Feed Your Brain

No doubt the Jefferson Airplane wasn’t referring to the herb ginkgo biloba when they wrote those lyrics, but today the phrase has a whole new meaning. Hundreds of studies have shown that supplementing with ginkgo biloba can sharpen the brain, stimulate overall circulation, combat depression, reduce the risk of ovarian cancer and macular degeneration and improve digestion. Now a new study from Italy shows that ginkgo is as effective at slowing the development of mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease as the commonly prescribed drug Aricept.
Here’s how it works: Ginkgo has been shown to provide the brain with more oxygen, while decreasing inflammation, and you don’t have to have Alzheimer’s to benefit from it. Healthy people can experience the same brain-boosting benefits.
When purchasing ginkgo supplements, don’t let price be your guide. Choose a product that is standardized to 24.0% ginkgolides, the active compound (which might also be listed as flavone glycosides or ginkgo flavonoids), and 6% terpene lactones, a related compound. The recommended dosage is 120 mg daily, but that total should be divided into three smaller doses of 40 mg and taken with each meal. Individuals with Alzheimer’s can increase the dosage to 120 mg twice daily. Ginkgo has minimal side effects in healthy individuals, but anyone who is under a doctor’s care and is being treated with prescription medication should check with their physician before taking ginkgo. Since this herb does enhance blood flow, those using blood-thinning products such as aspirin, ibuprofen or other anti-coagulants on a daily basis should not take ginkgo without a doctor’s supervision.

“Discover” a Better Way to Manage Weight

I love the Discovery Channel. It’s smart, engaging and entertaining. As Stephen Colbert would say, the Discovery Channel "gets it." And now they’ve come with something even better than terrific programming – the National Body Challenge 2007! It’s a “FREE, eight-week comprehensive fitness and weight-loss challenge that provides the tools and inspiration to get in shape, shed extra pounds and adopt a healthier lifestyle.“ Join the Challenge beginning Dec. 29, 2006, and you get a customized meal plan, expert fitness and weight loss information, and a free health club pass! Don’t wait – or should that be don’t weight? – another minute. Click that link and do something good for yourself!

Why We Need Water

This is a tough one to write about because it’s very close to home. But what’s the point of having information if you don’t tell anyone about it? Here’s what happened: our father went into the emergency room almost two weeks ago after he suddenly spiraled downhill. After a lot of tests, the doctors at the very fine Lakeland Community Hospital in St. Joseph, Michigan, determined that he was dehydrated. As a result, his kidneys were not functioning, blood sugar levels were sky high, he developed abscessed ulcers in his mouth that were so bad he couldn’t eat or drink, and pretty much everything else was out of whack. He’s been in the hospital for two weeks, dealing with pneumonia and a bacterial infection (both picked up at the hospital). When he leaves, he won’t be able to go back to the assisted living facility he had just moved into because he’s so debilitated. Now he’s heading for a nursing home. And all because he wasn’t getting enough water.

Since then, I’ve learned a few things about the elderly and water, things that might make a difference to others out there with older parents. First, older people may not feel thirsty, so they need to be encouraged to drink water. Second, individuals with dementia simply forget to drink water, just as they sometimes forget to eat. Third, dehydration is apparently quite common in nursing homes and assisted living facilities.

What can be done about the situation? I can’t say I have a solution, but here’s what we’re trying. Many people, especially those who grew up during the Depression, just can’t get used to the idea of buying bottled water when you can get it from the tap and it’s free. Unfortunately, since he’s in a wheelchair, getting to the tap isn’t easy. Plus, a great deal of the tap water out there isn’t all that great. And I’ve seen articles that say some bottled waters aren’t much better.

As it turns out, a smart friend who happens to know about these things bought a Brita water pitcher, a simple device that filters a lot of the junk out of tap water. The pitchers start at about $35 and the replacement filters are about $20 or less online and in discount stores. Brita also makes a device that fits on the faucet, so you can get filtered water right out of the tap. (And, no, I’m not getting a nickel for recommending Brita. I just like the system.) So we got Dad a Brita. Now he has a pitcher of filtered water nearby, a good reminder to the nursing home staff to offer him water throughout the day.

Of course, plenty of people – old and young alike -- are not drinking enough water. How about you? Keep track of your water intake for a couple of days and see if you’re getting the recommended eight glasses per day. And no, coffee, tea, juice, beer, wine and sodas don’t count. In fact, most of those beverages are diuretics (meaning they tend to flush water from the body), so you need even more water to offset those effects.

Friday Book Blogging: The User's Guide to Good Fats and Bad Fats

Fat just might be the most confusing aspect of nutrition. Not long ago, while roaming the aisles of a local vitamin store, another customer asked me for advice on omega-3 supplements. “Oh, I just wrote a book about that,” I told her, and proceeded to explain the difference between omega-3s and omega-6s. After about thirty seconds, her eyes glazed over and you could tell she really regretted asking the question.

Who can blame her? Fats are a complicated issue. Part of the confusion comes from the contradictory health advice of the past few decades. In the ‘80s, all fat was considered bad. Health-conscious people forced down dreadful fat-free foods (anyone remember the original Pritikin salad dressings – the ones that tasted like they had been siphoned from a load of laundry?) believing that they would be spared future health problems.

Then food manufacturers fine-tuned their approach, marketing “fat-free” snacks that were loaded with sugar, like the notorious SnackWells. At some point, the fake fats debuted and way too many people learned the definition of “anal leakage.” (Sorry, but it’s true.)

More recently, scientists have done an admirable job of sorting it all out. We now know there are good fats and bad fats and that the good fats have health benefits and the bad fats (saturated fats and trans fats) cause health problems. The public, however, seems weary of the discussion. Again, who can blame them?

Well, let’s try to break it down in a way that makes sense, without forcing anyone to buy my book (which, by the way, only costs $5.95 at Barnes and Noble, or $5.35, if you’re a club member). Fats are divided into different categories. Under the umbrella term “essential fatty acids” (EFAs) we have omega-3s, omega-6s and omega-9s. Our bodies cannot produce EFAs so we need to get them from our diet. And we do. Unfortunately, anyone eating the Standard American Diet (the aptly acronymed SAD) is getting way more of the omega-6s found in vegetable oils than the omega-3s, primarily found in fish. Experts say our current ratio of 6s to 3s is something like 20-1 when it should be more in the neighborhood of 2 to 1.

What happens when these two EFAs are out of balance? Developing heart disease becomes more likely, along with depression, inflammation, diabetes, cancer and other serious health concerns.

There are different ways to correct the imbalance. You could cut back on the processed and snack foods that contain lots of omega-6s. You could take EFA supplements. You could eat more fish.

Here’s what makes the most sense – do all three. Processed and snack foods are typically full of sodium and sugar, and lacking fiber, not to mention nutrition. Next, find a good omega-3 supplement, such as fish oil. Choose a product that is molecularly distilled to remove toxins from the oil. (If you’re a vegetarian, flaxseed oil or freshly ground flaxseeds appear to have comparable benefits.)

Finally, you can eat more fish -- but choose carefully. Mercury and other toxins have contaminated the water, and these substances accumulate in fish. Large fish – shark, orange roughy, and swordfish, for example – have the highest concentrations of toxins. Smaller ones, like salmon, shrimp, mackerel, and herring, are usually safer. You only need to eat fish a few times a week, and even then there’s no need to overdo it. A four-ounce serving (approximately the size of a deck of playing cards) is fine. These recommendations do not apply to everyone, though. Children and pregnant women should follow the guidelines of a knowledgeable physician in regard to fish consumption. For more details on which fish are safe for you and the environment (a whole other issue!) visit The Monterey Bay Aquarium website.