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Sun
Bars
Recipe of the Week
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Bernard M. Baruch 

PRIMETIME

For all teenagers and college students interested in a new medical experience, pay attention.
Salisbury Pediatrics has opened a new wing dedicated to you. In Primetime we are only focused on your needs as an emerging adult. 
From the music when you enter, to the autonomy of your visit, we are sure that you will love a new way to see your doctor.


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Dr. Magryta
Go to www.salisburypediatrics.com,  if you would like to learn about Integrative Medicine or our practice

 

Issue: #17
April 14, 2014
The beauty of spring at Mr. B's

Volume 4, Letter 17
 

April 14, 2014

  

It is that time of year again. The sun is a part of everyday life and we need it for everything from gardening to vitamin D. What is the latest on sun exposure and health?

 

Let's start with the bad. 1 in 50 Americans will develop melanoma (the bad form of skin cancer) in their lifetime! 1 in 5 will develop some form of skin cancer during their lifetime. Wong et. al. noted in Pediatrics last year that there has been an 18% rise in teenage skin cancer!

 

Looking at your child's skin can save a life. Focus on changes to the skin that affect pigmented lesions. A commonly used screening system is the ABCDE criteria:

 

A) asymmetry

B) border irregularity

C) color variation

D) diameter greater than 6 mm 

E) evolution or rapidly changing appearance

 

Review the above link for details on each category.

 

Now the good - Natural belief systems. Providers of integrative medicine or functional medicine disagree wholeheartedly with traditional physicians regarding the sun. Dermatologists and internal medicine physicians espouse that patients shun the sun entirely. In regards to skin cancer, this philosophy makes perfect sense. When you think of natural immunity, this philosophy falls flat. 

 

Humans have never historically shunned the sun and we have the highest rates of skin cancer at this moment in time. What gives? Sun burning is the common mistake. In generations past, darker skinned individuals lived near the equator and lighter skinned individuals lived in the polar regions. Genetics matched the environment. Now we have every mismatch possible. The answer is not to tell everyone to avoid the sun at all costs. 

The recommendation should be a common sense approach to get 20-30 minutes of non blocked sun exposure daily and improve your natural vitamin D supplies that are critical for immune and hormonal function. Avoid sun burns at all costs. That is the root cause of disease. Sun burns exponentially increase your risk of skin cancer.

The goal of skin cancer prevention is to avoid skin cancer in your lifetime! So the message needs to be AVOID all sunburns!!!! 

Use sun shirts, hats and SPF 30 or greater sunblock as protection against sunburning.  You will need to reapply the sunscreen every 2 hours while swimming or sweating to prevent breakthrough burns - www.ewg.org has a list of safe sunscreens and information for consumers. 

Finally, tanning beds! They are dangerous period. Recent data from the World Health Organization notes that there is a 75% increased risk of melanoma if a teenager visits a tanning bed once! 

Judicious sun exposure is the key! Period!

Common sense medicine,

Dr. M

 

Energy Bar vs Candy Bar

 

What's the difference between an energy bar and a candy bar?

 

Sometimes it's just the packaging...

 

 

Invented in the mid-eighties for endurance athletes, "food bars" also known as "energy bars" or "nutrition bars", have now become one of the most popular snack foods for time-stressed Americans.  With hundreds of bars to choose from, one may feel dizzy from all the product overkill and heavily hyped claims.  Our options are endless as food manufactures have tailored bars to fit almost every human category - are you looking for brain boosting, weight loss, extra protein or gender specific?  

 

Whether you are a recreational athlete, workaholic tied to your desk, or overcommitted mom trying to feed your kids well, its important to recognize that many of the bars on the market provide no more nourishment than what you can find in a Snickers Bar.

 

So how does one find a good bar?  First read the list of ingredients.

Look for bars that feature unprocessed, whole food ingredients with no added sugar, along with nuts or seeds that provide protein and fat to help satisfy hunger pangs.  

 

On American food labels, ingredients are listed in order of weight, so if sweeteners are among the first ingredients, the bar is a dubious choice, guaranteed to provide a quick rush of energy followed by and equally quick crash.  Also, steer clear of bars that derive their protein from soy isolate.  The research studies that have shown benefits of soy, used whole soy foods like edamame, tofu and natto.  Technologically manipulated versions of soy, commonly seen as soy isolate, have been highly industrialized and have not been proven safe and should be used with caution.  

 

Its important to note that the FDA nor any other federal or state agency routinely tests nutrition bars for quality prior to sale nor do they force any nutritional or health requirements for foods claiming to be energy bars.  This is essentially why there is little difference between some so-called nutrition bars and a candy bar.

Generally speaking, energy bars for healthy children and adults should have:

  • At least 3 grams of filling fiber, which satisfies hunger
  • Less than 3 grams of saturated fat
  • No more than about 15 grams of sugar that is derived mostly from whole fruit
  • Absolutely no trans fat

What consumers should look for in an energy bar can change, depending on their individual needs -- whether they are eating a bar for sustained energy or simply a snack. 

  

An even better choice than purchasing store bought bars is of course making them yourself.  This way YOU control exactly what you and your loved ones are eating and can control the protein and sugar content yourself.  Below are 2 nutrition bar recipes for you to try!

 

http://www.naturalmothering.ca/index.php/parenting/32-packing-the-perfect-lunch-box

 

Granola bars from www.100daysofrealfood.com

 

Nicole Magryta, RD, MBA


 

Recipe of the Week


Ingredients:

Salmon fillets or steaks - 3 pounds
3 Tablespoons of soy sauce (Tamari for gluten free)
2 Tablespoons of dijon mustard - I love Trader Joe's - it has a superb bite
6 Tablespoons of EVOO
1/2 teaspoon of minced garlic

Directions:

Combine ingredients 2-5 and whisk in a bowl. Brush the salmon fillets with the marinade and let sit for 10 minutes. On a medium heat grill, place the salmon skin side down and cook for 8 minutes. I do not flip the salmon. Remove the salmon from the grill and place on a plate, add a little fresh marinade and immediately cover with foil and let stand for 10 minutes. Serve and prepare for happiness. 

The quality of the salmon, olive oil and mustard can make or break this dish. I like to get fresh salmon from "the fish guy in Davidson", first cold pressed EVOO and fresh garlic. 

Yes - Ina has scored a 10 with this one.

Dr. M

 

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The newsletter archive can be found in the links section.  New readers can now go back in time to learn about the future!

 

Copyright � 2010-2014 Christopher J. Magryta, MD. Readers, please note: The information provided in this newsletter is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for advice and treatment provided by your physician or other healthcare professional and is not to be used to diagnose or treat a health issue.


 


Chris Magryta
Salisbury Pediatric Associates
Touchstone Pediatrics