All Categories - Greenique Wellness

Youths Demand Truth About Dangers of Sugary Drinks

2/20/2015

"Staggeringly, almost one-quarter of teens today have pre-diabetes – double the rate of just 10 years ago."

While our last post was about energy drinks, it's fitting to talk about the bigger elephant in the room - sodas in general. As reported by Alternet, "Staggeringly, almost one-quarter of teens today have pre-diabetes – double the rate of just 10 years ago. One in three youth born in the U.S. after the year 2000 will get type 2 diabetes in their lifetimes (1 in 2 young people of color) along with some or all of its major health consequences including stroke, kidney failure, blindness and amputations.

A major cause of this epidemic is the consumption of sugary drinks. Just one 12-ounce soda has about 10 teaspoons of sugar — more than the recommended daily maximum for adults and more than 3 times the recommended maximum for kids. Studies show that drinking just one sugary drink a day can lead to increased risk of diabetes, tooth decay and other health problems.

Sugary drinks are already the number one source of added calories in teens’ diets, yet the beverage industry is still targeting youth of color as their future growth market." And this marketing machine is massive - with some of the cleverest marketing minds, backed by enormous advertising budgets.

The good news is a group called Opentruth is hoping to make an impact with campaigns encouraging kids - the key targets - to fight back. The group is in California, but hopefully they'll make some traction and influence kids in the rest of the country as well.

And there are actions you can take as well:
Model the way - reduce, or better yet, eliminate sodas from your home. If you do consume them, make them a rare indulgence, not an everyday event
Practice Tough Love - your kids may put up a fight - OK, let's be realistic - your kids WILL put up a fight, but don't hesitate to educate them. Share honestly the effect these products can have on their health. It won't be easy, but over time your kids will hear you and it will make a difference.

For more information about Opentruth.now, click here for an Alternet article or visit opentruthnow.org

Energy Drinks and Kids - a Dangerous Combination

2/10/2015

Perhaps Energy Drinks are serving up far more than parents are bargaining for.

Are your kids drinking energy drinks? If so, this may change what you're putting in your grocery cart. A recent article in Times shared an alarming finding about the effect of "energy drinks" on children. A new study by the Yale School of Public Health found a link between consumption of energy drinks and hyperactivity and inattention, stating that middle-schoolers who consume sweetened energy drinks are 66% more at risk for hyperactivity than other kids.

While the researchers could not state that the energy drinks caused the hyperactivity and inattentiveness in the kids, they did find correlation. “Despite considering numerous types of beverages in our analyses (eg, soda, fruit drinks), only energy drinks were associated with greater risk of hyperactivity/inattention,” the authors write in the study published in the journal Academic Pediatrics.

"Unlike soda and juice, energy drinks often contain ingredients like guarana and taurine. The researchers say it could be the effect of these ingredients mixed with caffeine that causes problems. “Energy drinks contain large amounts of caffeine, sugar and other ingredients that work synergistically with caffeine. Caffeine may be contributing to this association because the caffeine content of energy drinks is far greater on average than that of soda,” the authors write.

It's a difficult battle for parents, as kids are exposed to extremely strong marketing, despite guidelines by the American Beverage Association recommending energy drink companies not market their products to children. As a parent, you may want to hold firm on this point, and follow the American Academy of Pediatrics recommendation limiting your kid's consumption of sweetened beverages and avoiding energy drinks entirely. .
For the complete article, click here

Food Coloring Goes Natural

2/6/2015

More and more companies are turning from artificial to natural coloring. Good News?

An article from Berkeley Wellness noted an increase in the both the number of food manufacturers and packaged foods that now use natural vs. artificial coloring, including beetroot powder, paprika, and annatto, for example, instead of Red 40, Yellow 5, and Yellow 6. For years, the European Union has required warning labels on foods containing any artificial colors and pressure on American food manufacturers is pushing them in the same direction.

However, there is evidence that coloring of both sorts can cause harm. Artificial coloring has been implicated in causing attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder in children and several natural colorants have shown severe allergic reactions or may be classified as carcinogenic at some levels of ingestion.

The article nicely summarizes the real issue at hand:
"For the vast majority of people, food colors—whether natural or artificial—do not pose a health risk in the amounts typically consumed. The main problem is that foods containing them tend to be heavily processed, high in fat, sugar, and sodium, and not very nutritious.
Don’t assume that replacing artificial colors with natural ones makes the food a healthy choice either—candy is still candy. If you eat mostly whole foods (like fruits, vegetables, and whole grains) and limit processed foods (especially crazy colorful ones), you’ll consume few color additives anyway."

Wise words.

For the complete article: click here

Why It's Likely Food Can Heal Us

1/23/2015

"There are many plants which are part of day-to-day diets, that have long been known to have healing properties."

Since the beginning of time, humans have used plants to treat ailments. Some of the earliest medicines, which are currently used in modern medicine as well, were derived from plants. Examples include aspirin, derived from the bark of the willow tree and the antimalarial medicine quinine, derived from the bark of the cinchona tree. Even today, close to 40% of medications are either derived from plants or inspired by related chemicals. Most of these plants however, have not been part of daily human diet, but have been valued for their medicinal properties. We now know plants contain many bio-active compounds and therefore it is not at all far-fetched that most of the foods nature provides not only maintain our health, but can actually heal us.

There are many plants which are part of our day-to-day diets, that have long been known to have healing properties, some which have even been scientifically studied. One of these is mint, used in cooking, teas and chutneys. Its active ingredient, menthol is used in lozenges and has the ability to reduce itching, open sinuses, and relieve soreness of the upper respiratory tract.

Similarly, turmeric is derived from the underground rhizomes of Curcuma longa, a member of the ginger family. It is widely used in India as a culinary spice and curcumin, one its active ingredients, has been studied for its anti-inflammatory, antiseptic and anti-oxidant properties. It is also believed to make connective tissue supple (the reason Indian yogis can contort into impossible asanas?).

These are just two of many plants used in food that have been studied scientifically, but there are many more that have not undergone similar research, although that is changing. Ancient claims about the medicinal value of plants are slowly, but surely, being backed by research. Until that evidence comes through, there is good reason to trust that foods that the ancients have eaten over the centuries, are good for us and we should not be messing with them unless there is a dire need to do so.

On the other hand, going on a fad diet with large amounts of the few foods proven to have health benefits would be as dangerous and unhealthy as not consuming them at all. The key to using food as medicine is eating a balanced diet and including foods with known benefits. Remember different areas of the world have different native foods, and many foods may have similar benefits. Old is truly gold in this instance - ancient dietary practices are time-proven to be good for us.

"Scent-sitivity"

1/21/2015

Fragrances are chemicals and are the top cause of cosmetic allergies, the effects not limited to the user. Just like tobacco, there are "secondhand" implications to anyone within sniffing distance.

Artificial scents are showing up in just about everything (natural scents from flowers and essential oils can be lovely, and can have a very positive effect, but we’ll talk about those another time) and are a growing health concern.

Researchers from the University of West Georgia state that "30.5% of the general population reported scented products on others irritating, 19% reported adverse health effects from air fresheners, and 10.9% reported irritation by scented laundry products vented outside."

An article posted by Health Care Without Harm discusses the downside of fragrances specifically in the Health Care arena, but the problem is not limited to those areas. Artificial fragrances consist of chemicals, and are the top cause of cosmetic allergies. What is worse is that the effects are not limited to the user. Just like tobacco, there are secondhand implications to all those in sniffing distance.

While perfume and cologne are obvious sources, fragrances are often added to

Cleaning Products – bathroom and kitchen products, including toilet, glass and dish cleaners
Laundry Care Products– detergents, fabric softeners and dryer sheets, all which linger on clothes
Personal Care Products - hair care, skin care and beauty products
Air Care Products - Scented candles and air “cleaners” (which don’t “clean” at all – just mask odors)

The Problem

“To many people, the word "fragrance" means something that smells nice, such as perfume. We don't often stop to think that scents are chemicals. Fragrance chemicals are organic compounds that volatilize, or vaporize into the air, which is why we can smell them. They are added to products to give them a scent or to mask the odor of other ingredients. The volatile organic chemicals (VOCs) emitted by fragrance products can contribute to poor indoor air quality (IAQ) and are associated with a variety of adverse health effects.

Exposure to fragrance chemicals can cause headaches; eye, nose, and throat irritation; nausea; forgetfulness; loss of coordination; and other respiratory and/or neurotoxic symptoms. Many fragrance ingredients are respiratory irritants and sensitizers, which can trigger asthma attacks and aggravate sinus conditions.”

The Solution

At work, ask your employer to adopt a company-wide fragrance free policy for both employees and maintenance products.

At home, choose personal care products and cleaners that are free of chemical fragrances. The Environmental Working Group has a great website to help you choose.

For Cosmetics: EWG's Skin Deep Database
For Cleaning Products: EWG's Cleaning Product Guide

For the complete Health Care Without Harm article, click here:

Food as Anti-Virus Protection??

1/14/2015

Food as anti-virus protection? What?!

No, we're not talking about your laptop! We're talking about protecting your body from viruses - and doing so naturally, with the foods you eat. And lifestyle as well!

Just like we use software to protect our computers from viruses, we can also defend our bodies from viruses - naturally, through our lifestyles and the foods we eat. The winter months are often when we see viruses hit hard. The good news is there are natural solutions to help you improve your ability to resist these unwanted bugs.

It is well known that foods contain different compounds that can contribute to disease or wellness. Some of these have been well studied and their claims scientifically verified, and almost all have stood the test of time.

In a post by Rodale "7 Ways to Treat Frequent Viral Infections" they provide some tips "By incorporating simple lifestyle tips and healthy, immune-boosting foods into your everyday routine, you can strengthen your body's own defenses against diseases." The recommendations may at best help you prevent and fend off minor illnesses, and at worst, will do you no harm.

They recommend the following steps:

Add anti-inflammatory foods to your diet. They suggest Coconut Oil, AFA or Spirulina, Mushrooms and Hemp Seeds. These are just a few among many. If you begin by simply adding more fresh whole foods (basically, foods without a lot of packaging and ingredients - vegetables and fruits, for example) you'll be off to a great start.
Hydrate - drink plenty of water. And teas, especially green and herbal, are a great addition as well!
If you smoke - stop (of course, you already knew that - didn't you?)
Exercise regularly (and you knew this too!). The key is to find activity you enjoy and want to do - then you'll be more inclined to find a way to make it happen. Even a 5-minute walk several times a day can do wonders.

For the full Rodale article - click here: http://www.rodalenews.com/viral-infections?cid=NL_RNDF_1975322_01062015_7_ways_treat_frequent_viral_infections_text
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A Powerful Spin on the "New Year's Resolution"

1/9/2015

“A resolution is a well-intended action plan, but because a person hasn’t really connected to the ‘why’ behind it, the old way of life, the chaos, comes back into play and they can’t really sustain it”

This article, published by the New York Times gives a fresh new perspective on the age-old New Year's Resolution. The author, Tara Parker-Pope suggests forgetting about making a New Year's Resolution and instead spend your time creating a personal mission statement instead. While the concept of a personal mission statement isn't new (it's been around for several decades and was popularized by Steven R, Covey), the message, and tie-in to New Year's Resolutions, particularly resonates. By tying your resolution to a greater sense of purpose, you'll be much more likely to attain what you ultimately set out for.

"While it is common for businesses to define goals and values with mission statements, most people never take the time to identify their individual senses of purpose. Most focus on single acts of self-improvement — exercising more, eating more healthfully, spending more time with family — rather than examining the underlying reasons for the behavior, says Jack Groppel, co-founder of the Johnson & Johnson Human Performance Institute, an Orlando-based coaching firm.

“A resolution is a well-intended action plan, but because a person hasn’t really connected to the ‘why’ behind it, the old way of life, the chaos, comes back into play and they can’t really sustain it,” says Dr. Groppel, who created the “Corporate Athlete,” program that uses the training concepts of elite athletes to improve personal and business performance.

By creating a mission statement people can begin to identify the underlying causes of behaviors, as well as what truly motivates them to make changes. “A mission statement becomes the North Star for people,” says Dr. Groppel. “It becomes how you make decisions, how you lead, and how you create boundaries.”

To read the full article, click here:

Time for New Year's Resolutions - Again!?!

12/30/2014

According to Statistic Brain, 45% of Americans usually make a New Year's Resolution, yet only 46% are successful after 6 months (and quite frankly, that sounds surprisingly high to us).

Then why bother - doesn't it sound like a losing battle?

Photo courtesy of AnswerHub

There's at least one really good reason - people who explicitly make resolutions are 10 times more likely to attain their goals than people who don’t explicitly make resolutions.

So, if you're someone who takes pride in personal accomplishments, then this New Year's Resolution/Goal-Setting thing may be worthwhile. Jeff Boss, a contributor to Forbes offers 7 tips to help you get and stay motivated to succeed with this year's resolutions:
Use imagery
Take a selfie
Use post-it notes
Make a “me” list
Make a “motivation list”
Appoint an accountability partner
Find a mentor or coach

For the details, read the full article by clicking on Forbes:

For more fun statistics on New Year's Resolutions click here.

Do the Holidays Have you Stressing Out?

12/22/2014

Where's the "Holiday" in the Holidays?!!!

While the Holidays can bring so much joy, they bring a lot more than that to many! A post by the Cleveland Clinic really hits the mark on the frustrations and anxieties that this time of year bring.

That fact that stress is bad for our health is a message we have heard for a long time, and that fact is now backed by research. And at the same time, stress in our lives has gone up exponentially. Knowing this makes it all the more important to recognize and manage. To do so, first we need to recognize what may be contributing to it. Stress is inherent to the holidays and there are many factors that contribute to it. Within the article are listed many of the stressors that might quickly come to mind - such as finding the perfect gift, shopping hassles, time demands and not eating well. In addition, are things that are more deeply rooted - such as unresolved family issues, and unrealistic expectations of yourself and others. Take a few minutes to check in with yourself to see which of these might pertain to you, and take steps to make this holiday season a little more jolly!

Managing Holiday Stress
In Great Britain the word "holiday" has the same meaning as vacation. Many Americans would find this comparison laughable. For most of us, the holidays come with our own "to-do" lists.

Too often we take holiday stress for granted. What's worse, we often have higher expectations for this season than for any other time of the year. Planning for the holidays can leave us feeling impatient, cranky, and — in some cases — depressed. When the realities of day-to-day life conflict with our efforts to make the holiday season perfect, stress results.

Pulling in the reins on holiday stress. Are your expectations for the holidays realistic? Asking yourself this question is the first step to managing holiday stress. List on a piece of paper what you expect from yourself and your family during the holidays. Hidden within these expectations you might find your potential holiday stressors — the things particular to you that can cause stress.

Under each item in the list, write down what changes you can make to prevent or defuse stress. Adopt changes that will be most helpful to you. Avoid holding on to unrealistic goals, such as creating the most enchanting holiday atmosphere. Remember to include your own needs. Click the link to the full article for examples and more tips:
http://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/healthy_living/hic_Stress_Management_and_Emotional_Health/hic_Managing_Holiday_Stress

Holiday Toys - Make them Safe as Well as Fun

12/16/2014

It's that time of year! With Christmas comes toys! Let's make those toys safe as well as fun!

There are so many choices - you're inundated with options and it can be difficult to know how to choose wisely. So, here we're giving you a few tips to make safe toy shopping a little easier.

1. FUN and CREATIVE!
Of course - the most important thing is that you want the toy to be FUN! What use is there in giving a toy that the child doesn't want to play with?! Knowing the child's interests helps. Have you noticed the child is particularly responsive to music or likes a particular animal? Then choose a toy with that theme. Toys that are experiential, that stimulate creativity are best. Not only will the child be more compelled to play with it, but will build essential development.

2. AGE-APPROPRIATE
On the subject of development, it's important to choose wisely. While we know the children you're buying for are advanced for their age (aren't they all?!), trust that the toy makers know the appropriate age ranges. Check out this link from the National Association for the Education of Young Children for some great tips on toy choices by age range: http://www.naeyc.org/toys

3. SAFE
Three things to watch for:

Quality - Choose a toy that is durable and will hold up with typical kid rough-housing. Make sure it's well constructed, and without risk of breaking into pieces - especially with young children who may ingest a fragment.
Chemical Safety - Check labels and the toy maker's site for information. The toy should clearly be noted as lead, phthalate and BPA free
Materials - Select natural materials such as wood (a gold standard), with few, if any, finishes or varnishes. Paper is a great choice as well - we're primarily talking about books - which easily fit all the criteria.

Some brands with wonderful toys that are safe as well as fun and creative are listed here. All are available on Amazon.

These all have strong safety statements:
GreenTones - http://www.gogreentones.com/about-us/
Grimms - http://www.grimms.eu/index.php/en/what-we-stand-for
Haba - http://www.habausa.com/safety/
Hape - http://www.hapetoys.com/us/en/cop/company-profile
Hohner - www.hohnerkids.com/safetyfirst.html

For those on a budget, another good choice is Melissa and Doug. Not as strong a safety statement, but a good alternative. http://www.melissaanddoug.com/toysafety

Holiday Shopping, Hand Sanitizer and Receipts

12/8/2014

Holiday Shopping, Hand Sanitizer and Receipts - those are word you wouldn't expect to see together in a headline. But have you heard about the danger lurking while shopping? Consider this familiar story:

So you're out shopping. There are so many people (and some are coughing and sniffling), you're touching so many things, and you think "I better use some hand sanitizer just in case!" You breathe a sigh of relief and think you've just done something positive for yourself. And then you go into a store - maybe buying gifts or groceries for a holiday meal and take the receipt. Guess what? You may have just picked up a little something extra - BPA, the endocrine disrupting chemical found in the thermal paper used for receipts. Studies have linked BPA to a number of disturbing health effects, including the risk of developing serious diseases, Hand sanitizers (as well as other products like hand lotion) contain chemicals that make your skin more permeable to some substances, including BPA. Very concerning in the study was the fact that significant quantities of BPA can be absorbed this way. With repeated exposure, of course the risks rise.

The good news: you do have options, including: Avoid hand sanitizers - use plain soap and water, don't take receipts if you don't need them and opt for emailed receipts (more and more stores offer this option), and if you do take receipts, handle them as briefly as possible and again - wash with soap and water.

For full details in the PLOS ONE Journal, click here:
http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0110509

Healthier Holiday Eating!

11/18/2014

The Holiday season has started! Let's explore some options to make this time a little bit "lighter," both physically and mentally. We'll start with some solid advice on eating with this Whole Foods post from 2012, which has pearls of wisdom that are relevant in 2014 and for years to come. Basic concepts:
Be Mindful - only put on your plate the foods you really want and really savor each bite
Choose wisely - keep your portions small (you can always go back for more if you really want to). If you're the host or contributinga dish to the meal, it's always a good bet to offer simply prepared vegetables.
Enjoy! -

See the post here: http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/blog/staying-healthy-during-holidays

Aromatherapy as Medicine....

10/20/2014

An article in the NY Times shows aromatherapy may soon gain mainstream recognition as a valid treatment and healing modality. Studies have show there are olfactory receptors in nearly every organ of the body and researchers have gradually awakened to the biological importance of these molecular sniffers and the promise they hold for the diagnosis and treatment of disease. While a long way from actually being able to treat disease through scent-based medicine, this is an exciting discovery and further indication of the vast interconnection of the "whole" body.

Read the article here:
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/14/science/smell-turns-up-in-unexpected-places.html?src=me&module=Ribbon&version=context&region=Header&action=click&contentCollection=Most+Emailed&pg