It’s about time for a school lunch makeover

When I read that the Institute of Medicine (IOM) had released new guidelines to improve the nutrition of school lunches, my first reaction was “It’s about time!” The guidelines include setting a maximum number of calories in a meal, lowering the sodium, saturated fat and starchy vegetables, and increasing the amount of fruit, vegetables and whole grains.

Having lived through school lunches of chicken fried steak with cream gravy, mashed potatoes, and a big cup of ketchup as the “vegetable” (thank you Ronald Reagan), I realize that many school cafeterias have made some strides. But placing a largely ignored bowl of apples at the end of the line does little to negate the greasy pizza, and fried chicken patties that usually precede that bowl. And my children have been known to throw at me that a meal of macaroni and cheese with French fries can’t be that bad, since it’s served at the school cafeteria.

One of my brothers tells me that I worry too much. We ate it, and it didn’t kill us. But it is killing us. And it’s setting up our children for a lifetime of poor health. A new national survey released by the Preventive Cardiovascular Nurses Association found that most Americans don’t realize that heart disease risk doesn’t wait until adulthood. The American Heart Association even held a conference this year looking at the dangers of the growing girth of our children. And they are growing – some estimates say that 1 in 3 of our kids are overweight.

Want to quit smoking? Don’t switch to low-tar

It’s amazing the ways in which we sabotage our best intentions. How many bursts of enthusiasm have been lost with the thought "but I’ll just do this first"? If you’ve tried to start an exercise routine, you’ll know how it goes. I’ll start jogging, but I need to buy new running shoes first. I’ll go to the gym, just as soon as I get these chores finished.

Some smokers think that a great first step to quitting smoking is to switch to a lower tar brand first. After all, that means less addictive nicotine, fewer harmful substances, and shows they’re serious about change, right?

Wrong. Studies show that smokers draw more deeply on lower tar cigarettes, so they inhale about the same amount of harmful substances as smokers of higher tar brands. Not only that, but smokers who switch to a lower tar brand are much less successful when they try to quit altogether.

A recent study looked at the smoking behavior of more than 30,000 Americans. The study found that smokers who switched to lower tar brands were more likely to attempt to quit, but less likely to succeed. Only 9 in 100 people managed to quit after switching brands, compared to 17 in 100 who quit without switching first.

Q&A: Can you get diabetes from eating too much sugar?

While continually overdosing on sweets can help trigger diabetes in someone with prediabetes or another predisposition, it is not a direct cause of it (although the sweet stuff can make you pack on pounds, a major risk factor). People with type 2 diabetes gradually develop resistance to insulin, the hormone responsible for helping to convert blood sugar into energy, and diabetes develops when the pancreas can no longer keep up with the increased demand. In the less common type 1 form, the body's immune system attacks insulin-producing cells in the pancreas.

6 easy ways to get more fiber

Eating a diet rich in fiber foods such as oat bran, beans, and most produce can help lower your risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes, and aids digestion. But many of us hear the word "fiber" and immediately think bulky, coarse, and unpalatable. Our sister publication, ShopSmart, suggests these easy, appetizing ways to get your fit in your daily serving (25 to 30 grams) of fiber:

• Add kidney beans or chickpeas to soups, salads, and pastas. Legumes are an undervalued source of fiber, and they’re inexpensive.

• Put raw berries on cereal or pancakes or in salads. A cup of raspberries, for example, has 8 grams of fibers.

• Eat fruits with the skin on and don’t peel potatoes before you cook them.

Q&A: Is it safe to bake with spoiled milk?

Does baking with spoiled milk, which my mother does routinely, pose any health risks? —Z.C., Grand Junction, Colo.

Probably not—but that doesn’t mean it’s a good idea. Nearly all milk sold in grocery stores today is pasteurized, primarily to prevent tuberculosis and brucellosis. That greatly diminishes the chance that you could pick up other serious illnesses from the milk, even if it’s old. However, pasteurization sometimes does not kill all spoilage bacteria. So as milk ages, it harbors increasing amounts of other, less virulent bacteria that might cause nausea, stomach cramps, or diarrhea, particularly if it’s left unrefrigerated. While the heat of baking destroys many of those bugs, experts say it’s probably not worth the risk. And excessively spoiled milk may give an off flavor to your baked goods. Instead, use buttermilk, or stir vinegar or lemon juice into fresh milk (1 tablespoon per cup) to simulate the curdling and acidity.

Not just for pigs and humans: Swine flu advice for your pets

Add cats to the list of animals that have caught the H1N1 (swine) flu. Last week there was a flurry of reports that a 13-year-old Iowa feline had tested positive for the virus. The cat is reported to have fully recovered. But should you be worried about your pet catching swine flu? And can you get the flu from your pet?

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, your pet should be more wary of you than the other way around. While there are reports of some animals getting the flu from their pet parents, there appears to be no evidence of pets spreading the disease to humans. Ferrets are particularly susceptible to influenza—a trait that has led to the mammal being a subject-of-choice for influenza studies.

On the other end of the spectrum, there are no reports of dogs catching the swine flu, but our "best friend" remains susceptible to a different strain of flu, canine influenza. Poultry, including turkeys, have been infected with H1N1 already, but it’s unknown if pet birds are susceptible to the virus. And while it’s known that pigs can catch the swine flu, it’s not clear if any of the potbelly variety, which are popular as pets, have come down with the H1N1 flu.

Tai Chi for the arthritic knee

I have many wonderful memories of my grandmother, but one of the most vivid, strangely enough, is of her attempting to get out of her chair. She'd shift to the front of the cushion, brace herself against the armrests, and slowly rise to almost standing—only to plop back down into the cushion, usually with an exasperated chuckle. She had a good sense of humor about her knee problems, but they did cause her frequent pain and were more than just a nuisance as she tried to get on with her day.

Like millions of older Americans, my grandmother had osteoarthritis in her knee. This joint disease can cause pain, stiffness, and limited movement, making even simple tasks (such as getting up from a chair) difficult. Many people rely on painkillers to cope with their symptoms. Exercise and physical therapy can also help, although the improvements are often modest. However, a new study suggests that Tai Chi is one type of exercise that can be particularly beneficial for people with this chronic condition.

The study compared two groups of people age 55 or older who had osteoarthritis of the knee. One group met twice weekly for Tai Chi classes. The other met twice weekly for general wellness instruction and stretching exercises. Both groups were asked to practice their exercises at home for at least 20 minutes a day.

Swine flu: Wherefore art thou vaccine?

With the swine (H1N1) vaccine production and distribution slower than expected, many Americans are having trouble finding vaccine, according to a new poll. And the trickle of vaccine has caused problems for mandatory vaccination programs for health care workers, as well as some public health officials when it was reported that Wall Street firms were delivered vaccines while hospitals continue to struggle with a shortage of supply.

Public having difficulty finding vaccine

A poll from the Harvard School of Public Health conducted October 30th through November 1st found that 21 percent of high-priority adults, and 41 percent of all parents tried to get the H1N1 vaccine, but 66 percent of both populations were unsuccessful. In response to the Harvard poll, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Anne Schuchat, M.D., said, "I’m very mindful of the frustration people have had, whether from information gaps or just the basic availability of the vaccine. I think it should be getting better over the weeks ahead." According to the CDC, the number of vaccine doses available has doubled over the past two weeks, and the supply is expected to continue to grow.

Backlash against Wall Street

The lack of H1N1 vaccine availability also caused a black eye for health officials in New York City, and several Wall Street firms including Citigroup, Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sacks, when it was reported that they were being shipped substantial doses of the vaccine, perhaps ahead of some hospitals. A Wall Street Journal blog summed up reaction to the news:

"It is official: Goldman Sachs is more important than you are…At least that is the way that the public may perceive a WSJ story today that Goldman was one of several Wall Street firms that received large dosages of swine flu vaccines, while some New York City hospitals and clinics are running out of the vaccine."

Q&A: Can poor sleeping habits increase diabetes risk?

Yes. Research presented at a June 2009 conference backed by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine suggests that sleeping for five or fewer hours a night significantly increases a person's risk of type 2 diabetes. And a 2008 study found that depriving healthy young adults of deep sleep disrupted their bodies' ability to regulate blood sugar. In addition, recent research suggests that type 2 diabetes may be associated with a genetic mutation that affects the sleep-inducing hormone melatonin.

Snacks and slow eating may help you lose weight

There may be some truth to my mother’s warning that "wolfing down your food will make you fat." According to new study, to be published in the January 2010 issue of Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, eating a meal quickly may reduce hormones in the gut that help you feel full.

In the study, researchers had 17 male participants consume the same test meal, 300ml of ice-cream, in either 5-minute or 30-minute eating sessions. Researchers took blood samples and measured glucose, insulin, plasma levels, and gut hormones before, during, and after the sessions, and determined the men who ate during the 30-minute session had higher concentrations of gut hormones and feelings of fullness.

If you’re trying to keep your weight under control, taking a longer lunch might be worth a try. Invite a friend (chatting while eating always slows me down) or take a lesson from a macrobiotic eater and "chew your food well."

In defense of snacking

Another way to slow down your eating style is by snacking—or as one of our staffers calls it, "grazing." Snacking is often seen as the gateway food to poor eating habits. With all the hard-to-resist fatty and sugary munchies out there, snacking has gained a bad reputation. But, snacking can be good for you, according to several studies that point out the benefits of well-placed snacks throughout the day as a way to curb your appetite.

Consumers Union backs the House health reform bill

With millions of Americans desperate for affordable, quality health care, Consumers Union has chosen to endorse H.R. 3962, the Affordable Health Care for America Act. This bill would greatly expand coverage of the uninsured and provide new protections for the insured. "Health care is a consumer crisis with its crippling costs, its unreliability, and lack of access for too many Americans," said Jim Guest, president of Consumers Union, the nonprofit publisher of Consumer Reports. "By creating a more secure, affordable health care system, the House bill goes a long way towards solving the crisis."

Consumers Union has advocated for health reform since the organization was founded in 1936, and last month our advocates ran their first-ever ad pressing for better health care for all consumers. In addition, CU believes the health reform bill would:

• prohibit insurance companies from denying coverage for pre-existing medical conditions
• create a one-stop "exchange" where all insurers present their information in the same format, so you can easily compare the price and quality of different insurance plans
• allow small companies to easily offer their employees coverage through the exchange
• allow Medicare to negotiate with the drug companies to get lower prices for prescription drugs
• provide good insurance options if you lose your job, change employers, start your own business, go back to school or develop a medical condition

Sugar Wars: Industry front group defends high fructose corn syrup

Big Corn is fighting it out with the Big Apple in ad wars. Last year, the Corn Refiners Association launched a series of ads defending the processed sweetener against its attackers. This year, The New York Department of Health and Mental Hygiene launched ads asking subway riders if they were "pouring on the pounds." The posters depict a bottle of soda, sports drink, or sweetened ice tea morphing into blobs of fat as it’s poured into a glass. Now, the deceptively named Center for Consumer Freedom is getting in on the food fight.

The group—which according to SourceWatch was founded with tobacco industry funding and has been financed in the past by sweetened-beverage companies, including Coca-Cola, among other major food industry players—launched it’s own poster in New York asking "Big Apple or Big Brother?" Now the group has launched a million dollar ad campaign defending high fructose corn syrup.

The SweetScam campaign includes this ad, which depicts a sugar cube, a honey bear, and an ear of corn in a police line-up for causing weight gain. The "victim" isn’t sure which culprit is to blame, but thinks it might be the corn because he’s "seen that high fructose corn syrup guy on the news." The police officer informs him they all have the same calories, and are "processed by the body the same way too." He releases the sticky suspects after determining that the victim is "making this stuff up without any proof."

The point is summed up as "a sugar is a sugar." To a certain extent that’s true—and most Americans would do well to consume less of all of them. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the average American should consume no more than about 40 grams (approximately 10 teaspoons) of added sugars a day–added sugars don’t include those that occur naturally in fruit and other foods. But the average American consumes more than twice that amount about 22 teaspoons per day, and adolescent boys between 14 and 18 consume more than three times more, about 34 teaspoons per day.

Q&A: Is there any way to treat or prevent cold sores?

Several steps might help. Cold sores are caused by the virus herpes simplex type 1. Like the related genital-herpes (simplex type 2) and chicken pox viruses, the bug stays in your body permanently, emerging when your immune system is weakened. Avoiding the triggers might reduce the frequency of outbreaks. Common ones include excessive sun exposure, stress, respiratory illness, and oral or facial wounds, even from shaving or dental work.

Several medications can shorten the duration of outbreaks. Prescription valacyclovir (Valtrex) may be the best choice for treatment because it requires fewer doses and costs less than some other prescription remedies. An over-the-counter drug containing docosanol cream (Abreva) is slightly less effective but it’s cheaper and can help ease the pain. Contact your physician if the sores don’t heal within two weeks. And if you have more than six outbreaks a year, ask your doctor about taking acyclovir (Zovirax) for prevention, since it can reduce episodes by up to 80 percent.

Sexual enhancement product Stiff Nights poses risks

Stiff Nights, a product sold as a dietary supplement for sexual enhancement, contains sulfoaildenafil, a chemical similar to sildenafil, the active ingredient in Viagra, according to a Food and Drug Administration warning today. Sulfoaildenafil poses a threat to consumers because it may interact with prescription drugs known as nitrates, including nitroglycerin, that are used by people with diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol or heart disease. The chemical may also cause dangerously low blood pressure.

Stiff Nights is distributed on online and at retail stores by Impulsaria LLC of Grand Rapids, Michigan and is sold in bottles containing 6, 12, or 30 red capsules or in blister packs containing one or two capsules.

Take a look at the FDA’s list of sexual enhancement products to avoid, and if you’ve experienced adverse events from using any of the products, consult a health care professional and report it to the FDA's MedWatch program.

Pregnant and getting the runaround: My search for a flu shot

Every time I see advice for pregnant women to get a seasonal flu vaccine, I have to laugh—and then rant and rave to anyone who will listen. We’ve all been reminded how important it is for pregnant women to get vaccinated for the H1N1 (swine) flu and the seasonal flu, but it’s not necessarily easy.

This is the second time I have been pregnant during a flu season it’s also the second time I have faced serious obstacles trying to get vaccinated. First, I tried my obstetrician only to find out that, at least where I live in Westchester County in New York, they don't give out the seasonal flu vaccine.

So I tried my internist next. This year, his office is out of flu vaccine altogether. But during my last pregnancy I showed my internist at the time the CDC alert recommending that pregnant women get vaccinated, and he nevertheless refused to give me the vaccine. Even my pulmonologist wouldn't provide the vaccine, even though I have asthma, which puts me at higher risk of complications and severe disease.

For the first pregnancy, my employer at the time hired a nurse to vaccinate the entire company, and she wouldn't give me the shot. I finally, got one from my boss at the time, who also happened to be an M.D.