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Monthly Health Tips
Health Risk Assessment
We offer this Health Risk Assessment link to EAP Work-Life Resources (external to our web site) for your consideration as a personal assessment tool.
Official permission has been granted to First United Methodist Church of Niceville by EAP Work-Life to link to their site, July 2009.
March 2010 Health Tip:
More Reasons to Maintain High Vitamin D Levels
(American Heart Association, November 2009)
A year long study of 25,000 men and women who had no history of heart disease found that those with the lowest levels of vitamin D were:
- 77% more likely to die of all causes
- 45% more likely to develop coronary artery disease
- 78% more likely to have a stroke
- Twice as likely to develop heart failure
February 2010 Health Tip:
Health Concerns Associated with High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) Consumption
(American Society of Nephrology, Oct. 2009)
High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) has generally replaced table sugar as the sweetener found in most processed foods. Large amounts are found in sweetened sodas, fruit drinks, and energy drinks. Recent studies have shown that due to its metabolic pathway, it is a major contributor to:
- Increase in new fat cell growth
- Elevated blood pressure
- Insulin resistance
- Elevated triglycerides and LDL cholesterol
- Cardiovascular disease, liver disease, cancer, and arthritis
January 2010 Health Tip:
A Simple Way to Improve your Emotional Health
Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise (January 2009)
An 8 year study of urban women showed that walking and other forms of regular exercise can improve mood, depression, stress, and anxiety.
The study showed the improvement with as little as 3 hours/week of exercise as simple as walking.
December 2009 Health Tip:
American Heart Association
Recommendations for Dietary Sugar Intake
Circulation (August 2009)
The American Heart Association has issued an expanded recommendation on dietary sugar intake based on research showing the links to numerous health problems.
Recommendation highlights:
- High intake of added sugars is implicated in numerous poor health conditions, including obesity, high blood pressure, and other risk factors for heart disease and stroke.
- Added sugars and solid fats in food, as well as alcoholic beverages are categorized as “discretionary calories” and should be eaten sparingly.
- Most American women should consume no more than 100 calories of added sugars per day (6 teaspoons); most men, no more that 150 calories (9 teaspoons).
- Soft drinks and other sugar-sweetened beverages are the number one source of added sugars in the American diet. One 12-ounce can of regular soda contains about 130 calories (8 teaspoons of sugar).
November 2009 Health Tip:
4 Simple Ways to Prevent Major DiseasesArchives of Internal medicine (August 2009)
A large German study involving 23,000 adults who had a BMI under 30, never smoked, exercised at least 3½ hours each week, and who ate little meat and lots of fruits, veggies, and whole grains had a 78% lower risk for diabetes, cancer, heart disease, and stroke. Therefore, reduce your risks for major diseases:
- Normalize your weight
- Eliminate tobacco
- Exercise moderately – walk 30 min. each day
- Eat meat moderately and eat lots of fruits, veggies, and whole grains
October 2009 Health Tip:
Fructose-Sweetened Drinks Increases Risk of Metabolic Syndrome
Health Day News (April 2009) Metabolic Syndrome is a condition resulting from the resistance of the body to the effects of insulin. Symptoms include: high cholesterol, high blood pressure, abdominal obesity, and type 2 diabetes.
A recent study at the University of California, Davis found that those who consumed HFCS (High Fructose Corn Syrup) found in most processed foods became much less sensitive to insulin than those in the control group who consumed glucose as a sweetening agent.
September 2009 Health Tip:
Improve Your Health by Consumption of Omega-3 Fatty Acids (DHA and EPA) from Fish Oil
Journal of the American College of Cardiology (11 August 2009). 4 studies of almost 40,000 participants have validated previous recommendations of the American Heart Association (2002). These recommendations were that individuals should consume at least two meals of fatty fish such as salmon every week. The alternative was to consume at least 1000 mg of EPA and DHA fatty acids from fish oil supplements. Benefits include:
- Decreased risk of cardiac arrhythmias and sudden death
- Lowered triglyceride levels
- Decreased atherosclerotic plaque growth rate in arteries
- Lowered blood pressure
- Prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease, atrial fibrillation, heart attack, and heart failure
August 2009 Health Tip:
Raw Foods as best Anti-Aging Supplements
Raw foods are good anti-aging supplements as cooking foods removes some of the nutrition.
Some important raw foods are:
a. Anti-oxidant property foods should be eaten everyday (carrots, apricot, oranges, lemons and grapefruits).
b. Raw foods rich in sulfur help maintain skin, hair, nails, and joints (asparagus, garlic, onion, broccoli, red pepper, pumpkin seeds)
c. Raw foods rich in phytochemicals have anti-aging properties and prevent damage to cells. (broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, berries, carrots, cocoa, celery and bell pepper)
d. Raw foods rich in Vitamin E, C, B and A, and Zinc improve the body’s resistance to ill-health by boosting the immune system and will also help rule out eczema (Fresh orange juice, brussel sprouts, pumpkin, sweet potatoes, cantaloupe, seeds, almonds and peanuts, oysters, turkey, chicken).
Eating 65% to 75% raw foods helps to bring about better health and counteract the signs of aging.
July 2009 Health Tip:
InfantSee program
Randi Lutz
Did you know that vision the most disorders are the fourth most common disability in the US and prevalent handicapping condition during childhood?
For this reason, a public health program has been developed to ensure that every infant in America has the opportunity for a professional eye and vision assessment during the first year of life.
Eye exams are now being recommended at the ages of 6 months to a year, 2 years and 4 years. The 6 month to a year eye exam is free when given a doctor that is taking part in this InfantSEE program.
Call 888-396-EYES to find an MD in the area to perform this exam to prevent eye problems in the early years of life.
June 2009 Health Tip:
Improve Your Health by Improving Your Mitochondria
Source: Nutrition Action Healthletter (December 2008)
Mitochondria are the "Power Plants" of all of the cells of our bodies. They convert food to energy. After 25 years of age they decrease in number and lose their efficiency due to damage.
Increasing the number and efficiency of mitochondria increases your physical endurance, burns more cellular fat, and lowers your risk for diabetes, heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's disease, and viral infections.
Recent studies have shown that the number of healthy mitochondria can be increased 30–50% through:
- Regular, moderate-intensity aerobic exercise such as fitness walking for 30 min most days of the week.
- 1000 mg/ day of the supplement Quercetin which is found in many plant foods such as apples, onions, and grapes.
May 2009 Health Tip:
Motivation Boosters for Healthy Living
Are you in the "I know I should, but" rut? Many people can think of obstacles to better health, but all of them can be overcome. Start investing in your health today.
Make lifestyle changes with a friend or family member. A partner increases the enjoyment factor of physical activity and healthful eating.- Set realistic, short-term, attainable goals.
- Track your progress over time. Since weight fluctuates from day to day due to fluid loss and retention you may not get a true picture if you weigh yourself too frequently.
- Celebrate any success. Weight loss doesn't need to be an all-or-nothing venture. Even small changes can make a difference in your health and reduce your risk for disease.
- Move it to lose it. A physically active lifestyle offers many rewards — from heart health to strong bones to stress relief, plus many other benefits.
- Enjoy how good your healthy weight feels. You may reward yourself with a new garment, a bouquet of flowers, a new music CD or a special outing.
- Expect to be successful. Positive self-talk and an enthusiastic approach to a healthful lifestyle set you up for success.
If you really want to change your lifestyle, you can do it! Don't get overwhelmed — make changes slowly. Eating healthfully and getting regular physical activity will only make you feel better.
Reference: eatright.org
April 2009 Health Tip:
Toss the Pop, Save Your Kidneys
Can you imagine a grocery store without a soft-drink section? Well, try to pretend it isn’t there. Because if you cut down on the sweet stuff, it might help ensure that your kidneys last for the long haul.
Two Below
A recent study revealed that -- especially for women -- guzzling two or more servings of sugary soda per day could increase the odds that they’d have unhealthy levels of albumin in their urine. Why is that so bad? Because high levels may be a marker of early kidney disease. Researchers aren’t sure why soda seems to stress the kidneys, but it could be that high-fructose corn syrup, phosphorous, or some other ingredient in the fizzy stuff gives kidneys a hard time.
3 Better-for-You Drinks
The good news? Diet soda didn’t seem to have an impact on albumin levels of kidney disease. Neither did having just one soda a day. But if you’re ready to pitch pop anyway, consider these other refreshingly healthy options:
- Grape juice
- Apple juice
- Water
Reference: Sugary soda consumption and albuminuria; results from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1999-2004. Shoham, D. A. et al., PLoS One 2008;3(10):e3431.
January 2009 Health Tip:
Trying to Lose Weight to Control Your Diabetes?
Loma Linda University Medical Center (December 2008).
A study of type 2 diabetics found an average 16 pounds of weight loss and a lowered blood sugar through the use of all of the following methods:
- Nutritional counseling
- An individualized exercise regimen
- Eating only meal-replacement bars or shakes for one week every two months
- A prescription weight-loss medicine
The comparison group used only nutritional counseling and exercise advice and lost only 2 pounds average.
Health Tips are provided online by:
Congregational Care Ministry, Wellness Council.
Content used by permission.
Contact:
Rev. Herstel Carter, Congregational Care pastor.
