The Magic of Healthy Eating at Disney

Is the happiest place on earth also becoming the healthiest place on earth? That may be a bit of a reach, but the Walt Disney Company has been improving the nutritional quality of meals offered at their park restaurants. In a new study, researchers examined the impact and acceptability of these healthy changes among diners.

Before these healthy changes took place at the Disney parks, the default side for kid’s meals was French fries and the default beverage was soda. In 2006, the Walt Disney Company swapped out the French fries and soda and offered new defaults of fruit and vegetables and low-fat milk or water. Customers are still able to order French fries and soda if they choose to 'opt-out’ of the healthy defaults.

Disney recently provided the University of Colorado Anschutz Health and Wellness Center with data on the sales of kid’s meals for the years 2010-2012. The results indicated that customers are embracing the healthy changes. Across all 145 restaurants located at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, 48 percent of guests accepted the healthy default sides and 66 percent of guests accepted the healthy default beverages. The healthy defaults significantly improved the nutritional quality of the meals, reducing calories by 21 percent, fat by 44 percent and sodium by 43 percent. Furthermore, Disney reported the healthy changes did not impact meal cost for customers.

Bottom Line: The Walt Disney Company demonstrated that small changes can significantly improve the nutritional quality of a meal without increasing the cost or restricting choice. Many restaurants have also responded to consumers’ demands for more transparency of nutrition information by displaying calorie counts on their menus or highlighting ‘heart healthy’ options. The ‘opt-out’ approach adopted by the Walt Disney Company is another great way to make eating healthy easier for consumers. 

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Make Time for Family Dinners

As we head into 2016, resolve to make time for family meals. Convinced your schedule is too packed? Take a look at your mealtime strategy; dinner does not need to be an elaborate meal in order to be delicious, satisfying and healthy. You can make more family meals happen with a few simple tips.

•  Make a schedule: Take a look at the calendar and choose a time that will work for all or most of your family members. Mark ‘family meal’ on the time that works best each day and commit to it like you would any other appointment.
• Plan ahead: Write down what you plan to serve for dinner each night of the week. You can buy all ingredients you need over the weekend -- preventing the need to make a hurried stop after work. Furthermore, there will be less temptation to swing by the drive-thru or order takeout if you already have a meal in mind,
• Prepare: Complete any meal prep that you can over the weekend to make the cooking process faster. Slice up the veggies you will need in advance and keep them in containers so they are ready to go. You can also cook and freeze an entrée to heat up later in the week.
•  Keep it simple: No one is expecting you to prepare an elaborate meal with tons of ingredients. Look for recipes with short ingredient lists and minimal prep time. Aim for a balanced meal that provides lean protein, complex carbohydrates, fruits and veggies.
• Get the kids involved: Have the kids help with the food shopping and cooking. Not only is it nice to have the extra hands, it is also a great way to get kids excited about healthy foods. They are much more likely to eat their veggies if they have a part in choosing and preparing them.

Bottom Line: Making time for family dinners may require a little bit of planning, but it offers many rewards. Winding down at the table to share a meal teaches children how to build a healthy, balanced plate. Sitting down for a meal often leads to more mindful eating, which can help prevent overeating. Family dinners will promote healthy eating habits while also providing extra family time -- sounds like a win/win!

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Don’t Be Misled by Food Ads

Advertisements pop up everywhere -- from television to social media and magazines to billboards -- we are constantly exposed to the latest and greatest product or service. The food industry is no exception and many food and drink advertisements use fun characters and humor to target children. According to a new study, these ads are also targeting parents with a misleading emphasis on the health benefits of these food products.

Researchers collected data on all of the television advertisements for packaged foods and beverages in the United States between 2013 and 2014. The researchers first singled out food products intended for children that were advertised on kids’ channels. They then looked for advertisements of these products that aired on other channels.

They found that 25 of the 51 products intended for children were also advertised specifically to parents through images of family togetherness. Of all the airtime for children’s food products, parents were targeted 42 percent of the time. The parent-directed ads also tended to emphasize the nutritional information of the products and their supposed health benefits.

What is concerning, however, is the recent findings from the University of Connecticut’s Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity that concluded that many of these products do not actually meet federal standards for healthy foods. And, as food manufacturers face increasing pressure not to advertise unhealthy food products to children, parent-directed marketing is likely to increase. Researchers note that this shift is already starting to take place, with 73 percent of ads for sugar-sweetened beverages targeting parents.

Bottom Line: Food advertisements often contain misleading health claims and images of family togetherness to target parents. Although many of these foods do not meet healthy guidelines, it can be tricky to sift through fact versus fiction. Always remember to read the Nutrition Facts Label and ingredient lists on all food products, regardless of what the advertisements claim. Making an effort to limit processed foods altogether is a great first step to avoid the confusion of unsubstantiated health claims. 

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The Upside of Text Messages

How often do you say “just text me”? In our plugged-in world, communicating through text message is the new normal. Many stores have even jumped on the texting bandwagon and use text messages to alert customers about upcoming sales. The opportunities to communicate through text message are seemingly endless. A new study of a texting intervention sought to determine whether texting could help people increase their activity and lead healthier lives.

The study, published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, included 48 men and women ages 18-69 years old. All of the participants had risk factors for heart disease. The participants’ baseline activity was established during week one with activity trackers. The study was then conducted in two phases.

In the first phase, the participants were randomly assigned to either unblinded or blinded activity tracking. Unblinded tracking allowed participants to see their activity data through a smartphone interface, while the blinded trackers were unable to see their activity data. In phase two, the unblinded participants were randomly assigned into one of two groups, smart texts versus no smart texts (the control). The smart texts group received coaching text messages three times per day, while the control group did not receive coaching text messages. The “smart texts” incorporated the patients name and personal details to provide encouragement based on their current level of activity. All participants had a goal of 10,000 steps per day.

The phase one data revealed no significant difference in steps between the unblinded trackers and blinded trackers. The phase two data, however, demonstrated a significant difference between participants receiving smart texts compared to those who did not. Overall, those who received text messages walked an average of 2,534 more steps per day than those who did not receive a text message. Additionally, 81 percent of those receiving text messages reached their 10,000-steps-a-day goal, compared with only 44 percent of those not receiving text messages.

Bottom Line: While the market for activity trackers has grown, people may need more than an activity tracker to stay motivated to move more. Evidence has shown that text messages can help patients remember to take medications, stop smoking and request help at the first sign of medical problems. Text messaging may also prove to be a useful tool to inspire and motivate people to lead healthier lives through increased physical activity. 

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Yoga Relieves Arthritis Symptoms

Arthritis is a leading cause of disability. It is a debilitating disease that affects mobility, overall health and well-being, and quality of life. Although there is no cure for arthritis, remaining active has proven to be effective for management of the disease. In a recent study, researchers sought to examine the effect of yoga on physical and physiological health and quality of life among individuals with arthritis.

The study, conducted by John Hopkins researchers, found that weekly yoga can help improve both the physical and mental well-being of arthritic patients. While physical activity is very important for those with arthritis, 90 percent of people with arthritis do not meet the appropriate exercise recommendations -- often due to pain and stiffness.

The study included 75 participants with either knee osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis. They were randomly assigned to either a wait list (control group) or an eight-week program consisting of biweekly yoga classes and a weekly yoga session at home. Participants’ physical and mental well-being were assessed before and after the yoga sessions by researchers who did not know which group the participants had been assigned to.

The research team reported a 20 percent improvement in pain, mood, energy level and physical function for those participants in the yoga group compared to the control group. Additionally, participants reported these improvements remained true nine months after the program. Yoga is likely beneficial because it serves as a form of both stress management and low intensity physical activity.

Bottom Line: Arthritis is a debilitating disease and although there is no cure, remaining active has proven to be beneficial to manage and improve symptoms of the disease. New to yoga? Try starting your day with just ten minutes of simple yoga poses. Remember to ask your doctor before starting any exercise program.

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Cooking Meat on High-Heat May Increase Cancer Risk

The World Health Organization recently made headlines with their conclusion that processed meats are cancer-causing and their classification of red meat as “probably carcinogenic”. A new study published in the journal Cancer finds the cooking techniques used to prepare meat may play into this risk.

The new study found that high-temperature cooking methods may increase the risk of kidney cancer if you consume high amounts of meat. Additionally, other studies have found high consumption of well-done meat is associated with an increased risk of many other types of cancer including colorectal cancer, pancreatic and prostate cancer.

As you cook a piece of meat the outside first begins to heat and brown, followed by the inside. As the meat is heating it goes through multiple reactions to create flavor and aroma compounds, called cyclic amines. The longer the meat is exposed to heat, the more reactions take place and more compounds are created. One of the compounds created is heterocyclic amines (HCAs). HCAs have been found to be mutagenic, meaning they can cause changes in DNA that may increase the risk of cancer.

To evaluate the association between cooking techniques and cancer risk, the researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center documented the eating and cooking habits of people who had been diagnosed with kidney cancer. They then compared the kidney cancer patients' habits with the habits of healthy, cancer-free individuals.

The researchers found that those with kidney cancer consumed more meat overall and were more likely to cook it at higher temperatures. This includes cooking methods such as pan frying, grilling, or cooking meat until well-done or charred.

Bottom Line: A growing amount of research documents the health risks associated with consuming large quantities of meat, especially when using high-heat cooking methods to prepare the meat. Try incorporating at least one meat-free day into your week to cut down on meat consumption. Sources of plant-based protein include beans, seeds, nuts, grains and edamame. If you do cook meat, research suggests that baking, broiling, sous vide or using a Crock Pot are the safest cooking methods to use. 

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Tips to Drive Worksite Wellness Engagement

Sometimes employers roll out fabulous worksite wellness programs and then have a difficult time getting employees to participate.  What steps do you need to take to ensure that your program gets high engagement rates? At Wellness Workdays we work with organizations to develop a strategic, branded communications plan for every wellness program. However, this is only one tactic to drive engagement. There are a number of additional strategies that should be employed to increase participation and get workers excited about your program. A recent article in the New York Business Journal highlights additional best practices

Customize the presentation of the wellness program.
Sitting face-to-face with employees is a highly effective way to find out what their concerns are and what they are interested in. Some organizations use videoconferencing and others host brown bag lunch sessions to start discussions about wellness programs.

Meet employees at their starting point.
Employees come in all shapes, sizes and ages. In any one organization, some employees are avid exercisers while others have no interest in exercise.  Some employees are knowledgeable about nutrition while others don’t know what information to look for on food labels. Each individual’s health and wellness needs are different and employers should offer programs that meet varying needs.

Recognize that changing behavior is hard.
Employers should not be discouraged.  It takes a long time to break bad habits. Wellness programs should be viewed as a continuum and not just a once and done situation. Employers should be prepared to continually educate, encourage and bring employees on the journey. About 75% of health care costs are related to lifestyle, including diet, sleep and exercise habits, so it is in an employer’s best interest to be patient and resilient when implementing any workplace wellness plan.

Sell the wellness program to senior level executives with solid data.
Numbers have a profound effect on CEOs and top management. For example, a highly-engaged workforce in a wellness program can lower workers’ compensation costs by 39 percent. Once the health, productivity and financial connection is made, many senior executives will support the implementation of a worksite wellness plan and will be avid participants, helping to drive engagement.

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Exercise Is an Important Business Decision

Employee well-being has a positive effect on business. A recent study found that when employees exercise during the workday, their mood, job performance, level of concentration, work relationships and resilience to stress all improved. In fact, exercising three times each week for 30 minutes or more gives employees a 15 percent boost in job performance, and exercising during regular work hours can have an even greater impact on performance.

The substantial boost that exercise gives to employee engagement is especially significant. Research shows that employee engagement benefits an organization’s bottom line.  A Gallup research poll found that employees who are the most engaged have 37 percent lower absenteeism, 21 percent higher productivity and 22 percent higher profitability when compared to those least engaged.

To remain competitive, organizations should consider exercise as important as other business decisions and incorporate regular movement and exercise into the workday. This can improve worker performance, result in fewer sick days, increase job satisfaction, positively affect productivity and enhance employee recruitment.

Recognizing the business importance of motion in the workplace, senior executives across the country are participating in The CEO Pledge, a national campaign promoted by the National Coalition for Promoting Physical Activity (NCPPA), which encourages every CEO in the US to recognize physical activity as an important driver of employee health and business performance. CEOs that have signed the pledge include those from Johnson & Johnson, Levi Strauss & Co., Mary Kay and Wegman’s Food Markets.

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Longer Lunch Periods May Lead to Healthier Kids

Should kids in school be given more time to eat lunch? When given a few extra minutes, they might make healthier choices. A recent study published by the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics showed that food selection and the amount of food consumed are related to the amount of time students are given to eat.

The study measured the food selections and plate waste of 1,001 students in grades three through eight. The students were spread across six elementary schools located in an urban, low-income school district in Massachusetts.

The six participating schools had set lunch periods of 20, 25 and 30 minutes. Students were able to pick three out of five offered food groups: fruits, vegetables, grains, milk and protein. When researchers looked at the selection of foods, 57 percent of students chose a fruit when given at least 25 minutes to eat, while only 44 percent of students with less than 20 minutes to eat chose a fruit (timing started when students left the lunch line and stopped at the end of the lunch period).

Although there was no significant relationship between the amount of time and the selection of the entree, vegetable and milk components, results showed that more of these options were consumed when children were given more time to eat. Using plate-waste methodology researchers found that when students had less than 20 minutes for lunch (meaning they were at the end of the lunch line or arrived late for other reasons) they consumed, on average, 13 percent less of their entrees, 12 percent less of their vegetable and 10 percent less of their milk compared with students who had at least 25 minutes to eat.

Bottom Line: The quality of school lunches has been a recent topic for policy makers, but there are currently no national standards for the length of school lunch periods. These findings show that when students aren’t given enough time to eat, their choices and intake are affected. If schools provide at least 30 minutes for a lunch period, students will have the time they need to travel to the cafeteria, wait in line, and eat their lunch, leading to less plate waste and improved dietary intake. 

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Beet Juice Boosts Heart Health

Athletes have long touted the benefits of consuming nitrates for their ability to increase muscle power during workouts. This can be in the form of nitrate rich foods such as beets and leafy greens, or synthetic supplements. A recent study demonstrates that heart failure patients can take advantage of this muscle boosting phenomenon as well.

Nitrates are converted by the body into nitric oxide, which helps relax and dilate narrowed blood vessels. When the blood vessels are widened they allow for more blood flow, which increases oxygen delivery to the muscles. The endothelial lining in the arteries helps to produce nitric oxide and this can help lower blood pressure and keep the heart strong and healthy. In heart failure patients there is damage to the endothelial lining, resulting in higher blood pressure and less delivery of oxygen to the muscles, including the heart.

When the heart doesn’t get enough oxygen, its ability to pump blood through the body weakens. This decreases the amount of oxygen delivered to the body, leading to muscle fatigue and weakness. This severely impacts the quality of life for heart patients as simple activities of daily living pose stress on the muscles.

So where does the beet juice come in? Beets are naturally high in nitrates, which become highly concentrated when the beets are juiced. To test their theory, researchers gave two groups of heart failure patients a glass of beet juice after an overnight fast. One group’s juice contained nitrates while the other had the nitrates removed. Two hours later, the muscle power of both groups was tested. Results showed that the patients who had consumed the nitrate-rich beet juice had increased nitric oxide production of 35-50 percent. The nitrate-rich group also showed up to an 11 percent increase in muscle power when patients performed knee extensions.

Bottom Line: These results illustrate that when beet juice is consumed there is a drastic increase in nitric oxide production, which increases muscle power and function. Beets are also good sources of folate, potassium, vitamin C, fiber and antioxidants. Other good sources of nitrates include spinach, radishes, lettuce, celery and Chinese cabbage. Researchers noted that more studies should be done to look at the long term effects and determine if quality of life is improved for the heart failure population.

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Eating Breakfast Improves Academic Performance

You have probably heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Research has shown that eating breakfast can improve cognitive skills and memory, stabilize blood sugar and promote a healthy weight. A recent study demonstrated significant academic benefits in children who ate breakfast compared to those who skipped a morning meal.

Researchers surveyed 5,000 students ages 9 -11 years old on what foods and drinks they consumed in the past 24 hours. The participants were asked to note what they had eaten at specific times throughout the previous day and for breakfast on the day of reporting. The researchers sought to examine the link between breakfast consumption and educational performance.

Results showed that the children who ate breakfast, and a better quality breakfast, achieved higher academic outcomes. The odds of achieving an above average educational performance were twice as high for children who consumed a healthy breakfast compared to those who did not. Consuming high sugar breakfast items did not have a positive impact on academic performance.  

Bottom Line: Eating breakfast has many proven health benefits and recent research supports that consuming breakfast can improve academic performance in children. Short on time in the morning? A healthy breakfast does not have to be time consuming. Try on-the-go healthy options such as yogurt topped with high fiber cereal and fruit, peanut butter on a whole wheat English muffin or whole wheat toast served with hard boiled eggs and fruit.

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The Power of Pomegranates

Pomegranates are one of the oldest known fruits; their health benefits have been recognized for more than a century. Full of vitamin B6, vitamin C, minerals, fiber and antioxidants, pomegranates offer a protective effect toward neurological, cardiovascular and metabolic disorders, as well as some types of cancer.

Cardiovascular disease, cancers and neurodegenerative diseases are common health concerns worldwide. In fifty-nine clinical trials taking place around the world, the beneficial effects of pomegranate are being evaluated. So far, pomegranate has been clinically associated with the maintenance of brain function and reduced neuropathology. For instance, one study found dietary supplementation with pomegranate juice resulted in markedly decreased brain tissue loss. Research also shows that pomegranates possess anti-inflammatory and hypotensive properties that can help combat metabolic syndrome. Finally, pomegranates are beneficial for protecting against certain cancers such as prostate, colorectal, breast and lung cancers. 

The Bottom Line: While the full effect of pomegranate on the human body is still under investigation, we do know that eating more fruits can boost fiber and vitamin intake. The rich antioxidant supply in pomegranates may provide significant health benefits. Trying new fruits, such as pomegranates, can add refreshing colors and flavors to your diet, as well as additional vitamins, minerals, fiber and antioxidants – all of which may go a long way to promote overall health.

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