Wednesday, May 1, 2013
Facts Up Front should help shoppers in the grocery store.
Have you ever felt like you spend too much time grocery shopping? Does reading labels, lists of ingredients and health claims on food labels cause more confusion than they help? If this is how you feel when you grocery shop a new tool might make things a bit easier. The Grocery Manufacturers Association along with the Food Marketing Institute recently announced a new initiative to provide nutrition information, education and easier label reading. The “Facts Up Front” nutrition icon and website are designed to communicate the facts of good nutrition and to highlight the nutritional information of each food product. The “Facts Up Front” program (I have been on the advisory panel helping to guide development of these tools) is based on the …
Monday, January 14, 2013
Fox was a longtime columnist for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and Suburban Journals.
Jim Fox, a newspaper reporter and columnist for over 70 years, died Sunday at his home in Affton. He was 91. Fox was a Washington University graduate and later taught journalism at Wash U and Webster University. According the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Fox joined the paper in 1951. He worked as a copy editor, reporter, telegraph editor, city editor and feature writer. His final Suburban Journal column is slated to run Wednesday, Jan. 16. Fox donated his body to the Washington University School of Medicine. To read a full obituary, click here.
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
Our Washington University columnist shares tips for cutting down on sodium intake by watching six foods with high salt content.
The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends keeping sodium intake to 1,500 milligrams or less each day, yet most Americans are consuming a little more than 3,400 milligrams each day. Reducing sodium intake requires cutting back on salt used in cooking and added to your food but the AHA says six foods might be the real source of sodium in your diet. The AHA points to six foods as the top sources of sodium in diets. These foods are: In the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for American's breads and rolls, cold cuts, pizza and chicken and chicken dishes were all listed as top contributors but the other two top items were pasta and pasta dishes, along with condiments. If a part of your New Year’s resolution is to eat healthier, paying more …
Thursday, December 27, 2012
Make your family's comfort foods a bit healthier this holiday season.
Over the course of this week and next many traditional or “comfort” foods will likely grace your table and since these foods might only appear once a year the inclination is to enjoy them as much as you want. While this is fine, you can find a midpoint that allows for enjoyment and some degree of healthy eating. Enjoying the special foods of the season is part of what makes the season special but if recipes still retain the more traditional high fat, high sugar, high calorie bent it might be time to make some modifications. Recipe changes that are easy to make include the following: In addition to recipe changes, you can maintain the comfort of traditional foods by choosing smaller portions, by eating more slowly to savor the flavor and by…
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
Our dietician says to enjoy the tastes of the season - just do it in moderation.
Holiday eating is often a time of lots of cookies and candy and eating on the run, two behaviors that can pose a challenge to a goal of healthy eating. Have no fear you can enjoy your holiday treats and still keep a healthy eating plan. If you’re spending the next two weeks baking for holiday parties you know that cookies, cakes, bars and candy are plentiful not only in your house but also at work – after all that’s where we take those “too many to keep” items. Manage your sweet eating by trying these tips. When it comes to grabbing meals on the run, studies show that we make poorer food choices and we eat more when we aren’t focused on what we are eating. If your day is packed with work, decorating, baking and shopping make sure you keep…
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
WUSTL’s Peter Kastor says relationship between style and substance important, but precarious in the town hall format.
The first presidential debate was most striking for Gov. Mitt Romney’s aggressiveness and President Barack Obama’s rhetorical reserve, but the town hall format in the second debate provides an extra challenge for the candidates, says Peter Kastor, PhD, professor of history and American culture studies in Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis. The two debates also reveal one of the greatest challenges to candidates as they try to appear presidential: balancing emotional display with appropriate reserve. Kastor notes that there’s more to this than looking for smoke and mirrors. “The relationship between style and substance has often turned on a discussion of truthfulness (does a candidate use a particular style to cover the …
Sunday, October 7, 2012
A Washington University study in the St. Louis area shows a decline in abortions when contraception was readily available.
For Catholics, a fundamental part of the doctrine is this: Neither abortion nor birth control are acceptable. So much political debate centers on that fundamental part of Catholic or otherwise conservative philosophy: How much control should mankind assume over the bringing of life into the world? Now we have word, reported on University City Patch on Friday and other outlets this week as well, that a Washington University study—known as the Contraceptive Choice Project—links access to affordable or free birth control to a decline in abortion rates in the St. Louis area. The study notes that abortion rate in the St. Louis area declined by more than 20 percent in the St. Louis area between 2008 and 2010, while other parts of the state not …
Saturday, October 6, 2012
NFL Charities is funding a study of the brain following repeated concussions at Washington University School of Medicine.
Neurologists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have received funding to study the brain following repeat concussions. The project is one of 15 around the country selected by NFL Charities, the charitable foundation of the National Football League Owners. “We are excited about investigating what happens to the brain’s wiring system following concussions,” said David L. Brody, MD, PhD, associate professor of neurology. “We’re honored that the NFL has given us the opportunity to contribute to a greater understanding of the aftereffects of repetitive concussive brain injuries. We hope that this will lead to better ways to prevent and treat them.” Since 2010, Brody has headed one of seven national groups that provide …
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
Children who ate a good meal in the morning have different levels of brain activity than those that did not eat.
Last week I was privileged to attend the Learning Connection Summit, a follow-up summit to a report that former U.S. Surgeon General Dr. David Satcher released in 2004. This summit, which was chaired by Dr Satcher and Alexis Glick, CEO of GENYOUth Foundation, provided an update on the science of food, learning, activity and weight. Researchers discussed how students who go to school without breakfast fail to learn as well as those who have breakfast. One study presented, showed how brain activity varied in kids who had breakfast before school versus those who did not. Brain scans showed a clear difference in brain activity in those who had breakfast before going into the classroom. Another session looked at the benefit of physical activity…
Thursday, August 23, 2012
For new and returning students at Washington University, let us at Patch be the first to welcome you to campus. Here's a helpful guide to prepare you for the upcoming semester.
Welcome back to Washington University in St. Louis, returning students! And for the freshmen WUSTL Bears, and new students at the Washington University School of Medicine and Washington University School of Law, let us at Patch be the first to welcome you to campus. Patch is your source for local news, events, photos and information, whether you're looking for the best places to eat in St. Louis or trying to figure out bus schedules and bus routes. And because we know you'll need them (and WashU students don't need any more stress!), be sure to bookmark the Washington University map and directory. Places to Eat Around Campus Everyone loves a good dining hall meal, but the area around Washington University in St. Louis—specifically in the …
St. Louis Salt Room
12:31 pm on Wednesday, January 9, 2013
Low sodium diets can be VERY bad for one's health. Yes, some salt - if it's cheap table salt - should be avoided due to dangerous additives and over-processing, but natural salts should be used moderately. For example, if your body needs salt and you don't provide enough, it will rob salt from your bones, making them weaker. MDs unfortunately have no meaningful training in nutrition and don't … more ›