An Update On Colon Cancer And Polyps

The majority of colorectal polyps are adenomas. These growths are usually benign and the majority will never progress to cancer; nevertheless, it  is estimated that about 5% will eventually develop into cancer if not removed. Colon cancer is the second largest cancer killer in the U.S. causing about 50,000 deaths a year.

About 25% of people  have at least one adenoma by age 50. This incidence increases with age, and about 50% of us will develop at least one in our lifetime. Talk to your physician to get his recommendations for regular screening. These growths need to be found and removed before they become cancerous.

Where Did All Of The Sugar Go

Where did all of the sugar go? Well it went into our mouths. Several hundred years ago most people consumed only a few pounds of concentrated sugars a year. That is about 1/5 of a pound or about 22 teaspoons or about 350 empty calories a day

The new dietary guidelines recommend a limit on sugar to no more 10% of a person's daily calories. This would equate to about 12 teaspoons a day for the average person.

The World Health Organization advises an even stricter goal. The new goal is getting less than 5% of daily calories a day from added sugars.

Have you set your personal goal?

Is Your Deli Sliced Meat Safe To Eat?

Did you know that deli meats are a major source of serious food borne illness? Did you also know that the FDA recommends that all deli slicers should be disassembled, cleaned and sanitized every four hours?

These guidelines are frequently ignored. The slicer cutting your meat or cheese may not be safe. How do you know? That is a terrific question. You can ask the employee at the counter. Chances are that if you are shopping at a major chain the guidelines are being followed. Small independent stores may not.

If in doubt about the hygiene at the deli counter it would be prudent to buy packaged meats.

Why Follow The Glycemic Index?

The glycemic index {GI} ranks carbohydrate containing foods and beverages according to how much they raise the blood sugar when eaten by themselves on an empty stomach. Scores range from 0 to 100. The higher the number the greater the effect on blood sugar{glucose}. The index is the foundation for some popular diets such as the Zone and South Beach Diet.

The purpose of this blog is to evaluate  health claims and examine them without bias. Are the health benefits for the GI substantiated? No the benefits remain unproven. The GI can help people with diabetes fine tune their diets, but for the average person attempting to follow the GI makes eating unnecessarily complicated.

If you just follow the recommendations for a healthful diet as found in our books you will automatically lower your glycemic load. Also remember that the GI is not a measure of a food's overall healthfulness. It only evaluates the effect on blood glucose.

Can Adult Onset Diabetes Be Reversed?

Is it possible to reverse adult onset diabetes by dieting? This is an important and timely question.  The answer is that maybe it can be reversed, but we do not know for certain.

A recent study caught our eye. It documented that about one third of a small group of obese patients who had adult onset diabetes were able to stop their medications. They were put on a supervised very-low-calory diet for eight weeks. Then during the next six months they consumed about one third fewer calories than before the study. During that period of time their blood sugar and insulin levels remained in the normal range.

This is a very encouraging preliminary study. Larger studies are needed and are currently in the planning stages.

Another Reason To Eat More Fish

The Journal of the American Medical Association recently published a study showing that those who ate seafood at least once a week showed fewer signs of dementia related brain changes that those who ate little or no seafood. Although we could poke many holes in the study design, the bottom line is clear.  This is just one more reasons to eat more fish.

 So why not add some seafood to your diet.

When Grapefruit Can Be Damgerous

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The problem with grapefruit, as well as Seville oranges, pomelos and limes, is that some substances found in the juice inhibit an enzyme found in the intestines and liver that aids in metabolizing about 35 often prescribed drugs. The result of this is that you might end up with a higher level of the active ingredient in your bloodstream. This can lead to adverse effects. Some can be serious and might result in acute kidney failure, heart problems, trouble breathing and gastrointestinal bleeding.

This interaction occurs quickly and can last 24 hours or longer. The effects vary from person to person, but older people are at higher risk. The danger is also greater for drugs that have little forgiveness if the dose is off by even the slightest amount.

The bottom line if you take a prescription medication, is to read all of the instructions carefully and if you have any doubt at all check with your health care professional  I

Get more information in our book Live Longer Live Healthier

or visit our website at trienergetics.net