Which Foods Are Healthy Is Anybody’s Guess

http://ifttt.com/images/no_image_card.png

Let’s face it, people always have their own interpretation on what they stake their belief is right, especially when it comes to food and saying which foods are healthy can be anybody’s guess.

A survey on which foods are healthy say anything but

The Food and Drug Administration recently gave in to public demand for a thorough review of how they establish standards on what foods belong to the ‘healthy’ group. This came in the light of a mounting confusion on how the line is drawn between what is healthy and otherwise.

A recent poll conducted by the Morning Consult, provides compelling results from hundred of nutritionists who are members of the American Society for Nutrition on what they generally believe to be healthy. A similar pattern was also conducted on average citizens who were asked the same questions.

Wide disparity on beliefs

The results came out with a diverse opinions from both the experts and the public. While there were those who agree that apples, oatmeal and other ‘commonly’ hailed as healthy, were in fact, suitable to their concepts of healthful foods. They also agree that foods like chocolate bars, soda drinks and french fries are generally not good.

However, mostly in between lies the gap, where common and expert perception seem to be at odds with each other, including some confusion as well from both experts and consumers.

“Twenty years ago, I think we knew about 10 percent of what we need to know” about nutrition, says Dariush Mozaffarian, who is the dean of the Tufts Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy. “And now we know about 40 or 50 percent.”

Divided on the nutrition value of granola bars

Of more than 50 food items that were included in the poll, it seems like the granola bars had the most number of people at loggerheads whether it is healthy or not. No less than 70 percent of average Americans believe that granola bars are healthy, but less than a third of the nutritional experts polled believe so.

There are other foods aside from granola bars that are touted as healthy like, frozen yoghurt and a SlimFast shake, but there’s one thing in common that would burst their bubbles on the healthy concept as these products contain large amounts of added sugar.

Only a couple of months back, the FDA announced that it will change the labelling norm in food products to contain added sugar in package labels.

But one thing’s for sure, to develop better means to allow the public, as well as nutrition experts to get the real picture in determining which foods are healthy and which ones are not.

The post Which Foods Are Healthy Is Anybody’s Guess appeared first on NUTRITION CLUB CANADA.

New Way To Reduce Rheumatoid Arthritis Symptoms Found

http://ifttt.com/images/no_image_card.png

Now those suffering from this condition may have found a good way to reduce rheumatoid arthritis symptoms that have been known to be very painful with no known cure to cure it.

Reduce rheumatoid arthritis symptoms through the vagus nerve

Scientists have found a surprising yet practical way to treat rheumatoid arthritis by way of stimulating the vagus nerve and yielded positive results. This discovery gives hope to many people with rheumatoid arthritis who have been plagued with the disorder for years.

Researchers from the University of Amsterdam, SetPoint Medical and Feinstein Institute for Medical Research claim their tests showed robust responses in reducing symptoms by stimulating the inflammatory reflex directly. They implanted a device that would stimulate the vagus nerve and it has shown good results in reducing symptoms.

A debilitating autoimmune disease

Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disorder where the immune system itself attacks the joints and although the cause is still unknown, the treatment approach is to control inflammation of the joints to relive symptoms, avoids further damage and lowers the risk of long-term complications.

“This is a real breakthrough in our ability to help people suffering from inflammatory diseases,” says Dr. Kevin Tracey, president and CEO of the Feinstein Institute for Medical Research. “While we’ve previously studied animal models of inflammation, until now we had no proof that electrical stimulation of the vagus nerve can indeed inhibit cytokine production and reduce disease severity in humans. I believe this study will change the way we see modern medicine, helping us understand that our nerves can, with a little help, make the drugs that we need to help our body heal itself.”

The findings were recently published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences and involved some 17 volunteer patients diagnosed with the condition. They planted a device where they activated and deactivated the device on schedule for 84 days while they continue to measure progress and responses halfway into the test period.

Responses from the patients on the device were measured through disease activity in relation to tender and swollen joints, serum C-reactive protein levels and assessments of the disease by both patients and doctors.

“Our findings suggest a new approach to fighting diseases with bioelectronic medicines, which use electrical pulses to treat diseases currently treated with potent and relatively expensive drugs,” says Anthony Arnold, chief executive officer of SetPoint Medical. “These results support our ongoing development of bioelectronic medicines designed to improve the lives of people suffering from chronic inflammatory diseases and give healthcare providers new and potentially safer treatment alternatives at a much lower total cost for the healthcare system.”

Image Credit: Puwadol Jaturawutthichai/Shutterstock

The post New Way To Reduce Rheumatoid Arthritis Symptoms Found appeared first on NUTRITION CLUB CANADA.

Best Stroller Workouts For Busy Moms And Dads

http://ifttt.com/images/no_image_card.png

Sometimes its difficult to juggle time between parenting and exercising especially with a toddler to take her attention, but worry no more with the best stroller workouts designed to do both at the same time.

The best stroller workouts that takes multitasking to the next level

Feeling great and looking good may somehow be sidetracked by irregular baby feeding schedules and sleepless nights, which could sometimes seem frustrating. Having a new workout routine with that kind of schedule could be very daunting, if not, impossible to achieve.

In a recent study published in the Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, women with young children are likely to get less than the minimum recommended amount of exercise to stay healthy than those without kids.

Also, with kids demanding much of your time, you often get to miss out on gym workout schedules, missing out on your regular workout schedules and losing that momentum on exercise.

But worry no more, time is limited and you have an good exercise tool in your hands- the baby’s stroller.

Here are some good stroller exercises you can do while taking time to stroll the baby around – multitasking at its best.

Stroller Pushups

Look for a bench and make sure to park the stroller properly beside you. As you face the bench, place your arms shoulder-width apart. Engage your core muscles as you hold your back firm and straight. Do your push-ups for several repetitions.

You may up the ante by doing your push-ups on the ground for better strength and endurance.

Stroller Lunges

Position yourself standing behind the stroller with your hands on the handlebar shoulder width apart. Lunge forward with your right leg and push the stroller out as you do so. Make sure that your knee is above your ankle and the thigh should be parallel to the ground. Do the same lunge with the other leg.

Stroller Squats

Standing behind the stroller, hold the handlebar with both hands shoulder width apart. With both knees and feet forward, squat down as if sitting on a chair while keeping your weight in the heels and knees above the ankles. Do not let go of the stroller when doing the squats but make sure not to put weight on it. Squeeze the glutes and return to the standing position and repeat.

Stroller workout table

Here’s a simple table to help guide you through the routines and reps.

Exercise                                                                                          Reps

Stroller Pushups                                                                               12

Stroller Lunges                                                                                  15 for each leg

Stroller Squats                                                                                   20

 

Repeat the order 3 times.

The post Best Stroller Workouts For Busy Moms And Dads appeared first on NUTRITION CLUB CANADA.

Millions Wasted Due To Food Safety Confusion

http://ifttt.com/images/no_image_card.png

This food safety confusion according to the Food Safety Agency of the UK is the result of what seems to be a misconception about food storage and preservation that has been the practice of many, if not most people.

Food safety confusion on frozen food

The FSA, in a recent survey, found that of 1300 participants 43 percent believe that food items could only be frozen on the very day that it was purchased, otherwise, it may be unsafe to eat if left on an unfrozen state any longer than that.

Also, 38 percent of them believe that food stored in the freezer could become unsafe for consumption, which could lead to many misconceptions about wasting food away rather than get sick from eating it.

The FSA, as the government agency responsible for the providing guidance to the public on food safety and hygiene, reminds that food can be safe even if frozen until its ‘best before’ date.

This is also part of the information written down in the agency’s publication to educate the public. It also points out that even if food taste or texture is affected by damage from ice crystals, it stays safe for very long periods of time in its frozen state.

Food gets to spoil the same way as it were fresh once it defrosts.

How safe is it to freeze food?

While many bacteria types survive freezing temperatures, they become inactive or dormant when frozen due to the lack of water and low temperature. The warmer the environment, the more active they become.

It is best to defrost the food slowly be placing it inside the chiller overnight to prevent the risk of bacteria multiplying in the food. Do not thaw food by putting it under running water or left out in room temperature as it may expose it to more bacteria.

Food spoils the same was as it were fresh once it is thawed and can be stored inside the fridge for up to 24 hours before it needs to be cooked or it should be disposed properly.

Food that is re-frozen is more likely to cause food poisoning due to bacteria contamination that may result from the initial defrosting. So avoid defrosting food not meant to be cooked right away. You can refreeze foods once it has been cooked and cook in a way that it does not spoil easily.

Public awareness and education is currently being undertaken by the FSA through linkages with educational institutions and other government agencies to campaign for the programs that will prevent more food safety confusion among the public and prevent undue waste in the near future.

The post Millions Wasted Due To Food Safety Confusion appeared first on NUTRITION CLUB CANADA.

Recent Pasta Study Claims It Is Good For The Body

http://ifttt.com/images/no_image_card.png

Apparently out to destroy the myths tied to pasta eating, this pasta study serves to give evidence about the true value of pasta to one’s diet.

Pasta study debunks myth through proper eating habits

The study conducted by researchers from the Neuromed Institute in Pozzilli, Italy, claims that a study with about 23,000 participants from 2 different regions in Italy participated in the study where they diets were analyzed.

The focus of the study was to determine the amount of pasta in their diets and correlate the effects of their pasta consumption with their BMI, his and waist measurements, where they surprisingly saw that there was no link between pasta consumption and weight gain. Instead, it actually gave rise to data showing it was more associated with getting slimmer than fatter.

Our data shows that enjoying pasta according to individuals’ needs contributes to a healthy body mass index, lower waist circumference and better waist-hip ratio,’ says George Pounis, who is the lead author of the study.

It’s not just about the pasta

The study team discovered that the people who regularly have pasta in their diet were the ones likely to follow a traditional yet healthful Mediterranean diet consisting mainly of tomatoes, garlic, onions, olive oil, rice and seasoned cheese.

They claim that this further gives credence to the beliefs that a traditional and fundamental Mediterranean diet, with all the ideal ingredients and taken in moderation can in fact be good for health.

Although, their study does not suggest how pasta could result to a lower BMI, but hinges more towards determining if carbohydrates are good or bad for the body.

Still a lot more to find out

The researchers agree that their findings may not be scientifically conclusive in a more general sense or whether it can be a final say on the topic, but they do hope that this clears the path for dispelling misconceptions that could serve to misinform the public about the real effects of carbohydrates and the role it plays for the body.

To say that least that pasta itself may be healthy in itself is something that is worth proving still, as some factors that could lead to the findings may yet be the ingredients or condiments included in the preparation of the pasta dish.

As the pasta study did help shine a light on this dish, it can surely help provide clues to further discover how food would serve to keep people living longer and healthier.

The post Recent Pasta Study Claims It Is Good For The Body appeared first on NUTRITION CLUB CANADA.

Scientist Argues That Anti-GMO Activists Are Wrong

http://ifttt.com/images/no_image_card.png

This, according to Steven Salzberg a Bloomberg Distinguished Professor of Biomedical Engineering, Computer Science and Biostatistics at John Hopkins University, on his recent article on Forbes.

Anti GMO activists from Greenpeace chided

Salzberg, who is also a renowned scientist, chides Greenpeace for what may be a ‘rigidly inflexible opposition” on all genetically-modified foods. He also pointed out that it seems like a misplaced stance that ‘has no basis in science that threatens block technology” and shuns off something that has a great potential for the greater good.

This, following an open letter from no less than 110 Nobel Laureates criticizing Greenpeace for its hardline campaign against Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) as they insist that science has declared GM foods just as healthy and safe as natural food.

They cite the example of golden rice, a genetically engineered rice that is fortified with essential vitamins and nutrients that has a great potential for addressing human suffering especially those from depressed areas in the world.

Activists ignoring science and insists it is bad

Even with the arguments brought out by science that GM foods are safe, activists groups like Greenpeace still insists it is not good for human, thus, they keep on with their protests.

Natural may not always be the best

Salzberg believes that there are common arguments that these activist groups are banking on, first is the argument that natural is always better in all aspects.

“Many people find this idea very compelling; after all, we humans are part of nature, so why not consume foods in their natural state? This argument is wrong for many, many reasons, far too many to list here, but I’ll just mention a couple. We can start with cooking: it sure isn’t natural, but cooking allows us to extract far more nutrients from our food, and is one of humankind’s greatest inventions,” says Salzberg.

Another example Salzberg points out is pasteurization, which is not a natural process but has been responsible for saving millions of lives for killing bacteria present in pure natural cow’s milk and other products.

Second is that it makes room for large agricultural corporations to sell more herbicides and pesticides to GM farmers, for which certain formulas can only be applicable for these GM crops.

The miracle of Golden Rice

One example Salzberg argues is Golden Rice, a bio- engineered rice that naturally produces beta carotene unlike any other rice varieties.

“Golden Rice has the potential to reduce vitamin A deficiency, which has devastating effects in parts of the world where children struggle to get enough nutrition. As the Nobel Laureates’ letter points out, vitamin A deficiency affects 250 million people worldwide,” says Salzberg, adding that this basis alone could thwart the concept that GMO food is not fit for humans.

Salzberg indicates that science and experts even support these claims on how safe GM food is, but are only being blocked from gaining good ground to prepare it for deployment to those who need it.

The post Scientist Argues That Anti-GMO Activists Are Wrong appeared first on NUTRITION CLUB CANADA.

Unusual Carbohydrates To Break Free From Your Routine

http://ifttt.com/images/no_image_card.png

Surprisingly, these unusual carbohydrates may just be lurking inside your cupboard waiting to the brought to the open. Better start scrounging your pantry and see if you have these so you can try these alternatives for your carbs.

Unusual carbohydrates you may have at home

Trust your instincts, better yet, trust this list. It will give you the names to set you off on your quest for your next carbohydrate stash.

Quinoa 

A native of Bolivia, quinoa is a gluten-free and highly complex carbohydrate that is good for your diet and is tasty. Full of protein, iron, magnesium folate, omega 3 fatty acids. As a complete protein, it contains all 9 essential fatty acids.

Couscous

A coarsely ground pasta made from semolina, it is a staple of many African and Middle East cuisines. It is also mainly used as a base for stews, soups, meat and other carbs. Just like quinoa, it makes a great substitute for pasta, rice and potato dishes.

Millet

Commonly found in the tropics of Asia, millets are grown similar to cereal crops or grains. Often prepared like a creamy cereal dish like mashed potatoes, or prepared fluffy like rice.  It is rich in iron, copper, manganese, phosphorus and magnesium.

It can be served like oatmeal during breakfast or can be added in muffin and bread recipes.

Buckwheat

Also used commonly as an alternative to rice, it is commonly added to congees or porridge recipes. It is often mistaken as a cereal grain but is in fact a fruit and husks need to be removed in order for it to be edible.

It is also ground to make flour and is popular nowadays as a healthful alternative for flour in pancake recipes.

Whole Barley

One of the most common grains that’s a vital food source for many people around the world, whole barley ranks fourth from wheat, rice and corn. It has high fiber content and is often ground up as flour for bread and other baking recipes.

Taro

A starchy root crop, the taro is commonly fund in Asia, Pacific Islands, West Africa and Latin American regions. It is low in fat and gluten-free and has high concentrations of vitamins A, B complex, magnesium, zinc, copper, iron, manganese and potassium.

Aside from the root itself, other parts of the taro plant are edible like the leaves and stem.

Sago

High in starch and sourced from the sago palm stem popular in New Guinea, Sumatra, Borneo and Maluku, among others. It contains significant amounts of iron and calcium.

Cassava

Also called Yuca, this is a starchy tuber that has a nutty sweet taste. It grows in tropical countries but beware, the cassava should only be eaten when cooked, as the skin of the tuber contains little amounts of cyanide but can be neutralized when washed and cooked properly.

The post Unusual Carbohydrates To Break Free From Your Routine appeared first on NUTRITION CLUB CANADA.