FDA Tells Restaurants to Post Calorie Counts: Will We Make Better Food Choices?
CBS) Can you handle the truth – about the calorie content of the restaurant meals you eat?
You’re about to find out, thanks to new FDA guidelines that call for restaurants to post nutritional information about menu items in a “clear and conspicuous manner.”
The guidelines, which affect chain restaurants and food sold from vending machines, call for eateries to post calorie counts on menus and menu boards.
The FDA issued the guidelines as part of the health-care bill President Obama signed into law last March.
According to the FDA, Americans consume about one-third of our total calories on food prepared outside of the home, and we are, by and large, unaware of the awesome number of calories in much of it.
The FDA hopes that accurate nutritional information will help us make better food choices.
About two-thirds of adults and one-third of children between the ages of two and 19 are overweight or obese, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Obesity increases the risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke, and certain types of cancer.
Lifestyle changes curb overnight bathroom trips
(Reuters Health) – If you’re frequently bothered by waking in the middle of the night to empty your bladder, there may be some simple and drug-free lifestyle adjustments that can help, a small study suggests.
So-called “nocturia” is the complaint of getting up at least once a night to urinate — either due to a heightened production of urine or the inability of the bladder to hold it, sometimes as a result of an underlying medical problem. The condition can contribute to fatigue and depression, and raise the risk of heart disease and gastrointestinal disorders.
However, as experts note, nocturia is also very normal, especially as people age. And not everyone affected is bothered by it.
The standard treatments for frequent nighttime urination include “medical therapy as well as lifestyle modifications such as fluid restrictions,” senior researcher Dr. Koji Yoshimura of Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine in Kyoto, Japan, told Reuters Health in an email. “However, the efficacy of the lifestyle therapy has not been established so far.”
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What Do You Lack? Probably Vitamin D
Vitamin D promises to be the most talked-about and written-about supplement of the decade. While studies continue to refine optimal blood levels and recommended dietary amounts, the fact remains that a huge part of the population — from robust newborns to the frail elderly, and many others in between — are deficient in this essential nutrient.
If the findings of existing clinical trials hold up in future research, the potential consequences of this deficiency are likely to go far beyond inadequate bone development and excessive bone loss that can result in falls and fractures. Every tissue in the body, including the brain, heart, muscles and immune system, has receptors for vitamin D, meaning that this nutrient is needed at proper levels for these tissues to function well.
Studies indicate that the effects of a vitamin D deficiency include an elevated risk of developing (and dying from) cancers of the colon, breast and prostate; high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease; osteoarthritis; and immune-system abnormalities that can result in infections and autoimmune disorders like multiple sclerosis, Type 1 diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis.
Most people in the modern world have lifestyles that prevent them from acquiring the levels of vitamin D that evolution intended us to have. The sun’s ultraviolet-B rays absorbed through the skin are the body’s main source of this nutrient. Early humans evolved near the equator, where sun exposure is intense year round, and minimally clothed people spent most of the day outdoors.
“As a species, we do not get as much sun exposure as we used to, and dietary sources of vitamin D are minimal,” Dr. Edward Giovannucci, nutrition researcher at the Harvard School of Public Health, wrote in The Archives of Internal Medicine. Previtamin D forms in sun-exposed skin, and 10 to 15 percent of the previtamin is immediately converted to vitamin D, the form found in supplements. Vitamin D, in turn, is changed in the liver to 25-hydroxyvitamin D, the main circulating form. Finally, the kidneys convert 25-hydroxyvitamin D into the nutrient’s biologically active form, 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D, also known as vitamin D hormone.
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New health policy: encouraging friendships?
(Reuters) – Having good social relationships — friends, marriage or children — may be every bit as important to a healthy lifespan as quitting smoking, losing weight or taking certain medications, U.S. researchers reported on Tuesday.
People with strong social relationships were 50 percent less likely to die early than people without such support, the team at Brigham Young University in Utah found.
They suggest that policymakers look at ways to help people maintain social relationships as a way of keeping the population healthy.
“A lack of social relationships was equivalent to smoking up to 15 cigarettes a day,” psychologist Julianne Holt-Lunstad, who led the study, said in a telephone interview.
Her team conducted a meta-analysis of studies that examine social relationships and their effects on health. They looked at 148 studies that covered more than 308,000 people for their analysis, published in the Public Library of Science journal PLoS Medicine at www.plosmedicine.org.
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What your hair color says about you
Our hair is our most noticeable trait — and we obsess over it accordingly. But even though we spend lots of time enhancing and re-enhancing our tresses, we probably haven’t considered something pretty cool: What’s underneath all the glosses and highlights can be a health barometer of sorts.
If you’re a blonde…
Protect your peepers. Women have a higher risk than men of developing age-related macular degeneration (AMD), an eye condition that can cause blindness. And fair-haired females are especially prone to AMD, says Svetlana Kogan, M.D., founder of Doctors at Trump Place in New York City. A diet rich in the natural compounds lutein and zeaxanthin — found in kale, spinach, and snow peas — can help fend it off. Kogan suggests munching on one cup of the green veggies every day.
Cover up. Melanin gives skin its color and helps shield it from harmful UV rays, says dermatologist Joel Schlessinger, M.D., president emeritus of the American Society of Cosmetic Dermatology and Aesthetic Surgery. Thing is, blondes produce less of the stuff, which leaves their skin (and especially their scalps) at a higher risk for melanoma. Buy a full-spectrum SPF 30 sunscreen that shields against harmful UVA and UVB rays. And don’t neglect your head: “Blondes should always wear a hat when they’re in direct sunlight,” says Schlessinger.
If you’re a brunette…
Hold on to your hair. More than half of the 30 million American women with visible hair loss are brunettes. That could be because they have less hair to begin with: “Brown tresses are generally coarser and thicker than blonde or red strands, and your body produces fewer of them,” Schlessinger says. So when brown hair follicles die, they leave behind more noticeable thin patches. Stave off sparse coverage by eating right. Low iron can contribute to hair loss, so start swallowing 18 milligrams a day; one cup of fortified oatmeal will provide your daily fill.
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Study: Fat-Free Milk Helps Women after Workout
(WebMD) Women who do weight-lifting exercise routines may be better off drinking two large glasses of milk than sugar-based energy drinks after workout regimens, a new study shows.
McMaster University researchers in Canada report they found that women who drank two large glasses of milk after weight-lifting exercises gained more muscle and lost more fat than women who drank sugar-based energy drinks.
The finding is published in the June issue of Medicine and Science in Sport and Exercise.
“Resistance training is not a typical choice of exercise for women, but the health benefits of resistance training are enormous,” Stuart M. Phillips, a professor of kinesiology at McMaster University in Hamilton, Canada, said in a news release. “It boosts strength, bone, muscular and metabolic health in a way that other types of exercise cannot.”
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Got Too Much Sun? How to Save Your Skin
(CBS) The long holiday weekend isn’t even over yet, but many people have already gotten way too much sun, and the inevitable resulting sunburn – even if they wore sunscreen.
So, what can you do to ease the pain or discomfort in the short-run, and repair damaged skin going forward – from damage done this weekend or in the past?
Beauty expert Jamie Krell provided guidance on “The Early Show” Monday, including specific products you might want to turn to.
She says that, when you have a sunburn, there are a few things you can do immediately – and shouldn’t do — to help soothe and heal the burn.
The biggest mistake you can make is to apply any kind of soothing cream before you first cool down the affected area. That will simply trap in the heat. The burning will continue, and you will suffer even more.
You should cool down the skin with ice or a cold, wet towel first, or lie in a very cold bath, or stand in a cold shower for at least five minutes.
And that’s just the beginning:
Safe Way to Work Out Outdoors in Sweltering Heat
(CBS) Outdoor workouts can be dangerous when temperatures get very high.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says some 300 people die each year in the United States from heatstroke.
On “The Early Show” Tuesday, CBS News Medical Correspondent Dr. Jennifer Ashton said exercising outdoors in extremely hot weather is do-able – as long as you take the proper precautions.
Such heat, she says, “impairs your ability to sweat. When it’s very humid, your core temperature can get very high. And it can be dangerous. It can affect your organs, your blood flow to the rest of your body. And as we hear time and time again, there are people — everyone is vulnerable, but very old, very young, pregnant women, people on medication, have to be particularly carefully.
“(Also) kids up to the age of four. Babies can’t really regulate their body core temperature that well. Even someone … who is fit, and used to exercising outside can get caught off-guard in … heat, very quickly.”
The key, Ashton says, staying hydrated, with water. “Avoid caffeinated, sugary beverages,” Ashton urged. “They don’t do anything to replenish your electrolytes or keep you well-hydrated. You need to start drinking before you’re outside. That’s key. If you’re going to do any exercise, you need to start one-to-two hours before and you need to drink every 15 minutes when you’re outside, whether you’re exercising or not. Your urine should be clear. That’s a good way to tell whether you’re hydrated or not.”
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The Health Perks of Coffee
(CBS) Most people are satisfied with the pep in their step they get from drinking a cup of coffee.
But your daily cup of joe could be better for you than you realize.
CBS News Medical Correspondent Dr. Jennifer Ashton says studies show caffeinated coffee may be beneficial for you, from head-to-toe.
Starting from the top, Ashton said, “We’re talking about a reduction in the risk of oral and neck cancers, with more than four cups of coffee a day thought to decrease the risk by 39 percent.”
And, while we’ve all heard caffeine can be bad for us, the good may outweigh the risks.
Caffeine can actually reduce the risk of heart disease. Ashton explained that, “There’s an antioxidant found in caffeinated beverages like black tea, green tea, called flavonoids, to reduce the risk.”
Studies have shown that women who drink two-and-a-half cups of coffee a day are at a lower risk for uterine cancer. “That protective effect is seen even in obese women who themselves are at higher risk,” said Ashton.
Caffeine is also good for men — those who drink six or more cups a day reduce their chance for prostate cancer by 60 percent, research indicates.
Though amount of coffee may seem like a lot, Ashton reminds us to keep everything in moderation.
“Excessive caffeine can have its side effects,” said Ashton.
And caffeine lowers the risk of getting type 2 diabetics by 7 percent, one study showed.
Do Anti-Aging Products Really Work?
Fountain of Youth often ends at your local pharmacy.
But do products that promise to turn back the clock really work?
The May issue of Consumer Reports Health features a series of reports on the burgeoning market for products promising to turn back the clock on aging. It has the results of testing done by the magazine and of surveys of thousands of its readers about their experiences with remedies for balding and wrinkles.
And Consumer Reports Senior Projects Editor Tod Marks let “Early Show” viewers in on the results Tuesday:
TREATMENTS FOR BALDING
The bottom line here is that 53 percent of men and 40 percent of women believe the treatments were “overhyped.”
Consumer Reports National Research Center revealed that some remedies help more than others. We questioned 8,082 online subscribers (6,248 men and 1,834 women) who had lost hair. Most men and some women blamed genetic makeup or age; other women said their hair loss was due to a health condition (such as thyroid disease) or stress. We excluded respondents whose hair loss was related to chronic illness or chemotherapy. Respondents ranged in age from about 20 to 90-plus.
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