Oats of Steel
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A rolling oat gathers no fiber.
Happy New Year from Recess Wellness!
On these cold winter mornings, try a bowl of steel cut oats. These oats are made by taking the whole inner oat kernel and cutting them into only two or three pieces, instead of rolling them flat.
Compared to pre-packaged, flavored oatmeal, steel cut oats have a lot less sugar, and a lot more fiber--they've got 8g per serving while the flat, rolled guys only have 3g!
While these oats take a little bit longer to cook, Martha Rose Shulman has a great suggestion on the New York Times health blog--make a batch in advance to keep in the fridge, and then heat up a portion each morning.
Add some oomph to your wellness routine>>
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How is Recess Like Your Dog?
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We're always up for a walk!
 A new study suggests that when it comes to walking partners, a canine companion may be the tops:
...research from the University of Missouri has found that people who walk
dogs are more consistent about regular exercise and show more
improvement in fitness than people who walk with a human companion.
The main reason humans were not each others best friends in this case? They kept discouraging each other!
Recess can bring a customized wellness program to your office that includes loads of encouragement and a strategically developed plan that works to fit the goals of your work place.
Find a walking partner that won't let you down. Request a Quote. >>
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Change is in the Air
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In everything from food labels to thoughts on vitamins
Do you find yourself in need of a makeover this New Year? If you happen to be a food label, the answer is yes!
The Center for Science in the Public Interest is calling out the FDA on some of their tricky labeling antics. When Froot Loops are given a "Smart Choice" check of approval, you know something has got to be up. The CSPI thought so too. They imagine nutrition labels free of false claims and a clearer ingredient list: "For foods with several forms of sugar scattered around the
ingredients list, those sugars would be combined so that they would
show up higher on the list of ingredients. Percentages of key
ingredients would be disclosed."
You can see a suggested version of the CSPI label at the New York Times Health Blog.
Still confused by all those numbers and strange chemical names? Eat more foods that eschew labels all together--fresh fruits and vegetables!
And speaking of looking at labels...
Do you ever find yourself deciphering the labels of vitamins, trying to decide which ones are best for you? You're not alone--but whether or not people understand what is in those daily tablets they take, sales of vitamins are going up by about 4% annually over the last decade. This New York Times article predicts that this year, with folks trying to save on medical bills and take their health into their own hands, vitamin sales will grow by 8%. That's a total of $9.2 billion. Spent in one year! On vitamins!
But are all these vitamins really working any wonders? Or forget medical miracles--are they doing anything at all? A slew of recent studies suggest that certain vitamins may not live up to all of their claims. Hmm, sound familiar?
An 8-year-long study by the Women's Heath Initiative, "provided
convincing evidence that multivitamin use has little or no influence on
the risk of common cancers or total mortality in postmenopausal women."
In another long-term study by JAMA, "neither
vitamin E nor vitamin C supplementation reduced the risk of major
cardiovascular events. The data provide no support for the use of
these supplements for the prevention of cardiovascular disease in
middle-aged and older men."
So what do the experts think you should do?
You're never going to believe what Eric Rimm, associate professor of epidemiology and nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health says. "The evidence shows that a healthy diet and exercise are the best way to ward off disease; a vitamin cannot
replace those benefits."
But doesn't healthy food contain some of the same components as in vitamins? Yes, but it may be that attempt to isolate the good stuff that's causing the vitamin-related shortcomings. The health aspect of health food comes from eating the whole fruit or veget able. As Dr. Peter H. Gann, professor and director of research in the
department of pathology at the University of Illinois at Chicago puts
it:
"There may not be a single component of broccoli
or green leafy vegetables that is responsible for the health benefits. Why are we taking a reductionist approach and plucking
out one or two chemicals given in isolation?"
All of this uncertainty surrounding vitamins and supplements is one reason you'll never find Recess hawking any kind of powder or pills. We're all about creating "happy, peppy people," but without the mysterious side effects...
Plus, with money you save by stepping away from the supplements, you could do something that actually makes you feel good. Massage, anyone?
Here's to a happy and bountiful new year filled with smart choices for you and your health. Froot Loops need not apply.
Feel better, no supplements necessary ! >> |
