That’s right. The Agriculture Appropriations Bill, approved by a conference committee of House and Senate members recently, would continue to allow pizza with tomato sauce to be considered a vegetable in school lunches. The USDA recommended that unless the pizza slice had a half-cup of tomato puree or paste, it shouldn’t count. But the food companies came back and said that with those amounts, the pizza wouldn’t be edible. Just last year Congress authorized the USDA to make changes to school meals with the passage of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act. However, the Appropriations Bill limits the ability of the USDA to cut back on sodium and starches in school lunches. It is absolutely no wonder that childhood obesity is on the rise and diabetes is looming on the horizon for many of our nation’s children.

At a 2008 hearing by the US Senate Subcommittee on Children and Families the topic was “Childhood Obesity: The Declining Health of America’s Next Generation.” Appearing before the Committee was Francine Kaufman, M.D., a prominent pediatric endocrinologist and past president of the American Diabetes Association. Dr. Kaufman shared compelling information about the dangerous rate of childhood obesity cases among children and young adults, and the strong correlation between type 2 diabetes and childhood obesity. According to Kaufman, “Children who are overweight, obese and unfit are at increased risk of developing high blood pressure, abnormal lipid levels, inflammation in their blood vessels and higher than normal blood sugar levels. These disorders are precursors of diabetes and adult-onset cardiovascular disease.” (American Diabetes Association)

Dr. Kaufman went on to say that one in three children born in the year 2000 will develop diabetes at some point in his or her life, and that this statistic is nearly one in two for children in minority communities. She called obesity in youth, along with its associated medical conditions, the major health
challenge of this century. And yet, despite the efforts of government and public health officials, the
number of overweight and obese youth continues to increase.

Today, 23.6 million children and adults in the United States — or nearly 8 percent of the population — have diabetes. Diabetes is among the leading causes of death by disease in the United States. Since 1987, the death rate due to diabetes has increased by 45 percent, while the death rates due to heart disease, stroke, and cancer have declined. (American Diabetes Association)

November may have been National Diabetes Awareness Month… but at DrNewtons.com it’s a year-long and life-time concern. Children do as they see, not as they are told. So if you could stand to start eating healthier and are worried about this issue learn more about Dr. Agin’s Skinny D meal replacement solution. Developed with diabetics especially in mind, it’s perfect for everybody and clinically tested to help you lose weight!

Causes of cardiovascular disease
Cardiovascular disease is often used interchangeably with heart disease. However, it specifically refers to problems with blood vessels. People use it to refer to heart problems caused by atherosclerosis, or plaque build-up in the arteries. High blood pressure and cholesterol can cause atherosclerosis.

High cholesterol is sometimes inherited but is mostly caused or exacerbated by poor diet and exercise. Medication is used to treat high cholesterol in extreme cases, but often, dietary changes and switching from a sedentary to an active lifestyle do the trick. Like high cholesterol, high blood pressure may also be caused by poor eating habits and other lifestyle choices related to stress, exercise and smoking. High blood pressure puts you at risk for heart attack and stroke.

Adding omega-3 fatty acids to a healthy diet has been shown to greatly reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease by lowering cholesterol, maintaining healthy blood pressure and otherwise promoting a healthy circulatory system.

These healthy fats are generally found in fish, but many avoid fish due to unhealthy levels of mercury. Omega-3 and fish oil supplements are produced by many vitamin and health food companies, but none compare to Dr. Newton’s Naturals Omega Krill.

Omega krill supplies a super dose of omega-3s, and it’s harvested from krill that come from the clean, untouched waters of the Antarctic Ocean, which translates to a safer, stronger supplement.

It’s important to do something about your high blood pressure and cholesterol, as constant pressure on the veins due to atherosclerosis eventually leads to arteriosclerosis, which is often called the silent killer. Arteriosclerosis is the hardening of the vessel walls, which restricts blood flow to major organs.

Life-threatening consequences of obesity
A Body Mass Index (BMI) of 30 is classified as obese. Individuals who are extremely overweight or those with high body fat percentages are at a much higher risk of developing heart disease and dying as a result of heart attack or stroke. Exercise and a diet low in bad fats and cholesterol and high in good fats and HDL cholesterol are necessary to maintain heart health. Add Omega Krill to a well-planned, balanced diet to keep your heart and blood vessels strong.

Babies whose mothers who took omega-3 supplements, similar to OmegaKrill by Dr. Newton’s Naturals, displayed fewer cold symptoms and shorter illnesses than those whose mothers were on the placebo.

According to Dr. Jennifer Wu, an obstetrician and gynecologist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City, the findings are in line with a previous hypothesis. “We’ve been recommending DHA intake in pregnant women for brain and nervous system development, and this study suggests another good reason to take DHA,” Wu told USA Today.

Omega-3 fatty acids can be found in fish, but many avoid fish due to its high mercury content. Dr. Newton’s Naturals collects krill from the remote, unpolluted waters of the Antarctic Ocean for their OmegaKrill supplement. Krill actually contains three times the amount of omega-3 fatty acids as fish oil.

A Little History

National Trails Day evolved from a 1987 report of President Ronald Reagan’s President’s Commission on Americans Outdoors. The report suggested that Americans should be able to walk out their front doors and within 15 minutes, be on trails that take them through their cities or towns and bring them back without retracing any steps. The recommendation, also known as Trails for All Americans, prompted the American Hiking Society to launch National Trails Day in 1993.

Why Celebrate?

Trails are a great way to get people outside and increase activity. They allow for exploration and recreation. Users can go alone soaking up the peaceful solitude or make it a social outing with friends or family. And with over 200,000 miles of trails, the U.S. is a prime spot for discovery.
Trails are also a great way to improve one’s health. Whether you walk, jog, or bike, moving around will get the heart pumping, muscles flexing, and lungs expanding. With obesity rates on the rise, trails are not only an inexpensive way to exercise, but they provide a serene and calming environment in which to do so.
While trails are here for our enjoyment, it is also easy to take them for granted. We forget just how many hours of planning, labor, and negotiating it takes to develop and maintain them. National Trails Day is the only nationwide celebration of trails, bringing recognition and thanks to many workers, volunteers, and partners for their support and hard work. It is an excellent way to introduce people to the many joys and benefits of trails and encourage those who don’t typically get out on the trails to do so. There may even be a trail in your “backyard” that you didn’t even know about!

A Hidden Jewel

Here at Dr. Newton’s Naturals, we are doing our part to support the National Trail System. In 2010, we offered to sponsor Jewell Falls in the Fore River Sanctuary; an 85-acre nature preserve located less than two miles from Dr. Newton’s headquarters. Partnering with Portland Trails, Dr. Newton’s Naturals will help maintain and protect the only natural waterfall in the Portland area.

Dr. Newton’s Naturals has helped over 2 million people across America live healthier by providing the very best in natural health supplements. By adopting Jewell Falls, we will deliver that same level of dedication to our neighbors’ lives through conservation and land stewardship.

Find a Trail

To locate a trail or National Trails Day event near you, click on this link and scroll down to the U.S. map. Click on your state and you’ll get a list of all the events in your area. Summer is almost here, so get out there and enjoy the trails!