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Happy almost spring.
We hope this finds you well and ready for WARMTH! Although
I understand some of you in parts of the country are getting
unseasonable warmth. I'm going to get right down to business
this month as the pressure is on to get a lot done around
here. In addition I've moved after 14 years in the same apt.
- so no rest for the weary! This month we've got a great new
product deal for you, the latest news on HRT that came out
this past month, an explanation of what a "net carb"
actually is and finally a look at how to keep that long ago
cited New Years resolution… oh yea, that.
HRT AND COLORECTAL CANCER
In the summer of 2002 when researchers stopped the estrogen-progestin
arm of the Women's Health Initiative study, one of the benefits
they reported to HRT was that women had a lower overall risk
for developing colon tumors. The latest study published in
the New England Journal of Medicine in March makes this benefit
a little less clear. This study reports that women on HRT
were diagnosed at a later and more deadly stage of the disease.
HRT users are less likely to catch it early. Researchers aren't
exactly sure why the cancer had advanced further but they
suspect that symptoms associated with the disease were wrongly
attributed to less serious causes. The recommendation is for
women on HRT get routine bowel screenings but many ignore
this advice because it is so unpleasant. For more on this
see http://www.drkoop.com/template.asp?ap=93&page=newsdetail&id=517741
http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/abstract/350/10/991
DEFINING A NET CARB
Just FYI, the FDA does not recognize the difference in carbs,
and requires manufactures to list the total carbohydrates
on food packages. They are receiving a lot of pressure from
food companies and consumers so they are considering redefining
carbohydrates.
Basically the formula is this:
Net Carbs = Total carbohydrates - Grams of Fiber
(sometimes certain sweetners get deducted)
The idea behind it is similar to "good
fats" and "bad fats". There are "bad"
carbohydrates like white flour and those high in sugar that
digest quickly and spike our blood sugar. Then there's "good"
carbohydrates like whole grains and vegetables that burn slow
and smooth out digestion time. What net carb essentially means
is that only the refined carbohydrates show up as "carbs".
Be aware that many manufactures define all this a little differently.
It sounds like a stretch to me, but I'm not a big Atkins fan…
KEEPING A NEW YEAR RESOLUTION
I hope you haven't forgotten about your New Years Resolution.
Apparently fewer than 20% of New Years Resolutions are realized
and most are broken within 2 weeks. Yikes! I have to admit,
most of what I've seen written on this subject I found stale,
like "make a record and examine it" - yea right.
Then there's the Five Stages of Change" a theory by a
bunch of doctors that I thought was as insightful as "watch
your step" after you've already tripped. But I did come
across this one article that I feel has some teeth and I hope
you find the advice as grounded as I do. I've linked it below
but here's some highlights:
- Know what you
want by being clear and positive - instead of saying "I
want to lose weight" say "I want more energy"
or "I want to be able to wear that dress".
- Recognize that good things require that
we pay a price. That will make you more conscious when you
are making every day choices - remembering that it is a
price you are willing to pay to achieve your goal. The key
is to focus on the outcome in ways that are achievable for
you - in small steps.
- Train don't try. If you put yourself
on some kind of schedule and keep to it, chances are that
you will have a success sooner and it encourages your to
continue. The idea here is not to put yourself in a situation
where you "think too much" and begin to fall off
achieving your goal.
- Be prepared for setbacks. It's okay
to eat through your entire birthday week or miss the gym
a couple of days. Think of it as normal part of making progress
and have a plan of how you will handle this to get back
on track.
- Find support. And recognize those that
don't support you. When you battle alone, it's easy to give
up.
Here's the url - this writer had plenty
of examples and great insight. I love when I feel encouraged.
http://www.alivepublishing.com/home/index.php?page_type=article&
topic_id=144871&article_id=6949&site_id=27&go_id=2&take_id=6
That's it for this
month! As always, check out our websites for lots more
information, www.oonahealth.com.
And our staff is available to answer any
questions you may have at
1-888-596-5154. That's right-real people, not some electronic
menu-happy to
answer questions, give opinions, take orders, or just listen.
(Business
hours are 9:30a.m - 6 p.m. E.S.T.)
That's it for this month! As always,
check out our website for lots more information at www.oonahealth.com.
In Good Health,
The Oöna Team
Questions or comments? Write valerie@oonahealth.com
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