Monday, December 29, 2008

What's the Latest About Trans-Fats?

A high intake of trans fats has bee linked to precancerous colon growths, which may increase the risk of colon cancer, says a recent study from the American Journal of Epidemiology.

In a recent study, people hwo at the most (around 6.5 grams per day) had an 86% greater cahnce of developing colon polyps than those in the group that ate the least (around 3.6 grams per day).

So? Choose foods WITHOUT trans fats (also called hydrogenated oils)!

Friday, December 26, 2008

Blueberries are anti-cancer, anti-aging?

Health Tip of the Day
"Getting Fit. . . One Step at a Time"

Blueberries contain compounds that have been shown to reduce your cancer risk, have anti-aging properties, and help fight bacteria that can lead to urinary tract infections.

Wednesday, December 24, 2008

Walking or Running for Your Health?

Health Tip of the Day
"Getting Fit. . . One Step at a Time"

To reduce the impact of walking and running on your hips and knees, select softer surfaces to walk and run on. Concrete is 10 times harder than asphalt and a smooth dirt trail, treadmill or rubber track are even better alternatives.

Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Only a LITTLE Overweight?

An article in Reuter's online newspaper tells of the heart attack risk of even a little extra weight:

A little bit of extra weight can raise the risk of heart failure, according to a U.S. study published on Monday that calculated the heart hazards of being pudgy but not obese.

See the complete article at: http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUSTRE4BL4IO20081223

Want to Keep Your Family Healthy This Winter?

Health Tip of the Day
"Getting Fit. . . One Step at a Time"

Chronic sleep deprivation will increase your risk for developing viral infections, such as colds, flu and respiratory tract infections.

Saturday, December 20, 2008

Are You Sleeping Enough

A recent article in Reuter's online newspaper links sleeping less than 5 hours or more than 9 hours to heart attack risk.

During sleep, the body does major repair work and this may be the reason for the link.

To read the entire article, go to: http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUSTRE4BI6BN20081219

Friday, December 19, 2008

Sharp Brain?

Health Tip of the Day
"Getting Fit. . . One Step at a Time"

To keep your mind sharp, learn something new on a regular basis. Your brain needs to be exercised by reading, taking a class, doing crossword puzzles or playing some other mind stimulating game.

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Green Smoothies

Health Tip of the Day
"Getting Fit. . . One Step at a Time"

Green smoothies are both nutritious and delicious. For an easy snack or meal:
combine 2 medium mangoes, 2 bananas and
1 cups spinach and blend well. Add pure water if smoothie is too thick.

If you add just 1 Tablespoon of Metagreens (see my website under the "health issues" tab for a description and how to order), you will be getting the same nutrient value as 5 plates of deep greens. This is a great way to get kids to eat their greens without them complaining about it!

Sunday, December 14, 2008

Help For High Cholesterol?

Health Tip of the Day
"Getting Fit. . . One Step at a Time"

A study in the Journal of Nutrition found that people who replaced half the fat in their diets with almonds and almond oil reduced total cholesterol by 4% and LDL cholesterol by 6% and triglycerides by 14%.

Saturday, December 13, 2008

Cruciferous? Sulforaphane? Huh?

Health Tip of the Day
"Getting Fit. . . One Step at a Time"

Cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, watercress, kale and collard greens contain sulforaphane. This is an antioxidant that has been shown to speed up the detoxification of many harmful chemicals from your body and is believed to suppress cancer and tumor growth.

Thursday, December 11, 2008

Is Your Liver Overloaded?

Health Tip of the Day
"Getting Fit. . . One Step at a Time"

If your liver gets overloaded because of a poor diet or alcohol abuse it can lead to weight gain, cravings for sweets and starchy food, fatigue, constant hunger, diabetes, inflammation and premature aging.

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

What's the Big Deal About The Liver?

Health Tip of the Day
"Getting Fit. . . One Step at a Time"

The liver has many important functions. The liver metabolizes fats, proteins and carbohydrates. The liver also, produces hormones, makes cell membranes, facilitates with absorption of essential vitamins and filters and breaks down waste products from the body.


Your liver can become overloaded by having an unbalanced diet. A diet high in fat and sugar, low in protein, high in carbohydrates, low in fiber, low in fresh fruits and vegetables, excessive alcohol consumption and eating processed foods and fast food can overwhelm your liver.

Sunday, December 7, 2008

Why NOT Let Your Child Have Sweets?

Health Tip of the Day
"Getting Fit. . . One Step at a Time"

Eating sweets or drinking sweet liquids will keep the pH in your mouth high. This high acid level will attack your teeth enamel and lead to tooth decay.

Boost Your Brain Power?

An interesting article about brains and computers. Here's a snippet and the URL:

The You Docs: Can your computer boost your brain?

What you don't know might make you smarter.

New research suggests that searching for information on the Internet may stimulate your mind and cause new spouts on your neurons (brain cells) -- even more than plain old reading does.

In fact, the brains of older people who were familiar with the Internet were twice as active during online searches as they were when reading from a book, according to a study to be published in the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry.


http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/health/390351_stayyou04.html