Adventist Health

At the end of a day, do you sometimes wonder whether you’ve eaten enough of the types of foods that help you stay healthy?

Are there times when you wonder whether there are certain foods that can provide you with the vitamins and minerals you need?

The good news is that if you build your diet around fruits, vegetables, beans and whole grains, chances are your body will get all the nutrients it needs, according to the American Institute for Cancer Research.

These types of foods contain a broad array of naturally occurring substances, such as fiber, phytochemicals and antioxidants. Together they provide the body with the tools it needs for such essential work as:

• Maintaining the immune system.
• Cell repair.
• Prevention of chronic diseases, such as heart disease.

In addition, many of these foods have little or no fat, sodium or cholesterol, and most are considered nutrient-dense foods as well. That means they have lots of nutrients with relatively few calories, so you can eat more, have less worry of weight gain and still get the nutrition you need.

Good choices
Here are just a few of the vitamins and minerals crucial to good health:

• Calcium is needed for healthy bones and teeth and for nerve and muscle function. Low-fat dairy products, such as milk and cheese, are good sources. And in the fruit and vegetable world, spinach, edamame (a type of soybean), collard greens and kale are great calcium-rich options.

• Potassium may help keep blood pressure at a healthy level. Some potassium-packed foods include sweet potatoes, tomatoes, lima beans, white beans and bananas.

• Iron is needed for healthy blood cells, and it can help in the proper function of all cells in the body. You'll find iron aplenty in lentils, spinach, soybeans, kidney beans and chickpeas.

• Folate is especially important for women who may become pregnant, as it helps prevent brain and spinal cord defects in newborns. Asparagus, broccoli, lentils, strawberries, pinto beans and white beans are all first-rate sources of folate.

• Vitamin C helps heal wounds and cuts and helps keep teeth and gums healthy. Get this vital vitamin from foods like kiwi fruit, bell peppers, green cabbage, cantaloupe, oranges, strawberries and apricots.

Should you supplement?
For some groups of people, such as strict vegetarians and pregnant women, nutritional supplements are recommended in order to provide a guaranteed intake of certain vitamins and minerals. Illnesses, food allergies and food intolerances can also make it difficult for people to get all the nutrients they need, so supplements may also be advised in these instances.
Speak to your primary care provider or a dietitian to find out whether you are getting enough nutrients from your diet or whether you should be taking a supplement.

I'm Not Getting My Flu Shot Because...
By Brian Johnston, M.D.
Medical Director, White Memorial Medical Center Emergency Department

Now, confronted with H1N1 influenza, even more are saying they won't get the
shot.

Here are some sample reasons:
A) I got the flu immediately after my shot last time, and I'm not going through that again.
B) My arm was sore for a week.
C) This H1N1 vaccine was hastily prepared, and hasn't been thoroughly tested. I don't want to be a guinea pig.
D) I might be pregnant.
E) Flu shots don't work on me.

Let's deal with the concerns in order.

Injected influenza vaccines are made from killed virus material. They are
not infectious. People get the flu after they've been immunized, but they
also get the flu after eating spaghetti, or taking a morning walk. In other
words, the flu infection and the immunization are unrelated.

People do have pain or swelling at the injection site. That's the most
frequent complication of immunization. By far, the discomfort is less than
the discomfort of actually getting the flu.

The H1N1 vaccine was prepared by the same company that makes the seasonal
flu vaccine, and it was prepared by the same methods as the seasonal flu
vaccine. This family of vaccines has been in use worldwide for decades, and
has established a record of safety. Authorities responsible for its
development and distribution report that they have tested it in the same way
that previous flu vaccines have been tested, and it has been found to be
safe. Unless something very unusual happens, the H1N1 vaccine will be
included in the seasonal flu vaccine we get next year.

If you're pregnant, the flu shot is recommended. It won't infect the baby,
it won't infect you, and it will protect you and your baby from H1N1, which
has been shown to cause more serious illness in pregnant than non-pregnant
women.

People who say flu shots don't work may be right. Seasonal flu vaccine is designed, based on the flu strains in circulation in the preceding year. It's an educated prediction of which strain will predominate in the coming year. When the epidemiologists guess wrong, or the virus mutates significantly, the vaccine may be less effective in protecting you from the flu strain actually in circulation. With H1N1, the vaccine is not based on prediction. Today more than 98% of the influenza virus illness is caused by H1N1, so we know the vaccine is well-matched, and will be effective.

The bottom line, though, is that people in general and health care workers in
particular should get immunized, unless there are clear contraindications.

So let' wash our hands, cover sneezes, stop touching our eyes, noses and
mouths, and get the H1N1 and seasonal flu vaccines when they become
available.

The American Dream is about more than having a nice home surrounded by a white picket fence with a fancy car in the driveway; it’s about living a long, happy, healthy and productive life. Unfortunately, a big problem weighing on this country is preventing a lot of Americans from achieving that dream. Health officials say obesity is an epidemic in the United States. Research shows about two thirds of U.S. adults and one fifth of children are overweight or obese. And what’s worse, doctors say, is obese kids are starting to exhibit complications previously only seen in obese adults.

Dr. Danielle Borut, Chair of Pediatrics at White Memorial Medical Center in Los Angeles, says “it’s a horrible problem. At least 50% of the children we see in the general pediatrics clinic are significantly overweight. Across the board in all ethnicities we’re seeing a general increase.”

About 4,000 children pass through the hospital’s pediatric clinic each month. Dr. Borut says she sees at least five children daily referred to her because they’re obese. She cites a recent case where a 12-year-old boy weighing 194 pounds came into the clinic suffering Type 2 onset diabetes. A typical 12-year-old boy should weigh between 85 to 90 pounds. Dr. Borut also says she’s seeing three-year-old babies who are overweight; some weighing as much as 50 pounds when they really should weigh close to 30 pounds.

Data compiled for almost the last 40 years by The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey or NHANES shows the rate of obesity in children nationwide has increased during that time. According to the research, for children between the ages of two-years-old and five-years old, the rate of obesity increased from 5% to 12.4%. It went from 6.5% to 17% for children between the ages of six-years-old and 11-years-old, and from 5% to 17.6% for children between 12 years and 19 years of age.

Dr. Borut says poor diet, lack of exercise and a sedentary lifestyle are to blame for children’s ballooning waistlines. Basically, they’re eating too much junk food, watching large amounts of television and playing video games instead of spending time taking part in outdoor activities. Those extra pounds can lead to serious health problems for obese children like Type 2 diabetes. “When I started taking care of children with diabetes in the late seventies, maybe one or two a year, or less than 4% of the my new type diabetes onset cases were Type 2. In the last 10 to 15 years we’ve seen a dramatic increase to the point where half the children I see with new onset diabetes actually have obesity related Type 2 diabetes,” said Dr. Borut.

She also says these children are having complications with diabetes earlier and faster than their older adult counterparts. “We’ve seen young adults in their early twenties developing heart attack, stroke, blindness and kidney damage.” Obese children also are at risk for orthopedic problems, back problems and cardiovascular disease such high cholesterol and high blood pressure. And the battle of the bulge does not get easier for many children as they get older. Dr. Borut says “fat children most often grow up to be fat adults.” A couple of studies cited on the Centers for Disease Control Website support the doctor’s claim. One study indicated “80% of children who were overweight between the ages of 10-years-old and 15-years-old were obese adults at the age of 25. Another study found that 25% of obese adults were overweight as children. The latter study also found that for children who become overweight before the age of eight, obesity in adulthood is likely to be more severe.”

It is possible for families help children win the battle against obesity by losing weight. “It’s a devastating disease and most of it is preventable by maintaining normal weight and a healthy lifestyle. We have to limit the high sugar, high fat, high starch foods that our children have easy access to,” said Dr. Borut.

Dr. Borut realizes some low incomes family may say eating healthier is expensive, and to that she offers this advice. “Place more emphasis on smaller portions of the bad stuff and as much of the good stuff as you can afford. Cut out the junk food; no soda, no chips, no French fries and no fruit juices.