HAVE YOU HEARD THE

NEWS??

 

BYE, BYE TRANS FATS!

 



Have you all heard the great news????  In case you have not........let me make your day!!! The Food and Drug Administration has now ruled that the food industry has only 3 years to eliminate nasty artery clogging artificial TRANS FATS from our food supply!!  Hip Hip Hooray!!!! We won!!! This decision is said to be expected to save not hundreds, but thousands of lives each year and prevent approximately 20,000 heart attacks. 

 

Some of you may be asking....What is trans fats?? Trans fat is what is formed when liquid oil is treated with hydrogen gas and then becomes a solid.  Yum, Yum....doesn't that sound appetizing!!!  This POSER FAT is being used to give processed foods a longer life and change the taste and texture of the food. The heck with our health....lets just make it taste better...makes absolutely NO sense!!!   However, over the years, studies have shown that trans fats not only raise bad cholesterol levels (LDL), it also lowers our good cholesterol (HDL)......it's a double whammy on our bodies!.  That is why trans fats are such a major contributor to heart disease in our country.  Trans fats have already been reduced in many of our foods, but they can still be found in many products such as frostings, frozen pizzas, stick margarines, coffee creamers, boxed cookies/cakes, refrigerated dough (yes, even the cookie roll!), microwave popcorn, and basically anything that can stay in your pantry and last longer than the life of your car!!!

 

So everybody look forward to 2018 and one less thing to think about when we hit the supermarket jungle......but until then....choose wisely and read your food labels!!!

 

Help Fight Your Symptoms Of

Rheumatoid Arthritis

With Good Nutrition

 

 

Today we are going to discuss what role nutrition may play in keeping symptoms or "flare ups" at bay in those of us that suffer from an autoimmune disease.  What are autoimmune diseases??? An autoimmune disease is a disease that occurs when our own immune system attacks our own healthy cells........so not just the bad stuff, but our good stuff too.  So wrong.....I know!!!  Some of these autoimmune diseases are Multiple Sclerosis, Lupus, Addison's Disease, Sjogren Syndrome, Celiac Disease, Graves Disease, and Type 1 Diabetes.  But for todays topic, we will just focus on nutrition and its role in Rheumatoid Arthritis.

 

 

What is Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA)?  RA is a chronic and painful autoimmune disease that affects our joints and connective tissue and in some cases, our organs.   In my opinion and experience, bringing your "scripts" to the pharmacy is not the only thing we can do for ourselves when you suffer from RA.  Numerous studies have shown and I have had the benefit of actually seeing patients with good outcomes when they eat a "Clean" Diet.   When I say "Clean", I mean well balanced and as much plant based foods as possible.  Your nutritional plan should consist of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, lean sources of protein, and low fat dairy foods.  Your plate should be a colorful canvas to ensure that you are getting all of the wonderful antioxidants in vegetables and fruits!!! I definitely recommend buying white plates.....that way you can see all of the beautiful colors and it makes you enjoy your food that much more!!!  Also rich in antioxidants to be included in your "Clean" diet are nuts, beans, dark chocolate (don't get carried away!!), green tea (my favorite!!) and red wine (again, don't get carried away!!)  However, also make sure to put fish at the top of your list!!!!  The omega-3-fatty acids found in salmon, tuna, mackerel, herring, and trout are considered to be a major anti-inflammatory in food.  Numerous studies have shown that consuming omega-3-fatty acids in food or supplement form can help ease symptoms of stiffness and joint pain.  However, check with doctor before you start taking the supplement form because it may interfere with other medications you are on if you don't take the proper dosage.  Recent research suggests about 2.7 grams per day is needed to help ease symptoms. 

 

Have any of you ever heard of C-Reactive Protein (CRP)????  Well, CRP is an indicator of inflammation in our blood.  Some of you may have seen this on your lab sheet after you get your blood tests done and if you have never seen  any of your actual lab sheets and instead just accept a letter from your doctor saying "All labs are good or within normal limits".  Wrong!!!! If you have an autoimmune disease or not, you should always ask for an "actual" copy of labs for you to see and compare year after year....after all....it's your blood!!!  O.K., I'm off my soap box!!!  Back to CRP.....the good news is that many studies have shown that by increasing fruits, vegetables, and whole grains in your daily nutritional regimen......CRP levels decrease!! Yay!! 

 

I'm sure this way of eating all sounds pretty familiar to you all....it is just a healthy way of eating.  Minimize the sugar and fat laden foods......I promise that you will feel the difference after the first week of following this "WAY OF LIFE".  Also, if your not a "food network star"......the kitchen needs to become your best friend.  Eliminate processed foods in a box or can and get cooking!!!!  Have fun in the kitchen!!!   I realize that we should all try to follow this way of life, but for those of us that suffer from an autoimmune disease....it is a necessity.  And don't forget to exercise within your limits...this too will help your overall well-being!!!

 

 





Would You Like A Straw With Your Cup Of Sugar??

 

 

When was the last time you poured sugar in a glass, put a straw in it, and served it to your kids?? Probably never right???  But in actuality, that is what many of us do!!!  Who out there packs your kids lunch boxes with sugar laden drinks in the name of hydration??  I know you're out there!!!  Let's take this back to school time as an opportunity to make changes in our kids nutritional intake together!!

 

Look....we have all heard in some form or another that we are giving our children way too much added sugar in their diets in the form of drinks. But guess what?....one of the easiest ways to limit their intake of "added sugar" is to cut down their intake of sugary drinks.  Yes.....we do need sugar in our diets because it is an important energy source......but I am talking about "naturally occurring sugar."  What is this??? This is sugar that is found naturally in milk, fruits, grains, and vegetables.  "Added Sugar" is sugar that is added during the processing of food such as corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, dextrose, sucrose, and crystalline fructose.   "Added Sugar" can be found in the very fruit drinks, soda, and sport drinks we send our kids to school with!!!.  Research has found that excessive sugar intake in our kids can lead to increased risk of Heart Disease, Diabetes, Stroke, and Obesity.   Also, consuming sugary drinks can trigger even more sweet cravings and then our kids want even more sugar in some form or another!!!  It's a vicious cycle!!

 

Here's a little guide to help you make better choices.... 1 teaspoon of sugar = 4 grams.  The following are recommendations or guidelines from The American Heart Association for the amount of "added sugar" our children should have on a daily basis:   

                      Preschoolers - about 4 teaspoons added sugar per day (=16 grams)

                      4-8 yrs. - about 3 teaspoons added sugar per day (=12 grams)

                      Pre-teen to Teen yrs. - about 5-8 teaspoons sugar per day (=20-32 grams)

 

The following are some beverages we typically give to our children with their sugar content:

     Soda (12oz) = 41 grams sugar                  Iced Tea (12oz) = 24 grams sugar

     Orange Juice (12oz) = 31 grams sugar     Apple Juice (12oz) = 41 grams sugar

     Typical Sports Drink (12oz) = 21 grams sugar

 

If you look at the above numbers, you can see how the sugar adds up easily if they are consuming these beverages as their primary hydration source!!!  Here's the good news...studies have shown that changing just 1 sugary drink per day can cut your kids risk of developing Heart Disease, Diabetes, Stroke, and Obesity by as much as 25%!!!!!!       

 

Here are some great tips to get you and your family started.....just remember, small changes to start will give you better long term results!!   Start giving your kids water in place of a sugary beverage at dinner.  Let the whole family drink water at dinner....our kids learn from us!!  Second, try buying a Fruit Infuser...they are great!!!! You can put whatever fruit or even cucumbers in the pitcher and the water takes on the flavor of it!!  You can find these great Fruit Infusers at many home and department stores.....they are usually about 15-20 dollars.  Also, have your kids cut the fruit and put it in the pitcher with you....they love to participate.  The more they participate, the more they will be more apt to drink it!!  Another great idea.....make fruit ice cubes.  Chop up fruit, put them in ice cube trays, add water, freeze and you have instant fruity tasting water!! 

 

O.K.....you are now armed with the knowledge to make better choices.....now get started providing your children with a healthier future!!!