One Big Health Nut

1.   Hard boiled egg (1), whole wheat English muffin w/ 1tsp of low-fat butter (1), ½ cup of strawberries or blueberries, 8ozs orange juice. 

2.   1 cup of cheerios oat cluster crunch w/ ½ cup of skim milk, 1 banana, 1 cup of coffee. 

3.   ½ cup of 1% cottage cheese, 1 cup blueberries, 1 slice whole wheat toast w/ 1tsp low fat butter. 

4.   Mix 1 cup fat free plain yogurt with ½ cup of blueberries, ½ cup of grapes, ½ cup of strawberries, 1 cup of coffee 

5.   Vegetable omelet made from 1 egg, 2 egg whites, sliced green pepper, and a sprinkle of low fat cheddar or mozzarella cheese, 1 cup of tea or coffee. 

6.    Sausage Breakfast Burrito from McDonald’s. 

7.   Fruit and yogurt parfait, one hash brown and a cup of black coffee from McDonald’s 

8.   An Egg & Cheese English Muffin Sandwich and a cup of coffee with nonfat milk and sweetener from Dunkin Donuts 

9.   Country Breakfast Burrito & a cup of black coffee from Taco Bell  

10.   Fiesta Breakfast Burrito and a cup of black coffee from Taco Bell

The sugar present in your blood is referred to as glucose.  Glucose is the primary source of energy for the body.  Glucose in your blood is attained from food, nutrients in the body, and from glucose stored in your muscles.  If your glucose levels in your body, also known as blood sugar, drop your body burns the glucose stores in your muscles or produces more sugar from the nutrients in your body.  If the levels are too high, the body produces a hormone called insulin to lower the glucose level.   

Drinking alcohol inhibits your body’s ability to maintain healthy blood glucose levels.  Instead of focusing on producing, restoring, and maintaining glucose levels in the body, the body must focus primarily on ridding the body of the alcohol.  If you drink alcohol on a regular basis, the body will spend a significant amount of time metabolizing the alcohol.  Consequently, the body becomes less efficient in producing the hormones necessary to maintain healthy glucose (blood sugar) levels in the body.   

The adverse affects associated with regular, and especially heavy, alcohol consumption on the body are significant.  If the efficiency of the body’s ability to maintain blood glucose (sugar) levels is decreased, the individual can become diabetic or glucose intolerant.  Both diabetes and glucose intolerance are chronic conditions that require regular medical treatment and substantial diet changes.  The emergence of either condition will make drinking alcohol dangerous, as it will further limit the production of insulin in the body. 

Drinking alcohol is not dangerous in moderation.  But drinking heavily or if you drink alcohol more than occasionally, you are increasing your risk of diabetes or glucose intolerance.  Not only will regular alcohol consumption affect your health, it will affect your weight also.  If you are striving to lose weight or trying to maintain your current weight, regular alcohol consumption will adversely affect your metabolism.  And the inefficient production of glucose hormones to regulate your blood sugar will make weight loss extremely difficult. 

The benefits of exercise are comprehensive and substantial, physically and mentally.  But there are health concerns you should be made aware of associated with high impact exercise.  Evidence suggests the possibility that high impact exercise could negatively impact joint and back health.   Minor injuries could occur.  And in some people chronic conditions could arise. 

Injuries to bones and muscles are possible with high impact exercise.  The back muscles and discs, knees, and ankles may be at risk.  Studies have not been definitive at present.  But a possible link has been found associating high impact exercise and degenerative disc disease.  Research has also found that at least one half of people that participate in high impact exercise, regardless of age, suffer minor injury once a year.  And some individuals may experience chronic pain in joints.   

There are preventative measures you can take to preclude chronic conditions from developing.  Stretching before and after exercise is imperative, promoting flexibility and reducing strain.  Strength training at least twice a week will keep the muscles strong.  Wear appropriate shoes for the exercise and your foot type.  Choose terrain that will lessen the impact on the body when possible.  Proper posture and form during the exercise will limit strain and injury.  Maintain body conditioning by exercising consistently.   

If you have already developed a chronic joint or muscle condition or have experienced recurring episodes of pain, you don’t have to give up exercise.  Visit your doctor for expert advice on preventing further injury.  A sports doctor may be able to diagnose and treat exercise or sport specific conditions your regular doctor may be unfamiliar with.  Reducing the impact on the affected muscles can be helpful.  And remember to rest, ice, compress, and elevate (RICE) the affected part. 

Recent studies have revealed a troubling issue with the water streaming through your faucets.  Prescription drugs have been found in the water.  The drugs present in our drinking water are alarming.  The drugs include sedatives, antibiotics, mood stabilizers, asthma medications, medications for mental illness, and sex hormones.  These drugs have been found in the water supplies of more than 20 metropolitan areas. 

The quantities of the drugs present in the water at this time are too little to cause harm.  The concern is for the long term problems that could be caused by the accumulation of the drugs.   But some scientist claim there is a link between the medications and negative changes in human cells.  Wildlife and marine life are also said to be affected adversely by the presence of prescription and over the counter medications in the drinking water.   

At the present time, there are no methods for cleansing the pharmaceuticals from the water supplies.  Current filtering processes already implemented only remove bacteria and germs present in the water supply.  The pollution of drinking water supplies is not expected to diminish over time.  The drugs ingested by humans and animals are not completely metabolized by the body.  The remaining drugs are excreted and flushed into the water.  The drugs are being deposited into the water supply from human and animal waste.   

Walking down the cereal aisle in the grocery store with your child(ren) is almost as difficult as making it through the check-out line with the mini candy store on your right hand side.  Crying, whining, begging, and bargaining typically resonate and echo throughout the store, driving the other patrons out of the store and forcing parents to concede to the demands of the children for the sake of the elusive ‘peace and quiet’.  Parents rationalize this choice by asking themselves, “What harm can it do?”   

The result of this recurring scene is more damaging that you might imagine.  This trend has contributed to the obesity crisis in children, the epidemic dental conditions, and the increasing rate of children afflicted with type 2 diabetes.  The recent comparison of breakfast cereal to candy appears to have some credence.  Cereals that are marketed for children are laden with sugar.  The amount of sugar present in children’s cereals is as comparable to the amount found in candy.  Statistics claims 88% of kid’s cereals are high in sugar content.  

So what can you as a parent do to satisfy your child’s breakfast demands without contributing to a health problem?  Read the nutrition labels on the cereal boxes.  Choose cereals with low sugar contents.  Another option would be to serve your child something besides cereal.  You could try cutting up fruit and serving it in a bowl with toasted whole grain bread or English muffins.  If you have difficulty resisting your child’s requests while at the store, don’t bring the child with you when you shop.  Or just take a stand and explain to your child that his or her health is too important to risk.