How to Avoid Obesity & Increase Muscle

We could learn from gorillas how to avoid obesity and have bodies with more muscle and less fat.

Too many carbs can lead to diabetes. Too much of the wrong kind of fats may lead to heart disease. Could gorilla eating habits (which nutritionally, in many ways are similar to human needs) be the answer to the obesity epidemic we are experiencing.

Could shifting your dietary intake of nutrient sources be the answer to not only having the body/figure you want but avoiding the diseases associated with being over-weight or obese?

Whole Foods and Organic Foods…Is it Worth the Extra Money?

There is no exact, “one-size fit all” definition for value, except when you are comparing two exact same things and the only difference is the price…then the lower priced offer is clearly better value!

Unfortunately, this is not the case when trying to compare organically grown products vs. conventionally grown products, and whether or not they are worth, the sometimes substantial, increased cost.

First let’s look at the facts as they exist now:

Studies have shown that organic foods, in general, do not have greater “nutritional” values than conventionally grown foods (i.e. do not have larger amounts of nutrients like vitamins and minerals)
Studies have shown that organic foods do have lower numbers and amounts of pesticide residues
Surveys as to whether or not organic foods taste better are mixed and non-conclusive.

From a health perspective (eliminating other motivating economic or long term environmental concerns, if any), the most likely benefit of eating organic food products would be derived due to reduced exposure to pesticide residues.

It is important to remember that the term “organic” does not mean “NO” pesticide levels, it assures reduced pesticide levels. (pesticides can remain in the soil and enter foods even when no synthetic pesticides are used).

We are also making the “pretty good” but not guaranteed assumption, that the natural pesticides used are safer than the synthetic pesticides.

The government sets what it considers to be safe levels of pesticides allowable in food products, whether they are organic or not. So if measuring safety via the government’s definition, most food products like fruits and vegetables, whether organic or not, are safe.

The question that arises is: “If organic food products have lower numbers of different pesticides and lower amounts of each of these pesticides, aren’t they safer?”

The answer to this question is: “Probably, Maybe,…..We really don’t know!”

A frustrating answer…I know, but there just aren’t any long term studies in humans demonstrating that groups of people who are long term consumers of organic food products have less diseases like cancer. Common sense says that less of a “bad” thing is “good” and I agree with this logic but it, alas, is just an opinion. We all know that sugar is not great for health but does eliminating it completely from your diet reduce disease risk vs. someone who just consumes modest amounts of it?. We just don’t know.

So to get back to our original question: “Are organic products worth the extra money they cost?”

If the whole concept of organic farming appeals to you and you like the idea of consuming less pesticides, even though it may or may not provide any meaningful extra health benefits, then the extra money is worth the peace of mind.

On the other hand, if you are on a budget and need to watch your dollars, then BY ALL MEANS, BUY REGULARLY GROWN FRUITS AND VEGETABLE. THEIR HEALTH BENEFITS FAR OUT WEIGHT ANY POTENTIAL RISK FROM HIGHER PESTICIDE LEVELS!

Curt Hendrix, M.S., C.C.N., C.N.S.

RELATED: What Are The Healthiest Holiday Foods?

Dangers of Fast Food for Kids

A new study published in the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, states that fathers are more likely to contribute to their children’s obesity because they are more lenient when it comes to letting the kids eat at fast food restaurants.

To the researchers surprise during the 15 month study, dads spent more time at fast food restaurants with the kids than the moms did.

Obviously both dads and moms have tremendous impact upon what their children eat, and studies show that in the vast majority of cases, children’s eating habits, whether “good” or “bad” are most influenced by ones parents.

If you think that you as a parent my fall into this group, the easiest place to start to improve is in the supermarket. If you make better purchases there of healthy food choices, your kids have less temptation and fewer options to eat poorly (at least while they are in the house).

Get a picture from the internet of what 5 lbs. of fat actually looks like and show it to your kids. Get a picture of an artery that has closed due to poor eating choices, and show that to your kids. You’d be surprised how many children retain these images and slowly but surely start to make better eating choices.

But the best place to start is right at home.

Curt Hendrix

Good News for Coffee Lovers with Heart Disease

It is no surprise that more people drink coffee than those who don’t. According to the National Coffee association over 50% of Americans drink coffee and average 3 cups a day.

Heart disease is the number one killer of men and women and many heart patients have wondered whether or not their “coffee” habit was dangerous because of their condition.

Well a new study, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, shows that women with heart disease or a previous heart attack, who continued to drink coffee, lived just as long as women with heart disease who didn’t consume coffee.

The new study followed nearly 12,000 U.S. nurses with a history of heart disease or stroke. It found that those who regularly drank caffeinated coffee were no more likely to die than non-drinkers during the study period, which for some, lasted more than 20 years. (the findings held true for women who even drank 4 or more cups of coffee a day.

The take away from this study, is that if you love coffee and already have diagnosed heart disease or have already had a heart attack, continuing to drink coffee, at least in moderate amounts, does not seem to add any addition risk to women.

Unfortunately, the researchers had no data to report on men.

The “health” pros and cons of coffee seem to indicate that moderate coffee consumption does not seem to pose much of a health risk to most people. If you would like to read an article discussing the Pros and Cons of coffee consumption please go to my recent blog post: “Caffeine…Is It Good or Bad For You-The Low Down on Caffeine”

To the best of health,

Curt Hendrix, M.S., C.C.N., C.N.S

Is Caffeine Good for You or Bad for You? The Lowdown on Caffeine

Nine out of 10 people consume caffeine every day. The main sources of this caffeine are coffee, tea, chocolate, and sodas. The average person gets about 280 mg/day of caffeine from the sources, which is the equivalent of 2 cups of coffee.

Most of us have heard conflicting information as to whether or not caffeine is “good or bad” for us. After reading this article, you will learn that the health “benefits” of caffeine seem to far out-weight any negative information you may have read about it.*

*It should be noted that the benefits described below were associated with, coffee, as the source of caffeine. Therefore it is possible that some of the benefits described below come about as a result of “other” compounds found in coffee and not the caffeine. This seems to be the case for Type 2 diabetes decreased risk. Both caffeinated and non-caffeinated coffees seem to have helped.

The Good:

1- Caffeine is a central nervous system stimulant. It increases your metabolic rate and the number of calories your burn (but not near as much as exercise.)

2- Short-term it can increase your mental focus.

3- Can help asthma patients to breathe better

4- Taken before exercise, can enhance performance

5- Men have a 40% reduced risk of developing gallstones when ingesting caffeine

6- May reduce risk of developing Parkinson’s disease

7- May reduce risk of colon cancer

8- May reduce risk of liver cirrhosis

9- May reduce risk of tooth decay

10- May reduce risk of developing Type 2 diabetes but it may be another ingredient in the coffee and not the caffeine that conveys this benefit

11- May reduce the risk of developing dementia

12- May improve heart artery function and increase blood flow

The Bad:

1- Caffeine can increase blood pressure for several hours after ingestion

2- Can cause nervousness

3- May increase the number of migraines experienced in chronic sufferers

4- Cause or worsen heartburn

5- May cause insomnia

6- May increase risk of arthritis (rheumatoid)

7- Though other compounds in coffee may reduce the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, for people already diagnosed, caffeine can increase blood sugar levels.

The Bottom Line:

The health benefits of “moderate caffeine” consumption (250-400 mg/day) are potentially significant. By keeping your caffeine ingestion at this level you get all of the potential health benefits and reduce the risk of some of the negative side-effects from occurring.

But, for those of you suffering from chronic migraines, caffeine presents a real problem! Many sufferers report that ingesting caffeine actually helps with their current, short-term, migraine pain. But, the problem with using caffeine is that it is known to cause an increase in the number of migraines you experience.

Though it is controversial if one can become “addicted” to caffeine, it is clear that many people become dependent upon it and that there are definite withdrawal symptoms that occur when people try to eliminate it, after using it for a long time.

The symptoms of caffeine withdrawal are:

Headache
Fatigue
Drowsiness
Irritability
Difficulty concentrating
Nausea
Muscle pain or stiffness

Chronic migraine sufferers will experience a significant improvement in their migraines if they withdraw caffeine from their diets. But to get this benefit you have to be willing to deal with the symptoms of caffeine withdrawal. THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT THESE SYMPTOMS WILL LAST FOR ONLY 2-9 DAYS AND THAT IF YOU WITHDRAW GRADUALLY, YOU MAY NOT EXPERIENCE THEM AT ALL OR ONLY SLIGHTLY.

To the best of health,

Curt Hendrix, M.S., C.C.N, C.N.S.,

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BIRTH CONTROL PILLS AND RISK OF BLOOD CLOTS

Two recent studies have suggested that certain birth control pills that contain the progestin, “Drospirenone” may have 2-3 times the risk of causing blood clots (Venous thromboembolism, VTE) than other birth control pills that do not contain this form of progestin.

These studies contradict an earlier study which said the risk of VTE is not increased with drospirenone containing birth control pills.

The FDA is evaluating the situation and will comment once any new information becomes available.

Brand names of birth control pills containing drospirenone are: Yaz, Yasmin, Beyaz and Safyral.

You may want to discuss this information with your physician, especially if you have had any kind of blood clotting issues, previously.

Many women of child-bearing age, who are on birth control pills, also suffer from migraine headaches. If you have not been able to control your migraines, please go to www.migrelief.com for a safe and very effective option.

Potential Benefits of Breastfeeding Continue to Grow

THE POTENTIAL BENEFITS OF BREASTFEEDING YOUR CHILD CONTINUE TO GROW

Just recently, a study completed at several universities in England, found that babies who were breastfed for at least 4 months had significantly less behavioral problems than those who were formula-fed, by the time they reached 5 years old.

In fact the rate of occurrence of behavioral problems was 2.7 times greater in the formula-fed babies (16% occurrence vs. 6%). This finding was consistent and was not affected by socio-economic differences or parental factors.

The researchers said one possible reason for the findings was that breast milk contains large amounts of essential long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, growth factors and hormones, which are important in brain and nervous system development. These are the same essential fatty acids that are found in fish like salmon and tuna.

These findings add to the list of other benefits that have been suggested for breastfeeding. Some studies have suggested that breastfed babies have lower rates of infection, higher IQ’s and less allergies and that mothers who breastfeed, may have a lower risk of certain types of cancers. (i.e. breast, endometrial, ovarian cancers).

Is Memory Loss Normal as We Age?

We all occasionally forget something, whether or not we are young or old. But what type of “forgetting” can indicate more serious concerns?

Diets which contain vegetable (and fruits, to some extent) have more antioxidants and minerals which may protect brain function in general and specifically cognition and memory. Excess sugar intake, on the other hand, most probably will decrease brain function and memory over the long term.

Spices may help to protect brain function and memory as well. Turmeric, the Indian spice, which contains the phytochemical curcumin, is an example of a dietary ingredient, that may protect the brain and thereby memory.

Aerobic exercise may be neuroprotective as well. Also, studies are showing that exercising your brain, by trying to learn new things may prove that the adage of “use it or lose it”, may be true.

You may find this quick test about memory offered by WebMD, fun, interesting and helpful. Why don’t you take it? It only takes a few minutes.

For a comprehensive supplement to enhance cognitive function, memory and brain health, consider Calm & Clever.

Curt Hendrix, M.S., C.C.N., C.N.S

A STRANGER COULD BE KILLING YOUR UNBORN CHILD!

PREGNANT WOMEN EXPOSED TO SECOND HAND SMOKE ARE AT INCREASED RISK OF STILLBIRTHS.

This article published in Reuters Health contains extremely important information for pregnant women who may be exposed to second hand smoke.

NEW YORK – – “Pregnant women who live or work with smokers may be at slightly higher risk of having a stillbirth,” suggests a study that adds to evidence that even secondhand smoke can harm unborn babies.

Newborns also weighed a little less and had smaller heads if their mothers were passive smokers, Canadian researchers found.

“This information is important for women, their families and healthcare providers,” Dr. Joan Crane of Eastern Health in St. John’s and colleagues write in the BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Secondhand smoke is thought to expose people to about one percent of the smoke that active smokers inhale. According to the researchers, “undiluted side-stream smoke contains many harmful chemicals and in greater concentration than cigarette smoke inhaled through a filter.”

Those chemicals may harm the fetus in a variety of ways, for instance by restricting blood flow and possibly damaging the placenta.

Little is known about the risk of stillbirth in passive smokers, so Crane and her colleagues used a database of pregnant women from the Canadian provinces of Newfoundland and Labrador to shed light on the question.

They also looked at other birth outcomes, such as head circumference, which has been linked to kids’ intellectual development.

Of nearly 12,000 women in the database, 11 percent said they had been exposed to secondhand smoke.

The rate of stillbirth, in which the baby dies during the third trimester of pregnancy, was 0.83 percent in passive smokers and 0.37 percent in women who didn’t breathe tobacco fumes.

Passive smokers had more than three times the odds of stillbirth.

“This is huge,” said Dr. Hamisu Salihu, an expert on stillbirth at the University of South Florida in Tampa. “We can now inform patients that exposure to secondhand smoke means they can lose their baby.”

The Canadian researchers also found that babies born to passive smokers weighed 54 grams, or nearly 2 ounces, less than babies whose mothers lived and worked in smoke-free households.

And their heads were slightly smaller, too, measuring 0.24 centimeters (about 0.1 inch) less on average.

Salihu said head circumference has been associated with IQ, although the link is indirect.

“Policy makers should really take this matter seriously,” he concluded. “We need to enact laws to protect these babies.”

FAT! LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION IS WHAT MATTERS

WHERE FAT IS LOCATED MAY BE MORE LIFE THREATENING THAN TOTAL BODY FAT

For many years you may have been reading about the importance of keeping your BMI (Body Mass Index) below 25. Above 25 is considered over-weight and over 30 is considered obese.

But there have been many critics of using BMI to determine health and mortality (likelihood of dying) risks. I have been one of those who questioned the true value of BMI. BMI is a ratio comparing your weight to your height.

If one were to think about it, this is a rather general statistic and makes NO allowance for the fact that some people are just broader than others. Some people are just more naturally muscular than others. So it is not surprising that researchers have recently confirmed that at least for patients with clogged arteries (and it’s my guess , for everyone else too) that the location of your body fat presents a much higher risk of premature death, than an elevated BMI.

Research just recently published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, found that for people with clogged arteries, (most of us have no idea if our arteries are clogged or not, until it’s too late) that abdominal fat (belly fat) is a far superior indicator of risk of death than BMI.

The study collected data from 15,000 patients and determined that where the fat is located is more important than carrying a little extra fat throughout the body.

To put it in terms of what your figure might look like, it is better to be pear-shaped (carrying the extra weight in the hips and thighs) than it is to be apple-shaped (carrying the weight around your middle).

The double whammy would be to be apple shaped (excess belly-fat) and also have a high BMI.

So how do you know when you might be at risk, if you can’t use BMI as a measuring device? The answer is that you can use two other measurements that are thought to be better predictors of mortality.

1- Waist Circumference – Just take out a tape measure, make sure you measure at the belly button level and if you are a woman with a waist over 35 inches or a man with a waist over 40 inches, you are at increased risk.

2- Waist to Hip Ratio – This time measure both your waist and your hips (measure the hips around the hip bone which protrudes from the side of the very top of your leg). Then divide the waist measurement by the hip measurement. For women the number should be .80 or less (that is, point eighty, less than one) and for men it should be .95 or less.

This in very important to keep in mind when considering your over all health regimen.

Curt Hendrix, M.S., C.C.N, C.N.S

HEALTHY CHOCOLATE! The Health Benefits of Dark Chocolate

Recent studies, published in well-respected science journals, state that moderate consumption of dark chocolate but not other kinds of chocolates like milk chocolate or white chocolate, can yield some important health benefits.

“Dark chocolate“, also called “plain chocolate” or “black chocolate”, is chocolate produced with either zero or much less milk than milk chocolate, to which sugar and fat are added.

Dark chocolate is synonymous with semisweet and extra-dark (that contains even higher levels of cocoa) is also referred to as bittersweet.

The percentage of cocoa, in dark and extra-dark chocolate, is significantly higher than the cocoa levels in milk chocolate.

This is significant for at least 2 reasons:

Milk is thought to interfere with the absorption, into our bodies, of the healthy and naturally occurring antioxidants, called polyphenols, which are found in the cocoa derived from the cocoa bean. Cocoa levels in dark chocolate can get as high as 90% or more. Levels in milk chocolate can be significantly less than 35%.
The higher % of cocoa in dark chocolate results in higher levels of the antioxidants which are thought to yield some of the health benefits of dark chocolate that will be discussed below.

Health Benefits of Dark Chocolate

An article published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) revealed that dark chocolate lowers blood pressure.

Another paper, published by Italy’s National Institute for Food and Nutrition Research, showed that the antioxidants in dark chocolate consume destructive free radicals that associated with heart disease and other chronic degenerative diseases. This research also showed that milk either in the chocolate or consumed with the chocolate will interfere with the absorption of the antioxidants in the dark chocolate and reduce or eliminate their potential benefits.

Therefore, do not consume milk at the same time you eat dark chocolate. A reasonable portion of dark chocolate would be about 75- 100 grams or about 2 ½-3 ½ ounces. But remember, this much dark chocolate would contain about 370-530 calories, so try to eliminate another desert, of similar caloric content, if you start consuming dark chocolate.

I know with Easter just around the corner all of those cute milk chocolate Easter bunnies are tempting but try to find ones that are made of dark chocolate, to get these healthy benefits.

Curt Hendrix B.S. M.S. C.C.N. C.N.S.

Plutonium Leaks in Japan: What Are the Real Dangers?

Plutonium Leaks in Japan

What are the real dangers?

Because of the Japan nuclear accidents, many people are reading about and becoming concerned about plutonium. The information below should serve to put your mind at ease about any risk we in the U.S. might have due to plutonium exposure.

Plutonium is a man made element created from uranium and used as a fuel in nuclear power plants.

External exposure to plutonium presents very little risk because it throws off weak alpha radiation that cannot penetrate our skin.

Ingestion of plutonium does not pose much of a risk either, because it passes through our GI tract, is poorly absorbed and is eliminated without doing harm.

Plutonium can be dangerous when it is inhaled and therefore circumvents the GI tract. Then it can remain in our systems for decades, exposing our cells/tissues/organs to radiation and substantial risk of cancer.

The risk of airborne plutonium coming from Japan is almost negligible because of the distance and the fact that plutonium is heavy and will fall to the ground.

External exposure to plutonium poses very little health risk, since plutonium isotopes emit alpha radiation, and almost no beta or gamma radiation.

Ingestion is not a significant hazard, because plutonium passing through the gastro-intestinal tract is poorly absorbed and is expelled from the body before it can do harm.

Internal exposure to plutonium is an extremely serious health hazard. It generally stays in the body for decades, exposing organs and tissues to radiation, and increasing the risk of cancer.

The main threat to humans comes from inhalation. While it is very difficult to create airborne dispersion of a heavy metal like plutonium, certain forms are a hazard. If inhaled, much of the material is immediately exhaled. Some however will be trapped and transferred, first to the blood and later to other parts of the body, notably the liver and bones. It is here that the deposited plutonium’s alpha radiation may eventually cause cancer, and generally stays in the body for decades.

How does plutonium get into the environment?

Plutonium was dispersed worldwide from atmospheric testing of nuclear weapons conducted during the 1950s and ‘60s. The fallout from these tests left very low concentrations of plutonium in soils around the world.

Nuclear weapons production and testing facilities (Hanford, WA; Savannah River, GA; Rocky Flats, CO; and The Nevada Test Site, in the United States, and Mayak and Semi Plafinsk in the former Soviet Union), also released small amounts. Some releases have occurred in accidents with nuclear weapons, the reentry of satellites that used Pu-238, and from the Chernobyl nuclear reactor accident.

How does plutonium change in the environment?

All isotopes of plutonium undergo radioactive decay. As plutonium decays, it releases radiation and forms other radioactive isotopes. For example, Pu-238 emits an alpha particle and becomes uranium-234; Pu-239 emits an alpha particle and becomes uranium-235.

This process happens slowly since the half-life of plutonium isotopes tend to be relatively long: Pu-238 has a half-life of 87.7 years; Pu-239 has a half-life is 24,100 years, and Pu-240 has a half-life of 6,560 years. The decay process continues until a stable, non-radioactive element is formed.

How do people come in contact with plutonium?

Residual plutonium from atmospheric nuclear weapons testing is dispersed widely in the environment. As a result, virtually everyone comes into contact with extremely small amounts of plutonium.

People who live near nuclear weapons production or testing sites may have increased exposure to plutonium, primarily through particles in the air, but possibly from water as well. Plants growing in contaminated soil can absorb small amounts of plutonium.

How does plutonium get into the body?

People may inhale plutonium as a contaminant in dust. It can also be ingested with food or water. Most people have extremely low ingestion and inhalation of plutonium. However, people who live near government weapons production or testing facilities may have increased exposure. Plutonium exposure external to the body poses very little health risk.

What does plutonium do once it gets into the body?

The stomach does not absorb plutonium very well, and most plutonium swallowed with food or water passes from the body through the feces. When inhaled, plutonium can remain in the lungs depending upon its particle size and how well the particular chemical form dissolves. The chemical forms that dissolve less easily may lodge in the lungs or move out with phlegm, and either be swallowed or spit out. But, the lungs may absorb chemical forms that dissolve more easily and pass them into the bloodstream.

Once in the bloodstream, plutonium moves throughout the body and into the bones, liver, or other body organs. Plutonium that reaches body organs generally stays in the body for decades and continues to expose the surrounding tissue to radiation.

Health Effects of Plutonium:

How can plutonium affect people’s health?

External exposure to plutonium poses very little health risk, since plutonium isotopes emit alpha radiation, and almost no beta or gamma radiation. In contrast, internal exposure to plutonium is an extremely serious health hazard. It generally stays in the body for decades, exposing organs and tissues to radiation, and increasing the risk of cancer. Plutonium is also a toxic metal, and may cause damage to the kidneys.

Is there a medical test to determine exposure to plutonium?

There are tests that can reliably measure the amount of plutonium in a urine sample, even at very low levels. Using these measurements, scientists can estimate the total amount of plutonium present in the body. Other tests can measure plutonium in soft tissues (such as body organs) and in feces, bones, and milk. However, these tests are not routinely available in a doctor’s office because they require special laboratory equipment.

Protecting People from Plutonium

What can I do to protect myself and my family from plutonium?

Since plutonium levels in the environment are very low, they pose little risk to most people. However, people who live near government weapons production or testing sites may have higher exposure.

Plutonium particles in dust are the greatest concern, because they pose the greatest health risk. People living near government weapons facilities can track radiation monitoring data made available by site personnel. If radiation levels rise, they should follow the radiation protection instructions given by site personnel.