Latinas with Lactose Intolerance Go The Natural Way

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A recent study by the LACTAID® Brand found that 77 percent of Latinas with lactose intolerance reduce or limit the amount of dairy in their diet. This is concerning given that the calcium and vitamin D found in milk and dairy products play an important role in living a healthy lifestyle. With the holiday season fast approaching, it is likely that many favorite dishes will include dairy. Luckily, there is a way to manage your lactose intolerance and make milk and dairy products a daily, dietary habit – particularly during the holiday season.

Here are some tips for creating a healthy, calcium-rich diet:

  • Include dark leafy greens such as kale and mustard, collard, broccoli and turnip greens or beans into your favorite, traditional dishes. These foods are not only good sources of calcium, but also low in fat.
  • To boost your calcium intake, use canned fish such as salmon, in festive salads or pastas.
  • The same nutrients found in “regular” dairy products are also found in lactose-free products. Try lactose-free LACTAID® Milk, which is real milk, and rich in calcium and vitamin D when preparing favorite holiday desserts such as Christmas Custard or Flan de Leche.

Visit www.lactaidenespanol.com to learn more about lactose intolerance, access recipes for traditional, holiday dishes and get more information about LACTAID® Milk and Dairy Products. Also, to access a recent webinar presentation about the topic featuring comedian and actress Angelica Vale as well as Sylvia, visit http://www.videonewswire.com/event.asp?id=61635.

About Sylvia:

Sylvia Melendez-Klinger is a registered dietitian and certified personal trainer as well as founder of Hispanic Food Communications, a culinary consulting company. Mrs. Klinger has an extensive public health nutrition background having conducted research at Northwestern University Medical School in Chicago and the University of California Irvine Medical Center and serving as supervising nutritionist for the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) supplemental feeding program. Mrs. Klinger is a member of the American Dietetic Association, Illinois Dietetic Association and Latino Hispanic Dietetic Association network group (LAHIDAN).

Hispanics Celebrate Christmas In Uncertain Economic Times

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The Heart of the Holidays

Hispanics Celebrate Christmas In Uncertain Economic Times

Hispanics Celebrate Christmas In Uncertain Economic Times

When it comes to the holidays, Hispanic families have always relied on traditions to celebrate the season. Whether attending Posadas, preparing special family recipes, or just getting together to share memories, traditions strengthen family ties and make the season more special. And during this recession, more than half (52 percent) of Hispanics feel that holiday traditions become more important in difficult economic times, according to a new survey* commissioned by Sears.

“This holiday season more than ever, Americans are getting creative with how they will make the most of, and, celebrate their holidays with everything from adopting new traditions to altering the way they shop,” said Don Hamblen, Sears’ chief marketing officer. “Sears is a company known for its long-standing traditions so we understand just how important traditions are to families. Whether it’s a new twist on an old favorite or something entirely new, Sears continues to look for ways to bring value to our customers this holiday season by helping them create and keep family traditions.”

Nearly all Hispanics (94 percent) plan to practice new traditions, especially when it comes to the gifts they will give. Among those practicing new traditions:

  • Nearly three in five (59 percent) will set a price limit on presents
  • Others will use a grab bag approach (20 percent) or give gifts from a whole group of people to share the costs (15 percent)
  • Many (48 percent) also plan to alter the way they shop this holiday, taking advantage of everything stores have to offer, such as:
    • Sales and coupons (91 percent)
    • Layaway plans (33 percent)
    • 0% financing options (23 percent)
    • Shop at discount stores (81 percent), and
    • Venture out to shopping malls on “Black Friday” (57 percent)

No matter what changes they will make, many Hispanics admit that a holiday without traditions would be worse than a holiday without gifts (52 percent)

This year, the celebrated Sears Holiday Wish Book, a long-time shopping tradition for families to make their Christmas wish lists, is being spiced up with the launch of an interactive, online version available at www.sears.com/wishbook. And for those consumers planning to buy more group gifts this year, the Sears Give Together program offers an easy way for them to do so.

Another long-time tradition, Black Friday, is made easier this year with Sears’ “Black Friday Now!” doorbusters – providing earlier savings on everything from home electronics and kitchen and housewares to jewelry and apparel – on each of the five consecutive Saturdays leading up to Thanksgiving. Sears also offers layaway, which is available both in-store and online, enabling customers to reserve holiday gifts, including Black Friday Now! doorbusters, pay for them over time and pick them up right before the holidays.

ShopYourWay(TM) serves to change traditional holiday shopping altogether by giving customers a wide-variety of new, convenient ways to shop. Sears ShopYourWay offers personalized and convenient shopping options which allows for shopping to revolve around the customer 24/7. With convenient options such as Web2Store and Sears’ Personal Shopper, customers can get what they want, when they want and how they want when they shop in store or online.

For more information, visit www.sears.com.

*An online survey of 400 nationally representative Hispanics ages 18 and older

About Sears, Roebuck and Co.

Sears, Roebuck and Co., a wholly owned subsidiary of Sears Holdings Corporation (NASDAQ: SHLD), is a leading broadline retailer providing merchandise and related services. Sears, Roebuck offers its wide range of home merchandise, apparel and automotive products and services through more than 2,300 Sears-branded and affiliated stores in the United States and Canada, which includes approximately 929 full-line and approximately 1,200 specialty stores in the U.S. Sears, Roebuck also offers a variety of merchandise and services through sears.com, landsend.com, and specialty catalogs. Sears, Roebuck offers consumers leading proprietary brands including Kenmore, Craftsman, DieHard and Lands’ End — among the most trusted and preferred brands in the U.S. The company is the nation’s largest provider of home services, with more than 12 million service calls made annually. For more information, visit the Sears, Roebuck website at www.sears.com or the Sears Holdings Corporation website at www.searsholdings.com.

About the Survey

The Sears Holiday Traditions Survey was conducted by Kelton Research between Oct. 16, 2009 and Oct. 22, 2009 using an email invitation and an online survey. Quotas are set to ensure reliable and accurate representation of the Hispanic U.S. population ages 18 and over. Results of any sample are subject to sampling variation. The magnitude of the variation is measurable and is affected by the number of interviews and the level of the percentages expressing the results. In this particular study, the chances are 95 in 100 that a survey result does not vary, plus or minus, by more than three percentage points from the result that would be obtained if interviews had been conducted with all persons in the universe represented by the sample.

SOURCE Sears Holdings

Photo courtesy: iStockPhoto

Hispanics Minding Money in Downturn No Sacrificing Pleasures

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Tough times call for tough decisions, but Latinos are finding ways to mind their budgets while still spending on the small pleasures and privileges they consider vital to their happiness and well-being.

Hispanics Minding Money in Downturn Without Sacrificing Pleasures, Research Finds

Hispanics Minding Money in Downturn Without Sacrificing Pleasures, Research Finds

C&R Research recently polled its LatinoEyes panel to assess behaviors by the “majority minority” during the recession, and found that “the recession has forced Hispanics to rethink what’s luxury and what’s necessity,” explained Angelina Villarreal, a C&R vice president. “What we’re seeing is that while this group is budget-conscious, its members don’t want to give up their quality of life.”
C&R, in its sample of 825 panel participants, found that the most recession-impacted segments were Puerto Ricans, Dominicans, and Central Americans; 58 percent reported that the recession had a significant impact on their lives.

However, a majority of Hispanics, particularly the young, was unwilling to relinquish cell phones (69 percent), and 81 percent (notably Mexicans) couldn’t do without driving their cars. Paid television services remain important to 67 percent, mostly the older generation, and the home Internet connection, particularly among fluent bicultural Hispanics, is maintained by 65 percent.

While nearly half of those polled said they were clipping coupons and buying clearance clothing, over three-fourths of Latinos are still spending on dining out or ordering in and going out for entertainment or to the movies, but with less frequency. And nearly three-fourths of the women in this sector haven’t let the downturn affect their purchasing of personal care products.

“Hispanics are trying to make do — maybe better than make do — if they can without abandoning their favorite products, entertainment, restaurants, and services,” Villarreal said. “And it looks like they’re succeeding.”

Chicago-based C&R Research is one of the nation’s largest, independent full-service research firms. Since 1959, it has provided custom-designed qualitative and quantitative research for a wide variety of business-to-business and business-to-consumer clients. Their specialty research expertise includes youth, boomers, parents and shoppers. In addition,( )C&R’s consultancy division, LatinoEyes, specializes in the U.S. Hispanic and Latin American markets. Its research team has a deep understanding of both the U.S. and Latino cultures.

SOURCE C&R Research

Understanding Latino Boomers

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Understanding Latino Boomers

Understanding Latino Boomers

Focalyst, a reseach firm specialized in seniors and boomers, presented the results of a new study that provides valuable insights on one of the most complex segments of the U.S. Hispanic population: seniors

Latino Boomers (those born between 1946 and 1964) represent approximately 10% of the U.S. Boomer segment – over 7 million consumers – but cannot be segmented by language alone, a Focalyst study concludes.

“Marketers need to look beyond language and understand the demographic, attitudinal and behavioral differences within the Latino Boomer market in order to reach this target,” said Jack Lett, executive director of Focalyst.

Two in three Hispanic Boomers are “more acculturated,” considered either “Bicultural” or “Acculturated” :

•Bicultural Hispanics – 24% of Latino Boomers – are US-born or foreign-born and have lived many years in the US; they are bilingual and consume both English and Spanish media; they identify with aspects of both cultures.

•Acculturated Hispanics – 41% – are US-born and English-dominant; they consume English media; and they identify strongly with American culture, but still keep ties with their Hispanic culture.

•Unacculturated Hispanics – 35% – are foreign-born and speak Spanish in the home; they consume more Spanish than non-Spanish media; and they identify strongly with their native culture.

Understanding Latino Boomers: Demographic Profile

The study found that Bicultural Hispanic Boomers…

•Earn 23% less income on average than General Market Boomers ($56,607 compared with $73,921) – though they are equally likely to be employed (77%).

•Are slightly more likely to be married or partnered (75%) than both Acculturated (64%) and General Market Boomers (69%).

•Are less likely to be college educated – 55% of them have a college education, compared with 69% of Acculturated Boomers and 73% of General Market Boomers.

Understanding Latino Boomers: Family

Hispanic Boomers live in larger households (3.3 people per household vs. 2.9 for the General Market), often made up of younger children, adult children, or older relatives. Bicultural households have the largest household composition (3.6 people):

In addition…

•Acculturated Boomers are the most likely to be a caregiver for a family member, with 14% recently taking on this role.

•Besides supporting larger households, one in four Latino Boomers are providing substantial financial support to someone outside of their homes.

Understanding Latino Boomers: Future Plans

Acculturated Latino Boomers are more likely to aspire to continue their education (28%), whereas Bicultural Hispanics have more entrepreneurial desires – 32% said they want to start a new business, compared with 17% of General Market Boomers:

More findings:

•More than half (51%) of Bicultural Latino Boomers said it is important that their family think they are doing well

•86% of Bicultural Hispanic Boomers agreed that they have been fortunate in life, and 80% said they have accomplished a great deal – more so than General Market (77%) and Acculturated (76%) Boomers.

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Source: Marketing Charts

Hispanic Children and Obesity Risk

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Hispanic Children In U.S. At Greater Risk For Obesity Than Other Ethnic/Racial Groups

The prevalence of overweight in the US population is among the highest in Mexican-American children and adolescents. In a study of 1,030 Hispanic children between the ages of 4 and 19, published in the June 2009 issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, researchers from the Baylor College of Medicine found less than optimal diets in both overweight and non-overweight participants.

Hispanic Children and Obesity Risk

Hispanic Children In U.S. At Greater Risk For Obesity Than Other Ethnic/Racial Groups

Hispanic Children In U.S. At Greater Risk For Obesity Than Other Ethnic/Racial Groups

According to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES), in 2005-2006 the prevalence of overweight among children (2-19 years) from all ethnic/racial groups was 15.5%. For Mexican-American males and females (2-19 years) the prevalence was 23.2% and 18.5%, respectively. Although the US environment encourages a sedentary lifestyle and excess food intake, the Hispanic population is burdened with additional risk factors for childhood obesity including parental obesity, low socioeconomic status (SES), recent immigration, acculturation to US diet and lifestyle, and limited health insurance coverage.

The VIVA LA FAMILIA Study was designed to identify genetic and environmental factors contributing to childhood obesity in the Hispanic population. It provided the novel opportunity to assess the diet of a large cohort of Hispanic children from low-SES families at high risk for obesity (1,030 children from 319 families in Houston, Texas). On average, 91% of parents were overweight or obese and parental income and education levels were low. Food insecurity was reported by 49% of households.

Writing in the article, Nancy F. Butte, PhD, Professor, USDA/ARS Children’s Nutrition Research Center, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, states, “The diets of these low-SES Hispanic children were adequate in most essential nutrients, but suboptimal for the promotion of long-term health. Diet quality did not satisfy US dietary guidelines for fat, cholesterol, saturated fatty acids, fiber, added sugar, and sodium. Although energy intake was higher in overweight children, food sources, diet quality, and macro- and micronutrient composition were similar between non-overweight and overweight siblings…Knowledge of the dietary intake of children from low-SES Hispanic families at high risk for obesity will provide a basis on which to build nutritional interventions and policy that are appropriately tailored to population sub-groups.”

In a commentary published in the same issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, Rafael Pérez-Escamilla, PhD, Professor of Nutritional Sciences & Public Health, Director, NIH EXPORT Center for Eliminating, Health Disparities among Latinos (CEHDL), University of Connecticut, Storrs, asks whether the process of acculturation into “mainstream” US society is having negative effects on Hispanics. Citing numerous studies, he explores many of the factors that both support and contradict the assimilation argument, and concludes that while acculturation is likely a negative influence, further study is warranted. He writes, “However, we still need to elucidate the mechanisms and the extent to which acculturation to the USA ‘mainstream’ culture per se explain deterioration in dietary quality, and increased risks for obesity and associated chronic diseases among Latinos. Filling in this gap in knowledge is essential for developing culturally appropriate and behavioral change based interventions targeting Latinos with different levels of acculturation.”

The article is “Nutrient adequacy and diet quality in non-overweight and overweight Hispanic children of low socioeconomic status – the VIVA LA FAMILIA Study” by Theresa A. Wilson, MS, RD, Anne L. Adolph, BS, and Nancy F. Butte, PhD. The commentary is “Dietary quality among Latinos: Is acculturation making us sick?” by Rafael Pérez-Escamilla, PhD. Both appear in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, Volume 109, Issue 6 (June 2009) published by Elsevier.

Source: APA – Elsevier (2009, June 4). Hispanic Children In U.S. At Greater Risk For Obesity Than Other Ethnic/Racial Groups. ScienceDaily. Retrieved