Posted on Health.com  on January 1, 2015 by Cynthia Sass, MPH, RD http://news.health.com/2015/01/01/5-healthy-eating-habits-to-adopt-this-year/
Photo: Getty Images

Choose whole-food starches

Americans are eating far too many refined grains, including white versions of bread, pasta, rice, crackers and pretzels, in addition to baked goods and cereals made with refined starch. The intake of whole grains, like brown rice, whole wheat, and quinoa is on the rise, yet the average intake of whole grains in the U.S. is less than one serving a day. Research shows that a higher whole grain intake is tied to a lower risk of heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes, and obesity. The latter may be because whole grains are filling—their fiber helps delay stomach emptying, which keeps you fuller longer, delays the return of hunger, and helps regulate blood sugar and insulin levels, which are tied to appetite regulation.

In 2015, strive to replace refined grains—which have been stripped of their fiber and natural nutrients—with 100% whole grain options (including gluten free varieties if you need to or prefer to go gluten free). Or choose non-grain nutrient-rich starches, such as skin-on potatoes, root vegetables, squash, beans, and lentils. If weight loss is a goal, moderate your portions rather than cutting out carbs altogether so you don’t miss out on the nutrients and sustained energy they provide, which are important for enhancing mood and exercise endurance—two other keys to successfully shedding pounds.

How to do it: Aim for just one to two servings of whole food starch in each meal, more if you’re more active, less if you’re less active. Great choices include oats or a puffed whole grain cereal at breakfast, quinoa or chickpeas in a salad at lunch, and sweet potato, squash, lentils, or wild rice at dinner. One serving is generally a half-cup of a cooked starch, or the serving stated on the nutrition label for packaged foods.

Budget your sugar intake

In all my years counseling clients, I’ve found that for most people, moderation works better than deprivation. Currently, the average American takes in a whopping 22 teaspoons of added sugar each day. Added sugar doesn’t include the type put in foods by Mother Nature (like the sugar in fruit) but rather the kind added to foods, like sweetened yogurt, or the sugar you spoon into your coffee. According to the American Heart Association, the daily target for added sugar should be no more than 6 level teaspoons for women, and 9 for men—that’s for both food and beverages combined. It’s strict, but the target isn’t zero, which means you don’t need to banish sugar completely. Allowing yourself some of the sweet stuff can be a helpful way to stay on track, because swearing it off completely can result in intense cravings and rebound overeating.

How to do it: Start by cutting out processed versions of sweet stuff, like candy and packaged treats, and begin tracking how many foods you buy that are pre-sweetened, such as yogurt or almond milk (sugar can even be lurking in store-bought tomato sauce and salad dressing). Next, opt for unsweetened versions of packaged foods, or make them yourself without adding sugar. For example, for an awesome DIY dressing whisk together extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, minced garlic, and Italian herb seasoning. Now that you’ve slashed your sugar intake, strategically decide how to “spend” small amounts while staying within your budget.

Enjoy a little bit of dark chocolate (up to an ounce of 70% cocoa or greater) every day, or once or twice a week pre-plan splurges that won’t derail your overall healthy diet, like splitting a dessert with a dinner companion, or buying one really worthwhile cookie from a bakery. If you don’t feel you need regular treats, that’s great—many of my clients find that the less sugar they eat the less they crave. But if your sweet tooth strikes, or it’s a special occasion, don’t succumb to all-or-nothing thinking (e.g. “I can’t have any” or “I had a little so I might as well go all out!”). People who lose weight and keep it off long-term find ways to strike a sane and healthy balance.

Become more mindful

One of the most powerful resolutions you can make for 2015 is to work on raising your eating awareness, which includes tuning into hunger and fullness cues, as well as slowing your eating pace, and identifying non-physical eating triggers (boredom, habit, or a bad day). Paying attention to body signals has been shown to be as effective as a formal class for weight loss. And slowing down your eating can naturally help you eat less while feeling more satisfied. One University of Rhode Island study found that fast eaters downed more than 3 ounces of food per minute, compared to 2.5 ounces for medium-speed eaters, and 2 for slow eaters. Finally, becoming more mindful can also help you realize when you’re drawn to food even though you’re not physically hungry, which can help you address your emotional needs in non-food ways (check out my previous post 5 Ways to Shut Down Emotional Eating).

How to do it: To hone your mindfulness skills, start keeping a food journal to record not just what and how much you eat, but also your degrees of hunger and fullness before and after meals, as well as any emotional notes, such as craving something crunchy because you feel angry, or wanting to eat while watching TV. Also, try committing to not doing anything else while you eat, at least once a day. Take breaks between each bite, check in with your body, focus on the flavors and textures of your food, and stop when you feel like you’ve had enough, even if you haven’t cleaned your plate. It may feel awkward at first to slow down and eat solo, but this practice can help you to catch yourself eating too fast, ease you into a slower pattern, and allow you to break mindless eating patterns, which may be the #1 key to a happier and healthier year ahead.

Source: Health.com
http://news.health.com/2015/01/01/5-healthy-eating-habits-to-adopt-this-year/

Posted on Health.com  on January 1, 2015 by Cynthia Sass, MPH, RD http://news.health.com/2015/01/01/5-healthy-eating-habits-to-adopt-this-year/
Photo: Getty Images

Nutrition is a hot topic these days, yet many of my clients still struggle with consistently following through with “the basics,” and the stats show that missing the mark on many healthy habits is the norm. For example, the median daily intake of produce for U.S. adults is 1.1 servings of fruit and 1.6 servings of veggies, far below the minimum recommended five daily servings.

If you’re going to set just one goal for 2015, I think eating more produce should be it, but I’ve also listed four others below. I know you’ve heard them before, but they are without a doubt the most tried-and-true, impactful eating habits you can foster—both for your waistline and your health. And despite knowing them, you may not be achieving them, so they’re worth considering as you choose your resolutions.

If taking them all on at once seems overwhelming, try a “step-ladder” approach—focus on one change until it feels like a normal part of your daily routine, then add another, and another. Sometimes taking it slow ups the chances that behaviors will stick, so come December 2015, you’ll be celebrating a year of accomplishments.

(Note: this post is about habits to adopt. To set resolutions related to unhealthy patterns to ditch, check out my previous post 7 Eating Habits You Should Drop Now.)

Eat produce at every meal

There are numerous benefits to making produce a main attraction at mealtime. In addition to upping your intake of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fiber, eating at least five servings a day is tied to a lower risk of chronic diseases, including heart disease, stroke, and certain cancers. Fruits and veggies also help displace foods that pack more calories per bite, a plus if you’re trying to lose weight. For example, one cup of non-starchy vegetables contains about 25 calories, compared to 200 in a cup of cooked pasta. And reaching for a medium-sized pear in place of a handful of chips, crackers, or cookies can slash anywhere from 50 to 200 calories.

How to do it: A good rule of thumb is to include a serving of fruit in each breakfast and snack, and two servings of veggies in every lunch and dinner. One serving is one cup fresh, about the size of a tennis ball. Whip fruit into a smoothie, add it to oatmeal or yogurt, or just bite right in. And for easy ways to make veggies the base of a meal, check out my previous post 5 Delicious Pasta Alternatives with a Fraction of the Calories.

Make water your beverage of choice

You’ve heard about the unwanted effects of drinking both regular and diet soda, but you may not be aware of some of the benefits of drinking more H2O. According to a study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, people who get much of their daily fluid intake from plain water tend to have healthier diets overall, including more fiber, less sugar, and fewer high-calorie foods. And in addition to hydrating you, water may be a helpful weight loss aid, by curbing appetite and boosting metabolism. One study found that people who drank about seven cups of water a day ate nearly 200 fewer daily calories compared to those who gulped less than one glass. Another found that when adults drank two cups of water right before eating a meal they ate between 75 and 90 fewer calories. And a German study concluded that consuming 16-ounces of water upped calorie burning by 30% within 10 minutes, an effect that was sustained for more than an hour.

How to do it: Reach for 16 ounces (2 cups) of water four times a day. And if you dislike the taste of plain H2O, spruce it up. Add wedges of lemon or lime, fresh mint leaves, cucumber slices, fresh grated ginger or organic citrus zest, or a bit of mashed juicy fruit, like berries or tangerine wedges.

(To be continued.)

Source: Health.com
http://news.health.com/2015/01/01/5-healthy-eating-habits-to-adopt-this-year/

「Dr. Akiko’s Edokko nutrition science: Stories No. 1 ~ No. 16」are available on You Tube.

Speaking of the Edo period, we may tend to think it is the make-believe world
in the history book or the artificial world in the TV shows.
But do you know that our ordinary customs, culture, and above all,
our diet, inevitable to our lives,
have no significant differences from those in the Edo times?

Dr. Akiko reveals the unknown Japan in her own words.
Please enjoy!

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDfsHRWPKSYKJvPfiAJw69A/feed

In Japan, we’ve carried on a custom to practice our events according to the lunar calendar, in which, each month has special names peculiar to Japan for its characteristic seasons or events.  Those names, called “Japanese-style months” are still being used in recent days such as on a calendar.

Those Japanese-style month names are said to have originated in various histories, but we would like to introduce the most well-known names each month.

January is called “Mutsuki.”

It means a month when to get along or to be intimate with someone you know well over the New Year holiday. 

“New Year’s Day is the day to make one’s plans for the year.”

As said in a proverb above, a New Year holiday is very special to Japanese people.  So please enjoy the very beginning of a New

Released on EurekAlert! on Oct. 28, 2014
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2014-10/uoea-tac102814.php

Tea and citrus fruits and juices are associated with a lower risk of developing ovarian cancer, according to new research from the University of East Anglia (UEA).

Research published today reveals that women who consume foods containing flavonols and flavanones (both subclasses of dietary flavonoids) significantly decrease their risk of developing epithelial ovarian cancer, the fifth-leading cause of cancer death among women.

The research team studied the dietary habits of 171,940 women aged between 25 and 55 for more than three decades.

The team found that those who consumed food and drinks high in flavonols (found in tea, red wine, apples and grapes) and flavanones (found in citrus fruit and juices) were less likely to develop the disease.

Ovarian cancer affects more than 6,500 women in the UK each year. In the United States, about 20,000 women are diagnosed with ovarian cancer each year.

Prof Aedin Cassidy, from the Department of Nutrition at UEA’s Norwich Medical School, led the study. She said: “This is the first large-scale study looking into whether habitual intake of different flavonoids can reduce the risk of epithelial ovarian cancer.

“We found that women who consume foods high in two sub-groups of powerful substances called flavonoids – flavonols and flavanones – had a significantly lower risk of developing epithelial ovarian cancer.

“The main sources of these compounds include tea and citrus fruits and juices, which are readily incorporated into the diet, suggesting that simple changes in food intake could have an impact on reducing ovarian cancer risk.

“In particular, just a couple of cups of black tea every day was associated with a 31 per cent reduction in risk.”

The research was the first to comprehensively examine the six major flavonoid subclasses present in the normal diet with ovarian cancer risk, and the first to investigate the impact of polymers and anthocyanins.

###

The study was led by Prof Cassidy and Prof Shelley Tworoger, from the Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School. Data was derived from the Nurses’ Health Study.

‘Intake of dietary flavonoids and risk of epithelial ovarian cancer’ is published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition on Nov. 1, 2014. 

Original Article released:
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2014-10/uoea-tac102814.php

Link Cited on: LINK de DIET
http://www.nutritio.net/linkdediet/news/FMPro?-db=NEWS.fp5&-Format=detail.htm&kibanID=46576&-lay=lay&-Find

Released on EurekAlert! on Nov. 24, 2014
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2014-11/bc-day112014.php

A high intake of yogurt has been found to be associated with a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes, according to research published in open access journal BMC Medicine. This highlights the importance of having yogurt as part of a healthy diet.

Type 2 diabetes is a chronic condition that occurs when the body doesn’t produce enough insulin, or the body’s cells develop resistance to insulin. There is an increased risk of developing it if a relative has the condition or if an individual has an unhealthy lifestyle. Approximately 366 million people are affected by type 2 diabetes worldwide and it is estimated this will increase to 552 million people by 2030, which puts pressure on global healthcare systems.

Researchers from Harvard School of Public Health pooled the results of three prospective cohort studies that followed the medical history and lifestyle habits of health professionals. These studies were the Health Professionals’ Follow-up Study (HFPS), which included 51,529 US male dentists, pharmacists, vets, osteopathic physicians and podiatrists, aged from 40 to 75 years; Nurses’ Health Study (NHS), which began in 1976, and followed 121,700 female US nurses aged from 30 to 55 years; and Nurses’ Health Study II (NHS II), which followed 116,671 female US nurses aged from 25 to 42 years beginning in the year 1989.

At the beginning of each cohort study, participants completed a questionnaire to gather baseline information on lifestyle and occurrence of chronic disease. Participants were then followed up every two years with a follow-up rate of more than 90 per cent. Participants were excluded if they had diabetes, cardiovascular disease or cancer at baseline. People were also excluded if they did not include any information about dairy consumption. This left a total of 41,497 participants from HPFS, 67,138 from NHS and 85,884 from NHS II.

Mu Chen, the study’s lead author from Harvard School of Public Health, says: “Our study benefited from having such a large sample size, high rates of follow up and repeated assessment of dietary and lifestyle factors.”

Within the three cohorts 15,156 cases of type 2 diabetes were identified during the follow-up period. The researchers found that the total dairy consumption had no association with the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. They then looked at consumption of individual dairy products, such as skimmed milk, cheese, whole milk and yogurt. When adjusting for chronic disease risk factors such as age and BMI as well as dietary factors, it was found that high consumption of yogurt was associated with a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

The authors then conducted a meta-analysis, incorporating their results and other published studies, up to March 2013, that investigated the association between dairy products and type 2 diabetes. This found that consumption of one 28g serving of yogurt per day was associated with an 18 per cent lower risk of type 2 diabetes.

Previous research has suggested calcium, magnesium, or specific fatty acids present in dairy products may lower the risk of type 2 diabetes. It has been shown that probiotic bacteria found in yogurt improves fat profiles and antioxidant status in people with type 2 diabetes and the researchers suggest this could have a risk-lowering effect in developing the condition. To confirm this observation, and investigate whether or not yogurt is causal in the lowering of risk, randomized controlled trials are needed.

Senior researcher on the study Frank Hu, Harvard School of Public Health, says: “We found that higher intake of yogurt is associated with a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes, whereas other dairy foods and consumption of total dairy did not show this association. The consistent findings for yogurt suggest that it can be incorporated into a healthy dietary pattern.”

Original Article released:
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2014-11/bc-day112014.php

Link Cited on: LINK de DIET
http://www.nutritio.net/linkdediet/news/FMPro?-db=NEWS.fp5&-Format=detail.htm&kibanID=46894&-lay=lay&-Find

http://the-japan-news.com/news/article/0001750455
Posted on The Japan News by The Yomiuri Shimbun on November 27, 2014

Teizo Takano, a chairman of an association of Hosokawashi craftsmen,
and other related people give a banzai cheer at a paper studio in Higashichichibu, Saitama Prefecture, on Thursday.

By Mina Mitsui / Yomiuri Shimbun CorrespondentPARIS 

— UNESCO decided Wednesday to designate Japanese traditional techniques for making washi paper as an intangible cultural heritage.

At a meeting of its intergovernmental committee in Paris, UNESCO said the craftsmanship is passed from generation to generation in families and local communities as a cultural symbol of the residents in certain areas and strengthens social ties. The decision follows last year’s recognition of washoku traditional Japanese cuisine, indicating high international regard for Japanese traditional culture.

The registered products are Sekishubanshi from Hamada, Shimane Prefecture; Honminoshi from Mino, Gifu Prefecture; and Hosokawashi from Ogawa and Higashichichibu, both in Saitama Prefecture.

All 24 nations represented on the intergovernmental committee approved the recommendation by a UNESCO subsidiary body last month to add washi to the list. The committee appreciated the tradition of washi, stating that local people are proud of the tradition and are planning such preservation activities as skill training and hands-on lessons at schools.

Japan has so far been awarded 22 intangible cultural heritage registrations, including washoku, kabuki, noh and Yukitsumugi silk fabric production techniques. The latest registration does not change the total number of Japan’s heritage listings as Sekishubanshi was already designated as an intangible culture heritage in 2009. Its heritage status will be registered again with the two other washi products.

The government tried to have Honminoshi added to the heritage list by itself in 2011, but the intergovernmental committee deferred a decision that year, saying the paper product is similar to Sekishubanshi. The government therefore changed its plan to aim at the overall registration of the three products, adding Hosokawashi as a new candidate. In Japan, they are designated as important intangible cultural heritage and preservation groups exist. The government submitted a proposal to UNESCO in March last year.

 The Yomiuri Shimbun:  
The government emphasized the paper-making traditional techniques, which date back to the eighth century, explaining the unique process in which paper is made from kozo mulberry pulp, and paper solution is uniformly spread on a hinged mold called sugeta.

Source: The Japan Times by The Yomiuri Shimbun
http://the-japan-news.com/news/article/0001750455

The establishment of new international schools has continued at a rapid rate over the past 5 years in Malaysia, a country which has a complicated national education system for different ethnic groups (refer to the previous article　“1. Sudden increase in international schools and “2. The challenging education system of the multiracial country, Malaysia”).

The main reason why Malaysian people are becoming more interested in international school education is most likely because of the increasing concern regarding English competency – in Japan, where people hope for English competency, Malaysians are concerned.

Many people say English is useful in Malaysia and it is true. I can’t speak Bahasa Malaysia at all, but I have never had a problem, at least in Kuala Lumpur. English is generally used as a common language for business and conversation among the different races. 

Interestingly, however, it is thought that this high level of English proficiency is falling within the younger generation.

There are many people in their sixties or older who speak English fluently because English education at school was a part of government schools until the 1960’s. Since the 1970’s, however, language policy has focused on Bahasa Malaysia and, despite measures to strengthen English literacy, there has more emphasis on Bahasa Malaysia recently.

Therefore, parents who are concerned about their child’s English competency are more interested in international schools, or private local school which focus more on English. This tendency is more obvious in middle-class Chinese or Indian Malaysians who are at a disadvantage in public schools because of the Bumiputera policy. They question their future potential to earn by acquiring Bahasa Malaysia.

Also, parents are increasingly doubtful of the Malaysian style education which emphasizes test results.

One of Japanese who has experienced working in a Malaysian educational interface for many years talk about the current cramming system of education:  

＿＿＿＿

Japan followed a similar path in the past – the “cramming” style of education was effective in improving the national education level in a short time and for producing the elite to lead the growing country, but now it stands at a turning point. An increase in the number of students dropping out, the tendency to “burnout” after graduation, and a lack of creative skills etc. are recognized as the harmful consequences of the current education system. There is a growing sense of the crisis that Malaysia might not survive international competition if the trend continues. However, the government cannot find an approach to change the existing education system – it’s difficult to retrain teachers who know only teaching by rote.

＿＿＿＿

We know that all countries, including Japan, face difficulties in educating the next generation which carries the weight of responsibility for the future of the country. Even nations as a whole grapple with what is the ideal education, so it’s natural that we, as parents, sometimes don’t know what to do for our children.

Incidentally, I feel very sorry for young primary students being ranked by scores, though they seem surprisingly unconcerned even if they finish at the bottom.

The government has designated the international school industry is a part of NKEA (National Key Economic Areas) – I feel this is overly bold, but how do you feel?

I am interested in what can be expected from international school education, that’s why I am wondering;

How does each school recruit enough high-quality teachers according to its own educational policies and content?

Do teachers have enough experience?

Does an international school education justify the expensive fees?

Isn’t there too much supply in comparison with demand?

I will focus on the various doubts surrounding significant, personal expectations next time.

4th International school fair held at a big shopping mall in Kuala Lumpur

Finally, let me write about more familiar issues concerning bilingual education.
My elder son joined an English language preschool and I was sure it would prove to be advantageous for him. But since he turned 4 years old I’ve been more and more concerned because his speech is often a mixture Japanese and English, and he prefers to count numbers in English because counters in Japanese are difficult to remember.

I realized all over again that his Japanese ability is the base and he will not understand arithmetic or science, let alone Japanese, without a high level of Japanese or imagination based in Japanese. I have become impatient about the fact that my son may lack the ability to think and write well in Japanese if I don’t carefully support him. I have to avoid this no matter what.

I found out for the first time that this is what the mother tongue is for us and I was more able to understand why each race in Malaysia is supported by their school.  

Reported by Makiko Wada, Sugawara Institute