Category: Quality Control (Page 31 of 74)

The Financial Toll Of Caring For Those With Alzheimer’s

March 5, 2012 / Staff

Although no one wants to look at caring for an ill loved one as a burden, however, there is no denying the overwhelming financial cost involved.

Unpaid caregivers are a huge part of the economy which is growing every year with the increase in Alzheimer’s and dementia cases as baby boomers age.

There is an urgent need to address this national emergency.

Caring for a family member with the personality-draining disease can take a hefty financial and emotional toll. Nearly 15 million people fall into the role of unpaid caregiver for those sick with dementia, according to the Alzheimer’s Association. Add it all up, and it comes to about 17 billion hours of unpaid care valued at $202 billion in 2010 alone.
So to help with the staggering cost of care, the Obama Administration has included $26 million in the proposed 2013 budget. That money will go to education, outreach and support for families affected by the disease.

Health Care Policy, Medicare, Quality Control, Resources, Wellness

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Is There Something Better Than Sugar?

March 4, 2012 / Staff

Five natural sweeteners that may be better than sugar include Sucanant, Agave Nectar, Honey, Coconut Sugar, and Stevia Extract.

If you have a sweet tooth that just can not be tamed, perhaps alternatives to white and brown sugar would benefit your health.

Although there is no great calorie difference, except with Stevia, there are more nutrients and trace minerals to be found in less processed sweeteners.

Also, there are clear health benefits to honey which surpass them all.

However, there are those who will say that sugar is sugar and it is best to simply ween yourself off of all things sweet.

Read for yourself to see which is the best for you.

For a less-processed alternative with small amounts of nutrients in it as well, look for sucanat, which is simply dehydrated sugar cane juice. Sucanat (an abbreviation for sugar-cane-natural) has a stronger molasses flavor than refined white sugar and retains all of the nutrients found in natural sugar cane juice, including iron, calcium, vitamin B6 and potassium. Though, as New York University nutritional scientist Marion Nestle points out: “The amounts of trace minerals in raw sugar are so small that they are nutritionally insignificant.”

Nutrition, Quality Control, Research

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The Importance Of Moving

March 4, 2012 / Staff

Staying active is the best way to improve and maintain your health.

Doctors and researches were never quite sure exactly why it was important but now it is more clear.

During the three days of inactivity, volunteers’ blood sugar levels spiked significantly after meals, with the peaks increasing by about 26 percent compared with when the volunteers were exercising and moving more. What’s more, the peaks grew slightly with each successive day.
This change in blood sugar control after meals “occurred well before we could see any changes in fitness or adiposity,” or fat buildup, due to the reduced activity, Dr. Thyfault says. So the blood sugar swings would seem to be a result, directly, of the volunteers not moving much.

It is important to keep active even if only in short bursts if that is all that is possible.

5 minute breaks to do jumping jacks, run up and down the stairs or do laps around the house add up when you squeeze them into your daily schedule.

Find the time to get the 10,000 steps recommended by the American Heart Association into your day.

These 5 miles a day could save your health.

Quality Control, Research, Wellness

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Children are Still Consuming Too Much Sugar

March 3, 2012 / Staff

It is in the home, not schools or at social gatherings where children are being inundated with sweeteners.

Researchers have found that although beverages do account for a large amount of sugar in kids’ diets it is the hidden sugars in foods such as tomato sauce, muffins, cereals and everyday household items.

These sugar calories add up.

Simple carbohydrates such as pasta and breads also contribute to sugar in the diet.

With all the changes being made to food and nutritional guidelines in schools, it seems like the place where children come in contact with the most sugar is at home.

Almost everything we buy has sugar as an ingredient.

Over the course of the day children can consume a week’s worth of sweeteners.

Planning meals and reading labels is the best way to avoid unwanted added ingredients.

Eating meals as a family and introducing fresh fruits and vegetables also help to satisfy sugar cravings.

Quality Control, Research, Wellness

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Judge Mandates FDA Against Non-Therapeutic Use Of Antibiotics in Livestock

March 2, 2012 / Staff

U.S. Magistrate Judge Theodore Katz ordered the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to begin proceedings to withdraw approval of non-therapeutic use of antibiotics in livestock unless makers of the drugs can produce evidence that their use is safe.

The FDA had started such proceedings in 1977, prompted by its concerns the widespread use in livestock feed of certain antibiotics – particularly tetracyclines and penicillin, the most common. But the proceedings were never completed and the approval remained in place.
“In the intervening years, the scientific evidence of the risks to human health from the widespread use of antibiotics in livestock has grown, and there is no evidence that the FDA has changed its position that such uses are not shown to be safe,” Katz wrote.

The facts are hard to ignore.

Using common antibiotics in livestock feed has contributed to the rapid growth of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in both animals and humans and contributes to $20 billion in health care costs annually.

Quality Control, Research, Resources

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