Easy Anti Aging: Start With Your Tap Water
June 23, 2009 by GiGi · 4 Comments
Welcome back!
You’ve probably heard about the dangers of tap water.
On the other hand, you’ve probably heard that most bottled water is no better than tap water. And who wants to waste all that plastic? Read more
Promising News For Parkinson’s Disease and YOUR Brain Health
June 9, 2009 by GiGi · Leave a Comment
A new study just released confirms the benefits of two important antioxidants to brain health and in particular – Parkinson’s Disease. Read more
New Way To Improve Your Memory – Calorie Restriction
May 25, 2009 by GiGi · Leave a Comment
A new German study has come out that with some surprising results – women who reduced their calorie intake also improved their memory AND in only 3 months!
The study was done on women ages 50-80 who were either of normal weight or slightly overweight. Listen to this – “The average body mass index was 28, which is about 175 pounds for a woman who is 5′6″. “ Excuse me – since when is 175 pounds SLIGHTLY overweight?
It was a relatively small study, but the women who reduced their calorie intake by 30% scored 20% higher on verbal memory tests after 3 months. It turns out that calorie restriction helps by boosting insulin sensitivity and fighting inflammation. However, you can also get similar results by exercising.
The women were not encouraged to reduce their calories too much – they had to eat a minimum of 1,200 calories per day. And they don’t recommend thin women try this – the risk of falls and fractures increases if you lose too much.
One professor “agreed that seeing results after such a relatively short period of calorie restriction was surprising. It provides more evidence that what’s going on in the rest of the body, from inflammation to belly fat, can have major effects on the brain. It may very well be it’s the aging of the body that promotes the aging of the brain.”
You probably already know my opinion about calorie restriction, but if you haven’t read about the benefits of it, try this article:
The good news is that exercise may also help improve memory – yay! THAT’S something I can do!
Finally, the FDA “Discovers” Stevia
May 7, 2009 by GiGi · Leave a Comment
I’ll bet you’ve noticed new Stevia-based products on the market now – Truvia and PureVia. New sodas are being developed with these sweeteners in mind.
But before we all rush out to buy these new healthy sweetened products, let’s have a little history:
You may remember a year ago, I posted some findings from the IFC on Food and Health Safety. I had an issue with their statement that basically said all artificial sweeteners have been thoroughly tested by the FDA and deemed safe.
At the time, I also wondered why Stevia wasn’t included. And they came back with their answer (IFIC Answers Low Calorie Sweetener Question), which said that the FDA didn’t approve the use of stevia in foods, but called it a “dietary supplement”.
What I find interesting was when Coke and Pepsi announced they would be coming out with new Stevia-based products (Coke and Pepsi To Go Against The FDA), the FDA issued a “letter of no questions” that stated it does not question the conclusion that highly purified stevia sweeteners (also known as steviol glycoside extracts) are generally recognized as safe (GRAS) as general purpose sweeteners. (see Stevia Sweeteners)
Although I generally think using Stevia as a sugar substitute is an okay thing, I’m not convinced that the products coming to the market are actually TRUE Stevia. There has been some concern about what else is included as a sweetening agent in these products.
For further reading, I suggest:
Before Rushing To Buy New Stevia Products
