An article that came out in today’s Salt Lake Tribune looks at some young athletes who have observed Ramadan even during football season by not eating or drinking from sunrise to sunset. In the article one young player discusses some of the challenges he experienced when not eating and not drinking water during the day and still practicing football.
I had mentioned Ramadan as an example in the Introduction to Nutrition Lecture this week that people’s religious beliefs can impact their eating habits, or in this case their lack of eating habits.
Ramadan, the annual 30-day Islamic holiday during which all believers abstain from food, drink and physical pleasures such as smoking and sex from dawn until sunset.
According to the article not everyone has to fast during Ramadan. Pregnant or menstruating women are exempt but expected to make up the lost fast days during the course of the year. Children begin fasting gradually, first half a day, then several days, until they grow old enough to fast without injuring their health.
The practice is meant to instill discipline, and to encourage gratitude and identification with the poor.
A new study published this August in JAMA found that one-fifth of both US-manufactured and Indian-manufactured Ayurvedic medicines purchased via the Internet contain detectable lead, mercury, or arsenic.
The purpose of the JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association) study was to “determine the prevalence of Ayurvedic medicines available via the Internet containing detectable lead, mercury or arsenic.” The study was also designed to compare the prevalence of toxic metals in US- vs Indian-manufactured medicines and between rasa shastra and non–rasa shastra medicines.
Lead, mercury, and arsenic have been detected in a substantial proportion of Indian-manufactured traditional Ayurvedic medicines. These metals may be present due to the practice of rasa shastra which is to combine herbs with metals, minerals, and gems.
More about Arsenic, Lead and Mercury
According to the study research more than 80 people have developed lead poisoning worldwide from Ayurvedic medicines since 1978. Lead and mercury can damage the kidneys and brain, especially in children. Arsenic can cause cancer.
Ayurvedic medications are largely used by adults to treat problems ranging from indigestion to infertility. About 4% of the 193 products that author Robert Saper of the Boston University School of Medicine and Boston Medical Center tested were labeled for use in children. Among the metal-containing products, 95% were sold by US Web sites and 75% claimed Good Manufacturing Practices.
The bottom line, since 20% of both US-manufactured and Indian-manufactured Ayurvedic medicines purchased via the Internet contained detectable lead, mercury, or arsenic one should be extremely cautious when using these products.
Parents are one of the greatest influences on their children’s eating habits. This has been confirmed in a new study published this summer.
According to researchers at Washington University in St. Louis parents who providing fruits for snacks and serving vegetables at dinner can shape a preschooler’s eating patterns for his or her lifetime.
Researcher Debra Haire-Joshu, Ph.D., a professor at the George Warren Brown School of Social Work found when parents eat more fruits and vegetables, so do their children. On the other hand, when parents eat and give their children high fat snacks or soft drinks, children learn these eating patterns instead.
I firmly believe if we teach our children how to make healthy choices, about good health, nutrition and being active; these will help them to develop healthy habits and lifestyle choices to they can be healthy for a lifetime.
Online students look for an email message sent to your email of record with the college. If you are stuck logging onto the Blackboard Course System, see the Blog Page on Blackboard.
Face to Face students I will see you on Monday or Tuesday.
People are wondering what kind of a role model Michael Phelps is going to be to the growing population of overweight and obese children. His choices of foods to sponsor and endorse caused many child obesity experts to denounce his endorsements.
Kellogg Co. announced on August 19 that Michael Phelps, winner of eight gold medals at the Beijing Olympics, will be featured on upcoming boxes of Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes and Kellogg’s Corn Flakes. No longer is Wheaties the breakfast of champions in stead it’s Tony the Tiger’s GREEAATTT cereal.
Phelps has also been serving as ambassador for a program sponsored by McDonald’s to bring Chinese children to the Olympics and serve them American fast food. Consumer Health advocate Mike Adams, offered these words on the questionable choices being made in endorsing these products:
Olympian Michael Phelps is currently an active participant in this “junk food imperialism” that’s sweeping through China, ensnaring hundreds of millions of children in a junk food diet that may doom many of them to deadly diseases later in life.
The Children’s International Obesity Foundation (CIOF) believes that celebrities should think twice before choosing to endorse or encourage the consumption of any product which is inherently unhealthful to children, especially if that product is correlated to obesity, diabetes, and a myriad of dangerous conditions.”
Douglas Castle, Senior Adviser to CIOF has pointed out that
“Public figures like Michael Phelps exert a major influence over our youngsters. Mr. Phelps is a superior athlete by any measure, but his judgment regarding the McDonald’s and Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes endorsements was either ill-advised by his handlers; the irrational product of too much blood sugar; or a sad triumph of greed over good.”
Let’s hope that the public outcry will cause them to reconsider or at least the parents of the children being targeted to reconsider supporting the endorsed products.
The most important thing for you to do during the first week is to take some time and determine a study plan.
Figure out when your exams and assignments are due, mark them on a calendar or day planner.
Decide how you are going to budget your time to learn the material and complete the assignments. The “Course” Page of this blog includes many helpful resources and assessments to help you figure out how to assess your study skills and manage your time.
Also included are suggestions and tips that I have compiled for the Nutrition students including Tips for Success in Nutrition & Wellness, Tips for Learning the Lecture Material and General Study Tips.
Taking a look at these resources early in the class, getting yourself organized for the semester will help you to succeed in the Nutrition and Wellness Course.
The “Online” Page of this blog includes a variety of Tips for students to improve their success in distance education.
This page includes “Are You Ready to Learn Online?” a great introduction from Cerro Coso College, on to determining if you are ready to take an online course. I highly recommend that all online students take some kind of self-assessment to determine if their learning styles, study and computer skills are in line with taking an online course.
There are also some Suggestions for Being a Successful Online Student, part of the Online Orientation for Columbia College Students along with links to Other Online Self Assessments.
For students who are near Columbia College, the College offers “How to Succeed as an Online Student” or CMPSC101 is offered both Fall and Spring semesters and is designed as an orientation to online learning and our current online course management system, Blackboard Learning System.
Just how Healthy are the people in the State of Caliornia?
Trust for America’s Health takes a look at several factors in determining the Health Status of a State.
I have highlighted the information from the F as in Fat 2008 Report since Combating the Obesity Epidemic is second on the list of 10 Top Priorities for Prevention.
F as in Fat 2008 Key Facts
California
Rank
U.S.
Obesity Rates, % Adults (2005-07 average)
23.1% (+/- 0.9)
41
N/A^
Hypertension Rates, % Adults (2003-07 average)
27.2% (+/- 0.9)
24
N/A^
Diabetes Rates, % Adults (2005-07 average)
7.6% (+/- 0.5)
27
N/A^
Adult Physical Inactivity: (2005-07 average)
23.3% (+/- 0.9)
23
N/A^
Obesity Rates, % High School Students (2007)
N/A
N/A
N/A^^
Obesity Rates, % Children Age 10-17 (2004)
13.2%
32
14.8%
Medical Costs of Obesity, Per Capita (2003)
$216
43
$258
*Note: For rankings, 1 = Worst Health Outcome. 1 = Highest Rates of Obesity; Highest Rates of Hypertension; Highest Rates of Diabetes; Highest Rates of Physical Inactivity; Highest Number of Obese High School Students; Highest Number of Obese Children Age 10-17; Highest Medical Costs Associated with Obesity.
^Note: BRFSS data is not an accurate source of national-level data.
^^ Note: YBRSS data is not an accurate source of national-level data.
Trust for America’s Health is leading the Healthier America Project. More than 140 organizations have joined together to support a consensus document entitled, “Our Vision for a Healthier America.” The Healthier America Project will advance that vision, harnessing the ideas and experience of people from every level of government in partnership with business and community leaders, and establish a blueprint for how to modernize the public health system.
The Airborne company has fined $30 million by the Federal Trade Commission for false advertising, namely claiming Airborne can help reduce the length of a common cold. The makers of Airborne tablets have agreed to pay $30 million to settle the lawsuit.
Airborne is a dietary supplement that was created by a school teacher. Airborne is a proprietary combination of 17 vitamins, minerals and herbs.
The key ingredients in Airborne have been shown to help support a healthy immune system as shown in scientific studies and medical journals.
Airborne was created by Victoria Knight-McDowell, a second-grade teacher who got tired of catching colds from her students.
She started selling the product in 1997, three after Congress voted to allow dietary supplement makers to claim their products have an effect on a body structure or function, such as the immune system. Claiming to cure or treat illnesses requires FDA approval.
No Tangible Evidence to Support the Claims
Lydia Parnes, director of the Federal Trade Commission’s Bureau of Consumer Protection said that “There is no credible evidence that Airborne products . . . will reduce the severity or duration of colds, or provide any tangible benefit for people who are exposed to germs in crowded places.”
Consumers who bought Airborne products between 2001 and 2008 have until Sept. 15 to apply for a refund for as many as six purchases, the FTC said. Claims will be paid by Oct. 15, 2008.
The FTC action adds $6.5 million to a previous class action settlement in which Airborne agreed to pay $23.5 million in customer refunds and attorney fees.
When I looked for Airborne on Amazon, the ‘Immune Boosting’ formulas were listed as being currently unavailable, but they had a whole host of other options, including a formula for children.
A new study published this August in JAMA found that one-fifth of both US-manufactured and Indian-manufactured Ayurvedic medicines purchased via the Internet contain detectable lead, mercury, or arsenic.
Parents are one of the greatest influences on their children’s eating habits. This has been confirmed in a new study published this summer.
Phelps has also been serving as ambassador for a program sponsored by McDonald’s to bring Chinese children to the Olympics and serve them American fast food. Consumer Health advocate 
The most important thing for you to do during the first week is to take some time and determine a study plan.
This page includes “Are You Ready to Learn Online?” a 
Just how Healthy are the people in the State of Caliornia?
Airborne is a dietary supplement that was created by a school teacher. Airborne is a proprietary combination of 17 vitamins, minerals and herbs. 
