General - Fitness Mantra : A Health and Fitness Blog

Fitness Mantra del.icio.us page Welcome to del.icio.us Friday, your once-a-week health news update. You can also stay updated with the latest in fitness news by subscribing separately to the Fitness Mantra del.icio.us feed.

An interesting article popped up on my RSS feed today from the Washington Post’s Lean Plate Club writer, Sally Squires. She reports that a new national campaign called “Take A Peak” is being launched by a select group of grocery stores like Giant Eagle and the Brookshire Grocery Company.

Dietary Guidlines For Americans 2005 These stores will henceforth highlight those products in their aisles that meet or exceed the standards set by the 2005 Dietary Guidelines For Americans (published jointly every 5 years by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Department of Agriculture (USDA)).

You can download the current set of guidelines either by individual chapters or as a single document and I believe this should be made mandatory reading for everyone.

For a fun pyramid representation of these guidelines check out MyPyramid.gov which gives you a personalized daily plan based on your individual requirements.

Consumers will find aisle banners, kiosks and other displays in stores that will help point them to fare that is consistent with the 2005 U.S. Dietary Guidelines. For example, signs will remind them of how many servings of whole grains to eat daily (three) and then show them what foods equal a single serving. (A slice of whole grain bread.)

- Via The Washington Post

Here are the top health stories for this week:

Not Overweight? You May Still Be ‘Fat’: Women who aren’t overweight but still have a high percentage of body fat may have more inflammation in their bodies, an Italian study shows.
New Program to Direct Healthier Food Purchases: Learning how to eat according to the U.S. Food Guide Pyramid may soon get a little easier: Grocery manufacturers and food product makers today unveiled a new national campaign in stores and elsewhere to help consumers follow the government’s healthy diet.
Food banks provide low nutritional value: study: Low-nutrient food hampers are putting people who rely on food banks at risk of developing depression and obesity, researchers suggest.
Eat more fruit but at mealtimes, toddlers warned: Everyone knows you should eat fruit because it’s good for you. But a new study has found that it’s not just how much but when you eat it.
Dieting at new low, but most in U.S. want to lose: The percentage of Americans who are dieting is at its lowest in at least 16 years even though a majority of adults say they would like to lose 20 pounds (9 kg), according to a study released on Wednesday.
Coffee helps douse workout pain: Moderate doses of caffeine the equivalent of two cups of coffee can cut post-gym muscle pain, suggests a new but small study.
Obesity operations soar in U.S.: The number of middle-aged Americans undergoing surgery for obesity skyrocketed between 1998 and 2004, according to a study released Wednesday.
Blood test predicts heart attack: A blood test may give doctors an early warning that a heart patient’s condition is about to get worse.
How spicy foods can kill cancers: Scientists found that capsaicin, an ingredient of jalapeno peppers, triggers cancer cell death by attacking mitochondria - the cells’ energy-generating boiler rooms.
Caffeine addiction fear over soft drinks: SOFT drinks manufacturers are adding caffeine to their products, increasing the likelihood that children will become mildly addicted to them, scientific research has suggested.
Milk in tea ‘blocks health gains’: Adding milk to a cup of tea can destroy its ability to protect against heart disease, according to research.
Fitness on Demand — With a Little Help From DVDs: When time’s short, the weather’s lousy or the gym’s not a remote possibility, fitness DVDs can be a godsend. Here are a few of my favorites, moving from beginner to advanced
Obesity, Heart Disease May Start Young: The study’s findings suggest that being overweight at a young age (9-12) “is not harmless and should be viewed as a serious health risk by parents and pediatricians,”
Obesity Ups Prostate Cancer Death Risk: Obesity can double a man’s risk of dying from prostate cancer, a National Cancer Institute study shows. Moreover, the more weight a man gains during adulthood, the higher his risk of prostate cancer death.
AstraZeneca Joins the American Heart Association to Promote Workplace Wellness: AstraZeneca joins the American Heart Association (AHA), and other national sponsors Healthy Choice and Subway, this morning to ring the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange, officially launching the AHA’s national Start! movement to promote walking and other healthy habits in the workplace.
As obesity fight hits cafeterias in the U.S., many fear a note from school: Six-year-old Karlind Dunbar barely touched her dinner, but not for time-honored 6-year-old reasons. The pasta was not the wrong shape. She did not have an urgent date with her dolls.
MTA: Fainting dieters delay NYC subways: Sick subway passengers, most of them dieters who faint from dizziness, are among the top causes of train delays, according to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.
Pro-anorexia websites ‘are killing people’: Vulnerable young people are being lured into starving themselves, or binge eating and throwing up their food, by websites that glorify “pro-ana” lifestyles, say health campaigners.
FDA proposes health claim for calcium and vitamin D: The Food and Drug Administration on Friday announced its proposal to allow new health claims on foods and dietary supplements containing calcium and vitamin D to indicate that these nutrients have the potential to help reduce risk of osteoporosis.
Full-fat dairy products linked to lower weight: Swedish researchers found that among more than 19,000 middle-aged women, those who had at least one serving of whole milk or cheese each day put on less weight over the next 9 years than women who consumed these foods less often.
PREDICTING 2007 TRENDS IN FOOD: With last year’s focus on the dangers of trans fats, will we see more interest in good and bad fats in 2007? With sodium levels skyrocketing in convenience products and restaurant items, could salt be the next villain?
Bias Is Found in Food Studies With Financing From Industry: Research studies financed by the food industry are much more likely to produce favorable results than independently financed research, a report to be published today said.

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new year 2007 Here we are again at that time of the year. The holiday season is almost over and it’s time now to take stock of what we are left with. Let’s see. In the gifts department, there’s loads of chocolates, homemade pies and, of course, one too many picture frames with holiday designs around the border.

Then a quick look at the mirror to see if a “little” bit of careless eating over the month-long holiday season had any effect on - Holy Cow! Is that really the same person? But it was just a cookie here, a bite of chocolate there and a piece of pie everywhere!

With the scales showing at least a 5 pound gain of the wrong type of weight (fat, rather than muscle), what is one to do? Make the same old resolutions like last year? Starve till one gets back to the old weight or run like crazy in the gym (but just in January)? Promise to abolish cakes from your life? Not only will these short-term resolutions not work, they sometimes may make it more difficult for your body to burn off fat. Instead, gentle readers, here are 5 simple ideas.

Presenting Fitness Mantra’s 5 Simple New Year Resolutions For A Fitter, Healthier You:

I will make fitness a way of my life: Bored to death by the byline? Well then, make it a part of your life. Make every choice a healthier one. Be it using the stairs for a couple of flights instead of the elevator or eating the whole-grain version of breads or pasta, only you have the control to make the fitter choice at every opportunity.
I will include more natural foods in my diet and reduce highly refined/processed foods: Increasing your intake of low-fat dairy products (milk, yogurt, cottage cheese), whole grain versions of products like bread and pasta, raw, unsalted nuts in moderation, loads of fresh (preferably green) vegetables and fresh fruits will do wonders for your body in the new year just as will the complementary decrease in highly refined and processed foods like white rice/bread/pasta, fast foods, sweets (pastries, cakes, chocolates) and fried foods (chips, doughnuts, French fries).
I will find time to exercise: Maybe you are a morning person who loves lacing up your running shoes right after brushing your teeth or the eveninger hitting the gym right after work. Some, like me, could even be mid-day persons, squeezing some time out for a workout during the lunch hour. Whichever type of person you are, resolve to find, nay, make the time for exercise. As more and more of the studies I highlight in my del.icio.us feed show, regular exercise can ward off a plethora of illnesses and diseases.
I will watch what I eat: This is not about just counting calories but knowing what your ultimate weight goals are and working toward achieving that target. You can begin this easily by finding the correct weight range for your person and then eating the right amount to achieve that weight. Not sure how to go about it? Begin by reading 5 links to calorie-conscious fitness. The links in that post to previous articles should, if read in the same order, give you a good starting point to begin achieving your long term weight and fitness goals in 2007!
I will have my annual physical exam this year (and every year): No fitness advice, eating regimens or exercise can ever take the place of regular physical exams from your physician. Nothing beats prevention, but then the very next-best-thing is catching a problem early. Physical examinations can catch the early warning signs of a wide variety of diseases including heart-disease and certain types of cancers. Early detection almost always gives you a highly increased chance of combating (and surviving) most illnesses.