on my mind monday 11.19.12

It's never the same two weeks in a row.  A collection of what I find interesting in the world of food, nutrition, and holistic health.  Read what's on my mind.

High Riboflavin Linked to Low Lung Cancer Risk - This study was done as part of the Shanghai Women's Health Study, the participants were non-smoking females.  Not sure what the implication is for those who used to smoke but it sure can't hurt to make sure you eat foods high in riboflavin. These include:  venison, yogurt, milk, crimini mushrooms, and spinach.

Rooftop Hospital Farms - This is a great way for hospitals to utilize the space on top of their building, create healthy menus for the patients and staff, and help to contribute to a growing eco-friendly environment.  I can also envision this as a potential park-like area for inner-city patients (those able to be ambulatory), and staff to be able to spend therapeutic time in a green environment.

Fat loss odds stacked against you - It's a never-ending battle of the bulge.  Portion sizes, especially when eating out, are out of control.  Fats and sugars and salts are packed into foods to make them more tempting and convince us to overeat.  It is not in the best (profit-driven) interests of corporations to have consumers who don't overeat -- read overspend on food and then the attendant pharmaceutical/healthcare bills that come along with obesity.  We need to become more aware and more proactive in managing our health and our consumption.

Exercise Your Sperm - Turns out men who exercise not only improve their own health, they also improve the quality of their sperm.  Important for those who want to have children.  Interestingly enough the study found that endurance athletes, such as triathletes, did not have this benefit as they suffered from reduced sperm quality.  Rather it was moderate exercise which promoted the best value of sperm health and hormone levels.

One Can Equals 22 Aerobic Minutes - How hard do you have to work to burn off that cola?  And don't forget about the immune suppressing effects of all that sugar.  Drinking sugar free?  You're still taking in toxic chemicals and damaging your health. Do we really need a "calculator" to tell us that soda is not a healthy beverage choice?

I know you hear me on Facebook frequently encouraging alkalizing. Here's a great video that shows a good explanation of the acid-alkaline balance.  If you're not already participating, sign up or "like" my Facebook Fan Page to stay connection and be part of the conversation.

photo: mconnors