Is sugar always a villain?

By Penni Jones

Better Living Staff Writer 

According to the USDA, the average American consumes 152 pounds of sugar per year, or about 22 teaspoons per day. Too much added sugar in your diet can lead to obesity, diabetes, even cancer. But cutting out sugar completely is not an option because it provides our brain’s primary source of energy, glucose. 


The important thing when it comes to sugar is to consider your source. Fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts and whole grains contain simple sugars. They also contain vitamins, minerals, protein, phytochemicals and fiber. The presence of fiber makes a difference because it slows down the absorption of sugar and moderates its impact on blood sugar.


Simple sugars such as fruit juice or honey mixed with complex carbohydrates such as legumes or whole grains help create sustained energy. And simple sugars found in fruit or milk help facilitate recovery of muscles after a workout.  


When any sugar is added to foods during processing or cooking, it provides calories without any nutrients or fiber. Added sugars can cause glucose levels to rise too high and damage cells all over the body, including the brain.  


Current USDA guidelines state that we should have less than 6 teaspoons of added sugar per day. If you want to cut out added, or “bad” sugars, you have to be diligent about reading labels. Sugar can turn up in unexpected places like salad dressing and jarred peanut butter. And when a sweet craving hits, reach for fruit instead of a piece of candy. Your body will thank you! 


For more information on ways to cut out added sugar and improve your health, please contact Better Living at (734) 747-0123.  

http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-15278/why-sugar-is-the-new-fat-10-ways-to-break-your-addiction.html 
http://www.livescience.com/3186-brain-food-eat-smart.html http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/good-bad-sugars-7608.html

 

 

Don't let allergies keep you from the gym!

By Penni Jones
Better Living Staff Writer
 

Cold and flu season is finally over, which means it’s hay-fever season. Though allergies can make you almost as miserable as the flu, regular workouts can help manage allergy symptoms.

Exercise helps you breathe better: Allergies cause the blood vessels in your nose to swell, which causes congestion. But during a workout, as your body directs blood flow to the hardworking parts that need it most, the blood vessels in your nose constrict, easing congestion.

Exercise helps flush out allergens: Physical activity leads to strong blood flow, which allows allergens to be moved quickly through the body and eliminated via the kidneys and skin. A lack of physical activity results in slower blood flow. When the blood flows slower, allergens gather in a fixed position and begin to destroy the tissues around them.

Too miserable to get started? If your allergies have you feeling like you can’t get active, use a decongestant, antihistamine, saline spray, or neti-pot. This will help with nose-breathing so you don’t get a sore throat from breathing through your mouth, and should ease your symptoms enough to get you going.  

For more information on how exercise can ease your allergy symptoms, call Better Living at (734) 747-0123.

http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/health/conditions/allergies/seasonal-allergy-remedies/ http://fitnessandwellnessnews.com/exercise-control-of-your-allergies/

 

How much exercise do you really need?

By Penni Jones

Better Living Staff Writer 

For years, experts have been debating on how much exercise is the right amount to improve health and longevity. The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) recently published two new large-scale studies that provide some clarity. 

The conclusion is that the ideal dose of exercise for a long life is a little more than most of us currently believe we should get, but less than many of us might expect. The studies also found that intense or prolonged exercise is not likely to be harmful and could add years to people’s lives.  And no exercise at all is the most harmful, as exercise reduces the risks for many diseases and premature death.

The Department of Health and Human Services currently recommends 150 minutes per week of moderate aerobic, or 75 minutes per week of vigorous aerobic activity, plus strength training twice a week. 

The larger of the two studies found that those who met the guidelines lowered their risk of death by 31% during the 14-year study period, compared to those who did not exercise. But tripling the amount of exercise had the greatest benefit. Those who engaged in moderate exercise such as walking for 450 minutes per week (just over an hour a day), lowered their risk of premature death by 39%, compared to those who did no exercise. At that point, the benefits plateaued. 

The good news is that 450 minutes per week is not necessary to gain benefits from exercise. And the amount that is good for each person varies, depending on health.  For more information on how much exercise is right for you, contact Better Living at (734) 747-0123. 

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/04/15/the-right-dose-of-exercise-for-a-longer-life/

http://fitness.mercola.com/sites/fitness/archive/2015/05/01/right-dose-exercise-for-long-life.aspx

 

New MIND Diet May Protect Against Alzheimer’s

By Penni Jones
Better Living Staff Writer 

Researchers at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago have developed special diet that appears to reduce the risk for developing Alzheimer’s. Rush nutritional epidemiologist Martha Clare Morris, PhD, and her colleagues spent two years developing the MIND (Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay) diet, which borrows from the heart-healthy Mediterranean diet and the DASH diet, which is intended to help combat high blood pressure.

According to a paper published online in March in the journal Alzheimer’s & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association, the diet could significantly lower a person’s risk of developing Alzheimer’s, even if the diet is not meticulously followed. The Rush University study shows that the MIND diet lowered the risk by as much as 53 percent in participants who strictly adhered to the diet, and by about 35 percent in those who followed it moderately. And it’s an easy diet to follow. It consists of realistic guidelines, great food, and no guesswork.

It consists of the following:

·         At least three servings of whole grains per day (a serving is 1/2 cup cooked brown rice, 1 slice whole grain bread, 1 cup prepared cereal, etc.)

·         A salad and one other vegetable per day (1/2 cup vegetables, or 1 cup leafy greens)

·         One glass of wine per day 

·         A serving of nuts every day for a snack (about 1 ounce, 25 almonds= 1 ounce)

·         Beans every other day or so (about ½ cup cooked)

·         Poultry and berries at least twice a week (blueberries are great for the brain!)

·         Fish at least once a week (the amount of protein you need is based on age, gender, and activity level. Go to http://choosemyplate.gov/food-groups/protein-foods.html for help deciding how much fish and poultry you need.)

·         Limited amounts of unhealthy foods like butter (less than 1 TBS per day), cheese, and fried or fast food (less than a serving a week for any of the three)

 

According to Murali Doraiswamy, a professor of psychiatry at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, NC, and an Alzheimer’s expert, the MIND diet may be a “triple bonus”. He believes it reduces it reduces the risk for dementia, strokes, and heart disease.

Research is still be conducted with the MIND diet, so additional foods like coffee may be allowed at some point. But even as is, the MIND diet is worth a shot.

For more information on nutrition and your health, please contact Better Living at (734) 747-0123.

 http://www.wsj.com/articles/a-diet-might-cut-the-risk-of-developing-alzheimers-1429569168?KEYWORDS=alzheimer%27s+diet

https://www.rush.edu/news/press-releases/new-mind-diet-may-significantly-protect-against-alzheimers-disease