Being Healthy in 2010 (Waist Hip Ratio)

It’s January and all our New Year resolutions have been made. Weight loss is still the number one priority and number five is getting into better shape according to USA.gov. In a newsletter this size it would be impossible to give you all the information needed to make this happen.

A simple goal to keep in mind when considering your weight loss resolution is the waist/hip ratio. This will dictate ‘how much I should weigh and how much exercise do I need’? So, let’s find out what is your waist/hip ratio? To obtain your waist/hip ratio use a measuring tape (preferably cloth), wrap it around the middle of the waist (belly button level) tighten your waist and pull it snug, record the measurement. Second, measure around the largest part of your butt to the front (hips), divide the waist measurement with the hip measurement. The optimal ratio is .9 for men and .8 for women. The benefits of a healthy waist/hip ratio are the prevention of some major diseases including diabetes II, heart disease and high blood pressure. To accomplish this you will need to be consistent with the right diet and exercise program. If you are far away from the correct ratio, then it will take a longer commitment. However, the process will be twofold, not only will you shed pounds, but also you will experience better overall health. Your healthy eating goals should include: eating whole foods, eliminate fast foods and fried foods. Eat at least three meals a day with proteins, and finally snack on good foods such as fruits and nuts and seeds. Two large servings of vegetables for lunch and dinner are required. Exercising 30-60 minutes three to four days a week should be your goal. Make sure you are cleared by your doctor for this exercise program, especially people over forty. Have Fun!!

Food: Trans fat rules have arrived (California)

Starting on January 1^st the State of California is going to ban trans fats from restaurants. What are trans fats? Simply put, trans fats are vegetable fats such as sunflower or safflower that have been chemically altered, or hydrogenated. These fats become solids at room temperature (margarines). Some call these fake or chemical fats however, there are some natural trans fats in our foods. Most trans fats come from margarines and Crisco type products, look for HYDROGENATED OILS. Trans fats have been linked to cardiovascular disease and cause more problems than saturated fats. California is always been at the forefront of healthy trends and the ban of trans fats is no exception. Starting January 1^st of 2010 California restaurants are no longer able to have foods that contain trans fats. The ban on trans fats includes all oils, margarines and shortening used for frying that have no more than .5% trans fats. Exceptions include deep fried foods. You’re right, most trans fat rich products are deep fried foods.

FATS AND WEIGHT LOST

Although there are some studies indicating the perfect fat for weight loss could be omega 3’s or omega 6’s (GLA). A recent study has been published indicating that there are no differences between fats (saturated, polyunsaturated, and monounsaturated) and proportions of the total. This is sure to be breaking news some night. Actually we need fats for weight loss and we need good fats for health. So keep in mind that you can’t eat anything you desire. Remember that saturated fats do increase the incidences of inflammation and are associated with the onset of metabolic syndrome and are a precursor to diabetes II, for some individuals. Bottom line, eat a balance of fats from olive oil, flax or hemp, sunflower, safflower, coconut and other good oils. And don’t forget to exercise.

Green tea: Good for Depression and weight loss.

Green tea is the number one tea consumed in the world. Green tea has many health benefits: including healthy blood pressure. Green tea has a compound called ECCG. ECCG has been studied for over fifteen years and has been linked to weight loss. The exact compound in ECCG has not been isolated yet. A recent study with green tea has indicated that green teas help prevent depression, while reducing symptoms of psychological stress in elderly individuals (70 plus). So green tea might be just the thing to get us up and going for a workout.

References:

New Year

1. http://www.usa.gov/Citizen/Topics/New_Years_Resolutions.shtml
2. http://www.nature.com/ejcn/journal/v64/n1/abs/ejcn200968a.html
3. Sardesai, Introduction to Clinical Nutrition, Marcel Dekker, Inc New York NY. 1998, Pg. 311-12.
4. Simko, PhD,RD, Nutritional Assessment A Comprehensive Guide For Planning Intervention 2^nd ed, Aspen Publishers Inc. 1995. Pg 130-1.
5. BMJ. 2009 Sep 29;339:b3796. doi: 10.1136/bmj.b3796.Adiposity and weight change in mid-life in relation to healthy survival after age 70 in women: prospective cohort study. Sun Q, Townsend MK Okereke OI Franco OH , Hu FB, Grodstein F. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19789407..

Green tea

1. Kaijun Niu, Atsushi Hozawa, Shinichi Kuriyama, Satoru Ebihara, Hui Guo, Naoki Nakaya, Kaori Ohmori-Matsuda, Hideko Takahashi, Yayoi Masamune, Masanori Asada, Satoshi Sasaki, Hiroyuki Arai, Shuichi Awata, Ryoichi Nagatomi, and Ichiro Tsuji Green tea consumption is associated with depressive symptoms in the elderly Am J Clin Nutr 2009 90: 1615-1622. First published online October 14, 2009; doi:10.3945/ajcn.2009.28216 http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/abstract/90/6/1615

Fats

1. Nita G Forouhi, Stephen J Sharp, Huaidong Du, Daphne L van der A, Jytte Halkjær, Matthias B Schulze, Anne Tjønneland, Kim Overvad, Marianne Uhre Jakobsen, Heiner Boeing, Brian Buijsse, Domenico Palli, Giovanna Masala, Edith JM Feskens, Thorkild IA Sørensen, and Nicholas J Wareham Dietary fat intake and subsequent weight change in adults: results from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition cohorts Am J Clin Nutr 2009 90: 1632-1641. First published online October 14, 2009; doi:10.3945/ajcn.2009.27828http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/abstract/90/6/1632
2. Susan J van Dijk, Edith JM Feskens, Marieke B Bos, Dianne WM Hoelen, Rik Heijligenberg, Mechteld Grootte Bromhaar, Lisette CPGM de Groot, Jeanne HM de Vries, Michael Müller, and Lydia A Afman A saturated fatty acid–rich diet induces an obesity-linked proinflammatory gene expression profile in adipose tissue of subjects at risk of metabolic syndrome Am J Clin Nutr 2009 90: 1656-1664. First published online October 14, 2009; doi:10.3945/ajcn.2009.27792 http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/abstract/90/6/1656
3. Catherine M Phillips, Louisa Goumidi, Sandrine Bertrais, Jane F Ferguson, Martyn R Field, Enda D Kelly, Gina M Peloso, L Adrienne Cupples, Jian Shen, Jose M Ordovas, Ross McManus, Serge Hercberg, Henri Portugal, Denis Lairon, Richard Planells, and Helen M Roche Complement component 3 polymorphisms interact with polyunsaturated fatty acids to modulate risk of metabolic syndrome Am J Clin Nutr 2009 90: 1665-1673. First published online October 14, 2009; doi:10.3945/ajcn.2009.28101http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/abstract/90/6/1665