Category Archives: Health News
Food Purchasing Practices: Price before Health or Taste before Price?
What the last food purchase you made?
For me, it was yesterday’s lunch – a Southwest veggie-packed salad from Eden’s.
I forked over six hard-earned bucks for a mountain of romaine topped with peppers, carrots, cheddar, olives and a bean/corn/cilantro salad. I was really in the mood for a spicy ranch dressing, so I improvised with equal parts home-style ranch and hot sauce.
Worth every penny – the combo of the ranch with hot sauce was genius!
As I was making a dent in the salad, I came across a recent study that surveyed the driving factors behind food purchases.
It was interesting to learn that 88 percent of respondents placed more value on the taste of the food before the price. Unsurprisingly, females and people with higher incomes were more likely to shell out more cash for food that tasted better, regardless of how much it cost.
Just over half of the participants were more concerned with the price of the food than the nutrition statistics. This group of people was on the opposite end of the scale from the taste-before-price group; men, younger consumers and people with lower educations were more likely to value price over health benefits.
When it came to the decision to purchase organics, never-married, full-time workers were most likely to buy the organically-grown foods.
Comparing the results of the study to my own personal food purchasing practices, I wasn’t surprised by the results. Ever since my family began giving me cash in college to put towards foods, I’ve had the same model for food-buying decisions:
I prefer to purchase foods that offer the most nutritional bang for my buck {i.e. spinach over iceberg lettuce or fresh sweet potatoes over bags of chips}. Certain foods are also worth the cost because of their ethical/environmentally friendly production or “unique” factor: to me, it’s worth it to me to shell extra for organic dairy, specialty vegetarian meats {like Field Roast} and free-range eggs from the local farm. People with special diets {vegan, gluten-free, etc} often have to allocate more money to the foods that fit their dietary or nutritional requirements.
Price does play a hefty role in the equation as well. I’m privileged to even have access to organic items, but I can’t always justify the splurge. Eating healthy doesn’t have to be expensive, but the tab can ring up quickly when you’re stocking your kitchen with pricey organics or fancy prepared foods. I try to stick to the dirty dozen for organics {or score any organics that are a weekly special at my local produce shop} and opt for conventional on other fruits and vegetables.
Ultimately, it’s about finding a price/nutrition/flavor balance that works for you and your budget. As a consumer, you have to decide what’s most important to you in your food economics and how you can accommodate your personal priorities.
What factors do you weigh when purchasing food? According to the study, which group would someone with your consumer characteristics fall into: taste before price or price before nutrition?
10-20-30 Training
It must be a full moon – I’m identifying with Ricky Bobby.
You and I both, friend.
Most runners use drills like Fartleks and Yasso 800’s to increase their speed. I personally do high intensity intervals of 1:30 to 30, but a new study published in the May 2012 issue of the Journal of Applied Physiology offers up a new method: 10-20-30 Training.
The study focused on 18 moderately trained runners who were divided into two groups: a high intensity training group and a control group.
The high intensity training group spent a week doing the 10-20-30 training. For their workouts, the training group completed 30 seconds of easy paced running, 20 seconds of moderately paced running and 10 seconds of sprinting. These intervals were repeated continuously for five minutes and broken up by two minute recovery intervals; runners completed three to four cycles per training session.
After a week of daily 10-20-30 intervals, the training group increased their V02-max (amount of oxygen their bodies can process during exercise) by 4 percent and shaved an average of 46 seconds off their 5k time.
As an added bonus, the group who completed the speedwork also experienced a drop in systolic blood pressure and total/LDL cholesterol, while the control group showed no changes.
10-20-30 Running Workout
As I push to improve my pace, I’ll definitely be incorporating speedwork once per week. Since I’d like to keep things as uncomplicated as possible, I’m a big fan of this time-based method (as opposed to methods that require measuring out 800 meters, etc). I’ll be implementing this into my weekly running schedule, using the following workout.
Repeat the following cycle for five minutes:
| Low intensity (30 percent effort) | 30 seconds |
| Moderate intensity (60 percent effort) | 20 seconds |
| High intensity (90 percent effort) | 10 seconds |
Recover for two minutes; repeat for three to four cycles.
Ever tried a 10-20-30 running plan for speedwork? Have you successfully used any speedwork plans to improve your running pace?
Too MUCH Protein?
The number one question vegetarians get about their diet has to be – without a doubt – “Where do you get your protein?”
It’s a well-intentioned question, and to be honest, I don’t mind it. Getting protein as a vegetarian can be a legitimate struggle!
What I wanted for breakfast:
What I ate in the name of getting some protein in my system:
Why’d I pick the eggs, cheddar and asparagus? I’ve been taught that protein is necessary to satiation, muscle growth and energy. Generally speaking, that’s right; carb-heavy breakfasts leave me hungry within an hour and I see better definition with my muscle mass when I make sure I’m getting an adequate protein to carbs ratio.
On the other end of the spectrum, though, new research has found that consuming too much protein can also increase muscle loss through two ways:
- Changing the way cells perform anabolic muscle growth
- Changing the way the body breaks down proteins
When these happen, the body’s rate of muscle protein synthesis becomes unbalanced. Over time, the negative energy balance can lead to decreased skeletal muscle mass. Not only will that work against most physical goals you’re striving for, but it can also suppress the basal metabolic rate and decrease your physical performance while increasing your risk of injury.
So what’s the magic number at which point adequate protein consumption becomes too much protein consumption?
According to the study, the recommended daily allowance is (0.8 g·kg−1·d−1). In human being speak, that works out to .8 grams of protein per pound of body weight. That’s quite a realistic goal – even for a vegetarian diet!
Do you keep tabs on your protein intake? Have you ever had to worry about getting too much protein rather than too little?
How Lack of Sleep Makes you Hungry
Good morning there!
What a night last night – I made it out to an all-inclusive event at Terrace 390 – and this girl is a touch sleep deprived.
God bless the yogurt bowl for breakfast – fast to assemble, fast to eat while I toss my hair into some semblance of normalcy!
Even though last night was a blast, I’m well aware of the effects that sleep deprivation can have on the body. A recent study just reiterated the correlation between reduced sleep and increased appetite. One night out here and there isn’t going to do any major damage, but continuous restricted sleep can definitely increase a person’s neuronal response to food stimuli.
The study restricted half of the participants’ sleep cycles to only four hours for a six day phase. At the end of the phase, MRI imaging scans revealed that there was greater neuronal activity in the sleep-deprived participants when they were exposed to food stimuli. The brain areas associated with the reward center (the thalamus, insula and prefrontal cortex) were all considerably more active after the deprivation.
Moral of the story: sleep more for better appetite control! The participants in the regular sleep group were allotted nine hours of sleep per night; even though most of us can’t squeeze in that much pillow time per night, the closer you can get, the better!
How much sleep do you try to get per night? Do you feel it impact your appetite or cravings?
How Yoga Helps with Depression, Pain and PTSD
Good morning! Isn’t daylight savings time the best?
No, seriously.
I love the slightly darker mornings. It’s nice to wake up and ease into the day – plus it seems much calmer!
For me, “easing into the day” translated into several delicious sun salutations on my balcony, followed by a simple cheese and spinach omlette. That combo never gets old!
Breakfast is usually accompanied by some reading material, which in today’s case, was a new scientific explanation of how yoga can be used to correct imbalances in the brain. The diseases associated with the imbalances – i.e. depression, chronic pain, post traumatic stress disorder and epilepsy – can potentially be corrected through yoga interventions.
Shall we delve into how yoga can be used to these conditions?
Say it with me: Exercise releases endorphins, and endorphins make you happy, and happy people just don’t kill their husbands!
In all non-Elle-Woods seriousness:
Stress causes an imbalance of the central nervous system. It decreases the activity of the parasympathetic nervous system {aka your “rest and relax” system} and increases the activity of your sympathetic nervous system {aka your “fight or flight” response}. Stress also decreases your production of GABA, which is the primary neurotransmitter responsible for “exciting” certain areas of your brain.
Kapeesh? Ok then – moving right along.
Yoga stimulates the vagus nerve. That bad boy is located in your neck and is responsible for lowering your blood pressure and heart rate, slowing down your respiration and jump-starting your digestive system. When yoga poses {and yogic breathing, such as tapping into your Ujjayi breath} give your vagus nerve a little love, it can stimulate the PNS and GABA systems that stress had previously slowed down.
Because pain, depression, PTSD and epilepsy have all responded to pharmaceuticals that stimulate the GABA system, researchers decided to see if natural stimulation {aka a yoga intervention} would produce the same results. Yoga-based treatments were found to alleviate symptoms of these conditions – even in treatment-resistant patients.
The study itself {published in the February issue of Medical Hypotheses} concludes:
According to the proposed theory, the decreased PNS and GABAergic activity that underlies stress-related disorders can be corrected by yoga practices resulting in amelioration of disease symptoms.
Take that, conventional medicine!
Would you ever turn to yoga as a treatment {or as part of a treatment plan} for a clinically diagnosed illness? What do you think the role of alternative therapies should be in a world of Western/conventional medicine?
The Science of Saving the Best for Last
This morning’s breakfast was a battle, I tell you!
The grapes were so fresh and so juicy, and the egg-topped ciabatta sandwich was so savory and chewy that I honestly couldn’t figure out which I liked better.
This has to be a conundrum for some of you, right? Please tell me I’m not the only one that tries to save the “perfect bite” for the very last bite of your meal. I may or may not recall popping my college roommate upside the head when she swiped the “perfect fry” that I was saving from my dinner plate…
But guess what? There’s actually a science behind the “saving the best for last” phenomenon.
The Journal of Psychological Science’s latest issue explains that people are more likely to enjoy their last bite of food when they realize it’s their last.
In the actual test, chocolate eaters ranked their last piece of candy as most enjoyable when there were told it was their last piece rather than their next piece. The participants’ response didn’t have anything to do with the actual flavor of the chocolate either. Crazy, right?
You can check out the whole article here.
Side note: can I get put on an alert list for clinical trials that are recruiting subjects to eat chocolate and rate how much they liked it?
Do you do the “save the best bite for last” bit?
Get Hungry {for Veggies}, Get Happy
Whenever new research is released in support of a plant-based diet, I can’t help but get excited about sharing it. It can be difficult to pass along these tidbits without sounding like a crazy veggie-power-chick…but just maybe, despite my aversion to dietary debates, I have a little bit of crazy veggie-power chick in me.
Go, greens!
Loving the 3:1 veggie to egg ratio in this morning’s breakfast.
Crazy awesome veggie-power news of the day:
Omnivores typically have more arachidonic acid in their bodies than vegetarians do. What does that mean in the grand scheme of things? The spidery-sounding substance promote mood-altering processes in the brain, leading to higher rates of stress and depression. In a recent short study, omnivores had overall worse moods than vegetarians did. Even consumption of fish-sourced eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) – two fats that are thought to counteract arachidonic acid – didn’t make a significant impact on the omnivores’ moods.
Moral of the story? Get hungry for veggies, get happy!
For vegetarians: how do you share information about plant-based diets without being “that preachy vegetarian?” For carnivores, how open are you to hearing about plant-power research?
A Performance Boost for Warm Weather Workouts
Is anyone else excited that it’s starting to stay lighter later? I love that there was enough daylight to hit the pavement and clear my head after a mentally challenging day at the office.
A quick mile and a half was all I needed to wind down after spending the day writing about the ghosts of biology classes past.
Somewhere along the line, I carved out a quick break for brain food:
Tempeh deli salad, romaine and an orange.
As well as happiness-and-sanity food:
The caramel kisses are addictive, but the real mood-booster was the fresh air at the end of the day:
Thanks to the longer, lighters days, I’m also reminded that spring and summer are right around the corner – and along with them, sweatier outdoor runs!
Gearing up to get the most out of your warm-weather workouts? Cool your neck, according to the National Athletic Trainers’ Association. Hot environmental conditions can slow down an endurance athlete by about 10 percent of their time. Bad news for us Florida runners! When athletes’ necks were cooled with a cooling collar, however, they actually increased their performance by up to six percent.
The Roehampton University study also found that athletes exercised longer before voluntarily terminating their workouts when their necks were cooled. Better time and more stamina? I’m game!
Do you notice a difference in your athletic performance when you work out in the heat {or in the cold?} Do you have a specific climate that your body naturally prefers?
Why do People Read Food Labels?
Good morning friends! Friday didn’t come a minute too soon!
Let’s get fueled up and get this puppy on the road!
Two eggs + reduced fat provolone + a sprinkle of paprika {such an awesome flavor boost}
Plus a mini bowl of my all-time favorite Nature’s Path blueberry cinnamon optima cereal. This is especially awesome with fresh blueberries to go along with the freeze-dried ones, but they were nowhere to be found at my fruit market this week. Bummer! {But not too bummy – I’m still sitting here with a bowl full of carbs, and that’s impossible to frown at!}
One meal closer to the weekend!
***
Why do people read food labels?
One of the first bits of advice given out to people trying to clean up their diets is to read the back of the box before purchasing a packaged food. Knowing exactly what’s in your food {ingredient AND nutrient wise} can help you understand exactly what is going in your body and make more informed choices.
According to a study that’s set to appear in the upcoming March issue of Public Health Nutrition, “placing an importance on health” was the most important reason people read food labels. Healthy eating, determining the nutritional value of food and actively trying to prevent dietary diseases were other reasons the participants cited in the survey. Read more from the study here.
I love that the main motivations for the label-reading were health-related {as opposed to weight loss-related}. Checking calories, fats and sugar are great ways for people who need to lose weight to get a handle on their intake, but it’s also important not to get too hung up on statistics. Personally, I don’t read food labels for 80-90 percent of the things I buy {unless we’re referring specifically to ingredient lists}. When I do read the label, I use it to compare two similar products to decide – based on saturated fat/sugar/protein content – which one is more wholesome and nutritious.
It was interesting to see that women were also more likely to read food labels than men. Based on the times I’ve gone grocery shopping with the Coach, this somehow doesn’t surprise me. The last time we went on a late-night Publix run to pull dinner together, I spent 15 minutes comparing food labels before deciding on an organic eggplant parmesan frozen entrée, but he took less than five minutes to grab ranch dressing, Taco Bell chipotle sauce, breaded chicken tenders and a potato. Delicious? Absolutely. Good for him? I’m sure the answer would have been clear if he’d skimmed over the labels on the packages!
Do you read food labels? If you do, what’s your motivation? Do you agree that women are more inclined to read food labels than men are?
15 Years of Nuggets
TGIF, friends, TFIG.
I wasn’t sure if I was going to make it to the end of yoga class last night – much less the end of this week – but here we are!
Breakfast this morning was a big bowl of something I hadn’t had in years – cottage cheese!
The stuff was never a favorite of mine, but I’ve been craving it out of the blue for the past few weeks. I kept putting off buying a carton because I didn’t want to end up hating it and letting it go to waste, but when the craving kept popping up, I caved. {Reason #1238912382 I’m not cut out to be a parent…}
The creamy, salty cheese was so delicious with the juicy, bursting blueberries. Not bad for a craving that came out of nowhere!
15 Years of Nuggets
Check out this crazy article I came across last night!
For the last 15 years, chicken nuggets have been Stacey Irvine’s main source of food. Even though she occasionally switches things up with toast or chips, she essentially has been sustaining herself on nothing but fried chicken. No fruits, no vegetables…just McDonalds and KFC. That’s some hardcore nutrient deprivation right there!
Sure, we all fall into food ruts (I’ve been eating eggs from a local Orlando farm like they’re going out of style), but to eat the same {remarkably unhealthy} thing every single day for 15 years – especially as a growing child with still-developing internal systems – is just asking for health issues. Just like Paula Dean’s diabetes announcement, it’s not much of a surprise that Irvine was diagnosed with anemia after a collapse. It would be wonderful to see her get nutritional counseling and teach her taste buds to embrace some fresh, less-processed foods!
What are your reaction to stories like these of unhealthy lifestyles catching up to people?
