Aquatic aerobic exercise is a very effective form of exercise. I asked Jody Victor® to give us more details.

Jody Victor®: Walking and jogging in water with an aquatic/underwater/pool treadmill is easy on the joints and offers an alternative for people with injuries or disabilities. Water provides 14 to 16 times the resistance as that of air. At the same time the person is anywhere from 50 to 90 percent weightless. This allows for a higher intensity workout in less time and with less aches and pains afterwards.

Originally pool treadmills were developed to treat horses recovering from injuries. From that successful application, they were then developed for physical therapy centers specializing in sports medicine and fitness training for people with chronic conditions, such as arthritis, and acute conditions, such as sports injuries. A physical therapist in Texas saw one of her rheumatoid arthritis patients progress from using a wheelchair to using a walker in one week by exercising on a pool treadmill.

A pool treadmill consists of a treadmill submerged in a water pool. The water pool is normally maintained at chest height of the person who is exercising. The person then walks, jogs, or runs at any desired pace. Back stepping or retro walking offers a unique back and abdomen strengthening exercise. The treadmill has a conveyor belt that reacts to the input it receives from the user’s feet. Pool treadmill exercise includes forward or reverse actuation of the walking belt. Using natural biomechanics, it is entirely powered by the user. No electromechanical or electronic components are needed.

Exercising on a pool treadmill works abdominal, back and leg muscles and increases range of motion in the joints. Exercising on a pool treadmill allows people to fully exercise the muscles of the leg. Traditional treadmills force people to keep up with a moving surface, using only a subset of muscles. This is why serious runners and tri-athletes prefer running outside over training on a land treadmill. With a pool treadmill people gain the added advantages of water aerobics. Exercising in water both increases resistance and significantly reduces impact versus exercising on land. Exercising in water also eliminates excess body heat more efficiently, allowing you to exercise longer because your core body temperature doesn’t overheat.

There has been a rise in demand for pool treadmills for the home. There are many models available. Some pool treadmills are portable and can be set up easily. Other models are a permanent fixture in specially designed pools. When considering buying a pool treadmill, there are a few factors to keep in mind. Avoid buying a cheap treadmill as they are not built for endurance and performance. The advantage of buying a pool treadmill in a retail store is that you get to try them out and compare features. The disadvantage is the added cost of the store’s overhead and the sales person’s commission, plus all your time running around town. You can save money buying online. Do your homework. Educate yourself first on the components and features you want. When buying online, make sure it is a brand name backed by independent ratings. Look for customer testimonials. Whether you buy retail or online, make sure the treadmill is backed by exceptional customer service. Look for a warranty, which says a lot about the quality of the treadmill. The better the warranty- the longer it will last.

All the Best!

Steve Victor

Eating seasonally can be a positive way to move us back to a food chain that benefits customers, small farmers and our communities. Here are six reasons why seasonal food is a great idea:

1. Food tastes better in season.
2. Food is nutritionally better in season.
3. Seasonal food is cheaper.
4. Seasonal food encourages preserving the surplus for the winter months.
5. Seasonal food supports your local farmer and your local economy.
6. Seasonal food is better for the environment.

I asked Jody Victor® to tell us about a seasonal food. Turns out, cantaloupe is one of his favorites.

Jody Victor®: Cantaloupes in the U.S. are a type of muskmelon. They are an excellent source of vitamins A and C. True cantaloupes, named for Cantalupo, Italy, are grown in Europe and are quite different from the types grown in the U.S., which are at their peak June through October.

Select cantaloupes that are heavy for their size with a strong, sweet fragrance. Netting on the skin should be thick and well raised. A ripe cantaloupe will yield slightly at the blossom end. Avoid melons with soft spots or an overly strong aroma.

Cantaloupes continue to ripen after harvesting. You can store unripe cantaloupes at room temperature for 2 to 3 days until ready. Ripe melons can be refrigerated for up to four days. Wrap both whole ripe and cut ripe melons in plastic wrap as they easily absorb other food odors.

CANTALOUPE SALSA

1 cantaloupe

1 yellow bell pepper

Juice from one lime

1 tsp rice vinegar

6 dried chilies

Salt and pepper to taste

Dice cantaloupe flesh and the bell pepper. Mix. Add lime juice to mixture. Add rice vinegar. Grind chilies and add to salsa. Refrigerate for several hours for flavors to blend.

FRESH CANTALOUPE in LIME-YOGURT-CARDAMOM DRESSING

1 cantaloupe, diced into ½ inch pieces

One half cup plain yogurt

1 tbsp fresh lime juice

1 pinch ground cardamom seeds

Honey to taste

Completely mix yogurt, lime juice, cardamom, and honey. Fold into diced cantaloupe. Keep refrigerated and serve cool.

GRILLED CHICKEN and MELON PASTA

1 cantaloupe, diced

4 boneless chicken breasts

2 ripe mangos, peeled, seeded and chopped

½ cup sour cream

2 tbsp fresh chives, minced

4 tbsp lime juice

2 tsp Dijon mustard

12 jumbo pasta shells

Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper and other seasonings of choice if you like. Grill chicken. Cool chicken and cut into small pieces. Cook pasta according to directions. Rinse and set aside, covered. Combine diced mango and cantaloupe, chicken and rest of ingredients. Stuff the pasta shells.

All the Best!!

Steve Victor

Arthritis is one of the oldest diseases known to mankind. Prehistoric man and dinosaurs had arthritis. Mummies uncovered in Egypt had it. I asked Jody Victor® to tell us more.

Jody Victor®: The word arthritis means “joint inflammation” and refers to over a hundred rheumatic diseases that cause pain, swelling and stiffness in the joints. The cushioning cartilage that protects the joint breaks down, resulting in the bones rubbing together. No one really knows the exact cause of this painful and debilitating disease. Currently there are two theories: infection and the body’s defenses go out of line and attack its own tissues. Experts also believe that emotional stress plays an important role in the cause of arthritis.

Arthritis is referred to as the nation’s number one crippling disease and the most common chronic disease in people over 40. Left untreated, it can advance and result in joint damage that cannot be undone. Arthritis generally affects people between the ages of 20 and 50, but can affect all ages. Arthritis affects more than 40 million Americans. According to the CDC this figure is expected to rise to 60 million by 2020.

The two most common types of arthritis are osteoarthritis (OA) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Even though both have similar symptoms, both happen for different reasons. Osteoarthritis is the more prevalent of the two and develops when joints are overused and misused, causing joint pain and limited movement. OA often starts in the knees, but can be found in the hips, spine and hands. Rheumatoid arthritis occurs when the body’s immune system attacks joint tissue. RA often starts in the hands, wrists and feet. It may advance to shoulders, elbows and hips. Both OA and RA develop symmetrically, i.e. affecting the same joints on both right and left sides of the body.

Unfortunately, there is no cure for arthritis. Prescription medicines and over-the-counter medicines only treat the pain of arthritis and help diminish swelling. There are many down-home natural remedies to help prevent arthritis and to treat its symptoms.

The 5-step goal of natural arthritis remedies is to stop the progress of arthritis as well as decrease the pain:

1. DIET  Eat a healthy anti-inflammatory diet. Include more colorful fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and omega 3 fish. Cut back on processed foods, sugar, salt, caffeine and red meat. Drink at least eight glasses of water a day.
2. WEIGHT  Reach and maintain your ideal weight. Less weight puts less strain on your joints, especially hips and knees.
3. EXERCISE  Thirty minutes a day of moderate physical activity is necessary for physical and mental well being. Exercise relieves stiffness in joints, strengthens muscles, reduces stress on joints, keeps bone and cartilage tissue strong and healthy and increases flexibility. Try to include three main types of exercises in your daily routine: range-of-motion, strengthening, and endurance.  Walking, swimming and yoga are the best exercises to loosen up your joints with a minimum of stress.
4. STRESS REDUCTION  Stress management techniques can help improve your attitude. Yoga is one activity that helps relieve both physical and mental stress. Meditation and visualization techniques are helpful as well. Prayer is a form of relaxation and meditation.
5. ANTI-INFLAMMATORY SUPPLEMENTS  It is impossible to get enough inflammation- reducing nutrients from your diet alone. Supplements are a great way to augment your diet. Include vitamins B5, B12, C, D, E, K for anti-oxidant qualities and bone health.  Omega 3 fish oil capsules control inflammation in the body. Other oils may be supplemented for the same purpose- flax, borage, sesame, sunflower and pumpkin. Chondroitin helps draw fluid into cartilage, thus improving shock-absorbing ability. Glucosamine sulfate helps build cartilage with very few side effects. MSM (organic sulfur) reduces inflammation and appears to slow down degeneration.

All the Best!

Steve Victor

This summer we seem to be having a heat-wave early. I asked the original "Joe Cool," Jody Victor®,  to give us some tips on staying cool.

Jody Victor®: Summer is great - swimming, biking, fishing, camping - all the great stuff to do. But when the mercury rises we all need to pay attemtion to a few tips to keep cool. 

Keeping Cool on the Outside

1. Wear loose, light-colored cotton clothing.
2. Wear a wide-brimmed hat.
3. Apply sunscreen as directed.
4. Wear dark lens, polarized sunglasses to protect your eyes.
5. Use insect repellants.

 Keeping Cool on the Inside

1. Hydration

1. Drink at least 8-10 glasses of water per day.
2. Drink even if you don’t feel thirsty. Once you feel thirsty you’re already dehydrated.
3. The best drinks are water, club soda, flavored iced coffee, or unsweetened iced tea.
4. Avoid sugary drinks.
5. When drinking alcoholic beverages, drink at least one glass of water between each beverage.

1.  Diet

a.      Eat light, small, frequent meals.

b.     Maintain your energy level by limiting intake of fat and sugar. Consume more carbohydrates, fruits and vegetables instead.

c.      Include salads in meals. Salads contain a significant amount of water. Salads can actually thin the blood, which has a cooling effect.

d.     Limit red meat and choose fish and oysters instead.

e.      Do not grill meat until it is burnt. Trim away any burnt meat sections before eating.

f.      Reduce sodium intake.

g.     Add small amounts of hot spices when cooking to cool the body through sweating.

h.      Avoid extremely cold foods (and drinks) as they interfere with digestion and sweating, the body’s natural cooling mechanism.

Keeping Cool While Exercising

1. Avoid exercising between 10 am and 2 pm, the hottest part of the day.
2. Get acclimated to the heat slowly. Start with 15 minutes of exercise and work up to 45 minutes or an hour.
3. Forget “no pain, no gain” and learn to recognize the symptoms of heat-related illness.
4. Try hiking or walking instead of your usual running routine.
5. Exercise in water. Treading water burns 281 calories per hour. Swimming burns 422 calories per hour. Jogging in water burns 562 calories per hour.
6. Balance activity during the heat of summer with time to rest, relax or even nap.

All the Best!!

Steve Victor 

Gazpacho is one of Spain’s well-known culinary dishes. It originated in southern Spain in the farming area of Andalusia by field workers for their midday meal. It has become popular in America as well. I asked Jody Victor® to tell us more.

Jody Victor®: Gazpacho was originally called Ajo blanco (white garlic) and was made with almonds, bread, olive oil, garlic and water. The ingredients were crushed together in a wooden bowl or dornillo. Gazpacho as we know it today was influenced by Christopher Columbus. To feed his crew on the return voyage to the Old World, Columbus added the tomatoes, cucumbers, and peppers that he brought from the New World to the traditional Spanish gazpacho. The emergence of gazpacho out of its Spanish roots is credited to Eugenia de Montijo, the wife of the French Emperor Napoleon lll in the 19^th century. It became well known worldwide sometime around 1930. An American cookbook published in 1963 states, “Gazpacho, the soup-salad of Spain, has become an American food fashion.”

Gazpacho typically contains fresh raw tomatoes, bell peppers, cucumbers, and garlic, blended with vinegar, olive oil and ice water. Slightly stale bread moistened with water or white vinegar can be added as well. It is most important to make gazpacho from garden fresh vegetables at the peak of ripeness. Gazpacho has been the inspiration for many other cold soup creations using vegetables at their peak.

ANDALOU GAZPACHO (10-12 servings)

2 pounds (6-8) very ripe tomatoes, chopped and seeded

2 to 3 crushed garlic cloves, finely chopped, germ removed

2 to 3 red bell peppers, finely chopped

1 or 2 English cucumbers, peeled seeded and chopped

1 sweet white onion chopped

3 to 4 slices of 2-day old whole wheat bread, toasted

6 tbsp white vinegar

2 cups very cold water

One half cup virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

      Soak bread in vinegar for a few minutes. Liquefy garlic with half the vegetables in a blender along with the soaked bread. Add a bit of cold water to get desired texture. Transfer to a large glass or plastic bowl. Blend remaining vegetables with water and make sure small pieces remain in order to add some crunchiness to the soup; pour into the large bowl and mix well with a spoon. Add olive oil in a thin steady stream while whipping constantly to mix well. Add seasoning and serve cold. Garnish with some chopped vegetables if desired.

COLD RED PEPPER SOUP (8 servings)

One third cup butter

2 cups (2 large) leeks (white part only), chopped

4 cups (4 medium) sweet red peppers, chopped

One and a half cups chicken broth

4 cups buttermilk

Fresh chives, chopped for garnish

     In large soup pot, melt butter and sauté leeks over medium heat until clear (about 5 minutes). Add pepper and sauté for about ten minutes. Add chicken broth and simmer for 30 minutes. Using a hand blender, puree until smooth. If you have to use a regular blender, puree in batches. Add buttermilk and stir well. Chill in a pitcher in the fridge. Serve with crusty breads.

TOMATO BASIL SOUP (4 servings)

4 pounds ripe tomatoes, chopped

One third cup fresh basil leaves

3 tbsp vinegar

2 tsp garlic salt

3 cups chicken broth

One quarter cup olive oil

     In a blender or food processor, combine tomatoes, basil, vinegar and garlic salt. Puree until smooth. Transfer to a serving dish and stir in broth and olive oil. Chill in fridge and serve cold.

AVOCADO SOUP with SALSA (4 servings)

2 avocados, peeled, pitted, chopped

2 cups chicken broth

1 cup half-and-half

One quarter cup lime juice

One half tsp salt

One half tsp hot pepper sauce

     In blender, combine all ingredients and blend until smooth. Chill thoroughly in fridge. Add a spoonful of salsa atop each serving of soup.

All the Best!

Steve Victor

Every year in the U.S. emergency centers treat more than 200,000 children ages 14 and younger for playground-related injuries. About 45 percent of the injuries are severe- fractures, internal injuries, concussions, dislocations and amputations. On public playgrounds, more injuries occur on climbers than any other equipment. On home playgrounds, swings are responsible for most injuries. I asked Jody Victor® to give us some safety tips.

Jody Victor®: Whether they are your children or your grandchildren you want them to be safe. If you plan to set up a playground at home for your children/grandchildren, keep the following important safety tips in mind.

SITE SAFETY

1. Choose a location away from roads and driveways.
2. Site should be visible from inside the home, patio, or porch.
3. Choose a level site to reduce the tipping over of the play set and to keep surfacing materials from washing away.
4. Site should be free of obstacles such as low overhanging tree branches, overhead wires, tree stumps, roots, large rocks, bricks, and concrete.
5. The play equipment should be placed at least 6 feet from any structure or obstacle, such as a house, fence, garage, shed, trees or poles. Swings should be farther away from structures to the front and rear of the swings.
6. Bare metal platforms and slides should be set out of direct sunlight to reduce the likelihood of serious burns. A slide that faces north receives the least direct sunlight.
7. Keep active and quiet activities separate from each other. EX: sandboxes away from swings. Or use a guardrail or barrier to separate the two. Do not place the slide exit in front of a swing.

SAFE SURFACING

1. Recommended materials include sand, pea gravel, wood chips, mulch and shredded rubber. Rubber mats, synthetic turf, and other artificial materials are also safe and require less maintenance.
2. Surfacing should be at least 9 inches deep. An initial fill level of 12 inches will compress to about 9 inches over time. Periodically refill to maintain a 9-inch depth.
3. Six inches of protective surfacing can be used for equipment less than 4 feet in height.
4. Protective surfacing should extend six feet from the play set; farther for swings.
5. Make sure the surfacing extends twice the height of the suspension bar for swings. EX: If the play set is 10 feet high, surfacing should extend 20 feet from front to back of the swing.

EQUIPMENT MATERIALS

1. Metal should be painted, galvanized, or treated to prevent rust, corrosion and deterioration.
2. Wood should be naturally rot-resistant (cedar or redwood) or treated to prevent rot. Creosote-treated wood and coatings that contain pesticides should not be used.
3. Bolts and screws should be corrosion-resistant.
4. Fasten all bolts, screws, washers and nuts tightly. Use lock washers or self-locking nuts.
5. Cover exposed bolt ends with caps.
6. Cover exposed, open ends of tubing with caps or plugs that can not be removed without tools.
7. Close “S” hooks so that the gaps are less than the thickness of a dime.
8. Make sure anchors are buried or otherwise covered with protective surfacing.
9. Swing seats should be made of soft materials such as rubber, plastic or canvas. If you have plastic swing seats, remove in cold weather.
10. Never attach ropes, jump ropes, leashes or similar items to the play set. They are a choking hazard.
11. Have a monthly and an annual maintenance schedule.
12. Check nuts and bolts twice a month and tighten as needed.
13. Keep moving metal parts oiled.

SAFETY RULES FOR KIDS

1. Do not allow kids to go barefoot on play set.
2. Do not allow kids to wear hoods, helmets, necklaces, purses, scarves, or clothing with drawstrings on the play set.
3. Make sure the equipment is age-appropriate. Have separate play areas for kids under five.
4. Do not allow unsafe behaviors like pushing, shoving, or crowding.
5. Parents should supervise kids on play equipment to make sure they are safe.

All the Best!

Steve Victor

June is Safety Month and the month where Americans begin to fire up their grills and start cooking outdoors. I asked Jody Victor® to give us some safety measures to keep in mind for your next barbeque.

Jody Victor®: Who doesn't like a picnic with barbeque anything? Here's some safety tips to keep you healthy.

GRILL SAFETY

Check your charcoal or gas grill for structural stability and rust. If it’s too weak to stand up to the extra weight of the charcoal or the food to be grilled, replace it. If rust has corroded holes in the grill body or legs, flames can flare out of the holes. Replace it. When cooking outdoors with a gas grill, check the air tubes that lead to the burner for any blockage. Check grill hoses for cracking, brittleness, holes or leaks. Make sure there are no sharp bends or kinks in the hoses. If you ever detect a leak, immediately turn off the gas at the tank and do not attempt to light the grill until the leak has been fixed. Do not grill inside. This includes overhangs, covered patios and garages. Place your grill away from flammable materials and at least 10 feet away from any structure. Keep a fire extinguisher handy. Never leave a grill unattended once it is lit. Avoid wearing exceptionally loose clothing, especially long sleeves. Use long-handled grilling tools. If you don’t have long-handled tongs use two spatulas for better control in turning the food. Clean your grill regularly using a grill brush. If you do not have a grill brush, use a crumpled ball of aluminum foil.

FOOD SAFETY

When shopping for your meat, put it in your cart last, right before checkout. Put packages of raw meat and poultry into plastic bags to prevent cross-contamination. Go straight home with the raw meat. If that is not possible, have a cooler with ice ready. Always refrigerate perishable food within 2 hours and within 1 hour if temperature is above 90 degrees F. Freeze poultry and ground meat that won’t be used in 1 to 2 days; freeze other meat within 4 to 5 days. Completely thaw the meat and poultry before grilling so it can cook more evenly. Use your refrigerator for slow, safe thawing. Do not use the same platter and utensils for raw and cooked meat and poultry. After cooking meat on the grill, keep it hot until served- at 140 degrees F or warmer. Set the cooked meat to the side of the grill rack away from the coals or flame or in an oven (around 200 degrees), a slow cooker or on a warming tray.

Research has shown that cooking certain meats at high temperatures creates chemicals linked to cancer that are not present in uncooked meats. Researchers have found evidence of heterocyclic amines (HCAs) in meats cooked on outdoor grills. HCAs are formed from the cooking of muscle meats such as beef, pork, fowl, and fish. Four factors influence HCA formation: type of food, cooking method, temperature and time. Temperature is the most important factor. One study showed a three-fold increase in the content of HCAs when the cooking temperature was increased from 392 degrees F to 482 degrees F. Fortunately there are ways to reduce the HCAs in your grilled meats.

1. Marinate meats for at least 12 hours. This simple step can reduce the HCAs by as much as 99 percent. Poultry and cubed meat or stew meat can be marinated up to 2 days. Beef, pork and steaks can be marinated up to 5 days. Marinate in the refrigerator, not on the counter.
2. Trim the fat from the meat before grilling to avoid drips, which lead to flare-ups and charring.
3. Grill smaller pieces of meat. EX: steak kabobs instead of a whole steak. The less time the meat spends on the grill the better. If you must cook big pieces of meat, pre-cook the meat by baking or microwaving it and then grill for a few minutes at the end. Never partially grill the meat and finish cooking later.
4. Grill meat at low temperatures and turn frequently to avoid charring.
5. Remove burnt or blackened parts of the meat before eating.

All the Best!

Steve Victor

June is Safety Month and one summer safety situation you should be aware of and prepared for is heat illness. I asked Jody Victor® to give us some information.

Jody Victor®: Heat illness results when your body is exposed to more heat than it can handle. Your body is constantly working to disperse the heat that it generates. In the summer your body’s heat can accumulate, which increases your body temperature beyond its normal 98.6 degrees. There is a range of heat related illnesses beginning with heat rash and leading up to the most serious- heatstroke.

Heat rash is a skin irritation caused by excessive sweating during hot, humid weather. Heat rash is a bumpy red rash that occurs when sweat glands become blocked. Heat rash can affect people of any age but is most common in young children. To help prevent heat rash, make sure you and you children wear cotton clothing that is light and cool. If you don’t have air conditioning, run fans. Stay inside during the hottest times of the day. If outside, seek shade. Keep the affected area dry. Dusting powder can be used for comfort. Stay away from ointments or crèmes which will keep the skin warm and moist and make the rash worse.

Heat cramps are painful muscle spasms that that affect your legs or abdomen suddenly. Heat cramps usually happen after physical activity with a lot of sweating or not enough fluids. If you experience heat cramps sit or lie down in a cool room or the shade if outside. Drink cool water or a sports drink. Stay away from caffeinated or alcoholic drinks. Stretch your muscles to loosen the cramping.

Heat exhaustion signals are heavy perspiration and normal or slightly above normal body temperatures. Heat exhaustion is caused by water or salt depletion or both. Symptoms include: severe thirst, fatigue, profuse sweating, clammy or pale skin, dizziness, rapid pulse, headache, nausea, vomiting and sometimes diarrhea. You may think you have the stomach flu. If heat exhaustion is not properly controlled it can evolve into heatstroke. Sit or lie down in a cool room or the shade if outside. Drink cool water or a sports drink. Stay away from caffeinated or alcoholic drinks. Gently apply wet towels and if symptoms persist, call for emergency medical help.

Heatstroke is the most serious and life-threatening heat illness. With heatstroke your body builds up too much heat and your body’s temperature rises to life-threatening levels. You can become delirious or lose consciousness. If you do not rid your body of the excess heat fast enough it can “cook” your brain and other vital organs. Heat stroke is often fatal. The symptoms of heatstroke include: body feels extremely hot when touched; altered mental status/behavior ranging from slight confusion to disorientation to coma; victim is irrational, agitated, or aggressive; victim may have seizures. In severe heatstroke, the victim can go into a coma in less than an hour. Move the victim to a cool room or the shade if outside. Move the victim to a half-sitting position. Call for emergency medical help immediately. If humidity is below 75 percent, spray victim with water and fan vigorously. If humidity is above 75 percent, apply ice packs on neck, armpits and groin.

If you have plans to be out in the hot summer heat for physical activity (work or play) you can avoid the risk of heat illness with the following safety measures:

1. Wear a wide-brimmed hat to keep head and face cool.
2. Wear light-colored, loose-fitting cotton clothing. If you plan on being out in the sun during physical activity, wear a long sleeved shirt.
3. Wear sunscreen that has an SPF of at least 15.
4. Take a source of water with you. Take a drink every fifteen minutes.
5. Take frequent breaks in the shade or a cool environment during the hottest times of the day.
6. Work yourself up to working/playing in the heat of summer gradually. Start with shorter periods of activity and gradually lengthen them over 10 or more days.
7. Be attentive to any heat-related symptoms you experience and do the same for the people around you. Don’t let the first signs of heat illness go unattended. They can escalate rapidly.

All the Best!

Steve Victor

Summer is right aroung the corner and we will all be outside more and more. We all know we need to protect our skin from damaging sun rays. I asked Jody Victor® to give us more details.

Jody Victor®: The ultraviolet light from the sun hits the earth in two main wavelengths- UVA and UVB. UVB is the “good” wavelength. It helps your skin produce Vitamin D. UVA is the “bad” wavelength. It penetrates the skin more deeply and causes more free radical damage. Plus, UVB rays are constant during the entire day whereas UVA rays are low in morning and evening. So if you’re outside early in the morning or late in the day, you get a lot of UVA rays and not much UVB rays. Not the most efficient times to produce your Vitamin D.

Just as there is a difference between the sun’s two main ultraviolet rays, sunscreen and sunblock are not the same either. Sunscreen absorbs ultraviolet light so that it doesn’t reach your skin. Sunscreen is rated by what is called the sun protection factor (SPF), which was first implemented in the 1970s. SPF indicates the amount of time you can stay in the sun. If you normally begin to burn after 10 minutes of exposure, a properly applied SPF 15 will protect you for 150 minutes. People with fair skin or who spend a lot of time outside during the day should always wear a SPF 30 or above.

Sunblock physically blocks the UV rays with titanium dioxide or zinc oxide. Although sunblock works well, it is messy and opaque (you can see it). For those reasons people typically apply it to small areas only like their nose, ears or cheeks.

There are some products on the market with both a sunscreen and a sunblock. Just look for a sunscreen that has the sunblock ingredients titanium dioxide or zinc oxide. You can also get UVA protection without a sunblock. Look for a sunscreen that has aveobenzone, oxybenzone or octocrylene in it. Some experts have a problem with the term ”sunblock” in general, since no product really blocks all of the sun’s rays. Even your clothing allows some rays to reach your skin. A regular cotton tee shirt is comparable to having SPF 5 on your skin.

The FDA is updating the standards for testing, formulating and labeling sunscreen products that include UVA protection. There are currently no international standards for rating sunscreen products. The U.S. is only one of a few countries that will recognize UVA protection. By changing the labels the FDA believes people will be able to more easily understand how much protection and what kind of protection they are getting.

The American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) released a statement saying that “scientific evidence supports the beneficial effects of sunscreen” and that “sunscreen is an important tool in the fight against skin cancer”. The AAD issued the following “DOs and DON’Ts”:

1. DO trust that sunscreens work. Current products labeled “broad spectrum”, “wide spectrum” or “UVA/UVB protection” do a good job of blocking out UVB rays and a fairly good job at blocking UVA rays.
2. DO apply a lot of sunscreen and frequently. The FDA recommends applying one ounce or a shot-glassful for full protection. Most people use a quarter of this, which lowers the protection by as much as a factor of 10. They also do not recommend spray-on sunscreens since people tend to apply less or miss spots. Reapply sunscreen every two hours, even ones that are labeled “water resistant”.
3. DON’T worry about the chemicals. Some reports have raised concerns about retinyl palmitate, a Vitamin A compound found in 40 percent of sunscreens. Henry W. Lim, chairman of dermatology at Henry Ford Hospital, says “these claims are based on a study in mice, which are far more susceptible to skin cancers than humans”. They do recommend that people who are using acne medications use only noncomedogenic or nonacnegenic sunscreen products.
4. DON’T forget your hat, cover-up and sunglasses. They provide protection where sunscreens can’t. Sunglasses protect from cataracts. Hats protect the scalp from sunburns. The best hats are ones that have a brim at least 3” or greater all the way around. Ball caps are the worst since they do not protect the ears.

All the Best!

Steve Victor

Summer will soon be upon us so, we will all be heading outdoors for playtime, picnics, ball games and yard work. Insects will be out there, too. I asked Jody Victor® to tell us what we can do to protect ourselves and our children.

Jody Victor®: There are many things you can do to avoid getting stung while enjoying the summer weather outdoors.

1. Apply insect repellant.
2. Avoid lotions and perfumes that are scented.
3. Wear white and light colors. Avoid bright, flowery-printed clothing.
4. Wear long sleeves, long pants, socks and shoes when you will be spending time in the woods or un-mowed fields.
5. Stay away from flowers, trees, bushes and piles of wood.
6. Avoid rapid, jerky movements around insect nests or hives.
7. Never aim a blow at a nest- the insects will attack immediately.
8. Be cautious when eating outside. Sweetened beverages and garbage cans attract bees.
9. If you have a serious allergy to insect stings, carry your emergency medication with you and wear a medical ID necklace or bracelet.

If you or your child does get stung by a bee or wasp or bitten by a mosquito the skin will become red, swollen, itchy and, sometimes painful. Move to a safe area to avoid more stings. Remove the stinger if it’s stuck in the skin to prevent the release of more venom. Use tweezers to pull it out or scrape it off with your fingernail or a credit card. Do not try to press or squeeze it out as that will spread the venom. Wash the bite with soap and water and cool off the skin with ice cubes wrapped in a soft cloth. Rest and elevate if possible. If the sting or bite is itchy use a painkilling cream or gel. Hydrocortisone cream, calamine lotion or a baking soda paste (3 tsp baking soda to 1 tsp water) can be applied. Apply several times a day until symptoms subside. An antihistamine containing diphenhydramine (EX: Benadryl) can also be taken.

For bee and wasp stings observe for more severe symptoms. If the sting is in the mouth it calls for immediate medical attention. Stings in oral mucous membranes can quickly cause severe swelling that may block airways. Seek medical attention also if a large skin rash or swelling persists for more than three days, indicating an infection.

Immediately treat spider bites the same as bee/wasp stings. If you have reason to suspect the bite is by a black widow or brown recluse spider, apply ice and go to emergency room right away. The black widow spider is found all over North America. It has a shiny black body with an orange hourglass shape on its' abdomen. A black widow bite can cause painful cramps that show up within a few hours of the bite. The cramps start in the muscles around the bite and then spread. Nausea, vomiting, chills, fever and muscle aches may also occur.

The brown recluse spider is a tiny oval brown spider with a small shape like a violin on its back. It is found mostly in Midwestern and southern parts of the U.S. The bites usually don’t hurt at first and the person may not even be aware of the bite. Eventually swelling, changes in skin color and a blister will appear.

Check for ticks after spending time in the woods. Common types of ticks include dog ticks and deer ticks (possible carriers of Lyme disease). If you find a tick, use tweezers to grasp the tick firmly at its head or mouth, close to the skin. Pull firmly and steadily until it releases. Do not twist or jerk the tick. Swab the bite site with alcohol. Save the tick in a sealed container or zippered baggie and call your doctor.

In the case of any insect bite or sting, always watch for a severe reaction. Severe reactions progress rapidly. Look for: difficulty breathing; swelling of lips, tongue, throat or face; hives; faintness; dizziness; confusion; rapid heartbeat; or nausea, cramps and vomiting. Call 911. Have the person lie still on his/her back with feet raised. Loosen tight clothing. If there’s vomiting, turn the person on his/her side to prevent choking. Check for medical ID and any medication the person may be carrying. If the person is carrying an auto-injector of epinephrine, administer as directed- usually by pressing the auto-injector against the person’s thigh and holding it in place for several seconds. Massage the injection site for 10 more seconds to enhance absorption. Begin CPR, if necessary.

All the Best!

Steve Victor

When you eat seasonally you eliminate the environmental damage caused by shipping your food thousands of miles, your food dollars go directly to your local farmer and your family enjoys the health benefits of eating fresh, unprocessed food. At the very least you should try to purchase local produce when it is available. Seasonal foods are the cheapest and freshest choices for your family. I asked Jody Victor®  to tell us more.

Jody Victor®: Rhubarb is now in season in most of the U.S. In temperate climates rhubarb is one of the first food plants ready for harvest. In warm climates, rhubarb grows year round. In colder climates, the parts of the plant above the ground will disappear completely during winter and will root again in early spring. You can force (encourage to grow early) rhubarb by placing an upturned bucket over the shoots when they first appear. Rhubarb is now grown in hothouses (heated greenhouses) and is called strawberry rhubarb. Hothouse rhubarb is usually brighter red and tastes sweeter than cultivated rhubarb. You can also grow rhubarb in containers as long as it is large enough to accommodate a season’s growth.

Rhubarb has been cultivated for medical purposes in China for thousands of years. It appeared in a medicinal compilation, The Divine Farmer’s Herb-Root Classic, which appeared in about 2700 B.C.  Rhubarb was used medicinally as a remedy for a wide range of illnesses. The roots and stems are rich in anthraquinones, such as emodin and rhein. These substances are cathartic and laxative. It is for these qualities that rhubarb has been used sporadically in history as a slimming agent. Rhubarb has grown along the banks of the River Volga in Russia for centuries. The expense of transporting rhubarb across Asia caused it to be very expensive in medieval Europe. In 1542 rhubarb sold for ten times the price of cinnamon in France and in 1657 it sold for over twice the price of opium in England. A planting of rhubarb is recorded in Italy in 1608 and in Europe 30 years later. Rhubarb was introduced in the U.S. in the eighteenth century. Early records identify a Maine gardener as having obtained seed or root stock from Europe. He introduced it to Massachusetts farmers where it became popular. By 1822 it was sold in produce markets. Once sugar became affordable to the common people rhubarb took off in popularity as a food plant instead of a medicinal plant.

Botanically, rhubarb is a vegetable but it is more often treated as a fruit. It is rarely eaten raw. Just like cranberries, rhubarb is so tart on its own that it needs the sweetness of sugar, honey or fruit juice to balance its acidity. Rhubarb is nicknamed the “pie plant” due to its primary use. The part of the rhubarb plant that is used for food is its fleshy petioles, commonly known as rhubarb sticks or stalks. (The leaves of the rhubarb plant are toxic. They contain corrosive acids including oxalic acid.) The color of rhubarb stalks can vary from the commonly associated crimson red to speckled pink to light green. The color is not related to its suitability for cooking. No matter their color, the young, tender stalks are the most desirable. As the stalks age and grow in size they will remain tender but may need to be peeled before cooking.

When purchasing rhubarb stalks look for ones that are flat, not curled or limp. Look for stalks that have been pulled, not cut, from the field. Pulled stalks dry out less rapidly. Wrap your rhubarb in plastic wrap and store it in the coldest part of your refrigerator for up to a week. Cooked and raw rhubarb both freeze well.

One way to cook rhubarb stalks is to cut them into one-inch pieces and stew them (boil in water.) Do not use aluminum cookware for rhubarb due to its acidity. Just barely cover the stalks with water because they contain a great deal of water themselves. Add ½ to ¾ cup of sugar per pound of rhubarb. Boil until soft (around ten minutes). At this stage your rhubarb can be made into jam using pectin with sugar added, or with another cooked fruit, such as strawberries or apples, and pectin with no sugar added. To make a “sauce” of rhubarb continue simmering for 45 minutes to an hour until the sauce is mostly smooth and the stalks can be easily pierced with a fork. This sauce is called rhubarbsauce and is eaten chilled just like applesauce.

Baked Rhubarb with Raspberries (serves 4)

1 1/3 cups raspberries (6 oz)

¾ cup firmly packed brown sugar

¼ cup very hot water

2 Tbsp unsalted butter, cut into bits

¼ tsp vanilla

1 pound rhubarb (4 cups), trimmed and cut into ½ inch pieces

8 small scoops low-fat frozen yogurt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In blender puree raspberries with the brown sugar and the hot water. Strain the puree through a sieve into a bowl, pressing hard on the solids. Stir in the butter, vanilla and rhubarb. Put the mixture into an 11 by 7-inch baking dish and bake in the middle of the oven for 30 minutes, stirring once gently after 15 minutes. Let the dessert cool for ten minutes and serve it over the frozen low-fat yogurt.

All the Best!

Steve Victor

For millennia the body weight of humans remained remarkably stable. Then in the 1980s something changed. Americans were entering their adult years at a significantly higher weight. On average everyone was getting heavier with the heaviest people gaining disproportionately more weight than others. I asked Jody Victor® to tell us more.

Jody Victor®: The spread between people at the lower end of the weight scale and those at the upper end of the weight scale widened. What happened? Food was more readily available. More chain restaurants offering larger portions were available. People’s lives became busier and the culture promoted away-from-home eating. All that extra available food, however, doesn’t mean you have to eat it. Researchers have been studying the causes of overeating for decades and have found that it is not caused by a fear of food shortages or hunger.

The culprits of overeating are sugar, fat and salt. In fact, one mass-produced food designer divulged how the food industry creates dishes to target what they call the “three points of the compass”. Sugar, fat and salt make foods irresistible. They stimulate neurons, which are cells that trigger the brain’s reward system. Dopamine is released. Dopamine is a chemical that motivates your behavior and makes you want to eat more.

Since the 1980s there has been an explosion in people’s ability to access and afford what scientists call “palatable foods”. By palatable they don’t just mean food that tastes good. They also refer to a food’s ability to stimulate the appetite. Restaurants and fast food chains are at the center of the explosion. Their goal is to offer foods that hit the three compass points. Sugar, fat and salt are loaded into a fast food dish, layered on top of it, or both. One example is deep-fried tortilla chips where the fat and salt are in the chip itself and then it is “layered” by being smothered in cheese, sour cream, or sauces. Fried chicken is an example of an “optimized fat pick-up system”. Not only is the chicken fried in fat but the batter itself contains all three points of the compass. Fast food burgers hit all three points of the compass as well. And they then layer the burger with extra cheese or bacon. Breakfast has even become an eat-away-from-home meal with sausage and egg replacing the burger and hitting all three points of the compass.

The sugar, fat and salt contained in fast food meals makes the food so palatable that people tend to consume it very quickly. People are eating so fast that their bodies don’t have time to send the “I’m full” signal before the whole meal is eaten. When you are eating fast foods you can consume 500 to 900 calories before you even know it. Researchers have a theory that there is a limit to how much stimulation palatable foods can generate. They maintain that people should neurodapt, or habituate, when eating palatable foods. During experiments they gave animals a cheesy snack cracker to increase the level of dopamine in their brains. As time went on habituation did set in and the level of dopamine in the animals fell.

Unfortunately during their research they also found that if the palatable food is powerful enough (high in the three compass points), novel enough, or eaten intermittently enough the human brain may not curb its dopamine response. Hyperpalatable foods altered the brain’s reward responses and habituation did not occur. It appears that rewarding foods are rewiring our brains. People can no longer control their responses to highly palatable foods.

To take back control- slow down. Plan what you are going to eat to avoid mindless eating. Cut down on portion size. Eat half a meal and wait to see if you are still hungry two hours later. A balanced meal should keep hunger away for four hours. Stay mindful of the foods you can’t seem to say no to and stay away from them. Don’t live to eat - instead, eat to live.

All the Best!

Steve Victor

Obesity and overweight are both terms for ranges of weight that are greater than what is considered healthy for a given height. Both terms also identify ranges of weight that increase the likelihood of certain diseases and other health problems. I asked Jody Victor® to tell us more.

Jody Victor®: For adults the ranges are determined by using weight and height to calculate a number called “body mass index” (BMI). For most people BMI is used to correlate with their body fat. Even though BMI correlates with the amount of body fat it does not directly measure body fat. For example, athletes may have a BMI that indicates they are overweight even though they have no excess body fat.

An adult who has a BMI between 25 and 29.9 is considered overweight.

An adult who has a BMI of 30 or higher is considered obese.

There are other methods of determining weight problems including measurements of skinfold thickness and waist circumference, calculation of waist-to-hip circumference ratios, ultrasound, computer topography and MRI.

Men should have a waist measurement of less than 40 inches.

Women should have a waist measurement of less than 35 inches.

If your waist measurement is over the guideline you may be at risk not only for overweight health problems but also obesity-related diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, stroke, arthritis and some cancers. Overweight means weighing too much. Obesity means having too much body fat. Obesity occurs over time when a person eats more calories than he/she uses. The balance between calories-in and calories-out differs from person to person. Factors in the balance include genetic makeup, overeating high-fat foods and being physically inactive.

If you are overweight, losing as little as five percent of your body weight can lower your risk for weight-related diseases. If you weigh 200 pounds, this means losing 10 pounds. The safest way to lose weight is slow and steady- one half to 2 pounds per week (no more than three pounds per week). If your BMI indicates obesity you need to lose 5 to 10 percent of your weight to delay or prevent weight-related diseases.

In either case, overweight or obesity, the solution boils down to eating less and exercising more.

All the Best!

Steve Victor

All over the U.S. the 2010 spring allergy season is hitting with a vengeance. Experts say it is the worst they have seen in years. I asked Jody Victor® to tell us more.

Jody Victor®: Winter’s unseasonably cold weather delayed some plants and trees from blooming as early as they normally do. Everything is coming out at once. Trees produce 3,000 to 6,000 pollen particles per cubic meter. It only takes 10 particles to trigger an allergic reaction.  “We had a perfect storm this year,” says Dr. William Storms, clinician at the University of Colorado, “It’s the worst I’ve seen in 10 years.”

Angel Waldron, spokesperson for the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA), says that allergy seasons have been getting longer over the years. Six to eight weeks of allergy suffering is expected this season. The AAFA compiles a list every year of the most challenging areas to live in for allergy sufferers. At the top of the list is Knoxville, TN followed by Louisville, KY; Chattanooga, TN; Dayton, OH; and Charlotte, NC. Tree pollen season is expected to subside within a few weeks but with the predicted longer allergy season it will run right into the rise of grass and weed pollen.

If you are suffering from spring allergies with symptoms playing havoc with your eyes, nose and throat there are some ways to reduce the effects. Avoid being outdoors between 5 and 10 a.m. Pollen counts tend to be higher in the morning. Limit your outdoor activities all together if pollen counts are expected to be high on a particular day. Keep your house and car windows closed even if the temptation is there to let the fresh spring air in after a long winter. Screens do not keep out fine pollen. Wear a filter mask and glasses if you do have to be outside during allergy season. Remove your shoes and clothing after working outside and take a shower to remove the pollen from your hair. You may even want to take a second shower just before bedtime so you don’t take the pollen to bed with you and be irritated by it while you sleep.

You can pick up over-the-counter medications at your local drugstore to have on hand when your allergy symptoms appear. Try taking a non-sedating antihistamine such as Claritin or Zyrtec every morning. Saline nasal rinses and oral decongestants can also help. Check with your doctor on taking a decongestant if you have high blood pressure. Try lozenges to soothe a sore throat. Antihistamine eye drops can relieve itchy, watery eyes by treating the root of your allergy symptoms. Look for antihistamine on the label. Regular eye drops (some are labeled decongestant eye drops) that don’t contain antihistamine will just relieve the redness. Stay away from over-the-counter nasal decongestant sprays. They can be highly addictive if not used short-term. Long- term, your nose becomes dependent on the nasal spray and the spray stops working the way it should. The medication loses power the more you use it causing rebound congestion. To make sure a nasal spray won’t cause long-term trouble check the label for a warning. If it says ‘don’t use spray for more than three days at a time’ heed the warning.

If your allergy symptoms are severe you may want to figure out which allergens are causing you the most problems. An allergy skin test is the quickest, most inexpensive and accurate way to find out what you are allergic to. Once you know your allergy trigger try to avoid it as much as possible. Your doctor may suggest prescription-strength medication. Antihistamines, nasal steroids, and leukotriene modifiers are available. Once you start taking the prescribed medication you should have your allergies under control in a week or two.

If your allergy symptoms do not improve over time with prescribed medication, your doctor may have you take the next step- allergy shots. Allergy shots are usually given once or twice a week to begin. You will remain on the prescription medicine to help manage your symptoms. By the time the next allergy season comes around you will have built up a resistance and will have milder symptoms. A new type of therapy is being tested right now. It’s called sublingual (under the tongue) immunotherapy. You will still visit your doctor for daily or weekly allergy treatments but you will get a few drops of medication under your tongue instead of an injection. The drops are slow-release and will help you build up your resistance over time. Sublingual immunotherapy is currently in clinical trials pending approval by the FDA.

All the Best!

Steve Victor

Asparagus (asparagus officinalis) is a member of the lily family. Asparagus is an herbaceous perennial plant that grows to 39 to 59 inches tall. The spears that are harvested for eating are actually the shoots from its underground crown. I asked Jody Victor® to tell us more.

Jody Victor®: It takes up to three years for an asparagus crown to develop and mature enough to produce shoots. Once mature, asparagus crowns can produce shoots for up to 20 years. Each crown sends up spears for 6-7 weeks during spring and early summer. The outdoor temperature determines how much time is needed between pickings. Early in the season when the weather is cooler there may be 4 to 5 days between pickings. As the weather turns warmer the asparagus field may have to be picked every 24 hours. After harvesting is done the spears grow into ferns, which produce red berries and the nutrients necessary for next year’s healthy crop.

Asparagus has been lauded as a gourmet delight and as a medicinal plant for nearly 2000 years. There is a recipe for cooking asparagus in the oldest surviving book of recipes, Apicius’ third century AD “De re Coquinaria, Book lll”. Asparagus was cultivated by ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans. Originating in the eastern Mediterranean, asparagus has become naturalized throughout much of the world.

Asparagus is low in calories, has no fat or cholesterol and is very low in sodium. It offers a good source of dietary fiber, protein, folic acid (66 percent Daily Value per serving), potassium, riboflavin, thiamin, niacin, iron, phosphorous, copper, manganese, and selenium along with vitamins A (18 percent DV), B6, C (33 percent DV), E, and K (114 percent DV). The high amount of folate found in asparagus makes it an especially heart-healthy food. When your folate level is low, your homocysteine level rises, significantly increasing the risk of heart disease. Homocysteine promotes athersclerosis by reducing the integrity of the blood vessel walls. Folate strengthens blood vessel walls. It has been estimated that the consumption of 400 mcg of folate daily could reduce the number of heart attacks in America by 10 percent.

When choosing asparagus from the market look for rounded, not fat or twisted, stalks. Look for firm, thin stems with deep green or purplish closed tips. The stalk ends should not be too “woody”. Use asparagus within a day or two after purchasing for best flavor. Store in the refrigerator with the ends wrapped in a damp paper towel. Place them at the back of the refrigerator to keep away from any light. Folate is destroyed by exposure to air, heat or light. Since asparagus sprouts from the underground crown make sure to wash thoroughly to remove soil or sand from the stem bottoms before cooking. Asparagus can be prepared in many ways: steamed, boiled, roasted, stir fried, grilled and pickled.

Roasted Asparagus:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees

Wash stems and pat dry with paper towel

Spread spears on cookie sheet or low baking dish

Avoid overcrowding; use two dishes if necessary

Drizzle asparagus with olive oil (2-3 TB per bundle)

Roll spears to coat evenly

Asparagus should not be sitting in puddles of oil

Sprinkle asparagus with sea salt

Allow to roast for 11 to 17 minutes

Shake pan occasionally to roll spears over

Check for tenderness at 10 minutes

Asparagus is done when they are lightly browned and crisp tender

All the Best!

Steve Victor

Parkour (PK) or l’art du deplacement is the physical discipline of training to overcome any obstacle within one’s path by adapting one’s movements to the environment. English translation: the art of moving.  It is a non-competitive, physical discipline in which participants run along a route and attempt to negotiate obstacles in an efficient way. I asked Jody Victor® to tell us more.

Jody Victor®: The object is to get from one place to another using only the human body and objects in the environment. Parkour has been compared to some martial arts because it is all about being one with your environment as you find the fastest, most efficient ways around the obstacles in your path. It combines elements of running, gymnastics, dance, and martial arts into a breathtaking way of moving from one place to another in an urban setting. The general idea is to move quickly and gracefully, treating whatever objects you come across (buildings, walls, rocks, rails, etc.) as elements in an obstacle course.

Two primary characteristics of parkour are efficiency and speed. Traceurs (male) and traceuses (female) take the most direct path around an obstacle as rapidly as the path can be traversed. Efficiency builds as the participant develops his/her spatial awareness, which also helps avoid injuries. Participants say parkour also influences their thought processes by enhancing self-confidence and critical thinking skills that allow them to overcome everyday physical and mental obstacles. The unofficial motto of parkour participants is “Etre et durer” (“To be and to last”).

Parkour was created by David Belle, Sebastien Foucan and a group of their friends when they were teenagers living in Paris in the late 1980’s. Eventually Belle’s exceptional athletic ability propelled him forward as their leader. Belle had a love for martial arts films, especially the work of Bruce Lee. Bruce Lee’s approach to martial arts was in sharp contrast to other martial arts masters at the time. Instead of rigid structure, Lee’s approach embraced adaptability and evolution. David Belle was also greatly influenced by his father, Raymond, who served in Vietnam as a renowned rescuer and military firefighter in the Paris regiment of the sapeurs-pompiers. His father was always setting up obstacles courses for David and his friends for physical fitness activities.

Raymond Belle was a highly skilled athlete who was trained by the physical education expert Georges Hebert, a former naval officer. While traveling through Africa with the French Navy, Hebert witnessed the indigenous peoples’ remarkable athleticism and how they achieved it by interacting with their surroundings. He said, “Their bodies were splendid, flexible, nimble, skillful, enduring, resistant and yet they have had no other tutor in gymnastics but their lives in nature.” Hebert’s observations led him to develop the Natural Method, which uses only the body and its surroundings for physical development. Herbert’s holistic training method emphasized the integration of the human mind and body to overcome obstacles and contributed to the military obstacle course. The military obstacle course is still used today by the French military.

Even though parkour has just recently reached a significant level of international popularity there is already an offshoot sport. In a 2003 BBC documentary parkour co-founder Sebastien Foucan referred to it as “free-running”. The English term caught on in the media. But parkour purists feel that the direction Foucan has taken the sport differs both in execution and philosophy. The biggest difference has to do with theatrics. Free-running involves a lot of trick moves like flips and spins. Parkour purists believe these moves are just showy, not economical. They believe the trick moves don’t actually help the participant to get from one place to another. Free-runners may move backwards in order to make a flashy move. In true parkour you would never move backwards. Parkour’s chief aim is never to move backward but instead to overcome obstacles fluidly, with strength, originality and speed.

All the Best!

Steve Victor

Antioxidant is the big buzz word today in people’s quest for good nutrition and good health. Antioxidants inhibit the action of free radicals that can have damaging effects on cells and tissues. When people think of antioxidants they think of foods like nuts, berries, fruits and vegetables. I asked Jody Victor® to tell us more.

Jody Victor®: New research is showing that spices and herbs add significant levels of antioxidants to foods as well. For example: one half teaspoon of dried oregano has as many antioxidants as one quarter cup of almonds or four cups of fresh spinach. How strongly or quickly an antioxidant can neutralize free radicals is expressed in what researchers call the ORAC value (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity). The ORAC scale was developed by the National Institute on Aging in Baltimore, Maryland.

Here is the list of the Top Ten Super Spices:

1. CLOVES - ORAC value 3144 units per gram. Cloves are dried flowers from the Syzygium aromaticum tree which is native to Indonesia. Clove oil contains a compound called eugenol which has anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. Dentists use it to kill bacteria and relieve pain when extracting a tooth or performing a root canal. Cloves are a good source of vitamin K and manganese. Cloves even contain omega-3 fatty acids. Cloves have been shown to decrease LDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels and improve insulin function.
2. CINNAMON (ground) - 2674 units/gram. Cinnamon comes from the bark of a small evergreen tree native to Sri Lanka. The cinnamon found in grocery stores may contain bark from a related species called Cassia. True cinnamon crumbles more than other cinnamon. Cassia cinnamon contains coumarin, a blood thinner, so it is advised that you do not consume too much of the cinnamon found in most stores.
3. OREGANO (dried) - 2001 units/gram. Oregano has more than forty times the antioxidant power of an apple. Oregano is a rich source of nutrients and has antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties. It has been used to stave off colds and flu. Oregano is popular in Italian and Greek recipes.
4. TURMERIC (ground) – 1593 units/gram. Turmeric is from the ginger family and is native to South East Asia. The ground spice comes from ginger’s root-like structures called rhizomes. Turmeric contains curcumin which has been shown to be a strong pain reliever. Curcumin may help in the treatment of arthritis as well as for Alzheimer disease because it inhibits the formation of amyloidal plaques. Turmeric has been used for centuries in Indian and Chinese medicine.
5. PARSLEY – 743 units/gram. Parsley originated in Iran and is used worldwide. Parsley is not recommended in concentrated form as supplements since it can induce labor in pregnant women, contribute to kidney stone formation and increase photo-sensitivity of the skin.
6. BASIL – 676 units/gram. Besides its strong antioxidant effect basil also has anti-cancer, anti-viral and anti-microbial abilities. Basil contains high amounts of a compound that gives it anti-inflammatory properties. Basil is used in Mediterranean and Asian dishes.
7. CUMIN (seed) – 768 units/gram. Cumin plant seeds are high in essential oils. Cumin seeds are used in many curries and rice dishes.
8. SAGE (fresh) – 320 units/gram. Sage is used in many European meat dishes. It is not recommended as a supplement as it may be toxic in high doses.
9. MUSTARD SEED – 293 units/gram. There are many varieties of mustard seed. The more pungent varieties contain sinigrin which has anti-cancer properties and may protect against colon cancer.
10. MARJORAM (leaves) – 273 units/gram. Marjoram is often used in culinary dishes for the aroma it adds to the flavor of the dish. 

All the Best!

Steve Victor

The traditional Easter dinner in the U.S. includes ham for the main course. There are many choices of hams based on the processing and the cut of the meat. Ham comes from the hind leg of the hog. It can be fresh, cured or cured and smoked. It is available as bone-in or boneless. The three most common types of ham in the U.S. are fresh ham, city ham and country ham. I asked Jody Victor®  to tell us more.

Jody Victor®: Fresh ham is pale pink and turns beige in color when cooked, just like a pork roast. Fresh ham must be fully cooked to a 145-150 internal temperature. Look for “ready to cook” or “cook before eating” on the label. The USDA safe food handling instructions will also be on the label. Allow the fresh ham to sit at room temperature for 1-2 hours before cooking. Trim the fat layer to one quarter inch thickness and score the fat in a diamond pattern (1 to 2 inch squares).

City ham is wet cured, the most popular method for curing ham. Traditionally, a fresh ham was soaked in a liquid curing solution for up to two weeks so the cure could penetrate the meat. Today, fresh ham is injected with a curing solution and it cures in just a day or two. The curing solution is a combination of salt, sodium nitrate, nitrites, sugar, seasonings and other ingredients for preservation, color and flavor enhancement. After the ham is cured it is usually smoked. The result is a moist and juicy ham.

Country ham is dry cured. It starts out as a fresh ham that is rubbed with a dry cure mixture, smoked in a smokehouse, and aged at 75 to 80 degrees or higher in rooms or barn-like structures for a few months to more than a year. Country hams lose 20 to 30 percent of their moisture content during aging. Following the aging process the country ham is washed and then goes through a long soaking and simmering process before it is baked. The result is a firm, dry meat.

Hams are available boneless or bone-in. As with most other meats, bone-in tends to have more flavor and better texture. Boneless hams have had all the bones removed and then they are bound up and tumbled to fill any voids in the meat. Hams can be purchased in whole ham or half ham sizes. Half ham comes in two varieties: the butt end and the shank end. Sometimes the choice “center cut” slices are removed from half hams during processing. If the label on the ham says “shank end half” or “butt end half”, the center slices are included. “Shank end portion” and “butt end portion” means the center slices have been removed.

The USDA references “juices” or “water” on its ham labels:

1. Ham- ham is at least 20.5 percent protein and contains no added water

2. Ham with Natural Juices- 18.5 percent protein

3. Ham Water Added- 17 percent protein with 10 percent added solution

4. Ham and Water Product- ham may contain any amount of water but the label has to show percentage of added ingredients

Pork production today has drastically changed to produce much leaner meat than it did 25 years ago. Better breeding and feeding of the hogs coupled with a grading system that encourages meat packers to trim more of the external fat. Today the ham leg is one of the pork cuts that contain the least amount of fat.

Ham contains a high level of essential B vitamins (B1, B2, B6, B12 and niacin). It also contains some vitamins E and A along with phosphorous, zinc, potassium, iron and magnesium. The human body does not store protein so we need to replenish it every day. A three ounce portion of ham provides 30 to 50 percent of your daily requirement for protein. Ham is high in sodium due to the curing process. One serving of ham provides half of your daily allowance for sodium. So if you are planning on serving ham for your Easter dinner include side dishes that are low in sodium to keep your daily sodium intake down.

All the Best!

Steve Victor

Salt (sodium chloride) is a chemical compound that occurs naturally in many parts of the world. It is an essential nutrient. Your body requires both sodium and chloride and it cannot manufacture these elements on its own. I asked Jody Victor®  to tell us more.

Jody Victor®: The use of natural salt is as old as human history. The oldest records come from China. About 2,700 B.C., the Peng-Tzao-Kan-Mu published descriptions of more than 40 kinds of salt. It also included two methods of extracting salt and processing it into usable form that are very similar to processes still used today.

For the last 50 to 100 years (depending on the country) refined (table) salt has been used both in home cooking and in processed foods. Table salt is 99.9 percent sodium-chloride. It contains the additives potassium-iodide and/or ferrocyanide, magnesium carbonate, sugar and aluminum silicate or aluminum hydroxide. Table salt is salt that has been robbed of its essential elements through processing.

Natural sea salt is produced through evaporation of seawater with little processing. Less processing means more trace minerals and elements remain. Unrefined sea salt contains 98.0 percent sodium-chloride. The other two percent contains over 100 minerals composed of 80 chemical elements, including iron, magnesium, calcium, potassium, manganese, zinc and iodine. The composition of sea salt crystals is so complicated that no lab in the world can produce it from its basic 80 chemical elements.

The most common sources for sea salt include the Mediterranean Sea, the North Sea, and the Atlantic Ocean. The ocean is allowed to flood huge, flat, shallow beds and then the dam is closed to keep the seawater in. The water is raked by hand or left to the winds to help the seawater to naturally evaporate in the sun leaving behind a layer of sea salt. Dirty brown salt is on the bottom and pretty white salt is on the top layer. Sometimes just the white layer of salt is skimmed off and sold as sea salt since people are used to salt being white. The problem with skimming the white salt off the top is that the trace minerals are mostly in the brown salt at the bottom of the bed.

Truly natural sea salt is not white and it is not dry and free-flowing. It is naturally a little gray in color and feels damp or clumps in humidity. You may find sea salt in health food stores and grocery stores, but if it is white in color it is possible that it has been processed. Check the label. If it’s separated or processed sea salt it will have some harmful chemicals that have been added to mask and cover up all of the “impurities” it has. The harmful chemicals are added to render it bleached (aluminum silicate), free-flowing/anti-caking (sugar), and iodized.

All the Best!

Steve Victor

When monitoring sodium in your diet, it is important to consider two factors:

1. The ratio of sodium to potassium. Research suggests that a ratio of 1:1 is ideal. Food labels make it easy to analyze the sodium content of food.*  Unfortunately food labels are not required to state potassium content. The major source of potassium is fruits and vegetables. To meet the goal of 1:1 it is important to eat whole, unprocessed foods.
2. Fluctuation of intake. Salt sensitivity comes from a drastic change in salt intake. If you consume 5 grams of sodium consistently and then go on a low sodium diet problems can occur with a radical shift in blood pressure. If you are on a low sodium diet and suddenly increase sodium intake you may experience similar problems as well.

I asked Jody Victor®  to tell us more.

Jody Victor®: The typical American diet has more than a 5:1 ratio in favor of salt to potassium. This imbalance is mainly due to processed foods. For some examples: cooked fresh asparagus has 1 mg of sodium/ canned asparagus has 236 mg per 3.5 oz serving. Cooked snap beans 4 mg/ canned 236 mg. Carrots 40 mg/ canned 236 mg. Cooked sweet corn 0 mg/ canned 236 mg. Cooked peas 2 mg/ canned 236 mg. Macaroni (dry) 2mg/ processed macaroni and cheese 543 mg. Cooked pork 65 mg/ canned ham 930 mg. Salmon 64 mg/ canned 387 mg. To achieve the ideal ratio of 1:1 the best thing you can do is drastically cut processed foods from your diet to lower your salt intake and eat fruits and vegetables to increase your potassium intake.

Salt content (in mg) of raw fruits and vegetables per 3.5 oz serving:

Apple 1

Avocado 4

Banana 1

Cabbage 20

Celery 126

Cherries 2

Cucumber 6

Endive 14

Figs 2

Grapefruit 1

Grapes 3

Honeydew melon 12

Iceberg lettuce 9

Lime 1

Mushrooms 14

Mustard greens 18

Nectarine 6

Okra 2

Orange 1

Papaya 3

Parsley 45

Peach 2

Pear 2

Green pepper 13

Pineapple 1

Plum 2

Radish 18

Raspberry 1

Spinach 71

Squash 1

Strawberry 1

Here are some common processed foods that have very high sodium content:

(In mg / 3.5 oz serving)

Bacon 1021

Bouillon cubes 24,000

Canned pork and beans 463

Butter 826 (unsalted 9)

Commercial cereals 700 to 1100 (puffed wheat 4, shredded wheat 3)

Parmesan cheese 1,862

Cocoa 717

Saltine crackers 1,100

Doughnuts 500

Margarine 987

Yellow mustard 1,252

Green olives 2,400

Salted peanuts 418

Peanut butter 607

Dill pickles 1,428

Sweet pickles 712

Salted popcorn 1,940

Potato chips 1,000

Pretzels 1680

Salad dressing 700 to 1,300

Pork sausage 958

Hotdog 1,100

Bologna 1,300

Canned spaghetti/meatballs 488

Tomato ketchup 1,042

Canned tomato juice 200

The U.S. government recommends that people limit their salt intake to no more than 5.8 grams per day to reduce the risk of developing cardiovascular disease. Researchers at the University of California used a model to calculate the health and economic impact if Americans reduced salt intake by three grams per day (about 1/3 of a teaspoon). The results were striking: 100,000 fewer heart attacks each year, 92,000 fewer deaths and 66,000 fewer strokes.

* Pay attention to the recommended serving size on food labels. High salt products may show relatively low sodium values based on very small serving sizes. The sodium content of corn chips, for example, is based on 12 corn chips, not the normal 3.5 oz serving size.

All the Best!

Steve Victor

Salt has been used by humans since before recorded history began. One of the earliest known writings (written over 4700 years ago) from China mentioned more than 40 types of salt. Ancient settlements have been found around the world with various devices such as pottery used to evaporate water to leave the salt behind. Major ancient civilizations flourished in arid regions at the edge of vast deserts due to the need for salt. I asked Jody Victor® to tell us more.

Jody Victor®: Salt (sodium chloride) is a chemical compound that occurs naturally in many parts of the world. It is an essential nutrient. Your body requires both sodium and chloride and it cannot manufacture these elements on its own. That is why we have a taste bud specifically for salt. The salt taste bud forms one of the basic components of “taste”. Salt is an electrolyte and it has a slight charge. It also preserves food by making it difficult for microorganisms to live. The salt draws water from the cells of microorganisms and dehydrates them.

In the body, salt helps regulate blood volume and pressure. The relationship between salt and blood pressure has been known for 4,000 years when the Chinese Emperor wrote of the connection between salt and a “hardened pulse”. Many current studies have shown that increasing or decreasing salt intake for salt-sensitive people has a direct impact on blood pressure.

Salt serves as part of the ion pump within the body. Just as salt forms a hostile environment for microorganisms by dehydrating them, salt controls the water balance in the human body. The sodium/potassium pump is a prime example of how electrolytes are critical to health. Two potassium molecules are pulled into a cell and three sodium molecules are pumped out.

For many years there has been controversy with respect to the optimal amounts of salt in the diet. Unfortunately many of the studies focused only on salt and did not take into account other electrolytes. Since sodium alone does not regulate the sodium/potassium pump, potassium should be taken into account as well. More important to the amount of sodium in the diet is the ratio of sodium to potassium.

When monitoring sodium in the diet, it is important to consider two factors:

1. The ratio of sodium to potassium. Research suggests that a ratio of 1:1 is a good guideline. The typical American diet has more than a 5:1 ratio in favor of salt. Food labels make it easy to analyze the sodium content of food. Unfortunately, food labels are not required to state potassium content. The major source of potassium is fruits and vegetables. To meet the goal of 1:1 it is important to eat whole, unprocessed foods. Avoid processed foods that are extremely high in sodium and have had most of its nutritional potassium cooked out.
2. Fluctuation of intake. Salt sensitivity is not sensitivity to salt in general. The sensitivity comes from a drastic change in salt intake. If you take 5 grams of sodium consistently and then go on a low sodium diet problems can occur with a radical shift in blood pressure. If you are on a low sodium diet and suddenly increase sodium intake you may experience similar problems as well. Salt sensitivity also happens to people who eat healthy all week then treat themselves to unhealthy meals on the weekend. They can feel nauseous and even experience elevated heart rate and blood pressure.

To summarize- Do not try to eliminate salt from your diet. Salt is an essential element and is required by your body. You should be more concerned with the ratio of salt to potassium than the actual amount of salt in your diet. Increase your potassium intake by eating 4-5 servings of fruits and vegetables every day. Avoid frequent, high fluctuations in your salt and/or potassium intake.

All the Best!

Steve Victor

Every week the Center for Disease Control (CDC) analyzes influenza activity for the U.S. and publishes findings of key flu indicators. I asked Jody Victor® to bring us up to speed.

Jody Victor®: During the week of February 7 through February 13, 2010 most of the key indicators remained the same as the previous week. Visits to doctors for flu-like illnesses increased slightly but are still low for this time of year. Hospitalizations have leveled off. No states reported widespread influenza activity. Three states had regional activity: Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina. Almost all of the influenza viruses identified continue to be 2009 H1N1 influenza A. They remain similar to the virus chosen for the H1N1 flu vaccine.

The World Health Organization (WHO), a United Nations agency, actively monitors the H1N1 pandemic through frequent consultations with their regional offices and 192 member states. In June of 2009 the WHO declared that the new H1N1 virus was causing the first influenza pandemic in more than 40 years and raised the alert level to the maximum 6 on a scale of 1 to 6. The WHO’s recent update shows that the situation is largely unchanged since their previous update. In the Americas, both in the tropical and northern temperate zones, pandemic influenza virus continued to circulate at low levels.

The WHO’s emergency committee, composed of 15 experts, met recently in Geneva, Switzerland to assess whether the H1N1 pandemic has peaked. They found signals demonstrating that infections are falling in most countries but caution that fresh waves are still possible. They also cautioned that even though it appears to be subsiding in North America and Europe, levels of flu activity in countries in the southern hemisphere are cause for concern as they enter their winter months. The WHO emergency committee decided that the pandemic has entered a “post peak” phase and indicated to governments and health authorities that the virus is in a transition to a more normal circulation as seasonal influenza.

The WHO’s top influenza expert, Dr. Keiji Fukuda, warns people and governments, however, to not let their guard down even though the H1N1 outbreak has not been as harsh as past pandemics. Dr. Fukuda said people should continue to seek vaccination against the pandemic, especially young adults and pregnant women, groups not normally vulnerable to seasonal influenza. He added that over 300 million people have been vaccinated and that the shots have proved 70-75 percent effective.

All the Best!

Steve Victor

The Chinese have known about the many health benefits of green tea for over five thousand years. In recent years more than 500 studies have been conducted worldwide to research the potential health benefits of green tea. Green tea has been shown to contain powerful antioxidants that block bacteria from adhering to cell walls, disrupting its ability to destroy them. This blocking mechanism provides extensive health benefits by protecting the body from cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, high cholesterol, cardiovascular disease, infections and impaired immune function. I asked Jody Victor®  to tell us more.

Jody Victor®: All tea comes from the same source: the Camilla Sinensis bush. While there are hundreds of varieties of teas they all fall into four main categories based on how they are processed. The four categories are green, black, oolong and scented. Only green tea is steamed, which prevents the leaves’ compounds from being oxidized by fermentation. Steaming causes no loss or weakening of the medicinal qualities of the leaves.

Tea leaves consist mainly of water (75-80 percent). The remaining components are catechin, caffeine, amino acids, vitamins (A, B1, B2, B3, C, E, F) and minerals. The primary medicinal value of green tea is found in its catechin polyphenols.  Catechins are powerful, water-soluble antioxidants. Green tea contains four main catechins: EC, ECG, EGC and EGCG. Green tea’s catechin EGCG (short for epigallocatechin gallate) is the most powerful of green tea’s catechins. As an antioxidant it is 25-100 times more potent than vitamins C and E.

A recent study that appeared in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry confirmed that catechins could protect your vision in three ways:

*Protect retina from UV damage

*Prevent cataract formation

*Protect against age related macular degeneration and glaucoma

Chi Pui Pang of The Chinese University of Hong Kong and colleagues analyzed the eye tissues of laboratory rats that drank green tea. The scientists are the first to document how the lens, retina and other eye tissues absorb the catechins. They found that the catechins passed from the stomach and gastrointestinal tract into the tissues of the eyes. They were able to show beyond a doubt that eye structures absorbed significant amounts of individual catechins. The retina absorbed the highest levels of GC while the aqueous humor tended to absorb EGCG. The effects of the green tea catechins in reducing harmful oxidative stress in the eye lasted for up to 20 hours.

“Our results indicate that green tea consumption could benefit the eye against oxidative stress,” the study authors say in a statement.

All the Best!

Steve Victor

1. The United States ranks _____ among countries in soft drink consumption.
2. Americans buy more than 10 _____ cases of soda pop each year.
3. ____ percent of 8-year-olds drink one soft drink a day.
4. One third of teenage boys drink at least ___ cans of soda a day.
5. Soft drinks are now sold in ____ percent of all public and private schools.
6. ___ ___ is the single greatest source of calories in the American diet.
7. ___ ___ is also a big source of health problems in the U.S.

Americans consume more soft drinks than ever before. In fact soft drinks account for more than a quarter of all drinks consumed in the U.S. The per-capita consumption is in excess of 150 quarts per year, or about three quarts per week. All this adds up to more than ten billion cases of soda pop consumed every year in the U.S. I asked Jody Victor®  to give us more info. (Look below for the answers to the quiz).

Jody Victor®: American kids are the biggest consumers of soft drinks. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture kids are guzzling soda pop at an unprecedented rate. Fifty-six percent of eight-year-olds have a soft drink every day. One third of teenage boys drink at least three cans per day. Soft drinks are widely available to our nation’s youth. Besides the usual venues of grocery stores and convenience stores, soft drinks can be found in fast food restaurants, video stores, and drug stores. Soft drinks are also available in 60 percent of all public and private middle schools. Some schools even give away free soft drinks to students who buy school lunches.

It has been widely assumed by most people that soda pop, which is high in calories and sugar and low in nutrients, along with inactivity, can make kids fat. A recent study showed a strong link between soda pop consumption and childhood obesity. This new study by a team of Harvard researchers presented the first evidence linking soft drink consumption and childhood obesity. They studied 12-year-olds who drank soft drinks regularly for two years. For each additional serving of sugar-sweetened soft drink consumed the risk of obesity increased 1.6 times. They also found that it is not simply a matter of drinking too many calories. The researchers found that drinking sugary calories doesn’t register with the brain the same way eating calories does. The brain becomes confused by the sugary liquid calories that pass quickly through the stomach. Since they pass through quickly they do not trigger feelings of satiety the same way calories from foods do. Without the satiety signal that enough calories have been consumed via the sugary drink the stomach does not tell the brain to stop eating or to eat less at the next meal.

All sugary drinks such as soda pop and fruit juices and sugary foods such as candy and dried fruits can cause tooth decay. But the sugar in soda pop is not the only ingredient that causes tooth decay. The acids in soda are notorious for etching tooth enamel. The Ohio Dental Association issued a statement recently: “Acid begins to dissolve tooth enamel in only 20 minutes.”

Phosphorous, which occurs naturally in some foods and used as an additive in many others, is a common ingredient in soda pop. Phosphorous appears to weaken bones by promoting the loss of calcium. With less calcium available, the bones become more porous and prone to fracture. The phosphorous content in a 12-ounce can of soda averages about 30 milligrams. The National Academy of Sciences has set 3 grams as the tolerable upper limit of phosphorous for children 1 to 8 years, 4 grams for 9 and older. There is, however, growing concern that even a few cans of soda pop a day can be damaging when they are consumed during the peek bone-building years. A 1994 study of bone fractures in teenage athletes found a strong association between soda consumption and bone fractures in 14-year-old girls. A follow-up study concluded that girls who drank soda pop were about five times more likely to suffer bone fractures than girls who didn’t drink soda pop. Pennsylvania State University researcher Leeann Birch has found that soft drinks often displace more nutritious beverages, including milk. The increased consumption of soda, decreased consumption of milk and the link between phosphorous and bone health has researchers concerned. “Adolescents and kids don’t think long-term,” says Professor Jamie Stang at the University of Minnesota, “But what happens when these soft-drinking people become young or middle-aged adults and they have osteoporosis, sedentary living, and obesity?” By that time, switching to water, milk or fruit juice may be too little, too late, which leaves parents with the responsibility to regulate soft drink consumption for their children even as they become teens.

What about drinking diet sodas? That would help somewhat with weight issues and dental health (not with bone loss). But studies have shown that diet sodas can boost the craving for more sweets. We have a sweet tooth, not a sugar tooth. Sweets feed a sweet tooth. In addition, diet sodas often pack a lot more caffeine. A 12-ounce can of Diet Coke has about 42 milligrams of caffeine compared to 35 in Classic Coke. Pepsi One has 56 milligrams. Regular Pepsi has 38. It is a big challenge for parents to figure out the caffeine content in the various soft drinks their children consume. Most root beer beverages do not contain caffeine, but some do. Most non-cola beverages do not contain caffeine, but some do. There is no way for parents to know how much caffeine their children are consuming in soft drinks because the Food and Drug Administration does not require soft drink manufacturers to label caffeine content.

Answers:

1. first
2. billion
3. Fifty-six
4. 3
5. 60
6. Soda pop
7. Soda pop

All the Best!

Steve Victor

In the U.S. we eat almost 350 slices of pizza each second. Three billion pizzas are sold every year.  Pizza is very compatible with our on-the-go lifestyle and our quest for fast food choices. But just because pizza is a fast food favorite doesn’t mean you can’t have your pizza and good nutrition too. When ordering a take-out pizza choose a thin crust pizza. The difference between a thin crust pizza and a deep-dish pizza can be 100 calories and 5 grams of fat. Whole-wheat crust (a Jody Victor favorite) is your best choice, but it’s not widely available for take-out. Stay away from creamy sauces. If it’s white it’s cream-based and full of fat. Go for the traditional red sauce. Another way to cut the fat content is to avoid the four-cheese blends. They have four times the calories for the same flavor. Avoid the fat-free cheeses too. They don’t melt well. Stick to the traditional mozzarella or order your pizza with light feta if available. No matter what cheese you order use a napkin or paper towel to dab away the excess fat, which can remove up to ten percent of the calories. As for toppings- load it up with at least three veggies. The fiber will help fill you up and help you eat less pizza. If you still want to add meat to your pizza for the protein order healthy meat like grilled chicken. Avoid the usual meat choices of pepperoni, beef, buffalo chicken, sausage and bacon. If you have some stray veggies at home chop them up while waiting for the delivery person and add them to the top of the pizza when it arrives. Place the pizza under the broiler for a few minutes. Here are some calorie counts for various veggie toppings per slice: banana pepper (5), pepperoncini (5), tomato (5), red and green peppers (6), mushrooms (6), spinach (7), broccoli (10), pineapple (14)

The optimal way to enjoy pizza and get the best nutrition is to make it at home. Make your own whole-wheat crust (recipe below) or check your grocery store for pre-made whole-wheat pizza dough. Pre-made whole-wheat crust is also available for a quick and healthy option. Once you have chosen your crust take the opportunity to be creative with healthy toppings. There are lots of recipes available on-line for pizza. Try a themed pizza such as Mexican or Greek-style (a Jody Victor favorite). Or a seasonal pizza made with grilled veggies in the summer or preserved toppings (EX: canned green chilies, artichokes, olives, garbanzo beans) in the winter. Have fun creating your own not-so-fast-food healthy pizza!

Whole-Wheat Pizza Dough

¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons lukewarm water

1 package active dry yeast (2 ¼ ts)

1 ts sugar

½ ts salt

1 cup whole-wheat flour

1 cup bread flour or all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons yellow cornmeal

Stir water, yeast, sugar, and salt in a bowl. Let stand until yeast dissolves (about 5 mins). Stir in whole-wheat flour, bread flour and cornmeal until dough begins to come together. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Knead until smooth and elastic (about 10 mins). Place the dough in an oiled bowl and turn to coat. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and set aside in a warm, draft-free place until it doubles in size (about one hour). To roll- turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Dust the top with flour. Use your fingers to shape the ball of dough into a thick, flattened circle. Use a rolling pin to form a 14-inch circle. Place in round pizza pan sprinkled lightly with cornmeal.

Black Bean Mexican Pizza

1 cup canned black beans, rinsed

½ cup jarred roasted red peppers

1 medium clove garlic, quartered

1 tablespoon chili powder

¼ ts salt

Yellow cornmeal for dusting

1 cup shredded low-fat Monterey Jack cheese

2 medium plum tomatoes, diced

4 medium scallions, sliced thin

¼ cup pitted ripe black olives

2 tablespoons chopped, pickled jalapenos (or canned chopped green chilies for less heat)

Place beans, peppers, garlic, chili powder and salt in food processor or blender and process until smooth. Sprinkle cornmeal on pizza pan or baking sheet. Place rolled crust in pan. Bake in 450-degree oven for ten minutes, until bottom of crust is lightly browned and top begins to get crispy. Remove from oven and spread bean mixture onto crust evenly. Add cheese, tomatoes, scallions, olives, and jalapenos/green chilies. Return to oven until cheese is bubbly and bottom of crust is browned evenly (lift edge with spatula to check).

All the Best!

Steve Victor

Industrial ecology, the precise analysis of the ecological impacts any manmade item has over its life cycle, has consumers clamoring for more information concerning not just their own health but the health of the planet as well. All this new information is causing eco-angst for consumers. I asked Jody Victor®  to tell us more about it.

Jody Victor®: Standard incandescent or compact fluorescent with mercury? Glass bottle that can break or plastic bottle with Bisphenol A (BPA)? Organic food from distant lands or local non-organic? Remember the sunscreen product that contained a chemical that became a carcinogen when exposed to sunlight? The lesson learned from that was not to stop using sun block, but to use sun block that didn’t use the chemical. Most of our current industrial platforms, processes and chemicals were developed at a time when people were oblivious to ecological impact. It’s not that we didn’t care- we didn’t know. Industrial ecology has only come of age in the last decade or two. 

Thanks to the rise in industrial ecology, and the transparency it affords, consumers are becoming high impact shoppers by tipping market share to products with lower impact on the environment and, in turn, their health. According to a recent Gallup poll, thirty-six percent of the US population “worries a great deal” about global warming and its effects on human health. In fact it rated third in the list of important problems facing us today, just behind a lack of energy sources and Social Security. Eco-angst among consumers is spreading, as information about products is increasingly easier to find. Websites, such as GoodGuide.com and SkinDeep.com, can help you instantly compare tens of thousands of products based on their environmental, health and social impacts.

Many US manufacturers are developing ecological ratings for their products that will be included on their labels. These new ratings systems will eliminate the sleight-of-hand label advertising called “greenwashing” that takes a single virtue of a product from the multitude of a product’s ecological impacts to tout its ecological goodness. Consumers will be able to read the eco-label rating and may decide differently when a tee shirt label not only says “organic” but also lists the dye used to color it (some dyes have been shown to cause leukemia in workers). Or how much water is consumed in the process of making the tee shirt in an arid, impoverished land. Or if it was stitched together in a sweatshop where the seamstresses get injured repeatedly by needles and have no access to even rudimentary healthcare.

So as all this new eco-information becomes available try not to get too stressed out with eco-angst when a new bit of information is revealed about the products you use. Get used to doing some homework again and take the opportunity to vote with your dollars by buying products with a lower impact on your health and the health of the planet.

All the Best!

Steve Victor

Sea creatures from the Red Sea have been the focus of scientific researchers for many years. The Red Sea is one of the saltiest and hottest bodies of water in the world. The creatures that live in the hostile environment of the Red Sea are unique in being able to survive extreme conditions. Creatures from the Red Sea are the focus of many studies due their ability to survive in almost lethal environments, including toxic solutions of salt water high in cyanide and other deadly substances. I asked Jody Victor®  to tell us more about it.

Jody Victor®: Researchers say that these Red Sea creatures are giving them some of the best tools to combat cancer. One such Red Sea creature, the Red Sea coral, has been studied for the last five years at South Dakota State University (SDSU). Distinguished professor Chandradhar Dwivedi, head of the Pharmaceutical Sciences Department in the College of Pharmacy at SDSU, and Hesham Fahmy, a chemist who already has one patent for his work at the University of Mississippi, have been working on the project together since Fahmy joined SDSU’s College of Pharmacy in 2004. They are now pursuing licensing of their patent based on their collaborative research of sarcophine from Red Sea coral for use in sunscreens.

Exposure to ultraviolet light, especially in the summer months, can contribute to skin cancer. People who spend long hours exposed to sunlight, such as farmers and construction workers, are the most at risk. As people are becoming more aware of the skin cancer risks from over-exposure to sunlight they are making a bigger effort to wear sunscreens. “We have been saying for a long time that prevention is the best medicine,” Dwivedi says. “We have to make the effort to prevent the disease before we treat it.”

Sarcophine-diol is a molecule made from a product called sarcophine that can be isolated from soft coral found in the Red Sea. Dwivedi and Fahmy’s study on sarcophine-diol began as possibly using it for the prevention of skin cancer in sunscreens and has morphed into the possibility of using it as a tool to actually treat skin cancer. As they studied sarcophine-diol for use in sunscreens they found that it did not simply block ultraviolet radiation but also reversed the damage caused by the ultraviolet radiation.

SDSU’s research on the use of sarcophine-diol in sunscreens has opened up numerous possibilities for its use not only for prevention of skin cancer by inhibiting cell growth in cancers but also as a way to reverse the damage by inducing orderly, programmed cell death of cancer cells. Sarcophine-diol is effective in micrograms, as compared to milligrams, for other chemo-preventative products. In other words it is effective in a concentration of about one-thousandth of what is suggested for other chemo-preventative agents. They found that sarcophine-diol could be used both for chemoprevention and as a chemotherapeutic agent for use against non-melanoma skin cancer development.

Their studies have shown that sarcophine-diol did not induce what scientists call necrosis, the premature death of healthy cells. The importance of this finding is that sarcophine-diol could be used in treatments that specifically target cancer cells without damaging nearby healthy cells. They also found that treatments with higher concentrations of sarcophine-diol induced a higher level of “executioner” proteins that have a role in apopsis, or programmed cell death. And more importantly, sarcophine-diol did not significantly increase the level of “executioner” proteins in normal cells, suggesting that it is considerably more toxic to skin tumor cells than to healthy cells.

“We hope to include it in sun screen or lotion. Apply it once, and you are set for the day. We are hopeful that it will not only prevent skin cancer but may actually treat skin cancer,” Dwivedi says.

All the Best!

Steve Victor

Researchers are constantly working towards better solutions to health and disease issues. Recently researchers have been working on both immune system and natural chemical solutions for treating Alzheimer’s. I asked Jody Victor®  to give us some details.

Jody Victor®: A new scientific study has shown for the first time marked improvement in Alzheimer’s disease within minutes of administrating a therapeutic molecule. The study has been published in the Journal of Neuroinflammation. The study highlights the importance of soluble proteins, called cytokines, in Alzheimer’s. One of these cytokines, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF), is the focus of the study. TNF regulates the transmission of neural impulses in the brain. Researchers have found that elevated levels of TNF interfere with normal transmission regulation.

 In the study researchers gave Alzheimer’s patients an injection of an anti-TNF therapeutic called etanercept into their spines at the neck. Language improvement was found within minutes. One 82-year old Alzheimer’s sufferer recognized his wife for the first time in years. The etanercept (trade name Enbrel) binds and inactivates excess TNF. The FDA already approves the use of etanercept to treat a number of immune-mediated diseases like rheumatoid arthritis. “It is unprecedented that we can see cognitive and behavioral improvement in a patient with established dementia within minutes of therapeutic intervention,” says Sue Griffin, PHD, director of research at the Donald W. Reynolds Institute on aging at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. Doctors are now calling for clinical trials.

Alzheimer’s disease researchers have also isolated bisdemethoxycurcumin- the active ingredient of curcuminoids- a natural substance found in turmeric root (a major ingredient in curry powder)- that may help boost the immune system in clearing amyloid beta, a peptide that forms the plaques found in the disease. The study provides more insight into the role of the immune system in Alzheimer’s disease. The results suggest a new drug development approach by relying on the innate immune system that is present at birth rather than on antibodies which develop later as part of an active immune system.

Scientists at UCLA and UC Riverside and the Human BioMolecular Research Institute have found that a form of vitamin D, together with a chemical found in turmeric spice called curcumin, may help stimulate the immune system to clear the brain of amyloid beta, which forms the plaques that are the hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease. Their early findings may lead to a new approach in preventing and treating Alzheimer’s by using the property of vitamin D3 alone and together with natural or synthetic curcumin. The main source for vitamin D3 is sunshine and is synthesized into the skin. Deficiencies occur during winter months or in people who spend a lot of time indoors, such as Alzheimer’s patients.

According to Dr. Milan Fiala, involved in the study at UCLA, researchers hoped that “vitamin D3 and curcumin, both naturally occurring nutrients, may offer new preventative and treatment possibilities for Alzheimer’s disease.” But researchers found that naturally occurring curcumin is not readily absorbed and that it breaks down quickly, sometimes before it can be utilized in the body. John Cashman of the Human BioMolecular Research Institute, a non-profit institute, has developed synthetic curcuminoid compounds. “We think some of the novel synthetic compounds will get around the shortcomings of curcumin and improve the therapeutic efficacy,” Cashman says.

All the Best!

Steve Victor

Researchers are constantly working towards better solutions to health and disease issues. One such new solution is in the field of malarial disease. I asked Jody Victor®  to give us the breakthrough news.

Jody Victor®: Working with a grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Andrew Fung and his colleagues at the University of California, Los Angeles are developing a malaria-detecting gum called Maliva. Fung hopes to have a working prototype of Maliva by next year and begin field-testing the gum soon after.

A person becomes infected with malaria when a female Anopheles mosquito, searching for blood to feed her young, bites the person. Various symptoms occur in six to fourteen days after exposure: fever, chills, vomiting, lack of energy and, sometimes, convulsions. The lack of energy is caused by the malaria parasites bursting out of red blood cells.

If malaria is suspected, doctors now draw a small blood sample and examine it under a microscope. They search for darker than normal red blood cells, which show infection by malaria parasites. Many regions in the world where malaria is prevalent have no microscopes or experienced staff. In those regions doctors use an antigen test. Using a single drop of blood, the tests detect the presence of several molecules made by malaria parasites, which are released into the blood. Some areas of the world can’t afford the antigen tests. And some areas have a taboo against even drawing a single drop of blood.

Maliva could solve all those problems. Three of the proteins that the blood antigen tests detect can also be found in saliva. The current idea for providing the gum with its malaria-detecting properties is to incorporate magnetic nanoparticles into the gum. When a person chews the gum their saliva containing the molecules produced by the malaria parasites pour into their mouth. The magnetic nanoparticles are tipped with antibodies that latch onto the molecules. After a few minutes of chewing, the gum would be removed and placed on a paper strip. The nanoparticles, which are now bound to the malaria proteins, would show up as a thin line. No line- no malaria.

Doctor David Wong at UCLA who is not involved with Fung’s research recently lead a National Institutes of Health consortium. The consortium has been mapping the various proteins in human saliva. Wong is encouraged with the use of saliva for disease detection to replace painful needle sticks. He believes saliva testing will become commonplace in the next few years for all kinds of diseases. He has stated that Maliva “is just the tip of the iceberg. There is no reason why this method can’t be used to detect other conditions as well.” Disease-detecting gum could offer a cheap new way to diagnose or monitor diseases. Distribution would be easy. The disease-detecting gum could be sold anywhere candy is distributed.

All the Best!

Steve Victor

Every week the Center for Disease Control (CDC) analyzes information about the Influenza A H1N1 virus. They publish their findings of key flu indicators in a report called FluView. I asked Jody Victor® to give us some updates.

Jody Victor® : During the last week of December some key indicators decreased and others increased. Here is a list of the most recent key indicators:

1. Doctor visits for flu-like illness increased nationally from the week before. This is the first increase after eight straight decreases.
2. Hospitalization rates for flu-like illness were unchanged from the week before.
3. Deaths attributed to pneumonia and influenza increased over the previous week showing this key indicator as back above the epidemic threshold for the first time in eleven weeks. Pediatric deaths, however, decreased from nine the previous week to four. Two of these deaths were confirmed 2009 H1N1 related.
4. Four states reported widespread influenza activity, a decline of three states from the week before.
5. Nearly all the influenza viruses identified so far were 2009 H1N1 influenza A. These viruses remained similar to the virus chosen for the vaccine. The identified viruses remain susceptible to the antiviral drugs oseltamivir and zanamivir.

In general, since early November cases of H1N1 have continued to decline. Scientists keeping track of the information say that as pandemics go, 2009 H1N1 has turned out to be a mild one. Health officials now are pondering: Will there be a second wave of cases in the new year? Health officials warn that there are still four to five months left in the influenza season giving plenty of time for the virus to make its rounds and find new hosts.

Marc Lipsitch, an epidemiologist at the Harvard School of Public Health, and colleagues have been studying the H1N1 virus since last spring. Lipsitch anticipates far fewer deaths from 2009 H1N1 than initially predicted. He believes the most likely number will end up between 10,000 and 15,000. Their estimates are far below the toll of the 1957 flu, which killed 69,800 people in the U.S. Health officials do caution on comparing previous pandemics to the current H1N1 outbreak however. Forty years ago health officials lacked the antiviral therapies and nationwide vaccination programs available today.

Health officials’ concern over another winter wave of influenza is all the more reason to continue aggressive anti-flu efforts. People should keep washing their hands, covering their coughs and getting vaccinated. Lipsitch says, “The more people who are vaccinated this year, the less likely the H1N1 virus, which will probably be around next year, will take hold and spread.”

All the Best!

Steve Victor