Already credited for promoting a healthy cardiovascular system, Spanish researchers now say that the Mediterranean style diet enriched with olive oil may help your bones too.

The Mediterranean diet consists of lots of fish, vegetables, fruits and whole grains. It is rich in healthy fats from fish, olives, and avocados and high in fiber but low in saturated fats.

Study Details

During the two-year study, the researchers examined the effects of three diets on markers of bone health and bone formation among 127 study participants between the age of 55 and 80.

Of the participants, 34 received a low-fat control diet, 51 received a Mediterranean diet enriched with nuts, and 42 received a Mediterranean diet enriched with virgin olive oil.

They found that only the group receiving the Mediterranean diet with olive oil experienced an increase in serum concentration of osteocalcin and other bone formation markers, suggesting a beneficial effect on bone health.

The researchers also discovered differences in calcium levels among the study groups. The subjects taking olive oil had no significant changes in serum calcium but calcium decreased significantly in the other two groups.

Exercise and Bone Health

It’s important to note that the bone-building power of the Mediterranean lifestyle is due to more than just diet; exercise plays a role too.

Another recent study found that engaging in more than two hours of physical activity per week helps pre-menopausal women maintain healthy bones.

Exercise, it appears, inhibits the production of a protein that impedes bone growth (sclerostin) while boosting the activity of another protein (IGF-1) that promotes bone formation.

The study participants that exercised more than two hours per week had significantly lower sclerostin levels and higher IGF-1 levels.

Sources:

Nutraingredients

WebMD

Health Finder

Women are often the primary caregivers for their families and, as a result, they often put the needs of their spouses, children, and parents before their own.

With National Women’s Health Week, (May 13-19) upon us, we want to encourage women to take care of their own health and wellness. This includes:

• Getting regular health checkups and preventive screenings
• Being physically active
• Eating healthy
• Paying attention to mental health, including getting enough sleep and managing stress
• Avoiding unhealthy behaviors such as smoking

That said, we know that saying “put yourself first” and doing so are two very different things. Women have some natural tendencies that, like a double-edged sword, can work for or against them.

• Women are hard-wired to nurture others.
• They have a tendency to feel responsible for those around them.
• Women tend to be “people-pleasers.” This isn’t always a bad thing. But it can lead to over-commitment. For example, when a friend asks a favor, women may have a hard time saying no--even when it’s in their best interest. The reason? Women often say, "I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings or make them mad at me."
• To make matters worse, many women define their self worth by their ability to please others.
• Some women also have a little of the martyr complex. These women might tell themselves, “I'll be neglecting the kids,” or “Things will fall apart at home if I'm not there."

Taken together, these factors can lead women to feel over-whelmed and stressed out—or worse--depressed, unworthy, and inadequate.

Initiating Change

No matter what the underlying psychological reasons, women have to recognize that they must take care of themselves first or not only will they suffer, it’s very likely that it will have a ripple effect in the health of the entire family. National health statistics and medical studies bear this out. For example:

• Currently 36% of women 20 and over are obese. If one parent is obese, there is a 50% chance that their children will also be obese. When both parents are obese, their children have an 80% chance of being obese.
• Only 42% of women 18 years of age and older meet the federal physical activity guidelines for physical activity. Studies have found that parent’s inactivity is a strong predictor of their child’s inactivity.
• Similarly, children mimic the eating habits of their parents. Children are less likely to consume soft drinks, junk food if those foods are not regularly consumed at home.  

Bottom Line: When you take care of yourself first, you are also taking care of those closest to you.

For more information about  keeping your health in check no matter what your age, read our latest newsletter, Women: Go-to Guidelines to Take Charge of Your Health at Any Age.

Sources:

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Forbes

Centers for Disease Control

American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry

PubMed

Two new studies published this week looked at two important concerns of women battling breast cancer: quality of life and quality care.

Improving Quality of Life

In a study of 240 women with non-metastatic breast cancer, University of Miami researchers found that exercise can help improve the mental and physical well-being of women undergoing treatment for breast cancer.

The women who were more active reported less fatigue, depression and a better quality of life than women who were less active.

The study authors explained that women who are physically active may also have more confidence in their own ability to continue with family-related, household, work-related, or social activities, which bring meaning and satisfaction to their lives.

The same researchers previously found that stress management also improves women’s response to breast cancer treatment.

Quality Care—Says Who?

Hospitals and healthcare providers who conduct patient surveys to assess the quality of care they provide may want to take note of a recent study conducted by researchers in New York who interviewed 374 women treated for early stage breast cancer.

The women were surveyed over the phone when they first entered the study, and again six months later. The researchers then looked at the women's medical records to see what care they received.

They found that the definition of “quality care” for patients was different than that of the healthcare institution treating them. While hospitals often rate care based on whether medical guidelines and treatment protocols were followed, patients viewed quality care based on their experience of getting care and by how much they trusted their doctors.

For example, just over half (55%) of the women said the care they received was "excellent," whereas 88% actually got good-quality care in line with medical guidelines.

The researchers found that what was important to women was the ease of receiving care and good communication with their caregivers.

Women who said they received "excellent" care were more likely to report excellent treatment by medical staff, to say they knew which doctor to go to with questions or concerns and to say they had good trust and communication with their doctor. They were less likely to mistrust the medical system.

Sources:

Health Finder

Reuters

According to the World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF), the number of global cancers has increased by 20% in less than a decade. It is now estimated that there will be 12 million new cases a year. Of these cancer cases, an estimated 2.8 million are preventable, and are largely linked to diet, physical activity, and weight. That number is expected to rise dramatically over the next 10 years.

Unless more proactive measures are taken on a global scale, many experts believe we are facing a global health disaster with far-reaching effects.

"The policy of simply relying on identifying and treating these cases when they occur is simply not a sustainable solution" in any country, said Martin Wiseman, project director at WCRF International. "We need to focus on preventing disease in the first place, so that we have the resources to detect and treat the cases that do occur."

With people being less and less physically active and relying more and more on highly processed and energy-dense foods, the problem is only going to get worse, says Wiseman. Coming up with solutions is not the problem. The challenge is having the world implement what we already know, he says.

This challenge will be addressed at the United Nations this month with the historic Summit on Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) which aims to raise awareness of NCDs and mobilize an international effort to reduce the global burden of NCDs. The summit will focus on the four most prominent NCDs: cancers, cardiovascular diseases, chronic respiratory diseases, and diabetes. All of these diseases share many common risk factors including: tobacco use, obesity, unhealthy diets, and physical inactivity.

Currently 63% of all global deaths are due to NCDs, the majority of which are the four diseases targeted at the summit. And 80% of those deaths occur in low and middle-income countries, said Cary Adams, chief executive officer of the Union for International Cancer Control.

The impact of NCDs goes far beyond being a health issue, he emphasized. "They have far-reaching social, economic, development, and human rights implications."

Source:

Medscape

No matter what your age, exercise and physical activity are good for your mind, body and spirit. Getting regular exercise through your senior years can help you:

• Keep and improve your strength so you can stay independent.
• Have more energy to do the things you want to do.
• Improve your balance.
• Prevent or delay some diseases like heart disease, diabetes, breast and colon cancer, and osteoporosis.
• Lift your spirits and reduce depression.

There are many ways to become more active, but your chances of sticking with it over time are better if you choose activities you enjoy. As with any lifestyle change, start slow and gradually increase the frequency and intensity of your exercise. You can begin by building more physical activity into your daily routine. Try parking the car farther from the store entrance when you go shopping or raking the leaves instead of hiring someone to do it. More...