BlueSkies Newsletter - July 2010
Welcome to the July edition of the BlueSkies newsletter.
We hope that you find the articles informative and useful.
In this edition, our feature articles are:
Are our children getting fatter?
Also this month. find out about the health benefits of nuts and read our top tips on how to limit your salt intake.
If you have any comments or there is a particular topic that you would like us to cover in the future, please contact us by e-mail.
Are Our Children Getting Fatter?
Some of the latest data has suggested that British children are getting fatter almost twice as quickly as their American counterparts. What's more, the data revealed that the reason for this seems to be because of the amount of sweets, chocolate and snacks they eat - double the amount of American youngsters.
In fact, the average annual spending on sweets and chocolates for British children is £372 whereas Americans spend just £150 and our children spend around £73 on savoury snacks as opposed to the £40 spent by American children. (Source: Datamonitor)
What's more, British children eat more sugary breakfast cereals, ice cream and ready meals which all adds up to a ticking obesity and health time-bomb. Already, over one third of British children between the ages of 5 and 13 are overweight or obese but that figure is set to soar. By 2014, it is estimated that nearly 40% of British youngsters will be overweight or obese - that's 2.5 million children.
This research supports the fear that this generation of children will be the first to die before their parents due to obesity. Overweight and obese children are more at risk of a range of weight-related conditions such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Therefore, it is predicted that the incidence of these conditions in British children will rise dramatically over the next few years.
Diabetes alone can lead to kidney failure, blindness and limb amputation so there is likely to be a huge surge in the demand for kidney dialysis and an increase in the number of children who are blind or have had to undergo amputations due to their weight.
Perhaps the most depressing thought is that these predictions are preventable, if we can engage children in more physical activity and encourage them to eat more healthily. However, social factors seem to be playing a big part in these trends and they are difficult to change.
It seems that, as more mothers are working full-time, there is an increased demand for ready meals and take-aways which are higher in calories and fat than traditional home-cooked food. This, combined with the fact that children are less physically active than in previous generations, makes for a dire future for this generation.
In addition to this, many children are now looked after by their grandparents who have a higher tendency to indulge them in unhealthy treats and perform less physical activity with them. 3-year olds are 34% more likely to be overweight if they are cared for by their grandparents full-time.
Whilst we can blame money pressures for more mothers having to work and advertising for enticing children to eat more junk food, we ultimately have to take responsibility for our children's health and well-being. Parents must remember that health starts at home and the messages that we give to our children will last a lifetime. By impressing the importance of healthy eating and physical activity upon our children and towing the line ourselves, we could make a difference to their future.
For more information, why not read BlueSkies healthy eating and physical activity pages?
How To Be Salt-Sensible
Heart Research UK has recently released its top tips on how to become 'salt-sensible' because the fact that most of us sprinkle salt on our food and add it to our cooking could be spelling trouble for our heart and arteries.
On average, UK adults consume about 50% more salt than recommended - we should be eating no more than 6g per day. This intake increases the risk of high blood pressure and heart failure. The good news is that reducing salt intake can reduce blood pressure and help to prevent cardiovascular problems.
Heart Research UK has the following advice for anyone looking to lower their salt intake:
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Become a food label expert - some every day foods such as bread, spread, cereal and meats contain salt so try to choose foods which contain 0.3g per 100g of salt or less and opt for reduced salt varieties if possible.
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Banish salt from the table - try to flavour your food with spices, herbs, pepper and lemon or lime juice instead.
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Leave the salt out of your cooking - add a drizzle of olive oil to the pan or try steaming veg instead as this will help you avoid the temptation of adding salt as well as increase the vitamin & mineral content of the veg.
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Plan ahead - if you have a hectic lifestyle, try preparing meals in bulk and freeze portions instead of relying on salty convenience foods.
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Make sensible swaps - swap some of your salty snacks such as crisps, cakes and biscuits for fruit. This will help you get your 5-a-day too!
Stay Safe In The Sun
Even though it appears as if our summer may be over for another year, it's still worth considering how to stay safe in the sun! If we don't see much of it again this year, it will reappear next year and most of us will take holidays to hot places so it's important that we take steps to protect ourselves from the damage that can be caused by the sun.
Why Worry?
Most skin cancers are caused by overexposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation such as that which comes from sun or sunbeds. Skin cancer is one of the most common cancers in the UK and the number of cases is increasing rapidly. There are two main types of skin cancer - malignant melanoma (the most serious type) and non-melanoma skin cancer (the more easily treated type).
Malignant Melanomas (MM) are normally noticed following a change in the normal look or feel of a mole. Non-Melanoma Skin Cancer (NMSC) is more common, more easily treated and tends to affect the areas of the body most frequently exposed to the sun e.g. face and hands.
Spotting The Signs
You should look for any changes to your skin and, if you notice anything, visit your GP without delay to get them investigated.
NMSC can take two forms:
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Basal Cell Cancer (BCC) - these grow quite slowly and usually start out as small, round or flattened lumps. The lumps may be red, pale or pearly in colour. They can also appear as scaly or eczema-like patches on the skin.
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Squamous Cell Cancer (SCC) - these appear as persistant, red, scaly spots, lumps, sores or ulcers which may bleed easily.
When checking for changes to moles, remember that you may have some moles that will remain harmless throughout your life. However, any moles or patches of skin that change in size, shape or colour over weeks or months should be checked by your GP. Look out for changes in the ABCD of your moles:
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Asymmetry - the two halves of your mole are not the same or become different
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Border - the edges of your mole are, or become, irregular, blurred or jagged
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Colour - the colour of your mole is, or becomes, uneven or it has more than one shade of colour
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Diameter - your mole is, or becomes, wider than 6mm in diameter
Other potential signs of skin cancer include:
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a new growth/sore that won't heal
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a spot/mole/sore that itches or hurts
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a mole/growth that bleeds, crusts or scabs
For more information on the signs and symptoms of skin cancer, click here.
Protect Yourself - Be SunSmart!
Cancer Research UK run the SunSmart campaign which is the UK's national skin cancer prevention campaign. The SunSmart campaign advises that, when you're in the sun, you use shade, clothing and sunscreen to protect yoruself.
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Shade - spend time in the shade between 11am and 3pm when the sun's UV rays are strongest. Shade can take the form of trees, umbrellas, canopies or indoors. The highest risk months in the UK are May to September.
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Clothing - cover up with a t-shirt, hat and sunglasses when there's no shade around. The best way to protect your skin from the sun is with loose clothing, a wide-brimmed hat and good-quality sunglasses that have a 'CE mark', are British Standard BS EN 1836:1997), have a UV 400 label and offer 100% UV protection.
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Sunscreen - when you're in the sun, protect your skin from the UV rays with sunscreen. SunSmart recommends that you use a 'broad spectrum' sunscreen with a Sun Protection Factor (SPF) of at least 15 and with a star rating of at least 4 stars.
For more information on the SunSmart campaign, click here.
Can The Sun Be Good For You?
It's not all bad news as far as the sun is concerned as sunlight enables our bodies to produce Vitamin D which is vital for bone health as it aids the absorption of calcium. In fact, sunlight is the main source of this vitamin. By enjoying the great outdoors and the sun sensibly, we can ensure that we make enough Vitamin D whilst not increasing our risk of skin cancer. The amount of sun exposure that we need to produce adequate Vitamin D is far less than it would take to cause skin damage.
Food Of The Month - Nuts
In 1992 researchers in California showed that people who ate nuts every day had up to 60% fewer heart attacks than those who ate them less than once a month. Prior to this research, nuts had been seen as a 'fatty' food but since then, their health benefits have been reinforced by a large number of studies.
In fact, research has shown that nuts can lower not only the risk of heart conditions but also the risk of stroke, type 2 diabetes, dementia, macular degeneration and gallstones. What's more, it appears as if the benefits are independent of a person's gender, race, dietary habits, weight and age.
Nuts contain low levels of saturated or 'bad' fat and high levels of unsaturated or 'good' fat which explains how they help to lower heart disease risk. They are also a good source of fibre, vitamin E, folic acid, copper and magnesium. Nuts are also a good source of plant sterols which reduce the absorption of cholesterol from food. Plant sterols the compounds that are added to cholesterol lowering products such as Benecol and Flora Pro-Activ.
However, despite their health benefits, we must remember that nuts are an energy-dense food so they are relatively high in calories as compared to foods with a lower energy-density such as fresh fruit. A 30g portion of nuts (a small handful) contains approximately 200 calories which is the equivalent to around 3 apples. In addition to this, it is worth noting that, although nuts are healthy in their fresh-form, roasting them, salting them and/or covering them in chocolate detracts from their healthfulness.
Beating The BBQ Baddies
Hopefully, the summer will last a little longer and we'll all get a chance to enjoy a few more BBQs this year. However, to make sure that BBQs are happy occasions and you don't end up giving your family and friends something they won't thank you for such as food poisoning, consider the following food hygiene & safety guidelines.
Keep Raw & Cooked Foods Separate
Raw meats can contain food poisoning bugs and if raw meat touches or drips onto food that is cooked or ready to eat, the bugs can be transferred. These bugs can also transfer from your hands, chopping boards and cooking utensils. Here are a few tips to help you avoid any cross-contamination:
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When shopping, always pack raw meat in a separate bag to other foods.
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In the fridge, keep raw meat in a sealed container to avoid any contamination.
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Always use different chopping boards for raw and cooked meats.
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Remember to always wash your hands after handling raw meat.
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On the BBQ, keep the raw meat away from the partially, or fully, cooked food.
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Don't add sauce or marinade to cooked food if it has already been used with raw meat.
Preparing Food Properly
When getting your food ready for the BBQ, make sure that you always defrost it thoroughly.
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If defrosting in the fridge, make sure you give it at least 24 hours. Don't simply let your food sit on the worktop to defrost.
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If you are short of time, use the microwave on 'defrost' setting but ensure that the food is fully defrosted before putting it on the BBQ.
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Remember never to refreeze food that has already been defrosted. If you have too much, it is safer to cook it all and then freeze the cooked food.
If you need to speed up the cooking process, you can always start the cooking process off in the microwave or oven. But remember that you mustn't allow food to cool down after it's been in the microwave/oven before it goes on the grill. Make sure that the BBQ's clear and ready for the food as soon as it comes out of the microwave.
Cook It Through
Food that it partially cooked can cause all manner of problems so it is vital that any food you serve from the BBQ is cooked through. Always make sure that chicken, pork, burgers, sausages and kebabs are hot all the way through, none of the meat is pink and the juices run clear. Here are a few BBQ tips:
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Before you start to cook, wait until the charcoal is glowing red with a powdery grey surface.
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Turn the food regularly and move it around to make sure it cooks thoroughly.
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Always check that the centre of the food is steaming hot.
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Use a meat-thermometer if you have one to check that food is cooked.
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Remember that all food will brown on exposure to heat but this doesn't mean that it's cooked thoroughly.
Keeping It Safe
Finally, once all of the food is cooked and you are serving up, remember to keep it all covered to protect it from flies and other insects.
For more information, visit the Food Standards Agency or BBQ.co.uk and, for information on fire safety, visit Fire Service website.
Thanks For Reading
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