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Cha-may weeya
Medicine Talk
The Soft-Drink Hype
America is powered by carbonated
soft drinks. Americans guzzle soda pop
at a rate of 42 gallons per year. That’s
an average of486.2 cans a year for every
man, woman, and child.
Americans drink more soda than
any other beverage, including water.
Americans choose regular and diet cola
69 percent of the time. Lemon-lime
sodas come in at a distant second.
What’s wrong with drinking soda?
That can be answered in just one word
- sugar! One ounce of soda contains
about three grams of sugar. Although
sugar can provide quick energy, the
calories in sugar are “empty” calories.
You have to eat more food at other
Bottled Water
Last year, Americans drank more
than 300 million gallons of bottled
water. Bottled water has certainly
gained popularity as a low-calorie
substitute for soft drinks. Some
consumer reports, however, have shown
that bottled water isn’t necessarily any
healthier than some city municipal
water. Tap water can sometimes be just
as healthy as bottled water.
Bottled waters go by many different
names. Do you get confused with the
many varieties of just plain water?
Here are some of their names with a
brief explanation:
Mineral water: usually contains
sodium, magnesium, and calcium,
and usually is carbonated.
Sparkling water: carbonated water
in which the gases are dissolved in
the water and captured before they
can escape, resulting in the fizz.
Club soda: artificially carbonated
tap water to which minerals have
been added.
Seltzer: artificially carbonated tap
water that is frequently flavored
and/or sweetened, making it high
in calories.
Source: www.topica.com/tipworld
meals to make up for the nourishment
that the sugar in soda pop lacks. That
can add inches to your waistline.
Source: www.topica.com/tipworld
Health
Clinic
The Skinny on
Skim Milk
Perhaps because it’s one of our first
foods, we regard milk as one of the
healthiest. But whole cow’s milk doesn’t
always make the human heart healthier.
It’s rich in saturated fat, the kind that clogs
arteries and causes heart disease.
Whole milk contains only four
percent fat. But that measurement is by
weight. The true,
meaningful
measurement of fat is actually the
percentage of calories from fat, and 48
percent of the calories in milk come from
fat. That makes it a fattier food than many
cuts of beef. Low-fat or two-percent milk
is not much leaner. Luckily, there is
another choice - skim milk.
Skim milk has only five percent of
its calories from fat. Fortified skim milk
contains as much calcium, vitamin D,
and vitamin A as whole milk, yet
without the saturated fat.
Source: www.topica.com/tipworld
Healing Foods
Percolating Evidence
If Americans suddenly gave up drinking coffee, a lot of mornings would start off
with a whimper instead of a bang. In fact, a few years ago, heavy coffee drinkers were
urged to cut back. Evidence has shown that heavy coffee drinkers suffer more from
irregular heartbeats, breast cysts, and bladder cancer.
Moderate use of coffee has been cleared as a health threat. But even moderate
consumers should be wise to the following:
Drinking more than four cups of coffee a day can cause “caffeinism,” a disorder
easily mistaken for anxiety neurosis.
Most adults can handle three cups of coffee, which contain about 100 milligrams
of caffeine, without experiencing such adverse side effects as diarrhea,
headache, heartbum, palpitations, nervousness, or insomnia.
Source: www.topica.com/tipworld
Some foods can actually heal the
body. Here are some recognized foods
with healing potential:
Broccoli - a good source of fiber
and beta-carotene and also a good
source of vitamin C, the cancer
fighting antioxidant
Pectin-rich foods such as apples,
grapefruit, and oranges - shown to
reduce blood cholesterol levels
Oats - an excellent source of fiber
that
significantly
impacts
cholesterol levels
Peppers - incredibly high in
vitamin C
Potatoes - good sources of
vitamin C. Sweet potatoes are high
in beta-carotene.
Garlic and onions-have the ability
to lower blood cholesterol levels
Low-fat yogurt - good, low-fat
source of calcium
Leafy, dark green vegetables -
high in beta-carotene and have
significant amounts of iron
and fiber
Soybeans and soy products -
good source of protein, soluble
fiber, and B-complex vitamins.
Soybeans have been shown to help
cells in a pre-cancerous stage revert
to normal.
Source: www. topica. com/tipworld
April 2001
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Siletz News
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