The Glycemic Index – Just Another Fad?

There are lots of food and diet fads that come and go. Perhaps you’ve heard of The Aitken’s Diet, The Soup Diet, The Fasting Diet, eating no carbs, eating lots of carbs, the list goes on! In 2002 we became aware of a new way of looking at carbohydrates and how our bodies process them through the Glycemic Index (GI). This became a household term, and it seemed everyone was talking about the GI of foods.
So, was it just a fad or does it hold some important information on how our bodies process the food we digest and the effect that has on our overall health?

The official GI website administered by the University of Sydney explains how GI is calculated:

 “The glycemic index (GI) is a ranking of carbohydrates on a scale from 0 to 100 according to the extent to which they raise blood sugar levels after eating. Foods with a high GI are those which are rapidly digested and absorbed and result in marked fluctuations in blood sugar levels. Low-GI foods, by virtue of their slow digestion and absorption, produce gradual rises in blood sugar and insulin levels, and have proven benefits for health.”

Those foods which have a high GI raise our blood sugar levels quickly and significantly after eating them and, while ok in moderation, can play havoc with our pancreas and other vital organs if we continually rely on high GI foods for most of our nutrition.

The pancreas is responsible for the secretion of insulin, the hormone that regulates and breaks down the glucose in our cells. If there are continual dramatic spikes in our blood sugar, the pancreas struggles to produce enough insulin to meet the demand and eventually this can lead to a condition called “Insulin Resistance”. This is where the liver and the cells of your body are no longer able to respond to insulin and you face the very real possibility of developing Type 2 Diabetes. Scary stuff!

So while it may seem that following the GI of foods was a passing fad of the early 2000s, the science on which it is based cannot be denied. As society relies more and more on quick, carbohydrate-laden foods that are filling and easy to prepare, there has been a steady increase of serious diseases linked with poor management of blood glucose levels.

If you would like to know more about how fluctuations on blood sugar can affect your health or would like to check the GI of the foods you consume, you can find lots of helpful information at www.glycemicindex.com, the official website for the glycemic index and international GI database which is based in the University of Sydney.

 

 

Common Ailments - Headaches

Stress, fatigue and dehydration can make us an easy target for the odd headache. At best it is annoying and can make us feel irritable, and at worst, a debilitating pain that can stop us functioning at work or at home.

While we may be tempted to reach straight for pain medication every time a headache comes on, it’s worth knowing that treating the cause of the pain is the key to long term relief from headaches and migraine.

In a study conducted at Macquarie University, specific chiropractic adjustments to the spine significantly reduced migraines in 71% of the people surveyed. The frequency, duration, severity and amount of medication all decreased markedly*.

The Australian Chiropractors Association has a great fact sheet detailing the benefits of chiropractic care for headaches and migraine. You can download it here: http://www.chiropractors.asn.au/images/stories/Files/Chiropractic%20Fact%20Sheets/Fact%20Sheet%20-%20Headache.pdf

If you are experiencing ongoing headaches, speak to Alisa at your next appointment.

* Tuchin, P. et al. (2000). A randomized controlled trial of chiropractic spinal manipulative therapy for migraine Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, 23(2), 91-95.

Movement - How Much is Enough?

Exercise is essential for good health - we know that and we are aware of its benefits for both our physical and mental wellbeing. But, how can we make small changes to our routines to increase our movement? And do those small changes really make a difference?

Dr Jeremy N Morris died at the age of 99. He was the first person to demonstrate - as long ago as 1953 - that it's not so much athletic activity that benefits health, but simply the level of physical activity, even when it is just part of everyday life.

In his first study, Dr Morris compared the health of London bus conductors who worked on "flat" buses and those who worked on double deckers. The conductors all lived in comparable circumstances, with similar family backgrounds and dietary habits. He found that the conductors on the double decker buses who walked up and down 600 steps per day to check passengers' tickets, had half as many heart attacks as their colleagues!

Later, Dr Morris demonstrated similar results among postal workers, comparing those walking and those at a desk job.

Even housework counts as movement! In a study of cleaning women in Boston, researchers found that the simple effort of performing their jobs qualified as exercise and their health significantly improved after a few months. They experienced weight loss, reduction of body fat and blood pressure.

So it seems that even a little exercise has its benefits; taking the stairs instead of the escalator, walking to the station or parking a little further from the supermarket can make significant improvements to our health! Isn't that great news?

What other ways can you think of to get your body moving during your regular daily tasks? 

 

Emotions and our Eating Habits

We know that when we are stressed we could be more likely to reach for comfort foods and/or overeat if we don’t find other ways to address our emotions.

But, why do we feel like “eating our emotions” in the first place? And what can we do to break the cycle?

 

The Role of Emotions

Dr David Simon is the CEO, cofounder, and medical director of The Chopra Center in California USA. Here, he explains how important it is that we recognise the connection between emotion and our eating habits.

“Our emotions play an essential role in our eating habits. We learned early in life how putting something in our mouths soothed upset feelings. Whether it was a breast, a bottle, a pacifier, or a thumb, all of us were conditioned to associate our mouths with comfort. It's not surprising that adults under stress resort to smoking, drinking, or excessive eating. In addition, when we experience stress, our bodies release hormones that cause us to conserve energy, and recent studies have shown that disturbed sleep patterns associated with stress increase levels of hormones responsible for appetite.”

Recognising the difference between Emotional Hunger and Physical Hunger

According to the University of Texas Counseling and Mental Health Center’s web site, these are the keys:

1.    Continue reading below...

1.    Emotional hunger comes on suddenly; physical hunger occurs gradually.

2.    When you are eating to fill a void that isn't related to an empty stomach, you crave a specific food, such as pizza or ice cream, and only that food will meet your need. When you eat because you are actually hungry, you're open to options.

3.    Emotional hunger feels like it needs to be satisfied instantly with the food you crave; physical hunger can wait.

4.    Even when you are full, if you're eating to satisfy an emotional need, you're more likely to keep eating. When you're eating because you're hungry, you're more likely to stop when you're full.

5.    Emotional eating can leave behind feelings of guilt; eating when you are physically hungry does not.

 

Becoming in Tune with our Habits

Dr Simon David goes on to suggest some ways in which we can become more in tune with our emotions and eating habits.

 

1.    Practice meditation to manage your stress.

2.    Exercise regularly.

3.    Eat the six tastes at every meal, ensuring that you have spicy and bitter foods to stimulate metabolism.

4.    Honour your appetite, eating only when you are hungry. Stop eating when you're comfortable, not when you're stuffed.

5.    Learn conscious communication skills to meet your emotional needs.

6.    Drink ginger tea before each meal.

 

What other things can you think of to minimise the stress in your life?

 

 

Kids' Nutrition - Time Saving Tips

You know the drill: Our kids need lots of nutritious and energy-packed food to help them grow, learn and keep active. While we’d all like to ideally cook fresh wholesome meals and snacks for our families all the time, it is not easy to find the time or energy to do so.

I thought I’d share a few shortcuts that I use to cut down on time in the kitchen when trying to provide nutritious food for my kids (and myself!)

The Big Chop Up

Something that works for me is to do one big fruit and vegetable “chop up” once per day. Then, I only make one big mess to clean up rather than constantly dragging out the chopping board. For example, at 2pm, before I go to pick up the kids from school, I cut up vegetables and fruit for:

·         Today’s afternoon snack,

·         Tonight’s dinner,

·         Tomorrow’s lunchboxes.

I basically cut up all the same things in one big batch. So, one day it’ll be carrots, cabbage, apple and celery so I can make coleslaw for dinner and lunch and carrot and celery sticks for afternoon tea and lunchboxes. The next day it might be lettuce, cucumber, cherry tomatoes and capsicum for a big salad in a bowl that I then divide up into containers for the next 24 hours.

Grab and Go

If I don’t get a chance to do my big chop up, then I rely on easy to pack foods like bananas, a carrot (just washed, not peeled or cut), apples or whole cucumbers to get those nutrient-rich foods into the lunchboxes – basically anything that’s wholesome and easy to grab and go!

Nuts

Keeping a container of nuts in my handbag helps with the munchies when we’re doing a quick car trip, or as a protein top-up straight after school.

Lunch Meat

Freezing small portions of leftover roast chicken makes it easy to include protein in their lunch without relying on deli meats loaded with preservatives.

Of course, I don’t have it all together, far from it! But in terms of making my kids’ lives healthier and my life easier, these shortcuts help to keep us from falling into the “Just go and grab a packet of chips” habit every day. J  

What are your tips for healthy and quick nutrition for your family?

 

Rhonda Mackay

 

*Rhonda is a writer and mother of 2 girls. She has a special interest in emotional health and enjoys both the laziness of the school holidays and the peace of the school term in equal amounts! ;)

School Bags and Spinal Health

Fashion can often get in the way of health when it comes to choosing the right backpack for our children to carry to school. Here are a few tips on choosing not only the right bag, but also the right way to carry that backpack to reduce the chance of spinal damage.

• Choose a backpack with 
• Broad should straps that are padded and adjustable
• A padded and stiff surface that will be in contact with the child’s back
• A waist strap to keep the bag firmly on the spine and to distribute weight evenly on the hips (this will actually make the load feel lighter)
• Width of the bag to not exceed chest width
• Lowest point of the bag to sit no lower than the hollow of the lower back

•  When packing the backpack, ensure  
• The child never carries more than 10% of their body weight
• They wear their bag over both shoulders
• Pack heaviest items closest to their back
• Pack only what they need for that day

You can learn more about backpacks and spinal health from the Chiropractor’s Association of Australia at http://www.chiropractors.asn.au.

Click here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2oo342IhzH8 to see what Dr Joe Ierano had to say to Channel 7 on the subject of backpacks and spinal health.

 

*Image courtesy of www.chiropractors.asn.au

Kids' Week - Movement

Sitting at a desk or computer all day can place stress on our bodies and, in particular, our spines. It is especially stressful on young growing spines.

According to the Chiropractors’ Association of Australia, unnatural postural strain whilst using a computer mouse for extended periods can cause an array of problems. Poor posture when using the mouse tightens the shoulder muscles and decreases nerve and blood flow to the involved shoulder, arm and hand.

Of course in our modern world it is not realistic for us to expect our children to never use a computer or mouse for an extended period – after all they are using them at school, for homework and for fun. Balance is the key and by implementing the following strategies, you will not only help your child’s spine but also educate them on the importance of caring for their posture. 

·         Take regular stretching breaks – every 30 minutes is recommended by the Chiropractors’ Association of Australia

 

·         Encourage them to periodically stretch during class (when appropriate) or stand up and change position to avoid strain on their spine 

·         Demonstrate how you look after your spinal health by not slouching in front of the computer 

·         Show them how to rotate their arms and shoulders to put them through their full range of movement, reducing strain on the joints and connective tissue

After school is also a great time to give the spine and body a break from being sedentary. Jumping on the trampoline, walking the dog or going for a swim are all activities that promote spinal health, muscle movement and relaxation. Also, avoiding electronic devices just before bed helps to slow down young minds and bodies for sleep.

Basically, balance is the key and if your children know that to enjoy good health, they need to combine sitting down with regular movement, it will set them up with good habits for life.