Optimal Functioning - positive psychology & physical health » Health

Fish Oil Linked to Colon Cancer Risk

Helge Bjorland — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 06:00:59 +0000

Fish oil — long encouraged by doctors as a supplement to support heart and joint health, among other benefits — induced severe colitis and colon cancer in mice in research led by Michigan State University and published October 2010 in the journal Cancer Research.

Don’t take this the wrong way though, this study seems to serve more as a reminder too much of anything can be bad for you. It’s also nice to contrast the information we hear, which is usually positive related to fish oil — omega-3 fatty acids. The fact of the matter is that the amount of omega-3 fatty acids we need for optimal functioning is still not known, so don’t go crazy with the supplements.

Fenton cautions people may not need to avoid fish oil; what the research shows is needed are guidelines on dosing. With any nutrient, there is a “bell curve” effect. On the left of the curve are those deficient in a nutrient; on the right are those in excess.

She said people already receiving enough omega-3 fatty acids through their normal diet and foods have no need for added supplementation.

[ScienceDaily]

Following Lifestyle Tips Could Save You From Bowel Cancer

Helge Bjorland — Sun, 31 Oct 2010 20:14:29 +0000

A study published on the British Medical Journal website suggest that following public health recommendation could reduce risk of bowel cancer by up to 23%. The study is not very specific as to causality, but at least supports the effectiveness of the public health goals.

The researchers created a healthy lifestyle index using internationally accepted public health recommendations from the World Health Organization, World Cancer Research Fund and the Nordic Nutrition Recommendations.

These included being physically active for at least 30 minutes a day, having no more than seven drinks a week for women and 14 drinks a week for men, being non-smoker, having a waist circumference below 88 cm for women and 102 cm for men and consuming a healthy diet

If all participants had followed all five recommendations, then 23% of the bowel cancer cases could have been avoided.

The researchers conclude: “Our study reveals the useful public health message that even modest differences in lifestyle might have a substantial impact on colorectal cancer risk and emphasises the importance of continuing vigorous efforts to convince people to follow the lifestyle recommendations.”

[BMJ]

Latest in Clinical Nutrition (2007) by Michael Greger

Hans Rippel — Tue, 26 Oct 2010 07:00:54 +0000

In information packed and research backed dose of fun interesting …A quick, easy, and especially interesting way.

Weeding through thousands of researches published in the last year and selecting out the most interesting, practical, and groundbreaking findings from what the latest nutritional science has to offer.

httpvp://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=D97C091AA2069C7A

http://www.drgreger.org/DVDs/#2007

Contents (playlist)

01. Introduction [00:00]
02. Preventing Cancer: Which Foods to Avoid [01:51]
03. Slowing the Growth of Breast Cancer [05:21]
04. Preventing Cancer: Which Foods to Eat [11:09]
05. Just the Flax, Ma’am [15:35]
06. How to Eliminate Constipation [20:43]
07. The Healthiest Vegetables [21:55]
08. The Dangers of Blue-Green Algae and Spirulina [24:18]
09. Never Eat Raw Alfalfa Sprouts [26:10]
10. Fecal Bacteria in Sushi [28:24]
11. How Much Pesticide Can Be Washed Off? [31:03]
12. Which Fruits and Vegetables Don’t Count? [35:27]
13. How Much Doctors Know About Nutrition [39:52]
14. Raw Food Diet Myths [42:33]
15. The Food That Can Drop Your Cholesterol 20 Points [45:44]
16. The Healthiest Fruits [47:27]
17. Noni Juice: Helpful, Harmless, or Harmful? [48:48]
18. HerbaLife Supplements: Helpful, Harmless, or Harmful? [49:20]
19. The Healthiest Beverage [49:47]
20. The Food That Cuts Your Fatal Heart Attack Risk in Half [50:16]
21. Foods for Weight Loss [54:48]
22. The Great Grain Robbery [57:12]
23. Good Fats, Bad Fats, Great Fats, and Killer Fats [59:29]
24. What About Olive Oil? [61:43]
25. The Healthy Type of Chocolate [65:05]
26. Recipe of the Year [68:02]
27. Nutritional Deficiencies: Vegans vs. Meateaters [69:26]
28. Avoiding Iodine Deficiency [70:49]
29. The One Supplement Everyone Eating a Healthy Diet Needs [74:33]
30. New Studies on Vegans and Vegetarians [76:14]
31. Effects of Meat Hormones on Fertility [79:46]
32. IQ and Vegetarian Children [82:14]
33. Diet and Body Odor [84:06]
34. Conclusion [87:08]

Latest in Clinical Nutrition (2010) by Michael Greger

Helge Bjorland — Tue, 26 Oct 2010 07:00:35 +0000

In information packed and research backed dose of fun interesting …A quick, easy, and especially interesting way

weeding through thousands of researches published in the last year and selecting out the most interesting, practical, and groundbreaking findings from what the latest nutritional science has to offer.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QYLRKa9p0Rs

Latest in Clinical Nutrition (2009) by Michael Greger

Hans Rippel — Tue, 26 Oct 2010 07:00:29 +0000

In information packed and research backed dose of fun interesting …A quick, easy, and especially interesting way

httpvp://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=DBA02DD311F1D505

Contents (playlist)

1. Introduction [00:00]
2. Nutrition Quizshow [00:00]
3. Nutrasweet: Harmful? [00:00]
4. MSG: Harmless? [00:00]
5. Black Pepper: Helpful? [00:00]
6. Vitamin E Supplements [00:00]
7. Vitamin A Supplements [00:00]
8. Beta Carotene Supplements [00:00]
9. Vitamin D Supplements [00:00]
10. Vitamin Supplements Worth Taking [00:00]
11. Broccoli Sprouts [00:00]
12. One Egg a Day: Harmful? [00:00]
13. Two Cups of Coffee a day? [00:00]
14. Black Coffee vs. Black Tea [00:00]
15. Black Tea vs. Green Tea [00:00]
16. Yerba Maté [00:00]
17. Red Tea [00:00]
18. Honeybush Tea [00:00]
19. Soy Foods [00:00]
20. Soy for Women with Breast Cancer? [00:00]
21. Meat [00:00]
22. Dairy Products [00:00]
23. Flame Retardants in U.S. Food [00:00]
24. Farmed Fish vs. Wild-Caught Fish [00:00]
25. Fish: Omega 3s and Mercury [00:00]
26. Should Everyone Take Algae DHA? [00:00]
27. Meat and Arthritis [00:00]
28. Acrylamide in French Fries [00:00]
29. New Antioxidant Superstars [00:00]
30. Superfood Bargains [00:00]
31. Recipe of the Year [00:00]
32. Oranges vs. Orange Juice [00:00]
33. Apples vs. Apple Sauce [00:00]
34. Sun-dried vs. Golden Raisins [00:00]
35. Raisins vs. Currents [00:00]
36. Carrots vs. Baby Carrots [00:00]
37. Green Lettuce vs. Red Lettuce [00:00]
38. Red Onions vs. Yellow Onions [00:00]
39. Pinto Beans vs. Black Beans [00:00]
40. The Best Bean [00:00]
41. The Best Mushroom [00:00]
42. The Best Beverage [00:00]
43. Bottled Water vs. Tap Water [00:00]
44. The Best Apple Variety [00:00]
45. The Best Nut [00:00]
46. Raw vs. Cooked Vegetables [00:00]
47. Steaming vs. Microwaving [00:00]
48. Roasted Nuts vs. Raw Nuts [00:00]
49. Best Cancer-Fighting Berry [00:00]
50. Flawed Study Interpretation [00:00]
51. Golden Carrot Study of the Year [00:00]
52. Conclusion [00:00]

Latest in Clinical Nutrition (2008) by Michael Greger

Hans Rippel — Tue, 26 Oct 2010 07:00:03 +0000

In information packed and research backed dose of fun interesting …A quick, easy, and especially interesting way.

Weeding through thousands of researches published in the last year and selecting out the most interesting, practical, and groundbreaking findings from what the latest nutritional science has to offer.

httpvp://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=FD84B14C63A2AA88

http://www.drgreger.org/DVDs/#2008

Contents (playlist)

Game teach people healthy diet choices

Helge Bjorland — Mon, 25 Oct 2010 07:00:15 +0000

A Georgia Tech College of Computing Ph.D. candidate, Andrea Grimes Parker, has shown that playing health-related video games on a mobile device can help adults learn to live more healthfully by making smart diet choices.

OrderUP! seeks to educate players about how to make healthy eating choices in situations nearly everyone encounters regularly in their lives. By casting players as virtual restaurant servers, Order UP! forces players to make healthy — and fast — menu decisions for a group of demanding, impatient customers.

“We found that, after playing OrderUP! for just three weeks, we saw people engage in behaviors and thinking consistent with the processes of change identified by the TTM,” Parker said. “In particular, we found that people learned how to make healthier choices when eating out, reassessed the healthiness of their current eating habits, began having productive conversations about healthy eating with people in their social network and, finally, actually started introducing healthier foods into their diet.”

“The most important finding from the OrderUP! project was how the game was integrated into conversations players had with other players and non-players about things that they had learned, particularly things that confronted their assumptions about healthy choices.”

The game works like this: One at a time, 10 virtual “customers” approach the counter with three possible food choices; for example, the choices could be a fried chicken thigh, a jerk chicken breast or gumbo. They’re then asked to make the healthiest choice, with only a few moments to pick before the customer gets impatient and leaves. Players start with 1,000 health points, and as they make unhealthy choices for their customers (or as the customers get tired of waiting and leave) their health points drop. The object of the game is to continue serving food as long as possible.

OrderUP! fits into a larger research profile within the College of Computing of trying to determine how the ubiquity of mobile devices can be leveraged to improve users’ health.

Future development of OrderUP! will include a longer study to measure player behavior change over an extended period of time, as well as an expanded game with more levels, more food choices and more nutritional information available to the player.

[Sciencedaily]

Structure your eating like a pyramid for an energy efficient day

Helge Bjorland — Fri, 22 Oct 2010 07:00:56 +0000

An article in Lifehacker suggests an interesting way to structure eating; like a pyramid throughout the day. This is not to be confused with the food pyramid, although they have some clarifying information on that as well.

Most people, including myself, eat very little in the morning and then increase amounts of meals throughout the day. The pyramid method suggest to swap this around so that your first meal is the largest and then size decreases for the rest of the meals throughout the day.

I haven’t really managed to follow it strictly, but it’s been in the back of my mind lately and so I have adjusted my meals somewhat according to it. It seems better to get more energy early on, which I guess should be logical. The big thing causing some hiccups in my trial is the delicious dinners I’m served by my wife!

In addition to structure meals like a pyramid the method also emphasize:

Getting enough proteins early on
Eating low glycemic index foods
Eat frequently
Drink enough water
Keep track of your energy levels

To read more in-depth about it head over to Lifehacker and have a look at the article.

[Lifehacker]

Get healthy – Try being a weekday vegetarian!

Helge Bjorland — Thu, 21 Oct 2010 07:00:37 +0000

We all know the arguments that being vegetarian is better for the environment, for the animals and our own health — but in a carnivorous culture, it can be hard to make the change. Graham Hill has a powerful, pragmatic suggestion: Be a weekday veggie. Watch his 4 minute talk to get some inspiration for some healthier living!

I think it’s a great idea which can get you started of on a healthier pattern. Even if you don’t do it every day of the week, try at least a Meatless Monday. Everything helps; for your own health, the environment and the animals.

Starve cancer with a plant based diet

Helge Bjorland — Wed, 20 Oct 2010 07:00:29 +0000

A great video from TED where William Li presents a new way to think about treating cancer and other diseases: anti-angiogenesis, preventing the growth of blood vessels that feed a tumor. The crucial first (and best) step: Eating cancer-fighting foods that cut off the supply lines and beat cancer at its own game