Solutions to the Healthcare Crisis

Is Prevention the answer? Well considering approximately $1 Trillion of Healthcare spending is spent on diseases that are largely preventable, (diabetes, obesity, hypertension) doesn't it make sense to shift our focus to preventing those diseases in the first place? Food for thought...

Here is an article that further discusses:



Too many fancy tests, high doctor fees, overpaid insurance companies — all of these contribute to the unrelenting rise in the cost of health care in America. But there's one monster issue that the experts say outweighs the others: chronic disease.
Chronic diseases like diabetes and hypertension account for three-fourths of the country's health care spending, says one of the leading national experts, Kenneth E. Thorpe of Emory University.
Obesity alone, a prime cause of chronic disease, is responsible for 30 percent of the increase in Medicare spending over the past decade, Thorpe says.
That means that, to wrestle health care costs under control, we'd better get a handle on those chronic diseases — and on our weight problem.
Fortunately, there's plenty of room for improvement. "The vast majority of cases" of chronic disease could be better managed, says Thorpe. Diabetics can be coached to keep their blood sugar under control, for example, and avoid expensive medical crises. Better managing or preventing chronic diseases saves money on hospitalizations or emergency room visits later.
To read the complete editorial, visit The Anchorage Daily News.

Excerpt From My Book - Gluten - What Is It?

Gluten – What is it?

“Gluten is a composite of the proteins gliadin and glutenin. These exist, conjoined with starch, in the endosperms, of some grass-related grains, notably wheat, rye and barley. Gluten is an important source of nutritional protein, both in foods prepared directly from sources containing it, and as an additive to foods otherwise low in protein” (Wikipedia.com). Gluten may also be found in contaminated oats that are manufactured in a gluten-containing facility. Surprisingly, gluten can be found in seasonings such as monosodium glutamate (MSG), soy sauce and some salad dressings to name a few. Because gluten is found in so many processed foods if you don’t know how to read a label, you may ingest it without knowing.

Gluten is healthy for those who can tolerate it, but 1 in every 133 people suffers from Celiac Disease, or an intolerance to gluten (celiac.org) “Celiac Disease (CD) is a lifelong, digestive disorder affecting children and adults. When people with CD eat foods that contain gluten, it creates an immune-mediated toxic reaction that causes damage to the small intestine and does not allow food to be properly absorbed. Even small amounts of gluten in foods can affect those with CD and cause health problems. Damage can occur to the small bowel even when there are no symptoms present (celiac.org).”

Throughout my years as a lifestyle coach, I found that many people had issues with wheat or gluten. I personally can tell the difference when I eat wheat products vs. eliminating them from my diet. I retain about 5 extra pounds, which I believe is water retention from the allergy. Because I saw so many people struggle with gluten related issues, I made it my mission to do research on what foods are low-glycemic (GI), but also gluten-free. I found that when I was looking for alternatives myself, I was struggling to find good options. Many of the common gluten-free alternatives in processed foods are ingredients such as potato flour, rice flour, brown rice flour, tapioca flour etc. These are all high-glycemic and will raise your blood sugar very quickly when ingested. I knew that there had to be a way to avoid these ingredients, but still make those delicious chocolate chip cookies I couldn’t live without. You will see that the majority of recipes in this cookbook are gluten-free, or have a gluten-free option associated with them. I am committed to creating recipes that will help you maintain a healthy weight, while also having the option of eating gluten-free.

A great way that I found to test for gluten sensitivity, or wheat intolerance, is to eliminate gluten from your diet for at least 3 weeks. If you lose a tremendous amount of weight (7-15 lbs) in the first week, this may be a sign. You should also measure your waist in inches before you go off gluten. After a week of being gluten-free, measure your waist again. If you lose 5 inches or more, this could be a sign of gluten sensitivity. Also, if your rings on your fingers feel really tight after eating something with gluten in it, this may be a simple sign that it is not agreeing with your body. There may even be a couple days delay for this symptom to take place.

I lost 7 lbs in the first week that I went off of gluten. I found, through trial and error, that I am most sensitive to wheat. I do not have Celiac Disease, but people that do may have awful symptoms from gluten such as, diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal cramping, bloating, fatigue, eczema, dehydration, abdominal distention and the list goes on. If Celiac Disease is not diagnosed and treated it can lead to many diseases down the road. Some of these include:

· Cancer
· Fibromyalgia
· Delayed Growth
· Type 1 Diabetes
· Osteoporosis
· Reproductive Issues
· Neurological Issues
· Liver Disease
· Depression
· Rheumatoid Arthritis
· Miscarriage

If you do have Celiac Disease, check out Elizabeth Hasselbeck’s book, The G-Free Diet. It has a ton of great information on Celiac Disease, gluten and what foods do and do not have gluten in them.

Gluten-free, low-GI flour options for making cookies and baked goods:
· Quinoa Flour – great for baking and using in place of regular flour
· Almond Flour
· Soy Flour
· Bean Flours
· Coconut Flour
· Buckwheat Flour
*You can find all of these at www.bobsredmill.com

Common grains/ingredients that you should stay away from if you have a gluten sensitivity (The G-Free Diet):
· Wheat flour
· White flour
· Bran
· Semolina
· Bulgur
· Couscous
· Rye
· Barley
· Oats (that don’t say “gluten-free” on the packaging)
· Triticale
· Dextrin (containing wheat)
· Some Soup Bases
· Most Cereals
· Soy Sauce (you can get gluten-free)
· Some Salad Dressings and Marinades (you need to look in the ingredients)

Fabulous Flaxseed

Here is an excerpt of an article just posted on WebMD about Flaxseed. To view the full article go to: http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/benefits-of-flaxseed

The Benefits of Flaxseed

Is flaxseed the new wonder food? Preliminary studies show that flaxseed may help fight everything from heart disease and diabetes to even breast cancer.

By Carol Sorgen
WebMD Feature

Reviewed by Michael W. Smith, MD

Flaxseed may be on everyone's lips -- and in everyone's cereal -- but this new darling of the plant world has been around for more than 4,000 years, known even in the days of Hippocrates for its healthful benefits.

Flaxseed has been a part of human and animal diets for thousands of years in Asia, Europe, and Africa, and more recently in North America and Australia, says Kaye Effertz, executive director of AmeriFlax, a trade promotion group representing U.S. flaxseed producers. As flax gained popularity for its industrial uses, however, its popularity as a food product waned, but it never lost its nutritional value. "Today flax is experiencing a renaissance among nutritionists, the health conscious public, food processors, and chefs alike," says Effertz.

The reason for the increasing interest in flaxseed is its apparent benefits for a host of medical conditions, says Roberta Lee, MD, medical director of the Center for Health and Healing at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in New York.

Flaxseed is very high in omega-3 essential fatty acids, Lee explains. It's the omega 3s -- "good" fats -- that researchers are looking at in terms of their possible effects on lowering cholesterol, stabilizing blood sugar, lowering the risk of breast, prostate, and colon cancers, and reducing the inflammation of arthritis, as well as the inflammation that accompanies certain illnesses such as Parkinson's disease and asthma.

In addition to the omega-3s, the remaining two components of flaxseed -- lignans and fiber -- are being studied for their health benefits as well, says Diane Morris, PhD, RD, spokesperson for the Flax Council of Canada. Lignans, for example, act as both phytoestrogens and antioxidants, while the fiber contained in the flaxseed is of both the soluble and insoluble type. "Flax is an interesting mixture of nutrients and other components," says Morris.

Though studies conducted to date have been limited in scope and small in nature, their results are promising, says Morris. In a small Canadian study of 39 women, for example, researchers from the University of Toronto found that flaxseed may boost conventional treatment for breast cancer. In the study, reported in the American Institute for Cancer Research Newsletter in 1998, postmenopausal women with breast cancer ate either a plain muffin or a muffin containing 25 grams of flaxseed oil every day for approximately five-and-a-half weeks. Of the 29 out of the 39 women who ate both muffins, researchers found reductions in the growth of their tumors.

These results were encouraging, says Morris, but she adds, "It's just one study." The favorable results of that study, however, are leading to others. At the John Wayne Cancer Institute in Santa Monica, Calif., for example, investigators are also looking into the effect of essential fatty acids on breast cancer, says Rachel Beller, MS, RD, director of the Brander Nutritional Oncology Counseling and Research Program. But here, too, says Beller, it's too soon to have any conclusive findings.

The Many Uses of Grapeseed Oil

You may be asking why would I use Grapeseed Oil and not Vegetable Oil, Olive Oil, etc. for cooking. Well, 1 major reason is that Grapeseed Oil has a higher burn threshold. Okay, what the heck does that mean?

It means that you can cook it up to about 420 degrees and it will not change the chemical composition of it. The problem with Olive Oil, is that when it is heated it will change chemically to something that isn't as healthy for you. You've heard of trans fats and how bad they are. Well heating oils like that will create a much more harmful fat than the good fats that are normally in Olive Oil for example.

You can use Grapeseed Oil to cook with for anything that you'd cook in a skillet. It can also be used as an ingredient in salad dressings or homemade mayo.

Grapeseed Oil is extremely high in antioxidants, including resveratrol which has been in the news alot lately as an ingredient which taken regularly can be extremely beneficial in slowing down the aging process. Grapeseed Oil has also been found to lower LDL cholesterol(bad) and raise HDL (good)

Hope this helps!

Meaghan

Hot Buckwheat Cereal with Fresh Berries: Low-GI, Gluten-Free

I discovered this product about 2 years ago, while learning about the glycemic index. Not only is it low-GI, but is a great alternative to oatmeal if you have gluten issues. The fact that it may control blood sugar, and is high in fiber is why it is considered low-GI. This makes it a wonderful choice for Diabetics too.

Buckwheat is actually a fruit seed that looks and tastes a lot like a grain. Buckwheat is great for your cholesterol and it actually acts like an ACE Inhibitor to lower blood pressure. It has tons of fiber in it and will keep you full for hours. I sweeten it with Agave Syrup (all natural, low-gi sweetner) and add ground flaxseed, cinnamon, blueberries and raspberries. It is wonderful for anyone who wants to have a nutritious, filling breakfast.

Here is a link if you want to get more info. on Buckwheat: http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=11

Benefits of eating Low GI

Click on the title for a great article written by an MD out of Madison, WI. She really knows her stuff and she talks about how eating Low GI can be so beneficial for health.

Have a healthy day,

Meaghan

Live Longer with these Foods

WebMD Feature from "EatingWell"By Peter JaretSecrets of long life from around the world

1: Olive oil. Four decades ago, researchers from the Seven Countries Study concludedthat the monounsaturated fats in olive oil were largely responsiblefor the low rates of heart disease and cancer on the Greek island ofCrete. Now we know that olive oil also contains polyphenols, powerfulantioxidants that may help prevent age-related diseases.

2: Yogurt. In the 1970s, Soviet Georgia was rumored to have more centenarians percapita than any other country. Reports at the time claimed that thesecret of their long lives was yogurt, a food ubiquitous in theirdiets. While the age-defying powers of yogurt never have been proveddirectly, yogurt is rich in calcium, which helps stave offosteoporosis and contains "good bacteria" that help maintain guthealth and diminish the incidence of age-related intestinal illness.

3: Fish. Thirty years ago, researchers began to study why the native Inuits ofAlaska were remarkably free of heart disease. The reason, scientistsnow think, is the extraordinary amount of fish they consume. Fish isan abundant source of omega-3 fats, which help prevent cholesterol buildup in arteries and protect against abnormal heart rhythms.

4: Chocolate. The Kuna people of the San Blas islands, off the coast of Panama, havea rate of heart disease that is nine times less than that of mainlandPanamanians. The reason? The Kuna drink plenty of a beverage made with generous proportions of cocoa, which is unusually rich in flavanolsthat help preserve the healthy function of blood vessels. Maintaining youthful blood vessels lowers risk of high blood pressure, type 2diabetes, kidney disease and dementia.

5: Nuts. Studies of Seventh-Day Adventists (a religious denomination that emphasizes healthy living and a vegetarian diet) show that those whoeat nuts gain, on average, an extra two and a half years. Nuts arerich sources of unsaturated fats, so they offer benefits similar tothose associated with olive oil. They're also concentrated sources of vitamins, minerals and other phytochemicals, including antioxidants.

6: Wine. Drinking alcohol in moderation protects against heart disease,diabetes and age-related memory loss. Any kind of alcoholic beverageseems to provide such benefits, but red wine has been the focus ofmuch of the research. Red wine contains resveratrol, a compound that likely contributes to its benefits--and, according to animal studies,may activate genes that slow cellular aging.

7: Blueberries. In a landmark study published in 1999, researchers at Tufts University's Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging fed rats blueberry extract for a period of time that in "rat lives" is equivalent to 10 human years. These rats outperformed rats fed regular chow on tests of balance and coordination when they reached old age.Compounds in blueberries (and other berries) mitigate inflammation and oxidative damage, which are associated with age-related deficits inmemory and motor function.
Originally published on November 1, 2007(c) 2007 Eating Well Media Group

Coconut Flour!

I came across a product I am very excited about.

"Coconut flour.For 5 tblespns it is 30g of total Carb and 27g Fiber the one concern is the saturated fat is 7gThis has been a big support for those times you want to use flour.You can bake with it and this morning I made pancakes with it. Light and fluffy. Muffins are wonderful.I even found a recipe book for it.One other benefit is it is also wheat and gluten free!!!"

Source: Transitions Google Group

WELCOME TO MY BLOG!

Thanks to everyone that supports me on this venture. I hope that you find this site helpful to your journey for better health and better cooking! I look forward to sharing more with you and to hear your feedback along the way.

Meaghan