Obesity Prevention in Child Care: A Review of U.S. State Regulations

Comment: This report was done by Sara E Benjamin; Angie Cradock; Elizabeth M Walker; Meghan Slining; Matthew W Gillman BMC Public Health.

It is an open access report.

Here are some of the highlights:

Objective. To describe and contrast individual state nutrition and physical activity regulations related to childhood obesity for child care centers and family child care homes in the United States

Conclusion. Many states lack specific nutrition and physical activity regulations related to childhood obesity for child care facilities. If widely implemented, enhancing state regulations could help address the obesity epidemic in young children in the United States


Rates of obesity in children continue to rise in the United States and abroad. Even among preschool-aged children the prevalence of obesity is alarmingly high, with 26.2% of children aged 2 through 5 years in the United States classified as either overweight or obese.

Even in childhood, obesity is associated with a variety of adverse health consequences that can include Type II diabetes mellitus, hypertension and hyperlipidemia, asthma and sleep apnea, early maturation, lower self-esteem, and psychosocial stress.

Additional research has identified the preschool period as a critical time for growth, development, and risk of later obesity.

While there are genetic factors related to childhood obesity, diet and physical activity-related causes are modifiable and have therefore been targets of obesity prevention efforts and research.

Associations between dietary intake and obesity have been examined in numerous studies.Intake of sugar sweetened beverages and high fructose corn syrup may be contributors to the obesity epidemic, as the increases in consumption show a pattern consistent with the rise in obesity.

Other studies corroborate this finding and report that sweetened beverage consumption, including soft drinks and fruit juice, has increased in all children, including toddlers, and is related to childhood obesity.

Studies examining the relationship between fruit juice intake and childhood obesity have shown mixed results.

Adult behaviors may interfere with a child's ability to respect hunger and satiety cues. There is some evidence that restrictive feeding and forcing children to eat are related to childhood obesity. Moreover, using food as a reward may also have a negative effect on children's weight status.

Additionally, there is strong evidence that breastfeeding has a protective effect against later childhood and adolescent obesity.

Strong evidence also links childhood obesity to television viewing both through observational studies and randomized controlled trials. Even among preschool-aged children television viewing is associated with risk of obesity. Little is known about the contribution of computer use and its relationship to obesity in young children; one recent study found an association between computer use and adiposity in preschool-aged children.

In addition to television and other screen time, researchers have associated physical activity with obesity in young children, with low levels of physical activity observed among preschool-aged children, and in particular, preschool-aged girls. Burdette and Whitaker found that play, which can involve any type of physical movement, is on the decline among children of all ages and may contribute to increases in sedentary activity and obesity.

In the United States, regulation of child care facilities is the responsibility of the individual state and the District of Columbia, and each has an agency responsible for oversight and enforcement of these regulations.

As a result, regulations for child care facilities vary considerably by state.

Child care facilities may serve as home-away-from-home settings, where children adopt early nutrition, physical activity, and television viewing behaviors. These behaviors are often a result of interactions with parents and other caregivers. Young children in particular are more likely to be influenced by adults in an eating environment.

Moreover, preschool-aged children may consume 50% to 100% of their Recommended Dietary Allowances in child care settings, placing a great deal of responsibility on the child care facility to provide nutritionally adequate, healthful food.

Child care facilities are in a unique position to support and facilitate healthful eating and promote physical activity for young children

In the United States, regulation of child care facilities is the responsibility of the individual state and the District of Columbia, and each has an agency responsible for oversight and enforcement of these regulations.

As a result, regulations for child care facilities vary considerably by state.

We reviewed state regulations for reference to seven key nutrition and physical activity items related to childhood obesity. The items have a documented relationship to childhood obesity in the research literature, and are likely contributors to diet quality and activity level.

Items included in this review were:
1) Water is freely available
2) Sugar sweetened beverages are limited
3) Foods of low nutritional value are limited
4) Children are not forced to eat
5) Food is not used as a reward
6) Support is provided for breastfeeding and provision of breast milk
7) Screen time is limited
8) Physical activity is required daily (minutes per day).

In this review of state regulations for child care facilities in the United States, we found that most states had few nutrition and physical activity regulations related to obesity for child care centers and family child care homes.

state regulations for child care we found that most states had few regulations related to obesity for child care centers and family child care homes.

Judy's conclusions: Feeding children in a childcare situation, where children are out of the safety of their own homes, is an art. It should always be fun - that's the goal. New foods, fun foods, eating with friends, and the general comraderie at table should be a given. However, what providers and teachers are finding is that children come to us without knowing how to eat much besides low nutritional value foods and sweet drinks. Children are not even encouraged to eat because in many homes what they are served is not worth eating. Yes, the GS uses food as a reward because it is a simple pleasure and it's fun. Taking away simple rewards is not the key to reducing obesity. The key in my humble opinion to reducing obesity is the reduction of two things: soda pop and other sweet drinks, and increasing outdoor time.

The art of feeding children begins in the home. The reduction of "the expected sweet" is the goal. Not every food or drink needs to be sweet. The addition of sugar to regular food is something we all need to become aware of in hopes of reducing the idea that all things must be sweet. Beginning with drink. Water is the ultimate drink because it allows the body to re-hydrate without the additions of debilitating sugar and chemicals. But why do children resist water? Because most parents resist drinking water. Children want what their parents have.

"Mommy or daddy has a soda, and I want that too!" But mommy's soda has 4 tablespoons of sugar per soda - that tells you something. "They drink so much juice, I finally went over to a powdered juice drink." So why is sugar such a monster? It wears out the body's ability to metabolize that sugar and sooner or later the body will be insulin resistant and then the possibility for diabetes has a wide open playing field.

Reducing sugar in foods is another goal. The best sweetened yogurt has 6 teaspoons of sugar in the little cup. Some cold cereals name sugar as the first ingredient. Sugar is often put in water to boil corn!!! There is sugar in canned spaghetti and boxed macaroni and cheese. Why? When a child is exposed to too much sugar, he expects everything to be sweet, and consequently he won't eat things that don't have his archetype for sweet.

In childcare, our duty as providers and teachers is to explore a balance of what nature presents in its most natural state and encourage children to learn to eat those natural foods. There are some exceptions but exceptions need balance:

Piggy Pie is a favorite of our kids, and it's sweet like barbecue, but if you serve it with whole grain noodles and fresh vegetables and milk, the sweet meat finds its way into a balance.

Syrup on pancakes is also a favorite. Our pancakes are whole grain cakes with extra bran and other extra whole grains. I make our syrup, and it's mostly water, but because it's there and looks like syrup, the kids eat it up.

Chocolate cake: Our kids love our chocolate cake. It's homemade with whole wheat flour, reduced sugar, bran, lots of cinnamon and other spices, and sometimes its full of applesauce and pumpkin.

Think about the food your child eats. But more than that, think about the drinks your child drank today. More children gain weight because of what they drink than what they eat.

Kids Learn Through Fun

Kids learn through fun

by: GINNIE GRAHAM World Staff Writer
8/24/2008 12:00 AM

Comment: Children learn more from their own play than they learn in a classroom; that's for sure. The problem begins with the fact that most children don't know how to play. They must be taught. Traditionally, the first child was taught to play by his or her parents, and then that child taught the other children in the family. Today, with so many one child homes and busy working parents, play is not taught, and children don't know how.

Theoretically, everyone learns from play better than the classroom. Tinkering, thinking, dreaming, planning, doing, enjoying are all the words that surround the idea of accomplishment. It's the same with kids.

Pretend play as a basis for childhood learning is getting more attention as pressure mounts to teach toddlers to read and have 4-year-olds memorize math tables.

Advocates are working more aggressively for young children to have the chance to play with blocks, dress up like ballerinas and build forts. This philosophy in early learning is not new, but it has become refined as research shows that concepts are understood better through play.

"This is the heart of what we teach to prepare early childhood educators and providers," said Janette Wetsel, an assistant professor of early childhood education at the University of Central Oklahoma.

"With No Child Left Behind and pressures teachers are facing in public schools, they are taking play out of the curriculum. We are seeing more and more pencil-and-paper-type of exercises, which are good for older children but not for 4-year-olds."

Pretend play concepts dominate professional development offerings and serve as a foundation in degree programs. They were the theme at the annual summer conference of the Early Childhood Association of Oklahoma, which is the state affiliate of the National Association for the Education of Young Children.

Wetsel, who was the chairwoman for the conference, said she has received calls from parents of 3-year-olds looking for reading tutors and witnessed preschool classrooms removing play to put in rote and memory activities.

"There is a societal pressure that children should learn things earlier and earlier," Wetsel said. "We want to be accountable for children learning. But we are seeing a push-down of the curriculum."

It is possible to teach a young child to count to 10, but that child may not understand the difference between two and eight. Literacy skills also involve more than memorizing letters, researchers say.

Pretend play hammers home those concepts by having children experience math, literacy and science through centers placed in a classroom and within exercises facilitated by the teacher. Each item in a play center should have a purpose, Wetsel said.

Having properly educated teachers is paramount in delivering a play-based curriculum and designing an appropriate classroom, researchers say.

For example, teachers can foster effective play through games with directions such as Simon Says, offering joint storybook reading time and encouraging children to speak about themselves. The items should not be theme-based so children can use them in different ways.

"This is not about just sitting there reading a book while children play," Wetsel said. "You are engaging with the child and putting things in the classroom to focus on learning."

'Underlying value'

Diane Horm, the director of the Early Childhood Education Center at the University of Oklahoma-Tulsa, said national accreditation groups are requiring providers to have a curriculum with at least one hour of free play, meaning the children get to choose how to spend that time.

"People of all ages learn with hands-on experience," Horm said.

Research shows that the type of play that produces the best results includes three basic areas: imaginary situations, explicit roles and implicit rules.

Horm watched Cassandra Espino, 4, at Tulsa's Educare Center, noting how the girl stayed at the art center for nearly the entire hour.

Cassandra started with stamping then moved into fingerpaints. After about 20 minutes, she started stacking sponges and adding cut-up pieces of paper. She eventually created a line of different stacks and papers representing animals and houses.

"She is learning so many concepts here," Horm said. "She is showing creativity in the artwork and using fine motor skills, but there are math concepts in the stacking and sorting. She has made this into more than just an art project."

Children who are allowed to finish a project that is started during the play session show gains in their attention spans, according to emerging research.

During Educare's free play time, the classroom of 3- to 5-year-olds never grows loud or unruly. Children tend to stick with one center for at least 15 minutes.

"The idea that if you give kids a big block of time and they won't know what to do just isn't so," Horm said. "There is an underlying value in the objects they are playing with and in learning how to be self-directed. Kids are learning how to schedule their time wisely, and this is a big part of development."

Educare is a nationally accredited center created with private and public money for Tulsa's low-income families. The children are educated year-round while the parents receive services to help them become self-sufficient.

Developing at different speeds

Each center is filled with items allowing for open-ended interpretation and activities. The teachers do not ask the children to replicate a model.

A theme of the sea permeates one classroom, with a sea cave for a dramatic play center where children cook in a plastic waist-high kitchenette and dress up in different costumes.

"We started out with dinosaurs, but the kids loved the tent, so we made it into a sea cave and added to it," said a teacher, Allison Trapp. "They love sleeping under it."

A 4-year-old pretends to wash her hair while a 3-year-old is feeding and burping a doll just after putting a meal of plastic food on the table for friends.

"She has a baby at home, so she is practicing what she sees," Trapp said.

Horm said that playacting helps children understand that objects can represent different things, which eventually leads into letters representing words and numbers translating into objects.

Children are encouraged to work out solutions when they disagree. Teachers will watch as children argue; they intervene only to mediate.

"When there is conflict, we give them words to use," Trapp said. "We work to find a solution both can agree on and not take a side."

A couple of children play alone while others gather in groups. The ones who start out solo end up in a small group.

Horm noted, "In the flow of the day, some kids might want some time to be alone, and that's understandable and OK."

A room for younger children also has open play areas.

A baby batting at a mobile is learning about cause and effect and using motor skills. A 1-year-old boy following a 2-year-old girl pushing a miniature grocery cart is learning by observing.

Children develop at different speeds, and pretend play levels that field, Horm said. When playing, children who are behind can catch up faster and children at or beyond the appropriate level can enhance their skills by teaching others and pushing their knowledge.

"This is good for children with developmental delays, but it is also good for advanced children," Horm said. "It's an opportunity for peer interaction."

---

Preschool classroom

Centers, each with a di)erent focus, are placed throughout a room. The centers provide an outlet for children to socialize and learn problem-solving together. There is no right or wrong in these centers.

Circle Area – It’s a central place for children to gather for story time or other group learning activities. The circle is often used to start and end the day and serve as a transition spot.

Art Center – Crayons, markers, paints, safety scissors, glue, stamps and other open-ended art materials help children develop fine motor skills and self-expression.

Block or Lego Center – Math skills come into play as children count, build, sort by size and discover physics and geometry. As children build forts, they are using higher functions of math.

Dramatic Play Center– A place for acting, dressing up and playing makebelieve. It is usually the most social and lively area of the room. Children work together as they invent situations in role playing.

Library Center – This is usually a quieter area of the room filled with books of varying reader levels. Children practice literary skills, which includes making up stories as they turn the pages or work on identifying letters.

Water and Sand Center – Enhances scientific concepts of cause and effect. Might be in the science area or outdoors.

Science Center – Its live animals can teach responsibility and how things grow. Other tools such as measuring cups, scales and magnifying glasses allow children to examine, experience and problem solve.

Something New

This too was sent by Susie E. I tried this last night and it's the best analysis I've ever found. Try it; it's fun. I'd love to do this with the children, but they are so open, they love everything.


Http://DNA.imagini.net/friends

Just for Fun

This was an eye opener. Susie E sent this and I tried it; it's fun.

How old is your brain?


1. touch start

2. Wait 1,2,3

3. Then circle the smallest number first to the largest number last.

START

When you go to Fabrica, scroll down to the fourth puzzle on the left.

Love

I think this speaks for itself. It made me cry. Friendships are so important. In my family's past, we have had many friendships with many people and many creatures. It has been our gift. One such little one was a Starling - a bird named Mavis. She came to us after a storm. She was a large pink tube, and we fed her cat food and taught her to fly. She eventually returned to the wild. But for months she would come flying out of the trees to our heads and our hearts. It was truly memorable.

Nasty...

I got a nasty email from someone about the Ducks. Apparently it happened in Spokane and not San Antonio. I suppose people are really desperate about their ducks. Here in Indiana, we share our ducks. But that's OK. So long as people are enjoying the blog and finding things to read and comment on!?!?

I thought it was a cute story, and it fit the picture of so many of our great parents. I can just see Robynn doing this or Jennifer or Todd or Jeff, or Miss Moll. There are too many to list.

Enjoy today

Ducks in San Antonio

Something really cute happened in downtown San Antonio this week. Michael R. is now an accounting clerk at Frost Bank and works downtown in a second story office building. Several weeks ago, he watched a mother duck choose the concrete awning outside his window as the unlikely place to build a nest above the sidewalk.

The mallard laid ten eggs in a nest in the corner of the planter that is perched over 10 feet in the air. She dutifully kept the eggs warm for weeks, and Monday afternoon all of her ten ducklings hatched.



Michael worried all night how the momma duck was going to get those babies safely off their perch in a busy, downtown, urban environment to take to water, which typically happens in the first 48 hours of a duck hatching. Tuesday morning, Michael watched the mother duck encourage her babies to the edge of the perch with the intent to show them how to jump off!



The mother flew down below and started quacking to her babies above. In his disbelief Michael watched as the first fuzzy newborn toddled to the edge and astonishingly leapt into thin air, crashing onto the cement below. Michael couldn't stand to watch this risky effort. He dashed out of his office and ran down the stairs to the sidewalk where the first obedient duckling was stuporing near its mother from the near fatal fall.


As the second one took the plunge, Michael jumped forward and caught it with his bare hands before it hit the concrete. safe and sound, he set it by the momma and the other stunned sibling, still recovering from its painful leap.


One by one the babies continued to jump. Each time Michael hid under the awning just to reach out in the nick of time as the duckling made its free fall. The downtown sidewalk came to a standstill. Time after time, Michael was able to catch the remaining 8 and set them by their approving mother.


At this point Michael realized the duck family had only made part of its dangerous journey. They had 2 full blocks to walk across traffic, crosswalks, curbs, and pedestrians to get to the closest open water, the San Antonio River . The onlooking office secretaries and several San Antonio police officers joined in. They brought an empty copy paper box to collect the babies. They carefully corralled them, with the mother's approval, and loaded them in the container. Michael held the box low enough for the mom to see her brood. He then slowly navigated through the downtown streets toward the San Antonio River . The mother waddled behind and kept her babies in sight.


As they reached the river, the mother took over and passed him, jumping into the river and quacking loudly. At the water's edge, he tipped the box and helped shepherd the babies toward the water and to their mother after their adventurous ride.


All ten darling ducklings safely made it into the water and paddled up snugly to momma. Michael said the mom swam in circles, looking back toward the beaming bank bookkeeper, and proudly quacking.

More About Nutrition from Wisconsin

Day Care Meal Provider Serves Up Nutrition and Education

Quality Catering for Kids Launches Lesson Plans Tied to Menus

Comment: The more we can do with introducing children to new foods and better meals, the better. This is a marvelous effort.

Last update: 3:57 p.m. EDT Aug. 20, 2008

MILWAUKEE, WI, Aug 20, 2008 (MARKET WIRE via COMTEX) -- A hot lunch is more than just good food for children at hundreds of day care centers and schools in Wisconsin and Illinois; it's also an education in nutrition.

The education comes from daily lesson plans that accompany meals prepared by Quality Catering for Kids, which each day delivers more than 14,000 hot, nutritious lunches to childcare centers and schools in southern Wisconsin and northern Illinois, said Jim Scharnell, president of Quality Catering for Kids.

"The lesson plans are fun adventure stories designed to complement the meals that are served daily," Scharnell said. "The goal is to educate children about a balanced diet and the value of all the food groups in a way that they can relate to. The plans are designed to encourage healthful choices not only now but also throughout their lives."

Each day's meal has at least one food item that is a good example of the nutritional value the lesson plan is describing, he said. "The meals really are now part of the early education program."

As a way to reinforce the message, children are encouraged to complete simple "homework" assignments each week. The worksheets have simple tasks such as looking in the refrigerator or freezer for broccoli or other vegetables and talking to parents about the nutritional value of those items.

"Our hope is that this will make it easy for kids and parents to learn sound nutrition via the stories and the homework," Scharnell said. "Good nutrition is extremely important for young children, but existing lunch programs often don't provide the essentials," he added. "And sack lunches from home also usually lack the nutrition a child needs for lunch."

The lessons plans and take-home worksheets are a hit for children at Guardian Angel Learning Center on Milwaukee's east side, said Sr. Mary Louise Balistrieri of the center.

"We see the lessons plans as added value to the lunches," she said. "It's a good addition to the service. And the children really enjoy the lessons and the take-home worksheets; it's going over very well."

The nutrition plans complement the nurturing that childcare centers and pre-schools provide, said Nancy Lambert, a Wisconsin Dietetic Technician, Registered, who reviews all menu items to assure each meal meets nutrition and growth guidelines.

"Quality nutritious food choices are the gift a caregiver provides to encourage optimal growth and development of a child," Lambert said.

The lessons plans are provided at no additional cost to day care centers that receive hot lunches from Quality Catering for Kids. An early childhood education teacher with a master's degree in professional education writes the lesson plans, and notes that "early education is the key" in teaching about nutrition and healthy eating habits.

"We're doing this at no cost to the childcare centers because we believe so strongly in the need for proper nutrition," Scharnell said, adding that the program is unique. "I know of no other meal provider that offers a nutrition education along with the meal service," he said.

Quality Catering for Kids prepares meals in a unique USDA-approved commissary in Lake Villa, Ill. Along with selecting foods that are nutritious, Quality Catering for Kids uses food preparation processes that retain nutritional value.

Specially outfitted trucks deliver the hot meals each day, so customers only have to open the heat-retaining carriers and portion out servings.

Because of its experience and volume, Quality Catering for Kids is able to provide nutritious hot lunches at highly competitive price and usually for less than the cost of a sack lunch.

Along with its Lake Villa commissary and offices, the company has an office in suburban Milwaukee that serves Wisconsin childcare centers and schools.

Jim Scharnell
president
Quality Catering for Kids
1-888-356-7513
www.qualitycateringforkids.com 

School Clothes IN TX

From Teacher Magazine

Comment: I thought this was wonderful. School clothes are an issue with good teachers because school clothes affect a child's whole day. Too often they are the focus of the parent and the child learns that clothes will make or break him or her, and without just the right clothes, a child can't focus on anything but the clothes.

Clothes NEVER make the child, and parents who think they do, are creating a monster. The child should always outshine his clothes. I remember my mother saying once, "That dress is wearing that child" and the very idea that my own children's persons would have been seen second coming down a hallway at school to an outfit is appalling to me.

Clothes are often seen as a status symbol. But that's the problem, the CLOTHES are seen as a status symbol and the child is worn by the clothes unless the child is so outstanding he or she can overcome their clothes. Is a Walmart shirt really less than a Gap shirt? Why?

My family once owned the lofts that made Brooks Brother's clothes. One of my great grandfathers was a furrier. Growing up I had very very few clothes, and often my school uniform was my best outfit. Of the clothes I had, my mother cut out every store label in every piece of clothing we wore. I Magnin's or K-mart, what difference would it have made to me at six or eight or ten? None.

Here's a story about what they are doing about clothes in Texas. I love it.

A Crime of Fashion

There are no bars on the windows, but Texas’ Gonzales High School could start to resemble a prison. A new policy at the school, located 70 miles east of San Antonio, states students who violate the dress code will be required to wear an inmate-style navy blue jumpsuit to class if they refuse to attend in-school suspension or don’t change their clothes, The Houston Chronicle reported.

“We’re a conservative community, and we’re just trying to make our students more reflective of that,” Gonzales Independent School District deputy superintendent Larry Wehde said. Dress code violations include spaghetti-strap tank tops, baggy clothes, miniskirts, clothes that reveal underwear, and earrings on male students. T-shirts have recently been added to the list, with students now expected to wear collared shirts.

Although school officials hope the policy will lessen clothing distractions in class, senior class president Jordan Meredith says some students plan to fight the policy by turning the jumpsuits into a fashion statement, even going as far as to say they will purposefully violate the dress code or purchase their own coveralls. “They’ll see it as an opportunity to be like, rebels,” he said. “I don’t think there’s going to be enough jumpsuits for everyone.”

Posted by Vicki Kriz on August 5, 2008 2:00 PM

Get Kids Moving

Want to boost kids’ grades? Get them moving
By Jacqueline Stenson

Jacqueline Stenson is a freelance writer in Los Angeles. A former senior health producer for msnbc.com, her work also has appeared in publications including the Los Angeles Times, Health, Shape, Women’s Health, Fit Pregnancy and Reuters Health.

Comment: Excellent presentation of a problem in modern schools- namely not enough moving.

Want to help your kids do better in school this fall? Get them moving. That’s the message from a growing field of research linking physical activity with better academic performance.

At a time when many schools have reduced or eliminated gym classes and recess, experts say the worry goes beyond the childhood obesity epidemic.

“It’s not only Johnny’s getting fat, and heart disease down the road — all that’s true. But it’s also that he might not do as well in school,” says James Pivarnik, president-elect of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and a professor of kinesiology at Michigan State University in East Lansing.

In one of the latest studies in this field, Pivarnik and colleagues found that middle-school students who performed best on fitness tests — which gauged aerobic capacity, strength, endurance, flexibility and body composition — performed better academically as well.

Results from the study, which included 317 students in grades six through eight, showed that the fittest group of students scored almost 30 percent higher on standardized tests than the least fit group. And the least fit students had grades in four core classes that were 13 percent to 20 percent lower than all other kids, according to findings presented at a recent ACSM meeting.

Experts speculate that exercise may boost academic performance in various ways, including: burning off pent-up energy and allowing kids to pay attention better and focus on their work; boosting self-esteem and mood; and increasing blood flow to the brain, helping with memory and concentration.

Studies in older people have found that cognitive function is significantly better among those who are active, Pivarnik notes. “This is the other end,” he says. “This is the developmental end.”

Teri Coha, a Chicago-area mother, says physical activity is essential for keeping her 9-year-old son, Cody, on track in school. He has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and although he takes medication for it, he needs daily exercise to help him focus, she says.

“We use exercise as a tool for studying because we would never get through it” otherwise, she says. “He just needs that outlet.”

Besides allowing for short exercise breaks during study sessions, sometimes Coha combines exercise and academics, practicing spelling words with her son while the two of them take a walk.

Some educators say they notice a difference, too.

Ken Endris, the principal at Fouke Elementary in Arkansas, where state law requires elementary students to get 150 minutes of physical activity (including physical education and recess) each week, says most kids enjoy activity breaks — and their teachers appreciate them as well.

“Teachers say the kids are more alert when they come to the classroom,” says Endris, a former PE teacher.

Organized sports not always the best answer
So if your child’s school is lacking in PE and recess, should you hurry to sign your kid up for sports this fall? Not necessarily. While sports certainly can help kids to shape up, regular free play — at the playground or your backyard — may work just as well, or even better.

In another study presented at the meeting, researchers found that kids engaged in more moderate-to-vigorous physical activity during non-competitive play than during competitive elimination games.

The research involved 29 children in grades four to six whose physical activity levels were assessed during two sessions of elimination games (such as tag, in which a tagged child had to sit out the rest of the game) and two sessions of non-elimination games (such as a modified version of tag, in which a tagged child could come back into the game after doing five jumping jacks).

“As you might expect, when you eliminate children from games, they’re less active because they’re sitting on the sidelines,” says study author David Dzewaltowski, head of the department of kinesiology at Kansas State University.

The same can happen with organized youth sports, he says, where kids may spend a lot of time on the bench, particularly if they aren’t among the star players. And some sports, such as soccer, generally involve more overall activity than others, such as baseball.

But even kids who don’t get much game time can get a lot of physical activity during well structured practices. Dzewaltowski urges parents to observe a couple practice sessions before signing a child up to make sure players aren’t standing around much of the time. A good coach, he says, keeps the kids moving with multiple training stations so they aren’t waiting in line to kick or hit a single ball.

Dodge ball doesn't keep kids moving
Parents also can talk with gym teachers about incorporating different types of activities into class. Dodge ball, while a perennial PE favorite, is a classic elimination game that rewards the most skilled, often the jocks who are already fit.

Still, some exercise is better than none, which is why health and fitness experts are so concerned about kids getting less physical activity during the school day.

“You’re cutting off your nose to spite your face here,” says Pivarnik. “It’s pretty short-sighted.” The ACSM is pushing for more physical activity in schools, as is fitness guru Richard Simmons.

As a 268-pound high schooler who sat on the sidelines during sports and ate other students’ lunches, Simmons knows all too well about the challenges of being “the fat kid.” So when he testified before Congress recently about the need for more physical activity in schools, he said that like him, all kids can’t make the cut in sports, but all children can — and need — to move.

“Everyone is not a jock,” he told Congress. “Everyone cannot play sports. Everyone cannot run. But everyone can be fit.”

The Garden School Tattler

We've had a wonderful week at school. It's been a bit confusing with staff coming and going. Mr. Tom is on vacation this week with his family. Miss Kelly has been taking some early afternoons because of her spider bite, and Miss Amy had a sister visit who she got a few hours to spend with her. All necessary outs and covered expertly by the rest of us - with love and affection.

Today we will go to the nursing home in Booneville where my mother was a resident until she died. Then it's on to Lincoln National park and a recheck of the farm to see how the summer has changed the baby animals and the garden. For the new kids, it's a treat to go up there.

We have distributed medals this week, and the kids are finding that summer is really at an end. They can no longer get away with chaos. It's quiet lines, no talking, and orderly bathroom routines. We are polite at the table, and to our teachers and to one another. Wednesday and Thursday about 50% of the kids lost medals. Next week, about 30% will lose them, and by September the token 10% who always lose them will be our "non believers." It's amazing how a Popsicle not given out will break the worst summer habits.

This is a pasta group at the table. Yesterday we had homemade macaroni and cheese and turkey strips. They loved it and ate 3 helpings. Every group is different, and this is a past group. Last year, the majority of kids hated pasta.

Next week our focus will be on "Following Directions." Now that we've listened, we should be able to do.

A Favor for a Friend

One of the people who sends a lot of the cute stuff and a lot of the interesting stuff for the blog has asked if I would vote for her in a photo contest. It would be helpful if you did so too. Here's the address: Pictures

Go to Summer Photo Contest and vote for the picture of the sunset by Susie E


Thanks,

Judy

Just for Fun

Comment: This is pure fun for a hot Wednesday in August. We can thank Mrs. St. Louis.

Will Rogers, who died in a plane crash with Wylie Post in 1935, was probably the greatest political sage this country has ever known.

Enjoy the following:

1. Never slap a man who's chewing tobacco.

2. Never kick a cow chip on a hot day.

3. There are 2 theories to arguing with a woman..neither works.

4. Never miss a good chance to shut up.

5. Always drink upstream from the herd.

6. If you find yourself in a hole, stop digging.

7. The quickest way to double your money is to fold it and put it back in your pocket.

8. There are three kinds of men: The ones that learn by reading. The few who learn by observation. The rest of them have to pee on the electric fence and find out for themselves.

9. Good judgment comes from experience, and a lot of that comes from bad judgment.

10. If you're riding' ahead of the herd, take a look back every now and then to make sure it's still there.

11. Lettin' the cat outta the bag is a whole lot easier'n puttin' it back.

12. After eating an entire bull, a mountain lion felt so good he started roaring. He kept it up until a hunter came along and shot him. The moral:

When you're full of bull, keep your mouth shut.

ABOUT GROWING OLDER...

First ~ Eventually you will reach a point when you stop lying about your age and start bragging about it.

Second ~ The older we get, the fewer things seem worth waiting in line for.

Third ~ Some people try to turn back their odometers. Not me, I want people to know "why" I look this way. I've traveled a long way and some of the roads weren't paved.

Fourth ~ When you are dissatisfied and would like to go back to youth, think of Algebra.

Fifth ~ You know you are getting old when everything either dries up or leaks.

Sixth ~ I don't know how I got over the hill without getting to the top.

Seventh ~ One of the many things no one tells you about aging is that it is such a nice change from being young.

Eighth ~ One must wait until evening to see how splendid the day has been.

Ninth ~ Being young is beautiful, but being old is comfortable.

Tenth ~ Long ago when men cursed and beat the ground with sticks, it was called witchcraft. Today it's called golf.

And finally ~ If you don't learn to laugh at trouble, you won't have anything to laugh at when you are old.

Garden School Tattler

This week our theme is Listening to Directions. Listening is perhaps the most important thing a child will learn in preschool and kindergarten. Children who listen well will be at the top of their classes. Listening skills are not "adult skills" because most adults don't listen - they don't want to. Listening means several things that most adults don't like to do.

First, a good listener is able to be silent for the length of time it takes for someone else to speak. Second, a good listener is able to set his or her needs aside for the sake of the speaker. Third, a good listener cares enough about the other person that he or she is interested in what the speaker says without interrupting, changing the subject or simply walking out of the room. Did you ever have a friend who simply could not listen to what you said without becoming so bored and so immediately uncomfortable that you just stopped in mid sentence?

Sharing floor space with some people is impossible because as they say, "It's all about me."

That's the one thing we try to suppress at school. It is all about "us" at school and everyone gets a turn and everyone will listen politely or be sent from the group.

Listening means to hear what the speaker said without molding it into something you want them to say. Interpreting a child's remarks can go awry, because their words are not always clear and their needs are sometimes vague. Every effort is made to listen to our children and figure out what they mean and what they want. That takes a certain kind of effort that years of experience helps.

Good listening begins with a desire to understand. Building confidences in a child by focusing on them as individuals with achieving goals is important. Setting time aside for children to have the floor to say what they think in a group of peers helps build the kind of confidence they need to be successful in big school. It begins in little school.

Points for parents:

When you pick up your child, hang up your cell phone. That does not need an explanation.

When you drive your child home, turn off your radio. That also does not need an explanation.

Make a time to ask your child about his day. This is best achieved when both of you are sitting down.

Make eye contact with your child and smile. It sets a friendly stage.

Give your child more than the adult 1 second rule to respond. Children who are waited for for five seconds to respond usually do so.

Listen to your child play. You may be surprised. Listen to them chatter away at themselves in the bathtub or when they are very busy with something. It is very revealing.

Many parents think their child does not know hateful and dirty words. You would be surprised what we hear at school. Be aware of what you say at home because your child is listening, and there is power in words.

Speak to your child as often as he or she is in the room with you. Many parents find talking to a child about as interesting as making beds. Anytime you speak with a child, you learn something and the child learns a great deal.

Never ask a why question. Cognitive skills are not developed in children under five. They have difficulty with why, but can answer a what question with gusto. Instead of "Why did the grasshopper jump," ask "What was the grasshopper doing," or "What do you think the grasshopper was doing."

Children who are not listened to won't listen. It's easy to see what children are never engaged in conversation with their parents. All behavior begins at home. Be the best parent you can be and talk and listen to your child. It will increase his skills a thousand fold.

Grapes

From World's Healthiest Foods

Comment: Read this or even part of this. It's an excellent article on Grapes. We are using our last home grown grapes this week. They are Concord.

The combination of crunchy texture and dry, sweet, tart flavor has made grapes an ever popular between meal snack as well as a refreshing addition to both fruit and vegetable salads. American varieties are available in September and October while European varieties are available year round.

Grapes are small round or oval berries that feature semi-translucent flesh encased by a smooth skin. Some contain edible seeds while others are seedless. Like blueberries, grapes are covered by a protective, whitish bloom. Grapes that are eaten as is or used in a recipe are called table grapes as opposed to wine grapes (used in viniculture) or raisin grapes (used to make dried fruit).hart

This chart graphically details the %DV that a serving of Grapes provides for each of the nutrients of which it is a good, very good, or excellent source according to our Food Rating System. Additional information about the amount of these nutrients provided by Grapes can be found in the Food Rating System Chart. A link that takes you to the In-Depth Nutritional Profile for Grapes, featuring information over 80 nutrients, can be found under the Food Rating System Chart.

• Health Benefits
• Description
• History
• How to Select and Store
• How to Enjoy
• Safety
• Nutritional Profile
• References

Health Benefits

Grapes contain beneficial compounds called flavonoids, which are phytonutrients that give the vibrant purple color to grapes, grape juice and red wine; the stronger the color, the higher the concentration of flavonoids.

These flavonoid compounds include quercitin, as well as a second flavonoid-type compound (falling into the chemical category of stilbenes)called resveratrol. Both compounds appear to decrease the risk of heart disease by:

• Reducing platelet clumping and harmful blood clots
• Protecting LDL cholesterol from the free radical damage that initiates LDL's artery-damaging actions

Grapes and products made from grapes, such as wine and grape juice, may protect the French from their high-fat diets. Diets high in saturated fats like butter and lard, and lifestyle habits like smoking are risk factors for heart disease. Yet, French people with these habits have a lower risk of heart attack than Americans do. One clue that may help explain this "French paradox" is their frequent consumption of grapes and red wines.

Protection Against Heart Disease

In a study in which blood samples were drawn from 20 healthy volunteers both before and after they drank grape juice, researchers found several beneficial effects from their juice consumption.

First, an increase occured in levels of nitric oxide, a compound produced in the body that helps reduce the formation of clots in blood vessels. Second, a decrease occurred in platelet aggregation, or blood clotting, by red blood cells. Lastly, researchers saw an increase in levels of alpha-tocopherol, an antioxidant compound that is a member of the vitamin E family, and this increase was accompanied by a 50% increase in plasma antioxidant activity.

These findings confirmed the benefits found in an earlier study, where researchers found not only an increase in blood antioxidant activity, but also discovered that grape juice protected LDL cholesterol from oxidation, a phenomenon that can turn LDL into an artery-damaging molecule. (Although LDL is often called the "bad" form of cholesterol, it is actually benign and only becomes harmful after it is damaged by free radicals or "oxidized."

Additionally, investigators have found that phenolic compounds in grape skins inhibit protein tyrosine kinases, a group of enzymes that play a key role in cell regulation. Compounds that inhibit these enzymes also suppress the production of a protein that causes blood vessels to constrict, thus reducing the flow of oxygen to the heart. This protein, called endothelin-1, is thought to be a key contributing agent in the development of heart disease.

A study published in the journal Hypertension sheds new insight on the mechanisms of action through which resveratrol inhibits the production of the potent blood vessel constrictor, endothelin-1 (ET-1). Resveratrol appears to work at the genetic level, preventing the strain-induced expression of a gene that directs the production of ET-1. Normally, ET-1 is synthesized by endothelial cells (the cells comprising the lining of blood vessel walls) in response to free radicals formed as a result of strain or stress. Resveratrol prevents the expression of ET-1, at least in part, by significantly lessening free radical formation, thus preventing the production of the agents that, in turn, activate the signaling pathways that control the creation of ET-1.

Resveratrol Helps Keep the Heart Muscle Flexible and Healthy

A team of researchers led by Gary Meszaros and Joshua Bomser at the Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine has shown that resveratrol not only inhibits production of endothelin-1, but also directly affects heart muscle cells to maintain heart health. Their research, published in the American Journal of Physiology: Heart and Circulatory Physiology, shows that resveratrol inhibits angiotensin II, a hormone that is secreted in response to high blood pressure and heart failure.

Angiotensin II has a negative effect on heart health in that it signals cardiac fibroblasts, the family of heart muscle cells responsible for secreting collagen, to proliferate. The result is the production of excessive amounts of collagen, which causes the heart muscle to stiffen, reducing its ability to pump blood efficiently.

In addition to inhibiting angiotensin II, and therefore the proliferation of cardiac fibroblasts, resveratrol also prevented the cardiac fibroblasts that were already present from changing into myofibroblasts, the type of cardiac fibroblast that produces the most collagen.

The Role of Grapes' Saponins in Supporting Heart Health

Research presented at the 226th national meeting of the American Chemical Society provides yet another explanation for red wine's cardio-protective effects-phytonutrients that help lower cholesterol called saponins. A plant protective agent found in the grapes' waxy skin, which dissolves into the wine during its fermentation process, saponins are believed to bind to and prevent the absorption of cholesterol and are also known to settle down inflammation pathways, an effect that could have implications in not only heart disease, but cancer. The research team, led by Andrew Waterhouse, PhD, from the University of California, Davis, thinks that alcohol may make the saponins more soluble and thus more available in wine.

Currently, a hot research topic, saponins are glucose-based compounds, which are being found in an increasing number of foods including olive oil and soybeans. Waterhouse tested six varieties of California wines, four red and two white, to compare their saponin content, which varied among brands, but was found present in high concentrations in all the red wines tested. Red wines contained 3 to 10 times the amount of saponins found in white wines. The saponin content of red wine also showed a positive correlation with alcohol content, the stronger the wine, the more saponins. Among the red wines tested, red Zinfandel, which also had the highest level of alcohol-16%-contained the highest levels. Syrah came in second, followed by Pinot noir and Cabernet Sauvignon, which had a comparable amount. The white varieties tested, Sauvignon blanc and Chardonnay, contained much less.

"Average dietary saponin intake has been estimated at 15 mg, while one glass of red wine has a total saponin concentration of about half that, making red wine a significant dietary source," Waterhouse said.

Strokes occur when blood clots or an artery bursts in the brain, interrupting its blood supply. In the U.S., where every 45 seconds, someone will experience a stroke, according to the American Stroke Association, strokes are the leading cause of disability and the 3rd leading cause of death.

Resveratrol, a flavonoid found in grapes, red wine and peanuts, can improve blood flow in the brain by 30%, thus greatly reducing the risk of stroke, according to the results of an animal study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.

Lead researcher Kwok Tung Lu hypothesized that resveratrol exerted this very beneficial effect by stimulating the production and/or release of nitric oxide (NO), a molecule made in the lining of blood vessels (the endothelium) that signals the surrounding muscle to relax, dilating the blood vessel and increasing blood flow.

In the animals that received resveratrol, the concentration of nitric oxide (NO) in the affected part of the brain was 25% higher than that seen not only in the ischemia-only group, but even in the control animals.

Pterostilbene, Another Antioxidant in Grapes, May Lower Cholesterol

In addition to resveratrol and saponins, grapes contain yet another compound called pterostilbene (pronounced TARE-oh-STILL-bean), a powerful antioxidant that is already known to fight cancer and may also help lower cholesterol.

In a study using animal liver cells, scientists at the USDA Agricultural Research Service compared the cholesterol-lowering effects of pterostilbene to those of ciprofibrate, a lipid-lowering drug, and resveratrol, another antioxidant found in grapes with a chemical structure similar to pterostilbene that has been shown to help fight cancer and heart disease.

They based their comparison on each compound's ability to activate PPAR-alpha (short for peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha). The PPARs are a family of receptors on cells all throughout the body that are involved in the absorption of compounds into cells for use in energy production. PPAR-alpha is crucial for the metabolism of lipids, including cholesterol.

Pterostilbene was as effective as ciprofibrate and outperformed resveratrol in activating PPAR-alpha. In addition to grapes, pterostilbene is found in berries of the Vaccinium genus such as cranberries and blueberries. The take away message: turn up your cholesterol burning machinery by eating more grapes, blueberries and cranberries.

Grape Polyphenols Lower Key Factors for Coronary Heart Disease in Women

More evidence shows grapes and grape juice, not just red wine, offer considerable cardiovascular benefits. Consuming a drink made from adding just 36 g (1.26 ounces) of a powder made from freeze-dried grapes to a glass of water daily for 4 weeks resulted in a wide variety of cardioprotective effects in 24 pre- and 20 postmenopausal women, shows a study published in the Journal of Nutrition.

• Blood levels of LDL cholesterol and apolipoproteins B and E dropped significantly. (These apolipoproteins are involved in the binding of LDL and VLDL cholesterol to blood vessel walls, one of the beginning steps in the development of atherosclerosis.)
• Triglycerides dropped 15 and 6% in pre- and postmenopausal women, respectively.
• Cholesterol ester transfer protein activity dropped 15%. (Inhibition of this protein has been shown to increase levels of HDL while decreasing LDL levels.)
• Levels of urinary F(2)-isoprostanes (a marker of free radical damage in the body) dropped significantly as did blood levels of TNF-alpha (tumor necrosis factor-alpha, which plays a major role in the inflammation process).

The rich mixture of phytonutrients found in grapes-which includes flavans, anthocyanins, quercetin, myricetin, kaempferol, as well as resveratrol-is thought to be responsible for these numerous protective effects on cholesterol metabolism, oxidative stress (free radical activity) and inflammation.

Wine Protective for Persons with Hypertension

If you have high blood pressure, a glass of wine with your evening meal may be a good idea, according to research published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. In persons with high blood pressure, the risk of death from cardiovascular disease is much higher in northern Europe and the United States than in Mediterranean countries. When French researchers tested the hypothesis that drinking wine reduces the risk of hypertension-related death, they found that, in persons with hypertension, moderate regular wine drinking reduced the risk of death from all causes, not just coronary artery disease.

Grapes Provide Many of the Cardioprotective Benefits of Red Wine

While studies show red wine offers numerous protective benefits, grape juice also provides the majority of these effects without the risks of alcohol consumption, which, if excessive can lead to accidents, liver problems, higher blood pressure, heart arrhythmias-and alcoholism.

In addition, red wine causes migraines in some people and may bring on an attack of gout in others. Wine often contains added preservatives, colors and flavors, which are not listed on the label and may cause adverse reactions. Sulfur dioxide, for example, is an additive frequently found in red wine that can trigger an asthma attack in individuals sensitive to this chemical.

If consumed by pregnant women, any alcoholic beverage including wine, can cause fetal alcohol syndrome.

If you prefer not to consume alcoholic beverages, take heart-grapes may still provide many of the cardioprotective benefits attributed to red wine.

Resveratrol, which is concentrated in red wine but only appears in very small amounts in grapes, has been touted as the main agent responsible for the "French paradox," i.e., the health benefits associated with drinking red wine. But, Lawrence M. Szewczuk and Trevor M. Penning from the University of Pennsylvania, in a study published in the Journal of Natural Products, point out that other constituents found in far greater amounts in grapes as well as red wine, namely grapes' catechins and epicatechins, might be due the most credit.

One of the primary ways in which resveratrol is reported to have its cardioprotective effects is its ability to modify activity of cyclooxygenase enzymes. Two forms of cyclooxygenase (COX-1 and COX-2) have been closely studied in the research literature (often by drug companies developing new prescription medications). These cyclooxygenase enzymes have many roles in metabolism, including roles in triggering the body's inflammatory response. COX-2 appears to be the more important of these two enzyme forms when it comes to inflammatory response. Resveratrol appears to help block COX-2 activity indirectly, through changes in another system of messaging molecules called NF-kappaB and I-kappaB kinase. It also appears to directly block activity of COX-1. Unfortunately, the average wine drinker appears to absorb resveratrol in quantities too small to significantly lower cyclooxygenase activity. Catechins and epicatechins are present in much greater amounts in grapes as well as red wine, and smaller amounts of these compounds appear to be needed for reduction of cyclooxygenase activity.

To receive comparable benefits as those gained from drinking a glass of red wine, however, you need to drink more grape juice. A recent study found that six glasses of grape juice produced the same beneficial effect as two glasses of red wine in reducing platelet aggregation, the clumping that leads to blood clots, heart attacks and strokes.

Another option is to drink dealcoholized red wine. A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition suggests the alcohol-free alternative provides comparable cardioprotective benefit. In this six month study, female laboratory animals with an inbred susceptibility to develop cardiovascular disease were given a normal diet along with red, white or dealcoholized red wine to compare their effects on atherosclerosis development. Dealcoholized red wine provided effective protection comparable to that of either white or red wine, significantly decreasing the development of atherosclerosis. Researchers credit the polyphenolic compounds found in the wine, rather than alcohol, with these beneficial effects.

So, if you want to avoid alcohol and protect your heart, toast your health with at least three daily glasses of red or purple grape juice.

Resveratrol for Optimal Health

Recently, several studies have also identified resveratrol as an excellent candidate for use as a cancer-preventive agent in prostate, lung, liver and breast cancer. Resveratrol has demonstrated striking inhibitory effects on the cellular events involved in cancer initiation, promotion, and progression, and its safety in animal studies of cancer development resulting from exposure to chemical toxins is excellent.

One of the most exciting studies, published in the Journal of Applied Toxicology, suggested that resveratrol can provide protection against benzopyrene, a major environmental carcinogen involved in the development of lung cancer. Resveratrol works its protective magic by inhibiting a receptor on cells called the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) to which benzopyrene (and other carcinogens called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) bind. The AhR turns on a whole battery of genes that is involved in carcinogenesis. In this study, significant DNA damage was found in laboratory animals exposed to benzopyrene, but when they were also given resveratrol, their DNA damage was less than half, plus, in those cells whose DNA was damaged, resveratrol also caused a significant rise in apoptosis (the self-destruction sequence the body uses to eliminate cancerous cells).Other studies suggest that resveratrol can also inhibit the growth of liver and breast cancer cells.

French scientists have discovered a potent anti-cancer agent, acutimissin A, in red wine that has been aged in oak barrels. A member of a class of polyphenols called ellagitannins, acutimissin A develops when a grape flavonoid called catechin combines with a phenol in oak called vescalagin. Discovered 16 years ago in the sawtooth oak, acutimissin A blocks the action of an important enzyme whose activity is essential to the development of cancerous cells. In preliminary tests, acutimissin A has been shown to be 250 times more potent than the clinical anti-cancer drug VP-16.

Promote Lung Health

Red, but not white wine, may offer protection against lung cancer, suggests a study published in Thorax by Professor Juan Barros-Dios and his team at the University of Santiago de Compostela, Spain, who reported the results of their hospital-based case-control study. While a daily glass of white wine was associated with a 20% increased risk of lung cancer, a daily glass of red wine lowered risk an average of 13%. No association was noted between lung cancer and the consumption of beer or spirits.

What might explain these different effects seen in individuals drinking red and white wine? Most likely, red wine's concentration of the phytonutrient, resveratrol. Another study published in the American Journal of Physiology: Lung, Cellular and Molecular Physiology found that resveratrol has a number of anti-inflammatory effects on human airway epithelial cells-the cells lining the lungs and nasal passages.

Resveratrol blocked the release in these epithelial cells of a number of inflammatory molecules including IL-8, inducible nitric oxide synthase and NF-kappaB, inhibiting the latter more effectively than the powerful glucocorticosteroid drug, dexamethasone.

Resveratrol's anti-inflammatory actions also inhibited the production of COX-2 in these epithelial cells. COX-2 is the pro-inflammatory compound whose production the non-steriodal anti-inflammatory drugs Vioxx and Celebrex were developed to prevent. While these drugs are now being pulled off the market due to the increased risk of heart attack and death associated with their use, resveratrol's anti-inflammatory actions pose no such risks.

In fact, the researchers concluded their report by saying, "This study demonstrates that resveratrol and quercetin have novel nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory activity that may have applications for the treatment of inflammatory diseases." Louise Donnelly, lead researcher in the study, was so impressed with resveratrol's broad anti-inflammatory effects that she has begun investigating its use in an aerosol spray to treat chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma.

Grapes Enhance Women's Health

Red grape skins and seeds contain recently isolated compounds that a study published in Cancer Research has shown reduce the size of estrogen-dependent breast cancer tumors. In breast cancer, local estrogen production has been demonstrated to play a major role in promoting tumor growth. An enzyme called aromatase, which converts other hormone substrates (specifically, androgens) into estrogens, is present in greater amounts in breast cancer tissue compared to normal breast tissue and is thought to play a crucial role in breast cancer initiation and progression. Grape skins and seeds contain compounds called procyanidin B dimers that can inhibit aromatase, and in this study, were used to significantly reduce the size of mammary tumors in laboratory animals. Lead researcher, Shiuan Chen, of the City of Hope Cancer Center in Los Angeles, believes these phytonutrients in grape skins and seeds, while not as powerful as drugs used to inhibit aromatase (e.g., anastrozole, letrozole and exemestane), could play an important role as cancer preventive agents. If you drink wine, choose red. And next time you buy grapes, consider choosing red grapes with seeds.

Another Way Grapes Promote Optimal Health

Research published in Cancer Letters provides one reason why diets high in fruit help prevent cancer: raspberries, blackberries and muscadine grapes inhibit metalloproteinase enzymes. Although essential for the development and remodeling of tissues, if produced in abnormally high amounts, these enzymes play a significant role in cancer development by providing a mechanism for its invasion and spread.

Grapes' Resveratrol May Lower Risk of Alzheimer's Disease

Population studies indicate a link between moderate consumption of red wine and a lower incidence of Alzheimer's disease. A laboratory study published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry helps explain why.

Resveratrol, a naturally occurring polyphenol found mainly in grapes and red wine, greatly reduces the levels of amyloid-beta peptides (Abeta). Plaques containing Abeta are a hallmark finding in the brain tissue of patients with Alzheimer's disease.

In this study, cells treated with resveratrol had significantly lower levels of Abeta than untreated cells. Resveratrol lowers Abeta levels by promoting its rapid breakdown by proteasomes, protein-digesting "machines" inside our cells that dismantle a variety of proteins into short polypeptides and amino acids that can then be used to make new protein the cell needs.

Each human cell contains about 30,000 proteasomes, which mainly digest proteins made within the cell, such as enzymes and transcription factors, so their parts can be recycled to make new proteins.

Resveratrol-An Anti-Aging Agent?

In recently published research, resveratrol has been identified as a potent activator of Sir2-an enzyme researchers have now discovered is responsible for the extension of life span seen in many species when placed on calorie restricted diets.

In the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, not only does calorie restriction extend longevity through a pathway that requires the enzyme Sir2, but overproducing this enzyme can prolong the life of yeast even when grown under normal nutrient conditions. Similarly, in the evolutionarily more advanced worm Caenorhabditis elegans, increased expression of the worm's version of Sir2 has also been shown to extend lifespan.

The Sir2 enzyme belongs to a large family of molecules called sirtuins, found in virtually all life forms. In mammalian cells, sirtuins regulate cell maturation (differentiation) and programmed cell death (apoptosis).

Building on the knowledge that caloric restriction prolongs longevity through Sir2, researchers (Howitz et al.) searched for a small molecule that could activate this enzyme directly. They discovered two related compounds that stimulate Sir2 activity, both of which belong to the family of molecules called polyphenols-active compounds products by plants. Of all the polyphenols tested, resveratrol was the most potent by far. The researchers found that this compound prolonged the lifespan of yeast by approximately 70%, and that the extension of longevity was entirely dependent on resveratrol's activation of Sir2. Yeast strains deficient in this enzyme did not benefit from resveratrol treatment.

Could plant polyphenols such as resveratrol hold the secret of the elixir of youth sought by Ponce de Leon? Perhaps, but the research indicates that figuring out the way to apply their life extending effects will be complicated. At relatively low doses, resveratrol was found to stimulate sirtuin activity, but higher doses have had the opposite effect. While not an ideal characteristic for a pharmaceutical drug, this suggests that the appropriate dosage could be supplied by enjoying a daily glass of grape juice or red wine. More importantly, however, much more research must be done before we understand how sirtuins function in mammalian aging. Extending longevity in a yeast is a long way from life extension in higher organisms. Till scientists figure this out, a daily dose of resveratrol-rich grapes in all their delicious forms might add years to your life as well as delight to your years.

An Effective Anti-Microbial Agent

Researchers at Erciyes University, Turkey, have found that an agent made from grape pomace extract (grape seeds, skin and stems) is an effective anti-microbial agent. When tested against 14 bacteria including Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, the grape extract inhibited all the bacteria tested at extract concentrations of 2.5, 5, 10 and 20%, except for Y enterocolitica, which was not inhibited by the 2.5% concentration.

Purple Grape Juice, Red Wines Protective against Food-Borne Illness

If you get a food-borne illness, drink purple grape juice or a glass of red wine. Commonly used antibiotics destroy the body's health-promoting intestinal bacteria, but red wines, particularly Cabernet, Pinot noir and Merlot, inhibit food borne pathogens without harming beneficial probiotic bacteria. Research presented at the Institute of Food Technologists' annual conference tested four food borne pathogens and four probiotics. The probiotics weren't inhibited by red wines; the pathogens were.

The most promising results were those found for H. pylori, the bacterium that causes most stomach ulcers, but red wines also inhibited E. coli, Salmonella Typhimurium, and Listeria monocytogenes. E While purple grape juice was also effective, white wine was not, suggesting that inhibitory effects against pathogens may be due to the catechin and resveratrol found in grape skins and red wines. (Grape skins are removed when making white wine.) Ethanol (the alcohol in wine), pH levels and resveratrol were separately found have similar protective effects. Das A, Institute of Food Technologists' Conference, Chicago, July 31, 2007, Food Microbiology, Presentation# 142-13)

Red Wine Greatly Cuts Colorectal Cancer Risk, Reduces Risk of All-Causes of Mortality

Drinking at least three glasses of red wine a week could cut the risk of colorectal cancer by almost 70%, researchers reported at the 71st Annual Scientific Meeting of the American College of Gastroenterology in Las Vegas. Colorectal cancer accounts for 9% of new cancer cases every year worldwide, occurring primarily in the United States and Europe. Fortunately, if diagnosed early, it remains one of the most curable cancers.

Joseph Anderson and colleagues from the Stony Brook University in New York looked at the drinking habits of 360 red and white wine drinkers with similar lifestyles and found that, while white wine consumption had no association with colorectal cancer occurrence, regularly drinking red wine was linked to a 68% reduced risk of the cancer.

The active component in wine thought to be largely responsible is resveratrol, a natural anti-fungal that grapes-especially organically grown red grapes- produce under their skin. The concentration of resveratrol is significantly higher in red than white wine because the skins are removed earlier during white-wine production.

Nearly all dark red wines-merlot, cabernet, zinfandel, shiraz and pinot noir-contain resveratrol, although the amount in a bottle can range from 0.2 to 5.8 milligrams per litre, varying among types of grapes and growing seasons.

Also, grapes and wine are reported to contain more than 600 different phytonutrients, including many with antioxidant activity, so it's likely that a number of compounds in grapes, including resveratrol, work synergistically to protect against colorectal cancer.

In support of this hypothesis, a recent animal study by researchers from Tuft's University reported brain-protecting effects from Concord grape juice resulting from synergistic activity among grape polyphenols. "It may be that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts," wrote lead author of this study, Barbara Shukitt-Hale, in the journal Nutrition.

In other research-a meta-analysis of 34 studies involving over a million people published in the Archives of Internal Medicine-investigators at the Catholic University of Campobasso in Italy concluded that moderate drinking is associated with a reduction in all-cause mortality.

Although excessive alcohol consumption was shown to increase mortality, drinking 2 to 4 drinks per day was associated with a reduction in deaths from all causes in men. For women, the protective effect ended above 2 drinks per day.

It's been proposed that the protective effect of moderate drinking may be due to associated lifestyle factors, but lead author of this study, Di Castelnuovo noted, "We've carefully examined this aspect. Our data suggest that, even considering all main confounding factors (as dietary habits, physical activity or the health of people studied), a moderate consumption of alcoholic beverages keeps on showing a real positive effect."

The review also determined that the protective benefit of alcohol is greater for European than American men, which could be explained by the way in which alcohol is consumed: European men are likelier than Americans to drink wine and to enjoy it with a meal.

"The core of this study is not just about alcohol," Catholic University Research Laboratories director Giovanni de Gaetano stated. "It is also the way we drink that makes the difference: little amounts, preferably during meals, this appears to be the right way. This is another feature of the Mediterranean diet, where alcohol, wine above all, is the ideal partner of a dinner or lunch, but that's all: the rest of the day must be absolutely alcohol-free. The message carried by scientific studies like ours is simple: alcohol can be a respectful guest on our table, but it is good just when it goes with a healthy lifestyle, where moderation leads us toward a consumption inspired by quality not by quantity."

Recent Harvard research (the Northern Manhattan Study and the Cardiovascular Health Study) also suggest that moderation in alcohol consumption is key: lowest risk of stroke was seen in those who had one, or maybe two, drinks a day.

If you're inspired to try a daily glass of red wine as part of your healthy way of eating, you may want to look for red wine from southwestern France or Sardinia. Research published in Nature suggests that the protective polyphenols in red wine are present at higher concentrations in wines from southwestern France and Sardinia, where traditional production methods ensure these compounds are efficiently extracted during wine production.

In this study, researchers evaluated red wine samples from Australia (14), France (11), Greece (16), Italy (3), Spain (1), Sardinia (15), Argentina (33), Chile (9), Bolivia (5), Uruguay (4), and the USA (14 from California), along with various other wines from Southwest France, Georgia and South Africa.

They also looked at human aging patterns using data from the 1999 French census. The data showed six regions in Southwest and Central France with >25% higher level of men aged 75 or more, compared to the national average. Men living in Nuoro province in Sardinia also had higher longevity. (The analyses focused on men because they have been shown to benefit more than women from regular wine consumption.) Wines produced in areas of increased longevity (e.g., the Gers area of France and Nuoro province in Sardinia) were found to have 2-4-fold more polyphenol (oligomeric procyanidins or OPCs) content and biological activity than wines from other regions. These are areas where traditional wine making methods are still used, plus the Tannat grape used in these regions is also particularly high in OPCs.

Concord Grape Juice Ranked among the Highest in Antioxidant Activity

Not all fruit juices are the same. They differ markedly in the variety of phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity, according to Alan Crozier, Professor of Plant Biochemistry and Human Nutrition, who, with colleagues at the University of Glasgow, evaluated 13 commercially available popular juices.

Concord grapes came out on top with the highest and broadest range of polyphenols and the highest overall antioxidant capacity. (The main components in purple grape juice were flavan-3-ols, anthocyanins, and hydroxycinnamates, together accounting for 93% of the total phenolic content.)

Other top scorers were cloudy apple juice, cranberry juice and grapefruit juice.

Results for the red grape juice were said to be equal to those for a Beaujolais red wine. Interestingly, however, white grape juice, mainly containing hydroxycinnamates, had the lowest total phenolic content.

The products analyzed were: Spray Classic Cranberry; Welch's Purple Grape; Tesco Pure Pressed Red Grape; Pomegreat Pomegranate; Tesco Pure Apple (clear); Copella Apple (cloudy); Tesco Pure Grapefruit; Tesco Value Pure Orange (concentrate); Tropicana Pure Premium Smooth Orange (squeezed); Tropicana Pure Premium Tropical Fruit; Tesco Pure Pressed White Grape; Tesco Pure Pineapple; Del Monte Premium Tomato.

Dr. Crozier's findings come shortly after those of the Kame project, which indicated that long-term fruit juice consumption can provide protection against Alzheimer's disease (Dai et al., Am J Med), and suggest that, since each fruit juice contains its own array of protective phenols, drinking a variety may offer the best protection. Practical Tip: "The message is to mix these juices during the week. That way you will get all the compounds with anti-oxidant activity. If you drink only one juice you risk missing out on the compounds in the others," explained Crozier.

Description

Grapes are small round or oval berries that feature a semi-translucent flesh encased by a smooth skin. Some contain edible seeds, while others are seedless. Like blueberries, grapes are covered by a protective, whitish bloom.

Grapes that are eaten from the vine are called table grapes, as opposed to wine grapes (used in viniculture) or raisin grapes (used to make dried fruit). While there are thousands of varieties of grapes, only about 20 constitute the majority of table grapes consumed.

Color, size, taste and physical characteristics differ amongst the varieties. Grapes come in a variety of colors including green, amber, red, blue-black, and purple. In general, whole grapes have a slightly crunchy texture and a dry, sweet and tart taste.

There are three main species of grapes:

European grapes (Vitis vinifera):

Varieties include Thompson (seedless and amber-green in color), Emperor (seeded and purple in color) and Champagne/Black Corinth (tiny in size and purple in color). European varieties feature skins that adhere closely to their flesh.

North American grapes (Vitis labrusca and Vitis rotundifolia):

Varieties include Concord (blue-black in color and large in size), Delaware (pink-red in color with a tender skin) and Niagara (amber colored and less sweet than other varieties). North American varieties feature skins that more easily slip away from their flesh.

French hybrids:

These were developed from the vinifera grapes after the majority of grape varieties were destroyed in Europe in the 19th century.

History

Grapes have a long and abundant history. While they've grown wild since prehistoric times, evidence suggests they were cultivated in Asia as early as 5000 BC. The grape also played a role in numerous biblical stories, being referred to as the "fruit of the vine." Grapes were also pictured in hieroglyphics in ancient Egyptian burial tombs.

During the ancient Greek and Roman civilizations, grapes were revered for their use in winemaking. They were planted in the Rhine Valley in Germany, a place of notable wine production, in the 2nd century AD. Around this time, over 90 varieties of grapes were already known.

As European travelers explored the globe, they brought the grape with them. Grapes were first planted in the United States in the early 17th century at a Spanish mission in New Mexico. From there, they quickly spread to the central valley of California where climate, and absence of grape-preying insects, best supported their production.

In the late 19th century, almost all of the vinifera varieties of grapes in France were destroyed by an insect that was unintentionally brought from North America. Fortunately, agriculturists crossbred some of the vinifera variety with the American labrusca variety and were able to continue the cultivation of grapes in this region, one that is famous for its grapes and wine.

Today, as researchers continue to investigate the health-promoting polyphenolic compounds found in grapes, this fruit is gaining even more attention. Currently, Italy, France, Spain, the United States, Mexico and Chile are among the largest commercial producers of grapes.

How to Select and Store

Choose grapes that are plump and free from wrinkles. They should be intact, not leaking juice, and firmly attached to a healthy looking stem.

One way to evaluate the sweetness of grapes is by their color. Green grapes should have a slight yellowish hue, red grapes should be mostly red, while purple and blue-black grapes should be deep and rich in color.

For the most antioxidants, choose fully ripened grapes:

Research conducted at the University of Innsbruck in Austria suggests that as fruits fully ripen, almost to the point of spoilage, their antioxidant levels actually increase.

Key to the process is the change in color that occurs as fruits ripen, a similar process to that seen in the fall when leaves turn from green to red to yellow to brown— a color change caused by the breakdown and disappearance of chlorophyll, which gives leaves and fruits their green color.

Until now, no one really knew what happened to chlorophyll during this process, but lead researcher, Bernard Kräutler, and his team, working together with botanists over the past several years, has identified the first decomposition products in leaves: colorless, polar NCCs (nonfluorescing chlorophyll catabolytes), that contain four pyrrole rings - like chlorophyll and heme.

After examining apples and pears, the scientists discovered that NCCs replace the chlorophyll not only in the leaves of fruit trees, but in their very ripe fruits, especially in the peel and flesh immediately below it.

"When chlorophyll is released from its protein complexes in the decomposition process, it has a phototoxic effect: when irradiated with light, it absorbs energy and can transfer it to other substances. For example, it can transform oxygen into a highly reactive, destructive form," report the researchers. However, NCCs have just the opposite effect. Extremely powerful antioxidants, they play an important protective role for the plant, and when consumed as part of the human diet, NCCs deliver the same potent antioxidant protection within our bodies. . Angew Chem Int Ed Engl. 2007 Nov 19;46(45):8699-8702.

Since grapes tend to spoil and ferment at room temperature, they should always be stored in the refrigerator. Loosely wrap unwashed grapes in a paper towel and place them in a plastic bag. This way, they'll keep fresh in the refrigerator for several days.

While freezing detracts from some of their flavor, frozen grapes are a wonderful snack and particularly intriguing to children. To freeze grapes, wash and pat them dry, then arrange in a single layer on a cookie sheet and place in freezer. Once frozen, transfer grapes to a heavy plastic bag and return them to the freezer.