a question posed by a reader wondering if fresh produce is needed to ensure nutritious eating, how do people who live in harsh climates avoid malnutrition? 

Most of us take for granted going to a local store and selecting from a wide variety of fruits and vegetables all year round.  These foods provide a wide range of nutrients, vitamins and minerals, with vitamin C being one of the most important.   We’ve all heard about the USDA food pyramid and know about the need to avoid overly processed foods and unhealthy fats, and to include whole grains, milk, and fruits in our daily diet.  So how do they survive?  

The answer to the reader’s question is found in studies that have been done of the Inuit diet by Canadian researchers.canned moose  Their studies show that while the Inuit are consuming small amounts of local plants and berries, the raw, fresh animal foods like seal, whale, and polar bear “…provided them with surprisingly high levels of Vitamin C.”   A “primitive diet” or just food for thought?   

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