Do e-cigarettes work as promised?

In 2014, worldwide electronic cigarette sales totaled $7 billion. So even if you don't smoke, you've probably heard the term "e-cigarette."

But you may be a little fuzzy on what exactly an e-cigarette is.

An e-cigarette is basically an electronic nicotine delivery system.  Each cigarette has a battery-powered vaporizer in it which produces a similar feel and sensation as a regular cigarette.  There are both one-time and reusable versions.  The basic idea is that they are safer than regular cigarettes and a way to help you gradually quit smoking for good.

Sounds good, however a new study by the University of California, San Diego Health Sciences published in April of this year found that smokers who used e-cigarettes were 49 percent less likely to decrease cigarette use and 59 percent less likely to quit smoking compared to smokers who never used e-cigarettes.  The study followed 1,000 California smokers over a one year span.

California Department of Public Health director and state health officer, Ron Chapman, MD, MPH has this to say...

“There is a lot of misinformation about e-cigarettes.  That is why, as the state’s health officer, I am advising Californians to avoid the use of e-cigarettes and keep them away from children of all ages.”

Quote:

"When it looks like I may live longer than five minutes, I'll drop cigarettes like a hot potato." - actor Patrick Swayze (a heavy smoker right up to his death from pancreatic cancer in 2009.)

Dealing with your Picky Eaters

It's right before dinner time and you hear the dreadful...

 

“Eeeeww, yuck!!”

Yes, it’s the familiar sound of a mealtime battle about to begin.

“That’s gross! I’m not eating that!”

Or worse:

“Phhhbbtt”… all over the wall.

Ugh.

You are trying to set a healthy example. But, when you are challenged by a picky-eater child or teen (or in some cases spouse) you end up banging your head against the wall.

This is especially true if you’re trying to change from unhealthy to healthy habits. Often it is hard to get everyone on board, especially if you have a young family.

Good news! There is hope.

Here are some guidelines for helping you get your entire family on board, including the picky ones.

• Do a kitchen clean-out and ensure that unhealthy foods are simply unavailable.

• Make healthy foods convenient and accessible for snacks and quick meals. For example, have a fruit bowl on the counter; pre-washed baby veggies in the fridge; raw nuts as quick-grab snacks; etc.
• Use inconvenience to your advantage. 
  
  “You want ice cream? Hmm, well, we don’t have any in the house. We’d have to go to the store to get it, and right now we’re doing homework. How about a banana instead? There’s one right here.”

• Use the “forbidden fruit” impulse to your advantage. Fuss over healthy foods or imply that they’re slightly special or off-limits. Serve them on the fancy plates or dole them out like it’s a big deal. Nothing is more appealing to kids than stuff they think they shouldn’t do!

I hope this helps you ease the pain of getting your family on board to healthier nutrition habits. To get more help with nutrition, give me a call at 561-880-5799 or click the link to schedule a FREE consultation.

CLICK HERE TO SCHEDULE YOUR>>> FREE CONSULTATION

Boost your immune system by eating a Shiitake mushroom a day.

Your immune system is responsible for keeping your whole body healthy.

And with all the emotional, physical and environmental stresses we face each day, having a strong one is more important than ever.

So you may be interested in the results of a study recently posted online.  The study was done in 2011 by the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences and published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition.

What researchers found is that over the four-week trial period, people who ate one four-ounce serving of shiitake mushrooms per day, not only experienced an enhancement of their immune system, but a reduction in inflammation that the immune system produces.  Specifically researchers found that study participants had better-functioning gamma delta T-cells and reductions in inflammatory proteins.  In other words, they were found to be good for the immune system and they helped reduce inflammation.

Shiitake mushrooms are native to East Asia, but available for sale around the world.  Dating back as far back as 100 A.D, people have considered them a medicinal medicine.  They are thought to possess antibacterial properties in addition to other anti-disease properties.  Studies in animals have found shiitake mushrooms have anti-tumor, cholesterol-lowering, and virus-inhibiting effects.

Quote:

"I didn't know what shiitake mushrooms were when I was 10 - most kids today do." - Chef Emeril 

A 115 year old woman's two secrets to a long life.

Her name is Emma Morano.

The Gerontology Research Group lists her as the fifth-oldest living person in the world.

She was born on November 29, 1899 in Civiasco Italy.

Later she moved to Verbania Italy a small town in northwest Italy.

In Verbania, where she still lives, she got a job in a factory making jute sacks, the bags most commonly used to hold potatoes.

She was married once, but it ended in 1938 after the death of her only child.

And while she's been single ever since, it was not for lack of men vying for her attention.  However over the years she's managed to resist all advances.

Her decision to do so is one of things she credits her longevity to.

She says after her unhappy marriage she "didn't want to be dominated by anyone."

The other thing she credits her long life to is raw eggs.   Since her teenage years she's slurped down three of them a day.  She started eating raw eggs after her doctor told her it would be good for her anemia (a condition where a lack of iron in the blood leads to a reduction in the number of red blood cells.)

One hundred years of eating three eggs a day is just shy of 110,000 eggs.  That's a lot of eggs.  (Note: In recent years she's reduced her consumption to two raw eggs per day.)

Morano has a positive attitude and still lives alone in a two room apartment (which she refuses to leave even for doctor visits.)  And according to her doctor (who visits her in her home,) "she's aware of the privilege of living."

The diet that appears to reduce your risk of a blood clot-triggered stroke.

Are you familiar with the Mediterranean diet?

It's the diet that encourages you to eat plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, fish, poultry and olive oil.

And encourages you to limit your intake of red meat, sweets and saturated fats such as those found in meat, butter and full-fat dairy products.

A study lead by Dr. Ayesha Sherzai, a neurologist at Columbia University Medical Center in New York City analyzed data from more than 104,000 teachers in California.  Their average age was 52 years.  The study was especially rigorous, since the authors accounted for "other factors” that would reduce stroke risks, such as exercise, total caloric intake, body mass index, smoking and menopausal/hormonal status.

The study found that following a Mediterranean diet was associated with a reduced risk of stroke caused by a blood clot.  However they also found that the plan had no effect either way regarding a bleeding (hemorrhagic) stroke.

The researcher also noted that prior research has shown a Mediterranean diet also lowers the risk of heart disease, mental decline and death.

Study confirms energy drinks create 66% higher risk for problems in schoolchildren…

The average age of the students in the study was 12.4 years.

The 1,649 middle-school students who took part in the study consumed an average of two sugared energy drinks per day (the range of consumption was from zero to seven drinks).

The study, done by the Yale School of Public Health, found that children who consumed heavily sweetened energy drinks were 66% more likely to be at risk for hyperactivity and inattention symptoms. 

Professor and lead researcher Jeannette Ickovics, director of CARE (Community Alliance for Research and Engagement) at the School of Public Health had this to say...

"As the total number of sugar-sweetened beverages increased, so too did risk for hyperactivity and inattention symptoms among our middle-school students.  Importantly, it appears that energy drinks are driving this association.  Our results support the American Academy of Pediatrics recommendation that parents should limit consumption of sweetened beverages and that children should not consume any energy drinks."

Some sugar-sweetened energy drinks contain up to 40 grams of sugar per day.  The recommended daily sugar intake for children (depending upon their age) ranges from 21 to 33 grams. 

Of course, hyperactivity and inattention aren't the only problems that may occur.  A consistently high-sugar intake can also lead to childhood obesity.

Quote:

"This might be the first generation where kids are dying at a younger age than their parents and it's related primarily to the obesity problem.” – Actress Judy Davis

Is your “drug of choice” processed foods?

A new study by the University of Michigan confirms what you may have suspected all along...

Highly-processed foods, or foods with added fat or refined carbohydrates such as white flour and sugar, are addictive.

The study points out that due to the "concentrated dose and rapid rate of absorption" some elements in highly-processed foods react similar in people's bodies to drug abuse.

Co-author Nicole Avena, who is also assistant professor of pharmacology and systems therapeutics at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City, had this to say about the study...

"This is a first step towards identifying specific foods, and properties of foods, which can trigger this addictive response.  This could help change the way we approach obesity treatment. It may not be a simple matter of 'cutting back' on certain foods, but rather, adopting methods used to curtail smoking, drinking and drug use."

Among the most addictive foods on the list were chocolate, pizza and French fries.  On the flip side unprocessed foods, with no added fat or refined carbohydrates such as brown rice and salmon were found not to be associated with addictive-like eating behavior.

Quote:

"You better cut the pizza in four pieces because I'm not hungry enough to eat six." - Yogi Berra