Good Nutrition in School Can Help to Fight Childhood Obesity

Perhaps you are trying to help your child lose weight, or you feel he or she may be in danger of becoming overweight or unhealthy because of their eating and exercise habits.

 

If so, it is important that you consider the impact of your child’s time at school as you think about what you need to change.

 

As the U.S. government has studied obesity, many of their agencies have produced reports and established guidelines to help parents and school systems understand how to make important changes.

 

These guidelines are designed to encourage our children to eat healthy foods and get plenty of exercise.

 

Across the country, schools are beginning to offer more good food choices, and look at their physical education and extra-curricular activities to ensure that they encourage good habits.

 

Of course your involvement and understanding is important if your child is going to get the right support while she or he is in school during the day.

 

And, you need to ensure that your child understands the importance of CHOOSING the healthy foods and participating in exercise programs, but the first step is to make sure these choices are AVAILABLE to your child.

 

Working with medical organizations, the USDA published ‘Prescription for Change’, and ‘Healthy School Nutrition Environments’.

 

These reports were meant to be used by schools to improve their nutritional program.

 

Here are some of the recommendations included in those reports.

 

The Serving and Dining Environment

** The Federal, State and local government must provide adequate funding for food and eating environs to support healthy eating.

 

** Dining space will be adequate, pleasant and socially accommodating, and will accommodate all students and staff scheduled to eat at a certain time of day.

 

** Serving areas will be sufficient to ensure that every student has access to meals with a minimum of waiting time, so that they have plenty of time to eat before their next class.

 

** The staff and administration of the school, AND the students and parents will analyze the current environment, working together to create a space that matches the needs of all parties.

 

Nutritional Concerns Regarding Meals and Foods

 

** Meals should comply with USDA nutritional standards and guidelines, and students should have plenty of food choices, with new foods introduced to keep the menu interesting and healthy.

 

** Food preparation and preferences should be varied enough to comply with various tastes and ethnic preferences or religious requirements.

 

** Additional food and drink offered, over and above meals served, e.g. vending machines and packaged snacks, will represent the 5 major food groups in the Food Guide Pyramid.

 

** Students must have designated lunch periods, long enough for them to get their food and eat at a healthy pace.

 

** Lunch periods should be as close to the middle of the day as possible and should allow time for socialization and a relaxed eating pace.

 

** All decisions made by the school system regarding the type, variety and quantity of food and drink to be sold in the school will be based on nutritional goals and sound guidelines, NOT on the profit the school can make.

 

Nutrition and Health Focused Curriculum

 

** Kindergarten through Grade 12 classes should include education and information on healthy eating habits and the types of foods a child should eat to stay healthy and help them grow.

 

Now that you understand the concerns and recommendations of the USDA and the national medical organizations, go to a school board meeting and talk to the board members about what they are doing to comply with these guidelines.

 

If you don’t know what your child’s eating environment and food choices are, visit the school and find out. Get involved with the PTA or PTO in your school system and get to work!

Finding A Diet That Works

Searching for a new diet that works? If you’re a habitual dieter, wouldn’t it be nice to stop changing diets? Is there a diet that actually works?

 

Everyone has a habit or a vice. Some people smoke. Some people bite their fingernails. Some people cannot resist having a piece of chocolate before bed time, and others snore when they sleep. Others are habitual dieters, always looking for a new diet that promises astonishing results.

 

How many new diet plans have you tried? Some people can tick off a list of new diet after diet that they have tried. They yo-yo back and forth. Atkins, weight watchers, the grapefruit diet, the soup diet, the salad diet, the low-fat diet: some people cannot even count every new diet they have tried.

 

Often, each new diet is punctuated by a day of binge eating. Sure, you lost weight on that latest low-carbohydrate new diet, but now you’re craving a baked potato, French fries, and a big piece of garlic bread. Wouldn’t it be great to find a new diet that allows you to eat all the foods you want while still losing weight?

 

The bottom line is that the best option isn’t actually a new diet. It’s a concept that has been around for ages, but people fail to overlook it with so many new diet choices on the market. If you talk to most doctors, however, they will agree that fad dieting is not the smartest choice to lose weight.

 

However bombarded we may be with new diet choices; there is one fact that cannot be ignored. We lose weight when we limit our caloric intake. This isn’t about grapefruit, carbohydrates, fat-free products, or even following a strict new diet plan. It’s about eating in moderation. You don’t have to go hungry, but you need to use willpower to make sure you don’t overeat. Limiting your calories means shedding those unwanted pounds.

 

What happens when you don’t have willpower? Face it; some of us just don’t have that extra willpower that we need to turn down a second serving of our favourite food. It’s hard to do, especially when your new diet has left you hungry.

 

Willpower cannot be bottled and sold, but there is a new diet concept that will give you the willpower you need to follow through with your weight loss goals. I’m not talking about appetite suppressants. Many of these products still leave you hungry and leave you feeling jittery or overheated.

 

If you missed the expose on 60 Minutes or Today show, then you probably haven’t heard about a new vegetable that could jumpstart your diet. This means no more signing on for a new diet every month because you’ll finally have found something that works safely and long term. I’m talking about Hoodia Gorgoniid. This cactus like plant was introduced to the market recently, but it has been around for centuries. Bushmen in Africa used it for warding off hunger during long expositions.

 

What does this mean for you today? It means you can limit your calories while not being at all hungry. You’ll feel as if you have already eaten. I know, it sounds almost too good to be true, but it actually works. The best news is that Hoodia is all natural, making it totally safe to incorporate this as a part of your daily diet. Stop stressing over food, the latest new diet, or losing that unwanted weight. Watch those pounds melt off safely and quickly.

Fight Cancer With These 10 Foods

More than a third of all cancers could be prevented by changes in diet and exercise. One of the most important things you can do to reduce your risk is lose excess weight - and one of the best ways to lose weight is through a filling, fibre-rich diet including plenty of fruits and vegetables. 

 

But that's not the reason why the National Cancer Institute recently approved the dietary guidance: "Diets rich in fruits and vegetables may reduce the risk of some types of cancer and other chronic diseases." These foods are packed with antioxidants and other compounds that protect your DNA and fight free radical damage. 

 

Since these substances work synergistically, it's best to eat a variety of fruits and vegetables rather than relying on one particular produce item to serve as a magic bullet against disease. That said, recent studies have uncovered specific benefits in the following foods that would recommend making them a part of any healthy diet.

 

1. Tomatoes: Lycopene, also found in watermelon and pink grapefruit, has been linked to lower risk of prostate, ovarian and cervical cancer. It also targets the free radical that is implicated in lung and digestive cancers. 

 

2. Broccoli sprouts: One forkful triggers a cascade of antioxidant activity that lasts for days. 

 

3. Berries: Blueberries, cranberries, cherries, raspberries, strawberries, grapes - all rich in anthocyanins that repair and protect DNA.

 

4. Soybeans: Isoflavones such as genistein may help prevent and treat prostate cancer and may reduce breast cancer risk

 

5. Tea: Both black and green contain powerful compounds shown in countless studies to lower the risk of several types of cancer. 

 

6. Pumpkin: This unsung super-food is a super-rich source of both beta-carotene and alpha-carotene, two hard-working carotenoids that combat lung and ovarian cancer. 

 

7. Spinach: Popeye's favourite may help ward off cancers of the liver, ovaries, colon and prostate. The active antioxidant lutein is also found in kale and other leafy greens.

 

8. Garlic: Allium veggies (which also include onions and scallions) work to get your body's own antioxidant defence systems in gear. This process provides protective benefits against stomach, oesophageal and breast cancers. 

 

9. Pineapple: The enzyme bromelain may inhibit the growth of malignant cells in both lung and breast cancer, while the phenolic compounds also provide a protective benefit. 

 

10. Apples: Can one a day help keep cancer at bay? Studies show quercetin may reduce the risk of lung cancer and impede growth of prostate cancer cells. Other antioxidants together with pectin help halt colon and liver cancer cell replication.

Fibre-Rich Food is the Best Nutrition for Dieting

In this article I will reveal some little known facts about the fibres and the beneficial effect they have over your body.

 

First of all let me explain what fibre is:                                                                 

 

Fibre is an indigestible part of all plant foods. It is found in fruits, vegetables, grains and beans. Your digestive system cannot stomach fibre, so it is excreted undigested. Well, you may think you don’t need fibre, because it’s excreted undigested, but that’s not true.

 

Let's imagine the following picture:

 

You overeat at least once or twice a week, more often at weekends, and your regular menu doesn't include much fibre. Well, this might be your life style; however you should consider that it may cause you lots of health problems like:

 

• indigestion
• discomfort stomach aches 
• gases in the digestive tract 
• constipation
• haemorrhoids
• you got tired faster 
• can't concentrate on what you're doing 

 

I mean you become less productive at work and more irritable at home. Besides all this, you gain weight and that’s the moment when you realize you have a problem.

 

In order to solve a problem, you should first find the reason for it. In this case it’s the lowered intake of fibre-rich foods and respectively - the higher intake of foods containing no fibre (like meat). The average amount of fibre intake is about 25-30 grams per day. Unfortunately most people regular diets include less than 10-15 grams daily. 

 

You should start consuming more fibre-rich foods:

 

• all bran cereal 
• beans
• peas
• spinach
• sweet corn  
• wholemeal brown bread 
• red cabbage 
• carrots
• baked potato with skin 
• apples, bananas, oranges and all fruits 

                                                                                    

There are two types of fibre - soluble and insoluble. If you start eating more food rich in fibre, you’ll be amazed of its beneficial effects over your body, health and way of life. 

 

Soluble fibre forms glue like gel in the intestinal tract. The gel softens stools (no more constipation) and improves your digestion (no more indigestion).

 

Fibre slows down stomach emptying and you feel fuller longer. This effect helps you eat less, your body burns additional calories to digest fibre and you can lose weight.

 

Insoluble fibre is an excellent natural laxative, because of its abilities to hold onto water and to push waste faster along the intestines - this way fibre decreases the risk of colon cancer. 

 

In conclusion, I'd like to tell you that you won't be sorry if you start eating more fibre-rich foods. Like many other people I used to take not enough fibre, and I suffered stomach aches. Then I started to eat more fruits and fibre-rich foods in my daily menu. I must admit that it really worked for me, and now fibre-rich food is the most important nutritious part of my regular diet.

Elements of Good Nutrition

With the amount of information that exists about good nutrition, you would think it was a big mystery. The truth of the matter is, there is no mystery involved in getting the proper nutrients that your body needs. Why should you care about getting the proper nutrients? Many people are under the misconception that eating healthy is for the young because they are growing. Tissue and cells are constantly being renewed in both children and adults. The failure for these elements to repair themselves can result in diseases of lifelong misery or worse, death. To lower your risk of developing a disease, you simply need to follow three simple steps of good nutrition. 

 

Proper Hydration

 

Plain and simple, your body needs water. Being properly hydrated will benefit you from head to toe. Water keeps your cells hydrated and flowing throughout your body. It doesn't take long to witness the benefits of drinking sufficient water. Just a week of being hydrated and your skin will have a new glow. If you need to lose weight, water can help you achieve your goal. In many instances, people misinterpret thirst for hunger. Unless it's been a few hours since you have eaten, have a glass of water the next time you have hunger panes.

 

There are numerous guidelines for how much water to drink. Consuming eight glasses of water each day is the most popular guideline. People have different needs. A better indication of how hydrated you are is your urine. When you are properly hydrated your urine is almost clear. There is the possibility of water intoxication so you don't want your urine to be completely colourless.

 

Eating Healthy

 

In addition to being hydrated, you need to eat a variety of foods. Forget fad diets that restrict certain foods. The key to healthy eating is to eat in moderation and variety. Your food choices should include a large percentage from complex carbohydrates, which is sufficient for energy. You should also consume several servings of fruits, vegetables, grains, and dairy every day. You should limit your servings of protein and fats to two or three servings each day. By including all of these food groups in your diet, you are less likely to be hungry or have cravings for sweets and other non-nutritional foods.

 

Vitamin Supplementation

 

As long as you live in a country where food is plentiful and produced safely, you should have no problem obtaining the amount of vitamins and minerals your body needs. However, food allergies, dislikes, and illness may prevent you from eating certain foods. Some people, for example, are lactose intolerant and cannot consume dairy products. In these instances, supplementation should become a part of a plan for healthy nutrition. You don't need a prescription to purchase vitamins, but it is a good idea to discuss your particular needs with your medical doctor. Consuming excessive amounts of some vitamins can cause toxicity and unpleasant side effects.

 

To check out the supplement we take daily and highly recommend, be sure to check out http://www.nutritional-supplement-guides.com/what-we-use.html.

Eating to Ease Arthritis Pain

Do aches and pains have you out of joint? Concerns culminating in the withdrawal of several selective Cox-2 inhibitors, like Vioxx, have many arthritis sufferers turning to the supplement aisle in search of relief. 

 

Could diet and exercise provide more reliable solutions? Here's a roundup of recent research into those foods that help support healthy joints: 

 

Pineapple: Bromelain is an enzyme that can help ease joint pain and relieve muscle soreness. Scientists at the Dole Nutrition Institute found that fresh or frozen pineapple has as much, if not more, bromelain activity than supplements. Pineapples also provide an excellent source of vitamin C, which helps promote collagen formation and improve iron absorption, and manganese, which supports metabolism and bone density. 

 

Cherries: a top source of anthocyanins that reduce inflammation and may protect against gout (an inflammatory form of arthritis). One study found that cherry consumption lowered blood levels of uric acid, which can accumulate in joints, causing pain. 

 

Broccoli: Cruciferous veggies such as broccoli contain sulphoraphane, which triggers the body's own antioxidant defences. New research suggests this process may help block effects of Cox-2 enzymes on inflammation. Broccoli sprouts are one of the most potent sources of these compounds, which you'll also find in cabbage, cauliflower and brussels sprouts. 

 

Red bell peppers: Just one contains more than 470 percent of your daily vitamin C needs (yellow peppers contain 450 percent and green peppers contain 190 percent). According to a Boston University study, people getting under 150 milligrams daily of vitamin C had faster cartilage breakdown. Other top sources of vitamin C are citrus fruit, pineapple, kiwi, cantaloupe, papaya, strawberries, tomatoes, kale, collard greens and sweet potatoes. 

 

Black cod: Move over, salmon! Black cod has even higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids, which may help rheumatoid arthritis by reducing inflammation. Flounder, halibut and sardines also contain this healthy fat, as do flaxseed oil, pecans, walnuts, tofu and leafy green vegetables. 

 

Button mushrooms: an unexpected source of vitamin D, adequate levels of which decrease vulnerability to arthritis pain. Sunshine enables your body to produce vitamin D; other sources include oysters, sardines and fortified non-fat dairy.

 

Kale: one of the healthier sources of calcium, which helps hold the line against osteoarthritis by slowing bone loss. Be adventurous - try collard greens, arugula, soy and beans in addition to some of the better-known calcium sources. 

 

Tea: Green and black tea contain flavonoids, antioxidant compounds that may block the production of prostaglandins, which cause inflammation and pain. 

 

While the foods cited above have compounds with targeted joint health benefits, Harvard research found a more general link between high fruit and vegetable consumption and lower risk of rheumatoid arthritis. 

 

What to limit? Red meat. British researchers found that too much red meat increased the risk of rheumatoid arthritis. Those who ate the most red meat were twice as likely to develop the condition than those who limited their intake to less than 1 ounce per day. 

 

Eating less meat and more fruit and vegetables also helps maintain a healthy weight - an important facet of managing joint pain. If you're among the majority of Americans who are either obese or overweight, slimming down can significantly slow progression of joint degeneration and ease pain. In fact, you can reduce knee stress by 40 to 80 pounds with a mere 10-pound weight loss.

Eating the Right Way

In our society, certain inappropriate eating habits have become routine. By attacking these habits, you can increase the likelihood that you will actually lose weight.

When you think about weight loss, what do you think of first? Which aspects of weight loss are important, which are essential, and which ones can you take or leave? You be the judge. 

 

Once you begin to move beyond basic background information, you begin to realize that there's more to weight loss than you may have first thought.  

 

It probably comes to you as naturally as breathing the art of eating. However, you might never have been taught to eat well. This is critically important because, unless you learn to eat well, you may never master the art of dieting. In our society, certain inappropriate eating habits have become routine. By attacking these habits, you can increase the likelihood that you will actually lose weight.

 

To begin with, it is important that you learn to eat slowly. At first, this might be quite a challenge. We have been conditioned to live in a fast food world. We rush meals in order to have time to run to soccer practice, to a piano recital, or to school and work. We think that rushing saves us timeout such a routine can easily backfire, leaving us with unwanted pounds. Studies have shown that at least 10 minutes is required before the brain receives the message that the stomach is full. This means that you could be eating long after you are actually satiated. Your meal, whether it’s in the morning, afternoon, or evening should last at least ten minutes. Train yourself to lengthen your meal by engaging in conversation, resting your fork between courses, chewing slowly, and drinking plenty of water between courses. You should also wait at least ten minutes after your main meal before deciding if you need dessert. Within that period of time, you may discover that you weren’t really hungry after all.

 

Another trick is to place serving dishes on the counter and leave them there. As a result, you’ll actually have to get up out of your seat in order to get more food. You may decide that it’s not worth the bother. Or you may find that you discover that you need no more food between courses. Also, do not eat directly from an ice cream carton, tortilla chip bag, or cracker box. Otherwise, you could find yourself easily overeating.

 

You should always eat at the table. This prevents you from trying to engage in multi-tasking, such as surfing the Net, watching television, or flipping through magazines while you eat. At the table, you’ll be forced to concentrate on how much food you are putting into your mouth. If you eat anywhere else, you may lose track of how much food you’re consuming.

 

Abandon the idea that you must clean your plate. It is simply not true. Research has shown that more than half of adults insist on cleaning their plates, even when they are already full. This means that you are overeating simply out of politeness. Such a habit only serves to add unwanted pounds. Instead of cleaning your plate, try eating only that portion of food that makes you feel full. You’ll be healthier and happier that way.

 

Do not keep food in plain view during the day. If the cookie jar is open or the pretzel bag is out on the table, you’ll have a tremendous urge to eat, even if you are not hungry. After a meal, put your food away in the refrigerator, inside your cupboard, or in the Lazy Susan. This way, you’ll actually have to do some work to get at food before you consume it.

 

If you happen to overeat, don’t spend a great deal of time sulking. Accept your mistake and move on. If you’ve veered off course, take corrective action and forget about it. Otherwise, you could find yourself eating out of frustration, or going off your diet entirely. It’s better to sabotage a single meal than a lifetime’s worth of meals. 

 

You may be self-conscious at first as you attempt to change your eating habits. Realize that your bad habits did not start overnight, so it will take some time to correct them. While it may seem an arduous task initially, it is well worth the effort. You’ll quickly find that your new eating habits have helped you to lose unwanted weight. Granted, such techniques as hiding your food and eating more slowly will not in themselves cause you to lose weight, but they will help you to curb your overeating over the long run. And you’ll be a better person for it.  

 

Take time to consider the points presented above. What you learn may help you overcome your hesitation to take action.

Eating the Australian Way

Australians are often divided into the haves, and the have-nots. 

 

But they're not always talking about money. 

 

These days, it's often the haves (too much body fat), versus the have-nots (not overweight). 

 

We can't seem to make up our minds whether to eat at McDonald's, KFC, Pizza Hut, Krispy Kreme, Starbucks, and All-You-Can-Eat fast food restaurants, or whether to grab a protein snack, a freshly-squeezed fruit juice with wheatgrass and go straight to the gym. 

 

Women's Magazines have the same problem. A sample magazine from this month featured diet and exercise routines from three TV personalities and movie stars. Yet the back section of the magazine featured recipes such as luscious mocha fudge cake. 

 

The incidence of obesity in Australia rose dramatically in the 90s - 80% for women. And over 20% of children and adolescents are overweight or obese. Our eating habits are often unbalanced. 

 

Yet a trip to the local beach shows a large number of exceedingly fit bodies, often accompanied by personal trainers. Perhaps the rebellion has begun. 

 

Australian authors are now responsible for several internationally-known health and fitness books, such as the Sandra Cabot's Liver Cleansing Diet, the CSIRO WellBeing Diet, and Jennie Brand-Miller's New Glucose Revolution. 

 

So let's assume you've decided to improve your health and fitness, upped your intake of raw fruit and vegies (for Liver Cleansing), are monitoring your intake of white breads and potatoes (for Glucose Revolution), and planning a BBQ based around lean meat for dinner tonight (CSIRO diet). 

 

A November 2005 announcement from Jennie Brand-Miller is good news for the traditional Ocker image of throwing a shrimp on the barbie, while drinking a cold beer. 

 

Apparently moderate alcohol intake has been related to a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes and coronary heart disease. The new study looked at the impact of beer, white wine and gin on a carbohydrate-based meal. The result was that the alcoholic drinks, in particular the white wine, helped to lower the glucose and insulin response after the meal. 

 

So if someone criticises you for that pre-dinner drink this summer, just say that you're making an effort to avoid diabetes. They may just buy you another drink for being so thoughtful. 

Eating Out Wisely

Many people I know love eating out at different cafes and restaurants. They love trying out new places almost as much as they love returning to their old favourite spots. They love trying new menu items and discovering new ways to eat the foods they enjoy the most. Eating out can be both a wonderful and very dangerous thing.

 

In America we are blessed to have restaurants dotting the streets of many streets in towns and cities of all sizes. We are rarely at a loss for places to eat out. One of the greatest things about eating out is that it saves time that many busy people do not have to waste. After spending long hours at our workplaces, few people have the time or energy to return home and cook a gourmet meal. Eating out seems to be a great solution at the end of a long, tiring day.

 

Eating out can also be great because we can try a wide variety of foods and drinks that we don't have the ability to make ourselves. No one loves eating the same basic foods over and over again, so eating out can be a good way to give our tastebuds something new.

 

However, if we are not careful, eating out can also be dangerous for a couple of big reasons. First, we must use caution in eating out for the sake of our health. Most restaurants and cafes offer huge portions of items that are unhealthy to eat and drink. Eating out often means filling up on appetizers, a main course, a few high calorie beverages, and a dessert to finish off the evening. Think about how many calories you can consume during a meal like this. I am not, of course, saying that we should never enjoy eating out. I am, however, saying that we need to be careful, for our health's sake, about eating out too frequently. We must be careful to watch our choices when we are eating out. Choose healthier items or commit to only eating half of the meal you choose. There are ways of eating out healthily, it just takes conscience effort.

 

Another huge reason to be careful about eating out too often is your pocketbook and budget. It is no secret that eating out costs more, on average, that cooking meals in your own home. It is easy to accumulate large bills, especially at nicer places. So be careful that you stick to a budget when you make plans for eating out.

 

Beware. Eating out can be one of the greatest pleasures or one of the most dangerous things. Enjoy it, but do it with caution.