Healthy diets with healthier carbohydrates (2 of 2)

Below are examples of foods that have low GI values, you may want to include such foods more often into your meals: apple muffins, made with sugar; unsweetened grapefruit juice; unsweetened apple juice; carrot juice; tomato juice without sugar; plain sponge cake; all bran cereals; brown rice; full cream milk; oatmeal; cherries; prunes; dried apricots; apple; peach; pear; strawberry; grapes; banana; mango; broccoli; cabbage; lettuce; mushrooms; onion; pepper; carrots; green peas; peanuts; walnuts; cashew; yogurt; chickpeas; lima beans; lentils; and kidney beans.

For your guide to knowing more about the glycemic index of foods, here are some myths about GI:

• The GI doesn’t work in mixed meals. – Wrong. A lot of studies have shown that GI works perfectly in mixed meals.

• Whole grains have low GI. The benefits of GI are really due to fiber. – Wrong. Majority of whole grain cereal products such as wholemeal bread and toasted bran flakes actually have a high GI. That is because the finely milled bran doesn’t slow down digestion and absorption. Whole grains is good for us, but in studies in which fiber contents have been matched, low GI diet incorporating whole grains offer benefits over and above that of processed whole grains.

• The GI doesn’t make sense – chocolate has a low GI but watermelon has a high GI. – Wrong. The GI makes a lot of nutritional sense. Nature intended us to eat slowly digested and absorbed carbs. Most low GI foods are nutritious. Like in anything, common sense is required. Nutritionists don’t recommend jellybeans just because they are low in fat. So it’s with the GI.

• The GI restricts food choices. – Wrong. Low GI diets open the door to nutritious meals.

Eating healthier carbohydrates can positively affect your health today – and possibly the course of your entire life. Start making healthy change into your diet by simply incorporating healthier carbohydrates. You don’t need to spend a lot. – Joan Sumpio

Healthy diets with healthier carbohydrates (1 of 2)

Good morning friends. Many of us always crave to eat all food . Some prefer to eat light foods, some prefer to eat heavy kinds of food as they think that they will have good energy for that. Yes they are right, but not all the time. Some people who ate much feels that they are so full and can’t hardly move always on the go. Most Filipino people do eat more carbohydrates as they think it’s the best. But we all know that when we eat more of carbohydrates we can easily get fat and will easily leads to obesity. With that, we know that we will have a hard time to go on a diet. I read one article and it says that we can be in a healthy diet even with more on carbohydrates. I want to share it with you.

By this time, we know that not all carbohydrates are created equal. To help us choose healthier carbohydrates, the glycemic index (GI) was developed as it ranks how much carbohydrate in individual foods affects blood glucose levels. The Glycemic Index (GI) of carbohydrates compares their ability to release glucose into the blood with that of an equivalent weight of pure glucose (GI of 100).

White bread (especially those made without fiber or grains) which contains carbohydrates that break down quickly during digestion have high GI values – meaning, it can create a high rise in blood sugar after eating such kind of food. But of course, we know that we don’t usually eat bread just as a single food but with spread or some accompaniment; and those spread and accompaniments can affect the GI value of the whole diet taken as one.

The glycemic index was originally developed to help people with diabetes make healthier choices in choosing carbohydrates for their meal times. Nowadays, knowing the GI and choosing low GI carbohydrate foods can be beneficial to all types of people (except those who often experience low blood sugar levels). GI levels in foods are classified according to low medium or high. Low GI foods or carbohydrates has a value of 55 or less, and those considered with medium GI have a value of 70. – JOAN SUMPIO, RND

Skipping Breakfast helps you lose weight

In today’s fast paced life, taking breakfast is considered either a nuisance or a luxury. And then there are those who intentionally skip breakfast so they can lose weight.

But experts are not buying this idea. According to them, skipping breakfast only increases the tendency to overeat or to make unhealthy food choices later within the day.

If we skip breakfast, we are likely to become tired when our brain and body run low on fuel. Eating a good breakfast sets the tone for the rest of the day.

The chances of someone having a high increase in body mass index are greater when the individual does not eat breakfast. This is the result of the study conducted by the University of Minnesota school of Public Health in the United States. Body mass index, or BMI, is a method for measuring a person’s ration between height and weight.

In the study of eating habits among 2,200 teenagers during a five-year period, it was found out that those who eat breakfast are more likely to have a healthy diet and to exercise regularly when compared to those who pass over the early morning meal.

Many people believed that they will lose weight if they skip meals. But that is not true; the body expects to be refueled a few times a day, starting with a healthy breakfast.

Eating breakfast is good for weight loss. The National Weight Registry of the United States observed the habits of dieters who lost 30 pounds and maintained it for at least a year. Susan Moore, a spokeswoman for the American Dietician Association, found out that almost all of the dieters ate breakfast every day.

Sources
► Face Up to Five Good Fallacies. http://carefirst.staywellsolutionsonline.com/Library/Wellness/1,4180
► Start the Day Right – Don’t Skip Breakfast. http://nutrition.about.con/od/nutrition101/a/breakfast.htm
► Wood, Peter. Does skipping breakfast help you lose weight? http://ocolly.com/2008/03/04/does-skipping-breakfast-help-you-lose-weight/

Anemia is caused by Lack of Sleep

Anemia is a deficiency in the number of blood cells or the amount of hemoglobin in the blood. There are many forms of anemia, but none of them is known to have been caused by lack of sleep.

Iron-deficiency anemia, for example, arises when the body cannot manufacture enough hemoglobin. This contains iron and is crucial in the production oxygen. The lack of vitamin B12 in the diet may also caused anemia called pernicious anemia. A plastic anemia is another type of disorder which may develop from repeated exposure to X-rays, radioactive substances, microwaves, and other high-energy emissions.

Whatever the cause, anemia makes the body function poorly because it prevents the body from getting enough oxygen from the blood. - Batobalani

Spicy Food and Stress Cause Peptic Ulcers

Spicy food and stress cause peptic ulcers.

Peptic ulcers are sores in the lining of the stomach duodenum. Almost all peptic ulcers are caused either by infections with a bacterium called Helicobacter pylori (H.pylori) or by use of pain medications such as aspirin, ibuprofen, or naproxen, the so-called non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or NSAIDs, Most H.pylori-related ulcers can be cured with antibiotics. NSAID-induced ulcers can be cured with time, stomach-protective medications, antacids, and avoidance of NSAIDs. Spicy food and stress may aggravate ulcer symptoms in some people, but they do not cause peptic ulcers. –Rosario Ricalde

Reference:

► http://www.niddk.nih.gov
►Dandruff. www.sovereing-publications.com/fhc/dandruff.htm

Cold or Flu in a very Cold Place

We get a cold or flu when we spent too much time in a very cold place.

Because the common cold and the flu are physiological disorders that occurs rather frequently, so many myths have sprouted about them. One is that very large doses of Vitamin C could cure both conditions. It is a fact that a daily dose of vitamin C is good for the health. It helps boost the immune system, thereby protecting the body against infections. However, to say that this vitamin alone prevents colds and fly is yet to be proven.

That we catch the common cold or flu when we stay too long in a cold place is another fallacy. The facts is, exposure to cold weather does not cause either. Just imagine all the people in Baguio City or Tagaytay City during cold December nights. If we follow this reasoning, everyone in these places without a heating system should be down with a cold or flu. But that’s simply not the case. However, anyone who has the flue should remain warm, because cold weather may cause pneumonia in flu-stricken individuals. Pneumonia is the most serious flu complication and is a threat to the elderly and people with weak immune systems.

The common medical advice for a mild case of the cold is simply to drink plenty of water and fruit juices. People with the flue are advised to take bed rest and a healthy diet. It’s best to do this at the onset to prevent the ailment from getting worse.

Both the common cold and the flu can make one feel really drowsy, so bed rest is recommended. Drinking plenty of fluids is also needed for faster recovery.

Source:

► Coughs, Colds and Flu. Myths and Facts. www.everybody.co.nz/page-c44dea63-f90e-4848-bb93-ce0a59e86306.aspx
► www.tylenol.ca/Common_img/need relief/large/image_lg_cold_c.jpg

Tetanus

One can only get tetanus from rusting objects.

Tetanus, or lockjaw, is an acute and often deadly disease that attacks the human nervous system. It is characterized by sever spasms of the voluntary muscles and convulsions. The symptoms are caused by a toxin produced by Clostridium tetani, an anaerobic bacterium that can infect deep wounds where oxygen is unavailable. They symptoms start to appear about five to ten days after the toxin invades the body. The most frequently occurring symptom is jay stiffness, which progresses to difficulty in opening the jaws. Other symptoms include difficulty in swallowing, limb stiffness, fever, headache, and sore throat. Convulsions and death may follow.

Infected patients must be given immediate medical attention to prevent complications. As preventive measures, children must be routinely immunized by vaccination with a toxoid called DTP. DTP stands for diphtheria, tetanus and perussis.

Since Clostridium tetani is an anaerobic bacterium, it obtains all the energy it needs from food without the use of oxygen by a method called fermentation. The spores of Clostridium tetani can be found in soil and animal feces. The possibility of getting tetanus fro rusting objects is very remote. To avoid being infected wounds, especially those on the lower extremes, must be regularly cleansed and properly covered.

Source:

► The American Medical Association Home
► Home Medical Encyclopedia

Coffee can Stunt Child’s Growth

Coffee can stunt child’s growth

Drinking coffee has not effect on height. This myth continues to persists, because some people insist that caffeine is a risk factor for osteoporosis.

Results of the Framingham Heart Study, a 30-year study on people who drink coffee, don’t show any evidence that caffeine can significantly stunt a child’s growth. The study was a project of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and Boston University, both in the United States.

It should be noted, however, that it is the replacement of calcium-rich beverages )e.g., milk) with caffeinated drinks (e.g., sodas) that is directly linked to reduced bone health, and not caffeine itself. Besides, the researchers argue that even if caffeine does offset calcium absorption, the effect is so slight to be considerable. As a rule, however, parents should still limit their kid’s caffeine consumption because it can interfere with sleep, contribute to dehydration, and aggravate hyperactivity. Other potential side effects of ingesting too much caffeine include: nervousness, shakiness, rapid heartbeat, irritability, insomnia, and stomach discomfort.

A typical cup of coffee (207 ml) contains about 80 to 140 milligrams of caffeine, depending on the bean and method of roasting and preparation.

Source:

► Fact or fiction: Common diet myths dispelled. www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16280050/
► Will drinking coffee really stunt the growth of children? http://ask.yahoo.com/20030519.html

Dandruff (Malassezia furfur)

You can catch dandruff if you use a comb or hairbrush of someone who has dandruff.

Dandruff is not a disease or a virus. It is not contagious, it cannot be transmitted from one person to another.

Dandruff is caused by fungus called Malassezia furfur (previously known as Pityrosporum ovale). This fungus is found naturally on the skin surface of both healthy people and those with dandruff. It feeds on the natural grease of the skin, from which it produces oleic acid. The oleic acid triggers increased turnover of skin cells, resulting in excessive flaking.

The difference between someone with dandruff and someone without it is that the fungus responsible for dandruff isn’t active in the person without dandruff. Obviously, you cannot get something you already have in your scalp. The flakes normally found on combs, hairbrushes, or pillows are just dead skin cells.

However, it is still not a hygienic practice to share combs and brushes.

Source:

► Debunking dandruff myths. www.nizoral.ca/eng/closeup_myths.html
►Dandruff. www.sovereing-publications.com/fhc/dandruff.htm

Pregnant Woman

A pregnant woman’s avid craving (paglilihi) over something will influence the unborn child’s physical characteristics.

It’s an old Filipino belief that a pregnant woman’s craving for a certain food will influence the physical attributes of her unborn baby. This is called paglilihi. This even extends to the belief that repugnant objects (such as limbless doll), even animals and their replicas (toads and monsters) should not be found lying about so as not to be the pregnant woman’s object of paglilihi.

Medical science has long been able to dispel the myths surrounding paglilihi. The first trimester (the first 14 weeks of pregnancy) is considered to be the most difficult periods for pregnant women. It is in this stage that the expectant mother experiences hormonal changes that affect her bodily functions. Because of these changes, clinical psychologists believe that pregnancy can render women more emotional. Symptoms can range from hypersensitivity of taste and smell, nausea, morning sickness, mood swings, and yes craving for a particular food.

Genetics tells us that we inherit the physical attributes form our parents’ or grandparents’ set of genes and not from the food that had been the object of our mom’s craving. It is absurd to say then that you have a dark complexion, because your mom avidly ate duhat (black plum) during the time that she was pregnant with you.

How about those born with congenital abnormalities or physical deformities, such as webbed feet, scaly skin, or pincers for a hand?

These are actually results of what is called genetic aberration (mutation) due to various external factors, such as exposure to X-ray, ultraviolet radiation, or chemicals that alter the genetic materials.

Source:

► Mella, Alfie, ‘Paglilihi’; A Philippine Cultural Myth. www.isnare.com/?id=&ea=Culture Pregnant Desires: Is There Medical Basis for a Woman’s Cravings during Pregnancy? www.medobserver.com/jun2002/printable/pregnant.html
► Wikipedia The Free Encyclopedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genetics