Keeping kids health weight by giving family meals

If we look Kids who sit down to eat with their families are less likely to be overweight and eat unhealthy foods compared with others who eat lonely, according to U.S. researchers who call for more shared meals.

In the first report to combine all existing studies on the issue, they found kids who eat with their parents spend at least three times or more a week had actually 12 percent lower odds of being overweight.

The percentage showed that the children were also 20 percent less likely to eat junk food, 35 percent less likely to have eating problems like skipping meals or bingeing, and 24 percent proved they are more likely to eat vegetables and other healthy foods. 

The Amber hammons from University of Illinois at Urbana, Champaign, whose findings are published in the journal Pediatrics said that sitting down as a family give a nutritional benefit to them especially kids. Still, the 17 studies reviewed in the new work were based on observations, not actual experiments, and Hammons acknowledged that they don't prove shared meals trim waistlines.

"It's just an association," she told Reuters Health. "Families who sit down together could be healthier to begin with."

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, childhood obesity has more than tripled over the past 3 decades, reaching close to 20 percent in 2008.

The extra pounds may weigh down on kids' self-esteem and can set them up for health problems such as heart disease and diabetes.

The new report is based on findings from nearly 183,000 children about 2 to 17 years of age. While those studies yielded mixed results and weren't easy to compare, overall they show regular family meals are tied to better nutrition. 

Parents might give big influence as well as monitor their kids during shared meals. Hammons said beside that the children also less to east eat high-calorie food

As a result, the researchers encourage families to spend more time together around the dinner table.

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Keep Eating Apple Reduce Some Diseases

As we know that fruit is very good for our health because each fruit has variety of  vitamin depend on what fruit you eat. One of fruit which content much vitamin is “Apple”. It contains no fat, cholesterol or sodium, but fiber, water, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus and iron, and vitamins as A, B1, B2, C. Moreover, Apples are best fruit you can eat without restriction throughout the year. They disguise the fiber, vitamins and nutrients and have very few calories, as indicated in a diet. In addition. Researches said that a medium apple has about 80 calories and is an excellent source of fiber. Just make sure you do not take too many apple seeds because it could be toxic if taken in large amount. Apples are low in calories; 100 g of fresh fruit slices provide only 50 calories. They are however contain no saturated fats or cholesterol; but rich in dietary fiber which helps prevent absorption of dietary LDL cholesterol in the gut. The dietary fibers also help protect the mucous membrane of the colon from exposure to toxic substances by binding to cancer causing chemicals in the colon. Furthermore, Apple fruit also contains good quantities of vitamin-C and beta carotene. Vitamin C is definitely a powerful natural antioxidant. Consumption of foods rich in vitamin C helps body develop resistance against infectious agents and scavenge harmful, pro-inflammatory free radicals from the body. beside that, apple fruit is also a good source of B-complex vitamins such as riboflavin, thiamin and pyridoxine (vitamin B-6). Together these vitamins help as co-factors for enzymes in metabolism as well as in various synthetic functions inside the body. Apple also contains small amount of minerals like potassium, phosphorus and calcium. Potassium in an important component of cell and body fluids helps controlling heart rate and blood pressure; thus counters the bad influences of sodium.

Benefit from apple:

Release Toxic

Apples are excellent detoxifiers and apple juice can destroy viruses in the body. 

Bone Protection
French researchers found that a flavanoid called phloridzin that is found only in apples may protect post-menopausal women from osteoporosis and may also increase bone density. Boron, another ingredient in apples, also strengthens bones.

Asthma Help
One recent study shows that children with asthma who drank apple juice on a daily basis suffered from less wheezing than children who drank apple juice only once per month. Another study showed that children born to women who eat a lot of apples during pregnancy have lower rates of asthma than children whose mothers ate few apples.

Alzheimer's Prevention
A study on mice at Cornell University found that the quercetin in apples may protect brain cells from the kind of free radical damage that may lead to Alzheimer's disease.

Lower Cholesterol
The pectin in apples lowers LDL ("bad") cholesterol. People who eat two apples per day may lower their cholesterol by as much as 16 percent.

Lung Cancer Prevention
According to a study of 10,000 people, those who ate the most apples had a 50 percent lower risk of developing lung cancer. Researchers believe this is due to the high levels of the flavonoids quercetin and naringin in apples.

Breast Cancer Prevention
A Cornell University study found that rats who ate one apple per day reduced their risk of breast cancer by 17 percent. Rats fed three apples per day reduced their risk by 39 percent and those fed six apples per day reduced their risk by 44 percent.

Colon Cancer Prevention
One study found that rats fed an extract from apple skins had a 43 percent lower risk of colon cancer. Other research shows that the pectin in apples reduces the risk of colon cancer and helps maintain a healthy digestive tract.

Liver Cancer Prevention
Research found that rats fed an extract from apple skins had a 57 percent lower risk of liver cancer.

Diabetes Management
The pectin in apples supplies galacturonic acid to the body which lowers the body's need for insulin and may help in the management of diabetes.

Weight Loss
A Brazilian study found that women who ate three apples or pears per day lost more weight while dieting than women who did not eat fruit while dieting One large apple supplies almost 30% of minimum amount of fiber that should be consumed daily. Doctors recommend daily consumption of apples for a complete and balanced diet

Gout and Rheumatism prevention

For people who suffer from gout and rheumatism, eat apple regularly because it will aid healing


Stomach
Another benefit of apple is for those who have problem with their stomach. If you have problem with indigestion, eat apples before meals. Grated apple, when mixed with live yogurt may be helpful in cases of diarrhea

 
Selection and Storage:

Generally, if we buy an apple in department store like supermarket, you must consider some tips of good selection. Mostly, Fresh apples are readily available in the stores all around the season.  Choose fresh, bright, firm textured apples with rich flavor. Avoid fruits with pressure marks over their surface as they indicate underlying mottled of pulp. To prevent browning, rub the cut surfaces with a mixture of lemon juice and water

Fresh apples can be kept at room temperature for few days and stored in refrigerator for two to three weeks. Wash them in clean running cold water before use to remove any surface dust and pesticide/fungicide residues. the appearance of Apples must be hard. If you can dent an apple with your finger, DO NOT BUY IT.

Select apples that are firm, without blemishes, wrinkles or bruises. Apples will not ripen if picked prematurely but mature apples will ripen further at home. Do not buy apples that have not been kept cold since they can be over-ripe in a few days.

To hasten the ripening process, punch holes in a brown paper bag and store apples inside at room temperature. The ethylene gas they emit also causes other fruits to ripen quickly, so store apples separately. Refrigerated apples will keep much longer – up to several weeks – stored in plastic in the crisper drawer. Lastly, Wash apples just before using. Core an apple before removing the skin – it is easier to handle. Exposed apple flesh turns brown quickly, so sprinkle with lemon juice to retard this process

Best Types of Apples for Eating:

Many types of apples can be found and here are some listed alphabetically under each category.

• First choices: Baldwin, Granny Smith, Jonathan, McIntosh, Stayman
• Second choices: Empire, Fuji, Gala,
• Third choices: Golden Delicious, Russet, Spartan

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The Burning Question: Do I Need to Buy Organic Chicken?

The food-safety expert says:
Jaydee Hanson, Senior Policy Analyst the Center for Food Safety

• The organic label guarantees certain standards. Organic-chicken growers are legally prohibited from using sewage sludge as fertilizer, synthetic chemicals not approved by the National Organic Program of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), or genetically modified organisms (GMOs)—any plant, animal, or microorganism that has been altered through genetic engineering—in the production process. Chickens labeled as "natural," on the other hand, don’t necessarily meet those standards.

• Buying organic may help prevent the spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. When you crowd chickens together indoors, the way conventional growers do, they’re more likely to produce infectious bacteria, which is why non-organic chickens are fed antibiotics as a norm. But this creates drug-resistant strains of bacteria. These bacteria are normally killed by the heat of cooking, but they can be spread by people who work with the birds. "USDA Organic" chickens, on the other hand, are allowed access to the outdoors; they are given antibiotics only to prevent pain or death, after which they are no longer considered organic.

• Organic is healthier. One study found that organic chicken contained 38% more heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Eating organic chicken may also lower your food-poisoning risk: In a 2010 study, fewer than 6% of organic birds were infected with salmonella, compared with almost 39% of conventional ones.

The dietitian says:
Connie Diekman, RD, director of university nutrition Washington University in St. Louis

• There’s no major nutritional difference. While some studies do show that organic chicken has more omega-3 fatty acids, chicken is low in fat to start with, so you’re not getting much in either case. Beyond that, conventional and organic will give you the same nutritional product—both are good sources of protein.

• Organic may contain less salt and other additives. Many conventional and even "natural" chickens—but not organic ones—are injected with water, salt, and preservatives to add moisture and boost flavor. (Check the ingredients label for salt or other additives.) The upshot is higher sodium.

• There are other foods worthier of your organic dollar. If you can’t afford to buy everything organic, I suggest that you buy fruits and vegetables like apples, peaches, spinach, strawberries, and sweet bell peppers, which often have the highest pesticide residue.

Our advice:
Based on nutrition alone, organic chicken isn’t worth the money—but it is if you’re worried about food poisoning, GMOs, or how the chicken was raised. To make sure any kind of bird is safe to eat: Note whether it’s plump (which is good) or dry (bad), and check to make sure it’s not close to the "sell by" date. Chicken is the most perishable meat, so when in doubt, sniff it—and put it back if anything smells off.

Source: Health.com

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More Protein In Soybean Plants From Starch-Controlling Gene

A newly discovered gene introduced into soybean plants has increased the amount of protein in the plant's seed and could hold promise for helping meet nutritional needs of a hungry world.

Eve Wurtele, professor of genetics, development and cell biology; and Ling Li, an adjunct assistant professor and an associate scientist working in her laboratory, have placed a gene found only in Arabidopsis plants into soybean plants and increased the amount of protein in the soybean seeds by 30 to 60 percent.

The results were a pleasant surprise to the researchers as the function of the gene, known as QQS, in the Arabidopsis was previously unclear because its sequence is very dissimilar from all other plant genes.

Arabidopsis is a small, flowering plant in the mustard family that is often used in scientific research.

"Most genes contain clues in their DNA sequence as to their biological function," said Wurtele. "But this one has no sequence features that gave us any hint of what it's doing."

When the researchers neutralized the gene in Arabidopsis, they discovered the gene was involved in regulating starch accumulation, called deposition.

"Based on the changes in activities of other genes that occurred when we altered QQS, we conjectured that it wasn't directly involved in starch synthesis, but rather it may be involved in altering [the plant's] composition in general," said Wurtele. "We decided to test this concept by transferring the gene to an agronomically important plant species, soybean, which has a seed and is important as a source of vegetable protein and oil."

"We found that the QQS transgene increased protein production in the soybean seed," she added. "That was the best possible scenario."

In addition to having a DNA sequence that is not similar to any other gene in that or any other plant, the gene is also unusual because it has only 59 amino acids, Li said. The median size of a gene in Arabidopsis plants is 346 amino acids.

Li discovered the gene in 2004 and named it for her daughter.

"My daughter was a half-year old. This gene was so small and my daughter was so small," Li laughs. "QQ is my daughter's nickname in Chinese."

In addition to altering the protein-producing qualities of the gene, Wurtele hopes that the discovery may lead to greater understanding of other genes that don't have recognizable functionalities based on their sequences.

"This may give us an insight into the other genes with obscure features and provide us a window as to how they function," she said.

Wurtele hopes the discovery may help people in areas who survive on protein-deficient diets.

"We were so pleased [the gene] altered composition in soybean," she said. "What if this basic research discovery could lead to increased protein content in potatoes, cassava, or other crop species that are staples to people in developing nations?

"That would be better than I imagined."

This research is supported in part by funding from the National Science Foundation and Iowa State University's Plant Science Institute.

This patent-pending technology is available for licensing from the Iowa State University Research Foundation, which also provided technology development funds. 

Source: MedicalNewsToday Source: Eve Wurtele, Iowa State University

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Cabbage With Tomatoes, Bulgur and Chickpeas

This recipe is based on a Greek dish made with red cabbage. I’ve used both green and red cabbage, and I like it both ways. It’s a comforting vegan dish that works as an entree or a side.

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

Salt to taste

1 tablespoon sweet paprika

1 medium head green or red cabbage, finely shredded

1 14-ounce can chopped tomatoes with juice

2 teaspoons sugar

2 teaspoons red wine vinegar, cider vinegar or sherry vinegar

1/4 cup chopped fresh dill

2 cups water

1 cup coarse bulgur

1 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed 

1. Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large, heavy lidded skillet or Dutch oven. Add the onion, and cook, stirring often, until tender, about five minutes. Stir in a pinch of salt and the paprika. Cook, stirring, until the onion is thoroughly tender and infused with paprika, three to four minutes. 

2. Add the cabbage, and cook, stirring, for three minutes or until it begins to wilt. Stir in the tomatoes, sugar and vinegar, and add salt to taste. Bring to a simmer, lower the heat, cover and simmer 15 minutes until the cabbage is thoroughly tender. 

3. Stir in the dill and the water, and bring a to a boil. Add the bulgur and chickpeas. Stir to combine. When the water comes back to a boil, reduce the heat to low and cover. Simmer 10 minutes or until all of the water has been absorbed. Remove from the heat, taste and adjust seasonings, and serve hot or at room temperature.

 

Yield: Serves six. 

Advance preparation: Since this is good served at room temperature, you can make it several hours ahead. Reheat if desired. It will keep for three or four days in the refrigerator. 

Nutritional information per serving: 281 calories; 1 gram saturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 7 grams monounsaturated fat; 0 milligrams cholesterol; 42 grams carbohydrates; 12 grams dietary fiber; 311 milligrams sodium (does not include salt to taste); 9 grams protein 

Source:  The New your Times By Martha Rose Shulman

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Study: Eating more fiber could mean longer life

CHICAGO – Eat more fiber and you just may live longer.

That's the message from the largest study of its kind to find a link between high-fiber diets and lower risks of death not only from heart disease, but from infectious and respiratory illnesses as well.

The government study also ties fiber with a lower risk of cancer deaths in men, but not women, possibly because men are more likely to die from cancers related to diet, like cancers of the esophagus. And it finds the overall benefit to be strongest for diets high in fiber from grains.

Most Americans aren't getting enough roughage in their diets. The average American eats only about 15 grams of fiber each day, much less than the current daily recommendation of 25 grams for women and 38 grams for men, or 14 grams per 1,000 calories. For example, a slice of whole wheat bread contains 2 to 4 grams of fiber.

In the new study, the people who met the guidelines were less likely to die during a nine-year follow-up period.

The men and women who ate the highest amount of fiber were 22 percent less likely to die from any cause compared to those who ate the lowest amount, said lead author Dr. Yikyung Park of the National Cancer Institute.

The study, appearing in Monday's Archives of Internal Medicine, included more than 388,000 adults, ages 50 to 71, who participated in a diet and health study conducted by the National Institutes of Health and AARP.

They filled out a questionnaire in 1995 or 1996 about their eating habits. It asked them to estimate how often they ate 124 food items. After nine years, more than 31,000 of the participants had died. National records were used to find out who died and the cause of death.

The researchers took into account other risk factors including weight, education level, smoking and health status and still saw lower risks of death in people who ate more fiber.

"The results suggest that the benefits of dietary fiber go beyond heart health," said Dr. Frank Hu of the Harvard School of Public Health, who wasn't involved in the new research but co-authored an editorial in the journal.

The evidence for fiber's benefits has been strongest in diabetes and heart disease, where it's thought to improve cholesterol levels, blood pressure, inflammation and blood sugar levels. Fiber's benefits also may come from its theorized ability to bind to toxins and move them out of the body quicker. High-fiber diets can promote weight loss by making people feel full, which has its own health-promoting effects.

However it works, fiber may offer a prevention benefit against killers like pneumonia and flu, the new study suggests. The cancer benefit may have shown up only in the men because they're more likely than women to die from cancers related to diet, Park said.

Fiber is found in fruits, vegetables and beans. But fiber from grains was most strongly tied to the lowered risk in the study.

"That's what seemed to be driving all these relationships," said Lawrence de Koning of the Harvard School of Public Health, a co-author of the editorial.

Whole grains also contain vitamins and minerals, which may play a role in reducing risk, he said. For that reason, supplements may not be as effective.

"Nothing beats the original food," he said. He suggested substituting whole wheat bread for white bread as a simple way to increase fiber from grains.

What does a high-fiber diet look like? A woman who wants to meet the 25 gram guidelines for daily fiber intake could eat one-third cup of bran cereal (9 grams), a half cup of cooked beans (10 grams), a small apple with skin (4 grams) and a half cup of mixed vegetables (4 grams).

To reach 38 grams, a man could eat all that — plus about 23 almonds (4 grams), a baked potato (3 grams), an oat bran muffin (3 grams) and an orange (3 grams). 

Experts recommend adding fiber gradually to allow your digestive system time to get used to it. 

Source: Yahoo News By CARLA K. JOHNSON 

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Benefit From Eating Mustard Vinaigrette

A generous spoonful of Dijon mustard makes this vinaigrette creamy and tart. Use the dressing with sturdy salad greens like romaine or with softer lettuces like Bibb or oak leaf. The dressing is too strong to work with baby salad greens or mesclun. But it’s great with cooked vegetables like beets or broccoli and with grain salads.

1 rounded tablespoon Dijon mustard 

1 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar or sherry vinegar 

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice 

Salt and freshly ground pepper 

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, or use half olive oil and half canola or grapeseed oil 

1 small garlic clove 

1. In a small bowl or measuring cup, combine the mustard, vinegar, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Whisk in the oil. 

2. Peel the garlic clove and lightly crush, or cut down to the root end with a paring knife, keeping the garlic clove intact. Place in the dressing and allow to marinate for at least 30 minutes. Remove from the dressing before serving. 

Yield: About 2/3 cup. 

Advance preparation: This dressing will keep well in the refrigerator for a few days. Remove the garlic clove before storing. 

Nutritional information per 2 tablespoons: 184 calories; 3 grams saturated fat; 2 grams unsaturated fat; 15 grams monounsaturated fat; 0 milligrams cholesterol; 1 gram carbohydrates; 0 grams dietary fiber; 58 milligrams sodium (does not include salt to taste); 0 grams protein 

Source: The New york Times.Health By Martha rose Shulman

 

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'Chocolate cough remedy' in sight

A chemical in cocoa could soon be turned into a medicine for persistent cough, researchers claim.

Scientists are carrying out the final stages of clinical trials of a drug that contains theobromine, an ingredient found in chocolate and cocoa. The UK developers say the drug could be on the market within two years.

Every year in Britain an estimated 7.5m people suffer from persistent cough - a cough lasting more than two weeks. Most current medicines used to control the symptoms are opiate-based ones like cough syrups containing codeine, a narcotic.

But in October the Medicines and Health products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) said under-18s should not take codeine-based remedies, because the risks outweighed the benefits. Active ingredient. Researchers say the new theobromine treatment should not have this problem. And being flavourless, it can be taken by those who dislike chocolate. Theobromine is thought to work by inhibiting the inappropriate firing of the vagus nerve, which is a key feature of persistent cough.

The final stage of the drug's testing is set to begin in the next few months. The drug, called BC1036, is being developed by the private UK company SEEK. Manfred Scheske, CEO of Consumer Health at SEEK said: "I am very excited to announce the progression for the late-stage development of BC1036, which has the potential to dramatically impact the treatment of persistent cough and could greatly benefit the quality of life of persistent cough sufferers." Professor Alyn Morice of the Hull Cough Clinic said there was a need for new treatments. "Thousands of people across the UK suffer from persistent cough, and due to the drawbacks of current opioid drugs such as codeine, we are in desperate need of a non-opioid treatment with a drastically improved side effect profile for patients."

Source: bbc news.health

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Skip the sunny side. How to eat eggs safely

When it comes to eating runny eggs these days, the experts are saying run away. With salmonella concerns triggering the recall of more than a half-billion eggs in more than a dozen states, warnings are becoming more dire every day against eating undercooked yolks and translucent egg whites. But you don't have to give up eggs completely, just be careful how you eat them. "No one should stop eating eggs because of this recall," says New York nutritionist Elisa Zied, R.D. "They pack in lots of high-quality protein and contain all the essential amino acids needed for the body to perform vital functions."

One large egg has more than 6 grams of protein for only 72 calories. Eggs are also rich in several vitamins and minerals, most notably selenium (important for thyroid function) and choline (important for brain function and heart health). However, do not eat any of the recalled eggs. Nor should you ever consume raw or undercooked eggs or foods made with them, warns Zied, president of Zied Health Communications and author of "Nutrition At Your Fingertips." That includes: homemade Caesar salad dressings, custards, or ice creams; raw cookie dough; over-easy eggs; Hollandaise sauce and protein shakes or drinks made with raw eggs.

NO MORE OOZING YOLKS

So what's a home cook to do? There's no one answer for every recipe, but cooking and food safety experts agree on a few basics to help keep foodies in the kitchen and out of the hospital. First, wash your hands before and after handling eggs. Wash any surfaces that have touched the eggs with hot soapy water. Eggs from suspect farms may be processed, sold Casseroles and other dishes containing eggs should be cooked to a termperature of 160 F. Eggs and egg dishes, such as quiches or soufflés, may be refrigerated for serving later, but should be thoroughly reheated to 165 degrees F before serving, according to the Food and Drug Administration. If you don't have a cooking thermometer, you can still fry or scramble eggs, but skip sunny-side or over-easy versions. Thoroughly cooked eggs are firm and not at all runny. Eggs stored in their original carton remain fresh in the refrigerator for about a month after purchase. If you have any doubt, toss them out.

"Eggs are cheap. Throw them away. It's that simple," said Brad Barnes, an associate dean at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, N.Y. Mopping up oozing yolks with toast? Bad idea. Consider making hard-boiled eggs rather than soft by gently simmering them for about 15 minutes. Hard-boiled eggs last about a week in the refrigerator. As for poached eggs, a little longer is a little better. Though most recipes suggest short cooking times in barely simmering water, for safety it's best to let the egg go for about 5 minutes at a gentle boil.

Remember the scene in "Rocky" when Sylvester Stallone downs raw eggs for his protein fix? Forget about adding raw eggs to protein shakes. "We've got enough issues. Who needs to be barfing because of raw eggs?" asked Douglas Powell, an associate professor of food safety at Kansas State University and author of BarfBlog.com, which highlights food-handling problems in the news and in popular culture. But what's a foodie to do when raw egg is essential to a recipe, as in mayonnaise and carbonara? Take a tip from Paul Stern, who cooks for the Hole in the Wall Gang Camp, an Ashford, Conn., camp for seriously ill children, many with compromised immune systems. Last year, they cracked about 300 shell eggs every morning. This year, the camp switched (before the recall) to pasteurized liquid egg product. "I wouldn't be consuming or serving raw eggs any more than I'd be eating or serving raw chicken," said Stern. As the name implies, pasteurized egg product — usually sold in cartons near the milk — has been gently heated to kill off pathogens, meaning it should be safe to consume even when not fully cooked. It's not a perfect substitution, but for most home cooks it should do the job just fine. "It's not exactly the same as a fresh egg, of course, but certainly in this instance — and I'm sure they'll have this situation cleaned up pretty rapidly — I think everybody should be able to make do for a few days," said Barnes.

The Centers for Disease Control has said there could be as many as 1,300 salmonella illnesses linked to the eggs, and that for every reported case there could be 30 or more that go unreported. San Francisco-based food scientist Harold McGee, author of the upcoming "Keys to Good Cooking," isn't all that worried. Though he gets his eggs from local producers, he said he wouldn't hesitate to consume uncooked supermarket eggs in a recipe. He would draw the line at serving them to a pregnant woman, child or elderly person or someone with an illness that might weaken their immunity. But overall, he thinks the odds of getting sick favor the home cook. "For home cooks, it's less of a problem than for institutions that are going to be cracking lots and lots of eggs and then pooling them to make a particular dish," he said. "The moment you start to add more than one egg to what you're making, mathematically your odds of having a problem go up."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Source: msnbc.com staff and news service reports 

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