PEG'S Mission
PEG, Inc. is committed to enhancing and promoting the health and well-being of youth and adult populations. It is our mission to disseminate timely and useful information, to perform charitable services, and to empower individuals with resources and tools that can help them achieve life balance.
Healthy News You Can Use
Are You Getting Enough Sleep?
The National Sleep Foundation recommends that adults get 7-9 hours of sleep per night. People who get less than that have an increased risk for a variety of health problems including obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, accidents, low energy level, decreased resistance to disease, mood problems, and increased mortality rate.
Sleep is important for both mental and physical health, and for being productive at work or school. While sleeping, the body's reserves are restored, and the immune system is strengthened. The mind is refreshed and ready for work again. If you are short on sleep, all these systems suffer and function is impaired.
Recent surveys show that over a third (37.1%) of U.S. adults get less than 7 hours of sleep daily. This is up by 6% from surveys just 7 years ago. The most common reported symptoms of those who got less than 7 hours of sleep daily was difficulty concentrating and memory problems. Both of these are vital for being a productive worker and a safe driver. Five percent of those surveyed reported nodding off or falling asleep while driving in the past 30 days. Drowsy sleeping results in over 40,000 accidents and 1,550 fatalities every year.
The Centers for Disease Control recommends the following to improve your sleep:
Source: Journal of the American Medical Association, 2011
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Fiber Linked to Longevity
Eat more fiber and live longer. That's what a very large study shows involving more than 500,000 people. Compared to those who ate very little fiber (10-12 grams per day), those who ate a lot of fiber (26-30 grams per day) had a 22% lower risk of dying from any cause during the nine-year study.
Researchers also adjusted for race, education, weight, physical activity, smoking, alcohol, and red meat intake to isolate the benefits of fiber. In addition, participants showed lower rates of cancer, infectious diseases, respiratory diseases, and cardiovascular disease.
The message is clear. Fiber is protective to your health. If you want to prevent disease and live longer, be sure your meals are high in dietary fiber.
Where is fiber found? Only in plant-based foods. The best sources of fiber include fresh fruits and vegetables, whole-grain cereals, legumes (peas, beans, lentils, garbanzos, and peanuts), tree nuts, and seeds. Of all the plant-based foods, legumes and whole grains are the richest in fiber.
In this particular study, grain-fiber was found to be the most protective. Examples of whole grains include whole-grain bread (look for 100% whole grain on the label), oatmeal, brown rice, rye crackers (look for 100% whole grain), a fresh ear of corn, and whole-grain breakfast cereals such as Shredded Wheat(R), Bran Flakes(R) and Fiber One(R). Look on the breakfast cereals labels to choose those with five or more grams of fiber per serving. For good health, aim for at least 26 grams of fiber per day for women, and 38 grams per day for men. Using soy milk in place of cow's milk can also boost your fiber intake by about 2 grams per glass.
Eating more unrefined, fiber-rich foods is also a good way to cut back on calories. That's because most of these foods are naturally lower in calories, and they tend to fill you up before you overeat.
Source: Archives of Internal Medicine
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Eating Healthfully During Stressful Times
Find new outlets for stress; Emotional or stress eating soon becomes a habit that changes how you eat regularly
"The food drives your behavior and your behavior drives your food choice," says Susan Kleiner, PhD, RD, a specialist in nutrition and human performance and author of The Good Mood Diet. "You are stuck until you put your foot down."
You can break the stress eating cycle and enjoy a healthful diet, even if difficult times continue, with these effective ideas:
** This health and wellness information is not intended to provide medical advice on personal health matters, which should be obtained directly from a physician. The information is to be used for health awareness.
The National Sleep Foundation recommends that adults get 7-9 hours of sleep per night. People who get less than that have an increased risk for a variety of health problems including obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, accidents, low energy level, decreased resistance to disease, mood problems, and increased mortality rate.
Sleep is important for both mental and physical health, and for being productive at work or school. While sleeping, the body's reserves are restored, and the immune system is strengthened. The mind is refreshed and ready for work again. If you are short on sleep, all these systems suffer and function is impaired.
Recent surveys show that over a third (37.1%) of U.S. adults get less than 7 hours of sleep daily. This is up by 6% from surveys just 7 years ago. The most common reported symptoms of those who got less than 7 hours of sleep daily was difficulty concentrating and memory problems. Both of these are vital for being a productive worker and a safe driver. Five percent of those surveyed reported nodding off or falling asleep while driving in the past 30 days. Drowsy sleeping results in over 40,000 accidents and 1,550 fatalities every year.
The Centers for Disease Control recommends the following to improve your sleep:
- Keep a regular sleep schedule. Aim for 7-9 hours daily.
- Avoid exercise within two hours of bedtime.
- Avoid caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol in the evening.
- Avoid going to bed on a full stomach.
- Sleep in a dark, quiet, well-ventilated room with a cool, comfortable temperature.
Source: Journal of the American Medical Association, 2011
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Fiber Linked to Longevity
Eat more fiber and live longer. That's what a very large study shows involving more than 500,000 people. Compared to those who ate very little fiber (10-12 grams per day), those who ate a lot of fiber (26-30 grams per day) had a 22% lower risk of dying from any cause during the nine-year study.
Researchers also adjusted for race, education, weight, physical activity, smoking, alcohol, and red meat intake to isolate the benefits of fiber. In addition, participants showed lower rates of cancer, infectious diseases, respiratory diseases, and cardiovascular disease.
The message is clear. Fiber is protective to your health. If you want to prevent disease and live longer, be sure your meals are high in dietary fiber.
Where is fiber found? Only in plant-based foods. The best sources of fiber include fresh fruits and vegetables, whole-grain cereals, legumes (peas, beans, lentils, garbanzos, and peanuts), tree nuts, and seeds. Of all the plant-based foods, legumes and whole grains are the richest in fiber.
In this particular study, grain-fiber was found to be the most protective. Examples of whole grains include whole-grain bread (look for 100% whole grain on the label), oatmeal, brown rice, rye crackers (look for 100% whole grain), a fresh ear of corn, and whole-grain breakfast cereals such as Shredded Wheat(R), Bran Flakes(R) and Fiber One(R). Look on the breakfast cereals labels to choose those with five or more grams of fiber per serving. For good health, aim for at least 26 grams of fiber per day for women, and 38 grams per day for men. Using soy milk in place of cow's milk can also boost your fiber intake by about 2 grams per glass.
Eating more unrefined, fiber-rich foods is also a good way to cut back on calories. That's because most of these foods are naturally lower in calories, and they tend to fill you up before you overeat.
Source: Archives of Internal Medicine
---
Eating Healthfully During Stressful Times
Find new outlets for stress; Emotional or stress eating soon becomes a habit that changes how you eat regularly
"The food drives your behavior and your behavior drives your food choice," says Susan Kleiner, PhD, RD, a specialist in nutrition and human performance and author of The Good Mood Diet. "You are stuck until you put your foot down."
You can break the stress eating cycle and enjoy a healthful diet, even if difficult times continue, with these effective ideas:
- Build a good nutritional foundation. Prepare your brain and body in advance and you’ll be better able to handle stress when it happens. To keep your emotions in balance, eat regularly during the day, every four or five hours.
- Enjoy complex carbohydrates. Have oatmeal, raisin bran and other whole-grain cereals and breads, as well as brown rice, whole-grain pasta, vegetables, beans, fruits, and nonfat milk. These complex carbohydrates help your brain make the feel-good chemical serotonin, which counteracts stress, says Thayer. Moderate amounts of healthy fats from olives, avocados, nuts, seeds, fatty fish, nut butters and olive oil also help, adds Kleiner.
- Recognize what’s happening. When stressful events or thoughts trigger the urge to eat, stop and evaluate first. Are you hungry or not? Rate your hunger on a scale from 1 to 10. Ask yourself when was the last time you ate, to see if your body needs food right now. "Often, negative emotions trigger what feels like hunger but is really just a habitual response to eat to get rid of negative feelings," says Elissa S. Epel, PhD, associate professor of psychiatry at the University of California, San Francisco, and a researcher on stress and eating.
- Try a little mindfulness. Derail your automatic trip to the cookie jar by becoming more aware of your eating patterns. Mindful eating encourages you to use your senses to choose foods that please you and are nourishing to your body. Pay attention to the physical cues of fullness or hunger that your body sends. Use these to make decisions about when to begin eating and when to stop.
- Have a Plan B ... and C. The stress-eating urge usually hits suddenly, so keep healthy snacks with you wherever you go. Try small packets of nuts or trail mix (without added sweets or salt), apples, or bananas. Those better options will help you bypass high-calorie comfort. When possible, Kleiner advises eating protein and complex carbohydrates together, such as cheese with a slice of whole-grain bread. Another great option: a small piece of dark chocolate (72% cocoa is good). "You don’t need to eat a ton of it," Kleiner says.
- Fool yourself. In difficult moments, do you crave crunchy snacks like chips or pretzels? Keep cut-up carrots and celery ready in the refrigerator. Soy chips are also a healthier choice than most fried or baked crunchy snacks.
- Have a sweet tooth? Fruit provides natural sweetness that can reduce your urge for high sugar items.
- Out of sight really does help. If you must keep stress eating temptations like cookies or chips at home for others, store those foods behind larger packages or stacks of dishes. In the freezer, use bags of frozen vegetables to block your view of the ice cream container. When you’re commuting to work or running errands, avoid driving past the bakery or fast-food restaurants.
- Call on a substitute. To make stress eating less automatic, you need to find better ways to deal with everyday hassles and ongoing tensions. Choose a healthy stress-busting alternative such as going for a walk or run, listening to music, calling a friend for a chat, brushing your cat or dog, or just sitting quietly.
** This health and wellness information is not intended to provide medical advice on personal health matters, which should be obtained directly from a physician. The information is to be used for health awareness.
Past Charities Supported by the VTA Classic
• The Corner Health Center
• Boys & Girls Clubs of Southeastern Michigan
• Ozone House
• Haiti Relief and Development Fund, Washtenaw County American Red Cross
• University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center
• Big Brothers Big Sisters of Washtenaw County
• National Kidney Foundation
• American Diabetes Association
• C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital
• March of Dimes
• Ann Arbor Community Center
• Boys & Girls Clubs of Southeastern Michigan
• Ozone House
• Haiti Relief and Development Fund, Washtenaw County American Red Cross
• University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center
• Big Brothers Big Sisters of Washtenaw County
• National Kidney Foundation
• American Diabetes Association
• C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital
• March of Dimes
• Ann Arbor Community Center
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Make a donation to support the Professional Educators Group, Inc. in their Community Charity Initiatives.
