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.
Wearable fitness monitors (think Fitbit) provide a “motivation alert” as you approach the magic number of 10,000 steps per day, with a “celebration” of lights on their displays when that goal is reached. But a new study shows that objective may not be anything to celebrate — and focuses on a new threshold for maximum health benefits.
The study, published in the March International Journal of Obesity, and reported in The New York Times, is based on mail carriers in Scotland, and researchers at the University of Warwick in England found that the 10,000-step regimen is too conservative. For optimum heart-health benefits, it’s best to go the extra mile — to 15,000 steps.
Mail carriers in Glasgow mostly cover their routes on foot, so researchers knew they would perfect test subjects for the study. They also knew office workers there were seated for most of the day, providing contrast participants. For their study, they followed 111 postal workers of both categories (56 mail carriers, and 55 office workers) and included both sexes between the ages of 40 and 60. Researchers compiled data on blood sugar levels, body-mass index (BMI — a measure of body fat based on height-to-weight ratio), waist sizes, and cholesterol levels. Participants each wore a fitness monitor throughout the day for a week, including time at work, at home and on the weekends.
Researchers compiled data based on activity during waking hours. This included time spent seated and on foot. What they found was enlightening. Between work and home, some of the office workers sat for more than 15 hours in total each day. The office workers who sat for most of the day tended to have larger waistlines, higher BMI numbers, and unfavorable cholesterol profiles. The researchers also figured in late-night shift work (which has been proven affect heart health), family history, and age.
The study also showed that for every hour spent sitting beyond five hours, office workers added about two-tenths of a percent to the likelihood of developing heart disease.
In contrast, any amount of walking or standing reduced the chances of having a large waistline and other risk factors associated with a healthy heart.
But the benefits of the postal carriers who walked the equivalent of at least three hours per day (the magic 15,000) were a step up: They had normal BMIs and waistlines and metabolic profiles — in other words, lessened risk of heart disease.
The study seems to confirm that the 10,000-step goal has not kept pace with modern waistlines and eating habits. Quite a few sources, including RunnersWorld.com, say the 10,000 steps-per-day goal gets its origins from Japan in the 1960s. Dr. Yoshiro Yatano, then a professor at Kyushu University of Health and Welfare, pegged the goal at 10,000 after concern over growing obesity rates. That’s roughly the amount of steps that would burn about 20 percent of a person’s daily calories at the time. He coupled his concerns with a pedometer that was developed in 1965 and the campaign took off.
But it’s a moving target in terms of optimum health benefits. Diets change. Even before the Glascow study, not all health experts agreed to the amount of steps necessary, and some argue the type of exercise makes a difference as well. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offers no step guides at all, preferring instead to focus on 150 minutes of moderate activity per week (which, in steps-per-day language, translates to about 8,000).
Of course, any amount of exercise is better than none at all, and it’s important to remember not to be discouraged if you can’t reach 15,000 steps per day or even 10,000 steps per day. But if you’re among those who set out to get the most heart-health protection possible, and you’ve relied on that magic 10,000, you might want to consider the results of the Glasgow postal workers. Better get moving.
Food labels that say ‘low salt’ or ‘no fat’ may be misleading, suggests a new study.
These ‘low-content’ claims are based on comparisons with other foods and are not standard definitions. Making such a claim doesn’t necessarily mean the food is more nutritious than other brands, the authors say.
Consumers should “turn the package around and look at the entire nutritional profile as well as the ingredients list in order to get a better sense of whether the product overall is healthier or less healthy,” Lindsey Smith Taillie of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill told Reuters Health in a phone call.
Smith Taillie and colleagues analyzed data on more than 80 million food and beverage purchases made in the United States by 40,000 families from 2008 to 2012.
“We found that higher-income households tended to be more likely to buy products with these types of claims, which is consistent with previous research that suggests that claims tend to be more utilized by people with higher levels of education,” Smith Taillie said.
As reported in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 13 percent of food and 35 percent of beverage purchases included products with some type of low-content claim. Low-fat purchases were the most common, followed by low-calorie, low-sugar, and low-sodium claims.
On average, packaged foods with low-nutrient claims had 32 percent fewer calories, 11 percent less sugar, and about half the fat and sodium compared to foods that didn’t carry any claims on the packaging.
However, some products with low-nutrient claims actually had more of that substance than foods without those claims.
Also, Smith Taillie said, when a product has a low-sugar claim, for example, it might have less sugar than a reference product or a similar product, “but it doesn’t mean that it has an overall better nutritional quality.”
Or, “it could be a high-sugar food but be low in fat, so it’s going to say low fat on the label. That doesn’t mean that it’s healthy,” she said.
“Essentially, it can be kind of misleading to make a decision about a product based on a front-of-package claim,” she added.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration regulates what products can claim, Smith Taillie said.
“It’s not that the products are technically wrong in making a low-content claim, it’s just that the rules that allow them to make this kind of claim vary by the claim and by food category,” she said.
Food labels can be confusing, agreed Melissa Rifkin, a dietitian with Montefiore Medical Center in New York City who was not involved in the study.
Understanding what a nutrition fact label means is more important than focusing on marketing claims,” Rifkin told Reuters Health by email.
Key items to focus on are serving size, quantity per container, calories, fat, sodium and sugar, she said.
A new and revamped nutrition fact label is under development, Rifkin said.
“Slowly we will begin to see all labeling take on the new information,” she said.
Creating an all-encompassing workout � one that gets your�heart rate up�while strengthening every major muscle group � takes some fancy fit work. But it�s something Steve Uria, founder of�Switch Playground�in New York City (original location: South Africa), does with gusto. If you�ve never been to the playground, imagine recess for adults but with more structure and sculpting�goals.
Each class at Switch includes 20 stations, with two exercises per station. You�ll work every body part � big and small � and because you only do each exercise for 30 seconds (two minutes total per station), you�ll break a serious sweat to boot. (The party vibe with a live DJ and neon lights will help you turn up the intensity, too.)
�Circuit workouts promote a functional training environment to condition the whole body,� Uria explains. �You�re maximizing benefit in minimal time, and creating a cardiovascular experience within a strength training arena.� In other words, you simultaneously pump�up the volume on�fat burning�and muscle building.
Of course, we couldn�t leave Uria�s fun and games at the playground, so we had him design a sequence you could do right at home. All you need is a set of dumbbells, a�kettlebell�and med ball, and a killer workout playlist (like�this one). Crank the volume, and you�re ready to blast through these circuits.
4 Mini Circuit Workouts, 1 Killer Total-Body Routine
Get ready for one mini�circuit�for every section of the body, plus a total-body scorcher. Each circuit features just three moves � but packs plenty of targeted�body benefits. Do 12 to 15 reps of each move and two to three rounds of each circuit before moving on to the next. If you still have some drive by that final exercise, push it into high gear and repeat everything from the top, Uria says. Sweaty, sculpted and oh-so-energized� here you come!
Fire up some of the biggest muscles in the body: your quads, hamstrings, and even more so, your�glutes. Hello, booty burn.
1. Side Step Squat How to:�With a dumbbell in each hand and your arms down by your sides, stand with feet hip-width apart�(a). Step out to the left side, push your hips back and drop your butt down to sit into a�squat�(b). Stand up straight, then step your feet back to the starting position�(c). Next, step out to the right side and sit into a squat�(d). Stand up, return to the starting position, and continue alternating.
2. Back Lunge with Knee Raise How to:�Start standing with feet hip-width apart�(a). Step your left foot back into a low lunge, both knees bent at 90 degrees and your left knee hovering just off the floor. At the same time, bring your arms straight up at a 45-degree angle�(b). Step forward, bringing your left knee up toward your chest, as you bring your arms back down to your sides�(c). Repeat, then switch sides.
3. Glute Cross Overs How to:�Start on all fours with your shoulders over wrists and your knees in line with hips�(a). Bring your right knee in toward your chest, then shoot it straight out behind you, raising it straight up toward the ceiling�(b). Then move your right leg over your left leg, and tap the floor lightly with your right foot, just outside of your left foot�(c). Shoot it back up to the ceiling and repeat, then switch sides.
You�ll work your entire upper body � shoulders, chest, back, triceps and biceps � with this muscle-burning trifecta. Remember to keep your�shoulders�rolled down and away from your ears for each exercise.
1. Lateral Dumbbell Raise into Curl Press How to:�Holding a dumbbell in each hand, stand with your feet hip-width apart and arms down in front of you�(a). Raise your arms straight out to the sides to shoulder height, palms facing down�(b). Bring your arms back down to your sides and then, circle your hands inward and upward for a bicep curl�(c). When the dumbbells reach shoulder height, swiftly switch your palms to face front. Then push your hands straight up for an overhead press�(d). Bring your arms back down, flipping your palms to face you at chest height and return to the starting position�(e). Repeat.
2. Push-Up Rotation How to:�Start in a high�plank position�with your hands holding dumbbells, shoulders over wrists and your body in a straight line from shoulders to ankles�(a). Perform a�push-up�(b). Then, pull the weight in your left hand straight up to your chest, as you pivot on your feet. Straighten your arm to a T as you hit your side plank�(c). Return back to the high plank and repeat on the other side�(d). Continue alternating, with a push-up between each rotation.
3. Bent Over Fly to Row to Tricep Kickback How to:�Start with your feet hip-width apart with a slight bend in the knees. Hinge forward at the hips about 45 degrees. Maintain a flat back�(a). Holding two dumbbells down by your sides, palms facing each other, lift your arms out to the sides (slight bend in the elbows) and squeeze your shoulder blades together to complete a fly�(b). Bring your arms back down to your sides, then pull the weight toward your chest and bend your elbows.�Keeping your elbows elevated, straighten your arms behind you to complete the tricep kickback. You should raise the weights above your hips�(c). Return to the start and repeat.
For more information, please feel free to ask Dr. Jimenez or contact us at 915-850-0900 .
Chiropractic and Athletic Performance
Many athletes who are injured performing their specific sport or physical activity, frequently seek treatment from chiropractors. Chiropractic care focuses on the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of injuries and conditions affecting the musculoskeletal and nervous system. While chiropractic is a safe and effective form of conservative care for a variety of ailments, chiropractic can also be utilized to enhance athletic performance.
Alcohol In Moderation�Has A Reputation For Being Healthy For The Heart
Drinking about a glass of wine for women per day, and two glasses for men, is linked to a lower risk of heart attack, stroke and death from heart disease. (Drinking too much, of course, negates these benefits and increases the risk of heart problems.)
Now, a new study of nearly two million people published in The BMJ adds more evidence that moderate amounts of alcohol appear to be healthy for most heart conditions�but not all of them.
The researchers analyzed the link between alcohol consumption and 12 different heart ailments in a large group of U.K. adults. None of the people in the study had cardiovascular disease when the study started.
People who did not drink had an increased risk for eight of the heart ailments, ranging from 12% to 56%, compared to people who drank in moderation. These eight conditions include the most common heart events, such as heart attack, stroke and sudden heart-related death. Non-drinkers had a 33% higher risk of unstable angina�a condition in which the heart doesn�t get enough blood flow�and a 56% higher risk of dying unexpectedly from heart disease, compared to people who drank a glass or two of alcohol a day.
But alcohol does not seem to provide protection against four less common heart problems: certain types of milder strokes, which result from brief periods when blood flow to parts of the brain are blocked, and cases of bleeding in the brain.
The study�s findings are particularly interesting because the researchers separated drinkers into categories that are typically lumped together in these kinds of studies. �Non-drinkers� often include people who have never drank, as well as those who quit drinking (who may have been heavy drinkers in the past, and so may have a higher risk of heart problems). This may have inflated the risk of non-drinkers; in some cases, grouping people this way might make drinking alcohol look better for the heart than it actually is.
It�s not clear from the current study why alcohol lowers the risk of some heart conditions and not others. But Steven Bell, a genetic epidemiologist at University of Cambridge and the study�s lead author, says that another study designed to answer that question is currently underway. �We are unpacking how different risk factors are associated with each different disease,� he says. Future studies will also tease apart whether different types of alcohol�wine versus beer or spirits, for example�have varying effects on the risk of heart disease.
In the meantime, Bell says that the results should reassure people who drink a few glasses of alcohol each week. But it shouldn�t compel people who don�t currently drink to pick up the habit in order to stave off heart disease. Because alcohol carries a risk of liver disease, there are safer ways to lower risk, he says, such as quitting smoking, exercising regularly and eating a healthy diet.
Every year, certain ingredients and dishes emerge as trendy �must-haves��even if it�s something we�ve been eating for centuries. Just a few years ago, for example, no one had even heard of quinoa (which has been around for at least 5,000 years), and now not a day goes by when we don�t see it on a menu.
These Foods &�Aren�t Just Being Whipped Up By Chefs Or Served In Popular Restaurants
They�ve become mainstream amongst home cooks across America, and thousands of eaters are also ordering them through delivery services. UberEATS has seen a surge in fresh, nutritious delivery orders (so long, pizza and burgers), so they compiled a list of the top 20 healthy food trends for 2017. The data is based on UberEATS order patterns so far this year.
Unsurprisingly, avocado is at the top of the list�it seems this trend is here to stay. According to their data, the fruit is the most popular healthy food in more than 16 cities across the country. Kale has dropped to number 8 on the list, making way for poke (a Hawaiian raw fish salad), edamame, radishes, and pickles. Bulgur and brown rice have replaced quinoa as the resident grains/seeds in the top 20.
The fact that tofu rounds out the top 10 is a nod to people re-thinking the amount of meat they consume�and how it appears on their plates. More and more, in home kitchens, restaurants, and new cookbooks, we�re seeing veggies take center stage with meat as a side, or a garnish. Check out the full list below, and use it as an opportunity to try out some new healthy ingredients this year.
Regular exercise is potent medicine for older adults with heart disease, a new American Heart Association scientific statement says.
Physical activity should be a key part of care for older adults with heart disease who want to reduce their symptoms and build their stamina, said geriatric cardiologist Dr. Daniel Forman. He’s chair of the panel that wrote the new statement.
“Many health-care providers are focused only on the medical management of diseases — such as heart failure, heart attacks, valvular heart disease and strokes — without directly focusing on helping patients maximize their physical function,” Forman said in a heart association news release.
Yet, after a heart attack or other cardiac event, patients need to gain strength. Their independence may require the ability “to lift a grocery bag and to carry it to their car,” said Forman, a professor of medicine at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System.
“Emphasizing physical function as a fundamental part of therapy can improve older patients’ quality of life and their ability to carry out activities of daily living,” he added.
And, no one is too old to get moving. “Patients in their 70s, 80s and older can benefit,” Forman said.
Cardiac rehabilitation is a crucial tool for elderly patients, providing exercise counseling and training to promote heart health, and manage stress and depression. But Forman said it’s not prescribed often enough.
“When treating cardiac patients in their 70s, 80s and 90s, health-care providers often stress medications and procedures without considering the importance of getting patients back on their feet, which is exactly what cardiac rehabilitation programs are designed to do,” he noted.
Daily walking and tackling more chores at home also can be helpful, Forman said. Resistance training and balance training can help prevent falls. Tai chi and yoga employ strength, balance and aerobic features, he explained.
The statement also outlines ways for heart doctors to assess patients’ levels of physical functioning.
The statement was published March 23 in the journal Circulation.
Heart disease in older Americans is a growing concern because the number of people 65 and older in the United States is expected to double between 2010 and 2050.
Pediatricians have long suggested that fruit juice may prompt weight gain in children, but a new review finds it harmless when consumed in moderation.
“Based on the current evidence, we didn’t find that consuming one serving [of 100 percent fruit juice] a day contributes to weight gain in children,” said study author Dr. Brandon Auerbach. He is acting instructor of medicine at the University of Washington, in Seattle.
To come to that conclusion, the investigators analyzed the results of eight published studies involving over 34,000 children that looked at fruit juice intake and the effect on weight.
Children under the age of 6 who drank a serving a day gained a small amount of weight, but not enough to be clinically significant, the findings showed.
The amount was truly tiny, less than a pound over a year’s time, Auerbach noted. And the review did not prove that fruit juice consumption caused the weight gain.
In addition, children aged 7 to 18 who drank a serving a day saw no clinical effects on weight, the researchers said.
The younger children favored apple juice, while the older ones were more likely to drink orange juice. The study authors explained that orange juice, which has a lower glycemic index, may be linked with less weight gain. Food and drink with a lower glycemic index are linked with lower and slower rises in blood sugar levels.
The researchers stressed that their report specifically focused on 100-percent fruit juice, not fruit-flavored drinks or fruit sodas.
Senior study author, Dr. James Krieger, is executive director of Healthy Food America. He said, “The evidence on weight gain, diabetes [risk] and other health conditions for [drinking] sugar-sweetened beverages — like soda and fruit drinks — is very solid.”
What has been debated, according to Krieger, is whether sugar in 100-percent fruit juice is linked with the same health effects.
For now, Krieger and Auerbach said, they advise parents to follow the American Academy of Pediatrics’ recommendations for 100-percent fruit juice consumption: 4 to 6 ounces a day for children aged 6 and younger, and 8 to 12 ounces a day for kids aged 7 to 18.
Connie Diekman, director of university nutrition for Washington University in St. Louis, said that the new findings put the issue in perspective.
“Concerns around childhood obesity have caused many to try to find ‘the food’ that is the cause,” Diekman explained.
“This study did a nice job in assessing the impact of 100-percent fruit juice on weight, a food often blamed for the growing incidence of childhood obesity,” she said.
“As a registered dietitian, this study reinforces the messages I provide my clients: 100-percent fruit juice — not fruit drinks or beverages — can fit into a healthful eating plan. But it is important, as with all foods, to learn portion sizes,” Diekman stressed.
“In addition, I always remind people that whole fruit — whether fresh, frozen or canned — can provide more satiety since we don’t seem to recognize fullness from liquids, while we do from solids,” she said.
The study was published online March 23 in the journal Pediatrics.
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