This past spring was one of the worst allergy seasons on record in Houston. The unusually long cold season delayed some trees from blooming and, consequently, led to an usually high peak in the number of trees blooming at one time. Oak pollen is especially highly allergenic. Over the last four years, the highest pollen counts ranged from 2,062 to 2,669 grains per cubic meter. This year, the oak pollen counts topped 6,000 grains per cubic meter.
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THE HEALTHY CHEF
Houston's top chefs offer advice on low-fat, flavorful cooking
Kay Soodjai
KHUN KAY THAI CAFÉ
“Many years after I began working as a chef and Supatra Yooto and I opened our own restaurant, many people in the U.S. began a serious look at how they could eat better and live more healthful lives. For good business practices alone, it was important that I learn and research how to make sure my customers got not only food that tasted good, but was also good for them.
“You can imagine my pleasant surprise to learn that if I wanted to open a restaurant that served a cuisine most often associated with promoting good health and nutrition, I should serve Thai food. Of course, the reasons for the health benefits of Thai food are the ingredients and the traditional ways in which it is prepared. Thai cooks use many fresh ingredients, especially herbs and vegetables, and the sauces are rich with peppers, curry and broths. By learning what science has discovered are the benefits of these ingredients, a cook can incorporate them into all kinds of dishes from any country. It only takes a little experimentation.
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NEW RECIPES!
Put down those car keys! Don't go out to eat. Stay in and cook something healthy and delicious. Our "Healthy Cooking" section makes it easy by providing great new recipes every month. Print 'em out and dazzle your family, friends and your taste buds. Check back often for new recipes.
Click here to download a pdf of these great, healthy recipes. |
Healthful Food Relationships
Emotional eating frequently linked to obesity
 Eating in response to emotions and stress has been linked to being overweight for decades. The implication: People who haven’t learned traditional coping skills are more likely to engage in emotional eating, which leads to overweight and obesity.
Some experts now suggest this link may not be so clear-cut. Regardless of how emotional eating begins, recognizing the signs and developing a new approach to eating are essential skills that are necessary to build a healthier relationship with food and with yourself.
Much of the research on emotional eating focuses on poor coping skills. In a study published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association in 2008, participants who said they were most likely to eat in response to their emotions (and least confident about being able to control their eating) were over 13 times more likely to be overweight or obese than those participants who reported the least emotional eating.
In the study, the participants’ perceptions of their ability to cope with emotions and stress were strongly linked to excess weight. The inadequate coping skills included lack of strategies to change stressful situations and manage emotions.
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Fertility Miracle
Houston IVF recently announced the first live births of children conceived using oocyte cryopreservation, also known as “egg freezing,” in the state of Texas. The twin boy and girl were born in May, according to Dr. Timothy Hickman, medical director at Houston IVF and reproductive endocrinologist at Women’s Memorial Hermann Memorial City, the women’s service of Memorial Hermann Memorial City Hospital.
“The immediate breakthrough, the one we are most excited about, is for women diagnosed with cancer,” Dr. Hickman said. “The ability to freeze their eggs will give patients preparing for cancer treatment the opportunity to conceive a child anytime following their cancer treatment. Previously, the eggs had to be fertilized with partner or donor sperm prior to freezing.”
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