Colorado Folk Thinner

Looks like a new report shows Colorado the leanest of all states, perhaps due to opportunities for increased physical activity. Regardless, exercise is only one component of a total lifestyle effort that should include nutrition and other healthful changes.


Mississippi, on the other hand, is the most overweight.


The link for this article:
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/story?id=5396995&page=1

Motivation: Finding & Keeping It

Click here http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080626150311.htm for an interview with health psychologist Michael Vallis who discusses motivation and what stops us from maintaining healthful behaviors.

Buy Local

To find a local farmers market check this link:

http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/ams.fetchTemplateData.do?template=TemplateC&navID=FarmersMarkets&rightNav1=FarmersMarkets&topNav=&leftNav=WholesaleandFarmersMarkets&page=WFMFarmersMarketsHome&description=Farmers%20Markets&acct=frmrdirmkt

Calcium + D for Bones

Some of my clients don't realize they need vitamin D to enhance calcium's absorption. If you're taking calcium supplements, speak with your healthcare provider to see if you should switch to a calcium plus vitamin D regimen.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080629074307.htm

Coffee, Vindicated

For years my clients have been told by well-intentioned health providers that coffee is a no no. But that advice is a no no. Consider the latest report, published June 17, 2008, in Annals of Internal Medicine, which gives coffee the OK. A high source of potassium, which is beneficial for blood pressure, coffee may may impart reduced risk for diabetes, heart disease, and certain cancers. This study revealed an association that coffee drinkers are less likely to die from heart disease than non-drinkers.

Some points to balance the equation:

1. Caffeine from a cup of coffee elevates blood pressure temporarily in some people. The elevation in pressure equals climbing a flight of stairs. But pressure returns to normal.

2. Caffeine may worsen anxiety. If you're anxious or have some other mental illness, you may wish to avoid caffeinated beverages.

3. Caffeine may cause insomnia.

4. "Association," which I mentioned above, is not synonymous with causation.
5. Don't overdo accoutrements, like cream and flavored syrups.

Author Elisa Zied's Tips for Families

From Elisa's fantastic book, Feed Your Family Right! How to Make Smart Food and Fitness Choices for a Healthy Lifestyle (Wiley, 2007) . . .

Get in those veggies!

Despite all the hype over getting enough greens (and reds, and oranges), most Americans continue to fall short on vegetables. Young children need about 1 cup a day and adults (on 1,800 - 2,000 calories/day) about 2-1/2 cups.

While there's nothing wrong with simply loading up from time-to-time on one vegetable, such as broccoli, asparagus, or Romaine lettuce at one or two meals, you may find it much easier to spread veggies throughout the day. For example, throw some cut-up cherry tomatoes, asparagus, and/or mushrooms into your scrambled eggs or omelet in the morning; snack on carrot sticks and low-fat bean dip between meals; have a large salad filled with red and green lettuce leaves, sprinkled with chickpeas and corn (which also count as vegetables) at lunch; and enjoy a baked sweet potato as part of dinner. Before you know it, and with a little creativity, you'll see how simple it is to meet your daily quota for veggies--not to mention reap all the nutritional and satiety benefits vegetables provide.
-----

Elisa Zied is a Registered Dietitian, author, and national media spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association. You'll often find her on the CBS Early Show and at MSNBC.com as the nutrition columnist. Get more great tips for your family from Elisa at http://www.elisazied.com/.

Vitamin D -- More than a Bone Booster

Vitamin D's fame is due to a solid partnership with calcium and bone health. But more and more we're hearing D probably plays other roles in human health. Here's a link (below) of some science supporting D's gradual departure from calcium's shadow.

Oregon State University (2008, June 18). Get A Little Sun This Summer -- It Could Help Save Your Life, Researcher Suggests. ScienceDaily. Retrieved June 22, 2008, from http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080616161111.htm