School-Based Efforts Boost Kids' Fruit, Vegetable Intake

(HealthDay News) -- Children will eat fruits and vegetables at school, if the school gives them a push, a new report says.

Researchers at the University of Maryland found three equally successful approaches based on teacher training with a tested curriculum and events that sometimes included parents. The biggest difference maker, though, was repeated exposure -- through taste testing -- to fruits and vegetables.

"Fruits and vegetables are a key contributor to children's health," lead investigator Bonnie Braun, an associate professor in the university's Department of Family Science, said in news release issued by the school. "Unfortunately, national reports indicate that children's consumption of these foods normally decreases from kindergarten to fifth grade. Students from low-income families are particularly at risk of inadequate intake."

Braun's team, which focused on elementary schools where at least half the population was eligible for the free or reduced lunch program, found that if schools increase fruits and vegetables on their cafeteria lines, children must be willing to eat them.

"Our hypothesis was that school-based interventions, focused on increasing children's preference for fruits and vegetables, would be associated with an increase in consumption both in school and at home," Braun said.

Prior to the interventions, not even one of 10 students (7 percent) was eating the recommended five fruits and vegetables a day. In fact, seven of 10 (70 percent) ate fewer than three servings of fruits and vegetables daily; of those, more than half (56 percent) ate fewer than two servings.

After the interventions, 60 percent of the students increased their taste for fruits and vegetables, and half either maintained their higher-than-average intake or increased intake.

More information
The Nemours Foundation has more about children, food and fitness.

Family-friendly foods

Tracy Seaman and Tanya Wenman Steel, authors of the cookbook “Real Food for Happy Kids,” show TODAY hosts how to get your kids to eat healthier meals.

When We’re All Fat, What Does the Ranking Matter?

By Sean Kelley

Whenever a list comes out that ranks my state close to the bottom for something good (or close to the top for something bad), we Alabamans like to look west and say, “Thank God for Mississippi.” The Magnolia state tends to be one or two slots below us on everything from education rankings to per capita earnings. And last week they surpassed us in obesity.

The Centers for Disease Control reported July 17 that three southern states had rates of obesity greater than 30%. By merely a point or two, Mississippi was chunkier than Alabama and Tennessee. Thank God for Mississippi. It’s held the top spot in the CDC’s ranking (based on telephone surveys of 350,000 Americans) since 2004. Read More

Food-Allergy Challenge: Putting Comfort Food Back on the Menu

By Sean Kelley

There is nothing like sharing comfort food with family, especially children. In our house, the two staples of comfort—peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and mac ‘n’ cheese—have taken a beating since our son Graeme’s food allergies were diagnosed.

PB&J seems completely beyond our reach (since Graeme is violently allergic to peanuts), but we’ve been working on the latter. A reader of this blog suggested we try Amy’s Rice Mac & Cheese (which doesn’t contain any ingredients that Graeme is allergic to), but I was skeptical. First, we had already tried using rice pasta, but it was not popular with Graeme (some is still stuck to the ceiling near his eating area, where he launched it in protest), and it was not popular with me, either (I resisted throwing it, but I thought about it!). Read More

Finding Our Son an Allergen-Free Day Care

By Sean Kelley

The first day of day care or school can be a traumatic event for both parents and children . When we dropped our daughter off at her day school two years ago, my wife and I were moved to tears. But, facing this decision recently for our son, who has severe food allergies, was not only emotional, it was scary.

At the end of June, we sent our son Graeme to day care for the first time. Before then, he’d been in a few parent’s-day-out programs, but for the most part he was in the care of his grandmothers or us. Initially our daughter’s facility looked like an option, but it soon became apparent that, while it was a great place for her, it was not the spot for a kid who can’t be within a football field’s distance of an open jar of peanut butter. We had to look elsewhere. Read More

Meltdown on Aisle 6: Finding Processed Food for Our Allergic Son

By Sean Kelley

On my first trip to the grocery store after my son, Graeme, was diagnosed with food allergies, I did something I’ve never done in a food store before: I cried.

I’m usually happiest around food, but it was a moment of rare negative emotion, and my breakdown happened in front of God, my 4-year-old daughter, Elise, and the boy who was stocking aisle six.

I had been reading my way through the store, checking every item before tossing it in the basket for foods that are now verboten in my house: peanuts, corn, wheat, soy, egg whites, and chicken. I knew I had to avoid those, but it was finding the derivatives of them in almost every product that was sending me into a state of panic and sadness. Read More

Health Magazine Ranks the Healthiest Convenience Foods

By Ross Weale

The holy grail of healthy eating is a meal or snack that is tasty, easy to prepare, and good for you. As part of Health magazine’s crusade to find America’s healthiest products and places, our staff and team of experts tested more than 500 new foods found at your local grocer.
Health senior food and nutrition editor Frances Largeman-Roth went on NBC’s Weekend Today on May 31 to talk with Amy Robach about four foods that made the cut.




Read More

Turning My Black Thumb Against Diabetes

Year 2 in my quest to use my organic garden as a tool for better health
by Sean Kelley When my wife and I bought our farm eight years ago, it seemed out of place for us. Despite growing up in rural Alabama, I know more about Gianni Versace than John Deere. Patti owns horses, but having livestock (or 1,200-pound lawn ornaments) does not make you a farmer. Neither does owning a farm.

In fact, most of the growth on our farm in recent years is due more to neglect than intervention on our part. Nature is reclaiming our eight-acre plot.

If owning a farm is out of character, gardening is anathema. Not only do I associate digging in the earth with constant adolescent battles with my father (whose idea of a father-son activity was often limited to early morning turns with a spade and hoe), but I have inherited my mother's black thumb.

(She once killed an entire household of Christmas cacti by feeding them what she thought was plant food, but was—in fact—bleach; I swear I heard plants screaming.)

Against these natures, I tilled up soil on the property last year to plant an organic garden. I had two goals: Make the farm work for us for a change and get more fresh vegetables into our diet. It wasn't a complete disaster, but our harvest of heirloom tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuces, and herbs was modest.

Now I'm back at it with renewed purpose. I'm still trying to stick to organic farming principles, but my primary goal is exercise. At the same time, that exercise will (hopefully) produce healthy fare for our table that's in line with my diabetic diet. The strategy has lots of benefits:

• A garden requires constant attention, meaning more exercises. Gardening can burn 300 calories an hour;
• Eating fruits and vegetables lowers diabetes risks and helps you lose weight
• A 2007 study by Saint Louis University found children eat more fruits and veggies when they're home grown—something we proved with our daughter (pictured with me above) last summer when she began to actually eat things we grew that she wouldn't eat from a store.

Monday night I put in 20 tomato bushes, a variety of peppers, leeks, basil, and eggplant. Trailing clumps of soil back into the house, I thought about all the energy I expended fighting the tiller, breaking up clay, and clomping around the property. I still hate digging in the dirt, but the benefits I can harvest for my health have potential that may turn my black thumb green.

How I'm Battling Supermarket Sticker Shock

A health-conscious eater learns to trim the fat from her budget
by Julie Upton, RD

I don't believe in skimping on good food, but my supermarket bill yesterday has forced me to confront my inner cheapskate.

My weekly shopping bill is usually just over $130, with a few odds and ends picked up midweek and the occasional meal out. This week, however, the tab was almost $165—a 27% increase. I rechecked to see if we had bought something pricey like steak or wine. No and no. The escalation of food costs has made news virtually daily, and according to the Consumer Price Index, food costs have increased more in the first quarter of 2008 than they have since 1990—and there's no sign of them heading south anytime soon.

Some of my big-ticket items were cage-free eggs ($5), organic milk ($3.50), imported cheese ($4.50), artisan seven-grain bread ($5.50), and New Zealand apples ($6). And I don't want to give most of them up.

So I researched some ways of putting my grocery shopping on a diet without ruining my healthy diet. I refuse to either spend Sundays clipping coupons or head to big-box retailers, where you can easily save 30% or more on food items, so here is what I'm doing to trim some of the fat from my weekly shopping budget.

Make a List
According food marketing specialist Phil Lempert: "Surveys of supermarketguru.com readers show that list makers spend 40% less when grocery shopping." Now I hope I can stick to only what's on the list.

Brown Bag It
Unlike my mother, who loves to cook and prefers cooking to eating out, I am not much of a cook. However, the best way to s-t-r-e-t-c-h my food budget is to eat in more often. My takeout lunch is around $10, but I can make a sandwich or have soup and salad at home for around $2.

Shop Full
I'm usually pretty disciplined when I go food shopping, but when I'm hungry I wind up with a cart filled with foods that curb my carb cravings: snack bars, pretzels, and more crackers than I know what do to with. These convenience foods are among the most expensive in the supermarket and add little nutritional value to my diet. So next time I go shopping, I'll avoid temptation and go on a full stomach.

Eating Green to Save Green
I'm going to stick to my vegetarian ways even more so now, because the foods that cost the most per serving are high-quality proteins (aka beef, poultry, and seafood). Consider this: Salmon costs about $.62/ounce and beans cost .$04/ounce, making the salmon 15 times more expensive than the beans. And, when I do eat meat, I'll make it go further financially by adding in a lot more vegetables to the dish.

Head to the Farmer's Market
I'm going to try to kick my daily New Zealand apple and South American banana habit. Living in California means that I have great locally grown berries available right now, as well as plenty of veggies. Eating in season can save you $2/pound on many fruits and vegetables. Right now, I can get fresh California-grown strawberries for less than $1/pound, whereas imported blueberries from Chile were $20/pound at the supermarket! Since berries deliver similar nutritional benefits, I'll take the strawberries, thank you.

Compare Prices
Using the unit pricing system (shelf tags), I can do my own price checks on comparable items to see which offers the best deal. Unit pricing provides the price per standard unit, often one ounce. For example, I found Tropicana orange juice costs $.09/ounce but the exotic pomegranate-blueberry juice next to it was .25/ounce—more than twice the price. In the cereal aisle, most big brands were around $.30/ounce but store brands were about $.15/ounce, or half the price.

Let me know if you're feeling my pain in the pocketbook, too—and what you're doing to save some green when shopping.

What is Fucoxanthin?

From Cathy Wong,


Fucoxanthin is a type of carotenoid found naturally in edible brown seaweed such as wakame (Undaria pinnatifida) and hijiki (Hijikia fusiformis), which are used widely in Asian cuisine. Wakame is the seaweed used in miso soup.

Fucoxanthin is also found in much smaller amounts in red seaweed (the kind typically used in Japanese sushi rolls) and green seaweed.

Both wakame and hijiki are available at Japanese specialty food stores, some health food stores and online. Although brown seaweed is the richest source of fucoxanthin, you would have to eat an unrealistic amount of it daily to get fucoxanthin levels close to those used in research studies.

Fucoxanthin is also available as a nutritional supplement in capsule form and can be found in some health food stores and online.

Why Do People Use Fucoxanthin?
Weight Loss
Fucoxanthin is being explored for weight loss.

So far, only animal studies have been done. Japanese researchers have found that fucoxanthin (isolated from wakame) promotes the loss of abdominal fat in obese mice and rats. Animals lost five to 10% of their body weight.

Although it's not fully understood how fucoxanthin works, it appears to target a protein called UCP1 that increases the rate at which abdominal fat is burned. Abdominal fat, also called white adipose tissue, is the kind of fat that surrounds our organs and is linked to heart disease and diabetes. Fucoxanthin also appears to stimulate the production of DHA, one of the omega-3 fatty acids found in fatty fish such as salmon.

Although it's promising and already a popular nutritional supplement, more research is needed to determine if fucoxanthin will work in the same way in humans. If it does prove to be effective, fucoxanthin could be developed into a diet pill for obesity.

Diabetes

Fucoxanthin has also been found in animal studies to decrease insulin and blood glucose levels. Researchers hypothesize that fucoxanthin anti-diabetes effect may be because fucoxanthin appears to promote the formation of DHA (the omega-3 fatty acid found in fish oil). DHA is thought to increase insulin sensitivity, improve triglycerides and reduce LDL ("bad") cholesterol.

Cancer

Preliminary research in test tubes suggests that fucoxanthin may have anti-tumor effects. No studies have looked at whether this holds true in humans or if taken orally. It's far too early for fucoxanthin to be used as a complementary treatment for cancer.

Side Effects
Because there hasn't been research on fucoxanthin in humans, the possible side effects aren't known.

People shouldn't consume large amounts of wakame or other types of seaweed as a source of fucoxanthin. Seaweed is rich in iodine and excessive consumption may result in iodine poisoning. High levels of iodine can interfere with the function of the thyroid gland. Also, consuming excess amounts of iodine-rich foods isn't recommended if there is a known allergy or hypersensitivity to iodine.

Chemotherapy Has Turned Me Into a Bloodhound

Cancer drugs scramble the signals that the nose and tongue send to the brain, with bizarre results by Jason Carpenter

When one of the doctors offhandedly mentioned that my sense of taste or smell could be affected by the high-dose chemotherapy treatments I was getting in my battle against multiple myeloma, I didn't pay much attention. Not until I found I could detect the slightest whiff of anything from 20 feet. Not until anything I put in my mouth had a taste so intense that I vomited every meal for two weeks.

It was a horrible cycle that I could not break: When a meal came back up, it smelled awful and made me puke more. My mom, who spent some time at the hospital with me and at my house after I was discharged, developed a two-puke-pan routine: She would remove one pan on my command, then slip another one under me so I didn't have to endure the output.

While in the hospital, I developed a vomit association with just about everything the institution stocked for supplies: bathroom soap, hand soap, paper towels, hand sanitizer, toilet paper, and even facial tissue (I could smell tissues rippling in the air across the room). Clearly, some of this was in my head, but a good portion of it was not, according to breastcancer.com.

Thirty-two days after my transplant, I cannot smell hospital supplies without gagging. Because I need to constantly disinfect my hands and face (trying to banish germs that could attack my weakened immune system), I've had to switch to neutral-smelling antibacterial baby wipes. Things are somewhat better: I gag but don’t usually vomit, though I do risk hurling on my laptop just writing this down. I'm told this will slowly ebb over the next weeks or months.

Even my sense of touch has been affected. For the first few post-op visits to the hospital, I nearly jumped out of my skin with pain when the nurse drew blood. I have had my blood drawn hundreds of times, and it's never hurt like this. The nurse noticed and said, "Your nerves are sensitive because of the chemo. It's completely normal."

Normal, my ass. I'm a bloodhound; my food tastes as if someone turned the volume to 11; and I screech like a little girl when I have my blood drawn. But I’ll say it again: I'll take all these wacky side effects over cancer.

As to my progress, I went to the doctor today and my white blood count is back up to 4.1 (close to the low end of normal), my platelets are good, and my red blood cells are charging back. The doctor is so pleased with my recovery that I don't need to see her for three weeks. She even said that I can start to ease the restrictions of being around people. Which means I’m planning to play poker again, tonight, latex gloves and all.

See Jason Carpenter's ongoing video postings about his life with cancer. Warning: Some expletives.

Stem Cell Transplant Update: Advice On Hair Falling Out

Health Tip: Your Diet and Sleep

(HealthDay News) -- If you've noticed that you feel particularly sleepy or more energized after eating certain foods, that's because what you eat can have an impact on how well you sleep and how awake you are during the day.

Here are examples of foods that can affect your sleep, courtesy of the National Sleep Foundation:

• Carbohydrate-rich foods, such as pastas and breads, can make you more sleepy.


• Carbohydrates work well with proteins to induce sleepiness, which makes combinations such as peanut butter on toast, cereal with milk, or cheese and crackers good bedtime snacks.


• A large meal can make you more tired, especially one with a lot of carbohydrates.
  Caffeine in foods and beverages is a stimulant that blocks hormones in the brain that make you feel sleepy.


• While alcohol may help you relax and fall asleep in the short term, over the course of the night it inhibits the sleep process and can prevent you from getting deep, restful sleep.

Balancing Your Hormones Without Drugs... You Can Feel Good Again $19.95 [ learn more ] Hormone imbalance can be reversed! Look and feel better than ever, just take the time to learn about yourself and read the information contained in this just released e-book about reversing hormone imbalance. Are you ready to finally look and feel great? If so... read on... - E-Book Version.(BH)

Quit-Smoking Drug May Raise Suicide Risk

(HealthDay News) -- There's increasing evidence that the smoking-cessation drug Chantix is linked to serious "neuropsychiatric" side effects, including agitation, depressed mood and even suicide, U.S. health officials said Friday.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has asked Chantix's manufacturer, Pfizer Inc., to make the warning about these potential problems more prominent on prescribing information and on the drug's label. The agency is also working with Pfizer to produce a Medication Guide for patients, officials said.

"We have become increasingly concerned as we have seen a number of compelling cases that truly look as if they are the result of exposure to the drug and not to other causes," Dr. Bob Rappaport, director of the FDA's Division of Anesthesia, Analgesia and Rheumatology Products, said during an afternoon teleconference.

"These cases involve abnormal behaviors, changes in mood, and suicidal ideation and suicide," Rappaport said.

The FDA knows of 491 cases of suicidal behavior associated with Chantix, said Dr. Celia Winchell, a team leader in the FDA's Division of Anesthesia, Analgesia and Rheumatology Products.
"Of these, 420 are from the United States," Winchell said. "There are 39 that involve completed suicides, 34 in the United States."

According to Pfizer, 5 million patients have taken Chantix, whose generic name is varenicline.
Friday's warning follows a Nov. 20 FDA statement that the agency was "evaluating post-marketing adverse event reports on Chantix related to changes in behavior, agitation, depressed mood, suicidal ideation, and actual suicidal behavior."

At that time, Pfizer said there had never been a cause-and-effect relationship shown between Chantix and these symptoms. The company also said that part of the problem may be due to nicotine withdrawal.

Last month, Pfizer agreed, after consulting with the FDA, to update packages of Chantix sold in the United States to more prominently display a warning that users should be monitored for suicidal behavior, depressed mood, and other mental health symptoms.

The FDA approved Chantix in May 2006 as a smoking-cessation drug. It acts in areas of the brain affected by nicotine and may ease withdrawal symptoms and block the effects of nicotine if users resume smoking.

On Friday, FDA officials advised patients to tell their doctor about any history of psychiatric illness before starting Chantix. The drug can cause current psychiatric illness to get worse even if it is under control. Chantix may also cause the recurrence of an old psychiatric illness, the officials warned.

Patients should also report changes in mood and behavior to their doctor. Symptoms to look out for include anxiety, nervousness, tension, depressed mood, unusual behaviors and thinking about or attempting suicide, the FDA officials said.

In most cases, these symptoms developed while taking Chantix, but they can also appear after stopping the drug, the officials noted.
"We are continuing with the review process over the next several months as we try to pin down to what extent these problems are being seen with Chantix," Rappaport said.

Vivid, unusual, or strange dreams may occur while taking the drug. Patients may also experience impaired ability to drive or operate heavy machinery, the officials said.

More information
For more on quitting smoking, visit Smokefree.gov.

Abdominal Fat Tied to High Risk for Coronary Trouble

(HealthDay News) -- Abdominal fat is a strong independent risk factor for heart disease, say British researchers who also concluded that checking the waist-hip ratio is a better predictor of heart disease risk than waist measurement alone.

The study, published Dec. 11 in the journal Circulation, included 24,508 men and women, ages 45 to 79, who were followed for an average of 9.1 years. During that time, 1,708 men and 892 women developed coronary heart disease. Those with the highest waist-to-hip ratio had the highest risk.

"The size of the hips seems to predict a protective effect. In other words, a big waist with comparably big hips does not appear to be as worrisome as a big waist with small hips," lead author Dr. Dexter Canoy, a research fellow in epidemiology and public health at the University of Manchester, said in a prepared statement.

Among the findings:

• Men with the biggest waists in relation to their hips had a 55 percent higher risk of developing coronary heart disease than those with the smallest waists in relation to their hips.


• Women with the highest waist-to-hip ratio were 91 percent more likely to develop heart disease than women with the smallest waists in relation to their hips.


• Compared to waist-to-hip ratio, waist-only measurements underestimated heart disease risk by 10 percent.


• When waist-only, body mass index (BMI) and coronary heart disease risk factors were considered, there was a 20 percent lower risk of heart disease for every 6.4 centimeter increase in hip circumference in men and for every 9.2 centimeter hip circumference increase in women.

"People whose abdominal fat puts them at higher risk for heart disease do not always appear overweight or obese," Canoy said. "However, the overriding message from this and other studies about heart disease risk is that, despite the different measures and risk estimates, the bottom line is that many of us need to lose excess weight. Doctors should start looking beyond weight, height, simple waist circumference and BMI to assess heart disease. A simple waist-hip ratio measurement is a strong predictor of heart disease."

More information
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration offers advice on how to keep your heart healthy.

Blackberries, Broccoli Sprouts Battle Cancer

(HealthDay News) -- Your local farmer's market might hold the key to cancer prevention, since new research shows that black raspberries, broccoli sprouts and some raw vegetables reduce the risk of esophageal and bladder cancers.

Data from three studies on the subject was presented Thursday at the American Association for Cancer Research's Sixth Annual International Conference on Frontiers in Cancer Prevention, in Philadelphia.

Fruits and vegetables have long been known to help reduce the risk of certain cancers. Based on prior research, the American Cancer Society recommends eating five servings of fruits and vegetables daily.

In the first study, Ohio State University researchers found black raspberries may protect against esophageal cancer by reducing the oxidative stress that results from Barrett's esophagus, a precancerous condition usually caused by gastroesophageal reflux disease. The esophagus is a long tube that connects the throat to the stomach. Reflux disease causes stomach acid to continually splash back up into the esophagus.

"Specifically in the case of Barrett's patients, reflux of the stomach and bile acid contribute to ongoing oxidative damage. Thus, our hypothesis is that feeding a food that is high in potential protective constituents, such as antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and other phytochemicals, may help restore the oxidative balance," lead researcher Laura Kresty said.

People with Barrett's esophagus typically are 30 to 40 times more likely to develop esophageal cancer, which has a poor five-year survival rate of 15 percent.

The team gave 32 grams to 45 grams of black raspberries daily for six months to 20 patients with Barrett's esophagus. They analyzed changes in blood, urine and tissue before, during and after the treatment, and found lower levels of some of the chemical markers of oxidative stress in both urine and tissue samples.

Black raspberries previously have been shown to reduce the risk of oral, esophageal and colon cancer in animal models, according to the researchers, who called for further study in humans.

Dietitian Wendy Demark-Wahnefried, a professor of behavioral science at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center at the University of Texas in Houston, said she would feel comfortable advising people with Barrett's to eat black raspberries. "It couldn't hurt," she said, but added that further studies need to find out if the berries really do prevent cancer.

In other research presented at the meeting, broccoli sprouts and cruciferous vegetables both showed promise in the fight against bladder cancer, according to two separate teams from the Roswell Park Cancer Institute in Buffalo, N.Y.

Using a rat model, a team lead by Dr. Yuesheng Zhang, a professor of oncology, demonstrated that a broccoli sprout extract reduced bladder cancer in rats by 70 percent.

"Our present study shows that broccoli sprout extracts fed to rats in the diet inhibits bladder cancer development induced by a carcinogen. We don't yet know if the extracts inhibit the growth of a existing bladder cancer," said Zhang, who explained that broccoli sprouts are a rich source of a well-known cancer preventive agent known as sulforaphane.

"We next plan to find out if broccoli sprout extracts can fight bladder cancer in humans," Zhang noted.

A second team at the institute found that people who ate three or more servings of raw, cruciferous vegetables per month reduced their risk of bladder cancer by 40 percent.

Cruciferous vegetables include broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower.

The team analyzed the dietary habits of 275 people with early bladder cancer and 825 people who were cancer-free. The researchers specifically asked how many servings of raw or cooked cruciferous vegetables they ate before their diagnosis and whether they smoked.

Analysis of the data showed that the more raw, cruciferous vegetables people ate, the lower their risk of bladder cancer. In comparison to people who smoked and ate fewer than three servings of raw vegetables a day, nonsmokers eating at least three servings of cruciferous vegetables daily were 73 percent less likely to develop bladder cancer.

"In our study, we do find intake of raw cruciferous vegetables showed risk reduction of bladder cancer in smokers, and even the heavier smokers," said lead researcher Li Tang.

The researchers stressed that the benefits are derived from raw cruciferous vegetables, giving cole slaw the edge over cabbage soup when it comes to cancer prevention.

"This confirms that there are a variety of compounds within fruits and vegetables that contribute to reducing the risk of cancer. Research like these studies contribute to our knowledge about what the impact of specific nutrients may be on specific types of cancer," said Colleen Doyle, director of nutrition and physical activity for the American Cancer Society.

"Cooking leaches out some nutrients but makes others more absorbable. Until we know more in this regard, the bottom-line message for consumers is eat at least five servings of fruits and vegetables each day, raw and/or lightly cooked. Focus on those with the most color, since, in general, fruit and vegetables with the most color have the most cancer-fighting antioxidants and phytochemicals."

"Surveys we've done indicate many people don't think they have control over their cancer risk, but studies clearly indicate they do. For the majority of people who don't smoke, watching their weight, being more active and eating a healthy diet are the most important ways to reduce cancer risk," Doyle said.

More information
To learn how diet and physical activity can help prevent cancer, visit the American Cancer Society.

Oxy-Powder® Complete Cleansing System $147.75 [ learn more ] Complete Cleansing System with Livatrex™, Oxy-Powder®, Latero-Flora™, and two bottles of ParaTrex®.

'Tis the Season For Allergy, Asthma

(HealthDay News) -- It's easy for the holidays to become the season of sneezing, congestion and other woes for people with food or other allergies and asthma, say experts at the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI).

But some preventive measures can cut symptoms to a minimum, they say.

"Whether it's feasting on holiday meals, setting up your Christmas tree, or visiting your pet-owning relatives, allergy triggers may be lurking inside of our warm, cozy homes this time of year," Alisa M. Smith, vice-chairwoman of the AAAAI's indoor allergen committee, said in a prepared statement. "Unfortunately, with busy schedules, travel time and the stress of the holidays, it is easy to forget to take the proper care when dealing with allergies and asthma.

However, avoiding potential triggers and taking the proper precautions is necessary to keep symptoms under control."

The AAAAI offers the following tips for people with asthma and different types of allergies:
When you're at parties or family gatherings, inform your hosts about your food allergy and ask about the ingredients used to prepare the meal.

Always carry an injectable dose of epinephrine. Homemade meals/snacks don't have ingredient lists and may be contaminated with trace of amounts of allergenic foods through contact with storage containers or kitchen utensils.

Remind family and friends that strict avoidance is the only way for you to manage food allergies and that even a tiny bit of allergenic foods can trigger a dangerous allergic reaction.
If you're visiting homes where there are pets, take your allergy medication beforehand.

Real Christmas trees often carry microscopic mold spores that can cause allergic symptoms such as sneezing, water eyes, and an itchy nose.

Decorations and artificial trees can gather mold and dust while in storage. Clean them before you start putting them up.

Artificial snow can irritate your lungs if you inhale it. Be sure to follow directions when spraying artificial snow on windows or other surfaces.

The stress of the holiday season can sometimes trigger an asthma attack. Monitor your stress levels. If you do feel stressed, deep breathing and relaxation may help.

If you're sleeping away from home, bring your own pillow with an allergen-proof cover. Ask for down-free pillows.

Avoid wood smoke, which can trigger an asthma attack.

More information
The American Academy of Family Physicians has more about controlling allergy symptoms.

more discussion: Forum
· Addiction Forum · Ask the Doctors Forum · Ayurveda Forum · Ayurvedic & Thai Herbs Forum · Colon Cleansing Forum · Dental Forum · Diabetes Forum · Diet Forum · General Cleansing Forum · Hepatitis A, B. C Forum · Integrated Medicine Forum · Live Blood Analysis Forum · Ozone-Oxygen-Forum · pH - Alkaline - Acidity Forum · Weight Loss Forum

Oxy-Powder® Complete Cleansing System $147.75 [ learn more ] Complete Cleansing System with Livatrex™, Oxy-Powder®, Latero-Flora™, and two bottles of ParaTrex®.

Energy Drinks Could Pose Blood Pressure Risks

(HealthDay News) -- Energy drinks boost blood pressure and heart rate and could pose risks to people with hypertension and heart disease, say Wayne State University researchers.

They found that drinking two cans of a popular energy drink increased blood pressure and heart rate in 15 healthy adults, average age 26.

Within a few hours of having the energy drinks, the volunteers' systolic blood pressure (top number) increased by as much as 9.6 percent, and diastolic blood pressure increased by as much as 7.8 percent. Heart rate increased by as much as 11 percent.

"This occurred while participants were sitting in chairs watching movies," study leader James Kalus noted in a prepared statement. "The increase in heart rate and blood pressure weren't enough for something to happen acutely, but a person on hypertension medication or who has a cardiovascular disease may not respond as well."

"While energy drinks increase concentration and wakefulness, people with risk factors for heart disease could have a bad reaction. The subjects in this study were healthy with low blood pressure," Kalus added.

He and his colleagues noted that most energy drinks contain high levels of caffeine and an amino acid called taurine, both of which have been shown to have effects on heart function and blood pressure. The researchers emphasized that energy drinks are different from sports drinks, which don't contain ingredients designed to heighten alertness.

The study was expected to be presented Nov. 6 at the American Heart Association annual meeting, in Orlando, Fla.

More information
The Nemours Foundation has more about energy drinks and food bars.

more discussion: Forum
· Addiction Forum · Ask the Doctors Forum · Ayurveda Forum · Ayurvedic & Thai Herbs Forum · Colon Cleansing Forum · Dental Forum · Diabetes Forum · Diet Forum · General Cleansing Forum · Hepatitis A, B. C Forum · Integrated Medicine Forum · Live Blood Analysis Forum · Ozone-Oxygen-Forum · pH - Alkaline - Acidity Forum · Weight Loss Forum

Oxy-Powder® Complete Cleansing System $147.75 [ learn more ] Complete Cleansing System with Livatrex™, Oxy-Powder®, Latero-Flora™, and two bottles of ParaTrex®.

Prostate Cancer Survival Varies by Season

(HealthDay News) -- Men diagnosed with prostate cancer in the summer and fall have a better chance of survival than those diagnosed in the spring and winter, a new study of Norwegian men suggests.

"Summer and autumn months correspond to times when vitamin D is highest (in Norway).

Although the study does not prove vitamin D is the determining factor, it does suggest that this possibility should be studied further," study co-author Dr. Tomasz Beer, director of the prostate cancer program at the Oregon Health & Science University Cancer Institute, said in a prepared statement.

In the study, a team of American and Norwegian researchers analyzed data for more than 46,000 Norwegian men diagnosed with prostate cancer from 1964 to 1992.

Compared with men diagnosed in the summer and fall, those diagnosed in the winter and spring were 20 percent more likely to die within three years after diagnosis. The study was published in the journal The Prostate.

The researchers also examined whether survivability was affected by factors such as eating foods high in vitamin D (such as fatty fish), taking vacations in sunny southern locations, and where the men lived in Norway.

Only age seemed to have a influence -- younger men had a slightly better rate of survival. The researchers noted that the capacity of skin to produce vitamin D when exposed to sunshine is about 40 percent lower in men 75 and older than in men 60 and younger.

Vitamin D, which has been shown to inhibit cancer growth, may also help maintain immune system health and help regulate cell growth and differentiation, Beer said.

More information
The American Cancer Society has more about prostate cancer.

Health Tip: Understanding Compulsive Overeating

(HealthDay News) - Compulsive overeating occurs when a person uncontrollably binges on large amounts of food. The affected person usually is overcome with feelings of guilt and shame.
Brown University offers these common reasons for why people compulsively overeat:

• To satisfy an obsession or preoccupation with food, weight and eating.
• To cope with other issues that the person can't control.
• To deal with stress, anxiety or depression.
• To mask low self-esteem.

No Link Between Anti-Nausea Drug, Heart Trouble

(HealthDay News) -- The current "black box" label warning for the anti-vomiting drug droperidol -- cautioning users against an increased risk of irregular heartbeat with use of the medication -- may be unnecessary, Mayo Clinic researchers conclude.

In late 2001, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a black box warning regarding the risk of heart trouble called prolonged QT in surgical patients receiving droperidol. Prolonged QT can lead to a potentially fatal arrhythmia called torsades de pointes (TdP).

The authors of this study analyzed data on almost 140,000 patients who had surgery before the 2001 black box warning, plus 150,000 patients who had surgery after 2001. Before the black box warning, 12 percent of patients (about 16,791) received the drug. No patients received the drug after the warning.

The rate of prolonged QT, TdP, or sudden death (within 48 hours after surgery) among the first group of patients was 1.66 percent and 1.46 percent in the second group of patients. Overall, there were no documented cases of TdP among patients who took droperidol.

"We found no change in bad heart rhythms with the commonly used low-dose droperidol versus no droperidol use in a very large number of surgical patients," lead author Dr. Gregory A. Nuttall, of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., said in a prepared statement.

He and his colleagues concluded that the black box warning for droperidol is "excessive and unnecessary."

The study is published in the October issue of the journal Anesthesiology.

More information
The Arizona Center for Education and Research on Therapeutics has more about TdP.