Can Fist Clenching Make You Feel Better?

While clenched fists and gritted teeth may seem like the anger response of a toddler, new research suggests this reaction can set you at ease.

In a study published in the Journal of Consumer Research that was conducted at National University of Singapore and the University of Chicago, participants were better able to withstand physical pain when clenching their muscles—squeezing their fists, clenching their teeth, or scrunching facial muscles. What's more, when faced with a particularly stressful dilemma, most participants firmed their muscles in order to exert inner will power. 

Researchers believe this phenomenon is the physical manifestation of coping with inner turmoil. So, the act of biting your lip instead of lashing out at your boss when she chastises you in front of the office is really your subconscious' way of keep a cool head. 

Scrunching, tensing, clenching, and gritting aren't the only simple ways to overcome momentary stressors. When faced with a predicament: 

1. Take a deep breath. When you're under stress, your breathing becomes shallow and quickened. Pausing and taking a few deep, lung-filling breaths will actually begin the body's relaxation process. 

2. Hug it out. Yes, this tip won't fit for every situation; however, research suggests that holding hands or hugging can greatly reduce stress. Researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison analyzed the stress levels of volunteers giving a presentation. Those who received a hug afterward were found to have less cortisol, the stress hormone, an hour later than those who did not. 

3. Talk it out. No, this doesn't mean losing your cool on coworkers or loved ones. The act of constructive communication, expressing your feelings of frustration, is essential to avoiding prolonged hostility and will provide you with a voice in the matter. 

4. Take a walk. Exercise has long been touted as a healthy way to cope with stress. Still, a three mile stroll isn't applicable to most stress-inducing situations. Simply walking away from what's causing you anxiety can help. Removing yourself and being able to tackle the issue with a clear mind can work wonders when trying to put your mind at ease.

5. Write it down. Journaling is one of the most effect and most overlooked methods of coping with stress. Be it the stress of dieting or anxiety caused by work, writing down and thinking through your problems can help add clarity to any predicament.

Sources:

Journal of Consumer Research, April 2011, ?By Iris W. Hung; Aparna A. Labroo; National University of Singapore and the University of Chicago, Illinois

University of Maryland Medical Center. "Stress-Lifestyle Changes."
http://www.umm.edu/patiented/articles/what_some_specific_stress_reduction_methods_000031_7.htm

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Fortified or Natural: What's Better?

Fortified foods provide an alternative source of nutrients for people who don't consume enough of the foods that naturally supply those nutrients. Like supplements, fortified foods offer insurance against the health problems associated with nutritional deficiencies. The types of foods that are fortified with additional nutrients are usually those that are more commonly consumed by large numbers of people.

For instance, salt is fortified with the essential mineral iodine, because it is a product commonly used by most people and iodine is otherwise difficult to get in necessary quantities through an average American's diet. At the same time, many brands of fruit juices are now fortified with calcium for those children and adults who don't drink enough milk or consume enough dairy products to meet their requirements from these natural sources.

Back in the 1920s and 1930s, certain vitamin and mineral deficiencies were prevalent in the United States, and the food fortification program established by the government in cooperation with food manufacturers was initiated to help prevent the diseases that resulted from these deficiencies. Salt was fortified with iodine to prevent a thyroid condition known as goiter, and milk was fortified with vitamin D to prevent a bone disease known as rickets, which was affecting many children. Soon after, flour and breads were enriched with the B vitamins thiamin, riboflavin and niacin, plus iron, nutrients that are naturally found in grains. More recently, grain and cereal products were fortified with additional folate, a B vitamin, as insurance against the development of neural tube birth defects. All of these fortification programs have been successful at reducing nutritional deficiencies and also reducing the incidence of related health problems.

Fortified vs. Natural
There is one important reason why it's better to get your nutrients naturally from foods, whenever possible, rather than from fortified products or supplements, unless prescribed for medical reasons. If you eat a normal, balanced, varied diet, it is all but impossible to get too much of any nutrient from food alone. But consume enough fortified foods every day, and you could easily top the upper limits established by government nutritionists, especially if you are also taking dietary supplements.

Although rare, nutrient overdose is possible and can lead to illness or even death. A study performed by the Centers for Disease Control and published in a 1995 issue of the American Journal of Public Health, found that out of 56 people who consumed too much vitamin D from over-fortified milk produced in a local dairy, 41 were hospitalized with illness and two people died. Other factors, such as use of vitamin D supplements and pre-existing medical conditions, increased the risk of illness for some of the study participants, but all had side effects specifically related to the over-fortification of the milk they were drinking.

Although fortification of foods is not mandatory, an abundance of foods now contain added nutrients and many consumers seek out products that promise to provide extra nutrition. Over the years since the 1970's, government agencies have even sought to limit the number of fortified products available on the market. Although there are no regulations in place, the Food and Drug Administration encourages food manufacturers to follow published guidelines and policies when fortifying their products to prevent unacceptably high intakes of some vitamins and minerals. It is up to you, the consumer, to use fortified products (and supplements) with discretion.

Sources:

Blank S, et al. "An Outbreak of Hypervitaminosis D Associated with the Overfortification of Milk from a Home Delivery Dairy." American Journal of Public Health. May 1995;85(5):656-9. Web. 17 June 2011

Harvard School of Public Health: Keep the Multi, Skip the Heavily Fortified Foods. Web. 17 June 2011
http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/what-should-you-eat/folic-acid/

Dietary Reference Intakes: Guiding Principles for Nutrition Labeling and Fortification. National Academies Press, 2003. Web 17 June 2011
http://www.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=10872&page=45

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Acidy Feeling in Your Mouth? 9 Tips to Feel Better

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Chances are you've experienced that unpleasant feeling of a sour, acid-like taste in your mouth. It can happen at the most inconvenient times, but is most common upon waking up in the morning and after eating fried, fatty, and greasy foods.

It's typically due to reflux disease, experts say, and yes, it's treatable. "What causes it is when acid from the stomach comes back up into the mouth through the esophagus," explains David Bernstein, MD, chief of gastrology, hepatology, and nutrition at North Shore University Hospital and Long Island Jewish Medical Center. "You may not even have heartburn with it."

Just about everyone gets reflux, with or without symptoms of heartburn, at some time in their lives, Bernstein says. But if it becomes persistent and is associated with weight loss, pain or difficulty swallowing food, he advises that you see a doctor.

In the meantime, you can treat the sour taste in your mouth by trying the following:

Don't lie flat in bed at night. The contents of your stomach can reflux back into your mouth. Sleep on a couple of pillows and "sleep at an angle to counteract gravity," Bernstein advises.Watch what you eat and avoid foods that are spicy or fried.Eat at least four hours before you go to bed. This way, your body will have time to digest the food. If you're overweight, lose weight. Obesity is a contributing factor in the development of reflux.Avoid taking aspirin and ibuprofen. These can cause damage to the stomach and increase the risk of reflux, Bernstein says.Eat digestive-friendly foods such as bread and rice. These foods are known for absorbing acid, Bernstein says. Watch how much milk you're drinking. Milk can be helpful because it coats the stomach, but it has a lot of calcium. "And calcium is a stimulator of acid secretion," Bernstein says. "It helps in the short-term but long-term it can cause more acid release."Try over-the counter-antacids.  Maalox, Mylanta, Pepcid AC, Tagamet, or Zantac are all great options. "If you get relief, that's great," Bernstein says. "But if you don't, see a doctor and don't continue to try to treat yourself." The doctor may prescribe a protein pump inhibitor such as Dexilant, which is by prescription only.If your symptoms don't improve, it might not be reflux, says Marco Patti, MD, a surgeon at the University of Chicago Medical Center. "Don't automatically turn to medicines because some of them have side effects," he says. "Some of the prescription medications can cause decreased calcium absorption, which can lead to fractures." Additionally, your doctor may request some tests to pinpoint whether reflux is in fact the cause. Sometimes, Patti says, the symptoms may have nothing to do with reflux. In some instances, you may be referred to a dentist or an oral surgeon.

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Are Brown Foods Really Better?

Whether it's an egg, a loaf of bread, or a type of sugar, brown foods somehow seem healthier, more natural. But are they?

If a baked good is brown because it is made with whole-grain flour, rather than all-purpose white, then brown is usually better. Whole-grain foods are naturally rich in fiber, B vitamins, and minerals such as iron and zinc. Thanks to the government enrichment program, which requires food processors to add back nutrients that are lost in the milling of white all-purpose flour, white flour often contains as much if not more vitamins and minerals than whole-wheat. The main nutritional difference is the fiber that is lost when white flour is used to make bread products and other baked goods both commercially and at home.

But some dark-colored breads, such as pumpernickel or "brown bread" and other baked goods, including cereals, are browner than others because of added food coloring or dark colored sweeteners, such as molasses or dark corn syrup. They are not necessarily higher in fiber. You have to read the ingredient list on the product's label to be sure.

Brown rice tops white on the nutrition scorecard because it is naturally higher in fiber, but thanks again to the enrichment process, both brown and white rice are good sources of vitamins and minerals.

In spite of similar numbers on the nutrition facts label, however, most health experts recommend getting your vitamins and minerals naturally, whenever possible, rather than through enrichment, which puts lost nutrients back in the food, or fortification, which adds extra nutrients that were never in the food to begin with. That means, in many cases, choosing whole-grain baked goods and pastas, brown rice and other grain and cereal foods that are natural shades of brown.

There are reasons for this. The first is that added synthetic vitamins and minerals may not be as readily absorbed and used by your body as those that occur naturally in foods. So many foods are now enriched and fortified that it is becoming more likely you can ultimately get more of a nutrient than you need from food alone, which, like getting too much from supplements, can throw off the balance of nutrients in your body. Also, when nutrients are added to foods, they sometimes add a bitter taste. If that's the case, that taste has to be covered up by the addition of sugar or other masking flavors, or the product will never sell. These additions may add up to a food that actually isn't all that healthy for you.

White sugar is brown sugar that has had the molasses removed. While a few nutrients are lost during that process, the difference between white and brown sugars in not at all significant. Honey, maple syrup and agave nectar are examples of naturally dark sweetening syrups and, in some cases, they do contain trace amounts of vitamins and minerals not found in white sugar. But, like brown granulated sugars, there is not much reason, other than taste preference or specific use, to choose one over the other. What is most important is not to overuse any sugar, brown or white.

When it comes to eggs, the only difference between brown and white is the color of the shell. Different breeds of chickens lay different color eggs and even within the same breed, shell color may vary, depending on the diet and other circumstances of the chicken. There is no nutritional difference between a brown egg or white, and one is no more "natural" than the other.

Sources:

Hermann, JR; "Vitamins and the Body." Oklahoma State University Cooperative Extension
http://pods.dasnr.okstate.edu/docushare/dsweb/Get/Document-2448/T-3156web.pdf

University of Maryland Medical Center: Carbohydrates. 2008. Web. 24 March 2011
http://www.umm.edu/ency/article/002469fod.htm

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