This week I thought I would share a summary of a few interesting stories in health and nutrition to watch out for. I encourage you to Google for more information on any of the topics below…<\/p>\n
In the Pink<\/b>
\nOctober is, of course, Breast Cancer Awareness Month. So if you are a woman 40 years of age or older, now is the time to get your screening – or, if you are a woman with a history of breast cancer in your family, you want to start earlier with screenings like I did by age 35.<\/p>\n
Having a mammogram really isn’t as bad as you might think; not comfortable or something I want to do everyday, but I figure radiation treatments, chemotherapy, or a mastectomy would be a lot less pleasant. We have some great resources here in the North Country, even for those without health insurance, so there’s no good reason not to take advantage of them.<\/p>\n
Why We All Should Care About “Proposition 37”<\/b>
\nWith the election just around the corner, the idea of voting is one almost everyone’s mind. Anyone who has seen the film, Forks Over Knives<\/i>, knows about the concept of “voting with your fork” when it comes to what you and your loves ones eat. But it’s one thing to vote with your fork, and another thing entirely for the whole food movement to go actively political. Author and activist Michael Pollan says now is the time to show Big Agriculture that consumers mean business when it comes to labeling GMOs.<\/p>\n
California’s Proposition 37 – which, if passed, would require labeling of food sold to consumers made from plants or animals with genetic material changed in specified ways, and prohibit the marketing of such food, or other processed food, as ‘natural’ – is one big effort on the horizon. Hopefully New York state will take notice.<\/p>\n
How Likely You Are to Respond to Exercise<\/b>
\nResearch suggests that certain bodies are more responsive to the benefits of regular exercise, and now there’s a genetic test. The test only measures physical fitness, however, and not the long-term psychological or health benefits that regular exercise can have for all of us.<\/p>\n
The New York Times<\/i> reported that a genetic test has been developed by a British company, and is based on the findings of a 2010 study that identified about 30 gene variations that predicted how fit an individual may become through aerobic endurance activity.<\/p>\n
But whatever your genetic profile, the test can’t predict all the ways in which you may benefit from exercise. The test won’t tell you, for example, whether or not you will lose weight through physical activity, or how it will influence other health factors like blood pressure and insulin levels, though there are plans to include such measures in the future. You may be able to get the test through your local gym, if you inquire.<\/p>\n
Beverage Tax, Anyone?<\/b>
\nA sugar-sweetened beverage tax may be “the single most effective measure to reverse the obesity epidemic,” according to the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But if that doesn’t convince you, here’s a quote from Dr. Jeff Ritterman, a cardiologist and leader in the proposal to institute a penny-per-ounce soda tax in his home town of Richmond, California:<\/p>\n
“The science is all in our favor, but the science is not well known. The problem is that most people think that (soda) is a safe beverage to drink, and yet … one serving a day increases a man’s risk of heart attack by 20 percent, and in those who have one serving a day you can find in their bloodstream markers that show they’re at risk for a heart attack.”<\/p>\n
Your Mom Was Right About Chewing Your Food<\/b>
\nResearchers in the Netherlands and Switzerland have found that the amount of time spent chewing food can have a major impact on feelings of fullness. The more chewing and the more slowly, the better for helping you feel full longer. The research also seems to call into question the suitability of beverages to help us feel full. So maybe another reason sodas, coffee, tea, and even smoothies simply aren’t that satisfying are the fact that we don’t have to chew them? Yet another reason to slow down, eat, and truly savory our meals.<\/p>\n
Picture The Impossible?<\/b>
\nWe’ve all been told that visualizing our dreams – or even making “dream boards” – can help us achieve our goals. But recent psychological studies suggest that imagining our obstacles to success may actually be more productive and motivating.<\/p>\n
Gabriele Oettingen’s psychology lab at New York University has shown that visualizing our aims as already achieved can actually backfire on us. The positive imagery can be inspiring at first but it also tricks the mind into relaxing, as if the hard work is already done. This means the more compelling the mental scene of success, the more likely it is that your energy will seep away.<\/p>\n
Try it out: think of one of your ambitions, write down three benefits of succeeding, but then pause and consider the three main obstacles in your way and write those down, too. Going through this routine might help ensure you direct your motivation and energy where it’s needed most, and help you be realistic yet proactive about your goals.<\/p>\n
Go, Wegmans!<\/b>
\nWegmans Food Market, the much-lauded, mid-Atlantic grocery chain is investing in a local, sustainable future. A new, 50-acre research farm in upstate New York already supplies produce to two nearby stores, and serves as an incubator for future local eating efforts. Let’s start a campaign to bring a Wegmans to the North Country!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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