Knowledge is power and health

I m passionate about improving people's lives through knowledge and skills that empower everyone.

Where do you get updated information on health, diet, and lifestyle?
Apart of googling my topics of interest, I am also subscribed to Michael Greger’s NutritionFacts daily updates in the form of videos or blog posts. 

I also have an alert set up with Google for topics dedicated to obesity, cancer, etc.
There are a few websites and YouTube channels that I frequent and would like to recommend.

I have previously written about the YouTube channel What I’ve learned. This is the channel that introduces current information of wellbeing in the most entertaining amd engaging way. The anonymous author continues to churn out great videos on a regular basis.

Another great resource of knowledge that could impact and improve your health is the YouTube channel of Dr. Rhonda Patrick, FoundMyFitness.  You can find who Dr. Patrick is here. One notable fact in her scientific career is that Dr. Patrick trained as a postdoctoral fellow at Children’s Hospital Oakland Research Institute with Dr. Bruce Ames. Ames is a legendary scientist who invented the test for chemical carcinogens. To this day, the test is still used to identify compounds that mutate DNA.
 
A great series of podcasts related to health and longevity are offered by Dr. Peter Attia. I was introduced to Dr. Peter Attia, MD, via a podcast with Jocko Willink, a former Navy SEAL.
 
If you are interested in modifying your diet, the YouTube channel Pick Up Limes is a great source of inspiration.
 
I am sure that there are many other valuable resources of information that can improve your quality of life. Please, share your own favorites!

Baths Vs. Showers

In Japan, people tend to take warm baths rather than showers, and now some Japanese researchers have conducted a study in which they claim baths are better for mental and physical well-being than showers  Take that for what it is worth; I am not going to change my habits based on this one way or the other.  Abstract:

Showering is the most common form of bathing worldwide. Whole-body immersion bathing in warm water (~40°C) is common in Japan and exerts sufficient hyperthermic action to induce vasodilatation and increase blood flow, supplying more oxygen and nutrients to the periphery. Cross-sectional studies report better subjective health status with an immersion bathing habit. This randomized controlled trial compared the effects on health of immersion bathing and shower bathing in 38 participants who received 2-week intervention of immersion bathing in warm water (40°C) for 10 min (bathing intervention) followed by 2-week shower bathing without immersion (showering intervention) or vice versa (n = 19 each group). Visual analog scale scores were significantly better for fatigue, stress, pain, and smile and tended to be better for self-reported heath and skin condition after bathing intervention than after showering intervention. The SF-8 Health Survey showed significantly better general health, mental health, role emotional, and social functioning scores. Profile of Mood State scores were lower for stress, tension-anxiety, anger-hostility, and depression-dejection. Immersion bathing, but not shower bathing, exerts hyperthermic action that induces increased blood flow and metabolic waste elimination, which may afford physical refreshment. Immersion bathing should improve both physical and emotional aspects of quality of life.

Have fun in the kitchen!

No, happiness is not in the freezer and the next ice cream container. It is in your health - if you are healthy, there is a good chance that you would be happy. 

Healthy eating can get you out of the doctor's office and off most medications. Start your transformation by committing to several decisions:

I will do healthy food swaps
Take a favorite recipe and transform it into a healthy recipe. When you cook, make your traditional/family recipes “healthy” by substituting ingredients. Or sign up for Pinterest and collect great recipes to experiment with.

I will grill the healthy way
If you do not want to give up red meat, you do not have to. However, the maximum recommended amount of meat a week is 18 ounces. A portion of red meat the size of a deck of cards can be served up to six times a week. Find some great grilling advice here.

I will not eat added sugar 
Be able to recognize the 50 names of sugar: avoid any added sugar; read the nutrition labels and know what NOT to buy.

B: Barley malt, Beet sugar, Brown sugar, Buttered syrup
C: Cane juice crystals, Cane sugar, Caramel, Corn syrup, Corn syrup solids, Confectioner’s sugar, Carob syrup, Castor sugar
D: Date sugar, Demerara sugar, Dextran, Dextrose, Diastatic malt, Diatase
E: Ethyl maltol
F: Fructose, Fruit juice, Fruit juice concentrate
G: Galactose, Glucose, Glucose solids, Golden sugar, Golden syrup, Grape sugar
H: High-fructose corn syrup, Honey
I: Icing sugar, Invert sugar
L: Lactose
M: Maltodextrin, Maltose, Malt syrup, Maple syrup, Molasses, Muscovado sugar
P: Panocha
R: Raw sugar, Refiner’s syrup, Rice syrup
S: Sorbitol, Sorghum syrup, Sucrose, Sugar
T: Treacle, Turbinado sugar 
Y: Yellow sugar  
I will make sure that I have complete protein
Different proteins have different combinations of the building blocks (amino acids). You need to consume proteins of different sources to obtain “complete” source of amino acids. Find sample menu on this website.

More on protein
How much protein do you need? Here is a quick estimate of your protein requirement: Take your weight (in pounds) and divide by 2. The number you get is the approximate number of grams of protein you need daily. Example: If you weigh 180 pounds, 180 ÷ 2 = 90 grams of protein daily. If you are receiving cancer treatment, you may need more protein. A dietitian can help you figure out your protein needs during treatment. This advice and more comes from this website.

Fun recipes
Golden Quick Barley with Sweet Peas and Corn: on this website.
Party time, “Create Your Own Beverage Bar”: on this website.

KarlieKloss-obsessed

Hello there!

These days, I have very little time to relax or do any of the four Cs of happiness as described by Dr. Lustig (i.e., connect, contribute, cope, and cook). 

The only niche I have chiseled as "my time" are the morning breakfasts, and this week I have been "KarlieKloss-obsessed". I have watched probably more than 20 of her short videos during my breakfast time. Some of these videos are dedicated to cooking, and I would like to share three of the recipes:

•  vegan ice cream

• pancakes*

• egg sandwich

* About the pancakes: I tried the recipe myself and added a heaping Tbsp of Cream of Wheat per each banana/egg. I am anemic and this addition adds iron to my dietary intake in yet another form. Also, these pancakes do not break into pieces only if one makes them exceedingly small (as shown by Karlie). 

Bon appetit!

Recipes for poor, recipes for rich

I am on the email list of the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR). 

From time to time, AICR sends me healthy recipes. However, I have not been able to cook even a single one of them. 

Why?

Just check out the most recent recipe, Seared Salmon with Blackberry-Date Chutney.  
Really? Fresh berries, Medjool Dates...

It might be healthy, but it is expensive, and some of the ingredients may not be in the supermarket or bodega near you.

I shared the recipe with my husband, and his re-vamp on the recipe was this:

"I would take canned salmon, throw some mustard, lemon juice on top, and stick it in our grill for a few minutes" 

 I think, I may try his salmon recipe first.

Diet Vs. Drugs

In general, I believe that, when and where appropriate, lifestyle changes should be tried first before taking drugs to deal with certain common types of chronic metabolic disorders (but of course always consult with your physician, as "in general" does not apply to every specific case). The experts agree with my opinion:

Many Americans, when faced with a serious health risk like high cholesterol, opt to take a pill rather than adopt healthier living habits.

A middle-aged woman I know is typifies this attitude. Thrilled with how well medication has controlled her rising cholesterol level, she continues to indulge in foods rich in cholesterol-raising saturated fats. She also carries around more body fat, especially risky abdominal fat, than is considered healthful.

I met people like that. For example, some people with Type II Diabetes believe that taking medication gives them green light to load up with cookies, cakes, and doughnuts.

Dr. Philip Greenland, a cardiologist and epidemiologist at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, said, “People should be following a heart-healthy diet, keeping their weight under control and exercising regularly. This would be a highly preferable approach. Unfortunately, it’s not the direction we’re going in.”

Admittedly, swallowing a little pill every day is simpler than changing one’s behaviors — and especially one’s eating habits. Yet experts like Dr. Greenland say that even when taking a statin or some other cholesterol-lowering drug, changes in diet and exercise habits are needed to maximize the drug’s benefits. He and others insist that drugs should be a last resort, after lifestyle changes fail to lower serum cholesterol adequately.

I agree. Unfortunately, Dr. Greenland is correct that this is not the direction we are going on. Everything and everyone needs to be medicated, it seems. I recently read a suggestion stating that drugs for treating the consequences of obesity are needed, since it is unrealistic to think people are going to lose weight. In other words, eat excessively, be obese, and then take a pill to try and evade the consequences. Of course, all of these drugs have side effects.  Wouldn’t it be easier to attack the problem rather than its consequences?  Lifestyle changes involving diet and exercise may help the underlying problem, and do so without expensive medications and their side-effects.

Noting that “every food a person might eat either fights or contributes to disease,” Dr. Kopecky said his clinic “tries to get everyone on a Mediterranean diet,” the traditional eating habits of people living in Greece and southern Italy. In addition to its heart benefits, studies suggest the Mediterranean diet may “reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, Parkinson’s disease, diabetes, arthritis and the metabolic syndrome”… “people in Greece eat an average of nine servings a day of antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables,” and the booklet outlines a long list of potentially healthful foods. Some examples include prunes, blueberries, red grapes, oranges, strawberries, kale, spinach, brussels sprouts, broccoli, beets, red bell peppers, corn and eggplant.

At a minimum, Americans should strive to consume two or more servings of vegetables and two to three or more servings of fresh fruit each day. If “fresh” is not available, “fresh frozen” is the next best option.

Living near the sea, Mediterraneans eat lots of seafood, often daily, and the Mayo diet recommends three or more servings a week of fish or shellfish. One or more servings should be a fatty fish rich in protective fish oils, like salmon, tuna, bluefish, sardines, mackerel and trout.

The white meat of chicken or turkey, eaten without the skin, is the land animal protein of choice, the Mayo Clinic says, with a serving size limited to 3 ounces of cooked meat, about the size of a deck of cards.

Unlike many Americans, people living along the Mediterranean also consume lots of foods with vegetable protein: legumes like split peas, lentils and peanuts, and beans like lima, black, red, kidney and navy…Whole grain breads and cereals are part of the recommended diet, but note that a serving of bread is one slice. Breads should be eaten plain or dipped in olive oil, the Mayo booklet says.

Which brings us back to fats. Olive oil, especially extra-virgin and virgin, the least processed forms, or canola oil should be used in place of butter or margarine…Eggs are back in fashion, consumed in moderation. That means a limit of three to four egg yolks a week, though no limit on egg whites. A good trick when preparing an omelet or scrambled eggs is to use two egg whites for every one yolk…However, red and processed meats should be limited to one three-ounce serving a week. And those cherished treats and desserts — pastries, cakes, doughnuts, cookies, pudding, French fries, potato chips and all sweetened and diet carbonated soft drinks — are best avoided altogether…Likewise, avoid high-fat dairy products…

Of course, what you eat is only half of the health-saving story. Regular physical exercise is a critical ingredient, even if it doesn’t result in weight loss. “Fitness trumps fatness,” Dr. Kopecky said, adding that being fit even while remaining fat markedly reduces cardiovascular risk. He urges parents to establish heart-healthy habits early in their children’s lives. “Patterns for physical activity are set by ages 6 to 9, and healthy eating habits by ages 9 to 12; together, they can result in a much lower risk for developing heart disease as adults,” he said.

This is all sound advice. If radical changes are considered too difficult at first, then go slowly. Reduce rather than eliminate the more unhealthy foods and continue to reduce their intake over time, until they are eliminated or are taken at a reasonable and acceptable frequency. Gradually increase your intake of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Increasingly incorporate physical activity into your daily regimen. Over time, you will have reached the required goals and objectives.