What Employees Really Want

www.the-papers.com July 2008

SENIOR LIFE.

HEALTH & FITNESS
By Wendell Fowler: What employees really want

By JULIE YOUNG
Feature Writer
Wendell Fowler truly believes in the adage "You are what you eat."
Speaking before 170 people at the Indiana Chamber on June 10, the motivational
speaker, chef, humorist and Senior Life correspondent talked about the importance
of living well, especially during these difficult times. "Employee wellness is a
hot topic these days as health insurance rates keep going up," he said.

While many Americans may want to blame the insurance companies, the heart
of the problem lies with the individual who suffers from poor nutrition and a lack of
physical activity. As a result, now more than ever, Americans are at greater risk for
developing diabetes, heart disease and stroke along with some forms of cancer.
"Wellness is more of the absence of disease," he mused. "It is a state of well-being
that comes from the ripples in our pond of health decisions each day."
Drawing from his own experiences. as a smoker, alcohol drinker and an admittedly obese individual, Fowler said he was lethargic at work, unproductive and unable to reach his full
potential. Eating "dead food" which stunted his mental growth.

At one point, he was diagnosed with terminal viral cardio myopathy and told he
would die. Soon. Clocking in at 285 pounds, Fowler knew he was a French fry and a cocktail
away from a long "nap" after his physicians said his heart looked like Jell-O. The news
was all the motivation he needed to lose 100 pounds and get a new lease on life.
"I didn't know I could write, let alone win nine national awards and publish
four books. I was simply an average chef, but as a result I've now written five books, speak
to corporations, have a syndicated health column and host a successful TV segment on
CBS, WISH-TV."

Fowler said health and wellness is an issue many industries are taking seriously.
Restaurants are addressing consumer and government concerns about obesity and
health in a variety of ways. So, restaurants are changing their menus to appeal to
nutrition-conscious consumer. To meet legislative mandates, many city governments are passing legislation banning trans fats in restaurants.

"Employers are becoming more aware that obesity, diabetes and a lack of exercise are adversely affecting the health and productivity of their employees and ultimately, the business bottom line," he said.

Thanks to this knowledge, what they may not be able to offer in insurance benefits,
companies are putting together work-site-based health promotion and proactive, reward based wellness programs to help support employees as they move toward towards a healthier lifestyle.

"When I catered for the NBA for 16 years, it was interesting to track what each team ate and then kept tabs on their standings in the win/loss column. Sure enough, the teams that
continually ate deep fried this, unctuous meats, and gravy, the State Beverage, lost-after
all. Head lettuce salads and vegetables were for sissies,"Fowler noted. Chef Wendell said eating healthy does not mean foregoing our favorite things. When men and women choose to change their diets, most eat less of what they perceive as harmful, rather than more of something beneficially healthful. Businesses are responding to the issue and Fowler said employers ,are becoming acutely aware that education is crucial since medical costs for so many companies can consume half of the company's profits. "Knowing what to eat and why has a far reaching effects on the whole business," he said.

Jennifer Gillis, manager and conference center meeting planner for the Indiana
Chamber of Commerce said participants who attended the Indiana Employer's Summit
on Soaring Health Care Costs enjoyed Fowler's speech and embraced his passion for
his work.

"What struck me was his enthusiasm on his topic,"she said. "He knows what he is talking about and he is certainly interested in the health and well-being of employees and how it can benefit
a company. l heard from a lot of people that they enjoyed hearing what he had to say."

Diabetic Recipe-Jicama, MandarinOrange, Berrys

Chef Wendell: Jicama-Orange Salad with Summer Berries

Chef Wendell shows Daniel Miller how to make Jicama-Orange Salad with Summer Berries.
http://www.chefwendellfowler.blogspot.com/
(Low-Glycemic-Appropriate for Diabetics)
Yields: 8 servings

We already know the magic of eating berries off the vine. The anthocyanins, which give them their deep color, are the hero's that are brimming with phytochemicals, especially, antioxidants which protect us from cancer, age related eye disorders, and a constellation of degenerative diseases. Blueberries are dirt cheap, so lower your shopping bill and keep your loving family healthy at the same time. Berries can be tossed into granola, smoothies, yogurt, stir-fry, but NOT with COOL WHIP. PLEASE!!! Wash them first then eat them like candy. They also protect against colon and ovarian cancer.Berries are also loaded with vitamin C, manganese, fiber, and vitamin E.

Ingredients:
1/3 cup lime juice-FRESH
1 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. chile powder
1 pound of Jicama, the Mexican Potato
Mandarin Oranges, drained
2 minced green onions
Blue and Red Raspberry's for garnish
Directions:
In a large bowl, mix the lime, salt, chile powder and cayenne together.
Add the peeled and diced Jicama, oranges, green onions and toss to coat.
Place into a pretty glass bowl, and top with berries.
Serve chilled-Do not attempt to mix the berries into the salad. They will break down and ruin the look of the colorful dish.
Nutritional Highlights of Jicama:
Jicama (raw, sliced), 1 cup (100g)
Calories: 46
Protein: 0.86g
Carbohydrate: 10.6g
Total Fat: 0.11g
Fiber: 5.8g
Excellent source of: Vitamin C (24mg)

Health Benefits of Jicama:

Sweet Jicama is a large root vegetable with a thin brown skin and a moist, white crunchy flesh.
Asthma---Vitamin C, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory- A large study has shown that young children with asthma experience significantly less wheezing if they eat a diet high in fruits rich in vitamin C.
Scurvy Prevention-Vitamin C
Capillary fragility--Eating plenty of flavonoids- and vitamin C-rich fruits and vegetables helps to support the structure of capillaries.
High homocysteine-- A controlled trial showed that eating a diet high in fruits and vegetables containing folic acid, beta-carotene, and vitamin C effectively lowered homocysteine levels.
Multiple sclerosis (MS)--In one survey, researchers gathered information from nearly 400 people (half with MS) over three years. They found that consumption of vegetable protein, fruit juice, and foods rich in vitamin C, thiamine, riboflavin, calcium, and potassium correlated with a decreased MS risk. Wonderful news.

Peace, Love, and Understanding

Chef Wendell

www.wendellfowler.com

Kids and Cholesterol Drugs--Wake UP!!!!!!

For the last 15 years I have watched children gorge themselves with nutritionally vacuous foods with "parental encouragement". Inevitably, eating against our nature weakens an already obese nation. We must transcend this destructive mentality! Our Holy Temple is a precious gift.

"It's easy on me", remarks Mom. However, the trade off for poor parental role modeling is slowly killing the very children we so dearly love.

WAKE UP, AMERICA. BACK OFF ON THE ANTI-DEPRESSANTS AND START GENUINELY CARING FOR YOUR CHILDREN; BEGINNING WITH EDUCATION.

Perhaps now Doctors will take notice. This horrific, borderline child abuse is preventable. Whole foods is what our cells need to stay healthy and be a normal weight . That's what makes it so sad. Tough love looks like a good start. You can do it.

Cholesterol Drugs For Kids Recommended
CHICAGO, July 7, 2008
(CBS/AP) For the first time, an influential doctors group is recommending that some children as young as 8 be given cholesterol-fighting drugs to ward off future heart problems. It is the strongest guidance ever given on the issue by the American Academy of Pediatrics, which released its new guidelines Monday. The academy also recommends low-fat milk for 1-year-olds and wider cholesterol testing. Dr. Stephen Daniels, of the academy's nutrition committee, says the new advice is based on mounting evidence showing that damage leading to heart disease, the nation's leading killer, begins early in life. It also stems from recent research showing that cholesterol-fighting drugs are generally safe for children, Daniels said. Several of these drugs are approved for use in children and data show that increasing numbers are using them. "If we are more aggressive about this in childhood, I think we can have an impact on what happens later in life ... and avoid some of these heart attacks and strokes in adulthood," Daniels said. He has worked as a consultant to Abbott Laboratories and Merck & Co., but not on matters involving their cholesterol drugs. Drug treatment would generally be targeted for kids at least 8 years old who have too much LDL, the "bad" cholesterol, along with other risky conditions, including obesity and high blood pressure. For overweight children with too little HDL, the "good" cholesterol, the first course of action should be weight loss, more physical activity and nutritional counseling, the academy says. At Children's Hospital in Washington, D.C., pediatric cardiologist Craig Sable is seeing kids as young as 5 and 6 with cholesterol problems, reports CBS News correspondent Nancy Cordes "I think the sheer number of children that are overweight, are less active, and have significant levels of cholesterol has grown exponentially since I started practicing 13 years ago," Dr. Sable said. Pediatricians should routinely check the cholesterol of children with a family history of inherited cholesterol disease or with parents or grandparents who developed heart disease at an early age, the recommendations say. Screening also is advised for kids whose family history isn't known and those who are overweight, obese or have other heart disease risk factors. Screening is recommended sometime after age 2 but no later than age 10, at routine checkups. The academy's earlier advice said cholesterol drugs should only be considered in children older than 10 after they fail to lose weight. Its previous cholesterol screening recommendations also were less specific and did not include targeted ages for beginning testing.

CBS News medical correspondent Emily Senay says that it is likely there will be some controversy surrounding the safety of using statins and other cholesterol-fighting drugs on such young patients. "There have been recent studies done on children that suggest they are safe," Senay said on CBS News' The Early Show, "but I imagine a lot of people are going to have a problem with that in that these drugs have not be studied long-term in children." Dr. John LaRosa, who studies statins, told Cordes that he's surprised by the new guidelines. "We have very little evidence that it does any good to start lowering cholesterol with drugs in children to prevent something that might not happen for 20 or 30 years down the line," Dr. LaRosa said. Because obesity is a risk factor for heart disease and often is accompanied by cholesterol problems, the academy recommendations say low-fat milk is appropriate for 1-year-olds "for whom overweight or obesity is a concern." Daniels, a pediatrician in the Denver area, agreed that could include virtually all children. But he said doctors may choose to offer the new milk advice only to 1-year-olds who are already overweight or have a family history of heart problems. The academy has long recommended against reduced-fat milk for children up to age 2 because saturated fats are needed for brain development. "But now we have the obesity epidemic and people are thinking maybe this isn't such a good idea," said Dr. Frank Greer of the University of Wisconsin, co-author of the guidelines report, which appears in the July edition of Pediatrics, the group's medical journal. Very young children are increasingly getting fats from sources other than milk and Greer said the updated advice is based on recent research showing no harm from reduced-fat milk in these youngsters. With one-third of U.S. children overweight and about 17 percent obese, the new recommendations are important, said Dr. Jennifer Li, a Duke University children's heart specialist. "We need to do something to stem the tide of childhood obesity," Li said. Li said that 15 years ago most of her patients with cholesterol problems had an inherited form of cholesterol disease not connected to obesity. "But now they're really outnumbered" by overweight kids with cholesterol problems and high blood pressure, she said. Dr. Elena Fuentes-Afflick, a pediatrics professor at the University of California at San Francisco, also praised the new advice but said some parents think their kids will outgrow obesity and cholesterol problems, and might not take it seriously.

"It's hard for people to really understand" that those problems in childhood can lead to serious health consequences in adulthood, Fuentes-Afflick said.

Chef Wendell

www.wendellfowler.com

Cherry and Walnlut Quinoa Pilaf

Chef Wendell: Cherry & Walnut Quinoa Pilaf

As a meal or side dish, the combination of all these foods make for an easy to digest perfect meal brimming with nutrition that feeds our cells.
Eating cherries can help prevent diabetes, control arthritis pain, and prevent cancer with their powerful antioxidant virtues. Plus they taste heavenly. Toss a few into your next smoothie or into your granola. Walnuts in this tasty dish contain Omega 3 fatty acids.

I eat cherries at night to prevent me from being seduced by the 'dark side' or the fattening stuff.
Quinoa, the Incan soul grain, is high in protein and contains all eight essential amino acids.Rinse the quinoa well before cooking. This would be a great side dish or even and entree.

Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients:
¾ cup quinoa
2 tsp. olive oil
2 stalks of celery, chopped
3 scallions, thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 ½ cups boiling water
¾ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper
1/3 cup dried cherries (1-½ ounces)
¼ cup chopped pecans or walnuts (1 ounce)

Directions:
Place quinoa in a colander and rinse under cold running water.
Drain well.
In large skillet, heat oil over medium heat.
Add scallions and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, for 2 minutes or until scallions are tender.
Stir in quinoa and cook 2 to 3 minutes or until lightly toasted.
Add boiling water, salt, and pepper.
Reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook 20 to 25 minutes or until quinoa is tender.
Stir in cherries and pecans.

Enjoy!

Chef Wendell

www.wendellfowler.com

TV Making Your Children Fat?

A study by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive Diseases reports that children cut their eating if the spend lees time in front of the 'Idiot box", the family TV.

"It looks like screen time is influencing eating more than physical activity", the report says.

TV distracts kids from how much they are eating. Parents, next time you hunt and forage, procure quality snacks that supply valuable nutrition to their growing bodies and minds. http://www.bloombergnews.com/

Kids deserve to feel good and enjoy their lives. We were designed by the Universe to be active.

When I was a lean kid of the 50's, Mom and Dad had to beat us over the head to get us to come inside at night when we would play hide and seek or shoot hoops till we dropped.

Progress is subjective.

Peace Love, and Understanding,

Wendell

Vitamin D Vs. Sun Screen

The Paradox: Vitamin D and Sun Light

Sun is necessary for life.
Many of us depend on the sun for our only source of vitamin D. which has been thrust into the national spotlight as crucial preventing osteoporosis and cancer. The major function of vitamin D is to maintain normal blood levels of calcium and phosphorus. Vitamin D aids in the absorption of calcium, helping to maintain strong bones. Recently research suggests D may provide protection from several autoimmune diseases.

This hormone like vitamin has subtle yet important effects on regulating vital cell growth and on our immune and cardiovascular systems. A strong connection has recently been found, for example, between low blood levels of vitamin D and congestive heart failure-a condition which afflicts many seniors.

Holick MF. Vitamin D: A millennium perspective. J Cell Biochem 88:296-307, 2003.
Vitamin D expert Dr. Michael Holick of Boston University is concerned that vitamin D deficiency is becoming a major public health problem. Deficiency is known to be common in older people. Women consuming at least 500 IU of vitamin D from food and supplements had a 37% lower risk of hip fracture than those who got less than 140 IU daily. Feskanich D et al. Calcium, vitamin D, milk consumption and hip fractures: a prospective study among postmenopausal women. Am J Clin Nutrition 77:504-11, 2003.

Rickets resulting in skeletal deformities in children and osteomalacia are classic vitamin D deficiency diseases. Milk, is a poor source of Vitamin D.
A few foods contain vitamin D-mackerel, salmon and sardines are about the highest. Fortified milk contributes some D, but older people would have to drink six to eight glasses daily to achieve recommended intakes from milk alone. You don’t need that much milk. Dr. Holick recommends a daily multivitamin that contains vitamin D.

Over 1 Million US sun worshipers a year are diagnosed with skin cancer; the most common form of cancer; Basal cell carcinoma. I can’t help vision the scene in Indiana Jones where the guys face melts off when he opens the Holy Grail. Well, without the earth’s protective layer of Ozone, we’d end up like that. Is that motivation enough to protect the ozone layer and reduce your carbon footprint on God’s green earth?

As a youth sowing my wild oats in Boston during the late 60’s and 70’s, I often hopped the “T” and Day-“Tripped with friends to Nantasket Beach on the South Shore of Boston. Sun Screen, what sun screen? After frolicking in the surf all day, I’d come home as red as a boiled lobster. I was medium rare. After all, I have red hair, fair skin, and freckles. I was not designed, ever, to get tan. Peer pressure made sure I at least gave it a good try. Actually tanning and sunburn are your body’s way of going into protection mode from the Suns damaging radiation. Yes, radiation. The last thing on our minds was that our Holy Temple was converting sun light into vitamin D.
Our society has determined being tanned a sign of glowing health and affluence. The previously silky, smooth skin of my friends who spend their spare time broiling themselves in the warmth of old Sol, now look like alligator luggage as their skin rapidly ages.
Be forewarned that certain diseases, such as lupus, can also make a person more sensitive to sun exposure. Some medications, such as antibiotics and antihistamines and even certain herbal remedies, can cause extra sensitivity to the sun’s rays. Discuss these issues with your Integrative or Family physician.

Seek shaded areas during outdoor activities. Re-apply sunscreen periodically throughout the day, and frequently if you're exercising in the heat, wear clothing that protects as much skin as possible.

If you must apply ‘self-tanning creams’, remember that you still must apply sunscreen. Your skin may be darker, but that doesn't mean you're protected.
For numerous reasons, get your vitamin D safely through a healthy diet that includes food concentrate vitamin supplements. Don't seek the sun, please. We want you around for a while.

Happy Spring,

Chef Wendell

www.wendellfowler.com

Cabbage

As a child of the 1950’s Mom would lovingly offering me the center core of cruciferous cabbage every time she made slaw. A little salt and Mom’s sweet gift became crunchy culinary nirvana; Bible belt soul food.

Cabbage is one of the oldest known vegetables. The ancients were on to something exceptional when they began cultivating cabbage. In the East, pots containing cabbage dating back to 4,000 B.C. have been found in Shensi province in China.

The noble cabbage first appeared somewhere in the Mediterranean. Ancient Romans praised it for its plethora of medical attributes. Flourishing with luscious vitamins C and K, folate, potassium and selenium, fiber, and chlorophyll, as well as antioxidants, flavonoids and phytochemicals, carotenoids, lingnans, and indole-3-carbinol, (take a deep breath) these nutritious foods are super! Isothiocyanates stimulate our Earth Suit to break down potential carcinogens, preventing our normal cells from becoming cancerous cells. Pretty cool, eh? Only cruciferous vegetables contain the nutrient isothiocyanates which has been associated with a decrease in lung cancer. Nonsmokers will also benefit since second-hand smoke is so widespread.

Cruciferous vegetables are what help reduce homocysteine levels which reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease. Homocysteines are an amino acid derived from animal protein and have nothing to do, however, with anyone associated with the Sistine Chapel.
Are you eating enough cruciferous vegetables like Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, broccoli, bok choy, watercress, rutabagas and Kale? Listen up, men, corn and green beans won’t cut it. The government's set goal of getting 75 percent of Americans to eat two servings of fruits and having half of the population consume three servings of vegetables each day by 2010, said Dr. Larry Cohen of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In scientific reality, we should consume a minimum of 7 to 13 portions of a variety produce daily. Did someone say Salad Bar?
Each portion is considered a half cup and it’s easier to accomplish that you think. One cup equals a portion of leafy greens, such as cabbage. Raw is best. Heard someone recently say that they hate the smell of cooked cabbage and the only way he would eat it if it was redolent of bacon and cooked to oblivion. That’s no way to treat one of Nature’s star healing attractions, is it?
Many of us spend our life either taking preventive measures, or living life recklessly with the attitude that “I’m gonna eat all the steak I want, ice cream, greasy burgers, and smoke all the cigarettes I want so I can enjoy my life. Gotta die from sumthin, right? I may not live as long as you tree hugging, dirt eaters, but I sure am going to enjoy the time I have by eating steaks whenever I want” Whatever! That’s OK, if you are hell bent on self-destruction. Not wanting to be negative, but it is a scientific fact. Heavy meat consumption, little or no vegetables or fruit in the diet, whiskey, gravy and fast food, for example, considerably shortens one’s gift of life.
Our Creator wants us to feel good, using His tools. As you purchase or harvest your first batch of cabbage consider its illustrious history as medicine to the ancients.
Cabbage in America is drowning, submerged in a viscous pool of deadly, deified mayonnaise. We add vinegar, sugar and spice, onion and carrot, then accompany it with fried chicken cooked in pork fat. Darned tasty combination, however, ask yourself, is taste the only criteria that decides what you eat?

Next time, try preparing Sweet and Sour Style Slaw with a fun vinegar, salt and pepper, Stevia powder sweetener, celery seed, grated carrots, green onion, and some diced red peppers. Deliciously crisp, clean, and ready to defend our loved ones.

Blessings,

Chef Wendell