November 11th, 2008 by Dr. Val Jones in Health Tips
Tags: Cane Sugar, Corn Syrup, Dangers, Diabetes, Food and Nutrition, Harmful, Hidden Calories, Sugar, Weight Gain, Weight Loss
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Several people have asked me if corn syrup is the root of all evil. This cheap, high calorie sweetener is adding hidden calories to everything from spaghetti sauce to condiments to peanut butter. But is it actually worse for you than “regular” cane sugar? Is there something special about corn syrup that makes it worthy of national vilification?
The truth is that corn syrup isn’t any “worse” than any other highly refined sugar – there’s nothing special about corn that makes it harmful to consume (unless maybe if you’re allergic to corn, but that’s another story). The real issue is that we humans love sweet things, and that food product manufacturers are simply adding sweetener to their products to cater to our taste buds. In so doing, hidden calories add up… and waist lines expand in response.
Folks with diabetes understand how difficult it is to find unsweetened products these days, and they have to work extra hard to avoid the high fructose corn syrup in so many foods. For those of us who don’t have diabetes (yet?) we’d probably do well to follow their example and consciously cut down on our sugar intake if not to manage our insulin levels, but at least to avoid unnecessary calorie consumption.
I myself am a bit of a sugar addict by nature – I resolved to cut down on carbs a few months ago and have dropped 10 pounds already. I have learned to like unsweetened almond milk, unsweetened organic ketchup, and I make my own sauces and avoid refined flour products.
In my next post I’ll speak with Penny M. Kris-Etherton, Ph.D., R.D., Distinguished Professor of Nutrition, Penn State University about what she learned at the recent American Dietetic Association Food & Nutrition Conference & Expo (FNCE) in Chicago. She’ll explain why all the fear mongering about corn is a bit exaggerated.
November 4th, 2008 by Dr. Val Jones in Health Tips, True Stories
Tags: Appetite Suppressant, Architectural Digest, Behavior, Color, Dr. Val Jones, Eating, Fast Food, McDonald's, Obesity, Research, Shashi Caan, Weight Loss, Yellow
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I’m grateful to the Happy Hospitalist for pointing out that color matters when it comes to food consumption. As it turns out, blue light can be an appetite suppressant. And I actually know about this first hand.
I helped to design a research study in connection with Architectural Digest and the Parsons School of Design several years ago. I was a volunteer instructor for a hospital design course in NYC, and wanted to show the students that lighting could influence eating patterns. As it happened, there was a big gala event at a local convention center, and so I worked with my friend Shashi Caan to set up three identical rooms bathed in three different colored lights (yellow, blue, and red).
We had all the gala attendees dress up in white bunny suits (you know, the kind you let patients wear in the OR) and shuttled them through the 3 rooms at regular intervals. The rooms could each hold about 40 guests and copious identical hors d’oeurves were offered.
Guess what we found? The most food was consumed in the yellow room, followed by red, and then a distant third was blue. About 33% fewer snacks were consumed in the blue room during the event (and yes we controlled the number of people in each room so they’d be equal). I found this quite fascinating, but unfortunately never published the results. You see, I didn’t receive IRB approval for any of it.
But the experiment did leave an indelible impression on my mind. As I thought about it, I realized that most fast food restaurants have yellowish interiors. From the golden arches to the lighting – companies like McDonald’s probably recognized (long before I did) that color influences purchasing and eating behavior.
Yep, I’m late to this party – and I’m not painting my kitchen yellow.
October 29th, 2008 by Dr. Val Jones in Health Tips, Medblogger Shout Outs
Tags: Candy, Diabetes, Dr. Val Jones, Endocrinology, Halloween, Health Tips, Internal Medicine, Kerri Morrone Sparling, Pediatrics, Type 1 Diabetes
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My friend and fellow blogger Kerri Morrone Sparling (at the Six Until Me blog) was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes when she was in second grade. The diagnosis came a few short weeks before Halloween, and back then she didn’t realize the risks of sneaking candy bars behind her mom’s back.
Now that Kerri’s grown up, she has some excellent tips for parents of children with type 1 diabetes (or frankly, for anyone who wants to enjoy Halloween and manage their diabetes). You should check out her video blog on the subject here.
Some tips include:
1. Focus on the costume part of the holiday, not the candy part.
2. Make some “candy” corn with Splenda, Equal or a sugar substitute. Enjoy the salty-sweet treat instead of a Snicker’s bar (for example).
3. Work in a small amount of candy into your diet plan. Eat a half a candy bar during a period of high activity, for example, and the sugar spike will not be so bad.
Please check out Kerri’s post for more tips!
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And for a good laugh about candy, check out The Onion’s headline here.
July 30th, 2008 by Dr. Val Jones in Health Tips, News
Tags: News, Research, Weight Loss
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New research suggests that people who live in “walkable” neighborhoods weigh about 6-10 pounds less than those who live in pedestrian-unfriendly communities. Scientists at the University of Utah calculated the body mass index (BMI) of about half a million Salt Lake county residents from a state drivers license database. They then compared the “pedestrian friendliness” of the zip codes associated with the various BMIs.
They found that people who live in more densely populated zip codes (designed to be more friendly to pedestrians) tended to have lower BMIs. This research has not yet been published, so I can’t comment on the details of the study. However, it makes intuitive sense that walking more can make people lighter on their feet.
The study authors mentioned that city planners used to design communities with pedestrian activities in mind, but since the 1950’s this practice has become less common. Many new housing developments are built around the assumption that vehicles are the main form of transportation, making that a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Earlier this year I participated in an 8 week walking program promoted by the Department of Health and Human Services. At their recommendation, I purchased a pedometer with a goal of achieving 10,000 steps per day. It was an eye-opening experience for me (left to my own devices, I naturally walked about 2000 steps per day – and I don’t own a car). Americans simply don’t get the amount of exercise that they need to be healthy. We are seeing the result of our sedentary lifestyle in our country’s increasing overweight and obesity rates.
All I can say is that I’m struggling along with the rest of us – doing what I can to increase my activity level and walk as much as possible. I’m lucky to live in an area where walking is fun and easy to do. I have the utmost sympathy for those who are striving to become more active against the odds. Why not join my weight loss group and we can commiserate? There are over 2600 people in there, encouraging one another to get fit! Don’t let your zipcode determine your destiny.This post originally appeared on Dr. Val’s blog at RevolutionHealth.com.
July 1st, 2008 by Dr. Val Jones in Health Tips
Tags: Fitness, Psychiatry, Stress
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This is the final week of the WOMAN challenge – a great health initiative with a slightly awkward acronym (“Women and girls Out Moving Across the Nation.”) Designed by the department of Health and Human Services, the goal was to get 10,000 steps/day 5 days a week for 8 weeks total. Today they sent me a final list of stress-reducing tips that I thought I’d share with you (along with some personal commentary):
Tips to relieve stress
1. Be physically active – physical activity may prevent stress-induced suppression of the immune system The American Heart Association recommends a minimum of 30 minutes of cardiovascular exercise per day, 5 days a week, and 2 weight training sessions per week for optimum health.
2. Eat regular, healthy meals – with plenty of whole grains, fruits and vegetables.
3. Laugh (especially at yourself) – laughter releases feel-good chemicals in the brain.
4. Have fun with friends – friendship can reduce loneliness and stress inducing symptoms of depression, and may even prolong your life.
5. Confide in someone you trust – you don’t have to go it alone!
6. Make time to relax – if you don’t actively set aside time to unwind, you might not do it.
7. Get a full 8 hours of sleep each night – people who get too little sleep may be at a higher risk for health problems and even death
8. Keep a journal – writing down your thoughts can be cathartic and help you express pent up emotions.
9. Organize your daily tasks – disorganization can add to anxiety and feelings of stress. A cluttered home may be a risk factor for weight gain.
10. Learn healthy ways to deal with anger – your anger may be justifiable, but holding it in may do more harm than good. Alternatively, lashing out at others will certainly increase your stress. In some cases, anger management counseling can help.
11. Ask for help – if stress is severe, you may benefit from talking to a mental health professional. They can help you work out a plan to reduce your stress or anxiety.
12. Talk to your health care provider – if you think your stress may be related to an anxiety disorder, post traumatic stress disorder, or if you’re leaning on alcohol or other substances to deal with your stress – make sure you tell your doctor about it so you can find a way forward together.This post originally appeared on Dr. Val’s blog at RevolutionHealth.com.
