November 2011
Health Notes
SUGAR:
◆ Recent medical research
suggests that if you have a
family member who had
cancer before age 50, you
would benefit from early
screening. Breast, prostate
and colon cancer in the family
can raise your risk two to six
times — but early and regular
screening can save lives.
Five Sweet Ways
to Cut Back
K
ids love it, dentists hate it, and
Canadians consume too much
of it — about 63 grams of sugar
daily from prepared or packaged foods.
This accounts for more than 12 percent
of calories a day (based on 2,000
calories). It should come as no surprise
then that sugar is the No. 1 food additive
in Canada.
Sugar may be a key factor in metabolic
syndrome, a condition that is believed
to increase the risk for diabetes, heart
disease and maybe even cancer.
Replacing some of the sugar in your
diet with more nutritious foods is
undoubtedly a good idea.
Instead of soft drinks, drink
water or sparkling water with lime or
a splash of fruit juice.
Eat fewer processed foods
and more whole foods, such as vegetables,
legumes, fish and whole grains. Note the
list of ingredients on food labels. They’re
listed in order of importance. If sugar
is listed first or second (likely very high
in sugar), double check the calories and
INSIDE
— Zorba Paster, MD
grams per serving. Sugar may also be
called glucose-fructose, corn syrup or
glucose on ingredient lists.
Save baked goods and desserts for
special occasions. Instead, try naturally
sweet fresh fruits or fruit canned in
unsweetened fruit juice (not syrup).
Buy only unsweetened, 100
percent fruit juice. Whole fruit beats
juice any day for a healthy, sweet treat.
Enhance flavour with spices
such as cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg
and cloves, or with extracts of maple,
coconut, chocolate or banana instead of
sweeteners.
D iabetes: Type 1.5 Emotional E ating Strengthen Your B ones
C old Weather Safety
World O n Your P late: France, S pain and Portugal
◆ Heal your heels. The dry air
in colder months can lead to
dry skin and a condition called
cracked heels or heel fissures.
Other contributing factors
include prolonged standing,
obesity and certain skin
conditions such as psoriasis.
You can often prevent cracked
heels or treat them in the early
stages by using a moisturizer
that contains a humectant
such as urea, salicylic acid or
alpha hydroxy acids. If you
don't see improvement within
a week, consult a podiatrist.
◆ Heart attacks in women
present different symptoms
than they do in men. Warning
signs may include shortness of
breath, weakness and excessive
fatigue. Nausea, dizziness,
lower chest discomfort, upper
abdominal pressure or back
pain may also occur. If you
think you might be having a
heart attack, tell emergency
staff — sometimes even the
experts can miss the signs.
Smart moves for reaching
your personal best are at:
www.personalbest.com/extras/CanadaNov11tools
November is
Osteoporosis Month.
Strengthen
Your Bones
Bone is living tissue that
constantly replenishes itself. When bone absorption vastly
outstrips formation, osteoporosis
(“porous bone”) can develop.
Osteoporosis risk factors
include female gender, Asian or
Caucasian ethnicity, advancing
age, positive family history and
a small body frame. However,
everyone should know some
key recommendations:
Diet: Get enough calcium over
a lifetime to keep bones strong
— check with your physician as
to how much. Eat calcium-rich
foods: dark leafy greens, low
fat dairy products, canned
salmon and sardines with bones,
tofu, almonds and fortified
foods such as orange juice or
soy beverages. Vitamin D is
important for calcium absorption.
Get it from fortified foods or
from 15 minutes of daily sun
exposure. Some people may
need supplements as well.
Exercise: You can strengthen
your bones through weightbearing exercises — walking,
climbing stairs, weight training
or dancing.
Potential concerns: Smokers
tend to absorb less calcium
from their diets, while regular
alcohol use — more than 59 to
89 milligrams (2 to 3 ounces)
— can damage the skeleton.
Though useful, long-term
use of some
medications
(including
antacids,
thyroid and
antiseizure
drugs) can
also cause
bone loss.
Diabetes: Type 1.5
November is
Diabetes Month.
Identifying
LADA is
especially
important
in leaner,
But scientists now recognize several subtypes active
adults
forming a “continuum” of diabetes. One
who are
of the most common is type 1.5 or latent
more likely
autoimmune diabetes in adults (LADA).
to have
In LADA, onset of insulin dependence
LADA
(requiring insulin injections) happens
and don’t
more slowly than in type 1. In contrast
show the
to people with type 2, LADA patients
marked insulin resistance found in type 2.
have autoantibodies (proteins that attack
Early insulin treatment may help preserve
insulin-producing cells). Researchers are
the function of insulin-producing cells
still working out the diagnostic criteria,
longer for people with LADA. In addition,
but some key characteristics of LADA
new medications being developed for type
appear to be:
1 might turn out to
CHARACTERISTICSType 1
LADAType 2
be effective against
Typical age of onset
Youth or adult Adult
Adult
LADA, leading to
Progression to insulin
Rapid
Latent
Slow
(days/weeks) (months/years) (years)
dependence
better treatment of
Presence of autoantibodies Yes
Yes
No
this condition.
Insulin dependence
At diagnosis
Within 6 years Over time, if at all
At one time, only three types of diabetes
had been identified: type 1 or “juvenile”
diabetes, type 2 (formerly called “adult
onset”), and gestational diabetes, which
appears in pregnancy.
Insulin resistance
No
Some
Yes
Uncover Emotional Eating
Food is supposed to nourish you, but eating can also
be triggered by feelings such as boredom, loneliness,
anxiety and depression. Signs that you may be eating
for emotional reasons include sudden cravings for
sweets or specific foods, eating when it’s unlikely
that you’re hungry (such as an hour or two after
a hearty dinner) and feeling guilty after eating.
Could you be an emotional eater? Take these steps
to uncover clues:
≥Keep a diary of what and when you
eat to better understand the pattern.
≥Try
≥When the urge to eat strikes, ask
shifting to another
activity, such as walking or yard work.
≥Try to identify the feeling that’s
meeting with a professional counsellor
who is familiar with these issues.
yourself: Am I really hungry? If not, find
an alternative to eating.
triggering the urge to eat, and learn to
tolerate the emotion.
≥Consider writing your feelings down
in a journal or talking with a trusted friend.
© 2 0 1 1 O a k s to n e ® P u b l i s h i n g , L LC d b a P e r s o n a l B e s t ® . A l l r i g h t s r e s e r ve d .
≥If the difficulty persists, consider
Nibble on this k Occasional eating
for non-hunger reasons (such as a slice
of birthday cake) is fine, but a frequent
pattern affecting your weight or peace of
mind should be taken seriously.
Baby It’s Cold Outside:
Working Safely
Outdoors
Produce Pick
of the Month
Prized Pumpkin
Cold weather can feel invigorating, but if
precautions aren’t taken it can also lead to
hypothermia and frost bite.
Hypothermia occurs when the body loses
heat faster than it can replace it. Once this
happens, your body will go into “shutdown
mode” and symptoms such as uncontrollable
shivering, weakness, confusion and
drowsiness will occur. If this happens,
seek help by calling 911 immediately. If you
or a co-worker have hypothermia symptoms
and can’t get immediate medical attention,
follow this advice:
 Remove wet clothes.
 Get into a warm room as soon as possible.
 Warm the trunk of the body first with
blankets, towels or whatever is available.
Frostbite symptoms include numbness,
tingling, itching and cold sensations in
affected areas. Skin that turns waxy, loses
all feeling, begins blistering or turning
black are symptoms of deep frostbite.
The areas may not recover — DO NOT
wait until this happens. When initial
symptoms occur:
 Warm the affected area using body heat.
For example, tuck fingers under your armpits.
 Do NOT massage or rub area or walk
on frostbitten feet or toes — this will only
increase skin damage.
 Immerse the affected area in warm —
not hot — water.
 Don’t use a heating pad, heat lamp, fire
or radiator to warm the area because the
skin is numb and can be burned easily.
Important k Prevent hypothermia and
frostbite by wearing appropriate clothing
and gear, taking indoor breaks in extreme
cold and preparing worksite or vehicles for
winter emergencies (blankets, flares, first
aid kits).
expert Advice — Elizabeth Smoots, MD, FAAFP
Q: W
hat is lupus?
A: Your body’s immune system
afflicted more often
than other ethnicities.
The most common form of lupus is called
systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). For
unknown reasons, it occurs more often in
women than men. It may happen at any
age, but the most frequent age is 10 to 50.
People of African and Asian descent are
SLE symptoms may
include joint pain,
rash, fatigue, trouble breathing and
swollen glands. Fortunately, the outcome
for the disorder has improved in recent
years. Treatments can help alleviate
the symptoms and reduce the risk of
complications. Note: For the first time in
50 years, Health Canada approved a new
treatment (belimumab) earlier this year.
Call your doctor or health care provider
for an evaluation if you have symptoms or
signs of SLE.
normally wards off infections and foreign
invaders. In lupus and other autoimmune
disorders, your body’s immune system
mistakenly attacks healthy tissue. The
tissues attacked in lupus may include the
joints, skin, kidneys, blood cells, heart
and lungs.
Big, orange
pumpkins are
an icon of
autumn and
a versatile
vegetable. They blend
beautifully into everything from
soups to pies. No matter how
you eat them, you‘ll be getting
an excellent* source of vitamin A
and a good source of fibre,
potassium and vitamin C. To
make a delicious “pumpkin pie”
smoothie, put 1 can pureed
pumpkin, 250 to 500 ml (1 to 2
cups) low fat milk, frozen vanilla
yogurt and pumpkin pie spice in
a blender and puree. Customize
as desired with a banana, vanilla
extract, maple syrup or a dollop
of low fat whipped topping.
(*Excellent = 20% or higher of Daily
Value; Good = 10 to 19% of Daily Value)
Know your
Numbers
Calories IN/
Calories OUT
To lose weight, you need to
burn more calories than you
take in. But what if you don’t
know how many calories you’re
eating or expending? Now you
can find out with EaTracker, an
online tool provided by
Dietitians of Canada (DC), at
www.eatracker.ca. You can also
see how your diet compares to
DC’s recommendations, get
ideas on how to re-balance
your numbers to favour weight
loss, track your information
and more. You
won’t even have
to break out your
calculator.
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Stay in touch
Keep those ques­tions and suggestions coming!
phone: 800-871-9525
fax: 205-437-3084
e-mail: [email protected]
website: www.personalbest.com
Managing Editor: Susan Cottman
Executive Editor: Liz Carey
Advisors: Marica Borovich-Law, MBA;
John Brennan, MD, CCFP; Cara Rosenbloom, RD
Reproduction in any form of any part of this publication
is a violation of federal copyright law and is strictly
prohibited. ©2011, Oakstone ® Publishing, LLC, dba
Personal Best ®, 100 Corporate Parkway, Suite 600,
Birmingham, AL 35242; (800) 871-9525. Oakstone,
Personal Best and Body Bulletin are registered
trademarks of Oakstone Publishing, LLC.
The content herein is in no way intended to serve as a
substitute for professional advice. Sources available on
request.
World on Your Plate:
Y
series
By Cara Rosenbloom, RD
Your Passport to France,
Spain and Portugal
our grocery store has all of the
ingredients you need to prepare
European-inspired dishes. Not
a chef? Try these great plates in local
restaurants instead.
Spain
Start your meal with refreshing gazpacho,
a cold soup made with vitamin-rich
tomato, cucumbers, peppers, olive oil and
garlic. Have an array of good-for-you tapas
(appetizers) such as mussels, fava beans,
stuffed tomatoes and ceviche. A Spanish
egg and potato omelette (tortilla de patatas)
is a must-have. Fish and seafood provide
a dose of heart-healthy omega-3 fat. Try
paella, which is rice and seafood seasoned
with exotic saffron. Cheese, sausage and
High in healthy
monounsaturated fat
and flavour.
25ml (2 tbsp) walnut oil
45ml (3 tbsp) pecans,
sliced lengthwise
France
France is home to haute cuisine (elaborate
cooking) — and some of the world’s
greatest chefs. Wine, cheese and butter
are used liberally and may not make for
healthy fare. For easier and healthier home
cooking, try ratatouille (a tomato, eggplant,
zucchini stew) or chicken amandine
(chicken with almonds). Use more oil
than butter in your recipes. Herbs such as
tarragon, rosemary, thyme and sage are
common. Vegetables such as green beans,
leeks and mushrooms make nice side dishes.
Pecan Carrots
With Marmalade
750ml (3 cups) carrots,
sliced into 1.25 cm (½-inch) discs
45ml (3 tbsp) orange marmalade
1ml (¼ tsp) each salt and pepper
.5ml (⅛ tsp) nutmeg
bacon are prominent in Spanish menus,
but are high in fat and salt, so use caution.
Spain’s best-known desserts are custards
and flans. Calories add up quickly, so have
just a small taste.
1. Heat oil
in a large
nonstick
skillet over
medium heat;
add pecans and
stir 2 minutes.
Seafood is popular, and recipes are filled
with garlic and olive oil. A common soup
is caldo verde, which is made with potato,
onion, sausage and kale. Omit the sausage
for a healthier version. Tomatoes, onion
and cabbage are popular Portuguese
vegetables, as are simple salads with olive oil
vinaigrette. The national dish is bacalhau
(dried, salted cod). It’s salty, so a little taste
is all you need. Choose grilled cod, lobster,
shrimp or sardines instead. If you love spicy
food, try dishes made with piri piri, a fiery
hot pepper.
2. Add carrots and
cook 14-15 minutes,
or until carrots are
fork-tender, stirring occasionally.
Portugal
3. Stir in marmalade and seasonings;
cook another 2 minutes and serve
warm.
Nutrition Facts
MAKES 4, 340g (12 oz.) SERVINGS.
Amount Per Serving
Calories 148
Total Fat
Saturated Fat
Cholesterol
Sodium
7.4g Total Carbohydrate16.5g
3g
1g Dietary Fibre
10.5g
0mg Sugars
1.2g
197mg Protein
©2011 Oakstone ® Publishing, LLC
N ov e m b e r 2 0 1 1