Have you been effectively (or not so effectively, if you think about it) hibernating this year? What we mean is, have you taken a hiatus from your exercise routine – even though it was working and you were feeling great? Trust us, you’re not alone.
For various reasons, many of us struggle with consistency, and that starts with our commitment to working out regularly. Unfortunately, once we set the wheels of inactivity in motion, it can be tricky to turn things around.
Let’s change all that starting today. After all, spring is just around the corner, bringing with it warmer, longer days, more sunshine, and with all that, a spirit of renewal and growth that can translate directly into your life. Here’s how:
1. Make Movement a Daily Priority:Committing to exercise starts with a simple step: taking one. It’s said movement is life, so start living by making daily activity a part of yours. Find creative ways to take more steps and move more body parts, whether at home or at work. One of the best (and easiest) ways is to set your phone / watch to alert you periodically (every 45 minutes or so) to get up from your desk / chair and walk around for five minutes or so. Another great tip: Take a short walk after dinner every evening. It will assist in digestion and burn calories at the same time.
2. Early to Bed, Early to Rise: Sleep (or lack thereof) is increasingly implicated in health issues, with some even attributing chronic sleep dysfunction to just about every disease imaginable. Poor sleep also can sabotage your workouts, making you lethargic and all-too-unwilling to find your way to the gym.
Sleep needs to be consistent, restful and restorative; set the stage for proper sleep by regulating yoursleep-wake cycle; avoiding foods and activities that could disrupt your sleep (drinking too much at night is one of the most common); and overall, making sleep a priority – something a surprisingly small percentage of people does.
3. Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff:As research suggests in another article in this issue ofTo Your Health, chronic stress can actually contribute to weight gain / obesity. Stress can be oppressive if you let it, but you can manage your stress by dealing with stressful events before they come up. That can start with better organization (e.g.,a To-Do Listthat helps with smooth completion of your daily tasks) and what we call “better stress processing”: reducing the importance of stressful events so you have the power, not the stress.
4. Set a Goal – and Then Another One: Motivation is the key to consistent, lifelong fitness and health. Stay focused by setting a small, measurable, achievable goal – for example, jogging 1 mile, twice a week, for the next month. When you’ve met the goal, set another one: a longer distance, more frequent runs, or another activity you can add to your jogging regimen (e.g., two days a week at the gym).
If your winter hasn’t been what you’d hoped in terms of physical activity, don’t fret: skies are clearing and brighter, warmer days are on the horizon. It’s time to shape up for spring (and every season after that); work with your doctor to help design an exercise program suitable to your goals and health needs.
Many of us are feeling the economic crunch these days. Money is tight and the bills continue to arrive in our mailboxes. Stressful times such as these demand resiliency on our part, particularly in terms of our exercise and diet habits. Interestingly, a mentally stressed state can promote inflammation throughout the body. Avoiding mental stressors is not likely to be easy during these times, so we must consider the importance of avoiding inflammation caused by other factors, such as poor diet and lack of exercise.
When you hear the wordinflammation, you probably think first about swelling, redness, pain, etc., that can occur following an acute injury, irritation or infection. In general, this is short-term, localized inflammation (confined to a certain area of the body). But inflammation can also occur without physical injury. This is general, body-wide (systemic) inflammation, and it can cause subtle biochemical injuries to body tissues, increasing the risk of developing a number of serious diseases over time.
We promote the development of systemic inflammation by avoiding exercise and remaining sedentary. Not surprisingly, we should exercise daily to help prevent inflammation, and we must also modify our dietary habits. Believe it or not, diet is actually the most important factor affecting inflammation. Scientific research suggests that most diseases are caused by chronic, diet-induced inflammation. The average American diet is high in calories and low in fiber and nutrients.Approximately 80% of the calories consumed by Americans are derived from refined flour products, refined sugar, refined seed oils (concentrated source of omega-6 and trans fats) and fatty meat. It is now common knowledge that eatingexcess calories from sugar and fat leads to postprandial (following a meal) inflammation,which is thought to function as an insidious promoter ofheart disease, diabetes, osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, Alzheimer’s disease, obesity, hypertension, asthma, depression, inflammatory bowel disease, psoriasis and cancer.That’s a long list of serious health conditions, all linked to a single culprit: inflammation.
Good Nutrition Is Inexpensive
Lean meat, fish, chicken, fruits, vegetables and nuts form the foundation of a diet that limits a postprandial inflammatory response. This is referred to as an“anti-inflammatory diet.” Not surprisingly, this diet isrecommended to help prevent the above-mentioned pro-inflammatory diseases, the treatment of which represents a massive drain on financial resources, both personally and for businesses.
A common argument is, “I can’t afford to eat lots of fruits and vegetables,” or “Healthy foods are expensive.” I tend to strongly disagree with these arguments. A cup of coffee and a doughnut can cost up to $5. A 20 oz. bottle of soda costs more than $1. In contrast, a5-pound bag of frozen carrots, broccoli and cauliflower costs $5 at Sam’s Club, and a 1-pound container of pre-washed organicsalad greens costs about $4.Both of those items can be consumed over several days by several people.
A large sweet potato that can be split between two meals costs about 75 cents. While certain nuts are very expensive (macadamias, for example), many are very reasonable. Lean meats, fish and chicken are reasonably priced and can be added to the vegetables and sweet potatoes. Fresh fruit remains very reasonable and should be one of the snacks of choice.
Dark chocolate is inexpensive and can be mixed with raw nuts and raisins for a great snack or dessert. I often melt a 50-calorie piece of dark chocolate with a little coconut oil and add some nuts and raisins. I place this combination on a piece of wax/freezer paper and place it into the freezer for about 10 minutes. My reward is an anti-inflammatory candy bar.
It isnotmore expensive to eat healthy, anti-inflammatory foods, if one shops wisely. Certainly, preventing the expression of chronic disease will save countless dollars and heartaches associated with the accelerated morbidity and mortality associated with pro-inflammatory living. In short, we cannot afford to eat any other waybutanti-inflammatory.
Inexpensive Supplements for Health Promotion
There are also key supplements that support the reduction of inflammation and free-radical generation, and they’re also reasonably priced. (Free radicals are unstable molecules that can damage surrounding molecules in the body. They have been linked to an increased risk of cancer, among other diseases.) The basic supplements include a multivitamin without iron, magnesium, fish oil and vitamin D. The total cost is approximately $60 to $80 per month, which is less than $3 per day. If you can only afford one supplement, vitamin D seems like the best choice because research has demonstrated that vitamin D insufficiency is pandemic. The next best financial choice for a supplement would be a multivitamin/mineral without iron. After that, fish oil should be added, and finally magnesium. If a fifth supplement can be afforded, probiotics are the best choice, as they have a strongly anti-inflammatory effect in the gut.
If money is not particularly an issue, additional supplements should be considered, including coenzyme Q10, lipoic acid, acetyl-L-carnitine, ginger, turmeric and garlic. These supplements help to promote ATP synthesis and reduce free radicals and inflammation.
The Bottom Line
While finances have been tight lately due to external economic forces, and may get worse in the near future, we can easily make this situation a lot worse by pursuing disease expression due to a pro-inflammatory lifestyle. Medical care for pro-inflammatory diseases is extremely expensive and generally preventable by adopting an anti-inflammatory diet that is no more expensive than one that is pro-inflammatory. Key supplements can be added based on financial ability.
We should consider that paying for expensive medical care will put most of us into debt even when economic times are good. So it makes no sense to pursue disease and expensive medical care with a pro-inflammatory lifestyle when economic times are not so good. In short, nutrition does not need to be compromised, even when the economy is down. Talk to your doctor for more information.
Many of us are feeling the economic crunch these days. Money is tight and the bills continue to arrive in our mailboxes. Stressful times such as these demand resiliency on our part, particularly in terms of our exercise and diet habits. Interestingly, a mentally stressed state can promote inflammation throughout the body. Avoiding mental stressors is not likely to be easy during these times, so we must consider the importance of avoiding inflammation caused by other factors, such as poor diet and lack of exercise.
When you hear the word inflammation, you probably think first about swelling, redness, pain, etc., that can occur following an acute injury, irritation or infection. In general, this is short-term, localized inflammation (confined to a certain area of the body). But inflammation can also occur without physical injury. This is general, body-wide (systemic) inflammation, and it can cause subtle biochemical injuries to body tissues, increasing the risk of developing a number of serious diseases over time.
Lean meat, fish, chicken, fruits, vegetables and nuts form the foundation of a diet that limits a postprandial inflammatory response. This is referred to as an “anti-inflammatory diet.” Not surprisingly, this diet is recommended to help prevent the above-mentioned pro-inflammatory diseases, the treatment of which represents a massive drain on financial resources, both personally and for businesses.
A common argument is, “I can’t afford to eat lots of fruits and vegetables,” or “Healthy foods are expensive.” I tend to strongly disagree with these arguments. A cup of coffee and a doughnut can cost up to $5. A 20 oz. bottle of soda costs more than $1. In contrast, a 5-pound bag of frozen carrots, broccoli and cauliflower costs $5 at Sam’s Club, and a 1-pound container of pre-washed organic salad greens costs about $4. Both of those items can be consumed over several days by several people.
A large sweet potato that can be split between two meals costs about 75 cents. While certain nuts are very expensive (macadamias, for example), many are very reasonable. Lean meats, fish and chicken are reasonably priced and can be added to the vegetables and sweet potatoes. Fresh fruit remains very reasonable and should be one of the snacks of choice.
Dark chocolate is inexpensive and can be mixed with raw nuts and raisins for a great snack or dessert. I often melt a 50-calorie piece of dark chocolate with a little coconut oil and add some nuts and raisins. I place this combination on a piece of wax/freezer paper and place it into the freezer for about 10 minutes. My reward is an anti-inflammatory candy bar.
It is not more expensive to eat healthy, anti-inflammatory foods, if one shops wisely. Certainly, preventing the expression of chronic disease will save countless dollars and heartaches associated with the accelerated morbidity and mortality associated with pro-inflammatory living. In short, we cannot afford to eat any other way but anti-inflammatory.
Inexpensive Supplements for Health Promotion
There are also key supplements that support the reduction of inflammation and free-radical generation, and they’re also reasonably priced. (Free radicals are unstable molecules that can damage surrounding molecules in the body. They have been linked to an increased risk of cancer, among other diseases.) The basic supplements include a multivitamin without iron, magnesium, fish oil and vitamin D. The total cost is approximately $60 to $80 per month, which is less than $3 per day. If you can only afford one supplement, vitamin D seems like the best choice because research has demonstrated that vitamin D insufficiency is pandemic. The next best financial choice for a supplement would be a multivitamin/mineral without iron. After that, fish oil should be added, and finally magnesium. If a fifth supplement can be afforded, probiotics are the best choice, as they have a strongly anti-inflammatory effect in the gut.
If money is not particularly an issue, additional supplements should be considered, including coenzyme Q10, lipoic acid, acetyl-L-carnitine, ginger, turmeric and garlic. These supplements help to promote ATP synthesis and reduce free radicals and inflammation.
The Bottom Line
While finances have been tight lately due to external economic forces, and may get worse in the near future, we can easily make this situation a lot worse by pursuing disease expression due to a pro-inflammatory lifestyle. Medical care for pro-inflammatory diseases is extremely expensive and generally preventable by adopting an anti-inflammatory diet that is no more expensive than one that is pro-inflammatory. Key supplements can be added based on financial ability.
We should consider that paying for expensive medical care will put most of us into debt even when economic times are good. So it makes no sense to pursue disease and expensive medical care with a pro-inflammatory lifestyle when economic times are not so good. In short, nutrition does not need to be compromised, even when the economy is down. Talk to your doctor for more information.
February is American Heart Month, but heart health is really a global issue; after all, we’ve all got hearts and these days, we all do things that put our health in peril, in the form of heart disease, stroke, heart attacks and other life-threatening conditions.
Your heart deserves to be treated well every month of the year, but let’s get started during this time of awareness by highlighting the latest research on how men and women can maximize heart health and reduce their risk of heart problems.
Heart Health for Women: Avoid Diet Drinks:Drinking two or more artificially sweetened beverages a day is associated with an increased risk of heart attack, clot-based death and early death in women over the age of 50. Published in Stroke, the study found that women who drank more than one diet drink daily had the following increased risks compared to women who drank one or fewer artificially sweetened drinks:
23 percent more likely to suffer any type of stroke
31 percent more likely to suffer a stroke due to an artery block
29 percent more likely to suffer a heart attack
16 percent more likely to die from any cause
Of particular concern: Even women in the study with no history of heart disease or diabetes had more than double the risk of a clot-based stroke if they drank two or more artificially sweetened beverages a day.
Heart Health for Men: Power of the Push-Up: Is the number of push-ups a man can perform in one minute a predictor of heart disease risk? Yes, according to new research in JAMA Network Open. Men who can do at least 40 push-ups within a minute’s time are 96 percent less likely to develop heart disease compared to men who perform less than 10 push-ups in the same time.
Findings are based on a 10-year evaluation of more than 1,000 male firefighters (average age: 40 years) that included timed push-up tests and evaluation of V02 max (maximum oxygen consumption during intense exercise), body-mass index (BMI), blood pressure and other variables at baseline. During the decade-long study period, initial push-up capacity proved to be the strongest predictor of heart disease among the variables assessed.
What You Can Do
Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the world, pure and simple, and in many cases, it’s avoidable with proper diet, consistent physical activity and other lifestyle choices such as stress reduction, avoiding smoking, etc. While the above studies examined specific age groups, it’s reasonable to assume that limiting your artificial sweetener consumption and maximizing your fitness (whether or not you can actually do a full 40 push-ups in one minute) are smart choices when it comes to heart health – regardless of age or gender. Talk to your doctor for more information.
If you’re concerned about your weight this holiday season, you’re not alone. Millions of people stress about how to enjoy the festivities – and at least a few of the treats, sweets and other holiday foods – without packing on the pounds they’ve worked so diligently to lose all year.
According to research published in the British Medical Journal, weighing in – both about your weight and about what you’re eating – is an effective way to prevent holiday weight gain. People who tracked both their weight and their energy intake actually lost approximately one-third of a pound over the 45-day study period, which spanned the holiday season and was marketed as a study on “winter weight gain.” Control subjects who did not weigh themselves or track what they were eating, on the other hand, gained almost a pound.
Members of the intervention group were advised to weight themselves every day, record their weight and reflect on any weight gain / loss. They also received weight-management tips, including eating and exercise suggestions; and a list of holiday foods and how much exercise would be required to burn the calorie total for each.
Your doctor can provide you with more information about weight maintenance in general and specific to the holiday season; and offer you more advice on how to enjoy the holidays without sacrificing the great work you’ve done all year to build the healthy body you deserve.
In recent years, researchers have come to appreciate that our diet can substantially influence the inflammatory state within our body. This view of inflammation is different than the standard view that characterizes inflammation as a response to injury, such as a sprained ankle, which then heals naturally and the inflammation goes away.
The new view of inflammation, developed over the past 10 years, is that it is a generalized state within the circulatory and immune system perpetuated by poor diet. The outcome of this is the dietary promotion of arthritis, osteoporosis, heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer’s disease and most other chronic diseases. We should call this “dietary trauma,” as it leads to the development of biochemical changes similar to a physical injury. The difference is that, for most people, dietary trauma occurs every time they eat, three or more times each day, every day.
In most cases, the outcome of dietary trauma is not noticed for years. It takes years to develop arthritis and other chronic diseases, so we don’t usually associate a poor diet with disease expression. This allows us to easily deny such an association between diet, inflammation, and disease. Thus, developing an awareness or mindfulness about eating is very important to help influence a behavioral change in our eating habits.
Foods That Promote Inflammation
Refined carbohydrates in the form of sugar, sweeteners, and flour produce inflammatory responses, as do refined oils and obese (fatty) meat. A surprise to many is that even whole grains and legumes (beans) can promote inflammation.
With the above in mind, consider that the average American consumes about 10 percent of calories from dairy products, 20 percent from refined sugar, 20 percent from refined grains, 20 percent from refined oils and 2 percent from alcohol. The biggest problems clearly are the sugar, grains, and oils. Approximately another 20 percent of calories come from obese meat, which is the fatty meat from domestic animals that live a sedentary life in feedlots, where they are fed a tonnage of grains/corn instead of grass/pasture. The remaining 10 percent of calories might be fruits and vegetables.
Foods That Prevent Inflammation
Rather than listing all the foods and snacks that should be avoided, let’s focus on the foods that reduce inflammation. Researchers recently characterized a diet that offers preventive benefits for heart disease, called the “polymeal,” which is consistent with the PaleoDiet, the traditional low-starch Mediterranean diet, and the anti-inflammatory diet.
A reasonable recommendation is for 80 percent to 100 percent of our calories to come from vegetables, fruit, raw nuts, potatoes, and either lean or omega-3 protein sources including fish, lean meat, skinless chicken, wild game, grass-fed animals and omega-3 eggs.
Spices such as garlic, ginger, turmeric, oregano and the other popular spices are all anti-inflammatory. The best oils/fats to use in moderation are extra-virgin olive oil, coconut oil and butter.
Our focus should be on correcting the 80 percent of calories that come from sugar, refined grains, oils and obese meat. Worrying about yogurt, the occasional bran muffin, a cup of coffee, etc., has little influence compared to the tsunami of inflammation created by the 80 percent of calories derived from inflammatory foods.
Another key to reducing dietary trauma and inflammation is to eat appropriate amounts for your body. In general, overeating leads to an inflammatory response.
Avoid Dietary Extremism
If you currently snack on bags of inflammation and regularly do “drive-through self-shootings” at fast-food restaurants, you likely will view a life of eating anti-inflammatory foods as somewhat extreme. In actuality, the anti-inflammatory foods described above are not extreme at all and are completely consistent with our biochemical and physiological needs.
If you’re eating 80 percent or more of your calories from sugar, flour/grains, refined oils and obese meat, you’re a dietary extremist. For many, the mere thought of giving up bread and pasta is too much to bear.
On the other hand, assuming 85 percent to 90 percent of your calories are anti-inflammatory, have fun with the remaining 10 percent to 15 percent of calories borne of foods from the dark side. Don’t become an anti-inflammatory diet extremist and make eating healthy a stressful event.
It’s another long day at the office, but you’ve convinced yourself everything needs to be done today before you go home. And yet even as you convince yourself of that necessity, you also realize tomorrow, and the day after that, and the week after that will be the same. Bad news when it comes to your health and wellness, and not just in terms of stress and potential burnout. We’re talking about diabetes.
A study involving both men and women evaluated the impact of work overload (hours per week) on diabetes risk. Researchers found that women who worked in excess of 45 hours per week, on average, had a significantly higher risk of type 2 diabetes than women who worked 35-40 hours per week. Men who worked 45-plus hours did not have an increased risk of diabetes, according to the study, suggesting this is an important women’s health issue.
Findings appear in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) Open Diabetes Research and Care, and researchers evaluated a large sample for more than a decade: 7,065 men and women workers over a 12-year period. Click here to learn more about other risk factors for type 2 diabetes and what you can to minimize your risk. But first, clock out and go home!
Minerals are essential micronutrients that are required in small amounts for the body to function properly. Untreated mineral deficiencies can cause serious health problems including endocrine (hormone) imbalances, osteoporosis, and anemia.
Different minerals play a primary role at different stages of life. For example, menstruating women often need extra iron until they hit menopause and then they can cross iron off their list, as it contributes to oxidative damage in the body. Another example is that women typically develop bone density during the first 35 years of life, creating a specific mineral reserve that forms the foundation for bone health during the postmenopausal years, when bone density tends to decline.
The main sources of minerals are certain types of whole foods, but following a diet that contains all the necessary nutrients can be a challenge for any woman. Taking a multivitamin with added essential minerals can help you reach the recommended amount of minerals you need to stay healthy. Food-based natural mineral supplements are also very beneficial.
Natural mineral supplements can offer comprehensive nutritional support and help improve your body’s absorption of certain other minerals and nutrients – for example, the magnesium is necessary for calcium absorption. Most women are deficient in such common minerals as magnesium, calcium, iron, zinc, iodine, and selenium, so it may be worth considering supplementation, as these minerals are critical for proper metabolic function, hormone balance and bone strength, among other health benefits.
Magnesium
Why you need it: Magnesium is an essential mineral that is involved in more than 300 enzyme and metabolic reactions. Low levels in the body can cause irritability, headaches, muscle weakness, irregular heartbeat, muscle spasms or twitches, constipation, and insomnia. In addition to maintaining normal muscle and nerve function, magnesium helps to keep your heart rhythm steady and supports a healthy immune system. Magnesium is as important as calcium in developing and maintaining bone health, so an ideal bone support supplement will contain equal amounts of both calcium and magnesium. Magnesium is also involved in energy metabolism and protein synthesis since the body requires it for completing certain chemical reactions pertaining to the metabolism of carbohydrates and fats. Finally, magnesium is required for the synthesis of the antioxidant glutathione, which is crucial for detoxification activities and a healthy immune system.
Where to get it: Although supplements are available, nature provides a number of dietary sources of magnesium, including leafy green vegetables, seaweed or green algae, avocados, nuts, beans, raw chocolate, and grains such as brown rice and millet.
Calcium
Why you need it: Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the body and is required for healthy muscle function, nerve transmission, intracellular signaling, and hormonal secretion. Almost all the calcium in the body is stored in the bones and teeth, where it is vital for their support and structure. It is especially important for women to get adequate amounts of calcium in order to reduce the risk of developing osteoporosis, which can lead to an increased incidence of fractures. In addition to its benefits for the bones, calcium is also effective in lowering blood pressure, treating migraines and reducing symptoms of premenstrual syndrome. The recommended daily allowance (RDA) for calcium is around 1,000 mg, while some research suggests that even higher levels may have added health benefits. Some forms of calcium have much better absorption than others, so it is best to choose sources such as calcium citrate, malate, chelate, and orotate, which are more easily absorbed by the body.
Where to get it: While some of the richest sources of calcium include dairy products such as milk, yogurt, and cheese, it is best to stick to non-dairy sources such as sea vegetables, Chinese cabbage, kale, and broccoli, as well as foods, juices, drinks and cereals that are fortified with calcium. The reason is that eating large amounts of dairy products can actually cause the body to leech calcium and minerals, due to dairy’s extreme digestive challenges for even non-lactose-intolerant people. Dairy products also contain low amounts of magnesium and high levels of phosphorus, which can decrease the availability of calcium.
Iron
Why you need it: Iron is part of the protein hemoglobin, which carries oxygen in the body, but is also found in the protein myoglobin, which makes oxygen available for muscle contractions.
An iron deficiency causes a hindrance in the delivery of oxygen to the cells, which can result in fatigue, decreased immunity and anemia – a condition in which red blood cells are immature, small or contain too little hemoglobin to carry the normal amount of oxygen to the tissues.
Where to get it: There are two forms of dietary iron: heme and non-heme iron. Heme iron is derived from the protein in red blood cells that delivers oxygen to cells and is contained in animal foods such as red meats, fish, and poultry. Non-heme iron is found in plant foods such as lentils, beans, black-strap molasses, dried apricots, and raisins. Iron is a double-edged sword, however, as you need enough but not too much. Menstruating women lose blood on a monthly basis, for example, and may require supplementation, whereas most postmenopausal women do not need supplemental iron.
Zinc
Why you need it: Zinc is another mineral that is vital to healthy living, as even a small deficiency can cause decreased immunity. This mineral is most widely known for preventing and shortening the duration of colds, which is due to its powerful ability to strengthen the immune system and increase white blood cell count. Zinc is necessary for the function of many enzymes in the body, effectively assists in regulating hormones and has even been shown to increase fertility. This is a critical mineral in any supplement program, as it aids the body’s absorption of minerals such as calcium, which can help to prevent osteoporosis. Finally, the anti-inflammatory and tissue-healing benefits of zinc can help improve numerous conditions such as acne and poor skin health, among others.
Where to get it: People who want to turn to dietary sources of zinc should consider foods such as oysters and pumpkin seeds, which are known to be rich in zinc. Other zinc-rich foods include most types of meat products, beans, nuts, whole grains, and many other seeds.
Iodine
Why you need it: Iodine was one of the first minerals recognized as essential to human health. It has been known to prevent and treat various thyroid issues, such as enlargement of the thyroid gland, which is important since hypothyroidism and iodine deficiency is associated with a higher incidence of breast cancer. There is also evidence of a link between low thyroid function and fibrocystic breast disease (FBD). This mineral strongly influences nutrient metabolism, detoxification, nerve and muscle function, nail, hair, skin, and tooth condition, and has a profound impact on physical and mental development. It is especially important for women who are pregnant to monitor both their iodine levels as well as levels in their babies in order to prevent certain developmental problems.
Where to get it: In addition to supplementation, various foods provide the body with healthy levels of iodine, including most types of seafood, seaweeds such as kelp, clams, lobsters, oysters, and sardines. It is essential to monitor your intake of some seafood, however, as you may also put yourself at risk of consuming too much mercury.
Selenium
Why you need it: Selenium is also important for optimum health, as it is reported to mimic the action of insulin. Studies have shown that selenium effectively stimulates glucose uptake and regulates metabolic processes including glycolysis [glucose conversion that ultimately yields energy in the form of ATP], gluconeogenesis [which helps keep blood glucose from dropping too low] and fatty acid synthesis, among other key functions. Selenium also plays a role in reducing the oxidative stress associated with diabetes, which can help reduce the risk of developing the potential side effects of diabetes such as neuropathy, retinopathy, and cataracts. Selenium deficiency can result in a number of functional disorders, including skeletal muscle dysfunction, cardiac dysfunction, and pancreatic degeneration. Selenium acts as an antioxidant against free radicals that damage DNA and is often included with vitamins C and E to help fight against cancer, heart disease and even aging.
Where to get it: Natural food sources high in selenium include cereals, Brazil nuts, legumes, beef, chicken, eggs, and cheese.
Complete nutrition is a must for optimal health, so it is crucial to supply the body with sufficient amounts of nutrients by eating a wide variety of vitamin- and mineral-rich foods. While supplementation is an option, the best and most bioavailable form of any mineral is always in its natural food form. If you do choose mineral supplementation, be sure to get a brand that is made from natural food-based sources of minerals rather than synthetic ones. A diet based on mineral- and nutrient-rich whole foods is linked with increased antioxidant activity, improved digestion, healthy inflammation response, healthy glucose metabolism, healthier lipid profiles and increased immune activity, among other benefits. Talk to your doctor for more information.
Minerals That Matter: The Big 6 for Women
Magnesium
Calcium
Iron
Key Functions
Energy metabolism, protein synthesis, bone health, muscle and nerve function.Food Sources
Leafy green vegetables, seaweed or green algae, avocados, nuts, beans, raw chocolate, and grains such as brown rice and millet.
RDA for Adult Women
(Age 19 and older)*
Age 19-30: 310 mg
Age 31+: 320 mg
Key Functions
Healthy muscle function, nerve transmission, intracellular signaling, and hormonal secretion; support and structure of bones and teeth.Food Sources
Dairy products; nondairy sources (preferable) include sea vegetables, Chinese cabbage, kale and broccoli, as well as foods, juices, drinks and cereals fortified with calcium.
RDA for Adult Women
(Age 19 and older)*
Age 19-50: 1,000 mg
Age 51+: 1,200 mg
Key Functions
Part of the protein hemoglobin, which carries oxygen in the body; also found in the protein myoglobin, which makes oxygen available for muscle contractions.Food Sources
Red meats, fish and poultry, lentils, beans, black strap molasses, dried apricots, raisins.
RDA for Adult Women
(Age 19 and older)*
Age 19-50: 18 mg
Age 51+: 8 mg
Zinc
Iodine
Selenium
Key Functions
Strengthens immune system, increases white blood cell count, helps regulate hormones; supports absorption of calcium.Food Sources
Oysters, pumpkin and many other seeds, most meat products, beans, nuts, whole grains.
RDA for Adult Women
(Age 19 and older)*
Age 19+: 8 mg
Pregnant: 11 mg
Lactating: 12 mg
Key Functions
Strongly influences nutrient metabolism, detoxification, nerve and muscle function, nail, hair, skin and tooth condition and mental development.Food Sources
Seafood, seaweeds such as kelp; clams, lobsters, oysters, and sardines.
RDA for Adult Women
(Age 19 and older)*
Age 19+: 150 mcg
Pregnant: 220 mcg
Lactating: 290 mcg
Key Functions
Stimulates glucose uptake and regulates metabolic processes including fatty acid synthesis; acts as an antioxidant against free radicals.Food Sources
Cereals, Brazil nuts, legumes, beef, chicken, eggs, and cheese.
RDA for Adult Women
(Age 19 and older)*
Age 19+: 55 µg
Pregnant: 60 µg
Lactating: 70 µg
Well, at least most of us, and the damage it’s doing in terms of our heart health is staggering. A recent study suggests that the amount of salt consumed by the average adult American on a daily basis may be sufficient to actually damage the heart muscle and inhibit its ability to pump blood.
In the study, people who consumed 3,730 mg or more per day were more likely to have enlargement of the left chambers of the heart (the ones responsible for pumping oxygen-rich blood throughout the body) compared to people who consumed less daily salt. What’s more, high-salt consumers were more likely to have signs of heart muscle strain that could lead to eventual structural damage than lower-salt consumers.
Average sodium intake by most American adults on a daily basis exceeds 3,400 mg, according to the 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which recommends an upper limit of 2,300 mg a day for people without cardiovascular risk factors. Interestingly, table salt is not the biggest culprit – according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 75 of sodium consumption comes from “processed food and restaurant meals.”
Keep in mind that reducing your salt intake is beneficial for another heart-related reason: Sodium intake has already been correlated with high blood pressure and heart disease, which can cause heart attack, stroke and/or heart failure. Talk to your doctor for more information.
Potatoes prepared by methods other than frying are a good low-fat, low-calorie, cholesterol-free source of fiber, vitamin C, potassium, vitamin B6 and folate.
But drop them in a deep fryer or otherwise cook them in oil (i.e., most often as French fries, potato chips or hash browns) and their nutritional value changes, certainly with regard to fat, calorie and cholesterol content. That’s why research links consumption of fried potatoes to an increased risk of early death – yes, we said death.
People who eat fried potatoes twice or more per week are twice as likely to die early compared to people who don’t eat fried potatoes. Eating non-fried potatoes is not linked to early death risk, according to the research.
You probably appreciated French fries and other fried potatoes aren’t good for you before reading this, but now the health risk is crystal clear: risk of early death. Considering Americans consume more than 100 pounds of potatoes (per person) annually, only about a third of which is the fresh variety (i.e., a baked potato), that means the majority of potato consumption is processed and potentially fried. Not a good trend, this research suggests. Talk to your doctor to learn more about how nutrition can impact your health.
