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Recently, I posted on The Great American Eat Right Challenge. So, when I came across this list by Alisa Miller, on the 100 Best Foods For Women, I immediately knew I wanted to share it here. With one hundred foods to choose from, there is something for everyone.

Are you trying to eat healthy? Maybe you could pick a few of the foods on this list, and add them to your diet?

A few excerpts from Alisa Miller’s list…

Women’s health needs range from extra iron during childbearing years to calcium and vitamin D for bone health. The following list provides 100 foods that will help every woman ensure that she is getting the very best nutrition for her body. From delicious avocados to tasty snack treats like pistachios to healthy desserts that are actually good for you, you will find plenty of foods sure to please both your body and your taste buds.

Since heart disease is the leading cause of death in women, I thought I would include Alissa’s recommendations for a healthy heart…

26. Canola oil. Replace the oil in your salad dressing with canola oil for a healthy alternative.
27. Skinless poultry. Leaving off the skin will greatly reduce the fat in poultry, making for a more heart-healthy diet.
28. Egg substitutes. Reducing the fat from eggs will help your heart. If you don’t like egg substitutes, just eliminate the yolk and eat the egg white.
29. Cabbage. This vegetable is a great food for a healthy cardiovascular system. Eaten raw is best.
30. Onions. Another good vegetable for your heart is onions.
31. Grapes. Easy to get and loved by most, this fruit is also a great choice for a healthy heart.
32. Raspberries. High in antioxidants, this fruit offers benefits to your cardiovascular system.

Losing weight seems to be a national pastime. Rather than jumping on a fad diet, change your menu to include these foods and see the difference it makes in your life.

49. Tortillas. Low in fat, tortillas make a good substitute for bread. Find whole wheat to really get the best for your body.
50. Water. This should be your drink of choice. It keeps you hydrated, suppresses your appetite, and helps metabolize fat.
51. Fruit smoothie. Add bananas, blueberries, apple juice, and wheat germ or protein powder for an excellent food to keep you healthy and encourage weight loss.
52. Whole wheat bagel. Filled with nutritious whole grains and low in sugar, bagels work for breakfast or as the bread for your sandwich at lunch.
53. Romaine lettuce. Give up iceberg lettuce, which has barely any nutritional value and use romaine for your salads and sandwiches.
54. Veggie burger. Filled with soy and other vegetables, this alternative to beef is significantly lower in calories and healthy too.
55. Dried papayas. Full of iron and vitamins C and A, dried papaya is good for you and the sweetness is a great substitute for a candy bar.
56. Spaghetti squash. Cook this healthy vegetable and replace the strands of it for the pasta in your spaghetti recipe for a delicious meal without the carbs.
57. Watermelon. Sweet and full of hydrating water, this fruit is a great food to fill you up without filling you out.

Debra from That’s Fit…

I love this list! Truly, Alissa Miller is someone who really understands healthy eating, moderation, and variety. Sometimes it’s hard to find an article about healthy foods that doesn’t include low-fat junk, artificial sweeteners, and prepackaged “natural” foods. This list is for those of us who value whole food nutrition.

Here are a few other posts on women and eating healthy.

Healthy Eating To Relieve PMS symptoms…

Consuming foods rich in vitamin A, vitamin D, vitamin E, B complex, calcium, magnesium, and fatty acids can also be beneficial in relieving PMS symptoms. All of these vitamins have a way of targeting specific problems. For instance, vitamin B6 is a natural diuretic which helps with bloating as well as regulating estrogen levels. Vitamin E on the other hand is responsible for relieving sore breasts, depression, and irritability. So if you happen to suffer from PMS, try incorporating a few of these beneficial tips into your daily lifestyle.

When food before bed is ok…

The most “serotonized” fruit is banana. It means that it is not forbidden to be taken in before sleep.

. . .

A handful of almond will also help fall asleep. It contains tryptophan and a sufficient amount of relaxing muscles magnesium.

Also See:

Debra Mazda’s Shapely Girl Fitness

Get Healthy With Kate Garner

Eating Healthy - A Worthy Effort

Contributing Editor Catherine Morgan
at catherine-morgan.com, The Political Voices of Women, Care2 Election

Popularity: 7% [?]

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There are many (too many) things in life that are totally out of our control. And, until recently, many believed that we had little control over whether we would develop diseases such as cancer and heart disease. We now know, that lifestyle plays a large role in these diseases, and healthy living can actually prevent or minimize your risk.

Did you know that…

More than 50% of cancer deaths could be prevented through healthy lifestyle choices like not smoking or using other tobacco products, maintaining a healthy body weight, getting regular physical activity, eating a healthy diet, limiting alcohol consumption and getting cancer screening tests.

Is your lifestyle or food choices, putting your health at risk? Do you feel like adjusting your lifestyle and diet would be too difficult? Have you tried and failed in the past? Would you like to be making better food and lifestyle choices, but you’re just not sure how to go about it? If you have answered yes to any of these questions…I may have just the thing for you.

It’s called The Great American Eat Right Challenge and it is sponsored by The American Cancer Society.

Eat your way to better health. What you eat (or don’t eat) and how active you are can influence your risk of developing cancer. Learn about the best ways to reduce your risk through simple lifestyle changes.

The American Cancer Society promotes the Great American Health Challenge to educate Americans about how to reduce cancer risk. The Great American Health Challenge, a year-long program, encourages Americans to make a commitment to take the following actions to reduce their cancer risk or detect cancer when it is most treatable.

The best part is, you can get started right now. Take about five minutes and answer a couple of Health Check Questions - just click on the get started button. Once you are finished, you will instantly receive a personalized health action plan, that you can share with your doctor.

If you are ready to make healthy lifestyle changes, this program will give you everything you need, by providing you with tools to help you with all aspects of the program. Here is some of what you’ll find at the Great American Eat Right Challenge website…

Learn about Shopping and Cooking Smart.

The first step to cooking healthy is to stock your kitchen with a variety of foods that you can throw together for healthy meals in a hurry. Keep these foods on hand for fast meals on busy nights.

• Get a shopping list of healthy foods.
• Find quick and healthy entrees.
• Learn how to cut calories and fat, without cutting the flavor.
• Watch the shopping smart video.

Here is a YouTube Video on The Great American Eat Right Challenge…

Also, learn how to take control of your weight.

Controlling the portion sizes of meals.

Get restaurant eating tips.

See a list of health snacks.

Get some great healthy recipes.

Are you ready to start The Great American Eat Right Challenge? Now that summer vacations are winding down, this may be the perfect time for you to begin a healthy lifestyle program.

If you’re looking for inspiration, check out Carmen from The Elff Diet (Eat Less Fatty Foods). Carmen has lost over 75 pounds, and has been keeping it off since 2006. Carmen’s blog is great. She talks about her successes as well as her struggles. Carmen has a wonderful way of making you feel like…you can do it too.

Yes, I did lose a lot of weight. And I did it the old fashioned way. I ate less fatty foods and moved more.

I lost 80 pounds between January of 2005, when I made a New Year’s Resolution to get in shape, and May of 2006. I’ve kept all but five pounds away from my body since then. I’ve discovered many cool things about myself during this time - I can climb the rope at the gym, punch and kick like no one’s business at Muy Thai, and was amazed and astounded to be awarded my first belt rank for capoeira this past spring. I completed a dozen 5K’s, 2 8K’s and one Half Marathon, which is amazing because when I first began this odyssey, I couldn’t walk around the block without needing to rest more than a few times. I learned to step away from the chocolate cake, embrace the yumminess of fresh vegetables, that salad is really good without dressing, and that I was eating much too much of the wrong stuff.

Last year Liz was inspired by the Eat Right Challenge and started a blog about it. She calls her blog My Eat Right Challenge.

I was chatting with one of my co-workers about dieting. She’s been on quite an interesting diet for the last few weeks, and she’s had some great results. One of her more amazing accomplishments, though, is that she feels like she’s fueling her body. She doesn’t miss all the crap, for like of a better word, that we typically find ourselves eating.

She also drinks about a gallon of water a day, saying that it’s just become habit. Instead of reaching for pop, which I generally do, she brings in 1-liter water bottles and just drinks those. She feels like she’s flushing out all the bad stuff and just putting things in her body that help her function and live better.

You might also want to check out Kathy McHenry from My Online Meals - She has posts on healthy recipes and great meals ideas.

More and more people are choosing to eat a vegetarian diet because they know that veggies are healthful food. Using low calorie and vegetarian recipes is one of the most important things you can do to protect your heath and the health of your family since obesity is now an epidemic in the United States and other developed countries. Cooking them is still better than the alternatives to a vegetarian lifestyle or a vegan lifestyle, but we receive the most nutritional benefit from ingesting whole and organic raw foods. They will often include many of the vitamins, minerals, and sources of nutrition that every body needs. These low calorie recipes, usually high in fiber, protect against digestive disorders such as diverticulosis and may offer protection from colon and lung cancers. Many low calorie and vegetarian recipes use soy, tofu, dried beans and peas to add protein to meals. Using low calorie recipes will provide a diet rich in vegetables, fruits, grains and legumes, adding high amounts of all the essential vitamins and minerals.

Have you ever wondered… Is it cheaper or more expensive to eat healthy? This is a question that really doesn’t have a firm answer. But, Kayris from The Great Walls of Baltimore wrote a guest post for Crunchy Domestic Goddess, that attempts to come close to answering this persistent question. Here is an excerpt from her post…

Clean Eating is a new magazine by the publishers of Oxygen and it’s aimed, not at dieting, but at changing your lifestyle. When you “eat clean,” you try to eat foods in their most natural state and avoid refined grains, processed foods, etc. The idea isn’t new, but I think it’s a great way to reduce unnecessary sugar, salt and calories in your diet.

Anyway, the front of the magazine caught my eye because of the headline “Feed your family for five nights–Only 60$.” Food prices have been steadily rising and I’ve been struggling to keep our grocery expenses to a reasonable level, so I checked out the article.

Back in January I posted on Healthy Living and The Great American Health Challenge…

The Great American Health Challenge is based on four simple things…

1) Check — Take a quick quiz that screens you for potential risk factors, and promotes early detection and treatment.

2) Move — Encouraging exercise by finding activities that are best suited for your lifestyle.

3) Nourish — Maintain a healthy weight, learn about healthy eating and get tips on diet and nutrition.

4) Quit — Information and tools to help you quit smoking.

So that’s it, four easy steps that could help you prevent cancer and heart disease.

You can also participate in BlogHer’s Good Health-A-Thon.

Let me ask you a question. Are you ready to kick your unhealthy lifestyle habit? If so…Will you accept The Great America Eat Right Challenge?

You can accept the challenge by blogging about it, and leaving your link in Mr. Linky and/or in comments.

Contributing Editor Catherine Morgan
at catherine-morgan.com, The Political Voices of Women, Care2 Election

Popularity: 7% [?]

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How Do You Get Your Fiber?

I’ve always had a real problem getting enough fiber in my diet, and (as you can imagine) that can be problematic…But, I won’t bore you with the details of my regularity.

Over the years I’ve been told by many doctors that I should be taking fiber supplements. So, I’ve tried various supplements. However, no matter how perfected these powdered fiber drinks have become, they are still disgusting to me. In comparison, irregularity doesn’t seem so bad.

Now, I know I should be recommending that everyone get their fiber the old fashioned way (ie: fruits and vegetables), and later in this post, that is exactly what I’ll suggest. Promise. I will give you several examples of bloggers who have written about why fiber is important, and how to get it into your diet through good food choices. But, for now, I just want to tell you how I’ve become successful at adding the extra fiber into my diet.

About a year ago, I saw a commercial for a chewable fiber supplement called Fiber Choice. But, I wasn’t going to fall for some marketing ploy. I figured there was no way these things could actually taste good (as they were claiming in the commercials). They can say anything, but fiber is fiber, and fiber supplements taste disgusting.

I can’t even remember what was going through my head that day, but I was at the supermarket, and I walked by the fiber supplements, and decided to pick up the Fiber Choice. There were a few different kinds, some were sugar-free, and some were different flavors. I knew I didn’t want to try orange, because that was the flavor of all the other fibers I hadn’t liked in the past. So, after careful consideration, I ended up getting the sugar-free assorted fruit flavor.

And, guess what?

They actually taste good. They taste like Smarties. Remember Smarties?

So, a few months ago, after my mother had neck surgery, she was taking prescription pain killers. And, you know what happens when you take prescription pain killer? Yup…You have no pain, and also, no regularity. Lucky for my mother, I had come with my Smarties. That’s what I call them now - it’s my “code-name” for the Fiber Choice Chewable Supplements.

Now, whenever my mother comes to visit me, she brings me Smarties. This weekend when she came over to go see Mamma Mia with me and my daughter, she brought me a bottle she got from Costco of 220…I won’t need to buy Smarties for long time.

Well, that’s my fiber story. Now, as promised, bloggers who recommend you get your fiber the old fashioned way…

From Amanda - Dieting Tips of the Week…

Benefits of Fiber - Recommend consuming 25-35 grams of fiber per day. Since the average diet contains only 14 grams we could all use more fiber. Fiber will help satisfy hunger pangs as well as control insulin and blood sugar levels which tend to promote fat storage when they are elevated. By simply eating at least 1 serving of fruit and vegetables at every meal should get you to the goal of 25-35 grams of fiber per day.

From Suzanne at FitWatch…

The most notable benefit from eating high fiber foods is that it can help calm or even prevent certain diseases. People diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome, or IBS, suffer from chronic abdominal pain, along with other symptoms such as constipation or diarrhea. High fiber foods may easy these symptoms without the use of prescription drugs. Because fiber clears unwanted material out of your colon, it helps reduce the risk of colon cancer. If this isn’t enough of a benefit, a high fiber diet has also been advocated for people with high cholesterol because it has been shown to lower overall cholesterol levels.

From BlogHer BeautyHacks - Fiber and Fitness…

After doing a little investigating I found there were several wonderful menu choices that would add fiber into my diet without sending the rest of my family running for the local fast food stop.

According to the Mayo Clinic, fiber is essential in our diets. To understand why fiber is important to our body we must first understand what it does and what types of fiber there is. Lowcarbdiets/about.com tells us that there are two types of fiber, soluable and insoluable.

Also See:

Rhonda Weidelman has a nutrition blog has a post with 10 Power Foods you should be eating every day.

Robin has a post on fiber at her blog - We Are What We Eat

Contributing Editor Catherine Morgan
at BlogHer, The Political Voices of Women, Care2 Election

Popularity: 19% [?]

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Happy to report…I am feeling much better, and ready to talk about the ban on trans fats in California.

This is a trend I would definitely like to see continue. Nothing good can come from the consumption of trans fats. So, if foods we love to eat, can be prepared, and taste just as good without it, then I say…take it out!

Take the trans out of our fats!

From Huffington Post…

California on Friday became the first state to ban trans fats from restaurant food, following several cities and major fast-food chains in erasing the notorious artery-clogger from menus.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed legislation that will ban restaurants and other retail food establishments from using oil, margarine and shortening containing trans fats.

In a statement, Schwarzenegger noted that consuming trans fat is linked to coronary heart disease.

From Sarah White at Calorie Counter News…

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed into law a measure that would ban the use of trans fats in food products sold in the state. The fats would have to be gone from restaurants by 2010 and from bakeries by 2011.

Violators of the law would face fines ranging from $25 to $1,000. The law does not apply to prepackaged products from manufacturers, such as mass-produced baked goods sold in grocery stores.

Instead, the ban will focus on “food facilities” such as restaurants, delis, bakeries and cafeterias.

From Eater LA…

In case you didn’t know: “Consuming trans fat is linked to coronary heart disease, and today we are taking a strong step toward creating a healthier future for California,” says the Governator.

Stephenie Cion wrote - Is Eating Out Getting Healthier?

I’m also happy to see that the laws are already prompting some restaurants to alter their menus, offering more healthy choices. I hope they can make these changes without sacrificing flavor.

A few people complain that New York City’s ban robs consumers’ freedom of choice (just like its laws banning public smoking). Still, the trans fat law seems to be a prudent measure; after all, according to the city’s Trans Fat Health Center, trans fats are responsible for at least 500 deaths from heart disease in New York City each year!

Pajamadeen wrote - Calgary’s Lower Trans Fat Restaurant Rules…

If you’re eating out in Calgary, the New Year just became a little bit healthier. Starting on New Year’s Day, Calgary became the first Canadian city to regulate the amount of trans fat in restaurant foods.

This is from Erika Pitera and her post on Vitamin D and Heart Health…

Some of the most common food sources of vitamin D include fortified milk, salmon, cod liver oil and sardines. By maintaining a balanced diet that limits calories, trans fat, saturated fat, sodium and dietary cholesterol, you may be more likely to reduce the risk of coronary heart disease.

Also See:

• From WebMD - Just How Bad Are Trans Fats?
• What are trans fats and why are they so bad for us?

So…What do you think? Is it o.k. for the government to regulate what we eat? Personally, when it comes to trans fats, I think it’s a great idea.

Contributing Editor Catherine Morgan
at catherine-morgan.com, The Political Voices of Women, Care2 Election

Popularity: 34% [?]

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My No Dieting Vacation: Will You Be Sticking To Your Diet At BlogHer?

I’ve been doing pretty good on my…Not really a diet, diet. Basically, I have lost most of the weight I had gained since last year’s BlogHer conference. It’s really amazing how easy it is to gain twenty pounds when you’re not looking. I blame it on the whole love/hate relationship with my scale thing.

Anyway, now I am faced with a dilemma…To diet, or not to diet, at the BlogHer conference?

I would love to tell you that I plan on being the beacon of healthy eating at this year’s BlogHer conference. But, I just can’t do it. Well…I just don’t want to do it. I want to have a good time and not worry about how many calories of fat are in a chocolate chip cookie.

That’s ok, right?

I’m sure there will be plenty of healthy food choices at the conference, and I may even choose to eat some of them. However, I’m not going to be sticking to any type of healthy diet. How about you? Will you be sticking to your diet at the BlogHer conference?

What do you think? Is it better to stick to your diet on vacation, or just give into the urge to eat and be merry?

This is what Mel from My World, My Words did on her vacation…

I got to a point, many baaad meals later, while eating a delish corn bread muffin and a plate of macoroni and cheese at the Hawk’s Cay buffett (we visited for their 4th of July celebration) where I finally got honest with myself and my people and annouced that I was on vacation and since my willpower stayed at home I am just going to enjoy myself.

And I did. I enjoyed myself through every meal and margarita. In the back of my mind, though, I could not help but be a little scared at what the scale would say when I got home.

Beetqueen agrees that Road trips and dieting don’t mix…

It is simply impossible to diet while on any kind of vacation. Even though our stay at my in-laws’ house was fairly short (only 3 1/2 days there + 1 1/2 travel days), any thought of a diet flew right out the window. This is, of course, because on car trips of any sort, my willpower fails me entirely.

From Motherwise Cracks…I Am Now Wearing My Vacation…

Well, the party’s over but it’s still wearing on - on me. Yep, the fabulous meals and double desserts are now officially hanging around my middle reminding me of what a great vacation I had. My goal pants that have been hanging on my closet door since May seem to have shrunk another size.

Now, if you don’t want to get home from your vacation to find you’ve gained ten pounds, you could try some Tips for Avoiding Vacation Weight Gain. Or, you could just not get on the scale.

It seems that dieting while on vacation is difficult for most people. So…I think I’ll just be going on a No Dieting Vacation.

What will you be doing?

Contributing Editor Catherine Morgan
at catherine-morgan.com, The Political Voices of Women, Care2 Election

Popularity: 37% [?]

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Childhood Obesity: Should We Give Children Cholesterol Lowering Medications?

I’ve written several posts about the epidemic of childhood obesity. Childhood obesity is very serious, mainly because of all the secondary problems associated with it, including death. Childhood obesity is directly related to poor eating habits, and lack of activity. So, when I heard that the use of statin medication had been approved for children as young as eight, I was quite surprised, and very skeptical.

This is the news clip I saw earlier today…

—
When I first heard it, it almost made sense. But, the problem with this way of addressing childhood obesity, is that you are only treating a symptom (in this case high cholesterol) of a much greater problem. Let me give you an example…

If you have a child that burns their hand on the stove, and the doctor tells you to treat it with burn ointment, that makes sense. However, if this is the tenth time your child has burned their hand on the stove??? Well, maybe it’s time to address prevention and not just treatment.

I really believe that we need to focus on preventing and treating childhood obesity, and the answer won’t be found in any pill. Lifestyle change and better eating habits are the only way to prevent the longterm effects of obesity. Here are a few sites that might help you improve your child’s eating habits…

From Kids Health - Healthy Eating

Nutrition Tips for Kids

From Mom to Mom - Unique Ways to Help Kids Eat Healthy

Tips For Children With High Cholesterol

From PBS Parents - Encourage Kids To Eat Healthy

Games To Get Your Kids Eating Healthy

From WebMD - High Cholesterol in Children

So, while treating some cases of childhood high cholesterol with statins may be appropriate, it’s far from a solution. I would say it’s like putting a band-aide on a gaping wound…But, it’s actually more like not even trying to stop the bleeding, and using blood transfusions to counter the blood loss. It just doesn’t make very much sense.

I’m not the only one questioning these new recommendations, this is from The New York Times…

While some doctors applauded the idea, others were incredulous. In particular, these doctors called attention to a lack of evidence that the use of the cholesterol-lowering drugs, called statins, in children would prevent heart attacks later in life.

. . .

Other doctors said the recommendation would distract from common-sense changes in diet and exercise, which are also part of the new guidelines.

“To be frank, I’m embarrassed for the A.A.P. today,” said Dr. Lawrence Rosen of Hackensack University Medical Center in New Jersey, vice chairman of an academy panel on traditional and alternative medicine. He added: “Treatment with medications in the absence of any clear data? I hope they’re ready for the public backlash.”

Newsweek Health has an interesting article on the pros and cons of statins for children…

Newsweek’s Mary Carmichael spoke with Peter Belamarich, a pediatrician at Children’s Hospital at Montefiore Medical Center in New York City, who has prescribed statins to some kids but takes issue with the new guidelines.

Did you hear about this? What do you think? Here is some of what others are saying…

From Angie at ParentDish…

The AAP has also reversed its original stance against giving children under the age of 2 reduced fat milk. Higher fat milk was recommended because saturated fats are essential for brain development. “But now we have the obesity epidemic and people are thinking maybe this isn’t such a good idea,” said Dr. Frank Greer of the University of Wisconsin, co-author of the guidelines report, which appears in the July edition of Pediatrics, the group’s medical journal.
Young children are now getting the fat they need from sources other than milk and the updated recommendation is based on recent research showing no harm came from younger children drinking the reduced-fat milk.

Theresa from Poked and Prodded…

Dr. Daniels says medication isn’t for every kid. “We are only talking about children who have pretty high cholesterol, cholesterol that would be high for an adult,” he says. Children who are obese and have diabetes or other risk factors are more likely to be candidates for medication.

“It’s a balancing act of risks and benefits,” Dr. Daniels says. At some point it ”tips in favor of being more aggressive in terms of treating those problems.”

From Mothership Meals…

According to the article, children’s cholesterol levels have remained stable in the last few years, and their tri-glyceride levels have even dropped. So… what gives?

Meanwhile, according to this other article, also by Tara Parker-Pope, statins don’t even really work: “But many statin users don’t have established heart disease; they simply have high cholesterol. For healthy men, for women with or without heart disease and for people over 70, there is little evidence, if any, that taking a statin will make a meaningful difference in how long they live.”

In today’s article, Pope says that the AAP is also now recommending that one-year-olds with a possibility of developing a weight problem drink low-fat milk. I- I- I… I’m speechless. Well, almost.

From Mary at Fatosphere - Just When You Thought You’d Heard It All…

Before I blow a gasket and become one of those obesity-related casualties we keep hearing about, I’m going to just go back to the specifics of this CNN article. Here are some things that are causing my left eyebrow to arch so high that it may just migrate right off my face:

(1) The AAP spokesdoctor quoted in the article, Stephen Daniels, “has worked as a consultant to Abbott Laboratories and Merck & Co.” — “but not on matters involving their cholesterol drugs”. OHHHHH, thank god he wasn’t working on matters involving their cholesterol drugs. Because you might think he had some impure motives in recommending his former employer’s cholesterol drugs to 8 year-olds if he had worked on matters involving their cholesterol drugs, but since he didn’t work on matters involving their cholesterol drugs, I can’t see any possible conflict of interest, can you?

From Dr. Molly’s Weblog…

What this means for your child is that my nurse will be drawing (through a vein rather than a finger poke) a sample of blood at the check up if your child has been fasting overnight and I will send it off to the lab. If your child has an appointment too late in the day to do a fasting sample at the check up, you can either take a request to the lab and have them draw the sample any morning, or return to my office for a lab draw early in the morning. After sending the blood off, I get results in a day or so and will notify you by email of the results. If the labs are abnormal, I will also send the dietary and exercise changes that are recommended and I will encourage you to implement them for a six month period after which we will do the lipid panel again. If things haven’t improved significantly, then we will discuss the pros and cons of lipid lowering medications for your child. If your child’s labs are normal, we will repeat the levels in 3-5 years.

Its a lot to chew on but it emphasizes the importance of doing what we can to keep our kids at the lowest risk. 70% of children have some degree of atherosclerosis by age 20 and although the serious complications of high cholesterol may take decades to present themselves, the eating and activity habits we encourage in our children often last a lifetime.

From Kay B. Day at The US Report - Hype or Logic…

I’m not even sure about the screening. Have numbers been adapted to children, and how do you measure those numbers against growth spurts, something no parent can predict the timing on? How about this money-saving idea? If parents have a truly obese child or a child whose screening shows high cholesterol, would a modified diet and exercise help? And more important, would a nutrition class for the parents help? You can find a lot of information about the food pyramid and physical activity at the US Department of Agriculture website.

What do you think? Is screening young children for high cholesterol really necessary? Would you put your child on medication for high cholesterol? Should more be done to help prevent obesity in children? Let me know what you think. And, if you’ve blogged about this, I hope you’ll leave me a link in comments.

Contributing Editor Catherine Morgan
at catherine-morgan.com, The Political Voices of Women, Care2 Election

Popularity: 46% [?]

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Healthy Living: Can Yoga Help Reduce Symptoms of Chronic Illness? — by Catherine Morgan (cross-posted at BlogHer)

Back in March, I told you about yet another invisible illness that I’ve had the pleasure of being diagnosed with. Fibromalgia. It was also at that appointment where I learned of the 20+ pounds I had put on in less than a year. And it wasn’t like I was at my ideal weight before that time either. For the first time in my life, I actually weighed more than I did when I was pregnant. It was then that I decided I must begin to take eating healthy more seriously. Aside from not being able to fit into my skinny jeans, the extra weight was exacerbating all of my invisible medical problems.

Since then I’ve lost about fifteen pounds, and I’m starting to think there might be a chance that I’ll be able to finally get back down to my ideal weight. The main problem I’m facing now, is my inability to exercise. It’s not that I have an aversion to exercising, it’s because I also have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (here are some videos that might help you understand), and one of the most devastating symptoms is something called post-exertional malaise. Basically, even though I need to exercise to be healthy and lose weight, just a little bit of exercise can make my fatigue and pain much worse.

I know that yoga would be the best type of exercise for me to try, and I’ve always wanted to try it. But, up until now, I thought yoga was the type of thing that would be too difficult to learn how to do on my own. And then I came across a book on yoga, that was written specifically for people with Fibromyalgia. I was a little skeptical at first, but I was also ready to give something new a try. So, I emailed the publisher, and asked them to send me a review copy of Yoga for Fibromyalgia: Move, Breathe, and Relax to Improve Your Quality of Life by Shoosh Lettick Crotzer.

When I received the book, I was happy to see that it was an easy read, and included many pictures of the yoga positions it was recommending. It’s not a book that claims to be a cure for Fibromyagia, but rather a book that aims to improve the quality of life, of anyone suffering with this debilitating illness. There are positions for reducing pain and fatigue, improving sleep, and maintaining flexibility. If you are living with Fibromyagia or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, I think you would find this book very helpful. I’ve only just begun to learn these yoga positions, but I intend to make them part of my personal healthy living program, and I’m hopeful that this will be just the type of exercise that will help me.

Here are some other BlogHers that are blogging about yoga…

From BlissChick - 8 Triggers For Centering Yourself

I started this week writing about becoming imbalanced over the weekend (which happened for a variety of reasons). I have spent the whole week getting back to myself, doing all the things I know I have to do to be in my center, to feel good and to be productive.

And this got me to thinking about reminders. Remembering to be centered. Remembering what is important. Remembering what we value and where we want to put our energy.

From Somebody Heal Me - Meditation & Yoga Can Reduce Migraines

Researchers speculate that yoga, meditation and deep breathing help prevent migraines by raising serotonin levels.

From BlogHer contributing editor Mipmup

The popularity of yoga is undeniable. Research varies, but it is estimated that from 15 to 28 million people practice yoga in the United States alone. And with good cause. Yoga “asanas,” or postures, benefit the body physically, mentally and spiritually. Besides keeping fit, yoga is being used to treat HIV/AIDS, depression, heart disease, cancer and anxiety disorders. So who’s blogging about it?

the accidental yogist, as the name implies, finds herself unexpectedly exploring yoga after a knee injury.

Notesgirl has written up a complete step-by-step yoga practice for digestion and stress relief.

the ohmtastic blog is the blog of the founder of ohmtastic lifestyle apparel. She has a useful post on reducing injury during practice.

Everything Yoga, the blog of a registered yoga teacher, posts about the “prenatal yoga trend.”

Are you blogging about yoga? Are you using yoga to help reduce symptoms of chronic illness? I hope you’ll let me know what you think in comments.

Contributing Editor Catherine Morgan
at catherine-morgan.com, The Political Voices of Women, and The Care2 Election Blog

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Heart Disease: The Leading Cause of Death. Are You At Risk? — by Catherine Morgan (cross-posted at BlogHer)

What is a heart attack? Why do some people live and others die? Can something be done to help prevent heart disease? Are you at risk?

Yesterday we heard the sad news of Tim Russert’s sudden death from an apparent heart attack, at the age of 58.

Heart Disease is the leading cause of death in the United States and is a major cause of disability. The most common heart disease in the United States is coronary heart disease, which often appears as a heart attack. In 2008, an estimated 770,000 Americans will have a new coronary attack, and about 430,000 will have a recurrent attack. About every 26 seconds, an American will have a coronary event, and about one every minute will die from one.

We now know that Tim Russert was being treated for a condition known as asymptomatic coronary artery disease. This means that through tests, he was aware that he had coronary artery disease, however he had no symptoms. Ultimately, this disease and sudden cardiac arrest is what killed him. In more technical terms, he had a sudden coronary thrombosis, that caused ventricular arrhythmia, that caused a heart attack and sudden cardiac arrest.

Although people can survive heart attacks (when they receive prompt medical treatment), the type of heart attack that Tim Russert had (sudden cardiac arrest), has a very low survival rate.

Here is a video clip of Tim Russert’s physician (who was with him before and after his death), explaining what exactly happened.

I was planning to blog about something else today, but I thought this would be a good opportunity to address some of the issues surrounding heart disease. Specifically, prevention of coronary artery disease.

The Mayo Clinic has a list of specific lifestyle changes we can all make to help prevent coronary artery disease. One of the most important ways to prevent heart disease, is to adopt healthy eating habits. They also suggest…

In addition to healthy lifestyle changes, remember the importance of regular medical checkups. Some of the main risk factors for coronary artery disease — high cholesterol, high blood pressure and diabetes — have no symptoms in the early stages. Early detection and treatment can set the stage for a lifetime of better heart health.

It’s important to Know The Warning Signs…

Some heart attacks are sudden and intense — where no one doubts what’s happening. But most heart attacks start slowly, with mild pain or discomfort. Often people affected aren’t sure what’s wrong and wait too long before getting help. Here are signs that can mean a heart attack is happening:

• Chest discomfort. Most heart attacks involve discomfort in the center of the chest that lasts more than a few minutes, or that goes away and comes back. It can feel like uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain.
• Discomfort in other areas of the upper body. Symptoms can include pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach.
• Shortness of breath with or without chest discomfort.
• Other signs may include breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea or lightheadedness

As with men, women’s most common heart attack symptom is chest pain or discomfort. But women are somewhat more likely than men to experience some of the other common symptoms, particularly shortness of breath, nausea/vomiting, and back or jaw pain.

Wendy at Healthy Endeavors is Heartsick over Heart Disease…

Do you know that heart disease is the number one killer of women, taking close to 500,000 lives each year, far surpassing breast cancer, diabetes and other causes of death?

The reality, however, is that heart disease is highly preventable, yet research shows that many women don’t even know they’re at risk. Why? For a myriad of reasons women often put their health last on the list, despite their best intentions.

I say enough is enough. It’s time for each of us to take a stand and take action about our heart health.

That’s why I created the Take Your Health To Heart Challenge. The Challenge motivates and inspires women across the country and around the world to make heart-healthy lifestyle changes that help prevent heart disease and significantly reduce risk factors. Heart disease has affected people in my own life and I’m determined to help spread the word and encourage women to truly take their health to heart.

Kim from Up North Mommy discovered a man seemingly taking advantage of Tim Russert’s death to push his own agenda (and books)…

If you take a look at this website, you’ll see a couple of books written my Mr. Adams clearly displayed on the right hand side.

So what’s the issue? It’s this: before Mr. Russert has even been eulogized and buried, Mr. Adams has published an article in which he blames Mr. Russert’s death on pharmaceutical industry. Mr. Adams doesn’t know anything about Mr. Russert’s medical history or daily eating and exercise habits. Nor does he know anything about his stress levels, yet he acts like he and his lifestyle alone could have single handedly saved Mr. Russert’s life. Not only is this in bad taste, but it’s also sickeningly manipulative.

Also See:

Women and Heart Disease - Knowing The Facts Could Save Your Life

Menopause and Heart Disease

How Old Is Your Heart?

Contributing Editor Catherine Morgan at catherine-morgan.com, The Political Voices of Women, Care2 Election Blog

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I have a love/hate relationship with my scale. — by Catherine Morgan (cross-posted at BlogHer)

About eight weeks ago I posted about how I started a pre-diet. I was trying to get reacquainted with the taste of healthy foods, and wean myself off of sugar. As far as that goes, I feel like I’m doing pretty well, I’ve even lost some weight. At the time of the post I had lost about six pounds, and since then I have lost another six. I’m now down 12 pounds from my heaviest weight ever (not counting when I was pregnant), I know because that’s what my scale says. If it wasn’t for my scale I wouldn’t believe I’ve lost any weight at all, so for that reason, I love my scale. However, I also hate that the number is still so high. And, I hate that even after losing 12 pounds, I still have almost 30 to go.

But, it’s always a better idea to focus on the positive, so that’s what I’ll try to do.

First, I have finally gotten over the sugar hump, and I’m not craving sugar the way I used to. I even made my world famous chocolate brownie cake with my daughter, and wasn’t tempted to eat any of it. That’s a pretty big deal for me. I’ve also stopped eating junk food, and I’ve stopped eating late at night (for the most part). Another thing I do, is always keep several bags of vegetables, and microwavable diet entrees in my freezer, for when I need a quick meal.

My daughter has been a great help by not asking me to buy cookies and ice-cream when we go shopping. It’s amazing how much easier it is to avoid eating junk, when it’s not in the house. Instead of ice-cream with chocolate sauce, she is now happy to get no sugar added ice-pops, and low-fat granola bars. We also had the opportunity to try something new. Skinny Cow sent us two boxes of Skinny Dippers, and they are very yummy (and only 80 calories). We both love mint chocolate chip ice-cream, so the mint Skinny Dippers were are favorite.

So, that’s what I’ve been up to for the last several weeks. I’m not putting a lot of pressure on myself, and I’m not starving myself. I guess what I’m doing could be called a diet, but I’m sticking with calling it a pre-diet for now. Once I hit a plateau, and I’m not continuing to lose weight, I’ll kick it up a notch and go on an actual diet. For now, this is working for me, so why mess with it?

Have you been trying to lose some weight? How much do you want to lose? Have you been having any luck? What kind of things have been working for you? Are you calling it a diet?

Other bloggers dieting…

Michelle ~ mother & scrapaholic…

So, some of you may have noticed my weight gain over the past few months… well, I’ve officially decided to do something about it. I don’t believe in “dieting” as in starving myself to death, but I do realize that I’ve got to make better nutritional choices. I’m also going to weigh myself weekly to track progress and post the results on my blog. (Hopefully, having to be accountable will help me beat any cravings for big fat fudge brownies or cool ranch doritos or Debbie’s “little Debbie bars”, etc!)

The Diet Naked Blog

Big Fat Deal

Dieting Battle

Down Home Dieting

Vickie’s Voice

Lilly Hydrangeas Blog

Contributing Editor Catherine Morgan at catherine-morgan.com, The Political Voices of Women, Care2 Election Blog

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How old is your heart? Did you know smoking can add twenty years to the age of your heart? That seems like a pretty good reason to stop. What about stress? Stress can cause as much damage to your heart as smoking. Could you quit stressing?

ALSO SEE MY BlogHer POST ON THIS ISSUE

and Healthcare For All (except the sick)? at The Political Voices of Women

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I originally posted this about a year ago, on BlogHer (where it has had over 17,000 hits), so I thought it deserved an encore. Here goes… Alli: “The Diarrhea Diet” — by Catherine Morgan

I’m not going to try to sugar coat it, I’m an opinionated person. Back at the end of May when I saw an article about an over the counter diet pill being approved by the FDA, and peddled by a pharmaceutical company, my skepticism antenna went into overdrive. The result was a post I did the same day on why you should just say no to diet pills, which included several links of other recent drugs the FDA and pharmaceutical companies had claimed to be safe, and later were taken off the market. In my opinion this happens much too often. And the main thing that sets me off is, it seems to be all about money. (Shocking! Not so much.) The FDA takes money from the pharmaceutical companies to “study” and approve their drugs, then the pharmaceutical companies make millions (even billions) off the American people, then voila, the drug that was once “safe” is no longer safe. It’s a very interesting phenomena.

Glaxo’s Avandia Fuels Arguments For Tougher Drug Laws — The study, released May 21, showed that Avandia, the world’s best-selling diabetes pill, increased the risk of a heart attack 43 percent. Members of Congress are questioning the Food and Drug Administration’s handling of evidence of side effects since the drug won U.S. approval in 1999.

The Avandia report has reignited complaints by Congress that the FDA is too lax in monitoring drug complications after a product is on the market. The agency previously was criticized for failing to act on heart dangers linked to Merck & Co.’s Vioxx painkiller before it was withdrawn in 2004, and for missing suicide risks linked to antidepressants. — read full article

Call me crazy, but it is troubling to me that the FDA considers a drug that basically induces diarrhea as a safe and effective means of weight loss. Sure, you can argue that the drug is blocking fat from being absorbed and a side effect of that is causing diarrhea…but really…semantics. Right? Don’t we consider people that are using drugs to induce diarrhea as suffering from Bulimia, and in need of medical and psychological help? What about this…Lets say that a pharmaceutical company came out with a drug that induced vomiting, does that mean if the person is not sticking their finger down their throat they are not sick, they are just dieting? If that’s the case, maybe someone should consider repackaging Ipecac into pill form, and marketing it as the newest diet plan. Is it really that much of a stretch from where we are now???

Now that you know how I feel about it, lets take a look at some of the facts about the (not so) new diet pill. Then you can tell me how you feel about it.

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Health News: DASH Diet Saves Lives, Healthcare Crisis Affecting Prescription Co-Pays, Breast Cancer Screening.

Are you interested in lowering your blood pressure? Reducing your risk of heart disease? If so, you may want to consider the DASH Diet.

When compared to a typical America diet, women following a DASH diet were 24 percent less likely to have a heart attack, and 18 percent less likely to have a stroke. This is a pretty big deal, especially considering that the number one cause of death in women is heart disease.

Diet Reduces Heart Attacks, Strokes.

A large study offers the strongest evidence yet that a diet the government recommends for lowering blood pressure can save people from heart attack and stroke.

Researchers followed more than 88,000 healthy women for almost 25 years. They examined their food choices and looked at how many had heart attacks and strokes. Those who fared best had eating habits similar to those recommended by the government to stop high blood pressure.

The plan, called the DASH diet, favors fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat milk and plant-based protein over meat.

Women with those eating habits were 24 percent less likely to have a heart attack and 18 percent less likely to have a stroke than women with more typical American diets.

From WebMD

A healthy diet rich in fruits and vegetables and low in fat has long been touted as heart smart. Now, increasing evidence suggests that a similar diet reduces blood pressure and decreases a woman’s risk for heart attack and stroke.

Scientists reporting in the April 14 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine have found that healthy, middle-aged women who closely followed the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet have lower rates of cardiovascular disease (CVD) than women who do not follow such diets.

“Our study provides, to our knowledge, the strongest evidence to date on the long-term benefits of the DASH diet in the primary prevention of CVD among healthy subjects,” writes Teresa T. Fung, ScD, of Simmons College, Boston.

National dietary guidelines promote the DASH diet as an example of a healthy eating pattern. The diet comprises plenty of fruits, vegetables, and plant proteins from legumes and nuts, and moderate servings of low-fat dairy products. It is low in meat.

Also See:

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Weight Loss: Getting Reacquainted With Healthy Food — by Catherine Morgan (cross-posted at BlogHer)

For the last few weeks I’ve been making an attempt at eating healthy. And usually this is where I would tell you that I’ve failed miserably. But, I’m happy to report that I have actually been doing pretty well. I think it is in part because, around the same time I decided that I couldn’t afford to gain another pound, I got an email from Elaine Magee. Funny how we get what we need, just when we need it. Anyway, Elaine is the Healthy Recipe Doctor at WebMD, and she wanted to tell me about her newest book Food Synergy. Even better, she said if I wanted a copy she would send me one. The timing couldn’t have been better.

I’m not sure if it was the book or my total fear of gaining another pound, but I’ve actually lost about six pounds. It’s not that her book is a diet plan or anything…It’s really about eating healthy, and that’s what is so great about it. The book reinforced a lot of what I already knew, but also explained how different food combinations actually work to prevent disease and promote wellness. Not only is the book informative, but it is loaded with great recipes.

Evidence is mounting that certain components in the food we eat and drink (minerals, vitamins and phytochemicals, fiber, smart fats, etc.) interact to provide our bodies extra disease protection and a higher level of health. This advanced nutrition science is called food synergy.

Food synergy is like adding 1 plus 1 and getting 4 or 6 instead of 2; the total is greater than the sum of the individual parts (or nutrients).

From WebMD - At The Healthy Recipe Doctor - Top 10 Food Synergy Super Foods

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Three Tips For Living Healthy — by Catherine Morgan (cross-posted at Qvisory)

1. You are what you eat, and it is never too late to start eating healthy. Every day, try your very best to put healthy foods and plenty of water into your body. When you have a choice between something healthy and something not healthy, go with the healthy choice. But, don’t be too hard on yourself on the days you fall back into old habits. There is no rule that says you have to be perfect to be healthy. Even if you are eating healthy 50% of the time, that is still better than not at all.

If you are one to never go for the healthy choice, then start today with a commitment to eat one thing that is good for you (just one thing that you would normally not eat), and do that for a week. After a week, start eating two things that are good for you. Continue to gradually migrate toward healthier options. Before you know it, you’ll be eating healthy half the time. And, that’s a great start.

You can start today, loving yourself and your family enough to stop poisoning your body with unhealthy foods. Heart disease is the number one killer in our country and 80% of heart disease is due to eating an unhealthy diet that leads to high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes. Start today, and take a bite in the right direction. Your heart will thank you.

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BlogHer Health & Wellness Blog Roundup — by Catherine Morgan (cross-posted at BlogHer)

Tonight I am surfing the BlogHer Health and Wellness Blogroll. So many great blogs, I wish I could tell you about every one…But you could always do a little surfing yourself.

So, in no particular order, here are eleven blogs that are new to me.

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