Stuff I’ve found digging around on the net … with my take on it ..c

Physical Education Key To Improving Health In Low-income Adolescents School-based physical education plays a key role in curbing obesity and improving fitness among adolescents from low-income communities, according to a new study led by researchers at the University of California, San Francisco and UC Berkeley.

It’s what we all know: physical activity is good for your body and your mind – and it’s much more fun than sitting in the classroom all day.

TV Bombards Children With Commercials For High-fat And High-sugar Foods Childhood obesity in the United States is reaching epidemic proportions. With more than one fourth of advertising on daytime and prime time television devoted to foods and beverages and continuing questions about the role television plays in obesity, a study in the November/December issue of the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior examines how food advertising aimed at children might be a large contributor to the problem.

It’s obvious that TV ads subtly influence what we feel like eating. If it didn’t work, they wouldn’t spend all that money on advertising. This study suggests two key steps: reduce TV and computer time to limit exposure to these ads, and educate kids on how not to fall for their clever marketing ploys.

BARLEYmax It’s being touted as the greatest super food of all time and the king of cereal grains. BARLEYmax has finally appeared in our food supply in the form of two new breakfast cereals, the first products to be made with the super barley. It’s been over 12 years in the making with scientists from CSIRO devoting their life work to breeding it, testing it, growing it as a commercial barley harvest, and finally working with a food company to create interesting novel food products to showcase its benefits.

A comprehensive review by one of Australia’s top nutritionists. It sounds nutritionally great but I wonder how much it costs? We’ll have to wait for it to arrive in NZ. Until then I’ll stick to my cheap and super healthy rolled oats!

Is that trans fats in your banana bread? | Sydney Morning Herald We all know that trans fats are bad fats – but do we really know how to avoid them? Earlier this year a US study in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association found that although most people surveyed knew that trans fats could contribute to heart disease, only 17 per cent could name three foods containing them.

Trans fats are mostly found in pastries and baked goods. Dietitian Susan Anderson from the Australian Heart Foundation gives us a great tip to spot them in snack foods: if it bends, rather than snaps,  it’s more likely to contain trans fat.

Salt reduction may also benefit bone health Switching over to low-salt products may also benefit bone health by reducing calcium loss, suggests a new study from Australia.

Yet another great reason to choose reduced salt foods and check the sodium content on the nutrition panel. As a rough guide look for foods with less than 400mg sodium per 100 grams.

Sugary foods could increase risk of high blood pressure: Study High consumption of sugary foods and beverages could increase the risk of hypertension, according to a study presented at the American Society of Nephrology’s Annual Meeting in San Diego last week.

This study looked especially at fructose which is being used in more and more processed foods. I mention it in the ‘Let them eat dirt’ story and it’s also talked about in the Food, Inc movie.

Folic acid and colon cancer: Some benefits and no harm Supplements of folic acid may reduce the recurrence of colorectal cancer in people with low levels of the nutrient, but not people who already have adequate amounts, says a new study from Harvard.

According to this study if you are low in folate, a supplement may help. My guess is that lots of us could do with a bit more folate – unless you already eat lots of raw green vegetables, oranges, lentils, chick peas and dried beans ..c

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