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The largest study to date on the relationship of stroke to red meat consumption suggests higher intake of processed meat, but not fresh red meat, is associated with an increased risk for stroke.
Read moreFYI, The Atlantic Magazine just published a very good article discussing the trend towards integrative medicine in the US.
This is a video about a scientific review done by Duke University in 2009. Scientific reviews take a lot of different studies on the same topic and systematically compare them, pulling the data together when possible to get larger sample sizes, and therefore a better understanding of the overall outcome. This review pulled together 31 different studies using acupuncture to treat various types of headaches. Watch here to learn more:
Organic food is all the rage, and with good reason, but many people still feel they can't afford the higher price tag that comes with the organic label. If you want to buy organic food, but can't seem to work it into your budget, here's a few things to help you prioritize your choices:
1. Choose organic meat and dairy. I know this sounds counter-intuitive, and ideally, you're eating more vegetables and fruits daily than meat or dairy. While pesticides are actually sprayed directly onto vegetables and fruits, meat and dairy animals are higher on the food chain. So while you can still wash your vegetables and peel many of your fruits, animals that have eaten large amounts of feed with pesticides have concentrated those toxins, often in their fat cells. Combine those toxins with the well-documented health effects of animal-based proteins, and you have a recipe for poor health. Animals raised in an organic manner will also have been fed a more balanced diet, which will reduce the inflammatory properties of their meat significantly, and lessen the negative effects on your long-term health.
2. Some fruits and vegetables are more pesticide-laden than others. Some foods require more pesticides when they're grown conventionally and others don't need as much. The Environmental Working Group puts out a Shopper's Guide to Pesticides in Produce that you can download and keep in your wallet to reference when you're at the grocery store. It can help you decide which produce is the most important to buy organic.
According to EWG's guide, the most important fruits/veggies to buy organic are apples, peaches, strawberries, nectarines, grapes, and blueberries, celery, spinach, bell peppers, kale, collards, and potatoes.
3. Join a CSA. Community Supported Agriculture initiatives have become much more common across the country. Depending on the farm, they can be a cheaper way to get organic produce regularly, and sometimes they also provide eggs or dairy. Local Harvest has a great directory to help you find a CSA or farm in your area.
The Department of Health and Human Services just released a new report adding to the current list of known cancer-causing substances. Styrene and formaldehyde both made the list along with glass wool fibers and 5 other substances.
The report states that the people most at risk from exposure to styrene are:
Workers who fabricate boats, car and truck parts, tanks, and bath tubs and shower stalls with glass fiber-reinforced polyester composite plastics, may breathe in high levels of styrene in the workplace, or may absorb it through the skin.
People breathing indoor air that has styrene vapors from building materials, photocopiers, tobacco smoke, and other products.
Smokers are exposed to styrene because it occurs in cigarette smoke.
Styrene may also leach from polystyrene containers used for food products, but the study states that these levels of styrene are very low. I've highlighted building materials and photocopiers here because many people work in buildings where the climate is controlled and the windows don't open. It's important to be aware that if you're working in a climate-controlled building that has been built or re-modeled recently, or if you're spending a lot of time around a photocopier, then you may be at greater risk. Try to get outside on your lunch break for some fresh air.
The report outlines similar concerns about formaldehyde. People with high exposure risk to formaldehyde include:
manufacturers of formaldehyde and formaldehyde-based resins, woodworking, and furniture making.
Morticians and laboratory workers
People exposed to tobacco smoke, automobile and other combustion sources, such as wood stoves, incinerators, refineries, forest fires, and fumes released from new construction or home-finishing products
People using or working with consumer goods, including some hair smoothing and straightening products used in salons, cleaning agents, glues, and adhesives
So again, if you're working in a place where there are a lot of fumes, whether it's a factory, a workshop, or a beauty salon, make sure to get as much fresh air as you can during your breaks and off-hours. What a good excuse to take a walk after lunch!
pyramid-plate-popup
Let me start with the things that I love about this change:
1) Vegetables and fruits are half the plate. Vegetables more than fruits. Yay. I'd love it if they said "Fresh or Frozen Fruits", 'cause you know those canned peaches aren't really that good for you.
2) They say "Protein" and not "Meat", although meat is probably what people think of first when they see the word protein. When you scroll down on the website and click on "What is Protein?", however, they talk mostly about beans as a source of protein and fiber. I'd love it if they said "Beans and other proteins" instead.
3) They say "Grains" instead of "Breads, grains, and other starches". On the website they say at least half your grains should be whole grains.
4) Dairy is off to the side (I wouldn't mind it being excluded, but I understand that the USDA can't do that to the dairy industry).
5) Sweets, oils, etc aren't on there, as in, they are not recommended. That doesn't mean that people don't eat them, but it doesn't appear like the government is actually endorsing them.
6) Honestly, I just like the visual better, because people (especially kids) can look at their own plate and evaluate it.
What do you think? Pyramid vs Plate?
Vote here, and feel free to comment with your ideas.[polldaddy poll=5107156]