Gladstone Garden 'N Grow

Check out the Master Gardeners of Greater Kansas City blog for the Garden 'N Grow program in Gladstone. This year we have 9 kids signed up and they each will maintain their own 9X12 garden plot all summer. Find the blog here.

I often feel I need some “brain-boosting power”? Do you ever feel that way? Consider this….

According to Dr. Lisa Ravdin of Weill Cornell Medical College, physical activity enhances cognitive functioning by increasing the flow of oxygen-rich blood to the brain. Exercise also reinforces connections between neurons in the brain, as well as, inter-connections between different parts of the brain. Ravdin found that individuals who increased their level of exercise by beginning a new aerobic exercise program actually had improved cognitive function at the end of the study.

Exercise is good for the body and the brain! J

Source: Weill Cornell Medical College Food & Fitness Advisor, November 2009

Lynda Johnson
Lynda S. Johnson, M.S., R.D.
Nutrition & Health Education Specialist
University of Missouri Extension
14 E. 19th Street, Suite 102
Higginsville, MO 64037
Phone: 660-584-3658 Fax: 660-584-3659

We’re always advised to exercise at a level of moderate intensity to benefit most from exercise, but what is “moderate intensity”?

Researchers have found an easy way to determine if your activity is at the “moderate-intensity” level while walking. Using a pedometer to count your steps, take at least 100 steps per minute. This would be considered walking at a level of “moderate-intensity”. These findings reported in the May “American Journal of Preventive Medicine” also suggested that if you are beginning a walking program, aim for 1000 steps in 10 minutes, and work your way up to 3000 steps in 30 minutes.

Source: Weil Cornell Medical College - Food & Fitness Advisor newsletter, June 2009
Lynda Johnson
Lynda S. Johnson, M.S., R.D.
Nutrition & Health Education Specialist
University of Missouri Extension
14 E. 19th Street, Suite 102
Higginsville, MO 64037
Phone: 660-584-3658 Fax: 660-584-3659

Keep those gums healthy!

If you have moderate to severe periodontal (gum) disease, you should be more aggressively screened or treated for cardiovascular disease, accordingly to a new consensus paper from the editors of the American Journal of Cardiology and the Journal of Periodontology. This is especially true if you have any cardiovascular risk factors, such as smoking or high cholesterol. There is accumulating evidence that people with gum disease are at increased risk for cardiovascular disease, possibly because chronic inflammation is involved in both diseases. (source: University of California, Berkeley Wellness Letter, October 2009)

Susan Mills-Gray
Nutrition & Health Education Specialist Co-County Program Director University of Missouri Extension
Cass County Center
302 S. Main, Harrisonville MO 64701
816.380.8460
816.380.8465 (fax)
816.506.3338 (cell)
mills-grays@missouri.edu

Get Plenty of Sleep to Reduce Diabetes Risk

Ok, MU Extension cohorts, pay attention! Lack of sleep increases your risk of type-2 diabetes. SUNY-University of Buffalo researchers report that study subjects who averaged less than six hours of sleep nightly were 4.5 times more likely to develop type-2 diabetes than those sleeping longer. This study was conducted over a 6 year period with 91 participants. This study supports the growing evidence of the association of inadequate sleep with chronic disease development. So add an early bedtime to your already over-booked calendars!!!
(source: Tufts University Health & Nutrition Letter, August 2009)

Susan Mills-Gray
Nutrition & Health Education Specialist
Co-County Program Director
University of Missouri Extension
Cass County Center
302 S. Main, Harrisonville MO 64701
816.380.8460
816.380.8465 (fax)
816.506.3338 (cell)
mills-grays@missouri.edu

Preventing Prostate Cancer

For not, it looks like the best lifestyle strategy to guard against prostate cancer is to focus on a variety of plant foods (particularly those containing lycopene – see those listed foods), limit high-calorie foods, avoid excessive fat, dairy, and meat intake; stay physically active, and maintain a healthy weight with particular attention to abdominal fat accumulation.

Lycopene rich foods:

Red fruits and vegetables, such as:
Tomatoes
Watermelons
Pink grapefruits
Apricots
Pink guavas
Processed tomato products, such as
Tomato juice
Tomato ketchup
Tomato paste
Tomato sauce
Tomato soup
**Lycopene is better absorbed when consumed in processed or heated tomato-based products rather than in raw tomatoes**

Sources: Environmental Nutrition, Sept 09; American Cancer Society
Susan Mills-Gray
Nutrition & Health Education Specialist
Co-County Program Director
University of Missouri Extension
Cass County Center 302 S. Main, Harrisonville MO 64701
816.380.8460
816.380.8465 (fax)
816.506.3338 (cell)
mills-grays@missouri.edu

Eat More Veggies, Nuts & Fish to Lower Risk for Alzheimer's

According to findings released by Columbia University, a diet high in cruciferous (broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, etc.), and green leafy (spinach, kale, romaine, etc.) vegetables, tomatoes, nuts and fish, but low in red meat and high-fat dairy products was associated with lower risk of Alzheimer’s. The University analyzed seven nutrients thought to be related to Alzheimer’s in the diets of 2,136 healthy seniors in New York. Over an average follow-up of four years, the one third of the subjects most closely matching this dietary pattern were 42% less likely to develop Alzheimer’s than those whose diets most diverged from that pattern. During this time period, 251 of the study participants developed Alzheimer’s. The key nutrients positively correlated with reduced risk for Alzheimer’s were omega-3, omega-6, folate and vitamin E.

Source: Tufts Health & Nutrition Letter, September, 2009

Lynda Johnson
Lynda S. Johnson, M.S., R.D.
Nutrition & Health Education Specialist
University of Missouri Extension
14 E. 19th Street, Suite 102
Higginsville, MO 64037
Phone: 660-584-3658 Fax: 660-584-3659