Yoga, Use Of Props At Any Age

I wanted to share some inspiring words accompanied by an instructive image as a New Year approaches  

The message, based on experience, is that a gentle, safe form of yoga can be done with the use of props at any, all ages by males and females 

I received Coralie Nideur's written comments on September 9, 2014 - at the time she was a 73 yr. old yoga student i had the pleasure of instructing

Coralie's words are reproduced below:

"You are never to old to begin an exercise program. I decided to try yoga with Bob a year ago.

My goal was to maintain flexibility and balance as I love to garden and want to remain active.

We begin each session with an evaluation of how i am feeling  and if i have any pain ( I have Osteoarthritis). Bob then modifies the yoga exercises depending on what the issues of the day are. 

He might use a chair, couch, blocks, rolled blanket or strap. I get the benefit of a full stretch without the fear of any injury.

Props Bob Uses With Clients
May Incude
Chair, Blocks, Strap, Elastic Bands
 Blanket, Roller, Tennis Ball
Dumbbells, Mat, Knee Pads

It has been a wonderful productive year and i feel fit and flexible. I would recommend Bob to all my friends and all seniors." 

As 2015 approaches, i continue to meet with Coralie and her friend Barbara - focusing on their interests, we continue to have fun while enhancing our mobility, maintaining our health

Coralie and Barbara - both in their 70's - have become stronger, enjoy greater balance, are more flexible and know ways to calm their minds, focus on their breathing

Contact Bob

bob@bobcrowther.com

774-272-5760

for

Customized Yoga Instruction, Coaching

Read Bob's Website Pages: listed on the right side 

#YogawithBobCrowther #YogaUsingProps #YogaAtAllAges #YogaForMales #YogaForFemales

Yoga As A Lifestyle Choice

Bob Crowther has enjoyed 1000 yoga classes as he starts his 50th month of yoga activities. 

My evening yoga class today was the 1000th session i have attended since my first class - less than two days before my 50th month begins.

As i approach 64, i continue to experience the many physical, mental health benefits from my hatha yoga practice. 

My experiences can be yours as well. 

I encourage males and females of all ages to take the first steps to become more mobile doing a gentle, non-impact and safe form of yoga.

Health, pain symptoms including various medical conditions (heart attack, diabetes, arthritis, obesity, others) can be addressed through yoga.

Enhance your strength, balance, flexibility, breathing and calm your mind.

Contact 

Bob Crowther

774-272-5760

bob@bobcrowther.com 

Find out how i can help you achieve your short and long term goals through customized instruction, coaching. 

Bob
 Demonstrating 
Good Balance, Flexibility  

#BobCrowther  #YogaLifestyle  #YogaForMales  #YogaForFemales #YogaWithBobCrowther

Yoga, Making Food Safety A Priority

Bob Crowther presents some thoughts on the importance of food safety.

As consumers, we continue to be confronted with food safety issues - from both domestic and international origins.

It is clear from many sources (articles, books, documentary films, private organizations) that the food we eat continues to pose serious health risks to all age groups of our population. 

Contributing to the list of agents compromising our foods (plants and animals) and health are the following: 

• pesticides, herbicides, antibiotics, hormones 
• bacteria (including Salmonella, Listeria, Campylobacter, the toxic strain E. coli 0157:H7)
• genetically modified organisms
• minerals (such as arsenic, mercury)
• viruses (especially Norovirus)

More frequently, individual citizens, members of our health professions and activist organizations are asking a relevant question: Is our food safe?

One perspective quoted below appeared in a Food Safety Fact Sheet entitled Foodborne Illness (May, 2102) from the Center For Food Safety, a national non-profit public interest and environmental advocacy organization:

"For decades, the U.S. food safety regulatory system has been stymied by inadequate legal authority, outdated safety standards, inadequate funding, and confusing overlapping jurisdiction between the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)."

Processed food additives remain an area where more authority and oversight by the USDA and FDA is warranted yet lacking.

Melanie Warner's book, Pandora's Lunchbox  How Processed Food Took Over the American Meal (2013) cites a 2011 report from a non-profit group, the Pew Charitable Trusts, estimating over 5000 additives have become introduced into our food [excluding the substances that come in contact with the food during processing]. 

Warner notes the manner and ease of the food industry giants to undermine and compromise the oversight authority of the FDA - including simply declaring food additives safe without any independent evaluation process.

Historically weak congressional legislation has enabled these practices to occur and continue at the expense of our citizens.

It is clear the FDA and USDA has not evaluated all these food additives that have been given a designation of GRAS (= Generally Recognized as Safe) - to the detriment of the public. 

It is undeniable the relatively small number of companies that dominate our nations industrialized factory food rearing and processing have been the origins of heath care risks and illnesses for decades [see my recent posts including comments on Food, Inc. - the documentary film and book]

The Fact Sheet comments about food poisoning are alarming: "every year, one in six Americans die of foodborne diseases."

Consider the toxic stain E. coli 0157 found in cow meat - one infected animal can contaminate thousands of pounds of ground beef. 

Plants treated with manure of this and other bacterial strains also can be lead to serious health issues including kidney failure and death. 

The following figure was cited about E.coli 0157 in a Discover (March 14, 2014) article: it is "the culprit behind nearly 62,000 foodborne illnesses every year" - unfortunately, industrialized food distribution practices facilitate infections being spread readily from one location to many throughout the country.

[Meat containing six other strains of toxic E. coli has been the subject of government regulation - as reported by the New York Times in a report by William Neuman, September 12, 2011] 

Imported foods into the U.S. (fruits, vegetables, seafood), federal estimates between 10-15 %, are another cause for public concern - food safety standards of our country are different or simply not observed within other nations.

The USDA and the FDA do not have an adequate number of inspectors to effectively evaluate the vast number of food imports from the international community.

Consider one example: toxic forms of arsenic found in water, plants (apples, rice) and animals (chicken).

"A Trace of Arsenic", an article by Deborah Blum in Discover (October, 2013) was both informative and alarming. 

The author describes the discovery of rice from Southeast Asia contaminated with arsenic found in baby formula consumed in the United States.

Blum comments include what we now know about arsenic chemistry, new detection technologies and the emerging awareness of biological consequences of even trace amounts to arsenic over time: citing documented cancers, cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

Lab documentation that organic brown rice syrups associated with health food products (cereals, bars) had arsenic levels as high as 400 parts per billion (ppb) has led to public warnings [the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency limits arsenic in water to 10 ppb].

For many decades, our government agencies [USDA and FDA] responsible for food safety oversight have been limited by food industry lobbyists: with huge resources, they have been successful in influencing (= limiting) the congressional legislation that becomes law.

Legislative language has led to many practices that effectively prevent meaningful food safety standards be met. 

Complicating regulatory oversight further has been the practice of industrial food executives assuming positions in our government regulatory agencies. Conflict of interest issues come to mind. 

It remains to be seen whether the Food Safety Modernization Act that became federal law in 2011 - an attempt to give the FDA enhanced oversight authority including mandatory recalls over domestic and international foods safety issues - will be funded at levels to address the serious and diverse food safety concerns confronting our nation. 

State funding for public food safety issues need to be enhanced as well.

What can you do? 

Become Better Informed
www.centerforfoodsafety.org

The Center for Food Safety encourages you to:

• contact elected representatives at local, state and national levels to support funding for food safety oversight and awareness
• speak out on the importance for our congress to establish "a single cabinet level food safety agency that has a public health focus to prevent dangerous outbreaks"
• avoid processed foods; whenever possible, to purchase your foods from local producers [from organic farms where information is transparent] 

A final thought: read Michael Pollan's booK, Food Rules An Eaters Guide (2009) to empower yourself. 

 #CenterForFoodSafety #TheFDA #FoodSafety #TheUSDA

Yoga, Food, Inc. Book Overview

Bob Crowther highlights the titles, authors of chapters in the book, Food, Inc.

He also notes the contributions of others that has facilitated public awareness about the organization and operation of the major corporations overseeing our food industry. 

We have been informed from the publication of many books investigating various topics including food production, processing, marketing and distribution practices.

My comments below focus on Food, Inc. - a companion book to a film that initiated considerable discussion and debate on significant food industry issues still relevant today. 

Expansion of Film Documentary

During 2008 a documentary film, Food, Inc., directed by Robert Kenner and narrated by Eric Schlosser and Michael Pollan, was released - it examined aspects of corporate (industrial) food practices in the United States.  

This film continued to focus on and extend some subjects discussed in the books - Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser (2001) and Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan (2006) - providing commentary on the production of:

• meat (beef, pork, chicken): animal treatment, processing, economics, environmental impact
• vegetables (corn, soy) and grains: chemical treatments, genetic manipulations,  environmental consequences 

It also addressed food safety, food health concerns and food industry regulations.

As with Schloser's book, this film generated wide interest among the public. 

Among many questions raised was the following: How can we make changes to long established industrial food operations to establish more sustainable food supplies within our nation and the international community?

A companion book edited by Karl Weber, Food, Inc. How Industrial Food is Making us Sicker, Fatter and Poorer - And What You Can Do About It (2009) provided an opportunity to address this and other issues through essays organized in three sections.

I have reproduced below the names of well known individuals and representatives of various organizations with informative yet often diverse perspectives for your consideration: 

#1 "Food Inc.: The Film" - two chapters, issues:

• Conversations with Eric Schlosser - "Reforming Fast Food Nation" and Robert Kenner - "Exploring the Corporate Powers Behind the Way We Eat: The Making of Food, Inc."
• Food & Water Watch, "Food Safety Consequences of Factory Farms";  "Food Sovereignty for U.S. Consumers"

#2  "Inside the Food Wars" - six chapters, focus:

• Gary Hirshberg, "Organics - Healthy Food, and So Much More"; Humane Society of the United States, "The Dirty Six: The Worst Animal Practices in Agribusiness"
• Peter Pringle, "Food, Science, and the Challenge of World Hunger - Who Will Control The Future?"; Ronnie Cummins, Organic Consumers Association, "Hazards of Genetically Engineered Foods and Crops:Why We Need A Global Moratorium"
• Robert Bryce, "The Ethanol Scam; Burning Food To Make Motor Fuel"; Organic Consumer Association, "Exposure to Pesticides: A Fact Sheet"
• Anna Lappe' "The Climate Crisis at the End of Our Fork"; Cool Foods Campaign, "Global Warming and Your Food"
• Arturo Rodriguez,others "Cheap Food: Workers Pay The Price"; Pesticide Action Network North America, "Fields of Poison: California Farmworkers and Pesticides"
• Muhammad Yunus, "The Financial Crisis and World Hunger"; FoodFirst Information and Action Network, "The Scope of the World Food Crisis"

#3 " What You Can Do About It" - five chapters, topics:

• Michael Pollan, "Why Bother"; American Community Gardening Association, "Ten Steps to Starting a Community Garden"
• Joel Salatin, "Declare Your Independence"; Sustainable Table, "Questions for a Farmer"
• Marion Nestle, "Eating Made Simple"; Sheri White Nelson, "World Hunger - Your Actions Matter"
• Center for Science in the Public Interest, "Improving Kids' Nutrition: An Action Tool Kit For Parents"; Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, "Childhood Obesity: The Challenge"
• Preston Maring, "Produce to the People: A Prescription for Health"

The wide ranging topics presented in the book, Food, Inc., continues to be significant in 2014 as our society deals with the increasingly negative health consequences from corporate food industry practices, operations over many decades.

Contact

Bob Crowther

774-272-5760

bob@bobcrowther.com

My intent by citing the authors and titles of the various essays in this book is to facilitate your efforts to find out more details - to become better informed and aware of the many critical food issues we face as a nation.

Take the opportunity to read and investigate further subjects of interest. 

Bob knows of two women in his role as a yoga instructor - both passionate gardeners - that might find several of these essays of interest.

Recent articles on toxic food products and some concerns about two of our government agencies (the USDA/FDA) will be the focus of a future topic.

 # Yoga And Nutrition #Food, Inc. [Film]  #Food, Inc. [Book] # Food Industry Debates # Yoga With Bob Crowther

Yoga, Books About Food Industry

Bob Crowther notes the influence of Eric Schlosser's book, Fast Food Nation, and provides a list of publications since 2001 about the history of the our food industry and their influence controlling what most of us eat. 

Consider the following quote: "... the annual cost of the nations obesity epidemic - about $168 billion, as calculated by researchers at Emory University - is the same as the amount of money American spent on fast food in 2011"  ... from afterword, Fast Food Nation (Eric Schlosser, 2011) - ten years after it was first published.

Ten Year Anniversary
 Publication

Eric Schlosser investigations about the fast food industry addressed a number of consumer, worker and environmental topics that continue to be of interest and warrant public attention - some of the issues he wrote about are listed below:

• impact and consequences of large packinghouses, huge feedlots, slaughterhouses, meat grinders
• animal welfare: rearing conditions, antibiotics, hormone treatments
• food production, pathogens and safety issues
• limited OSHA and FDA authority and enforcement - inability to reform food safety system
• restricted government authority, oversight and regulation of fast food industry 
• children, obesity, fast food marketing policies and practices  
• land management, food company conglomerates and government subsidies
• worker training, safety, injuries, compensation, illegal migrants
• international scope of fast food industry and influence

My recent commentary on Food Rules (Michael Pollan) and Good Calories, Bad Calories (Gary Taubes) - two books that focused on different aspects about the how, when, where, what  re: foods we consume daily - updated some aspects about the fast food industry that Schlosser mentioned in his valuable yet controversial book. 

Since Schlosser's contribution, other authors have documented various aspects of the interactions of government, science, nutrition and health care matters among other subjects through the publication of books, documentaries and film.

The following references addressing the Food Industry include those mentioned by Schlosser and have been supplemented by my own selections - these selections comment on several additional topics including:

• free range, grass fed animals; organic farming and food processing
• sustainable agriculture system; agribusiness accountability
• health impacts from processed foods within supermarkets
• epidemic of obesity and diabetes; Western diet
• science and technology: genetically modified organisms
• flawed use of science to support government food policies

[2001] Fast Food Nation (Eric Schlosser)

[2002] Food Politics (Marion Nestle)

[2003] Hope's Edge (Frances and Anna Lappe)

[2003] Dominion (Mathew Scully)

[2004] Slow Food (Carlo Petrini)

[2004] The Future of Food (Deborah Korns Garcia)

[2004] Supersize Me (Morgan Spurlock)

[2005] McLibel (Franny Armstrong)

[2006] Omnivores Dilemma (Michael Pollan)

[2008] King Corn (Aaron Woolf)

[2008] Stuffed and Starved (Raj Pastel)

[2008] In Defense Of Food (Michael Pollan)

[2008] Good Calories, Bad Calories (Gary Taubes)

[2009] Food, Inc (Robby Kenner)

[2009] Food Rules (Michael Pollan)

[2010] Why We Get Fat (Gary Taubes)

[2011] Tomatoland (Barry Estabrook)

[2011] Wheat Belly (William Davis, MD)

[2012] Fat Chance (Robert Lustig, MD)

[2013] Salt Sugar Fat (Michael Moss)

[2013] Grain Brain (David Perlmutter, MD)

Over a hundred years have passed since The Jungle was published by Upton Sinclair (1906) - exposing the meatpacking plants/industry in Chicago - during the presidency of Theodore Roosevelt.

It led to some limited government action and food safety laws being established.

Set aside some time and learn more about our national Food Industry.

Find out about the many interconnected issues that impact our society and directly influence our lives on a daily basis.

As Eric Schlosser and others have noted, as individuals we can express our concerns at local, state and national levels about our food policies and practices.

You are encouraged to voice your concerns and attempt to influence how our government protects its citizens.

#YogaAndNutrition #FastFoodIndustry #FastFoodNation #FoodRules 

Yoga, Nutrition Policies Compromised

Bob Crowther highlights Gary Taubes' book (Good Calories, Bad Calories), issues about national nutrition policies and increasing obesity levels.

"Obesity Is Found to Gain Hold in Earliest Years" (New York Times, January 29, 2014). 

This headline and article written by Gina Kolata along with other print and online versions did get my attention and those of health professionals. 

This study recorded the weight and height of over 7,000 children from kindergarten through eighth grade.

A major finding: children in kindergarten who are overweight or obese when young often remain this way as they get older  - " ... a third of the children who were overweight in kindergarten were obese by eight grade." [see reports for specific details]

Undoubtedly, these findings will generate further discussion among physicians and nutritionists about the roles genetics and environmental factors play in obesity and contribute to re-evaluating intervention strategies.

Why have so many attempts by health care specialists failed to produce long term positive results in reversing weight gain among our youth and more mature members of our population of all ages?

Will those responsible for implementing national food policies effecting obesity (and diabetes) reconsider how they evaluate and respond to information from specialists? 

Professionals within the many disciplines concerned with obesity might still benefit from reading Good Calories, Bad Calories by Gary Taubes (2007) - first published in the UK and Australia as The Diet Delusion. 

History, Science and Politics
Challenges Establishment Positions

Taubes, a science journalist, spent five years researching and writing about how we arrived with the food policies that have dominated our society during the past sixty years.

He detailed the historical and contemporary roles played by investigators from the international community within different disciplines [focus on nutrition science].

Taubes critically examined and evaluated published experiments along with spoken and written statements including advice reaching the highest levels of government. 

A major observation: strength of personality at different times led to assumptions and implementation of policies independent of the veracity of cited scientific evidence about obesity.

Competing hypotheses about what leads to obesity - consumption of dietary carbohydrates and fats - are presented in detail and include interactions among individuals in medicine and politics.

He challenges the current scientific paradigm that low-fat diets promote weight loss and improved health. He presents considerable scientific evidence that dietary fats are not a cause of obesity.

Significantly, throughout the book,Tubes notes scientific abuses and how contradictory results have been often poorly reported and conflicting data ignored. 

Taubes examines common assumptions associated with obesity and describes in detail the science experiments that refute them.

Among the obesity myths he identifies are: 

• the quantity of calories consumed and calories expended is important for controlling weight gain ...[the science indicates it is the quality of calories that are important;not all calories are equal] 

• under-eating will decrease weight ... [actually, calorie restricted diets "are known to be poor and not long lasting"; semi-starvation diets fail, low calories diets lack needed nutrients]

• exercise leads to long-term weight loss [rather, more strenuous exercise often leads to an increased appetite] 

Five conclusions based on his research are quoted directly:

• "Obesity is a disorder of excess fat accumulation, not overeating, and not sedentary behavior"
• "Consuming excess calories does not cause us to grow fatter..."
• "Fattening and obesity are caused by an imbalance ... in the hormonal regulation regulation of adipose tissue and fat metabolism"
• "Insulin is the primary regulator of fat storage. When insulin levels are elevated ... we accumulate fat in our fat tissue"
• "By stimulating insulin secretion, carbohydrates make us fat and ultimately cause obesity"

Not surprisingly, Taubes' book was met with criticism [see contemporary reviews].

Despite an effort to critically evaluate the scientific evidence in detail, his strong views about the consequences of high carbohydrates consumption have generated comments of ignoring other possibilities. 

Taubes is reminded to heed the words quoted and attributed to H.L. Mencken cited in his book : "There is always an easy solution to every human problem - neat, plausible, and wrong."

Good Calories, Bad Calories is a valuable resource and a reminder that we as a society should be more critical of policies and advice initiated by the-powers-that-be in government, medicine and nutrition science (among others).

With increasing frequently, past policies and practices involving food have been shown to be wrong and even harmful.

Taubes contributions, along with books by the following authors (William Davis, Robert Lustig, David Perlmutter, Michael Pollan) i have cited recently in my website posts collectively may help us to become better educated about the choices we make about what to eat. 

Set aside time, ask questions and learn more. 

What you put in your body can have serious short and long term health consequences.

#YogaAndNutrition #BadCalories,GoodCalories  #NationalFoodPolicies #NutritionScience #Nutritionism #ObesityMyths 

Yoga, Making Informed Food Choices

Bob Crowther promotes Michael Pollan's book, Food Rules.

Evidence linking the 'Western diet' to compromised health and various forms of disease (among others, obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular, cancer) continues to grow.

Despite the activities of various health care specialists (including those in medicine, nutrition and research), poor nutrition habits are common throughout our nation.

Articles and books have commented on examples of the many failures to reverse alarming and unhealthy eating choices of individuals [think of the current levels of obesity and diabetes].

It has become obvious government promoted food policies have not been effective for decades.

As Michael Moss has documented in his 2013 book, Salt Sugar Fat, how and what we currently consume as food has dramatically changed during the past sixty years. 

What steps can be taken to reverse these trends? 

At the individual level, how is one to make practical food choices daily?

Michael Pollan, Food Rules

A refreshing and valuable contribution addressing this topic was made over four years ago by Michael Pollan in his 2009 book, Food Rules: An Eater's Manual (Penguin) - distilling years of his research, these rules are tools accessible to the public for making personal decisions.

Ways To Eat Food
An Enjoyable Discovery

Pollan, a noted journalist and author interested in all matters related to food, wrote his 140 page book utilizing input after consultations with a diverse community: in his words, "folklorists and anthropologists, doctors, nurses, nutritionists, and dietitians" along with "mothers, grandmothers and great-grandmothers" as well as the public (readers, contacts at conferences, online) to assemble these "broad guidelines" (= "personal policies").

His brief yet informative comments to embrace cultural food traditions have been obscured by the ongoing debates about food and nutrition history, science and competing ideas of individual personalities within different disciplines (medical, government, industrial) with interests that often appear to be in conflict with the health of our population. 

My brief comments below highlight some of his perspectives and shared wisdom on making personal food choices.

Pollan's basic message, in his words: "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants" - initially appeared in another of his publications (In Defense Of Food) published in 2008.

In Food Rules, Pollan has organized his thoughts under three main headings:

• What should I eat? (Eat food)
• What kind of food should I eat? (Mostly plants)
• How should I eat? (Not too much) 

The emphasis of the 21 statements and accompanying brief paragraph for each under the first section is on eating food and not "highly processed concoctions."

We are reminded "Don't eat anything your great-grandmother wouldn't recognize as food."

Among the authors statements: "Avoid food products  

• containing ingredients that no ordinary human would keep in the pantry"
• that contain high-fructose corn syrup"
• that have some form of sugar (or sweetner) listed among the top three ingredients"
• that contain more than five ingredients"
• containing ingredients that a third-grader cannot pronounce"

Readers are encouraged to "eat only foods  

• that will eventually rot"
• that have been cooked by humans"  

"If it came from a plant, eat it, if it was made in a plant, don't."

The author reminds readers "Its not food 

• if it arrived through a car window"
• if it's called by the same name in every language (Think Big Mac, Cheetos, or Pringles)"

The second section lists 22 statements and comments directed to answer Pollan's question, What kinds of foods I should eat?   Individuals are encouraged to "Eat 

• mostly plants, especially leaves"
• your colors"
• animals that have themselves eaten well"
• like an omnivore"
• well grown food from healthy soil"
• some foods that have been predigested by bacteria and fungi"
• sweet foods as you find them in nature"
• all the junk food you want as long as you cook it yourself"
• more like the French. Or the Japanese. Or the Italians. Or the Greeks."

There is value in following food traditions. 

One is encouraged to "Regard nontraditional foods with skepticism", to "Favor the kinds of oil and grains that have traditionally been stone ground" and  to "Treat meat as a flavoring or special occasion food."

Remember: "Eating what stands on one leg [mushroom and plant foods] is better than eating what stands on two legs [fowl]which is better than eating what stands on four legs [cows, pigs and other mammals]". Also: "Don't overlook the oily little fishes."

What should i eat? comprises the focus of the third section - 21 rules and additional thoughts about manners and culture as one attempts to define how to establish daily food habits.

Pollan acknowledges healthy food cost more: "Pay more, eat less."

Among his suggestions: "Eat 

• ... less" 
• when you are hungry, not when you are bored"
• slowly"
• meals"

Eating is a social process.

We are advised to "Try not to eat alone" and to "Do all your eating at a table" keeping in mind the following: "The banquet is in the first bite."

It is important to "Consult your gut", to "Serve a proper portion", "Don't go back for seconds", to "Buy smaller plates and dishes" and to "Cook."

One is encouraged: "Don't get your fuel from the same place your car does."

Pollan recognizes human nature. Readers should "Treat treats as treats" and to "Break the rules once in a while." 

Contact

Bob Crowther

774-272-5760

bob@bobcrowther.com

Treat yourself. Read this book, become better informed and healthier. Take the opportunity to explore the many issues underlying the 64 Food Rules in more detail. 

Acknowledgment is given to the author Michael Pollan - his words as written are cited as they appeared in his book.

#Yoga And Nutrition # Food Rules  # Michael Pollan # Nutrition Guidelines #Yoga With Bob Crowther

Yoga, Linking Sugars To Body Fat

Bob Crowther notes the increase of added sugars, high fructose corn syrup in our foods contributes to fat storage, weight gain for many individuals. 

High consumption of simple and complex carbohydrates (sugars, starches) in our foods can pose serious health concerns to the public.

In recent years we have witnessed our highest national levels of obesity and diabetes.

Informative
 Readable Account

Contributing to this alarming situation is the presence of added sugars in processed foods.

Details about these carbohydrates may or may not be documented on food labels and likely not in a manner appreciated or fully understood by consumers (for example, percentage of calories contributed by each).

Why should you be concerned about these added sugars? 

Individually or in combination, these carbohydrates are rapidly metabolized and enter the blood as glucose and may sustain insulin levels secreted from the pancreas.

One outcome from this insulin involving the kidneys can result in elevated high blood pressure. 

Research on carbohydrate metabolism in animal models and humans have established high carbohydrate diets, not those comprised of high fats, are responsible for insulin resistance (failure of muscle, liver and other cells from responding to insulin to remove glucose from the blood into these cells).

HFCS

Unlike glucose, investigators have known the sugar fructose, a component of sucrose (table sugar) that makes it sweet. 

Since the late 1970's, when high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) was first manufactured, HFCS has become a major and increasing health concern to the public: the level of fructose in this concentrated form is elevated to 55%.

HFCS's are mostly metabolized in the liver to form fat and store it within fat cells throughout the body (as triglycerides).

Fructose also can lead to the damaging consequences from advanced glycation end products (AGEs) i recently noted in comments about wheat health concerns and contribute to fructose induced insulin resistance to block glucose metabolism in the liver. 

The eventual distribution of total body fat including its accumulation in visceral locations including the liver and muscle has led to overweight and obese conditions with known associated health risk factors [consider the disease known as Metabolic Syndrome]. 

Yet,  despite investigative reporting evaluating historical and contemporary documents about carbohydrate and fat metabolism, a disturbing picture of denial persists within the scientific community and among many influential medical organizations and various government agencies overseeing our nation's health and nutritional policies [see Taubes]. 

Compounding our problems associated with government agencies promoting high carbohydrate diets  for decades (consider earlier Food Pyramids, current My Plate guidelines) have been the ongoing roles of the Food Industry : adding sugars to foods and marketing these under different names at addictive levels [note Moss chapter on Sugar].

Sugars are identified by a chemical name ending in "-ose" - those on food labels that may be familiar include the following: dextrose, fructose, galactose, glucose, high fructose corn syrup, maltose, saccharose, sucrose and xylose.

Sources of Added Sugars

The major food companies have added many compounds to its products that have increased their sugar content -  i have identified some of these under different categories [see Lustig, p. 196]:

• juices [cane crystals, evaporated cane, fruit, fruit concentrate]

• sugars [barbados, beet, brown, cane, castor, confectioner's, date, icing, muscovado, organic raw,  raw]

• syrup [agave, brow-rice, buttered, corn, corn solids, carob, golden, malt, maple, refiner's, rice, sorghum]

• miscellaneous [agave nectar, caramel, dextran, honey, maltodexrin, molasses]

Most of the above list contain fructose - as noted, placing greater demands on the liver and contributing to fat formation, its storage and other health concerns.

Unfortunately, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) continues to spend far less money to promote healthy foods compared to the billions directed by the food industry promoting processed 'junk' foods containing added sugars - in a way that is not transparent to the public. 

The absence of any daily recommended values on food labels for sugars is also noteworthy and warrants further consideration and discussion.

Why should you be concerned about these added sugars?

For many individuals higher sugar (glucose) levels means elevated insulin secretion that over time can lead to insulin resistance - as noted, possibly to muscle and liver tissue not responding to insulin levels, leading to diabetes and increasing the formation of fat deposits in both.

What Can Be Done?

Among other choices, adding protein (lean meats, fish, poultry) and fats (eggs, cheese, nuts, seeds) to ones daily diet may be appropriate for many individuals.

Adjusting the amount and types of carbohydrates consumed daily also can have a huge impact on your short and long term health.

Seek out complex carbohydrates from natural sources. Vegetables and fruits with relatively low fructose also containing fiber (known to decrease rate of glucose absorption to blood) would be a better choice than eating the refined flours present in breads, cereals and pasta. 

Reducing, eliminating and/or replacing liquids (sugars in soda, fruit juices and beer) and complex starch foods (corn, rice and potatoes) would minimize the impact of insulin spikes or sustained insulin levels.

Significantly, search for medical and nutritional professionals open to discuss your concerns about the impact of hidden added sugars within foods.

References: Gary Taubes [Why We Get Fat, 2010], Robert Lustig, MD [Fat Chance, 2012], Michael Moss [Salt Sugar Fat, 2013]

#GaryTaubes #Insulin #Obesity #WhyWeGetFat #YogaAndNutrition

Yoga, Sodium (Salt) Under Review

Bob Crowther considers various issues, concerns associated with sodium consumption. 

Sodium was in the news during 2013. 

Important publications and recommendations were communicated to the public about sodium, high blood pressure and daily recommended levels from food consumption.

Decades of conventional practice and targets were significantly updated in treating high blood pressure for an estimated 7.4 million people 

[see The Journal of the American Medical Association].

New hypertension treatment guidelines were released last month by a committee of 17 academics.

They suggested no medication was required for individuals, 60 and over, with a systolic blood pressure of 150 or lower, a diastolic pressure of 90 and below.

This was a change from the previously recognized measurements of 140/90. 

[for details and commentaries including critics, see the New York Times articles, December 18, 2013].

Independent of blood pressure, sodium is of biological and medical interest for other reasons related to its daily consumption in foods and numerous forms including table salt (sodium chloride).

Sodium is a mineral -  among the inorganic elements [not made from living systems]that make up about 5% of our total body weight and are essential components of chemical reactions throughout the body.

Important biological functions of sodium (and potassium) include:

• involved in water and electrolyte balance
• muscle contraction
• membrane permeability; nerve impulse
• role in blood pressure 

In 1986 The American Heart Association recommended a daily maximum amount of sodium at approximately 3,000 milligrams (mg) - about a teaspoon of salt. 

By 2005, guidelines suggested a daily limit to 2,300 mg per day.

Despite these suggested figures, nutritionists estimate our Western culture diet exceeds an average of 4,500 mg per day for individuals.

Ongoing discussions and warnings about safe levels of sodium were addressed by the National Institutes of Health and led to revised dietary guidelines during 2010.

Commentary from one discussion panel encouraged further reduction of sodium consumption limits daily to 1,500 mg/day but were suspect and challenged. 

A controversy has ensued about how much salt should be consumed and considered safe in the print and digital media.

Further attention to our national conversation about sodium and salt occurred during 2013 with the publication of the Michael Moss book: Salt Sugar Fat.

 [read his discussions with food scientists studying infants to fruit flies to understand the genes and cell mechanisms underlying our human sense of salt throughout the body].

Moss investigated the relationship of salt within the Food Industry. 

He reports on a 1991 study documenting sodium in processed foods accounting for greater than 75% being consumed by the public - a consequence attributed to less home cooking from the past. 

Among his stories: evidence of our excessive salt consumption, ten to twenty the daily minimum amount the body requires (for an adult older than 18, about 500 mg) ... a stunning 5,400 mg sodium in the Hungry Man microwavable roast turkey dinner.

At the request of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a committee of the Institute Of Medicine reviewed and assessed the study designs, methodological approaches and conclusions about studies on sodium intake and their link to health outcomes in the general population.

In May, 2013, their findings and recommendation were published: Sodium Intake in Populations   Assessment of Evidence.

Institute of Medicine
May 2013 Report

This group suggested daily sodium recommendations including the following: 

• maintain current level of 2,300 mg for most individuals

• evidence to lower sodium levels to 1,500 mg or lower were not supported for individuals 51 and over, African Americans of all ages or for diabetics, those with high blood pressure and kidney disease

• further research is warranted to evaluate long term benefits of decreased sodium levels

Learn More About Sodium 

The Mayo Clinic website provides several good articles on sodium and on how to make better informed food choices. 

The Harvard Health Publication [dealing with salt and blood pressure]also is a useful resource to consult.

Consumers are encouraged to pay more attention to limit their sources of sodium - aside from table salt, soups, ketchup, olives, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce,  deli meats, canned vegetables, pasta sauces and all prepared meals should be carefully reviewed.

Read Food Labels. 

Amounts of sodium in processed foods are often high and listed by other names: for example, sodium bicarbonate, sodium citrate, sodium nitrite, sodium phosphate and monosodium glutamate [MSG].

Estimates of natural sodium in foods is about 12%. 

Consider the DASH [= 'Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension'] diet - consume fruits, vegetables , nuts fish, lean meats, poultry, beans and whole grains. 

Males and females are encouraged to ask questions about their specific sodium requirements. 

Individual medical situations will inform how to deal with daily sodium requirements: too much and too little sodium are to be avoided as they can have negative health consequences.

Speak with your doctor. Obtain greater clarification. 

Determine if alternatives to drug treatment options exist and are appropriate for you.

#HighBloodPressure #Hypertension  #Sodium  #YogaAndNutrition

Yoga, Wheat Health Concerns

Bob Crowther highlights issues about wheat discussed in recent books (Wheat Belly, Grain Brain).

Wheat risks have been the subject of articles and books published during the past several years and have generated public interest and discussion among academic and medical communities.

Perhaps surprising to many, long established whole grain wheat health benefits promoted by  Big Food, Big Pharma along with government agencies (USDA) and medical institutions are being openly challenged with international data from basic research and clinical observations.

William Davis, MD, cardiologist and author of Wheat Belly  (2011) and David Perlmutter, neurologist, nutritionist and author of Grain Brain (2103) are two authors among others whom have taken a prominent role in the debate on wheat health concerns.

Read About Wheat Risks To Health

Assertions made against wheat by Davis, Perlmutter and other physicians have been challenged by the different industries - the ongoing debate likely will help to clarify the scientific claims and health impacts being alleged. 

Mainstream medical institutions including the Mayo Clinic continue to support wheat grain.

Part of this wheat issue is related to challenges made against conventional nutritional practices emphasizing a low-fat, high-carbohydrate diet that seemingly have ignored the research data and the epidemics of diabetes and obesity since the announcement of policies during 1992 and 1994. [see Perlmutter book, p. 89]

Both authors comment on how ancestral wheat (einkornn) no longer is the form of wheat consumed today in either appearance and nutritional value.

Wheat consumed presently bears little genetic relationship with einkornn as a consequence of genetic manipulations [crossbreeding and hybridization].

 Among wheat risks mentioned by these and other authors are the following:

• contains complex carbohydrate (amylopectin A): has a high glycemic index and is source of inflammation and glycation (see below)

• many gluten proteins cross the blood-brain barrier and contribute to brain neuropathies 

• contains an appetite stimulator (gliadin protein) acting as a "weak opiate"that binds to brain region; this compound can be blocked by opiate-blocking drugs

Dr. Davis also notes gluten-free products have 'junk carbohydrates' - cornstarch, rice starch, potato starch, tapioca starch - which all elevate blood sugar levels, leading to insulin resistance and deposition of visceral fat to muscle and liver [medically recognized as dangerous]. 

Wheat consumption contributes to inflammation - in particular, to a process known as glycation: where high blood sugar levels in blood bind to and modify the structure of amino acids, proteins and fats. 

These complexes accumulate, can form polymers and interfere with biological functions. 

[see Davis for more details about the two forms of AGEs: endogenous and exogenous, p. 140] 

Consequences of Advanced Glycation End products [AGEs] are observed in many organs including blood hemoglobin (A1C assay) and skin (wrinkles, loss of elasticity). 

Diabetics may experience feet and retinal neuropathies and kidney diseases while atherosclerosis (stiff arteries), cataracts (clouding of the eye lens), dementia (compromised brain neural connections) and arthritis (joint cartilage) are among other medical conditions experienced by both genders.

AGEs become associated with other damaging processes: oxidation and free radical formation along with inflammatory responses [including cytokine production] [see books for details].

I will continue to make further changes to my daily choices by consuming other grains/seeds (including flaxseed, amaranth, quinoa, chia, millet, sorghum, brown rice, oats in limited quantity) and to eat vegetables, seeds, raw nuts, some fruit, meat, fish, eggs, some cheese, some legumes and 'good' oils. 

Explore alternatives to high carbohydrate foods with high glycemic levels.

Ask questions. Educate yourself. 

Make better and more informed food choices for short and long term health benefits. 

# AGEs  # Glycation # Inflammation # Wheat Health Risks # Wheat Belly (book) # Grain Brain (book) #Yoga And Nutrition