Why and what for breakfast

By Penni Jones

Better Living Staff Writer 

Skipping breakfast has become a nutritional trend lately as a form of intermittent fasting. Though it might make sense on the surface to lose weight by not eating, it’s not a long-term solution. In fact, you could be doing more harm than good. Skipping meals often leads to snacking, or to consuming more calories in the next meal.  Neither of which will lead to weight loss.

But what you eat is perhaps even more important than whether or not you eat. Sugary breakfasts such as pastries or sweetened cereals will not keep you full, and you’ll likely experience fatigue and brain fog once the empty calories have worn off.

A breakfast of minimally processed grains like oats or sprouted grain cereals paired with protein such as a boiled egg or Greek yogurt will keep you full longer, and give you energy to make it to lunch.

Of course, there is no single solution for everybody. For help forming a nutrition plan to meet your personal goals, contact Better Living at (734) 747-0123.  And check out our Facebook page this Wednesday for one of our favorite healthy breakfast recipes.

http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/most-important-meal

http://health.usnews.com/health-news/blogs/eat-run/2014/08/27/should-you-or-shouldnt-you-skip-breakfast

Is a juice cleanse really the way to go?

By Penni Jones

Better Living Staff Writer 

Juice cleanses are really popular right now. It’s easy to understand why. Juicing is a refreshing and tasty way to pack in your fruits and vegetables, and you can lose weight quickly on a juice cleanse. But like everything thing else, juicing should be done in moderation.

A juice detox cleanse is done by having only juiced fruits and vegetables for two or three meals a day for several days. The problem is a prolonged juice cleanse can seriously mess with your metabolism. An all-liquid diet starves your body of protein. This will cause your muscle mass to breakdown so you will burn fewer calories overall. So once you start eating solid foods again, the pounds will pile back on.

As for the detox aspect of juice cleansing, there is no medical evidence that the body needs extra detox. Our kidneys, liver, and immune system take care of that for us.

A juice cleanse can also harm your gut. The beneficial bacteria that live in the gut require nourishment from plant-based fiber, which is not present in juice. The intestinal cells require nourishment from protein, which is also absent from juice. If your colon doesn’t get what it needs, the cells of the intestine won’t replicate and strengthen the junctions between cells. That means foreign matter like bacteria, chemicals, or food can leak through the gut barrier into the bloodstream.

Juicing in moderation will help you consume essential nutrients without losing out on a balanced diet, but don’t be tempted to follow the juice cleanse fad.

For more ideas on losing weight and eating healthy, contact Better Living at (734) 747-0123.

http://www.cnn.com/2014/04/11/health/juicing-pros-cons/

http://health.usnews.com/health-news/blogs/eat-run/2012/12/26/why-juice-cleanses-dont-deliver

 

Cholesterol-reducing enriched broccoli, brought to you by Monsanto

By Penni Jones

Better Living Staff Writer

According to human trials led by the Institute of Food Research, including the new broccoli variety Beneforte reduces blood LDL-cholesterol levels by around 6%. 

The broccoli was bred to contain two to three times more of the naturally occurring compound glucoraphanin. In short, glucoraphanin helps rebalance metabolism away from the production of LDL cholesterol by helping our bodies retune cellular metabolism.  

In two independent studies, 130 volunteers were given 400 grams (about 14 ounces) of the high glucoraphanin broccoli per week to include in their normal diet. After 12 weeks, they saw the levels of LDL-cholesterol in their blood drop by an average of about 6%. Elevated LDL-cholesterol is a risk factor for heart disease. Even a 1% reduction in LDL-cholesterol has been associated with a 1-2% reduction in risk for coronary artery disease.

The downside? Monsanto is behind the US distribution of Beneforte. The American consumer has a shaky history with Monsanto. Monsanto is behind Agent Orange, Roundup, saccharin, and bovine growth hormone. All of these were developed to do positive things, but we learned years or even decades later that they could be at the root of many serious health issues.

However, Monsanto did not develop Beneforte.  And Beneforte is not a genetically modified vegetable. It was developed by traditional breeding techniques at IFR’s partners, the John Innes Centre and the University of East Anglia, and Seminis Vegetable Seeds Inc. But Monsanto is bagging it and distributing it.  

This new broccoli variety sounds like a really wonderful thing, but will US consumers be able to put their mistrust of Monsanto aside long enough for Beneforte to succeed?

For more ideas on how to lower your cholesterol, please contact Better Living at (734) 747-0123. 

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/04/150408113619.htm

http://www.ifr.ac.uk/news/latest-news/2015/04/enriched-broccoli-reduces-cholesterol/

https://www.organicconsumers.org/news/busting-monsantos-better-broccoli

Exercise and migraines

By Penni Jones

Better Living Staff Writer

 

Exercise is a tricky area when it comes to migraines. For me, sometimes exercise eases the migraine pain to the point that I forget about it, but sometimes it increases the pain to the point that my day is ruined. And for some people, exercise can be a migraine trigger. So what is the right and wrong way to exercise if you suffer from migraines?

If exercise is a trigger for you, there are things you can do to prevent the headache. The American Headache Society suggests a three-step process.

·         First, stay hydrated before, during, and after exercise. How do you know if you’re hydrated? Your mouth should not feel dry, and you should be sweating if you are exercising at a moderate or vigorous level. 

·         Second, make sure you eat about an hour and a half before exercising. Protein is ideal for keeping your blood sugar stable during exercise.

·         Third, make sure you warm-up. Jumping into vigorous exercise can be a migraine trigger. A five minute walk or jog along with some stretching should have you ready to go.

Exercise releases endorphins, which are great for pain management. But over-doing it can aggravate your migraine symptoms. So if you already have a headache, low-impact is the way to go. Yoga can sometimes help, as practicing good posture and stretching can reduce your migraine by relieving pressure from your shoulders, neck, and head.  Walking and low-impact aerobics can also provide you with an endorphin boost without aggravating your pain.

Every migraine sufferer is different. For more ideas on managing your pain through exercise, contact Better Living at (734) 747-0123. 

http://www.achenet.org/resources/effects_of_exercise_on_headaches_and_migraines/

http://www.practicalpainmanagement.com/patient/conditions/headache/exercise-tips-migraines-headaches