The New Nutritionist: Your Grocer

This article is about a food rating system being used by some grocery chains that is provided by a company called NuVal LLC that basically measures nutritional value. My first reaction was this could be good information for the average consumer but reading further into it, it seems some of the criteria used to establish the rating is pretty subjective. I am glad I don’t have a food product being negatively rated by these people. In my opinion, what is intended to help the consumer and simplify things is just confusing the issue even further. What’s yours?

online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704229004575371010407610760.html?mod=ITP_personaljournal_0#printMode

Exercise may reduce chronic pain

Here is some interesting anecdotal evidence of how many are using exercise/movement to treat pain, including chronic pain that many had struggled with for years. This certainly seems like something to be at least investigated further if not just tried.

www.chicagotribune.com/health/sc-health-0721-pain-20100721,0,6621419,print.story

Eating to Live or Living to Eat?

There is a lot here but some very interesting information describing how different areas of the brain affect our eating habits. This might help to explain some of the cravings we have, especially, in my case with sweets after eating a meal. Basically a concise, easy to understand account of what can be a very complicated subject for some of us non-medical “civilians”.

online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704288204575363072381955744.html?mod=ITP_personaljournal_0

Health watch: Are you label literate?

Here is valuable information that we can all use regarding the importance of being able to really understand what we are reading on a food label and know exactly what we are putting in our bodies.

www.chicagotribune.com/health/sc-foods-0702-health-labels-20100702,0,4610566,print.story

F as in Fat: How Obesity Threatens America’s Future 2010

It’s hard to believe with all of the media attention over the last couple years, but it appears the obesity issue in the US is getting worse instead of better. Obesity rates increased in 28 states year to year and decreased only in the District of Columbia. Most of us know intellectually that we need to monitor what we take in and increase our level of movement and exercise and yet reports like this one keep on coming. When and what will be the tipping point?

healthyamericans.org/reports/obesity2010/

In Summer’s Heat, Watch What You Drink

This New York Times article supplies some good information about really focusing on what we drink in the summer, not just for hydration purposes, as important as that is, but caloric also, as we need to be careful with what we choose to satisfy our thirst this time of year. As the article states, sugar-sweetened sodas are the single largest source of calories in the American diet, 7.1% so this is an important issue we can all learn more about.

www.nytimes.com/2010/06/29/health/29brod.html?pagewanted=print

Phys Ed: A Workout for Your Bloodstream

This article is a bit technical for me but I stuck with it and understand the basic premise, that body movement, exercise, is very important and beneficial to our overall health. The article is very interesting as are many of the comments which follow it.

well.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/06/16/phys-ed-a-workout-for-your-bloodstream/

When to Come in From the Sun

I realize we have touched on this topic often recently but it is very important to address, especially this time of year. While these wrist bands have not been proven to be effective “scientifically”, many dermatologists think at the very least they are a good indicator of when we have been exposed to the sun too long and also a good teaching tool for kids.

online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704324304575306730792757258.html?mod=ITP_personaljournal_0#printMode

Summertime Fun in the Sun, and Other Perils

As Sgt. Phil Esterhaus used to say at the end of roll call each day on the Hill Street Blues,”Hey, let’s be careful out there!” Same goes for all of us as summer proceeds and we are outside more, whether it is working, playing or working out. This article in the Wall Street Journal from their “Informed Patient” column has a lot of good information about playing it safe outdoors this summer.

online.wsj.com/article/SB20001424052748704749904575292550042794636.html#printMode

Calorie counts of your favorite barbecue foods

Calorie counts and fat content of some of our summer favorites.

www.chicagotribune.com/features/sns-food-barbecue-favorites-calories,0,2592073.photogallery

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