Olympian’s, Just Like Us?

The excitement was felt worldwide last night as the London 2012 Summer Olympic Games kicked off.

The athletes are ready for the greatest physical competition of their lives and this opening day is a result of a life time of work.  Daily training, diet, and mental preparation all play a role in whether they achieve gold.

Discovering Olympians’ diets or training secrets has always been a great American past time. Is it because we all have dreams of someday standing on a podium as the crowd shouts, “USA, USA”?

To fuel up like Olympian swimmer Michael Phelps keep in mind that he eats up to 12,000 calories a day. Some of his favorite foods include french toast, pancakes, eggs, pasta, and energy drinks!

While other athletes have different culinary choices, like tennis player Venus Williams, who chose a raw vegan diet plan to accompany her to the Olympics.

One thing is for sure, these athletes burn more calories than average people. But is it possible that eating like an Olympian will help you reach that gold medal? It’s possible, perhaps if you are burning 3,000 plus calories a day…like many Olympians.

So how many calories do they burn? Read more HERE to find out.

Enjoy the 2012 Summer Games!

~Professional Medical Corp.

Eating Red Meat Increases Risk of Premature Death

A new study conducted by the Harvard School of Public Health found that any red meat that you eat increases your chance of dying at an earlier age. Try picturing a piece of steak the size of a deck of cards and adding it to your daily diet- that piece of steak can be linked to a 13% greater chance of dying. This percentage came from the long study of 110,000 adults for more than 20 years. The researchers analyzed their eating habits and health and found any meat no matter if it was processed or not contributed to their early death.

The researchers are not entirely sure what causes the increase of mortality rate but recommends reducing the consumption of red meat to 2-3 servings a week. However, other researchers cautioned that this study could have a lot of errors due to the way the information was recorded. The researchers asked the participants through questionnaires about their food frequency, sometimes grueling details of past meals.

What do you think of this study?

Read the original article here—courtesy of LA Times

–Professional Medical

Health Boosting Chocolates are on the Rise

So far most Americans know that dark chocolate has more health benefits than milk chocolate, but imagine chocolate with other health-boosting compounds to help prevent against heart disease, cancer and stroke. The markets for these kinds of chocolates are increasing 10% each year. It is now making annual sales of $600 million a year which is only a small percentage of the functional food industry—products marketed as having health benefits—which totals an estimated $20-30 billion a year.

Chocolatiers over the past several years have been creating different kind of chocolates that can help increase stamina, sharpen cognitive skills, and boost the immune system.  They have been doing this by adding a range of super-foods, supplements and spices to their recipes. For example, Antidote Chocolates based in New York have ingredients such as fennel to help with digestion and juniper berries to reduce water retention.

However, nutritionists say that overall dark chocolate must be dark in order to be healthy and that any chocolate containing less than 70% cacao will “offer few benefits and little functionality.” Also remember that chocolates can be full of fat, calories, and sugar so any health benefits can be offset by this. Be sure to read the ingredients and ask questions before purchasing.

Would you be ordering any of these “super” chocolates soon?

–Professional Medical

Read original article here—courtesy of Times Healthland.

Top Sources of Salt in Your Food

A new report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found the top 10 sources of sodium in the American diet. It is already stated that nearly 90% of all Americans eat too much salt, which increase chances of developing hypertension leading to heart disease and stroke. The average daily sodium intake was 3,266 mg a day for an American which is far exceeding the government’s recommendation of 2,300 mg.

Overall the study found 10 foods that make up 44% of all the sodium we eat.

1. Bread and rolls, 7.4%
2. Cold cuts/cured meats, 5.1%
3. Pizza, 4.9%
4. Fresh and processed poultry, 4.5%
5. Soups, 4.3%
6. Sandwiches like cheeseburgers, 4%
7. Cheese, 3.8%
8. Pasta dishes like spaghetti with meat sauce, 3.3%
9. Meat dishes like meatloaf with tomato sauce, 3.2%
10. Snacks, including chips, pretzels, popcorn and puffs, 3.1%

It might seem odd that snacks like popcorn and chips are listed as #10 and bread and rolls are listed #1, it is because the study accounted how often Americans would eat these type of food. It is surveyed that Americans are more likely to eat bread and rolls in their daily diet bringing them to the number one spot. It does not necessary mean that bread and rolls have more sodium than the rest. Another interesting fact was that 75% of all the sodium we consume a day comes from food that we don’t make at home.  Think about that the next time you’re eating out!

The survey was based on food surveys answered by 7227 Americans which included 2,500 children and teens.

Read the original article here—courtesy of Times Healthland

Should Sugar be Regulated like Alcohol and Cigarettes?

Well, some scientists think so. Researchers from the University of California-San Francisco believe that sugar is so destructive to the public health that it should be regulated like alcohol and cigarettes.

Recently, the researchers announced that this dangerous consumption of sugar intake is contributing to the obesity pandemic and is causing many health problems such as liver damage, high blood pressure, and altering people’s hormones. They claim in their article, “The Toxic Truth about Sugar,” that this high consumption of sugar tripled worldwide in the last 50 years and is contributing to 35 million deaths.

In order to lower consumption, the researchers recommend taxation, controlling availability, and tightening requirements to sell sugary snacks and drinks in places like school and work.

However, the American Beverage Association and the Sugar Association believe that the article is without scientific merit. The Sugar Association even believes that the authors are being reckless by scaring the public with the harm and effects of sugar.

The researchers argue back that, “‘we’re not advocating a major imposition of the government into people’s lives,’” and that their ultimate goal is to “‘actually increase people’s choices by making foods that aren’t loaded with sugar comparatively easier and cheaper to get.’”

What are your opinions?

 

Read the original article here—courtesy of Fox News

 

–The Professional Medical Corp

Does it Matter What Your Doctor Looks Like?

A new study conducted by the John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and the John Hopkins University School of Medicine found  out that a doctor’s body size had an influence on how he or she cared for their patients with weight problems. The researchers found that out of the 500 primary care physicians that was part of this study, 30% of normal weight physicians discussed losing weight with their patients while only 18% of the overweight doctors did.

They also found out that 93% of doctors would diagnose obesity in their patients if they believed that their own weight was equal to or less than that of their patients. The study also found that more than half of physicians were overweight or obese (53%) which is a similar percentage to the 64% of the U.S. adults that fall in the same category.

What was also surprising was that when overweight or obese doctors did discussed obesity issues with their patients, they were more likely than their normal weight physicians to prescribe anti-obesity medications (26% vs. 18%) rather than diet and exercise.

The researchers concluded that the behavior is subconscious and not intentional. This study suggest that the physical appearance of doctors can be a bigger factor to how patients are taken care of than realized.

Read the original article here—courtesy of Times Healthland.

What do you think of this study?

Greek Yogurt vs. Regular Yogurt

AARP.com wrote a good article that summarized the difference between Greek and regular yogurt. Below are just some of the highlights:

Protein: Greek yogurt wins by having nearly twice the protein.

Sodium: Greek has half the salt.

Calcium: If you’re looking for more calcium, regular yogurt is the way to go. It has about three times as much calcium.

Calories: It is about the same if you are comparing similar flavors and fat levels.

Carbohydrates: It depends. Greek plain yogurt has half the sugar than the regular.

Fat: It also depends. Full-fat Greek yogurt has three times the fat of regular, full-fat yogurt. However, there is nonfat or low-fat Greek yogurt as a buying option.

Greek yogurt is usually pricier than regular yogurt, because it takes about three times as much milk to produce a pound of Greek yogurt compared to the regular kind. The reason behind this is the process—for that Greek yogurt taste, it would need to be strained to remove most of the liquid whey to give it that thicker consistency it is known for.

For more info and the original article click here—courtesy of AARP.com

So which one do you usually like better?

-Professional Medical Corp.

Curried Carrot Soup

Soup is often a great choice to make during the winter season. Eatingwell.com showed us a delicious healthy curried carrot soup recipe that will definitely warm you up this season.

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons canola oil
• 2 teaspoons curry powder
• 8 medium carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
• 4 medium stalks celery, thinly sliced
• 1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
• 5 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Freshly ground pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Cook oil and curry powder in a large saucepan over medium heat, stirring, until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in carrots, celery and onion; toss to coat in oil. Cook, stirring frequently, for 10 minutes. Stir in broth. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until the vegetables are very tender, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat; let stand 10 minutes. Lay a paper towel over the surface of the soup to blot away the oil that has risen to the top. Discard the paper towel.
2. Working in batches of no more than 2 cups at a time, transfer the soup to a blender and puree (use caution when pureeing hot liquids). Return the pureed soup to the pan, place over medium heat and heat through. Season with lemon juice, salt and pepper.

What other soup recipes would you recommend?

Click here for the original recipe including tips and nutrition—courtesy of eatingwell.com

-Professional Medical Corp

 

Top Fat Burning Foods

If losing weight is part of your New Year’s resolution, then these foods are some of the top fat burning foods you need to know.  Health.com gives us some suggestions to burn more calories than ever before.

1. Whole Grains—By eating whole food in general, your body burns twice as many calories than processed foods.
2. Low-Fat Dairy Products—These food such as cheese are rich in calcium and vitamin D which can help preserve and build muscle mass—vital for keeping a tough metabolism.
3. Green Tea—The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that drinking about 4 cups of green tea a day helped people drop more than six pounds in eight weeks! Supposedly, there is a compound in the brew that temporarily increases metabolism after sipping it.
4. Hot Peppers—The compound, capsaicin, that gives chili peppers their spicy kick, heats up your body and makes you melt additional calories. Any form of pepper works such as raw, cooked, dried, or powdered. This is great news for those who love spicy food.

Click here for more foods—courtesy of Health.com

What are some of your suggestions?

-Professional Medical Corp

Congress Turns Away from Healthier School Lunches

The House and Senate committee recently announced their final draft of a bill that includes $11 billion National School Lunch Program. The congress decides to deny many of USDA’s suggestions to make school lunches healthier. Apparently, ketchup and tomato sauce is still considered as vegetables and they are going to keep food such as pizza and French fries as lunch options.

Below is what they decided to NOT pass:

-Limiting starchy vegetables such as corn, peas, and potatoes to two servings a week while requiring weekly minimum of leafy veggies and vitamin rich veggies.

-Having two tablespoons of tomato paste count as a serving of vegetable.

-Reducing sodium amount in school meals.

-Requiring half of all grains and breads to come from whole grains.

Currently, a third of American children are obese.

What do you think of this new bill?

Read original article here—courtesy of Times Healthland