Are centenarians glad to live to be 100-plus years? I have never ask one, don't know anyone 100 years old. I do know some people within 5 or 6 years of making the 100 years of age club. I can tell you they are extremely active, not to say they do not have aches and pains that may limit those activities occasionally. They enjoy everything from golfing, to dancing, to playing with great grand children. The thing I find interesting is they did not achieve this age by living a life of being in bad physical health, out of shape, not much activity, no exercise, poor diet, and basically doing no more than hoping they live to be a 100 years old. Oh I am sure a few made it that way but we all know that even if you do, who wants to be 100 years old and can't get out of bed or have to eat baby food? You know Woody Allen is quoted as answering a question asked of how he would like to be remembered? "Still alive, living in my Manhatten apartment, and able to walk through Central Park."
I think most of us fall into that club with Woody, having a positive attitude about life and making it fulfilling. I still exercise each day,(almost) having to take a day off every 10 days or so. Actually I probably should exercise every other day, giving my body time to rest while still gaining the benefits of exercise. I am too compulsive, and enjoy working out too much.
According to Linda Van Eldik of the University of Kentucky Center on Aging, Americans are living longer. The average life expectancy has gone from 49 in 1900 to currently being 78. Of those living to be 100-plus medical advances and treatments have obviously been a major contributor. According to her studies some common traits are having good health habits, exercising and having a balanced diet. Having a positive attitude and being a happy person. Being able to deal with what life brings your way. Not by being trivial with life's ups and downs but dealing with it in a determined manner, and maintaining a positive personality.
My major concern of living into my 80 or 90's is to be mentally active. Dementia is a concern for most folks going into their 60's and beyond as it should be. Here are some of her recommendations for your mental health as you age. She again says exercise and diet are important, however she further says you should be intellectually engaged. Trying out new things to make you think. Reading a new author, playing cards, mastering new technology, your iPad or Smart phone. Get out, have lunch with friends, visit family, doing volunteer work, meet and make new friends, be sociable.
I am so glad I read her article, it has given me new goals in maintaining my health and enjoying myself and life.
Monday, February 18, 2013
Saturday, February 9, 2013
More Unhealthy Food Additives #149
We will look at why some foods are not healthy for you .
During the American Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years Holiday season there is one food which is a common tradition in many households. And that is a holiday ham. Normally a cured, fully pre-cooked, honey or some other form of a sweet glazed ham is usually served. There are many retail brands that supply these holiday hams. I have selected one of the most common brands available throughout the country. The glaze and curing method is also one of the most common to other popular brands.
The package term "Honey Glazed" would lead you to expect that honey is applied to the ham during the curing or cooking period to enhance the taste and appearance.
The following is listed on the product as the glaze used;
Maltodextrin which is a common food additive. It is a easily digestible carbohydrate made from rice, corn, or potato starch. Food-Starch Modified. Is used as a thickening agent or processed food stabilizer. It is manufactured by chemically treating food starch. Dextrose which is a simple form of glucose. Honey Powder which is a stabilizer processed from drying honey. Refiners Syrup, a thick syrup which is a by-product of refining cane sugar. It contains no vitamins or nutrients from the sugar cane and is used for its sweet taste. These are the ingredients used to produce a so called honey glaze.
Curing additives used are quite different and as follows. Sodium Lactate is the sodium salt of lactate which are produced through the fermentation of sugar. Sodium Phosphates is a sodium salt of phosphoric acid. It is used in food processing as a means of attracting and absorbing water from the product. Sodium Diacetate is used as a preservative. It is also used in the agriculture industry to control mold and bacteria in stored grains. It is also referred to as a pesticide. Sodium Erythorbate is also used as a food preservative and has zero nutritional value. When researching you will find it has a list of side effects that include headaches, fatigue, and dizziness. And the last ingredient is Sodium Nitrite which is commonly used in preserving and curing processed meats. It has also been implicated in some research as possibly causing cancer.
You could say well there are a lot of if and buts here and be right if you are trying to prove a case of the ham being healthy to eat based on these facts only. However if you consider does ham, being a red meat, increase my cholesterol your answer is yes. Are each of these chemicals dangerous to me? Well based on conclusive research and accepting these chemical additive products as being widely used you could conclude it is not harmful. And I think that is not accurate. You have to consider these additives are all commonly used in food processing. No we may eat this ham only once a year but these additives you are probably eating daily in most meats you eat and so many of the other processed snack foods you consume. That is where you can begin to build a case of hey, this is not good food for my body to be processing. There is only so much salt, sugar and other chemicals your body can safely process daily. The over abundance will lead to other health issues. See postings #74 1/27/12.....#130 8/30/12.....#85 3/7/12.....
The result of all of this is to encourage you to think about the foods you eat and decide what is unhealthy for your cardiovascular health. Believe me when researching for this article I found information that lead to research concerning causes of cancer, diabetes. and other health issues.
During the American Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years Holiday season there is one food which is a common tradition in many households. And that is a holiday ham. Normally a cured, fully pre-cooked, honey or some other form of a sweet glazed ham is usually served. There are many retail brands that supply these holiday hams. I have selected one of the most common brands available throughout the country. The glaze and curing method is also one of the most common to other popular brands.
The package term "Honey Glazed" would lead you to expect that honey is applied to the ham during the curing or cooking period to enhance the taste and appearance.
The following is listed on the product as the glaze used;
Maltodextrin which is a common food additive. It is a easily digestible carbohydrate made from rice, corn, or potato starch. Food-Starch Modified. Is used as a thickening agent or processed food stabilizer. It is manufactured by chemically treating food starch. Dextrose which is a simple form of glucose. Honey Powder which is a stabilizer processed from drying honey. Refiners Syrup, a thick syrup which is a by-product of refining cane sugar. It contains no vitamins or nutrients from the sugar cane and is used for its sweet taste. These are the ingredients used to produce a so called honey glaze.
Curing additives used are quite different and as follows. Sodium Lactate is the sodium salt of lactate which are produced through the fermentation of sugar. Sodium Phosphates is a sodium salt of phosphoric acid. It is used in food processing as a means of attracting and absorbing water from the product. Sodium Diacetate is used as a preservative. It is also used in the agriculture industry to control mold and bacteria in stored grains. It is also referred to as a pesticide. Sodium Erythorbate is also used as a food preservative and has zero nutritional value. When researching you will find it has a list of side effects that include headaches, fatigue, and dizziness. And the last ingredient is Sodium Nitrite which is commonly used in preserving and curing processed meats. It has also been implicated in some research as possibly causing cancer.
You could say well there are a lot of if and buts here and be right if you are trying to prove a case of the ham being healthy to eat based on these facts only. However if you consider does ham, being a red meat, increase my cholesterol your answer is yes. Are each of these chemicals dangerous to me? Well based on conclusive research and accepting these chemical additive products as being widely used you could conclude it is not harmful. And I think that is not accurate. You have to consider these additives are all commonly used in food processing. No we may eat this ham only once a year but these additives you are probably eating daily in most meats you eat and so many of the other processed snack foods you consume. That is where you can begin to build a case of hey, this is not good food for my body to be processing. There is only so much salt, sugar and other chemicals your body can safely process daily. The over abundance will lead to other health issues. See postings #74 1/27/12.....#130 8/30/12.....#85 3/7/12.....
The result of all of this is to encourage you to think about the foods you eat and decide what is unhealthy for your cardiovascular health. Believe me when researching for this article I found information that lead to research concerning causes of cancer, diabetes. and other health issues.
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