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| IVL Products Health Watch - October, 2007 |
| The Official IVL Products Health Blog |
Dear Reader, Ghosts, goblins and ghouls are not half as scary as the nutritional
nightmares our children face on a candy-centered holiday like
Halloween. With childhood obesity at epidemic levels in this country,
parents are understandably concerned about limiting the amount of sugar
and empty calories in their children’s diets. Recent surveys have
revealed that one in five children in this country are overweight,
putting them at an increased risk of developing diabetes, heart disease
and other serious health problems early in life.
Halloween does not have to wreak havoc with good eating habits. There
are many delicious and fun treats that you can purchase or make at home
that will be a big hit with little ghosts and goblins. Small bags of
pretzels, popcorn, pumpkin seeds and trail mix are great substitutes
for candy. Dried fruit, juice boxes, sugarless gum and pre-packed
cheese and crackers are also good choices. (If you decide to give juice
boxes, be sure to purchase all natural juices that don’t have added
sugar.) Another excellent way to delight little goblins is by offering
non-food items, such as spooky stickers, colorful pencils and erasers,
novelty toothbrushes, crayons, coloring books or small inexpensive
story books.
If you are having a party at your home, you can prepare foods that are
festive, colorful and nutritious. Be sure the party also includes
active games that will help children get the 60 minutes of exercise
that they need each day. If your children are going out trick or
treating, serve them a healthy meal before leaving your house and take
along some pretzels and fruit in case they get hungry before returning
home.
Once home, go through your child’s “loot” to look for any suspicious
items and then work out a “deal” with your child to ration the candy.
Discuss with your child what constitutes a reasonable number of treats
to consume.
Safety is always a concern on Halloween. Following are some tips to
help ensure that Halloween night is safe and full of treats, not
tricks:
- Children should wear brightly colored costumes and carry flashlights so that they are easily seen by motorists.
- Make sure your child’s costume is not a tripping hazard. Statistics
show that falls are among the most common Halloween-related injuries.
Avoid costumes that are too long or that limit the child’s visibility.
Help your child develop a costume theme that incorporates face painting
instead of masks. Avoid oversized, floppy shoes and make sure that
sidewalks and stairs are well lit and free of obstacles that could
result in falls.
- Make sure your child understands that candy is for people, not pets.
Candy wrappers and lollipop sticks can be hazardous if swallowed and
chocolate can be poisonous for some types of pets. Consider keeping
your pet in a separate room away from the door. While Halloween can be
great fun for humans, it can be terrifying for our four-legged friends.
Yours in good health,
Sheila McCormick
Editor, IVL Health Watch
|
Visit our Health Forum and ask a question of one of the country's leading experts in nutritional medicine. |
| Dr.
Mikles is a Board Certified Internist, and is the Medical Director of
Choices Integrative Healthcare Clinic in Sedona, Arizona. For more than
30 years, Dr. Mikles has been engaged in the study and practice of the
therapeutic effects of diet and nutrition, making him one of the
country's leading experts. |
|
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Brought to you by Institute for Vibrant LivingTM
To learn more about IVL, call 1-800-720-1245
or visit http://www.IVLProducts.com
|
|
Contact us by mail at:
Institute for Vibrant Living
P.O. Box 3840
Camp Verde, AZ 86322
|
Dear Reader,
We
don’t quit laughing because we grow old; we grow old because we quit
laughing. That sage advice is gaining momentum as baby boomers climb
into their senior years. They are learning that a sense of humor,
common sense and a healthy lifestyle can go a long way toward
increasing their chances of longevity. The
record holder for human longevity is Jeanne Calment of France, who died
in 1997 at the age of 122 years. Though a life span that long is rare,
improvements in medicine, science and technology during the last
century have helped people live longer, healthier lives.
A
hundred years ago, only three million people in this country were over
the age of 65. Today, more than 36 million Americans are in this age
group and that number is expected to grow during the next 25 years to
70 million as baby boomers age. The older adults of the future will be
more racially and culturally diverse. And contrary to what some
believe, loneliness, depression, inactivity and chronic pain are not
inevitable consequences of aging.
Consider these facts:
In the hunter-gatherer culture of East African Hadza people, hardworking grandmothers in their 80s and 90s spend up to seven hours a day gathering food for their families.
We
lose muscle mass and gain fat as we age, but this trend is reversible
with exercise. Even a long inactive 90-year-old woman can build muscle
and gain strength with strength training, (But it is quicker and easier
to start sooner!)
Nerve cells in the human brain and muscle cells in the heart have the capacity to last more than 100 years.
When
not affected by disease, the heart of an older person pumps as
efficiently as that of a healthy young adult. Some individuals at 80
have the functioning heart of a 40 year old.
Humans
have three times more vocabulary at 45 than at age 20. The human brain
has four times the information at 60 as it has at age 20.
There
is a common assumption that, if you’re older, it’s too late to reverse
the damage brought on by smoking, drinking, fatty foods and lack of
exercise. The truth is that it is never too late to initiate a healthy
lifestyle. For example, if you quit smoking now, your risk of heart
disease begins to drop almost immediately. If
you begin a moderate exercise program you will be amazed at how quickly
your muscles begin to strengthen. Trade in a high-fat diet for
nutritious choices and you will look and feel better.
Injury
prevention is another key to aging well. Falls are the most common
cause of injuries to older adults. More than one third of adults who
are 65 years of age or older fall each year and of those who fall
20-30% suffer moderate to severe injuries that decrease mobility and
independence. Identify potential hazards in your home and the places
you frequent and watch your step!
Last,
but not least, never lose your sense of humor. Extensive research has
been conducted on the effects of humor and laughter on our health. The
effects are enormous and include boosting our immune system, reducing
stress, relaxing muscles, lowering blood pressure, increasing our
tolerance for pain, and hastening the healing process. It has been
shown that our attitude is more important than our physical health in
determining how long we live. That is, senior citizens with a good
sense of humor and a positive attitude, but poor health, survive longer
than those that are in good health but have poor attitudes. Another way
of expressing this is to say that what jogging does for the body, humor
and laughter do for our emotional, mental, and physical health.
While
we can’t change our genetics or all environmental exposures, there is
much that we can control that will help us live longer and healthier
lives: Eat well, live actively, laugh often and love with all your
heart.
Yours in good health,
Sheila McCormick
Editor, IVL Health Watch
|
Visit our Health Forum and ask a question of one of the country's leading experts in nutritional medicine. |
| Dr.
Mikles is a Board Certified Internist, and is the Medical Director of
Choices Integrative Healthcare Clinic in Sedona, Arizona. For more than
30 years, Dr. Mikles has been engaged in the study and practice of the
therapeutic effects of diet and nutrition, making him one of the
country's leading experts. |
Brought to you by Institute for Vibrant LivingTM
To learn more about IVL, call 1-800-720-1245
or visit http://www.IVLProducts.com
|
Contact us by mail at:
Institute for Vibrant Living
P.O. Box 3840
Camp Verde, AZ 86322
|
|
Dear Reader,
Olive
oil has been heralded as a health-boosting substance for thousands of
years and recent scientific studies have further substantiated its
beneficial qualities. Most doctors recommend lowering total fat and
calories in your diet and substituting butter, margarine and vegetable
oils with healthy fats like olive oil.
Extra
virgin olive oil is one of the few oils that can be eaten without
chemical processing. Fresh pressed olive oil can be eaten immediately
and will retain its natural flavors, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants
and other healthy properties of the ripe olive fruit. Many researchers
believe that olive oil’s health benefits may spring from the 30 plant
compounds that it contains.
Extra
virgin olive oil imparts delicious aromas and flavors to foods of all
kinds while providing significant health benefits. Some of those
include:
- Promotes healthy bones
- Increases “good” cholesterol and lowers “bad” cholesterol
- Reduces blood pressure
- Inhibits the growth of certain cancers
- Contributes to the elasticity of arterial walls, which can provide protection against heart disease and stroke.
- Helps the body maintain a lower weight.
- Helps control blood sugar levels in diabetics
Unlike
other fats, which are associated with a higher risk of colon cancer,
olive oil helps protect the cells of the colon from carcinogens. A
study published in a recent issue of Food Chemistry Toxicology suggests
that antioxidants in olive oil reduce the amount of carcinogens formed
when meat is cooked.
The
body uses the healthy fats in olive oil to produce natural
anti-inflammatory substances. These anti-inflammatory agents can help
reduce the severity of both asthma and arthritis. They can also keep
membranes more fluid and enable the body to move waste products more
easily. A lower incidence of osteoporosis and
dementia is found in areas of the world where people consume large
quantities of olive oil.
Many
consumers get confused about the different grades of olive oil. Extra
virgin olive oil is by far the best because it is produced from the
first pressing of the olives. It has the lightest flavor and contains
the most concentrated amounts of antioxidants. The next pressing of the
olives produces fine virgin olive oil, in which chemicals are used to
extract the oil. Pure olive oil is a blend of
refined and virgin olive oils. Look for the words “cold pressed” on the
bottle because that means heat was not used when the oil was extracted
from the olives. Since heat destroys antioxidants, cool pressed is
preferable.
Exposure
to light and heat can turn olive oil rancid and that will destroy the
antioxidant properties. Always buy olive oil in darkly tinted bottles.
When you get the oil home, put it in a dark, cool place for storage to
protect its healthy properties.
Using
olive oil is a delicious way to promote good health. Only Mother Nature
herself could have produced something so healthy and delectable. Take
advantage of this natural miracle to enhance your family’s health.
Yours in good health,
Sheila McCormick
Editor, IVL Health Watch
|
Visit our Health Forum and ask a question of one of the country's leading experts in nutritional medicine. |
| Dr.
Mikles is a Board Certified Internist, and is the Medical Director of
Choices Integrative Healthcare Clinic in Sedona, Arizona. For more than
30 years, Dr. Mikles has been engaged in the study and practice of the
therapeutic effects of diet and nutrition, making him one of the
country's leading experts. |
Brought to you by Institute for Vibrant LivingTM
To learn more about IVL, call 1-800-720-1245
or visit http://www.IVLProducts.com
|
Contact us by mail at:
Institute for Vibrant Living
P.O. Box 3840
Camp Verde, AZ 86322
|
|
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