EVOLUTION

Hungry for some certainty

2008-02-15T21:53:00.007-05:00

Ellen Goodman hits the nail on the head with her piece in today's Boston Globe. She captures the current dilemma, or obsession rather, that Americans have with food. Not that we call it that anymore. Each item now represents its value - a blueberry is an antioxidant, the egg, once demonized, is now the super source of nutrients essential to healthy eyes.

Ellen goes on to talk about the new book by Michael Pollan, author of "The Omnivore's Dilemma." His new book is called, "In Defense of Food." From Ellen's column:

"His tips for the land of the overweight orthorexics are rather charmingly simple. Among them: Avoid products made with ingredients you can't read or pronounce. Avoid products making health claims on the package. Yes, eat plants. (But not the sansevieria.) But the best of them is: don't eat anything your great-grandmother wouldn't recognize as food."

Emily Gedney, RD couldn't have said it better. In her Nutrition Boot Camp program at EVOLUTION, she is quick to point out the problem with artificial sweeteners. [The word artificial.] And she doesn't mince words about how she feels about High Fructose Corn Syrup, a product that did not exist in the early part of the 20th century. Trans fats, calorie counting, and meal replacement shakes are all things she shows you how to ban from your vocabulary. It's back to basics, but not to bland. A trained chef, Emily loves food and wouldn't think of turning meal time into a task to be checked of of your to do list.

Back to Ellen Goodman.

"How did it come to this? How did eating become a science rather than an art? How did food become conflated with medicine? We now have shelves full of boxes with bragging rights promising better eating through chemistry. Meanwhile, our uncertainty is growing as quickly as our waistlines."

The $36 billion dollar food marketing industry hopes that we never go back to basics. There's nothing glamorous in a carrot. Lentils are just lentils without MSG or artificial flavors. There's no fortune to be made by putting out an ad campaign praising the goodness of apples. If the powers that be can't convince us that they've packaged cures, then we might just win the war for our waistlines and our health.

And our children can say that they eat foods that their parents and grandparents recognize because we will have lived long enough to forget artificial sweeteners, HFCS and trans fats.

May it be so.

For Ellen Goodman's full column, click here: Hungry for some certainty

High Blood Pressure Reduced by Massage Therapy

2008-02-05T10:27:00.000-05:00

Hypertensive adults who received regular biweekly massage sessions experienced less depression and hostility and showed a decrease in measured stress-hormone levels, according to a recent research study.

Click here for the full article.

The study titled "High blood pressure and associated symptoms were reduced by massage therapy" was completed in May 1999, and was conducted in conjunction with the Touch Research Institute, the University of Miami School of Medicine and Nova Southeastern University in Florida.

Researchers suggested that future studies be long-term, and examine the effects of massage on individuals who have high levels of stress.

"Longer-term follow-up might also help determine whether the results reflected short-term effects or whether the results would have persisted beyond the treatment sessions," researchers wrote. "If massage therapy can effectively reduce symptoms associated with hypertension, then it might reduce life-threatening complications, such as the risk of stroke or heart attack."

The four "Worst" Diet Plans of 2007

2008-01-22T16:10:00.000-05:00

Healthyweightnetwork's
Slim Chance Awards announce the four "Worst" Diet Plans of 2007
To see the full article go to http://www.healthyweightnetwork.com/hww.htm#2007slim

The Slim Chance Awards for 2007:

 Most Outrageous Claim: Evercleanse. Ads claim that being overweight or having a protruding abdomen are symptoms of a toxic colon. “You must detoxify your body … Yes – 6 to 40 pounds of undigested food, waste and feces are stuck inside our bodies.”

 Worst Product : HoodiaHerbal (also called Hoodia Maximum Strength). The FTC in August called a halt to illegal emails and Web form hijacking from spammers of this operation and charged they falsely claimed their supposed “hoodia” products cause permanent weight loss of as much as 40 pounds a month.

 Worst Claim: Bio SpeedSLIM . Billed as a major breakthrough that without any change in eating or activity: reduces pot belly, waist, hips, BMI and weight; suppresses hunger and cravings; promotes burning of excess body fat and gain of lean body mass. Also markets colon cleansing.

 Worst Gimmick: Hollywood Detox Body Wrap. Claimed to draw toxins out through the skin and cause long term loss of 4 to 6 inches in less than an hour.

To see the full article go to http://www.healthyweightnetwork.com/hww.htm#2007slim

To learn more about what does work for weight loss and nutrition go to www.evolutionri.com

Healthy Weight Week - January 20-26, 2008

2008-01-04T10:40:00.000-05:00

Healthy Weight Week
January 20-26, 2008
Healthy Weight Week is an annual, national observance that focuses attention on the importance of staying at a healthy weight. Traditionally people begin a diet the first week in January, break that diet the second week, and by the third week are ready to live in healthier ways and feel good about themselves again. They can find this by celebrating Healthy Weight Week and healthy lifestyles for everyone. Healthy Weight Week helps people move ahead to health-promoting habits they can live with the rest of their lives. Sound habits prevent eating and weight problems instead of intensifying them. Be sure to check their site on Jan 22nd for the "Annual Slim Chance Awards" which are awarded to the years worst dietshttp://www.healthyweightnetwork.com/

check out www.evolutionri.com we're celebrating the New Year with Pilates & Nutrition Boot Camps

EVOLUTION Approved Links: Health, Nutrition, Medical

2007-12-17T23:17:00.000-05:00

EVOLUTION Approved Links: Health, Nutrition, Medical

www.fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org/
This site includes information on fruits & vegetables nutrition, recipes and more.

www.webmd.com/
This site is full of helpful medical information and has great sections regarding fitness and nutrition. Information regarding children's health issues is also presented.

www.mayoclinic.com/
Provides basic information as well as nutrition information regarding all chronic diseases and conditions. Gives great recipe ideas and tackles important topics such as prescription drugs and supplements.

www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/
Supplies an online medical dictionary to help you breakdown the meaning of intimidating medical jargon. Keeps current medical news feed regarding pertinent and up-to date information.

www.healthcastle.com/nutrition101basics.shtml
Gives a great breakdown of nutrition 101. Very user friendly with realistic suggestions and healthy recipes provided

http://www.healthfinder.gov/
Online guide to health related information sponsored by the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion.

HealthierUs.gov is a Web site supporting the President's HealthierUS initiative by providing links to credible, accurate information

http://www.diabetes.org/
The American Diabetes Association is the nation's leading nonprofit health organization providing diabetes research, information and advocacy.

Stress makes us depressed, fat, sick - and we do it to ourselves

2007-12-10T15:54:00.000-05:00

Stress makes us depressed, fat, sick - and we do it to ourselves
San Francisco Chronicle - Dec. 10, 2007
There's no doubt, Berto said, that Americans are more stressed out than ever before. Doctors agree. In fact, they say, Americans are so riddled with stress these days that it's making them sick....
Read the full article

Find out more about how you can improve your overall health by contacting our experts at www.evolutionri.com

How Stress Makes You Flabby - Parade Magazine - Dec. 2, 2007

2007-12-05T09:41:00.000-05:00

Guess what? The link between stress and weight gain is much stronger than originally thought. New research suggests an actual physiological reason that people under stress tend to gain weight. A recent study by Georgetown University Medical Center showed... click here to read the full article

www.evolutionri.com

When Should You See a DietitianBoston Globe - Nov. 5, 2007

2007-12-04T22:44:00.000-05:00

The American Dietetic Association (eatright.org) suggests seeing a registered dietitian if you have diabetes, cardiovascular problems, or high blood pressure. click here to read the full article

Feel free to ask Evolution's Registered Dietitians your nutrition questions -or if you're looking for tips on how to get through this holiday season - http://www.evolutionri.com, or email info@evolutionri.com