Great news was released on Monday confirming the success rate of using a simple self-monitoring device that dietitians have been recommending for years—the food diary.  A new study by Kaiser Permanente’s Center for Health Research with 1700 participants found that those who kept a daily food record lost twice as much weight as those who didn’t keep records. The participants also followed a healthy eating regimen – the DASH Diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) as well as engaging in 30 minutes of moderate activity per day. They also attended regular support meetings. Weight lost averaged 13 pounds during the 6-month period.  The study was sponsored by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and will appear in the August edition of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

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The recent Midwestern floods have been devastating for many of my neighbors in surrounding counties.  Our home was unaffected, since we live on higher ground—less than a mile away from the mighty Mississippi in Minnesota. Only minutes down the road, disaster areas have been declared in Southern Minnesota as well as many counties in Iowa and nearby Wisconsin.

As families in river towns struggle to save their communities, we must be aware of the potential long term effects from the losses of these vital farm communities – from economic losses to environmental destruction. There will likely be a resounding effect on our food supply, considering the flooded areas are in the “bread basket” of our country. The immediate concern has been for adequate fluids, food and shelter. Read the rest of this entry »

Since the invention of penicillin and modern medicine, life expectancy has continually increased.  Last Thursday, June 12, The Washington Post reported the most recent results on life expectancy from the National Center for Health Statistics, which calculated average life expectancy for Americans at an all-time high of 78.1 years from 2005 – 2006. This is encouraging news that deserves a few comments and questions: Read the rest of this entry »