Back Clinic Nutrition Team. Food provides people with the necessary energy and nutrients to be healthy. By eating various foods, including good quality vegetables, fruits, whole-grain products, and lean meats, the body can replenish itself with the essential proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, and minerals to function effectively. Nutrients include proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, minerals, and water. Healthy eating does not have to be hard.
The key is to eat various foods, including vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. In addition, eat lean meats, poultry, fish, beans, and low-fat dairy products and drink lots of water. Limit salt, sugar, alcohol, saturated fat, and trans fat. Saturated fats usually come from animals. Look for trans fat on the labels of processed foods, margarine, and shortenings.
Dr. Alex Jimenez offers nutritional examples and describes the importance of balanced nutrition, emphasizing how a proper diet combined with physical activity can help individuals reach and maintain a healthy weight, reduce their risk of developing chronic diseases, and promote overall health and wellness.
Dozens of studies have found that exercising can lift your spirits by boosting levels of serotonin — the “feel good” hormone — but a study from the University of Connecticut shows the exercise doesn’t have to leave you sweating and panting for breath. If you spend hours at your desk at work or sit at home watching television, just getting up and moving around can reduce depression and make you feel better about yourself.
“We hope this research helps people realize the important public health message that simply going from doing no physical activity to performing some physical activity can improve their subjective well-being,” says study lead author Gregory Panza.
“What is even more promising for the physically inactive person is that they do not need to exercise vigorously to see these improvements,” Panza continues. “Instead, our results indicate you will get the best ‘bang for your buck’ with light or moderate-intensity physical activity.”
Light physical activity is the equivalent of taking a leisurely walk around the mall with no noticeable increase in breathing, heart rate, or sweating, said Linda Pescatello, senior author of the study that was published in the Journal of Health Psychology.
Moderate intensity activity is equivalent to walking a 15-20-minute mile with an increase in breathing, heart rate, and sweating, yet still being able to carry on a conversation. Vigorous activity is equivalent to a very brisk walk or jogging a 13-minute mile with a very noticeable increase in breathing, heart rate, and sweating to the point of being unable to maintain a conversation.
The study tracked the movements of 419 middle-aged adults for four days and then asked them to fill out questionnaires including exercise habits, depression, pain levels, and feelings of well-being.
Researchers found that those who were most sedentary were the least happy. Overall, physical activity improved their sense of well-being. But different levels of physical activity helped some people more than others.
People who were sedentary and engaged in light or moderate physical exercise showed the greatest improvement in their sense of well-being.
“The ‘more is better’ mindset may not be true when it comes to physical activity intensity and subjective well-being,” says Panza. “In fact, an ‘anything is better’ attitude may be more appropriate if your goal is a higher level of subjective well-being.”
Most previous studies found that although exercise increased serotonin levels, the most effective exercises were aerobic, like running, swimming and biking.
There are other simple ways that are clinically proven to increase serotonin levels including massage and getting enough sunlight.
Warding off the joint pain of gout may be as easy as eating right, a new study suggests.
Gout, a joint disease that causes extreme pain and swelling, is caused by excess uric acid in the blood. It’s the most common form of inflammatory arthritis, and its incidence has risen among Americans over recent decades, Harvard researchers noted.
But the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet — which is high in fruits and vegetables, and low in salt, sugar and red meat — can lower levels of uric acid in the blood.
The American Heart Association has long supported the DASH regimen as a way to help avoid heart disease.
“Conversely, the [unhealthy] Western diet is associated with a higher risk of gout,” said Dr. Hyon Choi, of Harvard Medical School in Boston, and colleagues. The “Western” diet describes the fatty, salty, sugar-laden fare of many Americans.
One nutritionist wasn’t surprised by the new findings, pointing out that the DASH diet is low in compounds called purines, which break down to form uric acid.
“I can see how the DASH diet may benefit someone with gout,” said Jen Brennan, clinical nutrition manager at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City. “The DASH diet avoids excessive consumption of red and organ meats known to have high purine levels.”
Brennan added that the DASH diet “also encourages high intake of fruits and vegetables. We want to encourage fluids and vitamin C for these patients to help rid the body of uric acid, and fruits/vegetables can support this.”
In their study, the Harvard researchers analyzed data from more than 44,000 men, aged 40 to 75, who had no prior history of gout. The men provided information about their eating habits every four years between 1986 and 2012.
Over the study period, more than 1,700 of the men developed gout.
During 26 years of follow-up, those who followed the DASH diet — high in fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, low-fat dairy products and whole grains, and low in salt, sugary drinks and red and processed meats — were less likely to develop gout than those who ate a typical Western diet, the findings showed.
The Western diet is high in items such as red and processed meats, French fries, refined grains, sweets and desserts.
The study wasn’t designed to prove a cause-and-effect relationship. However, the findings suggest that the DASH diet may provide “an attractive preventive dietary approach for the risk of gout,” the researchers concluded.
Choi’s team noted that many people who have high uric acid levels also have elevated blood pressure, or “hypertension” — another reason to switch to the healthier DASH diet.
According to the study’s lead author, Sharan Rai, of Massachusetts General Hospital, “The diet may also be a good option for patients with gout who have not reached a stage requiring [uric acid]-lowering drugs, or those who prefer to avoid taking drugs.” Rai is with Mass General’s division of rheumatology, allergy and immunology.
“And since the vast majority of patients with gout also have hypertension, following the DASH diet has the potential of ‘killing two birds with one stone,’ addressing both conditions together,” Rai said in a hospital news release.
However, more studies are needed to track the diet’s effectiveness in curbing gout flare-ups, the researchers said.
Dana Angelo White is a registered dietitian at Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Conn. She called the new study “another win for the DASH diet, a sensible plan that emphasizes whole foods and a healthy balance of all major food groups. I’m pleased to see a study that highlights the benefits beyond cardiovascular health. If more people ate this way, we would continue to see decreases in all kinds of chronic illness.”
Here’s a reason to really enjoy your morning cup of joe: it practically qualifies as a health food these days. Coffee can improve your mood, jumpstart your metabolism, boost your workout, and help you focus, among other amazing benefits suggested by recent research.
Yet you won’t score these health rewards unless you steer clear of certain bad habits when it comes to preparing and sipping your favorite brew. Some coffee-prep practices strip the beans of their high levels of micronutrients like polyphenols, a type of antioxidant thought to help prevent heart disease and other conditions. And ordering beverages loaded with dairy and sugar can turn this naturally low-calorie beverage into a delivery system for fat and calories.
To get the most from your coffee, make sure you’re not committing any of the mistakes called out by Bob Arnot, MD in his new book, The Coffee Lover�s Diet: Change Your Coffee�Change Your Life. With Arnot’s advice in mind, here’s the right way to prepare and savor your brew.
Cut Back on Sugar
Coffee and sugar have always been a popular pairing. Sprinkling in the sweet stuff won�t take away from coffee’s polyphenol level, but it can detract from the healthfulness of the drink thanks to the extra calories (16 per sugar packet) and the way refined sugar messes with your blood-sugar levels. If you need sugar because your coffee tastes too bitter, try a brew made from naturally sweeter beans.
Go Easy on the Cream
Coffee with cream is another delicious duo. Two tablespoons of heavy cream packs about 100 calories; the same amount of half-and-half has 38. These numbers may not seem like much, but if you drink a few cups or more a day, it adds up. Many people mask the bitterness of their coffee with cream, so save yourself the calories and pick a lighter roast, or stick to low-fat milk only. Speaking of milk and cream, try to make smoothie-like blended coffee drinks, which can have hundreds of calories each, an occasional splurge.
Drink Lighter-Roast Brews
�Superdark roasts, swirled with cream and sugar to cover their burnt-wood taste, are the coffee equivalent of soggy green beans that have been cooked all-day with a fatty ham hock or a slice of bacon,� writes Arnot. Lighter roasts may take some getting used to, but they can be just as flavorful and are much higher in polyphenols. If you can’t give up the dark stuff, roast the beans yourself at a temperature no higher than 430 degrees This creates that bold, dark flavor yet retains a decent level of polyphenols.
Buy Higher-Quality Beans
One way to know if your coffee is healthy is to evaluate the taste: healthier coffee tastes better. To get the good-for-you kind, Arnot suggests buying premium coffees grown on farms with excellent cultivation practices. Stick to farms located at high altitudes close to the equator in countries such as Ethiopia, Kenya, Columbia and Brazil. African coffees tend to be lighter, whereas South American coffees are generally fuller-bodied.
Wash the Coffee Maker
You wash your pans after cooking with them, right? If you didn’t, the next dish you prepared in them wouldn’t taste right. The same principle goes for your coffee equipment. Rinsing coffee machines and makers with vinegar and hot water, suggests Arnot, will make your next brew more robust and flavorful.
Make Coffee with Fresh, Ripe Beans
Coffee is at its best between two days and two weeks after the beans are roasted. Arnot recommends buying small bags from local roasters and using them within three to four days�storing them not in your fridge but in an opaque, airtight container kept away from sunlight to preserve freshness. Ask for coffee packed in nitrogen-flushed bags; this prevents oxidation and help preserve the taste of the beans for a few months before you’re ready to roast.
Grind the Beans
If the beans are ground too small, you’ll get bitter-tasting coffee. Grind them too coarsely, however, and the coffee will taste weak�not to mention be depleted ofpolyphenols. Arnot recommends a medium-level coarseness, whether you’re grinding it yourself or having someone behind a counter do it for you.
The scope of our information is limited to chiropractic and spinal injuries and conditions. To discuss options on the subject matter, please feel free to ask Dr. Jimenez or contact us at 915-850-0900 .
Additional Topics: What is Chiropractic?
Chiropractic care is an well-known, alternative treatment option utilized to prevent, diagnose and treat a variety of injuries and conditions associated with the spine, primarily subluxations or spinal misalignments. Chiropractic focuses on restoring and maintaining the overall health and wellness of the musculoskeletal and nervous systems. Through the use of spinal adjustments and manual manipulations, a chiropractor, or doctor of chiropractic, can carefully re-align the spine, improving a patient�s strength, mobility and flexibility.
Healthy foodies may agree on many nutrition topics, but here’s one that’s still up for debate: What’s better, smoothies or juices? In my opinion there are pros and cons to each drink, so it really comes down to your personal needs and goals. To figure out which one is right for you (regardless of what your friends, coworkers, or favorite celebs are sipping), here�s the lowdown on each beverage.
Smoothie Pros
Smoothies are generally a blend of whole foods, which means you�re keeping all the nutrients from your fruits and veggies intact. Another big benefit to smoothies is the ability to add in extra-nutritious ingredients. For example, you can pump up the protein by adding Greek yogurt, a pulse, or a powder. You can also toss in a healthy fat, in the form of avocado, chia seeds, or almond butter. And you can blend in plenty of other superfood ingredients for an even broader spectrum of nutrients, like fresh grated ginger, matcha or cacao powder, fresh mint, and cinnamon (for more ideas check out my story on nutrition boosters). The nutritional balance of a smoothie is what can make it a legit meal replacement or post-workout recovery drink.
Smoothie Cons
If you make a smoothie with only produce, or a lot of it, you�ll likely wind up consuming far more servings of fruits and veggies than you would normally eat in one sitting. While this might seem like a good thing, it can actually mean gulping down more calories than you can burn, which might prevent weight loss or even lead to weight gain. I�ve also seen this happen to clients who drink a smoothie with a meal, rather than as a meal. Unknowingly, they’re consuming two meals at once; one is just disguised as a beverage. Case in point: I recently had a client who wasn�t seeing weight loss results despite eating healthfully and working out. One of the culprits I discovered was the 400-calorie smoothie he whipped up every morning, along with a bowl of oatmeal or veggie omelet.
Juice Pros
Many of my clients love veggies, and have no problem fitting plenty of them in their diets. But I also work with people who can go days without eating anything green, or who take very little time to stop and eat meals. For them, juicing is a great way to fill a serious nutrition gap. For example, one of my clients strongly dislikes veggies, but he will drink a daily green juice, mixed with apple and ginger to make the taste more appealing. And for many of my professional athlete clients with hectic schedules, consuming their produce in liquid form allows them to get the amount they need per day. Finally, because juices are so concentrated, a small portion can provide the nutrient equivalent of several serving of fruits and veggies, which can make it much easier to take in all the key vitamins and minerals your body needs.
Juice Cons
Proper juicing generally extracts nutrients, but leaves the fiber behind. This makes juices less filling than smoothies or whole fruit. By nixing fiber, you also miss out on some important nutrients and gut health benefits. What’s more, when juices are made with fruit or high sugar veggies (like beets and carrots), you may experience a blood sugar spike, particularly if you don’t consume any food at the same time. And when juices contain more fruits than veggies, they can pack far more carbs than you might expect�up to 40 grams in a 16-ounce serving. Bottom line: If you�re drinking juice to fit in servings of produce you might otherwise skip, that�s great�just be mindful of exactly what’s in your juice and how much you’re drinking. But if your meals and snacks are already filled with veggies and fruits, you’re probably eating enough produce to get your fill.
The scope of our information is limited to chiropractic and spinal injuries and conditions. To discuss options on the subject matter, please feel free to ask Dr. Jimenez or contact us at 915-850-0900 .
Additional Topics: Weight Loss Eases Back Pain
Back pain and symptoms of sciatica can affect a majority of the population throughout their lifetime. Research studies have demonstrated that people who are overweight or obese experience more back complications than people with a healthy weight. A proper nutrition along with regular physical fitness can help with weight loss as well as help maintain a healthy weight to eliminate symptoms of back pain and sciatica. Chiropractic care is also another natural form of treatment which treats back pain and sciatica utilizing manual spinal adjustments and manipulations.
Ask kids what their favorite part of the school day is and most will say lunch and recess. But the timing of these events matters when it comes to what children eat and how much physical activity they get, researchers report.
The new findings could help schools develop policies to promote healthy eating and exercise habits for kids, the study authors said.
“Overall, our findings suggest that recess and lunch behaviors are interrelated. However, the specific food choices and activity levels children engage in may be subject to the timing and duration of lunch and recess,” researcher Gabriella McLoughlin said in an American Society for Nutrition news release.
Nutritional Intake and Physical Activity for Kids
McLoughlin, a doctoral student at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, is scheduled to present the research Sunday at the society’s annual meeting in Chicago.
For the study, researchers analyzed what 151 fourth- and fifth-graders at two schools ate for lunch and their physical activity. All ate lunch right before or right after recess. Most research has focused on nutritional intake or physical activity during recess. Study leader Naiman Khan called this the first “to objectively measure food intake at lunch in conjunction with physical activity, and consider the influence of duration and timing.”
Khan is an assistant professor of kinesiology and community health at the university. The researchers discovered that students who had recess before eating lunch wasted less food. But kids who had lunch before recess ate more vegetables.
While the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends recess before lunch to help curb food waste, researchers say this schedule and how much time kids have to eat and play could have unwanted effects on what they eat and how much exercise they get. The study found that kids who had more time for lunch and recess and who ate before they played were more active. The opposite was true for boys and girls who had less time for lunch and recess. These students were more active if they had recess before they ate.
“We plan to communicate our findings to school teachers, administrators and policymakers to facilitate the implementation of evidence-based policies that support children’s ability to meet their daily physical activity and nutritional recommendations,” Khan said.
The scope of our information is limited to chiropractic and spinal injuries and conditions. To discuss options on the subject matter, please feel free to ask Dr. Jimenez or contact us at 915-850-0900 .
Additional Topics: Whole Body Wellness
Maintaining overall health and wellness through a balanced nutrition, regular physical activity and proper sleep is essential for your whole body�s well-being. While these are some of the most important contributing factors for staying healthy, seeking care and preventing injuries or the development of conditions through natural alternatives can also guarantee overall health and wellness. Chiropractic care is a safe and effective treatment option utilized by many individuals to ensure whole body wellness.
Tossing out the salt shaker may not be enough for your heart health. Most of the salt that Americans consume comes from processed foods and restaurant meals, a new study finds.
In a sampling of 450 U.S. adults, only 10 percent of salt, or sodium, in their diet came from food prepared at home. About half of that was added at the table.
Instead, restaurant meals and store-bought foods — including crackers, breads and soups — accounted for 71 percent of salt intake, the study found.
“Care must be taken when food shopping and eating out to steer clear of higher-sodium foods,” said lead researcher Lisa Harnack.
For prevent harmful high blood pressure, Americans are advised to limit salt intake to 2,300 milligrams (mg) daily, said Harnack, a professor at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health. That’s the equivalent of one teaspoon.
But, more than eight out of 10 Americans exceed this limit “by a mile,” she said.
Food diaries from study participants showed that about 3,500 mg of sodium was consumed a day on average.
The report was published online May 8 in the journal Circulation.
Kathryn Foti, an epidemiologist who wasn’t involved in the study, pointed out that high blood pressure is a leading cause of heart disease and stroke in the United States.
“Reducing salt reduces blood pressure and can help prevent cardiovascular disease,” said Foti, of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore.
“The most effective way to reduce salt is to reduce the content in commercially processed and prepared foods,” added Foti, co-author of an accompanying journal editorial.
She said gradual, voluntary reductions across the food supply could have a large public health benefit.
“Reducing average sodium intake by as little as 400 mg per day could prevent up to 32,000 heart attacks and 20,000 strokes annually,” she said.
The American Heart Association has launched a sodium-reduction campaign to encourage food companies and restaurants to reduce the salt in their products.
Harnack said food companies and restaurants that have pledged to comply “should be commended.”
But, Foti added, doctors should step up their efforts by educating patients about where their salt actually comes from.
“While it’s OK to encourage patients to go easy on the salt shaker, more importantly, physicians should emphasize product selection,” Foti suggested.
She and Harnack recommended reading the Nutrition Facts panel on packaged foods.
Swap out the high-sodium items with lower-salt options, Foti advised. Salt content in many foods varies widely across brands, she noted.
In restaurants where nutrition information isn’t posted, “consumers can request information about the salt content of menu items or ask how foods are prepared,” Foti added.
“And of course, choosing more fresh foods, such as fruits and vegetables, can help you reduce the salt in your diet,” she said.
The study involved 450 racially diverse adults, aged 18 to 74, living in Birmingham, Ala.; Minneapolis-St. Paul; or Palo Alto, Calif.
Between December 2013 and December 2014, the participants were asked to record their daily diet for four 24-hour periods. In addition, the study participants provided samples of salt equivalent to the amount they added at home.
Average salt consumption was over 50 percent more than the recommended 2,300 milligrams, the researchers found.
Salt added while cooking comprised only about 6 percent of sodium consumption, and salt added at the table from the salt shaker accounted for just 5 percent, according to the study.
Salt naturally found in foods made up about 14 percent of dietary sodium, while salt in tap water, dietary supplements and antacids made up less than 1 percent, according to the report.
If you’re doing your best to eat lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, the convenience of pre-washed bagged salads may be too hard to resist. The problem is such products can contain contaminants and foreign substances that can make you sick.
That reality was dramatically spotlighted last month when two people ate fresh salad from a bagged lettuce product before discovering the remains of a bat in it. Further complicating things, the unfortunate were treated for rabies as a precaution (although lab tests later showed the bat was not rabid).
Peter Cassell, spokesperson for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), noted the case was extremely rare and not a reason for a larger public health concern.
“Packaged salads are generally safe to eat right out of the package,” he said. “Most salads are double-washed or triple-washed and dried under managed conditions. Packaged salads are widely sold for consumer’s convenience.”
But he acknowledged such products can contain contaminants, so consumers need to take precautions to be sure they are not consuming anything dangerous or, at least, unappetizing.
“The most common extraneous materials that can be found in produce grown close to the ground include stones, rocks and dirt,” he noted. “One way consumers can identify and remove these materials is to pour the salad out into a bowl and lightly sift it with clean hands or utensils. There is no need to rewash salads that have already been washed before packaging.”
It’s not the first time that consumers have encountered problems with pre-washed salads, veggies, and fruit. Last year, four people died and 33 became ill from listeria in packaged salads.
Listeria found in food processing plants is not uncommon, but it isn’t always toxic. Dole salads, the problem in the case of listeria, closed the offending plant, issued a recall, and followed FDA requirements to sanitize its processing systems.
The salad with the dead bat was in Organic Marketside Spring Mix, produced by Fresh Express. It was only distributed at Walmart stores in the Southeastern United States.
The odds of finding a bat or dangerous pathogen in your salad are quite rare, experts say. According to Cassell, people can generally trust that pre-washed salads are handled correctly and present little to no risk to the consumer.
But health specialists say a handful of safe food-handling practices, especially for produce, are a good idea for consumers to follow. Among them:
Wash your hands thoroughly before starting to prepare food.
Sort through bagged or boxed greens and/or vegetables carefully.
Rinse thoroughly and inspect the contents of bagged greens, even if they are already pre-washed.
Do not use special “veggie soaps.” They don’t do much and remain on the food that you eat.
Look for “best used by” dates and buy foods accordingly. If food is really fresh it will be better for you.
Cut away damaged or bruised areas on fruits and vegetables. Throw it away if it looks rotten.
Even if you plan to peel the produce, it is a good idea to wash it.
Scrub things like melons or cucumbers with a clean produce brush.
Use a paper towel to dry produce because it can help to get rid of bacteria.
When you purchase and store your produce, bag it and store it separately from other foods like meat, seafood, and poultry.
Refrigerate any produce that is pre-cut or peeled.
Additional advice from the FDA:
Wash hands and surfaces often when preparing food.
Wash your cutting boards, dishes, counters frequently to avoid cross contamination with bacteria and other microbes.
If you use cloth dishtowels to wipe counters clean, make sure you wash them in hot water. Consider using paper towels instead of cloth towels.
Most of us face some risk from foods — even fresh foods — that aren’t properly washed or cleaned, or that may have been contaminated by other foods like fresh meat.
About 48 million cases of foodborne illness occur each year, with one in six Americans becoming ill from some sort of food contamination. Illness usually starts within days after eating contaminated food, and can include vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, fever, and headache.
Most people recover from food poisoning, according to the FDA. But pregnant women, young children, the elderly, and those with weakened immune systems face a greater risk of complications.
The bottom line: Take a look at that pre-washed salad, toss it with some utensils, and be wary, but be aware that it is probably safe, according to Cassell.
For more information about recalls, or to file a complaint about purchased food, visit the FDA Website.
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