Health and fitness tips
February 26, 2010
TheYou Docs
As if there aren't enough debates about raising kids, to vaccinate or not is one of the thorniest. Back in 1998, a study in British journal The Lancet suggested that the measles, mumps, rubella vaccine was linked to autism. It ignited an emotional debate that scared scores of parents right out of doctors' offices, refusing to let their kids get the vaccine.
Since then, numerous studies failed to find this link, the safety of vaccines improved and the measles rate rose slightly in the U.S.
And last month, the headlines changed: The Lancet retracted the study that started the bonfire. Investigations found questionable scientific methods and previously undisclosed conflicts of interest (some costs of the study, headed by Dr. Andrew Wakefield, were paid by lawyers wanting to sue vaccine manufacturers).
Our take is that parents need to know that "safe" does not mean "without risk." And that the chance that vaccines benefit the typical child are at least 20 times greater than the chance of serious injury.
Our own families? Mehmet's kids completed the recommended immunizations before school (but about a year after recommended); Mike's kids got vaccinated according to the standard schedule.
A little crusty: If you're tempted to cut off your bread crusts, don't! You'd be lopping off the most nutritious part. The crust of dark-brown bread contains six times more cancer-preventing compounds than the lighter-colour innards. Why? High heat during baking turns the carbohydrates and protein in the outer dough into new compounds that have high cancer-fighting potential.
Boost your bread's health quotient even more: Always make it 100 per cent whole grain.
Of course, you can't depend on bread crusts alone to douse your risk of cancer. You also need:
Vitamin D-3: 1,000 IU if you're under age 60; 1,200 if you're over. This vitamin may be toxic to potentially cancerous cells, or may help your genes spot cancerous cells and cause them to die.
Folate: Deficiency in this B vitamin may leave you vulnerable to cancer. Make sure you're getting 400 micrograms a day of folic acid (in supplement form; it's tough to get it all from food).
Tomato products: The risk of developing some cancers decreases when you eat 10 or more tablespoons a week of cooked tomato or spaghetti sauce.
Cruciferous vegetables: These include Brussels sprouts, cabbage, broccoli, watercress, arugula and cauliflower. Studies of people with bladder cancer and gut cancer have found it likely that eating seven or more non-fried servings of these veggies a week can cut the growth of cancer by 50 per cent.
IT'S MORE THAN YOGURT: Got a craving for something creamy? No question that low-fat or non-fat yogurt is a good choice. Within that handy container you'll also get a reduced risk of gum disease, protection from bladder and liver cancers and possibly even sweeter breath, not to mention a nice dose of bone-protecting calcium (about 400 mg in a cup).
But sometimes you get way more than you bargained for in the form of high-fructose corn syrup, sugar, artificial sweeteners and other ingredients it seems you need a decoder ring to decipher. Here's how to smarten up your favourite snack:
1. Go for the non-fat, plain stuff.
2. Add some nuts (they add healthy fats), wheat germ (may improve your body's ability to handle stress) or fresh fruit.
3. Look for labels that say the yogurt contains the beneficial bacteria called probiotics, or "active cultures." These help boost immunity, help soothe irritable guts and may even help fight flab.
FEEL THE BURN: Want to burn fat faster? Then ignore the charts on equipment at the gym that say that you're only in the "fat-burning zone" when your heart rate is low. Technically, the charts are right: With a low heart rate, your body likes to fuel activity by using fat. When your heart rate climbs, your body prefers the quicker hit of sugar in your system.
But you incinerate more calories per minute – that's what melts pounds – when your heart rate is high. At a heart rate of 120, you might burn 6 calories per minute (your calorie burn depends on factors including what activity you're doing, as well as your weight). At a heart rate of 160, you might burn 15 per minute.
So, going at the higher heart rate for 30 minutes could burn 270 more calories of that double-cheese thingy you ate off your spouse's plate last night.
We're not saying you must go quickly; if slow is your style, work out longer to torch just as many calories.
HUNGER PANGS: Try these tricks to get your appetite under control:
Drink skim milk instead of juice at breakfast. Dieters who did this felt more satisfied by their morning meal, probably because the proteins in milk quell hunger better than the carbs in fruit drinks.
Try eating a whole-grain cereal at breakfast and chewing gum after lunch. Try eating walnuts before dinner. The healthy fat in about six walnut halves triggers a chain reaction that slows the rate at which your stomach empties, so you'll be less likely to overeat.
A 15-minute walk nixed cravings in a group of chocoholics, probably because the feel-good hit they got from walking gave them some of what they were seeking from chocolate – minus the extra calories and weight.
Watch a funny movie. When people in a study watched a happy movie, they ate almost 30 per cent less popcorn than during a sad film. And make that air-popped, even if you have to bring it from home.
The You Docs, Mike Roizen and Mehmet Oz, are authors of YOU: Having A Baby. Send questions to the doctors on their website, realage.com.
Toronto Star