Healthy habits for HSC success

While the HSC years should be the most memorable year for students, as the pressure
mounts with exams and assessments, many students suffer with stress related conditions such as anxiety, disturbed sleep, headaches, persistent colds and flu, fatigue, depression and sometimes exhaustion.

Here are a few simple guidelines for students and parents to combat the physical and emotional symptoms of stress:

• Don’t skip meals; eat regularly to maintain consistent energy levels.
• Have a wholesome breakfast such as wholegrain toast with avocado or raw muesli with fresh fruit.
• Avoid sugary snacks and high carbohydrates which can amplify the stress response and instead, snack on fruit, bran muffins, fresh juices, smoothies, yoghurts and good quality nuts such as: almonds, brazil nuts, macadamias and walnuts.
• Stress depletes vitamin C needed to keep the immune system strong, so get plenty of fresh vegetables, fruit and fresh juices; kiwis and strawberries are great sources of vitamin C at this time of year.
• Research shows that a diet high in Omega 3 from fish is beneficial for stress, mood and nervous system health. The essential fatty acids are also required for brain cells so have a minimum of 4 servings of fish each week. If you don’t eat fish it is imperative to take a supplement.
• A good B vitamin supplement ensures optimal nutrition for a stressed body, improves mood and assists with energy production.
• If you have trouble getting to sleep avoid caffeine and sugary desserts after dinner and try a soothing herbal tea before bed such as chamomile or passionflower.
• Exercise can help reduce stress, improve your self-esteem and lift your mood.
• The herb Ginkgo Biloba improves memory and helps to maintain focus when studying. It is available as a herbal tea from most health food stores.
• Invest in a massage for relaxing tense muscles.
• Keep breathing!

Is soy really a healthy option?

Evaluating the safety and health benefits of soy

By Krista Macklin & Nina Taumberger

The benefits of soy products are heavily debated by health specialists. Whilst Soy is a good source of protein for vegetarians, there is concern about the phytoestrogens in soy may cause health risks to certain groups.

So is Soy Really A Healthy Choice?

There are two main types of phytoestrogens found in the humble soy bean; isoflavones and lignans. They are called phytoestrogens because they share a chemical structure similar to oestrogen. A review of 861 studies concluded that while phytoestrogens do have an oestrogenic action in the body, the exact mechanism of how they work is currently still a mystery.

Researchers first became interested in phytoestrogens when they noted that women in Japan and China, who eat diets high in soy, reported fewer menopausal signs and symptoms and have a lower incidence of heart disease and osteoporosis than do women in the West.

The health of women in Japan and China may not all be contributed to soy intake. These women generally have a much higher intake of essential fatty acids from seafood and seaweeds, consume more green vegetables, whole grains and less red meat.

So is Soy really so good?

Clinical studies shows that isoflavones have a positive effect on the cardiovascular system, improving the compliance of blood vessels, reducing LDL (bad) cholesterol, improving (good) HDL cholesterol and reducing triglycerides.

Soy is 50% protein and contains all the essential amino acids.
Replacing animal proteins with soy has been found to reduce various disease markers in both Diabetes Type I and II, as well as in obesity. One study found that soy protein reduced the need for Metformin. Soy protein supplementation also improved kidney function in smaller studies of Type I Diabetics.

Population studies show a lower incidence of cancers (breast, prostate and colon), cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis correlates with increased consumption of soy products. One study found that soy protein inhibits prostate cell cancer growth in men with early stage prostate cancer.

Soy & Menopause

The evidence is varied for the use of soy products to reduce menopausal symptoms such as hot flushes. In 21 trials on hot
flushes and night sweats, the results were inconsistent with improvements between 7%-40%. Unfortunately, a consistent dose of soy or isoflavones was not used in these studies which makes it difficult to draw conclusions from the results. Further investigation is needed to identify soy as a potential treatment for symptoms relating to menopause.

Interestingly, one of the better studies showed that doses of 60mg per of isoflavones significantly improved short term and verbal memory in menopausal women, possibly by mimicking the action of oestrogen in the brain.

Concerns over phytoestrogens

Since the mechanism of action of isoflavones is still for the most part unknown, the safety of soy has not been established for women with oestrogen dependant cancers.

Soy should be avoided by people with thyroid problems or low iodine levels, as soy can increase the risk of clinical hypothyroidism. A recent study found that the Australian population has an urgent need for iodine supplementation and an increasing number of thyroid problems.

Soy contains phytates, known to bind to minerals such as calcium, magnesium, manganese, zinc, copper and iron, reducing their bioavailability. So it is important to take supplements away from soy.

Soy products should also be avoided by pregnant women and the use of soy products in infant formulas is of concern due to the influence of phytoestrogens exposure on gamete cells. A recent study found reduced fertility in men regularly consuming soy products over a 3 month period.