HEALTH NEWSLETTER

D ear Subscriber, this year we have been blessed with a beautiful and unusually warm spring. With the weather warming up, trees and flowers in bloom, and the barbeques firing up, here is our Summer 2012 Health Newsletter.

In this newsletter:

• Habits To Change For A Healthier You


• The Relationship Between Cured Meats And Cancer


• Belly Flat - Foods That Help To Beat The Bloat In The Stomach

HABITS TO CHANGE FOR A HEALTHIER YOU

OVEREATING

Overeating, is one of the most common and dangerous dietary habits. It is natural on occasions such as barbeques or family visits to eat more than usual, but many of us have turned up the level of our satiation state so that we need to eat a large amount of food to feel satisfied all the time. This is contributed to by a great many emotional and psychological factors that may have started in our early years. It is often influenced by our parents and family members and by your own insecurities and self-image.

Overeating often leads to obesity and weight gain , which is a factor in many diseases. The over-consumption of food also causes stress to the digestive tract and other organs, and can lead to over-working and weakening of those areas. Congestion or stagnation / sluggishness occurs more easily with overeating.

These problems need to be dealt with at the level from which they arise. We can help you identify if they stem from a nutritional deficiency, if you are having cravings, the body maybe missing nutrients, which should be investigated and corrected. If they are of recent onset, stress may be the source. More often, though, overeating is a long-term and deep-seated problem that needs to be dealt with on both the psychological and nutritional levels.

Here are some recommendations to prevent overeating:

• Eat in moderation. You can always go for a second serving if need be. A lot of us have been taught to eat everything on the plate. So only take half the serving of whatever you were going to eat and do not eat to a point where you feel full and uncomfortable.
• Have a glass of warm water before meals and eat smaller meals several times a day instead of one or two large meals.
• Balancing flavors, as well as, having a variety of foods will help satisfy our cravings and may decrease our desire to eat more without thinking.
• As much as possible, try to eat as close to how nature intended it to be – so focus on fresh fruits, vegetables and wholesome nutritious and protein rich foods. Your body will thank you. Stay away from processed and refined foods.

EATING LATE

This is a common problem among people with busy daily schedules, stressful and hectic lifestyles. Food often acts as a sedative and helps us to physically and psychologically feel relaxed. After a meal, more blood goes to our digestive organs and away from our areas related to physical and mental activities. So eating lightly during the day, getting hungry at night after work, and then eating our main meal in the evening is a convenient pattern for most schedules. However, going to bed on a full stomach is not necessarily helpful for digestion or sleep and can quite often create acid reflux and heart burn issues, not to mention weight gain. Depending on the type of food - it may just sit in the digestive system, undigested through the night, making us feel sluggish and full on waking. Eating late can become a habit that robs us of our vitality, and create additional health issues.

My recommendations to prevent overeating:

• It is best to try to eat earlier in the evening, ideally before 7:00pm, and have a lighter meal. Make sure meal times are more than just eating and chomping away food. Enjoy the colors and textures of the food, enjoy quality time with the family.
• Engage in some activity, both mental and physical after dinner, it could be as simple as going for a 30 minute walk and chatting with someone. Movement is great for the digestive system in general.
• Try to avoid eating anything past 8- 9 pm. and if you must eat, eat very little in the two or three hours before bedtime. A light fatty snack would be advised to avoid weight gain such as slice of avocado, a couple of cashews or nuts.

I generally recommend that you do not eat anything at least three hours before bedtime. If you are getting a minimum of eights hours of sleep, your body will start breaking down the stored fat in the body while you are asleep. When we have not eaten enough through the day, it is wise to eat lightly in the evening also and sleep well to awaken energized for some exercise and a good, hearty breakfast with some protein. some complex carbohydrates and vegetables.

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CURED MEATS AND CANCER

“Nitrates added in cold cuts for flavor could cause bladder cancer!”

Red meat, not only increases your risk of cardiovascular disease, but could be a possible cause of certain types of cancers, including cancer of the pancreas and bladder, according a study by a team of US researchers.

For those who can't do without their bacon-cheeseburgers and barbequed steaks in summer, some good news: scientists found no associations between beef, bacon, hamburger, sausage or steak and bladder cancer, but are laden with hormones if they are not organic. The culprits were actually found in the cold cuts. Nitrates and nitrites, which are added to meat when it is processed to preserve and enhance color and flavor, could cause bladder cancer.

Nitrate and nitrite are precursors to N-nitroso compounds (NOCs), which induce tumors in many organs, including the bladder, in multiple animal species. For the study, scientists assessed the intake of nitrates, nitrites and other components found in red meat in some 300,00 men and women aged 50-71 year, in eight US states, and its relation to cancer. The participants were followed up for up to eight years and during that time, 854 were diagnosed with cancer of the bladder.

The scientists led by Dr Amanda Cross of the National Cancer Institute found that people whose diets were high in nitrites from all sources, not just meats, and those that got a lot of nitrates in their diets from processed meats, like cold cuts, had a 28 to 29 percent greater chance of developing bladder cancer than those who consumed the lowest amount of either compound.

People who ate the most red meat were younger, less educated, mostly had a sedentary lifestyle, along with a lower dietary intake of fruits, vegetable, and vitamins C and E than those consuming the least red meat. Other factors that would have affected their health were smoking and a higher BMI (body mass index).

BELLY FLAT - FOODS THAT HELP TO BEAT THE BLOAT IN THE STOMACH

Everybody complains of feeling full or being bloated occasionally. That uncomfortable sensation is the result of air passing through your intestines and is often caused by a tempting culprit: salty and fatty foods. So, what's safe to eat to keep you from unbuttoning those skinny jeans? Here is a list of top fruits, vegetables, herbs, and spices ( if tolerated) that will save any stomach from an uncomfortable expansion.

Fruits And Vegetables:

• Oranges
• Watermelons
• Strawberries
• Blueberries
• Grapefruit
• Lettuce
• Spinach

Spices And Herbs:

• Peppermint
• Ginger
• Fennel
• Fenugreek seeds
• Chili Peppers
• Garlic

Other Foods:

• Yogurt
• Bran Cereal
• Oatmeal
• Broth-Based Soup

For any questions, or concerns, or to schedule an initial naturopathic appointment, please contact us at 416 913 4325 (HEAL) or email us at [email protected]

* DISCLAIMER: The information on this article is the property of Dr. Sushma Shah, Naturopathic Doctor, and is not intended to treat, diagnose or cure any diseases or promote any services or products mentioned on the website.