Good news for grain lovers! Eating rice can help reduce the risk of chronic diseases, such as obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease, according to research recently published by the Journal of the American Dietetic Association. The data suggests that rice-eaters have healthier eating patterns and consume less added sugar and saturated fat than non-rice eaters. As a result, they are able to cut unnecessary calories and maintain a healthy weight.
The proof is in the rice pudding, folks. By including rice and other whole grain complex carbohydrates like millet, barley, buckwheat, and quinoa in your diet, you are more likely to promote good nutrition and foster a healthy lifestyle. Taking control of your health is the first step in solving the obesity and health care crisis in our country, and you can start with what you pile on your plate. With rice at approximately 10 cents per serving, it’s an affordable and easy-to-prepare option. Check out one of our great recipes below.
Brown Basmati Pilaf
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 30-40 minutes
Yields: 4 servings
Ingredients:
1 cup brown basmati rice
2 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
½ cup dried cranberries
½ cup walnut pieces
½ cup fresh parsley, chopped
Directions:
Rinse rice in fine mesh strainer until water runs clear.
Boil water in a sauce pan.
Add rice and salt.
Cover and reduce heat.
After 15 minutes add cranberries and walnuts on top, do not stir.
Cook 15-20 minutes until all liquid is absorbed.
Remove from heat, add parsley and fluff with fork.
Cover and let sit for 3-5 minutes then serve.
Posted via email from chirowellnessnews’s posterous
“Not quite” aren’t exactly words we affiliate with accomplishment. In point of fact, very few things in life, it seems, count much at all if you don’t “hit the nail on the head.” Fortunately, this may not be entirely the case when it comes to longevity. As a chiropractor in Santa Barbara, who has many older patients and who is also a firm believer in the advantages of exercise at every age, I was very interested in the following study.
Researchers found that of the “least-fit” versus the “slightly more fit” in a recent study of nearly 4,400 healthy Americans, roughly 20 percent with the lowest physical fitness levels were twice as likely to die over the nine years of the study as the 20 percent with the next-lowest fitness levels. (In other words, those 20 percent who were nearly at the lowest fitness levels.) This is the time-honored “bad news/good news” situation. It is certainly bad news if you are a resolute couch potato. However, it is undoubtedly good news for those who haven’t quite hit rock bottom in the sedentary lifestyle department but are not, by any stretch of the imagination, “exertive.” Apparently, those individuals who continue to be even moderately fit as they age may have greater longevity than those who are entirely out-of-shape, the study suggests.
The study included 4,384 middle-aged and older men and women whose fitness levels were assessed during exercise treadmill tests sometime between 1986 and 2006. For approximately nine years thereafter, the researchers observed the study groups progress. Such factors as obesity, diabetes, and high blood pressure were considered in the study. This, in and of itself, accentuates the significants of being physically fit. In an email to Reuters Health, Dr. Sandra Mandic, of the University of Otago in Dunedin, New Zealand, and lead researcher of the study wrote: “Our findings suggest that a sedentary lifestyle, rather than differences in cardiovascular risk factors or age, may explain the two-fold higher mortality rates in the least-fit versus slightly more fit individuals.”
Nearly two-thirds of the least-fit study participants failed to get at least 30 minutes of moderate activity, five or more days a week, which was the minimum recommended amount of exercise. “These results emphasize the importance of improving and maintaining high fitness levels by engaging in regular physical activity,” Mandic said, “particularly in poorly-fit individuals.”
Separating the study group participants by fitness levels, the researchers discovered that 25 percent of the least-fit individuals had died during the study period, versus 13 percent of those who were in slightly better shape. Only 6 percent of the most-fit group (i.e., the ones who “hit the nail on the head”, so to speak) had died during the follow-up period.
The five fitness-level groups presented little difference, overall, in their reported exercise routines during most of their adult lives, but conspicuously, they contrasted in activity levels only in recent years. “Since it is recent physical activity that offers protection,” Mandic said, “it is important to maintain regular physical activity throughout life.”
And, perhaps it goes without saying, just think of the health advantages we could all experience if we worked our way up into the higher levels of fitness.
SOURCE: Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, August 2009.
Technorati Tags: exercise, longevity, middle age, physical fitness
A recent article in Time magazine addressed the condition of our current food system, which provides government subsided, low-cost food products to an overfed yet undernourished American public. While the cheap price tag is alluring, the long-term effects of this broken system have become second thought, ultimately leading to a string of unpleasant results. Our farm crops are doused with chemical pesticides and fertilizers, livestock are treated with hormones and medications so they can be bred industrially, and the percentage of food-related disease in humans continues to rise. At what cost are we negatively affecting our precious natural resources and our own health?
The good news is that the buzz words are circulating–sustainable food, eco-friendly, green living–but the truth is that public awareness isn’t enough. Let’s make conscious decisions to act in more socially responsible ways. Small changes can lead to big results. Imagine a world with more accessible, inexpensive organic food and a happy, healthy population!
Think about what you could do in your community, among your family and friends, and even around your dinner table to improve our environment. Shop at the local farmer’s market or join a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture, where you buy a share in a farmer’s crop for the season), encourage neighbors to grow gardens in their yards and swap produce, consider eating less meat, reduce your carbon footprint by using cloth shopping bags and reusable water bottles rather than plastic, and walk or bike instead of driving.
What other changes could you make to ensure the quality of our food and our future?
Remember, small changes add up.
Posted via email from chirowellnessnews’s posterous
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| Natural remedies for flu symptoms can offer relief for the illness but it is important to make sure to get proper medical attention. This is especially important in light of the Swine Flu outbreak that is hovering over the upcoming season. For typical flu symptoms, some natural remedies can complement treatments determined by a physician. |
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Posted via email from chirowellnessnews’s posterous
Good health is a chiropractor’s main concern, and your Santa Barbara chiropractor knows how essential it is for you to drink a sufficient amount of water every day. The mantra is “Hydrate! Hydrate! Hydrate!” For humans to survive, they need air and water (in that order). An astonishing 75 percent of individuals in this country are mildly and chronically dehydrated, even though drinking a healthy amount of water would presumably be as visceral as breathing in a sufficient quantity of air. (Most people aren’t breathing enough either, but one issue at a time.) Water is unquestionably crucial for good health. Every cell, tissue, organ and system in the human body relies on the water you drink to function healthfully. Water is the essential element for saliva and the fluids surrounding the joints. Your blood is kept circulating and your body temperature and metabolism are controlled by water. Staying well-hydrated has been shown to improve nutrient absorption and toxin removal, and to reduce heartburn, hypertension, exhaustion, and headaches.
When it comes to functional challenges generated by dehydration, athletes are especially at risk. “Physiologically, their core body temperature could be higher than it should have been if they were hydrated. Their heart rate will be higher, and they’re going to perceive that they’re working harder than they actually are,” said Susan Yeargin, assistant professor of athletic training in Indiana State’s College of Nursing, Health, and Human Services. According to researchers at Indiana State University, a high percentage of collegiate and professional athletes begin the season dehydrated, putting their health at risk even before they begin strenuous workouts. In fact, Pre-season physical examinations, in fact, found that 80 percent of football players presented with.
Wondering how much water is enough water? Chiropractors, like the majority of other health care professionals, suggest a minimum of eight, 8-ounce glasses of water per day for many patients, but for our patients who are athletes, or for individuals who are overweight or exercise or work where it’s hot, we propose even more. How can you find out if you, personally, are drinking a sufficient amount of water? The color of your urine is a good indicator. You’re well-hydrated if it comes out a light, pale yellow!
Technorati Tags: chiropractors, drinking enough water, exhaustion, headaches, heartburn, hydration, hypertension