Jumat, 26 September 2014

Statin users have an increased risk of cataract

This study was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association Ophthalmology 2013 Sep 19

Study title and authors:
Association of Statin Use With Cataracts: A Propensity Score-Matched Analysis.
Leuschen J, Mortensen EM, Frei CR, Mansi EA, Panday V, Mansi I.
Wilford Hall Ambulatory Surgery Center, San Antonio, Texas2San Antonio Military Medical Center, San Antonio, Texas.

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24052188

The objective of the study was to compare the risks for development of cataracts between statin users and nonusers. The study included 6,972 statin users who were compared with 6,972 nonusers.

The study found:
(a) The risk for cataract was 9% higher among statin users in comparison with nonusers.
(b) In patients with no comorbidities according to the Charlson Comorbidity Index, (the Charlson comorbidity index predicts the ten-year mortality for a patient who may have a range of comorbid conditions, such as heart disease, AIDS, or cancer a total of 22 conditions), the risk for cataract was 27% higher among statin users in comparison with nonusers.

Leuschen concludes: "The risk for cataract is increased among statin users as compared with nonusers".

Help Advance Diabetes Research

A University of Virginia researcher named Hannah Menefee contacted me recently to ask for our help.  She and her colleagues are conducting a study on how people with type 2 diabetes use Facebook to manage their health, and how that technology can be leveraged to support effective health communication.

If you have type 2 diabetes, and you'd like to participate in the study, please join their Diabetes Management Study Facebook group.  There, you'll receive more information about the study, you'll receive a short survey, and you may be invited into one of the study phases.

Kamis, 18 September 2014

Healthy World Cafe will be open for lunch Wednesday, Sept. 24!

We are more than halfway to our fundraising goal for our IndieGoGo campaign, which wraps up Sept. 30 and aims to raise $15,000 toward construction and renovations at out 24 S. George St. location. We're very ready to be open full time in downtown York and be part of the great energy going on here!

If you haven't yet, please consider donating to the campaign. Every donation counts, and we can't do it without our tremendous supporters -- you!

Photo courtesy of Flickr user Meal Makeover Moms

If all that supporting makes you hungry… Healthy World Cafe will be open for lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 24, at First Moravian Church, 41 N. Duke St., York, where we'll be serving up delicious, locally sourced eats.

Check out our menu! 

-- Barley Puttanesca -- Savor the rich flavors and enticing aroma of this spicy Italian sauce (Vegan)
-- Cockaleekie Soup -- A traditional rustic Scottish chicken soup with leeks, perfect for the changing weather
-- Broccoli and Corn Bread Polonaise -- Roasted broccoli with our version of a classic buttery egg and bread crumb topping (Vegetarian)
-- Green Salad -- With homemade dressing and seasonal toppings (Vegan)
-- Squash Hummus -- Enjoy over greens or scoop it up with chapati (Vegetarian)
-- Tomato Apple Chutney -- Enjoy over greens or scoop it up with chapati (Vegan)
-- Fruit Crisp
-- Healthy World Cafe's Signature Dried Fruit and Oatmeal Cookies

Of course, our menu is always based on what's available from our farmer friends, so check back for updates.

At Healthy World Cafe, we always feature our "eat what you want, pay how you can" philosophy. The ability to pay should never be a barrier to accessing delicious, unprocessed, healthy food.

Housekeeping items worth noting:

-- PARKING: When coming to the cafe for our Wednesday lunches, please DO NOT park in the private lots surrounding First Moravian Church. You may park on the street (metered), or you may park at First Presbyterian Church at E. Market and N. Queen streets in the un-numbered, yellow-lined parking spots, and please include a sign on your dashboard to indicate you are a Healthy World Cafe volunteer. Then, walk one block west down Clarke Avenue to First Moravian (and enter on north side)!

-- TAKE OUT: Take out orders for lunch are available by e-mailing your selections (by 10 a.m. Sept. 24) to healthyworldcafe(at)gmail(dot)com. Please specify optional items or choices when ordering (i.e. would you prefer your chutney or hummus with bread or greens, etc.)

-- VOLUNTEERING: In order to better respect our volunteers' time, we split the Wednesday lunch into two volunteer shifts: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., and noon to 3 p.m. Feel free, of course, to sign up for both shifts, if you wish.

Here's a breakdown of our volunteer needs for this month's lunch:

-- 6 to 9 p.m. Monday, Sept. 22 -- Food prep at First Moravian Church (FMC), 39 N. Duke St., York.
-- 6 to 9 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 23 -- Food prep at First Moravian Church (FMC), 39 N. Duke St., York.
-- 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 24 -- Food prep and serving at FMC. We're now splitting our lunch days into two volunteer shifts to better respect our volunteers' time: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., and noon to 3 p.m. Feel free to sign up for both, if you wish. If you can't work a full shift (say, you can be there 10 to 2, but not as early as 9), please email sarah.e.chain(at)gmail(dot)com and let us know when to expect you!

Find other upcoming dates, including for the second annual Farm to City Street Dinner, and sign up to volunteer through our calendar on VolunteerSpot.

My AHS14 Talk on Leptin Resistance is Posted

The Ancestral Health Society just posted a video of my recent talk "What Causes Leptin Resistance?"  Follow the link below to access it.  Enjoy!

What Causes Leptin Resistance?


Minggu, 14 September 2014

Join Healthy World Cafe at the Kiwanis Lake Be-In on Sunday, Sept. 21!

Do you remember the "Be-Ins" of the 1970s? The Avenues Neighborhood Association is bringing them back to York city with live music, a free yoga session and local, freshly made eats from Healthy World Cafe!

Join us from 11 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 21, at Kiwanis Lake, at the intersection of North Newberry Street and Parkway Boulevard. The weather, the music and the people will be amazing!

We've got some great things cooked up for the hungry crowd:
-- Grilled cheese sandwiches stuffed with optional garlicky wilted spinach
-- Pureed tomato soup with seasonal vegetables and basil
-- Grain salad with chopped kale and seasonal vegetables
-- Seasonal hummus
-- Peach and yogurt parfaits 

Interested in volunteering with us for the event? We'll be prepping from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 20 at First Moravian Church, and have several shifts on Sunday at Kiwanis Lake. 

Pumpkin Pie Oats

As September progresses, it's gradually getting colder, the trees are changing colour and different kinds of pumpkins are starting to pop up here and there in the grocery stores. My favourite winter squash is the butternut squash; sweet, creamy and incredibly versatile! I promise to share my best pumpkin soup recipe with you in the future, but for now these pumpkin pie oats will have to do. They're well worth a try!


Pumpkin Pie Oats



1/2 cup oats

1 cup almond milk

1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

3 tbsp puréed pumpkin or butternut squash

3-4 small dates, mashed or chopped or 1 tbsp liquid sweetener of choice

A pinch of salt

How to:
1. Add oats, almond milk and a dash of salt to a small saucepan and bring to the boil. 
2. Let simmer on a low heat for a few minutes until it has thickened up a bit. 
3. Add the pumpkin pie spice, pumpkin purée and dates and stir until they have been well incorporated. 
4. Cook for a few more minutes or until you've reached your desired consistency. pour the porridge into a bowl and top with yummy fruit, nuts or nut butter!