Weight Debate

When shopping in the grocery store, read the Nutrition Facts label on the back of food products to help you control calories.

On the Nutrition Facts label of a food product, when 1 serving of a single food item contains 400 or more calories, it’s high. And 1 serving of a single food item that contains 40 calories is low. (Based on 2,000 calories)

The packaging label on a food item can also contain other useful information for making your food selections easier. For example, some foods are labeled with these words:

Calorie free – Calorie free means less than 5 calories per serving.

Low calorie – Low calorie means 40 calories or less per serving.

Reduced calorie or lower in calories – Reduced calorie or lower in calories means at least 25 percent fewer calories than the regular version.

Light or lite – Light or lite means half the fat or a third of the calories of the regular version, for example, if a regular cheesecake has 300 calories and 8 grams of fat per serving, then the “lite” version could have 200 calories and 4 grams of fat per serving.

Lower Your Risk of Stroke
The best treatment for stroke is prevention by living a healthy lifestyle. Even if you are in perfect health, follow these suggestions:

If you you are overweight, have high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, or high cholesterol, getting these conditions under control – and keeping them under control – will greatly reduce your chances of having a stroke.

• Overweight - If you are overweight, start maintaining a healthy diet and exercising regularly to lose weight.
• Exercise regularly - Make physical activity a part of your everyday life. Take a brisk walk, ride a bicycle, swim, and/or work around the yard to lower your chance of stroke. Check with your doctor before you begin if you are over 50 and are not used to energetic activity.

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A stroke occurs when the blood supply to part of the brain is suddenly interrupted or when a blood vessel in the brain bursts, spilling blood into the spaces surrounding brain cells.

Although stroke is a disease of the brain, it can affect the entire body.
The signs and symptoms of a stroke include:

• Sudden numbness or weakness or paralysis of the face, arm, or leg, especially on one side of the body, or complete paralysis on one side of the body, called hemiplegia.
• Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes.
• Problems with movement – sudden trouble with walking, dizziness, or loss of balance or coordination.
• Sudden confusion, or trouble talking, or understanding speech, or loss of speech.
• Sudden severe headache with no known cause.
• Loss of memory or problems with thinking, awareness, attention, learning, and judgment.
• Loss of consciousness

Women may have unique symptoms:

• Sudden face and arm or leg pain.
• Sudden hiccups.
• Sudden nausea – feeling sick to your stomach.
• Sudden tiredness.
• Sudden chest pain.
• Sudden shortness of breath – feeling like you can not get enough air.
• Sudden pounding or racing heartbeat.

A mild stroke can cause little or no brain damage, and a major stroke can cause severe brain damage and even death. If you think someone is having a stroke or mini stroke, call 911 immediately. It is importance to get to a hospital quickly to get time-sensitive treatments. Immediate treatment may save someone’s life and enhance his or her chances for successful rehabilitation and recovery.

Common Names – Flaxseed, flaxseed oil, linseed
Latin Name – Linum usitatissimum

Flaxseed
Flaxseed is the seed of the flax plant.

Flaxseed is high in omega 3 fatty acids and lignans – phytoestrogens, or plant estrogens.

It is recommended to grin the flaxseeds in a grinder (a coffee grinder works great) because whole flaxseed may pass through your intestine undigested, and you won’t get all of the health benefits from it if you eat if whole. Flaxseed is also available in powder form.

Flaxseed is high in fiber and is an effective laxative to improve digestive health or relieve constipation. When eating flaxseed, you should drink plenty of water, otherwise it can worsen constipation or, in rare cases, even cause intestinal blockage.

Flaxseed is used for high cholesterol levels, heart disease, osteoporosis (pronounced ah-stee-oh-per-oh-sis), hot flashes, breast pain, and is used to reduce cancer risks.

You can mix flaxseed with water, juice, protein shakes, smoothies, cereal, applesauce, oatmeal, or any of your favorite foods.

Flaxseed Oil
Flaxseed oil comes from flaxseeds, but it lacks lignans (phytoestrogens, or plant estrogens), and it does not have the fiber that the seeds have. Flaxseed oil is available in liquid and capsule form.

Flaxseed oil is used for different conditions than flaxseed, including arthritis.

Side Effects and Cautions

• Although there have been few studies of flaxseed safety in humans, flaxseed and flaxseed oil supplements seem to be well tolerated for most people, with few side effects reported.
• The fiber in flaxseed may lower the body’s ability to absorb medications that are taken by mouth. Flaxseed should not be taken at the same time as any conventional oral medications or other dietary supplements.
• Both flaxseed and flaxseed oil can cause diarrhea in some people.
• The use of flaxseed or flaxseed oil during pregnancy and breastfeeding is not recommended. Flaxseed may stimulate menstruation or have other hormonal effects and could be harmful to pregnancy.
• Men with prostate cancer or men who are at risk for prostate cancer should avoid flaxseed and alpha-linolenic acid supplements until more information is available.
• One study reports that the menstrual period may be altered in women who take flaxseed powder by mouth daily.
• Because of the possible estrogen-like effects, flaxseed ( not flaxseed oil) should be used cautiously in women with hormone sensitive conditions such as:
  • Endometriosis
  • Uterine fibroids
  • Polycystic ovary syndrome
  • Cancer of the breast, uterus, or ovary
• Flaxseed and flaxseed oil may increase the risk of bleeding.
• Large amounts of flaxseed by mouth may cause the intestines to stop moving (ileus).
• People with narrowing of the esophagus or intestine, ileus, or bowel obstruction should avoid flaxseed (not flaxseed oil).
• People with high blood triglycerides should avoid flaxseed and flaxseed oil due to unclear effects on triglyceride levels in animal research.
• People with diabetes should use caution if taking flaxseed products by mouth, as the omega-3 fatty acids in flaxseed and flaxseed oil may increase blood sugar levels.
• Based on animal studies, overdose of flaxseed may cause shortness of breath, rapid breathing, weakness, or difficulty walking, and may cause seizures or paralysis.
• Flaxseed or flaxseed oil taken by mouth may cause mania or hypomania in people with bipolar disorder.
• People with diarrhea, irritable bowel syndrome, diverticulitis, or inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis) should avoid flaxseed due to its possible laxative effects.

Myth: Skipping meals is a good way to lose weight!!

The fact is… studies have shown that people who skip breakfast and eat fewer times during the day tend to be heavier than people who eat a healthy breakfast and eat four or five times a day.

Also, those who skip meals during the day tend to feel hungrier later on in the day, and then they eat more later in the day than they normally would.

It is wise to eat small meals throughout the day to help you control your appetite. Eat a variety of healthy, low fat, low calorie foods.

Eat a healthy breakfast, and snacking on foods like fruits and veggies are good for you, low in fat and calories, and puts something in your stomach that CAN fill you up inbetween meals so you don’t grab that donut or cookie later in the day.

If you are pregnant, do not stop eating or start skipping meals as your weight increases. Both you and your baby need the calories and nutrition you receive from a healthy diet.

Try to have meals with your children. Girls who have five or more meals a week with their families are 1/3 less likely to develop unhealthy eating habits, which can range from skipping meals to full fledged anorexia or abusing diet pills.

Did you know that too much belly fat is harmful to your health?

The fat deep inside your belly is called omentum fat and it grows around your vital organs. The omentum is a fat storing organ in your abdomen located inside the belly that hangs underneath the muscles in your stomach. That’s why men with beer guts still have firm bellies – their fat is underneath the muscle.

As you age, you lose muscle, especially if you are not active. Without muscle mass, the rate at which your body burns calories slows down.

If you eat more than you should and don’t get enough physical activity, you gain weight, and usually for most people a lot of the weight gain goes around their belly. Building muscle burns more calories than body fat, even when you are sitting still.

Extra fat in your belly can push down on your stomach, making it easier for acid and food to be pushed back upward (out of your stomach) into your esophagus and cause heartburn or gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).

Drinking too much alcohol can increase belly fat, giving you the beer belly gut.

The more belly fat you have, you increase your risk of:

• Heart disease
• Stroke
• Type 2 diabetes
• Some types of cancer
• Low levels of the good cholesterol – high-density lipoprotein (HDL)
• Insulin resistance
• High triglycerides
• Metabolic syndrome
• Sleep apnea

You double your risk of having fat around your abdomen if you have certain genetic traits, and the more of these traits you have, the greater your risk for a pot belly.

Abdominal obesity, waist circumference greater than 35 inches for women and 40 inches for men, is strongly associated with decreased lung function.

Get Rid of Your Belly Fat
There’s no way around it… the answer remains the same…

• Reduce the amount of calories you consume each day.
• Eat healthier foods that contain fewer calories.
• Increase the amount of physical activity you do – The Department of Health and Human Services recommends adults get 2 and 1/2 hours a week of moderate aerobic activity or 1 hour and 15 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity, plus strength training.

Sit ups help to make your abdominal muscles stronger, but it will not reduce your belly fat. You need to lose weight and exercise.

Just doing crunches by themselves can make the rectus abdominis muscle (large muscle in the front of the abdomen) bugle out, you need to work the internal and external oblique muscles of the abdominal region too.

Remeber… losing extra pounds can help you feel better and lower your risk of health problems.

Replacing “high fat – high calorie” foods and beverages with “low fat – low calorie” foods and beverages is an excellant step you can take to lose and/or maintain your weight, and build a lifetime of healthy eating habits.

You can make some changes gradually, for example, starting with milk!! If you still drink whole milk:

• Gradually replace or dilute (mix the two milks together) whole milk with 2 percent milk
• Gradually replace or dilute 2 percent milk with 1 percent milk
• Gradually replace or dilute 1 percent milk with fat free or skim milk

You can start today by replacing foods and beverages that are high in fat and calories to foods and beverages that are low in fat and calories. It’s just a small step you can make today, to make a big difference in your life tomorrow.

Note:
Children 1 to 2 years of age need to drink whole milk. Whole milk supplies the additional calories from fat that children need for proper growth and brain development. Children under age 1 should not be given whole milk as it has been shown to cause low blood counts. After age two, it’s ok to switch to low fat or fat free milk. But always check with the childs doctor before doing so.

Five lifesaving numbers you should know about yourself!!

1. Blood Pressure Levels
Know your blood pressure numbers!!
High blood pressure, or hypertension, is a serious health condition that many people don’t know they have. High blood pressure can lead to serious health conditions including coronary heart disease, kidney disease, and stroke.

• Normal blood pressure is 120/80 or lower.
• Pre-hypertension is between 120 – 139 for the top number, or between 80 – 89 for the bottom number.
• High blood pressure is 140/90 or higher.

2. Waist size
Know your waist measurement number!!
Your waist measurement does not determine if you are overweight, but it does indicate if you have excess fat in your abdomen. This is important because extra fat around your waist may increase health risks even more than fat anywhere else on your body. Belly fat sends a toxic stream of chemicals into your whole body. Measure your waist above your hipbone and below your ribcage where your natural waistline is, not where your belt is. Have good posture and suck in your stomach since the fat you are measuring is deep inside your belly.

• Women with a waist measurement of more than 35 inches, and men with a waist measurement of more than 40 inches, may have an increased risk for chronic diseases like heart disease, diabetes, and more.
• Ideal waist size for women – 32 and 1/2 inches.
• Ideal waist size for men – 35 inches.

3. Weight
Know how much you weigh!!
Obesity (excess body fat) can cause many health problems including a higher risk for premature death, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke, gout, high blood pressure (hypertension), gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), problems with cholesterol and triglycerides, gallbladder disease, and certain kinds of cancers. Using the body mass index calculator for adults, 20 years old and older, is one way to tell whether you are at a healthy weight, overweight, or obese.

4. Cholesterol
Know your cholesterol numbers!!
High cholesterol is a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke.
Desirable Cholesterol Levels

• HDL (good cholesterol) 40 mg/dL or higher
• Total cholesterol Less than 200 mg/dL
• LDL (bad cholesterol) Less than 100 mg/dL (Optimal level)
• Triglycerides Less than 150 mg/dL

5. Fasting Blood Sugar
Get your blood tested after you have fasted for 8 hours. This will show if you are at risk for diabetes. Diabetes is a chronic disease that can lead to cardiac disease, kidney failure, blindness, an impaired immune system, and nerve problems.

• Your blood sugar level needs to be below 100.

A calorie is a calorie whether it comes from fat or carbohydrates. It doesn’t matter what types of foods the calories come from when you are trying to manage your weight.

If you eat anything in excess over your daily calories allowed, it can lead to weight gain if you don’t burn off the excess calories you consumed. To lose weight, you must eat less calories and increase your physical activity. Reducing the amount of fat and saturated fat that you eat is an easy way to limit your overall calorie intake.

A Calorie is the amount of heat needed to raise the temperature of a liter of water 1 degree. One pound of body fat contains approximately 3,500 calories. It takes approximately 3,500 calories below your calorie needs to lose a pound of body fat, and it takes approximately 3,500 calories above your calorie needs to gain a pound.

Eating fat free or reduced fat foods doesn’t always result in weight loss if you eat more of the reduced fat food than you would of the regular version. An example is if you eat twice as many fat free cookies, you have actually increased your overall calorie intake for the day.

Be aware that some fat free or reduced fat varieties of foods have just about the same calories as the regular food versions, so the calories can add up quickly if you eat too much. Usually fat free or reduced fat varieties of foods will have extra sugar, flour, or starch thickeners to make them taste better. Below are a few examples:

• Peanut butter
  Reduced fat peanut butter, 2 tablespoons = 187 calories
  Regular peanut butter, 2 tablespoons = 191 calories
• Blueberry muffin
  Low fat blueberry muffin, 1 small, 2 and 1/2 inch size = 131
  Regular blueberry muffin, 1 small, 2 and 1/2 inch size = 138
• Frozen yogurt
  Fat free vanilla frozen yogurt, 1 percent fat, 1/2 cup = 100 calories
  Regular whole milk vanilla frozen yogurt, 3 – 4 percent fat, 1/2 cup = 104 calories
• Caramel topping
  Fat free caramel topping, 2 tablespoons = 103 calories
  Caramel topping, homemade with butter, 2 tablespoons = 103 calories

Check Food Labels
Read and compare food labels on regular, reduced fat, and fat free products. Choose products that are lower in calories and saturated fat per serving.

Just because a product is fat free, it doesn’t mean that it is calorie free, and as we all know… every calorie counts!!

A concussion is a type of traumatic brain injury (TBI), caused by a blow to the head, or bump or jolt to the head that can change the way the brain normally works.

Concussions can also happen when a blow to the body causes the head to move rapidly back and forth. Even a ding, or what seems to be a mild bump or blow to the head can be serious.

Anyone can take a fall, or knock his or her head and get a concussion in any number of ways, but concussions are common in sports and recreation activities to children ages 5 to 18.

Most concussions occur without loss of consciousness.

Children and teens are more likely to get a concussion and take longer to recover than adults.

Athletes who have ever had a concussion are at increased risk for another concussion.

People need to learn the signs and symptoms of a concussion and what to do if a concussion occurs. Proper response to concussions when they first occur can help prevent further injury or even death.

Signs and Symptoms of a Concussion
You can’t see a concussion, and some people may not experience and/or report symptoms until hours or days after the injury. Most people with a concussion will recover quickly and fully, but for some people, the signs and symptoms of concussion can last for days, weeks, or longer. Some signs and symptoms of a person with a concussion:

• Nausea or vomiting.
• Dazed or stunned.
• Concentration or memory problems – confused, forgetfulness.
• Clumsiness.
• Answers questions slowly.
• Loses consciousness, even briefly.
• Shows mood, behavior, or personality changes.
• Can not recall events prior or after being hit or falling down.
• Headache or pressure in the head.
• Balance problems or dizziness.
• Double vision or blurry vision.
• Sensitivity to light and noise.
• Feeling sluggish, hazy, foggy, or groggy.
• Not feeling right or feeling down.