healthbriefs
ometimes referred to as the aristocrat of vegetables, asparagus has been cultivated for more than 2,000 years. It was prized by ancient Greeks and Romans for its taste and reputed medicinal qualities, and 19th-century French bridegrooms, believing it was an aphrodisiac, frequently ate several helpings on the eve of their nuptials. The crop reaches its peak during April and May. Packing a fiber-filled punch of vitamins A and C, this princely veggie also delivers significant helpings of folate and rutin, which help to strengthen blood vessels. Its delicate flavor is best pre- served by stir-frying or light steaming.
MAY IS ASPARAGUS MONTH S
A Source:
FruitsAndVeggiesMatter.gov
More Sleep Helps Shed Pounds E
njoying more zzz’s is not usually as- sociated with weight loss, but a grow- ing number of epidemiological studies suggest that insufficient sleep may be linked to a greater risk of weight gain. The latest results from a study presented at the 2012 annual meeting of the Soci- ety for the Study of Ingestive Behavior points out that sleep behavior influences
body weight by affecting not only how many calories we consume, but also how much energy we expend. When researchers at Tübingen and Lübeck universities, in Germany, and Uppsala University, in Sweden, investigated the effect of short-term sleep depri- vation on hunger, physical activity and energy levels, they discovered that insuf- ficient sleep increased the participants’ sensations of hunger by raising the level of the “hunger hormone”, ghrelin. The less sleep a person had, the hungrier they felt. After only one night of disrupted sleep, the volunteers moved around less and burned off fewer calories in their resting state than their counterparts that enjoyed a good night’s sleep.
WORKING OUT HOT FLASHES O
A GMO-FREE GROCERY LIST
ccording to a recent article pub- lished in Green American maga-
ne of the most common and uncomfortable symptoms of menopause may respond positive- ly to a simple, no-cost measure. Health researchers at Penn State report that menopausal women that exercise may experience fewer hot flashes in the 24 hours following physical ac- tivity. In this first-time study of objective versus subjective, or self-reported, hot flashes, the Pennsylvania researchers studied 92 menopausal women
for 15 days.
zine, 93 percent of Americans believe that genetically modified foods should be labeled. However, only USDA- certified organic products cannot intentionally contain genetically modi- fied organisms (GMO), so identifying GMO foods and products in a typical U.S. grocery store is difficult. The fol- lowing information can help. The U.S. Department of Agri- culture (USDA) confirms that large percentages of the nation’s crops were genetically modified in 2011: 94 percent of conventional soy and soy products; 90 percent of cottonseed, a common ingredient in margarine, sal- ad dressings and oils; and 88 percent of corn, contained in breakfast cereals, corn flour products such as chips and tortillas, high-fructose corn syrup, soups and condiments. More than 90 percent of the U.S. canola crop also is now genetically modified. The Independent, one of Eng- land’s leading newspapers, reported in 1999 that the artificial sweetener aspartame has been made with geneti- cally modified bacteria since 1965. Aspartame, inconclusively linked with numerous health risks, is present in more than 6,000 products, includ- ing diet sodas. Two other ubiquitous artificial sweeteners, Nutrasweet and Equal, also contain aspartame. The USDA further lists 95
percent of the 2009 U.S. sugar beet crop, used to produce conventional sugar, as genetically modified. Non- GMO alternative sweeteners include pure cane sugar and honey from organic farms.
Source:
GreenAmerica.org natural awakenings May 2013 11
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