I still get Goosebumps on my arms every time I hear Susan Boyle sing. My office coordinator Marlene said that she has an innocence even at her age that is so wonderful and refreshing. By now, you have probably watched the YouTube video of Susan Boyle, a contestant on Britain’s Got Talent, sing I Dreamed a Dream from Les Miserables.
In an interview from itv.com Ms. Boyle talked about her life which has been rather tough. She is unemployed and recently lived with her Mom in her childhood home until her Mother’s death at the age of 91. Devoting much of her time to volunteer work in her church, she keeps an upbeat, positive attitude and shares that can-do spirit as she helps the elderly and visits those in the hospital. Ms Boyle has been singing for years and always wanted to sing before a large audience and pursue some type of singing career.
If you saw the video, you also saw the treatment that Ms. Boyle received before she began to sing. The audience was critical of her looks and outfit making ugly facial expressions. You could see and feel the cynical tone towards her overall demeanor and actions. Then Ms. Boyle began to sing and the entire listening audience received a wake-up call they hopefully will never forget. Ms. Boyle’s singing of I Dreamed a Dream blew them away. What an incredible voice and gift this woman has.
The part that bugs me is the treatment she received. Did it bug you? The negative first impression based only on her less-than-fashionista sense of dress, hair and makeup. The audience was judging her, laughing at her and basically blowing her off before she even opened her mouth because she didn’t look hip, slim, fit or trendy. Well, guess who’s getting the last laugh? As Ms. Boyle received a ‘yes’ from each of the judges, she raised her fists in victory and stomped her feet in excitement. I said “yes….stay true to yourself”. She had the inner confidence to go after her dream, regardless of what anyone else thought or said about her outward appearance. She knows who she is and where her significance comes from…inside her.
Immediately after her successful audition that has captured the hearts of people all over the world, there was talk of turning her into a media darling with a makeover…right away. Ms. Boyle’s reply was that she is taking baby as she is totally comfortable with just who she is. What about her talent? Her brains? How quickly we lose sight of that.
Do you catch yourself judging people by their weight or maybe their lack of fashion or beauty sense instead of who they are as a person? Maybe you think you need a makeover. Do you feel pressure from society to look a certain way? Think about it…even Barbie can make you feel like you should stand well over 6 feet tall in high heels with a 23 inch waist and 38 inch bust. How realistic is that when the average woman in the US is a size 12? Women particularly have enough problems with self esteem, body image, self worth and many times the resulting eating disorders.
The media’s portrayal of ‘hotness’ as the only qualifying factor for a woman’s worth puts women on the defensive constantly. Young girls and young women spend way more time worrying about how they look than worrying about what they learn in school and preparing for a potential career. In other words, the message is beauty over brains. I think it’s time for women and men everywhere to reclaim your bodies and remember that your significance is found in you, not on the cover of a fashion magazine or anywhere else. What do you think?
If you are feeling less than adequate in your weight or appearance, it’s fine to work on these areas BUT I want you to remember always that feeling good about yourself, your body, your weight and your looks must come from within. It’s not going to be found in new clothes, a face lift or thinner thighs. These things are fine, don’t get me wrong. Listen to your inner voice. Know that you are significant just as you are now. If or when you decide to make a change…make it for you not to fit someone else’s image of what they think is hot or sexy.
Have you heard the terms friendly bacteria or healthy bacteria or the word probiotics? You’ve probably never thought a lot about your gastrointestinal tract until you started seeing commercials for various yogurts, yogurt drinks and cereals that promise to strengthen your immune system, help with regularity or replace healthy bacteria destroyed by antibiotics.
Did you know that there are bugs in the human gastrointestinal tract or what’s referred to as normal gut flora? Healthy or friendly bacteria have a number of body functions such as competition with unhealthy bacteria to help prevent disease and production of folic acid and some B vitamins.
What are probiotics? Live microorganisms when given in adequate amounts can have a beneficial health effect on the body. Why is there so much interest in these probiotics? Consumer demand is pushing hard in the direction of more natural, close to nature products plus some research has shown health benefits with certain probiotics in treating irritable bowel syndrome, diarrhea (especially after antibiotic use), and ulcerative colitis.
If you’ve decided to try a probiotics product, how do you know which one is the best choice? There are so many products on the market since this is one hot area.
Probiotics are not the same nor equal. This is really important. The health effect depends on the species and strain. OK, think of it like this. When you are sick with an infection that requires antibiotics, your doctor prescribes one based on the illness you have. The particular antibiotic prescribed has been proven to destroy the bacteria causing the illness. In other words, antibiotics are specific to certain bacteria. If you are prescribed the wrong one, the infection will typically not clear up until the correct antibiotic is given. Same with probiotics. They are species and strain specific.For example, Lactobacillus acidophilus GG is often recommended for antibiotic use and the resulting diarrhea that often occurs while B lactis is used for IBS or L caseii for the immune system. Bottom line, the strain of probiotics must be specific to the health concern you want to address. That’s why probiotics may or may not help. If the wrong strain is taken, the situation will likely not improve. Probiotics is a term used very loosely or generally in the media and marketplace….a catch-all phrase for all so-called healthy bacteria. What you now know is that to be called probiotics, a strain of healthy bacteria must be shown by research to have a beneficial health effect.
Probiotics are categorized by group, species and strain. So take the Lactobacillus acidophilus GG mentioned above. Lactobacillus is the group, acidophilus is the species and GG is the strain. GG is the strain with research behind it. With so many new products on the market, it can be hard to know what to buy. Remember that probiotics are specific to the health issue not a one size fits all. Whether it’s a food or supplement form of probiotics doesn’t matter but take a supplement with food as food helps buffer the probiotics against stomach acid so the healthy bacteria are not destroyed and make it to the intestines.Remember that there is no legal definition for probiotics or regulation of their use but a good company will tell you the full name of the probiotic organism on the label, provide a website to check out or a number to call for more information. Their research should also be available on the website to show that the probiotics actually work. Less reliable companies will not have this information available.
Probiotics or healthy bacteria can be destroyed by direct light and high temperatures over time. Be sure and check for a shelf life and how the product should be stored. By the way, natural food sources of probiotics include yogurt, buttermilk, sauerkraut and kefir. A few of the probiotics-enhanced products with research behind them to check out for specific health benefits include the supplements Culturelle and Florastor and the food products Activia, DanActive,Danimals, Yo-Plus yogurt, Stoneyfield Farms yogurt and Kashi Vive cereal.
Be sure and discuss with your doctor or health care provider which probiotics strain is right for you if you are using it to help treat a specific health concern. Check out the company’s website for specific information on the species and strain of the probiotics. Want more overall knowledge… take a look at usprobiotics.org
Are you ready to live a longer, stronger life through better nutrition and more physical activity? Family Circle in collaboration with the American Heart Association has developed the Family Circle American Heart Association Start! Walking Challenge to help you do just that. 2009 marks the third year of Family Circle partnering with the American Heart Association in this Walking Challenge.
This past weekend one of my college friends was visiting and we did a five mile walk on Saturday. I love to walk…it’s great for stress, it’s something most everyone can do and it’s FREE. Check all the details involved in The Walking Challenge so you know exactly what to do to get started. In addition to logging your miles, you can download walking videos and music play lists, enter to win weekly sweepstakes and aim for the grand prize of a trip to Riviera Maya, Mexico. Get out those walking shoes!
Don’t forget to check out our recipe section at the Nutrition & Health Center. Looking for a quick dinner recipe? Try Spicy Sloppy Joes courtesy of Family Circle.
One of the big trends in food is the move away from processed foods with chemical additives to more natural foods. Since there is no legal food definition for the word natural, let say it’s a movement back to foods closer to the way they exist in nature. This trend is true for sweeteners as well. There are many new sweeteners on the market as you notice every time you go to the grocery store. Let’s take a quick look at two ….agave nectar and stevia. Google and you’ll find loads of information but many times the hype is full of misinformation versus evidence-based science. Here’s the lowdown on these two sweeteners so you can separate fact from fiction.
Agave nectar also called agave syrup is a sweetener from the Mexican cactus. You will find it in all types of food products ranging from nutrition bars to drinks and desserts. It’s one of 2009’s trendy flavors and a trendy sugar alternative frequently used in cocktails. Agave has been touted for its delicate taste and is popular with chefs for use in desserts as well as to sweeten teas and health drinks. It’s one more choice to be included among honey, maple syrup, sugar and high fructose corn syrup.
Is agave better for you than any other sweetener such as sugar, maple syrup or honey? Agave is promoted as a low glycemic alterative for diabetics. Is it? If you’re diabetic or have friends or family members who are, you don’t want to miss this. Here’s why. Agave and sugar have approximately the same number of calories….about 16 per teaspoon. Agave is sweeter than sugar so you could save a few calories by the amount you use. Sugar is technically called sucrose which is composed of 50% fructose and 50% glucose when it is broken down in the body. Agave varies in its fructose content with a range from 55% up to 90%. It all depends on the processing method used which can affect the fructose content. Agave nectar with 55% fructose is about the same as high fructose corn syrup so there would be no benefit in agave at 55% fructose over sugar, high fructose corn syrup or honey from the standpoint of composition, only taste and personal preference.
The reason you hear …theoretically… agave nectar touted as safer for diabetics is that a higher fructose composition typically doesn’t cause dangerous spikes in blood glucose. Currently, we don’t have clinical studies as to agave’s safety in diabetes. Unless there is a label stating the exact percentage of fructose in the agave nectar, it can range as we just talked about from 55% up. So if you are diabetic, your blood glucose may or may not be spiked…all depending on how much fructose is in the particular agave product consumed and your particular case of diabetes. Plus fructose sweeteners may increase blood triglycerides if you have diabetes so be sure and discuss this with your health care provider.
Stevia falls into the noncaloric sweetener category. Stevia extract comes from the Stevia rebaudiana plant, an herb native to Central and South America. Stevia is 200-300 times sweeter than sugar with a slightly bitter aftertaste depending on the plant components used. This bitter aftertaste is the reason you may find stevia blended with other ingredients.
For example, some stevia products are often blended or ‘cut’ with a sugar alcohol called erythritol found naturally in vegetables and fruit so the product is less sweet than pure stevia. Erythritol is not metabolized or absorbed so it doesn’t spike blood glucose levels or cause the gas or bloating of some sugar alcohols like sorbitol or mannitol. Most of the products work well for people with diabetes but it’s smart to read the label and see what stevia is blended with and if the product has calories. Expect to see stevia used as a sweetener in many products and sold as a tabletop sweetener under various names.
Stevia and agave are just two of the many new sweeteners on the market. If you have diabetes, be sure and check the labels closely before you make a decision on which ones to try.
Are you an active person who’s constantly on the go, a serious athlete, or maybe a weekend warrior? What you eat can help maximize your energy and optimize your performance. You’ll want to listen to this week’s podcast which is all about helping you get the energy boost you need to power your performance every day. My guest is sports nutritionist Dr. Jenna Bell-Wilson.
Dr. Bell-Wilson is co-author of the just released book Energy to Burn: The Ultimate Food and Nutrition Guide to Fuel your Active Lifestyle. She is a Board Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics, a registered dietitian and has provided nutrition seminars with professional athletes at major athletic events like the Boston Marathon and New York City Marathon.
Dr. Bell-Wilson works with many serious athletes and is one herself. From your emails, I know that many of you are trying to lose weight and are using exercise to help speed up the process. Dr. Bell-Wilson talks about how to tailor your diet to successfully lose weight, but also to have the energy to get through your everyday busy schedule and still have energy to burn for a workout.
She also discusses how you can ensure that you have the fuel needed to get through your workout if you head from work to a workout, rather than stopping at home first. You don’t want to miss her on-target advice.
I still get Goosebumps on my arms every time I hear Susan Boyle sing. My office coordinator Marlene said that she has an innocence even at her age that is so wonderful and refreshing. By now, you have probably watched the YouTube video of Susan Boyle, a contestant on Britain’s Got Talent, sing I Dreamed a Dream from Les Miserables.
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