Dr. Lorna's Coaching Blog

Spring is Here!

2008-04-18T23:19:00.010-04:00

Happy Spring!

Spring is a time for spring cleaning, of seeing the seeds that were planted earlier in the year start sending up new shoots, planting flowers, and celebrating the warmer, longer days! Isn't it so inspiring to be able to go out and just enjoy the beauty of nature? The birds and the plants know that it is that special time too! The birds that spent the winter in the south are coming back, most with their nuptial dresses (plumage on) ready to find a mate and start new families, the birds who braved the winter are setting up house and defining their territories by singing and letting the world know that that space is theirs. Spring is such a wonderful time of the year!

The change of season is also a time to look back at the season that just passed and reflect on how we spent the time. We will never see the winter of 2007-2008 again. Did we make it count?

When we greet the New Year and make those famous New Year's Resolutions, what we are doing is planting seeds for our year. The winter is when you decide what seeds you are going to plant, where you are going to plant them, and then prepare the soil. When spring comes we start seeing the tender shoots that our seeds have sprouted. What comes up is what we have nurtured and watered during the winter months. In order to have those seeds turn into strong plants, ready for their spring growth, we need to continue watering, pruning to get rid of any weeds that may come up, and tending those tender shoots so that they do not get overexposed to the elements.

Where are your New Year's resolutions? Have you been tending them and watching them send out new shoots or did you abandon the seeds after you initially planted them? Spring is here! It is not too late to go back to those resolutions and pick the one(s) that you are really committed to helping grow and start clearing away the weeds, start watering, and start nurturing. What you choose to do now and what you pay attention to will grow and flourish! Take time to find at least one resolution that you made this year and tend to it like you would a plant that you want to see live and grow. You will be amazed what you will have by the next season!

If you want to take one of your New Year's resolutions and see it grow into reality, contact me at (210) 492-672 or e-mail me at lorna@ichoosesuccess.org. We can talk about your strategies for spring time!

What is stopping you? Strike when the Iron is Hot!

2008-03-20T11:12:00.000-04:00

This morning I got up very inspired to write an article for my blog. I had something important to share which is what got me out of bed this morning. After doing my morning routine, the hot idea slipped me, and I still have not been able to re-find it in the "filing cabinet" of my brain! What did I learn from that?

My maternal grandfather was a blacksmith who helped build the Panama Canal. One of the cardinal rules of blacksmithing is to "strike while the iron is hot!"

In looking back, I have noticed that most successful people have a system that makes their success a no-brainer. One to the tools in the success tool box is to catch their newly formed idea and process it immediately in one of two manners: they write it down in a journal or notebook that is kept at their desk, or they put it in an 'idea folder' with a date in which they will get back to it, sometimes they jot down the key words that will jog their memory when they get back to it. Doing this allows them to keep the idea alive and yet frees their current thought processes from trying to hold one idea down while doing something else.

What wonderful ideas have you had today? What did you do with them? Ideas are like seeds. They need planting in good soil and nurturing in order to grow to be fruitful and serve others. What system do you have in place to make sure that you take care of your seeds and new plants?

If you have any thoughts or a system on ‘idea-nurturing’ that you want to share, please respond in this blog or e-mail me at blog-replies@IChooseSuccess.org, and I will share them with the readership.

Today is the only day that we have; make it a masterpiece!

Coach Lorna

The Power of Your Thoughts

2008-02-09T22:45:00.000-05:00

I was cooking for friends that were coming over for dinner when I realized that I was in seventh heaven, feeling empowered, on top of the world, and in control of my destiny! The feeling was soooo strong and all encompassing; the clarity that I had about my future was crystal clear! I had never felt so sure of myself, of my purpose in life, and in what I could accomplish. My plan encompassed starting a mastermind group, a book club, and propelling my transformational coaching into the stratosphere! I could see touching the lives of many women and helping them have the same feeling of power and of being 100% responsible for our actions, our reality and our destiny. What had happened to have me on such a high?

In Texas, and specifically San Antonio, the residents are being plagued by Mountain Cedar allergies. Mountain Cedar is one of the few trees that send out their pollen in the winter. I have been suffering through that, along with having caught the bug of the month. So, I am not feeling at 100%. Yet, what happened?

I changed my thoughts and once I did that, the natural succession of events occurred. You see Thoughts beget Feelings which beget Actions which beget Results.

I had been struggling with lack of clarity and a messy desk in addition to wanting to make 2008 be a great year for me. It all started with my coach helping me set my intentions for 2008. Once I was able to write down in detail who I wanted to be by Dec. 31st, 2008, and was able to clean my desk so that my thoughts could be clear, I was able to see and figure out what steps I needed to take in order to be who I want to be and to do all the amazing things I want to have accomplished by the end of this year.

All of the major pieces fell in to place rather quickly, once I was clear. I am now able to see how I am going to be able to live my life’s purpose, and I see my vision right in front of me. It is the beacon towards which I will travel this year.

I plan on having other people join me. One cannot live a life of purpose alone. I am interested in finding women who are willing to take personal responsibility to make 2008 their best year yet and have fun doing it. Women who accept responsibility for 100% of their lives, who want to invest in themselves and help others; who are ready to live a life of purpose and of choice. So I am inviting the first 15 women who write to me and who are willing to commit to a year of growth and transformation to join me in this journey. When you e-mail me, we will discuss the details of our journey together.

I am excited about this, and I am looking forward to having 2008 be a great success!

Success Strategies for 2008 Workshop

2008-01-07T22:56:00.000-05:00

Get ready for your best year yet!!! Join me as I present the workshop "Success Strategies for 2008". The workshop will take place this Saturday, January 12th, from 1pm to 3pm.

Plan Your Year and Work Your Plan

Turn your good intentions into tangible results
Create a year long strategy that will keep you focused on your target
Learn the success secret for living a healthy lifestyle and loving every minute of it!

The investment is $200 per participant. For more details or to register, call 210-492-6872.

"Each of us is great insofar as we perceive and act on the infinite possibilities which lie undiscovered and unrecognized about us." -- James Harvey Robinson

Presentation: The Keys to Our Success are Our Choices

2007-12-03T17:50:00.000-05:00

Join me for a presentation I'll be doing on Wednesday, December 12th, 2007. I'll be presenting on "The Keys to Our Success are Our Choices" at Anne Marie's at Devonshire Place.

The address is 12475 Starcrest in San Antonio, TX
210-545-2249

Networking begins at 11:30am, and the lunch meeting follows until 1pm.

Keep in mind that motivation as well as success is an inside job and that success is a choice you make!

Lorna's Book Recommendations

2007-11-17T21:41:00.000-05:00

Looking for a good book to read? I'd highly recommend Eckhart Tolle's book, A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose. It is a spiritual classic with layers of insight. If you liked The Power of Now, this is a must read for you.

What do green leafy vegetables and cruciferous vegetables have to do with women’s health?

2007-10-10T13:12:00.000-04:00

Estrogen and its implication in women's health has been an issue of concern because of the detrimental implications that scientific studies have shown in a group of women who were given estrogen replacement therapy. The question is how can a hormone that our body produces and that we need for vital functioning cause such havoc?

The term “estrogen” is used collectively for a group of female hormones constructed on a cholesterol molecule base. In the non-pregnant female these are mainly Estrone (E1) and Estradiol (E-2). During pregnancy the placenta makes Estriol (E-3). They each have a specific role to play in our bodies.

Hormones are chemical messengers that cause profound changes within their target cells. These chemical messengers are broadcast by the endocrine system to all of the cells in the body. Only the cells with the specific receptors get the message. The receptor is where the hormone docks and once docked it gives the cell orders to be followed.

Excess circulating hormone is cleared from the body via transformation into a disposable form and then excretion in the bile or urine. There are three sites in the estrogen molecule where these changes can occur. Changes in the 2-H site are associated with less cancer than changes in the other two sites.

What determines how the estrogen molecule is metabolized is not well known. We do know that our genes have some control and studies have shown that eating a diet rich in green leafy vegetables can help with giving excess estrogen safe passage out of the body. How does this happen?

Cruciferous vegetables (such as broccoli, kale, & Brussel sprouts) contain the nutrients that facilitate the change at the 2-H site. Other phytochemicals found in green leafy vegetables also take part in the facilitation of the estrogen being transformed into a metabolite that is harmless to the body. When a woman’s intake of these vegetables is decreased or non-existent, then the option of the molecular change at the 2-H site disappears and the molecule goes on to the two other options that are more biologically active. These options have been associated with increased cancer of the female reproductive organs.

We may not be able to change our genes, but we do have a choice in what we eat. Knowing one way that green vegetables can prevent cancers enables us to make better choices when we are in the supermarket shopping for food or when we are at the restaurant.

LIFE, STRATEGIES, & ACTION

2007-07-31T23:30:00.000-04:00

Take Control of Your Life and Live a Life of Choice

Lorna L. Engleman, MD, Lifestyle Coach, will present a 30 minute interactive presentation on lifestyle coaching on Aug. 8th at Brumley’s at 30815 Hwy 281N, Bulverde, TX, from 11:30 AM – 1:00PM. The presentation will be part of the Hill Country Chamber of Commerce Power Luncheon.

The purpose of the presentation will be to show the audience what coaching is and to experience a coaching session. At the end of the presentation the participant will have a template that they can follow that will help them move forward on whatever situation they are stuck in or help them start on the path to achieving a goal that has been eluding them. The focus of the presentation will be a balanced lifestyle.

Dr. Engleman’s theme is the importance of making good choices in life. Most people are not aware of how they create what happens in their lives. Because of this many people find that their lives and lifestyles are out of control. With coaching a person can become empowered to make the necessary life changes to live a life of their choice.

Dr. Engleman’s mission is to empower women to live the life of their choice by bridging the gap between where they are now and where they want to be, by helping them find the tools and strategies that will work for them.

“When you consciously choose your responses to life, you purposefully create the life you desire.” – Total Life Coaching

RSVP: (830) 438-2025

Fruits and Vegetable Intake helps Prevent Deep Vein Thrombosis

2007-05-13T20:13:00.000-04:00

A recent study done at the University of Minnesota explored the relationship between diet and the incidence of venous thromboembolism (clots in the veins). Thromboembolism is a subject very important to those, especially women and older people, who sit for prolonged periods, such as is often the case in airline flights and long drives.

The study, which was based on 12 years of observation of thousands of adults in 4 states, showed a relationship between the 'Western' diet (which is rich in red meats and processed foods, while low in fish, fruits, and vegetables) and an increased incidence in venous thrombosis. It also showed that whereas eating at least one serving of fish a week gave protection, eating fish more often didn't add to the protection. This is in contrast with eating fruits and vegetables: as one continued to eat more and more of them, the protection continued to increase.

Dr. Steffen, who was the lead investigator, said 'People eat foods, not just nutrients. The whole food contains a myriad of nutrients and food compounds that interact with each other, and it is the whole package that works to prevent or promote disease.'

Circulation . Published online December 18, 2006

Are you reading your food labels?

2007-04-29T20:04:00.000-04:00

If you have been following the news, you are aware that trans fats are being banned in restaurants and also in processed foods. That has left the food industry looking for a viable replacement. Well, it seems that they have found one. It is called interesterified fat. Unlike trans fats, they are not required to be listed in the food label. If it is listed, it is under the names of 'fully hydrogenated' or even 'interesterified fats'. Dr KC Hayes from Brandeis University, Waltham, MA, who has been studying fats for 35 years, stated in a Heartwire interview that interesterified fats are already on the market, being used primarily as a replacement for trans fats in margarines and baked goods.

Dr. Hayes did a study where he compared the effects of trans fats, interesterified fats, and saturated fats (specifically palm oil) on cholesterol levels - LDL/HDL ratios - and fasting blood sugars on 30 subjects for a period of 4 weeks. His findings, which were published in Nutrition & Metabolism 2007, 4:3 (15 January 2007), showed that interesterified fats raised fasting blood sugar and LDL/HDL ratios as much as trans fats do.

What this means to you is that it is extremely important to read the nutrition fact labels on the foods you buy and to avoid processed foods as much as possible. Fats that are not found in nature and are manufactured may damage your health by affecting your insulin metabolism and your lipid levels. High LDL/HDL ratios and high blood sugars have been associated with heart disease.

Source: Heartwire , a professional news service of WebMD, can be found at www.theheart.org, a Web site for cardiovascular healthcare professionals.

Good Reason to Exercise

2007-04-26T23:12:00.000-04:00

Have you noticed in the news that recent findings have shown that doing brain teasers can help prevent memory loss and the decline of other mental functions? Well there is something else that has similar powers: exercise! Before you groan and say that you don't have time, think of it this way: if you don't take time out to exercise now, later on you may have plenty of time not knowing who or where you are. Which is the best exercise to prevent memory loss? A study that was done at the University of Illinois and headed by Professor Arthur Kramer, looked at the effect of walking over a period of six months. But if walking is not your cup of tea, then the best exercise will be the one that you will do! For more information on this subject, click here, and click on the downloadable publications link.

The Naked Truth about Vitamin E - Part II

2007-04-09T01:09:00.000-04:00

Best Food Sources

In last month's newsletter I covered vitamin E from the perspective of what it is. This month I am going to cover what it does and where you can find it in food.

You will recall that Vitamin E is really a team of molecules that together get the job done. If they are separated, they lose most, if not all, of their effectiveness.

Vitamin E can be considered to be one of our body's body guards since it is one of our main defenders against oxidative damage. It protects lipids (fats) from oxidation (becoming rancid). Lipids are found in every single cell membrane of our body as they are part of the membrane. Think of it as paint on the walls of your house; it protects the walls from damage from the elements. If you have a bad paint job because the quality of the paint was not good or you did not paint your house at all, you would end up with accelerated deterioration of your walls. It is the same thing in the body. When free radicals are allowed to roam free in the body they tend to get into mischief and produce damage to the cell membranes. Vitamin E neutralizes those free radicals and once they are neutralized they can be disposed of safely. Damaged cell membranes tend to become brittle and leak, leading to premature cell death. Leakage of the cell contents may end up in the b lood stream or surrounding tissue causing inflammation. This inflammation can occur anywhere in the body. We are most used to hearing about inflammation in the joints causing osteo (degenerative) arthritis and in the arteries, causing heart attacks. It is especially important for our blood cells and lung cells as they are exposed to oxygen and face the highest risk for oxidative stress or damage.

Where is Vitamin E found? Our bodies do not produce Vitamin E and neither do animals, so there will not be much vitamin E in meats unless the animal was fed plants rich in Vitamin E. To find vitamin E, we have to go to the plant kingdom. Plant products that are rich in fat can be grouped into three groups: legumes & grains, vegetables and vegetable oils, some fruits like avocados, and nuts. Examples are: rice, barley, oats, and wheat germ, almonds, pistachios, peanuts, and hazel nuts, and vegetable oils, especially wheat germ oil.

It is especially important to eat a well rounded diet that contains a mix of fruits, vegetable, legumes, seeds, and grains because it will provide you with the full team of Vitamin E players!

The Naked Truth about Vitamin E - Part 1

2007-03-23T17:03:00.000-04:00

A lot of controversy has surrounded Vitamin E in recent years, leading one to wonder, what should one do? Should we take the supplement or not? Some doctors say no; others say that a small dose is all right. What is the problem with Vitamin E?

Vitamin E was discovered in 1922 at the University of California. Herbert Evans and Katherine Bishop discovered it in green leafy vegetables. They discovered this when studying rats. They found that rats who ate a basic diet of rancid lard failed to reproduce. It was given the name Vitamin E or anti-sterility vitamin, because when the rats were fed a diet rich in vitamin E (green leafy vegetables, vegetable oils, and nuts), the rats were able to reproduce.

Vitamins are divided into two broad types: water soluble and fat soluble. As their names imply, some vitamins dissolve in water (Vitamin C) and some dissolve in fat (Vitamin A, D, E). The reason for this is that the body has two basic types of environments: lipid (fats) and water. The fat soluble and water soluble vitamins are specific to the environment where they can dissolve and do their work of scavenging free radicals, which is why they are called anti-oxidants.

Vitamin E, though commonly considered to be only tocopherol - and we usually equate it to alpha-tocopherol -- is really a complex of at least twelve tocopherols and tocotrienols which are further divided into non-desmethyl and desmethyl Vitamin Es. It has been found in recent studies that the non-desmethyl vitamin Es (alpha-tocopherol and alpha-tocotrienol) do not share the beneficial effects of the desmethyl vitamin Es (gamma and delta isomers of tocopherols and tocotrienols). [An isomer is any two or more substances that are made up of the same elements in the same proportions, but differ in properties because of differences in the arrangement of the atoms. (http://www.dictionary.com/). Different arrangements in the same molecule produces different effects in our body.]

In nature, meaning in food, Vitamin E travels as a complex or group. I liken it to a football team; there are different types of players, and it takes all of them to make a touchdown and to win a game. You cannot send in 11 quarterbacks and expect to win a game. That is what you are doing when you take Vitamin E as a supplement. You end up with a lot of the same molecules and no other molecules to help do the job at hand. Recent studies have shown that sometimes this overload of the same molecule (alpha-tocopherol in doses of 400mg or greater) can promote disease rather than prevent it.

You might say, 'But my vitamin E is natural'. Well, consider this: once alpha-tocopherol is separated from its complex, it becomes unstable in storage, meaning that the duration of its shelf-life is decreased. Vitamins that are exposed to oxygen undergo oxidation - that is what you see happens to an apple that turns brown. The vitamin C has oxidized and turned the apple brown. To improve the stability of any vitamin E molecule it is esterified, which is a process where a molecule containing carbon is combined with an alcohol to make it more stable and last longer when exposed to oxygen. The fact that it is more stable means that it is now less able to act as an anti-oxidant, because it will not react with oxygen, therefore rendering it useless to do its job. Also, one has to consider the fact that when alpha-tocopherol is separated from its 'team mates' it loses up to 90 % of its potency!

Other Vitamin E preparations state that they are 'mixed tocopherols'. That means that they have a pre-determined amount of esterified alpha-tocopherol and lesser amounts of other tocopherols. Other formulations are called 'full spectrum vitamin E' which are not uniform in the amount of tocotrienols that they contain and are usually low in or have no delta-tocotrienol and are high in alpha-tocotrienol and tocopherols. None of these preparations have the same ratio of tocopherols (there are 4) and tocotrienols (there are four) that are found in food.

The last Vitamin E that we need to consider are the mixed l-d alpha-tocopherol. L-D stands for levo and dextro. Dextro is the shape of the alpha-tocopherol found in nature and Levo is it mirror image. It was thought that the Levo form was harmless but that has been lately brought into question. Molecular receptors and vitamins work on a lock and key system. Only the correct key will fit in the lock and turn it. If you try to put in a mirror image of a key into a lock, do you think that it would fit in the lock?

So, what should we do? Where should we get our Vitamin E and in what form? I believe the clinical evidence backs up the theoretical reasoning that we should get it from food.

Garlic and Onions May Prevent Cancers

2007-03-18T11:37:00.000-04:00

In the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Italian researchers reported that people whose diets are rich in onions, garlic, and other members of the allium family, had a much lower risk of several types of cancer than those who avoid them.

The researchers concluded that garlic and onion consumption could be a maker for a healthier lifestyle and a more varied diet.

Celery is Deceptively Rich in Phytonutrients

2007-03-16T13:02:00.000-04:00

Did you know that celery was not eaten as a food until the mid-1600s? Today it is touted for its 'negative calories'. Some people think that you burn more calories chewing and digesting celery than it actually supplies! While that is wishful thinking, there are still many advantages to celery, mainly its richness in phytonutrients. Just 2 medium stalks provide you with 1.2 gm of fiber, Vitamin K, Vitamin C, Folate, Calcium, Potassium, Sodium, and Phosphorus; and those are the notable nutrients! There are thousands of other nutrients in celery that we either don't know about or do not have the technology to measure.

Risk Factors for Cancer Death

2007-02-26T20:47:00.000-05:00

More Than One Third of Cancer Deaths May be Attributable to Nine Modifiable Risk Factors is one of the headlines on the Medscape Medical News sent out Nov. 21, 2005. Though this may seem like 'old news' it is still true today. We have more control over our health and its outcome than we give ourselves credit for. The nine factors that are mentioned are very modifiable depending on what each one of us thinks is possible.

Here they are: smoking, excessive alcohol use, low consumption of fruits and vegetables, high body mass index, physical inactivity, unsafe sex, urban air pollution, indoor use of solid fuels, and injections from healthcare settings contaminated with hepatitis B or C virus.
In high-income countries smoking, alcohol use, and overweight and obesity were the most important causes of cancer.

Source: Lancet. 2005; 366:1784-1793

Major Cognitive Decline Linked to High Fat, High Copper Diet

2007-02-25T00:20:00.000-05:00

In the August 2006 issue of the Archives of Neurology a study was published where they found that a diet high in saturated and trans fats, coupled with a high intake of copper may be associated with a significantly accelerated rate of cognitive decline in older adults.
The Study was done at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago. The researchers found high amounts of dietary saturated and trans fats and total copper intake of 1.6 mg/day or more had an impact on an individual's cognitive function that was the equivalent of adding 19 years to their age.

They did not find that copper was harmful at all in people who did not have this high-fat diet. 'But the combination of the two had a significant detrimental effect,' said principal investigator, Martha Clare Morris, ScD, when she was interviewed by Medscape.

What can we learn from this study? Try to avoid trans fats (partially hydrogenated oils) as much as possible in addition to saturated fats. If you cannot change your dietary patterns and you are taking copper supplements, perhaps you should look at decreasing your intake of the supplement.

Estrogen Metabolism

2007-02-16T00:41:00.000-05:00

Estrogen: 'Bad Girl' or 'Good Girl'? Estrogen and its implication on our health has been a subject on women's minds ever since the news came out a few years ago about the risks of hormone (estrogen) replacement therapy (HRT). Large studies showed increases in heart disease, cancers, overall mortality, and now even dementia in HRT users. But how can that be? Estrogen has beneficial effects on our health including protecting us from heart disease. The answer probably is multifactorial, but more and more interest is being shown in the effects of the active metabolites of estrogen.

The term 'estrogen' is used collectively for a group of female hormones constructed on a cholesterol molecule base. In the non-pregnant human these are mainly Estrone (E-1) and Estradiol (E-2). During pregnancy the placenta makes Estriol (E-3). But in nature, there are many different estrogens, over 100 of which are found in the equine (horse) estrogens found in HRT and other medications.

Hormones are chemical messengers that cause profound changes within their target cells. The way the endocrine system broadcasts its hormonal messages is like a radio broadcast. It is sent out to all cells, but only the cells with the specific receptors (radios) get the message. The receptor is where the hormone docks and once docked it manifests its effect on the cell.

Excess circulating hormone is cleared from the body via metabolism to a disposable form, the metabolite. The first step with estrogens is hydroxylation, followed by methylation, then excretion into the urine or bile and elimination. The importance of this is that the hydroxylation can occur at three different sites on the estrogen molecule, and since these hydroxylated estrogens (estrogen metabolites) also have biologic activity, it is important at which site it occurs. Studies have shown that women who hydroxylate their estrogens on the 2nd carbon have less cancer than those who do so on carbon No. 4 or No.16. The 2-hydroxyl to 16- hydroxyl ratio (2-H/16-H) is how this is expressed; and the higher the ratio, the better for the lady.

What determines how the estrogen will be metabolized? That's what isn't known. Of course a good bet is: your genes. But why would genes that metabolize it in a way that is detrimental to longevity be selected for? Therefore environment, nutrition, and lifestyle are suspected to play a major role.

Cruciferous vegetables (and undoubtedly others as well) contain phytonutrients that increase the 2-H/16-H ratio. Steps further down the metabolic pathway are also nutrition-dependent and these steps effect the make up of the metabolic profile that includes quinones (carcinogenic) and neurotransmitters (catecholamines & serotonins) that have an effect on mood and personality. Lycopenes, flavonoids, isoflavones, lignans, and catechins have also been shown to influence estrogen metabolic pathways.

Sound empiric advice then, since you can't change your genes, is to have as varied and nutritious a diet as possible to maximize your 2-H/16-H ratio AND when you reach that age where you may need to supplement your naturally produced estrogen, consider doing so with those estrogens (E-1 and E-2) that your body naturally produces.

Activity After Eating

2007-02-13T19:31:00.000-05:00

Activity after eating might be better than it sounds. After eating a meal that is heavy in fats, the diameter of our arteries gets smaller (constriction) for a period of up to 8 hours. Recent research has shown that if you walk or do some type of physical activity right after eating, you prevent that constriction. When arteries constrict two very important things happen: your heart has to pump harder (increase in blood pressure) and less blood gets to the organs, e.g. the heart. That explains the phenomenon that is occasionally seen of people having a heart attack after eating a big fat-filled meal.

The 75% Rule

2007-02-10T00:28:00.000-05:00

75% Rule is an easy way of portion control without counting calories and depriving yourself. When you serve yourself a serving of whatever you are going to eat, divide the amount in four and discard one fourth (or save for another meal)! That way you have decreased the size of the portion that you are going to eat and you saved yourself from consuming anywhere from 100 to 250 extra calories!

Food Sources of Vitamin E

2007-02-06T13:45:00.000-05:00

Food Sources of Vitamin E - ranked by milligrams of vitamin E per standard amount; also calories in the standard amount. (All provide ≥ 10% of RDA for vitamin E for adults, which is 15 mg a-tocopherol [AT]/day.)

Food, Standard Amount , AT (mg) , Calories

Fortified ready-to-eat cereals, ~1 oz , 1.6-12.8 AT (mg), 90-107 calories
Sunflower seeds, dry roasted, 1 oz , 7.4 AT (mg), 165 calories
Almonds, 1 oz , 7.3 AT (mg), 164 calories
Sunflower oil, high linoleic, 1 Tbsp AT (mg), 5.6 , 120 calories
Cottonseed oil, 1 Tbsp , 4.8 AT (mg), 120 calories
Safflower oil, high oleic, 1 Tbsp , 4.6 , 120 calories
Hazelnuts (filberts), 1 oz , 4.3 AT (mg), 178 calories
Mixed nuts, dry roasted, 1 oz , 3.1 AT (mg), 168 calories
Turnip greens, frozen, cooked, ½ cup , 2.9 AT (mg), 24 calories
Tomato paste, ¼ cup , 2.8 AT (mg), 54 calories
Pine nuts, 1 oz , 2.6 AT (mg), 191 calories
Peanut butter, 2 Tbsp , 2.5 AT (mg), 192 calories
Tomato puree, ½ cup , 2.5 AT (mg), 48 calories
Tomato sauce, ½ cup , 2.5 AT (mg), 39 calories
Canola oil, 1 Tbsp , 2.4 AT (mg), 124 calories
Wheat germ, toasted, plain, 2 Tbsp , 2.3 AT (mg), 54 calories
Peanuts, 1 oz , 2.2 AT (mg), 166 calories
Avocado, raw, ½ avocado , 2.1 AT (mg), 161 calories
Carrot juice, canned, ¾ cup , 2.1 AT (mg), 71 calories
Peanut oil, 1 Tbsp , 2.1 AT (mg), 119 calories
Corn oil, 1 Tbsp , 1.9 , 120 calories
Olive oil, 1 Tbsp , 1.9 AT (mg), 119 calories
Spinach, cooked, ½ cup , 1.9 AT (mg), 21 calories
Dandelion greens, cooked, ½ cup , 1.8 AT (mg), 18 calories
Sardine, Atlantic, in oil, drained, 3 oz , 1.7 AT (mg), 177 calories
Blue crab, cooked/canned, 3 oz , 1.6 AT (mg), 84 calories
Brazil nuts, 1 oz , 1.6 AT (mg), 186 calories
Herring, Atlantic, pickled, 3 oz , 1.5 AT (mg), 222 calories

Source: Nutrient values from Agricultural Research Service (ARS) Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 17. Foods are from ARS single nutrient reports, sorted in descending order by nutrient content in terms of common household measures. Food items and weights in the single nutrient reports are adapted from those in 2002 revision of USDA Home and Garden Bulletin No. 72, Nutritive Value of Foods. Mixed dishes and multiple preparations of the same food item have been omitted from this table.

Do the Risks of Eating Fish Outweigh the Benefits?

2007-02-06T13:43:00.000-05:00

A recent study done by researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) found that the benefits of eating a modest amount of fish per week - about 3 ounces of farmed salmon or 6 ounces of mackerel - reduced the risk of death from coronary disease by 36%. Also, in their review, they found that the intake of fish or fish oil reduces total mortality - death from any causes -- by 17%. In recent years, concerns have been raised about chemicals found in fish from environmental pollutants, including mercury, PCBs, and dioxins; which has led to some confusion.

The nutritional benefit of eating fish (finfish or shellfish) is derived from the fact that fish is high in protein and omega-3 fatty acids. The two principal types of omega-3 fatty acids are EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) which are found in fish. The body can produce EPA and DHA from another essential fatty acid, ALA (alpha-linolenic acid), found in flaxseed oil, canola oil, soy oil, and walnut oil. The only problem is that this conversion only occurs to a limited extent.

The importance of the omega-3 fatty acids lies in the fact that they have a number of heart-healthy effects, including reducing triglyceride levels, raising the levels of HDL (good cholesterol), reducing levels of homocysteine, and reducing blood pressure.
'Overall, for major health outcomes among adults, the benefits of eating fish greatly outweigh the risks,' said Dariush Mozaffarian, lead author of the study and an instructor in epidemiology at HSPH and in medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital. 'Somehow this evidence has been lost on the public.'

Source: The Journal of the American Medical Association, Oct. 18 th, 2006 issue.

Want to Live to 85? Stay Trim.

2007-02-03T18:55:00.000-05:00

A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association suggests middle-aged men who lose excess weight and avoid other risk factors such as smoking, significantly increase their odds of living longer without the disease and disability that often accompanies old age. The findings also suggest that the damage from a harmful habit in mid-life, like smoking or over-indulgence in alcohol, can be reversed and will payoff in longevity, says Thomas Perls, director of the New England Centenarian Study at Boston University.

--As Reported by USA Today

Chocoholics Rejoice! More Health Benefits Found

2007-01-28T10:03:00.000-05:00

Research originally designed to measure the effects of aspirin on blood has yielded additional information about the health effects of chocolate. The study found that the platelets in the blood of chocolate-eaters were slower to clot than the blood of volunteers who resisted eating chocolate. In a urine test, the chocolate lovers also were discovered to have lower levels of thromboxane or platelet waste. This biochemical effect is similar to aspirin in reducing platelet clumping, a major risk-factor for heart attacks, researchers say.

As Reported by CNN

Vitamin D and Gums

2007-01-22T17:31:00.000-05:00

Vitamin D may help prevent the inflammation that causes bleeding gums, and that may eventually lead to periodontal disease, say dental experts at Boston University and elsewhere. Earlier studies had suggested that vitamin D can also prevent periodontal diseases by strengthening bone.

Source: American Journal of Clinical Nutriton 82: 575, 2005.

Note: Vitamin D is produced in the body in response to sunlight exposure. Dietary sources of vitamin D are hard to come by. Fatty fish, such as salmon and mackerel, contain large amounts of vitamin D as do eggs, liver, fortified dairy products and orange juice. Other sources are multivitamins or vitamin D supplementation.

For more information on Vitamin D go to http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/vitamind.asp. It will take you to the Dietary Supplement Fact Sheet: Vitamin D. Also, the November 2006 issue of Nutrition Action Health Letter features Vitamin D.