Responsive Health's Official Blog

Trying to think of what to eat and drink for this Halloween? (Besides candy, of course.) Make sure to add water to your list!

Water makes your metabolism burn calories 3% faster so that you can survive through the candy binge without too much extra weight gain. (Check out other ways to help fight fat through intake besides water drinking.) It’s also easy for you to mistake your body’s thirst for water and eat candy when your body is really just crying out for some good ol’ H20! If you’re one of those people that thinks that water doesn’t have a flavor, try pumpkin spiced tea with your water to give it an extra Halloween spook.

And make sure your children are hydrated this Halloween as well. When you are out trick or treating, as fun as it is for the kids, it is still considered physical movement (often with screaming and laughing children running at full speed down the sidewalks) that exerts energy and needs rehydration to sustain. Water is a crucial element in our everyday lives that we easily slip up when the holiday-of-sugar is involved.

That doesn’t mean to hand water bottles out in the empty pillow sacks and pumpkin heads this Halloween, though; children only get to be children once, so make sure to have plenty of candies available for your neighborhood ghosts, witches, princesses and super heroes on Halloween evening.

Here’s some other fun reads about water to get you excited about your H20 during your trick or treats:

• Five Easy Ways to Eat Less
• Water Retention

One of the benefits of an economy’s downturn–the only benefit, really–is the price tags going down. Basic living expenses become marginally more affordable as people struggle to make ends meet.

But food isn’t looking like it plans on sticking to that trend. With only a glimmer of economic hope peeking out from the clouds, there are already discussions abound about how meat, eggs, and seafood could be climbing in 2010 by as much as 5%. Daily Finance is referring to this as “sticker shock,” where the consumer will be suddenly floored by the visible growth in prices on the labels of their foodstuffs and at the checkout line of their local grocer.

This is not a phenomena that is just affecting the United States, either. The UN is also reporting anticipated record growth for food prices in 2010. The economy is globally brushing upon the basic living needs that sustain us. And the news isn’t new; back in 2008, CNN predicted this would be happening for 2 years or more, meaning that we’re already around-about halfway up this hill, with no turning back.

In the education industry, rising food prices have had a visible impact on the nutrition of our K-12 students. The health of our future generations relies on the school lunches we provide for them, and yet we struggle to keep the standards high when it comes to the collision of K-12 student meals and the rising costs from the grocer.

What are your thoughts on the costs of food as the economy rolls into the next year?

Exercise and dieting can fight fat. There are weight-loss pills that also claim to reduce the size of your waistline as well. But did you know that there are foods that can aid you in the battle against the bulge? You can literally fight the good fight as you eat foods you enjoy. The secret is choosing the right fat-fighting foods; foods that can help curb your appetite as well as stimulate your metabolism.

Sushi

Sushi is a great meal choice – not only is it filling but it contains a lot of protein and is low in calories. However, try to avoid elaborate rolls that contain mayonnaise or fried foods.

Beans

Beans are very a satisfying addition to your meal without the calorie punch of some other foods. They are packed in protein and fiber, which helps keep you full. They’re versatile too; add them to salads, pasta, soups and more. Skip refried beans (the word “fried” should give a clue as to why) though.

Fat-free Plain Yogurt

Fat-free plain yogurt is a great alternative to mayonnaise. Substitute it for mayo in tuna salad or on sandwiches. The calorie count in yogurt is fewer than 10 calories per tablespoon.

Garlic and Onions

These flavorful additions to food contain phytochemicals that break down fatty deposits in the body. They also have other advantages for the body, such as breaking down cholesterol, killing bacteria and viruses, and protecting against heart disease

Not only do leafy greens taste good, they help fight fat!

Leafy Greens

Dark, leafy greens such as spinach and spring mixes are great sources of fiber while their high amounts of antioxidants and vitamins help prevent hunger.

Hot Spices and Peppers

Ingredients that lend a kick to your foods, like hot sauce, cayenne, and peppers, are wonderful at filling you up. In addition, peppers contain capsacian, which provides heat to the pepper and helps stimulate the metabolism after eating them.

Fruits

Fruits rich with vitamin C are effective fat burners. Examples include limes, lemons, grapefruit, oranges, guava and tangerines. Vitamin C dilutes fat and helps in keeping fat from being readily formed by the body from the food you eat.

Apples

Apples have pectin, which helps restrict the cells from absorbing fat. Pectin also encourages water absorption from the food. In turn this aids in releasing fat deposits from the body.

Clinical depression is an epidemic that is diagnosed in over 9 million Americans each year–a marginal amount of the real number it affects, since most Americans never seek medical aid for clinical depression. Clinical depression comes in a variety of forms.

While most Americans know about major depression–an episode of severe sadness–and other strains, such as postpartum depression and bipolar disorder, very few know about dysthymic depression. Dysthymia is characterized as depression that is not as acute as a major depressive disorder, but still falls within the spectrum of depression and is longterm, for two or more years.

In Greek, dysthymia means “bad state of mind” or “ill humor.” Dysthymic depression is often harder to identify than a major depressive disorder, as it is more subtle and long-term. Dysthymic depression is different from major depression in that the individual never experiences sharp amounts of depression that might lead to forced clinical help, such as suicide attempts; the individual is also able to remain mostly functional, although like any form of depression, dysthymia can interfere with critical choices and stages of life.

Several of the following symptoms, over the span of at least two or more years, may be cause to seek psychiatric help for dysthemia:

• Little to no joy in life
• Poor appetite (over- or under-eating)
• Insomnia or hypersomnia (too little or too much sleep)
• Low energy or fatigue
• Low self-esteem
• Poor concentration or difficulty making decisions
• Feelings of hopelessness
• No history of a major depressive episode, manic episode, mixed episode, hypomanic episode or cyclothymic disorder
• Significant amounts of impairment or distress

Dysthymia is known for developing early in a person’s life, but help is not usually sought out for ten years or more. This is unfortunate, as the Primary Care Journal points to three percent of society being affected by this mental illness epidemic, and Harvard Health says that at least three-quarters of dysthymic depression individuals have other physical illnesses or psychiatric disorders like anxiety, drug addiction, and alcoholism; in short, these additional physical illnesses or psychiatric disorders could be prevented by treating the dysthymia earlier rather than later.

But don’t jump the gun and categorize yourself as dysthymic too fast; it’s easy to confuse grief with depression. Bereavement–the experience people have when someone close to them has died or is dying–has parallel symptoms to depression. Such grief could lead to major depression but should not be confused with the long-term debilitation of dysthymia.

Consult your doctor if you are concerned about your mental health.

A trip to the dentist is never fun, but it’s even worse when we hear that the dentist say those dreaded words: “You have a cavity.” Usher in the filling and Novocaine and we’re even more disheartened. Beyond brushing, though, what can we do to protect our teeth from cavities?

Snack Less

It will probably make sense when you hear that snacking can increase your susceptibility to cavities. The more frequently you snack, the more likely food will get lodged in between your teeth. This food can linger in between brushing sessions and, in turn, cause cavities as they break down and release corrosive compounds. Also, the increased snacking can increase acid production, which wears on the enamel of your teeth.

Beautiful teeth takes some work

Avoid Sugary Beverages & Foods

Sugary soft drinks and treats may taste great, but they can also lead to cavities. This includes not only carbonated sugary drinks, like colas, but other drinks such as lemonade and sports beverages. It is better to eat a bunch of candy or drink a lot of sugary drinks in one sitting than to continue to snack on them all day.

Mouth Wash

Mouth wash is a great tool for preventing cavities, especially those with fluoride. The fluoride helps keep cavities at bay by strengthening the enamel and keeping them resistant to germs. Try a toothpaste that contains fluoride for extra protection.

Dental Sealant

If you haven’t heard of a dental sealant, then you might want to ask your dentist about it at your next appointment. It is a plastic coating that can be applied to your molars. It serves as a barrier between your teeth and sugary deposits that can exacerbate your teeth’s health. They do not serve as a guarantee that you will not get a cavity, though – they are just an aid to help prevent them.

Good Oral Care

This may sound trite, but general good oral care cannot be overrated. This includes not only brushing after each meal, but flossing as well. Brushing is not completely effective against the food that can lodge in between your teeth and cause cavities. Even worse, the cavities in between your teeth are harder to see and catch before they become bigger problems. Flossing catches those little bits of food that your toothbrush cannot reach.

Check-ups

Regular check-ups with your dentist are important because they help you prevent problems from becoming worse. The dentist can often tell you if you have a potential cavity or if you are not cleaning your teeth well enough. A small filling can be enough of a pain without adding a whole crown to the mix!