Mark’s Daily Apple

A Salad With Your Sorrow?7

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Chocolate Binge Fest ‘08

A pint of Ben & Jerry’s. That whole freaking bag of potato chips. A box of donut holes. No, it’s not the MDA trifecta of evil (although it could be). Sure, they’re among the proverbial symbols of “mood food,� and the saying about Ben and Jerry’s is true: ice cream tops the list, according to Brian Wansink, professor and author on the subject of emotional eating. (Wansink found that beyond top honors, gender determines what we drown our sorrow in. Women turn to chocolate – surprise - and cookies, while men hunt down heartier fare like pizza, steak and casserole.)

But even if these kinds of products have never seen the inside of your kitchen let alone your stomach, that doesn’t mean you’re immune from turning to food for more than nutrition. Yes, even innocent carrots and grape tomatoes can be used for deleterious purposes. No food is safe from the scourge of mindless, emotionally driven eating.

Ultimately, emotional eating is about the response to internal pulls (other than basic hunger). Stress, sadness, loneliness, frustration, boredom, indecision or even the avoidance/craving for intimacy can all be causes. And it turns out the siren song of emotional eating can be more insidious than our response to the external temptations of holiday treats or social spreads. A study published in the medical journal Obesity found that those who ate in response to internal motivations like emotions were more likely to have problems losing weight and keeping it off than people whose triggers were more external like social eating. If you think you see a glimmer of your reflection in this frame, here are a few tips to get you in the right relationship with food:

Choose a diet and exercise routine that minimizes blood sugar spikes and dips.
We couldn’t possibly be talking about that Primal Blueprint lifestyle again! You betcha.

Create Structure
If it helps, eat the same general things each day: eggs with veggies for breakfast, salad for lunch, etc. The structure will keep you on track, or it will at least allow you to better sniff out those emotionally-driven deviations.

Try a Food Diary
Countless experts recommend grabbing a pen and paper instead of a snack when a nagging emotional craving hits. If you aren’t truly hungry, you’re likely hankering for something other than food. Record when during the day, and what you think the underlying feeling might be that’s pulling you toward the refrigerator. You’ll be able to indentify patterns and triggers that will help you regain control.

Address Underlying Issues
Sometimes we’re just looking for a distraction to avoid loading the dishwasher or grading that stack of papers in the briefcase. However, many people prone to emotional eating are dealing with larger issues that can include depression, anxiety, overwhelming stress, relationship troubles, or feelings of self-contempt. Seek out a therapist and give yourself the kind of help that will truly feed and empower the spirit.

Maintain Life Balance
The lower the drama, the less incentive there is to work it out with an afternoon snack. Nonetheless, life hands us our share of stress and even upheaval. In the face (or absence) of these, try as much as you can to keep the routine going (i.e. structured eating, workouts, sleep, etc.). At the lowest or most difficult points of our lives, routine can truly help carry us through. There’s nothing wrong with that.

Enjoy Finding Other Comforts
Instead of turning to food during times of stress or distraction, get yourself outside for some sun, take a walk, head for the weight room or even just the steam room at the gym. Tend the garden, or buy some fresh flowers. Take some time in the work shop or get a pedicure. Drive the dog and/or kids to the park for some frisbee, or pick up the phone and call a friend. Life is full of gratifying options that won’t leave you feeling guilty afterward.

We’ve all been here at some point. Got tips, questions, or words of wisdom you’d like to share? Jump right in.

Irini Souiki Flickr Photo (CC)

Further Reading:

Sensible Vices

How to Cheat

FitSugar: National Eating Disorder Awareness Week

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Technorati Tags: emotional eating, binge, food diary, stress

Posted: Diet, Health, How To, Personal Improvement, Stress, Worker Bees' Weekly Bites

Announcement!3

Five days of Mark’s Daily Apple isn’t enough, you say? You’ve spoken and we’ve listened. If you haven’t already noticed we are now bringing content to all of our dedicated Apples (that’s you!) seven days a week! Check back this (and every) Saturday and Sunday for more rants, raves, heated debates and healthy living tips. Have a wonderful weekend!

Posted: Announcements

Study Finds Moderate Exercise Reduces Stroke Risk1

And 1, and 2, and 3, and 4…

A study presented at the American Stroke Association’s recent International Stroke Conference 2008 suggests that achieving a moderate level of cardiovascular fitness can reduce stroke risk in men and women.

In the first study to explore the link between cardiovascular fitness and stroke risk, a research team led by the director of the Prevention Research Center at the University of South Carolina analyzed data on more than 60,000 people participating in the long-running Aerobics Center Longitudinal Study between 1970 and 2001. After an average of 18 years, 692 men and 171 women had experienced a stroke.

When comparing this data to participants’ previous performance on a graded treadmill test, the researchers found that men in the top quartile in terms of cardiovascular fitness had a 40% lower relative risk of stroke compared to those who were the least fit. Similarly, women with the highest level of cardiovascular fitness had a 43% lower relative risk than their less-fit peers.

The researchers note that overall stroke risk dropped substantially with moderate levels of cardiovascular fitness and remained virtually unchanged as cardiovascular fitness increased. So how much exercise are we talking? According to researchers, all you really need is 30 minutes or more of aerobic activity – brisk walking for instance – five times per week. Not bad, eh?

Commenting on the study, the lead author notes that “fitness has a protective effect regardless of the presence or absence of other stroke risk factors,� adding that increasing the nation’s cardiovascular fitness levels through increased physical activity could “substantially reduce stroke risk� in men and women.

So what’s the take home message here? If anything, it underscores the importance of exercise as part of the daily routine and really makes a case that when it comes to physical activity, even a little goes a long way! And while you might be sitting here thinking you’re too young to worry about having a stroke, consider this: A report published in CNI (Colorado Neurological Institute) Review suggests that the annual stroke incidence among Swedish adults under age 55 is 34 in 100,000. Although certainly not high odds, it goes to show that it is never too early to begin taking steps to prevent stroke.

For more information on strokes, including lifesaving tips on the warning signs of a stroke, please visit the American Stroke Association’s Web site.

blork Flickr Photo (CC)

Further Reading:

Flame Thrower: 10 Natural Ways to Reduce Inflammation

Deconstructing Healthcare in America- A Modest Proposal

That’s Fit: Listening to Music May Help Stroke Victims

Technorati Tags: moderate exercise, aerobic, stroke

Posted: Fitness, Health, Men's Health, Prevention, Women's Health, Worker Bees' Weekly Bites

Reader Response: Being Fit is Good for Sex6

Last week we heard from reader, primalman08, in response to the Top 10 Reasons to Stay Healthy post:

I would like to encourage you to do more on the sexual benefits of living well. In my practice, I am astonished and saddened to hear about the lack of sex people over 50 are having with their partners. It goes well beyond just ED. It has to do with fatigue, low libido, poor body image and difficulties with positioning due to BMI. I hate to be so frank about it, but it is true and I feel it is very important. I hope that you/we can spend more time addressing this highly personal, highly important topic.

Physical health, we wholeheartedly agree, is downright crucial for sexual well-being, for numerous reasons. And we think it’s a message that’s gotten lost in the ad mix these days. Yes, at this point the images of claw footed bathtubs on hilltops and log cabin jam sessions have etched (or mercilessly seared) themselves into the collective consciousness of our society. (Ladies: the pharmaceutical industry has had a harder time coming up with ideas for you. In 2004, Viagra’s makers literally threw up their hands and gave up, citing women’s confounding lack of causal connection between arousal response and sexual interest.)

Annoyingly omnipresent as these ads are, we’ll give them this: they have encouraged the more seasoned of our society to envision the possibility that they can enjoy healthy sexual functioning in their later decades. Our beef with the ads: society’s growing association between healthy sexual functioning with a pill instead of overall health itself.

Behind the Dysfunctional Scene

The truth is, healthy men and women should be able to enjoy fulfilling sexual experience decades past middle age without the use of the latest pharmaceutical concoction. But healthy is the operative word here. There are, of course, many physiological and psychological factors behind sexual dysfunction.

For men, in particular, conditions that negatively impact vascular health, such as diabetes, atherosclerosis, high blood pressure as well as obesity, back pain, and lack of physical fitness all serve to raise the risk of sexual dysfunction and/or diminished performance/libido.

For women (as the Viagra anecdote illustrates), factors are more complex, including the above physiological conditions as well as other conditions. Just as ED is the common buzzword for men’s sexual dysfunction, HSDD (hypoactive sexual desire disorder) has been applied to women’s common experiences in this arena. Experts estimate that 14-55% of women experience HSDD, with older women accounting for the upper percentages.

Add to the mix, we find all-too-common hormonal imbalance - and not just in terms of the “sex hormones.” Experts agree that hypothyroidism is a major factor in women’s sexual health. For some women, sexual dysfunction can be traced to unaddressed anatomical problems like prolapsed uterus, incontinent bladder and a weakened pelvic floor, conditions often related to childbirth.

Beyond the realm of physical conditions and impairments lies the more subjective side of one’s psychological experience of and interest in sex. Little wonder, is it, that stress figures into the picture for so many men and women. Given the physical toll stress can take on the body and its overwhelming ability to distract our thoughts and attention, stress naturally (but unfortunately) leaves us emptied of the motivation, creativity and emotional energy crucial to both the desire and the effort required for sexual fulfillment.

The Benefits of Health

So, besides popping a pill, what can the more mature among us do to retain and enhance our sexual functioning and fulfillment? While the initial proposals seem obvious, we don’t seem to hear them often enough. Since so much of sexual function relates to vascular health, it’s crucial to keep blood pressure in check and to prevent or actively treat diabetes and atherosclerosis. For both sexes, diet (i.e. low carb and good fatty acid balance) and exercise (i.e. moderate cardio and regular strength conditioning) that promotes hormonal balance is key.

It’s important, of course, to keep body mass index (not the best indicator of health, we know) as close as possible to recommended levels. Well-rounded physical fitness offers the benefits of sexual endurance as well as the muscular strength and litheness advantageous to positioning and comfort. Numerous studies have supported the impact of exercise and physical fitness on body image, sexual function, confidence, responsiveness, performance, and fulfillment. Keep in mind, however, that compulsive or exhaustive exercise can inhibit sexual functioning in both genders because of its impact on hormonal balance.

In addition to standard physical conditioning, women can especially benefit from exercise such as pilates and some yoga positions, that focuses on strengthening pelvic floor muscles. Look for a physical therapist with experience in this area or individual consultations with a well trained pilates instructor. A strong pelvic floor can support bladder control as well as significantly enhance arousal experience and orgasm.

Nutritional and herbal supplements can augment a healthy lifestyle to further boost sexual function. Gingko biloba, for example, is commonly advised for vascular health, while B-complex and other anti-oxidant supplements are recommended for lessening the physical toll of stress. Testosterone is a commonly discussed treatment for both men and women. We recommend lifestyle changes that will naturally sustain or enhance testosterone production. For men, strength training is key. For women, whose testosterone levels naturally don’t increase as much with exercise, we recommend diet and exercise that maintains overall hormonal balance and individual consultation with physicians regarding the impact of particular hormonal replacement therapies and birth control pills (which can blunt natural rises in testosterone during mid-cycle).

Thanks, as always, for the great questions, and keep ‘em coming! And please do offer feedback on this and all of our reader response posts.

krisdecurtis, notsogoodphotography, thecameo Flickr Photo (CC)

Further Reading:

The Secret to Great Abs

Washington Post: French Women Don’t Get Fat and Do Get Lucky

Technorati Tags: sex, sexual dysfunction, hormones, testosterone, hormonal imbalance, libido

Posted: Aging, Fitness, Health, How To, Personal Improvement

Healthy Tastes Great!5

Just about everyone has had scrambled eggs, omelettes and deviled eggs. I will spare you the standard egg recipes and offer up some not-so-ordinary recipes for your culinary enjoyment. (Don’t knock ‘em till you’ve tried ‘em…)

Baked Eggs

Harlequin Eggs

Egg Curry

Romaine Pesto and Egg-Stuffed Tomatoes

More Healthy Tastes Great! Recipes

Technorati Tags: eggs

Posted: Diet, Health, Healthy Tastes Great!, Nutrition, Recipes