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Calorie counts and other vital nutrition information should be posted on the front of food packages, and the serving sizes should reflect how much people actually eat, says the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

The FDA wants to make the changes because official serving sizes on many packaged foods are too small, which means the calorie counts that go with them are often misleading, The New York Times reported.

Giving people accurate servings sizes and calories counts may convince them to go easy on foods like chips, ice cream, breakfast cereals and cookies.

“If you put on a meaningful portion size, it would scare a lot of people. They would see, ‘I’m going to get 300 calories from that, or 500 calories’,” Barry Popkin, a nutrition professor at the University of North Carolina, told The Times.

Legislation banning candy and sugary beverages from schools will soon be introduced by the Obama administration.

Any vending machines that remain in schools would have to be “filled with nutritious offerings to make the healthy choice the easy choice for our nation’s children,” according to an excerpt of a speech to be delivered Monday by Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, The New York Times reported.

While the bill would require that all foods offered in schools comply with strict new nutritional guidelines, bake sales, parties and other occasional offerings of sweets would be allowed.

The legislation has the support of the National PTA and a number of health and medical advocacy groups, but some local school officials are lukewarm about this type of federal control.

“Our feeling is that school boards are acutely aware of the importance of ensuring that children have access to healthy and nutritious food,” Lucy Gettman, of the National School Boards Association, told The Times.

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Unused or expired medications that are thrown in the trash can still end up in drinking water, according to a study by the Maine Department of Environmental Protection.

It found minute amounts of discarded drugs in water at three landfills in the state, the Associated Press reported. This landfill water, called leachate, eventually ends up in rivers. Many communities across the United States draw their drinking water from rivers.

Maine lawmakers are currently considering a bill that would force drug makers to create and pay for a program to collect unused prescription and over-the-counter drugs from consumers and dispose of them.

“People need a way to properly dispose of their drugs, and they’re not getting it right now,” Mark Hyland, director of the state Department of Environmental Quality’s Bureau of Remediation and Waste Management, told the AP.

Maine is among more than a half a dozen states considering a “take-back” bill for medications. The Maine bill has won committee support and awaits further action. If enacted, it would be the first of its kind in the United States.

The bill is opposed by the drug industry lobby group, the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, the AP reported.

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Here is the text, “Healthcare reform is irrelevant until Americans improve their lifestyles.”

The fact is, our healthcare costs are out of control because the diet and lifestyle that has become the societal norm in this country causes disease.  As Ms. Pirello mentioned in her article:

“We are willing to tolerate this revolutionized food because it’s cheap. But it comes at a high price to our health. We spend less on food today than any other people at any other time in recorded history. And the less we spend on food, the more we spend on health care.”¹

Here are some numbers:

- Overweight and obesity rates are at an all time high – 73% of Americans are either overweight (38.8%) or obese(34.2%).² In 1980, 15% of adults were obese – over the past 30 years,that number has more than doubled.³

- According to the CDC, U.S. obesity-related health costs totaled $117 billion in 2000, and if current trends continue, that figure is projected to reach $344 billion per year by 2018.^3,4

- Coronary heart disease costs are estimated at $177 billion for 2010, costs for stroke at $74 billion, costs for hypertension at $77 billion. ⁵

- Health insurance premiums have gone up 131% in the last 10 years.⁶

- Over 50% of insured Americans take prescription drugs for a chronic condition – the majority of these drugs are for blood pressure or cholesterol.⁷

These costly diseases are caused by poor lifestyle choices, and they are also preventable by positive lifestyle choices.

The problem is not the fact that there are so many uninsured Americans – the problem is that there are so many unhealthy Americans. Do we need a better health care system? Of course. But not as desperately as we need better health. Better health through improved lifestyle choices is also fiscally responsible. Vegetables are cheaper than statin drugs. A gym membership is cheaper than bypass surgery.

Health care costs are the symptom, poor lifestyle choices are the cause. If we want to improve the situation, we need to address the cause. The only way to reduce these costs is to reduce the prevalence of these devastating (but preventable) diseases.

No matter how many confusing messages the American public gets about nutrition, there are some very simple truths. Fruits and vegetables are healthy, processed foods and fast food are not. If you follow a nutritarian diet, it will cost less to keep you healthy.

Ms. Pirello suggests a healthcare system in which individuals are rewarded for having healthy habits – sounds like a great idea to me. She also mentions Whole Foods Market’s new Health Starts Here program, for which I provide nutritional guidance.

“They are about to implement a program that encourages their employees to get and stay healthy. Beginning with a simple blood test and survey, each employee who chooses to participate will receive a diet plan. Each benchmark they hit (lower cholesterol and blood pressure, healthier BMI, etc., will result in a greater discount on their groceries purchased at Whole Foods Market. Imagine a health care plan that does the same thing.”¹

No matter what the outcome of healthcare reform in Washington D.C., if enough of us develop and practice healthy habits, it will be to the benefit of our healthcare system.

References:

1. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/christina-pirello/healthcare-reform-is-irre_b_440589.html

2. Ogden CL et al. Prevalence of High Body Mass Index in US Children and Adolescents, 2007-2008. JAMA. 2010;303(3)

Flegal KM et al. Prevalence and Trends in Obesity Among US Adults, 1999-2008. JAMA. 2010;303(3)

3. http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/hestat/overweight/overweight_adult.htm

http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/publications/AAG/pdf/obesity.pdf

4. http://www.americashealthrankings.org/2009/obesity/ECO.aspx#2018

5. http://circ.ahajournals.org/cgi/reprint/CIRCULATIONAHA.109.192667

6. http://money.blogs.time.com/2009/09/30/a-dozen-disturbing-health-care-statistics/

7. http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/05/14/health/main4094632.shtml?source=related_story

In this post blog by Posted on February 1, 2010 by Deana Ferreri in Doctor Furhman Blog,

Both iron and copper serve vital functions, but as we age excess stores of these metals may build and become toxic. A report from the American Chemical Society¹ suggests that iron and copper toxicity are unrecognized but significant threats to public health, in particular for adults over the age of 50.

Iron is crucial for oxygen transport and the proper function of several enzymes and proteins. Similarly, copper is also a component of enzymes that catalyze important reactions in several of the body’s cells and tissues. The human body evolved to store excess iron and copper to fuel these vital processes in case of extreme conditions like bleeding or famine, but their accumulation over time may be detrimental because both metals are involved in the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS).

It is now generally accepted that oxidative damage, a byproduct of oxygen-dependent energy production, contributes to chronic diseases and aging.

Oxidation of LDL cholesterol is one of the initial steps of atherosclerotic plaque development. Epidemiological associations between body stores of each of these metals and atherosclerosis have been found, and this is thought to be due to ROS production.² 

Oxidative damage and depletion of the brain’s natural antioxidant defenses are implicated in the neurodegeneration associated with Alzheimer’s disease. Because the brain uses more oxygen and produces more energy than any other organ, it is the most vulnerable organ to oxidative damage. The high iron content of the brain, even higher in those with excessive iron stores, makes the brain even more vulnerable to oxidative stress.³

In people at least 65 years of age who consumed diets high in saturated and trans fats, copper intake was associated with accelerated cognitive decline. Copper bound to cholesterol is also commonly found in the ?-amyloid plaques characteristic of Alzheimer’s disease.⁴

Excess quantities of these metals primarily come from meat, followed by multivitamin/multimineral supplements. Copper in supplements and drinking water is even more toxic than copper derived from food sources.¹   

The author of this new report has outlined steps that we can take to limit our exposure to copper and iron, including:

• Avoiding or minimizing red meat consumption
• Avoiding drinking water from copper pipes
• Choosing a multivitamin that does not contain copper and iron. 

Dr. Fuhrman designed his Gentle Care Formula multivitamin/multimineral to be free of potentially toxic ingredients like copper and iron.

References:

1. American Chemical Society (2010, January 22). Consumers over age 50 should consider cutting copper and iron intake, report suggests. ScienceDaily. Retrieved January 29, 2010, from http://www.sciencedaily.com /releases/2010/01/100120113553.htm 

Brewer GJ. Risks of Copper and Iron Toxicity during Aging in Humans. Chem Res Toxicol. 2009 Dec 7. [Epub ahead of print]

2. Brewer GJ. Iron and Copper Toxicity in Diseases of Aging, Particularly Atherosclerosis and Alzheimer’s Disease. Exp Biol Med 232 (2): 323. 2007

3. Kidd PM. Neurodegeneration from Mitochondrial Insufficiency: Nutrients, Stem Cells, Growth Factors, and Prospects for Brain Rebuilding Using Integrative Management. Alternative Medicine Review 2005;10(4):268-293

4. Morris MC et al. Dietary copper and high saturated and trans fat intakes associated with cognitive decline. Arch Neurol. 2006 Aug;63(8):1085-8.

By Lara Endreszl

Summer is coming to a close and September is the biggest month for going back to school, acquiring new projects at work, and no doubt a new set of things to be anxious about. Instead of popping prescription meds for that new bout of anxiety, stop it before it gets too far with a little bit of natural help. The Kava kava plant is here to help slow your mind and reduce your workday, school day, and dinner time anxieties.

Kava kava – or scientifically termed Piper methysticum – is native to many island nations in and around Polynesia (including Hawaii) where it has been used for centuries as a ceremonial herb to induce intoxication as a way to calm the patrons of celebrations. Although the kava plant has large, green leaves and stems, the actual root is the only part of the plant that is used for medicinal or recreational purposes.

Kava is also used as an alternative to alcohol among the islands and is a well-known drink available at large functions like weddings, graduations, funerals and community gatherings. There is no known hangover quality to imbibing a kava concoction and has little known side effects when used sparingly, although pregnant women and people with liver problems have been cautioned not to take it. Kava kava, while used as a drink or a medicine should also never be taken along with alcohol. Potential side effects of taking kava are drowsiness, headache, and reaction with certain drugs, indigestion or skin rash; more serious conditions may occur with dangerous amounts of kava and people interested in adding kava to their routine should always consult their healthcare provider before taking anything new.

Besides anxiety, kava kava has been used in numerous natural remedies for insomnia and back pain as well as help with children who are hyperactive or have trouble sleeping. It has been used by business associates trying to keep up with their workload, athletes crushed by their vigorous schedules, and intellectuals hoping to take that pressure off and assist in focusing their minds.

Kava kava helps make the body as calm as possible and stay that way as long as the root is in your system. Kava root relaxes your muscles, gives you a feeling of well-being, creates peaceful and relaxing feelings, increases concentration, lowers inhibitions, and can act as an organic form of aphrodisiac. By making people more sociable and less self conscious, it makes sense that it’s the premier “ice breaker” drink of Polynesia.

Traditionally, the kava root was chewed for the medicinal effects or crushed and simmered and made into a beverage. In modern times, kava kava is now available in capsules, teas, liquids, extracts, tablets, and mixed into natural health beverages.

Scientists believe that the root of the kava plant seems to be used as a type of neurotransmitter sending good feelings in the form of chemicals to your brain cells. In 2004, the Cochrane Collaboration investigated previous research in clinical trials used to treat anxiety with kava versus a placebo. Over the 11 trials they studied involved almost 650 people; researchers came to the conclusion that kava, “appears to be an effective symptomatic treatment option for anxiety.” The research also showed, however, that it should not be abused because although there is a percentage of effectiveness against anxiety, it is not high, and should not be used for prolonged or extreme cases of anxiety.

Even if you have never heard of kava root, take a tip from the party planners of the islands if you’re feeling a little crazy before a big presentation, after a particularly bad traffic jam, or in the middle of a stressful to-do list and just relax a little with kava kava…naturally.

By Lara Endreszl
Published: Saturday, 26 September 2009

Recently dentistry has taken on a new role in our annual lives by adding an adjective to its process: comfort. No more stiff chairs, old copies of Highlights magazine, and outdated art on the walls like my childhood dentist; these days offices have waiting room chairs so nice you want to get there early to take a nap, iPods to listen to during your visit to help drown out the ugly sounds of the tools, and the newest copies of all the hip magazines and newspapers. What is next for dentists to adopt? Eco-friendly office environments, procedures, and equipment…also called “Eco-dentistry,” a practice that is quickly gaining popularity as more people would frequent the dentist when necessary if it were safer for their bodies and easier on the Earth.

In June of this year, the Eco-Dentistry Association launched internationally. There are dentists residing in 20 U.S. states, as well as some in Canada, who have joined the association in order to help offices around the world become better suited for the environment and there is no doubt in the industry that these numbers will continue to grow as this new wave of dentistry takes shape.

Dr. Fred Pockrass and his wife Ina started the Eco-Dentistry Association in order to recruit more professionals to this new branch of the trade after they started the first eco-friendly practice in the United States. The Association states in its opening press release a few statistics about the amount of waste that many dental practices accrue. The numbers are  jaw-dropping: “…680 million disposable chair barriers, light handle covers and patient bibs, and 1.7 billion instrument sterilization pouches  end up in landfills yearly….If every U.S. dental office installed a device capturing mercury-containing waste, at least 7,400 pounds of toxic waste would be kept out of the nation’s water supplies each year.”

The Association explains that cutting down on waste would help tremendously. One of the main concerns in dentists’ offices is contamination and infection which means keeping tools, patients, and the professionals safe and clean. By helping dentists around the globe go “green,” businesses can avoid infection by using non-toxic methods of disinfecting tools and machinery as well as switching to reusable materials around the office which can help boost efficiency in the workplace.

In an attempt to reduce the carbon footprint, eco-dentists are opening and redesigning offices all around the country, incorporating ideas on how to reduce, reuse, and recycle while keeping the medical process running smoothly, all the while creating peace of mind for patients. These ideas include: Recycled paper materials used in the reception area as well as decoration in the waiting room such as wallpaper, natural fiber-based fabrics for the carpet and rugs and chairs, environmentally safe non-toxic cleaners, recycled wood furniture, chemical-free sterilization techniques, a safe mercury-disposal system, the use of forms and databases as well as billing and payment through online forums to reduce paper, reusable instrument carriers, and washable patient bibs and disinfectant cloths, among others.

Perhaps the best new form of technology making headlines in the industry is digital imaging. By taking tooth and gum images using digital technology instead of X-rays you can eliminate up to 90 percent of the radiation being sent out into the universe.

Although most of us never really want to go to the dentist except to listen to the great selections on the iPods, maybe the next time your teeth are due for the annual cleaning you can keep your eyes out for the new and improved practice used on old but standard procedures. Help keep your teeth, keep your health intact, and clean up your community through eco-friendly dentistry.

Photo Illustration: Holly Lindem

Surprise: The latest research shows you can be overweight and fit, and thin but carrying too much fat.