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Welcome from Vantage Business Support & Insurance Services
As an added benefit to our customers and associates VANTAGE is publishing a semimonthly newsletter with information, interactive tools, podcasts and other resources to help you live healthier. We will explore topics on total health and resources for you and your family, including fitness, nutrition, mental and physical health, weight management and more.
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Healthy Eating Tips From Around the World
 From the French eating habit of portion control to the Japanese emphasis on fish and the heart-healthy Mediterranean diet, world cultures can inspire healthy eating here at home.
When it comes to healthy eating, Americans can learn a lot from the eating habits of people from other countries. Those who follow what's called the Mediterranean diet, for example, have lower rates of heart disease. The French enjoy all foods, some quite rich, but they tend to stay thin by practicing portion control. The Italians eat more slowly to savor food (and therefore eat less), and the Japanese eat more fruits, vegetables, and fish.
"Americans tend to eat on the run, eat more than they need, and eat more processed foods than in many other countries," says Joan Salge Blake, RD, clinical associate professor at Boston University and author of Nutrition & You: Core Concepts to Good Health.
Learning about various eating habits that are practiced in other countries can give you the inspiration you need to make healthier lifestyle choices.
Healthy Eating From the French: Portion Control If you've eaten in a fine French restaurant, you've probably noticed that the portions are smaller than in a typical American restaurant. "That's because the French know that the best bites are the first bites," says Blake. "After that, the taste and the pleasure of eating start to decrease. Americans consume 300 more calories now per day than we did in 1980, and much of that is due to poor portion control."
Here are some ways you can practice better portion control:
* Serve smaller amounts. Studies show that people feel obliged
to eat more if more is on their plate. Make smaller portions at
home, and try splitting an entrée when you go out to eat.
* Use smaller plates. Your grandmother's plates were quite a bit
smaller than today's plates. Try serving meals on smaller plates to
help keep portion sizes under control.
* "Ruin" your appetite before the main course. Start with a cup
of soup or a salad and you won't need to supersize your portions.
Healthy Eating From the Japanese: Focus on Vegetables and Seafood Why do Japanese women have the lowest rates of obesity among modern cultures? "The Japanese diet features fruits, vegetables, fish, small portions, and quality over quantity," explains Blake. Dairy and bread are rarely included in the diet.
Here are lessons we can take from the healthy eating habits in Japanese culture:
* Eat fewer processed foods. The Japanese rely much more on
fresh seasonal ingredients for their dishes.
* Use colorful fruits and vegetables to add eye appeal. The
Japanese concentrate on smaller portions that look beautiful and
are as appealing to the eye as to the stomach. They tend to eat
more for the experience than to feel full.
* Favor seafood over red meat. When meat is eaten in Japan, it
is rarely a main ingredient.
Healthy Eating From the Italians: Eat Slowly Watching a family sit down together for a main meal in Italy is a lesson in how to enjoy eating. "The Italians can make a meal last a long time. They have discovered the secret that when you take your time eating, you eat less," says Blake.
Here's how you can do the same:
* Watch the clock. "It takes about 20 minutes for your stomach to
tell your brain that you are full," explains Blake. Make sure you
eat slowly enough to know when you feel full and avoid overeating.
* Eat your largest meal for lunch. If you can, even if only on
weekends, enjoy a leisurely meal early in the afternoon and then
just have a light meal in the evening.
* Eat mindfully. "When you eat mindlessly on the run or in front of
the TV, you are more likely to eat more than you should," says
Blake. Put aside other distractions during meals.
Healthy Eating From the Mediterranean: Healthy Fats The Scandinavian diet includes a lot of heart-healthy coldwater fish. The Indian diet is heavy on vegetables and low in fat. But one diet that gets a lot of attention is the Mediterranean diet. There are about 16 countries around the Mediterranean Sea where forms of this diet are followed.
Among the variations, these are the common healthy eating habits you can pick up:
* Focus on fruits and vegetables. Mediterranean diets include
plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, plus lots of fish and beans as
protein sources.
* Switch to monounsaturated fat. Instead of cooking with butter,
people in the Mediterranean rely on olive oil, a monounsaturated
fat, the healthy type of fat.
* Sip some wine. People in Mediterranean countries drink a
moderate amount of wine with their meals, which may benefit your
heart health.
Healthy Eating: The Final Course The lessons we can learn from the healthy eating habits of other countries extend to dessert. "In many countries, including Mediterranean countries and Japan, a heavy dessert is rarely part of the cuisine," notes Blake. You can cut back on a load of calories and fat by substituting some fresh fruit for that ice cream sundae or pie a la mode.
Once you change your mindset, it's easy to cut fat and calories from your diet. By picking up tips from other cultures, you can learn new ways to enjoy your meals and become a healthier eater overall.
SOURCE: Chris Iliades, MD
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DID YOU KNOW???
Jalapenos
 Here are six health benefits of jalapenos.
Migraine Relief Studies have shown that jalapeño peppers may provide pain relief for migraine headaches. Capsaicin, the chemical that makes chili peppers hot, is known to inhibit a key neuropeptide, Substance P, that is the key brain pain transmitter.
Prevent Sinusitis and Relieve Congestion The heat in a jalapeño pepper stimulates secretions that help clear mucus from the nose, thereby fighting nasal congestion. The pepper also has antibacterial properties that combat sinus infections and provide relief from sinus headaches
Cardiovascular Benefits Capsaicin may help to defend heart health by reducing cholesterol, triglycerides and platelet aggregation. It may also help the body dissolve fibrin, which blood clots need in order to form. Furthermore, cultures throughout the world that take full advantage of spicy hot peppers in their meals have significantly lower rates of heart attack and stroke than the rest. Jalapeños are also high in vitamins A and C, and in bioflavinoids that help strengthen blood vessels, making them more elastic and better able to adjust to blood pressure changes.
Cancer Prevention The capsaicin in jalapeños not only burns the tongue, but according to studies it makes prostate cancer cells commit suicide (apoptosis). On top of that, the flavonoids and vitamins in jalapeno peppers are excellent antioxidants, preventing cancer by stopping cell damage.
Anti-Inflammatory Capsaicin is a potent anti-inflammatory agent. It inhibits Substance P, which is associated with inflammatory processes, much like it relieves headaches and migraines, mentioned above. Capsaicin may also one day be a treatment for arthritis, psoriasis and diabetic neuropathy.
Weight Loss The capsaicin in jalapeños makes them what's known as a thermogenic food. Thermogenic foods actually burn away calories and fat, giving you that leaner, healthier figure you've been looking for, without even going to the gym! It is well known for these properties and commonly found in a cornucopia of weight loss pills and dietary supplements.
SOURCE: healthdiaries.com |
Here's your "QuoteAction" for this issue:
"It's not what we eat but what we digest that makes us strong; not what we gain but what we save that makes us rich; not what we read but what we remember that makes us learned; and not what we profess but what we practice that gives us integrity."
Philosopher, Francis Bacon Your action for today is to see where are you not "walking your talk?" Put in the correction.
Have an extraordinary day!
SOURCE: Betty Jo Waxman
Productive Learning & Leisure, LLC |
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Disclaimer of Liability
Our firm provides the information in this e-newsletter for general guidance only, and does not constitute the provision of legal advice, tax advice, accounting services, investment advice, or professional consulting of any kind. The information provided herein should not be used as a substitute for consultation with professional tax, accounting, legal, or other competent advisers. Before making any decision or taking any action, you should consult a professional adviser who has been provided with all pertinent facts relevant to your particular situation. Tax articles in this e-newsletter are not intended to be used, and cannot be used by any taxpayer, for the purpose of avoiding accuracy-related penalties that may be imposed on the taxpayer. The information is provided "as is," with no assurance or guarantee of completeness, accuracy, or timeliness of the information, and without warranty of any kind, express or implied, including but not limited to warranties of performance, merchantability, and fitness for a particular purpose.
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