From Doctor Radio:

Books:

-Kidding Around the Kitchen, by Lisa Fontanesi. She created this enrichment program eight years ago as a way to teach hands on cooking. She has a new book out and promotes recipes that children can help make. She also includes fun ideas to get kids involved, like taking a treasure map to a farmer's market.

-Robert Lustig has a new cookbook out, The Fat Chance Cookbook, in which he reports that 1/3 of Americans don't know how to cook. He goes into detail about the research being done through Mt. Diablo High School to show how healthier eating can be demonstrated. They actually cook whole meals there in one whole class period. They use whole foods, have their own garden where there is a surplus and they sell to the locals. They invite the parents to a teaching breakfast and while they are showing healthy food combinations to the parents and that the kids actually eat them and like them, they do the math on how it is actually more expensive to eat out. Some examples of foods that would constitute a healthy breakfast would be whole grain muffins, peanut butter on whole grain toast, fruits, berries, but no juice. He said if a child has fruit loops and o.j. for breakfast, they have consumed 11 tsp. of added sugar and gone over their amount of added sugar for the day. The national recommendation for kids is 4 tsp. of added sugar for the whole day. National programs are watching what is going on at Mt. Diablo and looking at them as a possible model. Lustig stresses that we all need to know the 56 names of sugar in order to recognize it in food labels. For example, evaporated cane sugar is in a lot of foods, like yogurt. He explains, "there is actually an open letter to cease and desist on the use of evaporated cane sugar." He went on to explain that the problem is that the FDA can't put the muscle in enforcement... it has to be up to the judicial system... "and they are a little preoccupied these days." What is even more alarming to those of us trying to stay youthful looking is that sugar drives the aging process faster than any other calorie, according to Lustig. Some youtube videos Dr. Lustig has put out regarding this issue are Fat Chance Fructose 2.0, Sugar - the elephant in the kitchen.

-Grain Brain- a new book by neurologist, Dr. David Perlmutter, says since 1992 the number of diabetes in this country has jumped 30%. He said this all happened because of the no fat, low-fat campaign which told people not eat fat. The grains and carbs have replaced the fat but when you take a dietary element out of your diet you need to replace it. More carbs means more sugar and this is unfortunate for people who have increased risk of diabetes or who have diabetes. All of this is a very large contributor to Alzheimer's disease and currently there is no cure for Alzheimer's disease. This has many neurologists very concerned.

Structurally, good fats play fundamental roles in our bodies and are very good for our brains. Our body needs things like olive oil, grass fed beef. These are the things that we don't want to take out of our diet and instead get the good healthy fat that we all need. Furthermore, gluten is a part of the diet that we should not have to avoid, unless allergic or have an intolerance.

"The war on cholesterol is perverse," according to Perlmutter. "The mind  needs it. It is a fuel, an antioxidant,  and a precursor to estrogens and other hormones." Also, in regards to eggs, he added that there is no correlation between egg consumption and coronary heart disease.  It actually improves insulin resistance .

-Terri Warren came out with a new book entitled, The Good News About the Bad News, about std's and sex today. She says 70 to 100,000 cases of infertility could be prevented if young girls would start getting screened for pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) and chlamydia every year. PID is treatable but if left untreated, can leave a woman infertile. There is also a rise in herpes cases from oral sex in young people. This is a great resource for those with herpes.

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Quick bites:

-Heart attack and anger study: A recent study shows if you can reduce the level of anger , you can lower your risk of a heart attack.

-Only one in four kids meet the U.S. physical fitness standards.

-A new study at the University of Maryland says that having sex can make you smarter and increased neurogenesis in the hippocampus - the part of the brain where long term memories are formed.

-On the Billy Goldberg show: New research has been published by John's Hopkins University regarding coffee and how it helps memory.

-According to the Today Show: Pics for the best in skin care for 2014- Cleanse- ROC Resurfacing Facial Cleanser; Serums- Skinceuticals Vitamin C; Retinol- in its pure form is best, usually 1%; Eye Creams- Strivectin SD Eye Concentrate; Moisturizers- Olay Regenersit Microsculpting; Sunscreens- La Roche Posay Anthelios with Cell-Ox Sheild.

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Exercise:

On the Sports Medicine show, certified personal trainers and nutritionists talked with the doctors about nutrition in regards to exercise. To help with lactic acid build-up, be hydrated and add electrolytes ( like a coconut water), do active stretching and myofascial release/ foam rolling. It's very important to get a balanced meal pre- workout and post- workout. When doing distance, or long workouts, beans are actually a great thing to have for sustained endurance. They are a good balance of a protein, and carb food. Building a  pattern of eating and building the metabolism will make you look forward to all meals, even if you are not a morning eater. The meal before a workout, optimally,  should be had one hour before the exercise. Protein shakes after are okay but be careful of extra calories. A well-balanced meal with adequate protein is great afterwards. Even for kids, having a post workout meal or snack is great (consider chocolate milk.) A tip to stay on track during the week is to prepare the meals and veggies twice a week and keep it stored for quick access.

More on exercise: Fred DeVito of Core Fusion, and exhalespa.com, is a proponent of Barre exercises.. He said that those exercises help to strengthen deep muscles and help to reset resting metabolic rate- which is what helps you burn throughout the day. He added that using the foam roller is excellent for building up connective tissue. He loves it for the hamstrings. "It's excellent for the body but does not replace stretching." He said that we should all remember that with exercise we are honoring the body and it should be a ritual. "It's not about doing exercise and running to the next appointment. We should always stay for the stretch.”

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On Call for Kids - with pediatrician Bernard Dreyer. Susie Tomopoulos was the guest, discussing the latest research on television and screen time and it's effects on the young brain. Tomopoulos says research shows that children under 18-24 months old, despite marketing claims, are not learning or understanding from the television or computer. The biggest false claim is about learning language. Screens are two dimensional, therefore, even when someone is on television teaching language, tests have shown that the best way was with a real person. Kids are learning by people speaking to them, labeling things and tactile senses. Dryer says 700 synapses are happening in a babies brain every second, so you don't want to miss opportunities by letting hours of non-activity go by. Violence and quick motion was called an absolute line in the sand of what should be considered "off limits." The big message was that there are certain times during a child's life where they are most receptive to learning various things like instruments and language. We are born with billions of neurons that will all grow and get covered with a myelin sheath, getting ready for use. When hearing sounds, the brain will catalogue these. Consequently, if you chose to then learn a language later on, your brain will respond. Hearing the language before eight years-old is optimal for the language center. This isn't to say the language has to be learned before eight, but just to be heard and exposed.  It's the same principle for instruments; being exposed to them by age 10 or 12 is best. Therefore, the brain has to be modulated through the first 20 years of life. You don't want any one part of the brain to atrophy. The experts say too much of anything is not conducive to keeping the brain stimulated. 

About Our Kids- Piggybacking off the same topic as On Call for Kids, Dr. JoAnn Deak reiterates the new American Pediatrics Association, which states there should be no technology before the age of two. She says technology is good, however, it is two-dimensional and it doesn't allow for certain parts of the brain to be used.. She says the biggest problem "are the tech gadgets which light up the pleasure centers of the brain and can have the same effect as heroine and crack cocaine." The biggest point is to monitor, put limits, and  teeter-toter, keeping them moving from one thing to another. She also talked about why kids do things they know are wrong. The amygdala, which is the excitement center, takes over the judgement center of the pre-frontal cortex, and this immaturity of the PFC lasts until the early 20's. Unfortunately with boys, the PFC doesn't get fully developed until the 30's.

Be Well and Stay Fit!
Marlo