Step to It

Posted on May 20, 2012 by Kathy

Watching TV? If you stand up and step in place during the commercials, you may burn as many calories as you would if you took a walk
Researchers had 23 men and women watch TV for one hour without moving and for a second hour while stepping in place during the commercials. They stepped at a moderate pace (100 to 120 steps per minute), lifting each leg six to eight inches off the ground.
During the hour that they stepped during the ads, the participants were active for 21 minutes and took roughly 2,100 steps. They also burned about 150 calories, nearly double the 80 calories they burned during the hour they sat still. The average person burns 150 calories walking for a half hour at a brisk pace (3 mph).

What to do:
Get up off the couch (or out of your desk chair) and move, even it’s only for a few minutes at a time. A typical half-hour TV show has eight to 12 minutes of commercials, and American adults spend three to five hours a day watching TV.  If they stood up and stepped in place during the commercials, they could burn an extra 200 to 350 calories a day.
Source: Nutrition Action Healthletter April 2012

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Antibiotics?

Posted on May 19, 2012 by Kathy

Bacteria continue to change and grow into “superbugs” that do not respond to antibiotics, leading to a growing antibiotic resistance problem.

Antibiotics are not appropriate for:
Common cold (usually caused by a virus)
Sore throat (unless you have a positive strep test)
Flu
Bronchitis or most coughs
Runny nose

Antibiotics are appropriate for:
Urinary tract infections
Strep throat (after a positive strep test)

Source: Medical Mutual Carolina Care Plan Consumers Life 2012

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Osteoporosis: Are You At Risk?

Posted on May 18, 2012 by Kathy

Everyone’s odds of osteoporosis increase with age: The older you get, the more likely you are to develop the disease. But many other factors can also affect your chances, and some of them are within your power to change. Below, some of the most common contributors to osteoporosis risk:

You have a family history of osteoporosis (among men or women on either side).

You’ve already had a low-impact fracture (a break caused by only a mild trauma).

You were treated for at least 3 months at any point in your life with oral steroids (which weaken bones).

You’ve got a bone-robbing disease such as rheumatoid arthritis.

You had an early or abrupt menopause (which can result from chemotherapy or removal of ovaries), lowering your estrogen levels.

You consume too much caffeine (more than 375 mg. or about 4 cups of coffee a day). salt (more than 2,300 mg daily), or alcohol (more than one drink for women per day: more than two per day for men).

You smoke.
Source: Prevention Magazine June 2012

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Are You At Risk For COPD?

Posted on May 10, 2012 by Kathy

Difficulty breathing and a constant cough often are the first signs of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), an umbrella term that includes emphysema and chronic bronchitis.
COPD, the third leading cause of death in the United States, kills more than 120,000 Americans each year, and many of the 24 million adults who have the disease or are likely to be diagnosed have never heard of it.
The National Institute of Health cites three risk factors for the disabling disease.

Smoking. Although the lung damage occurs gradually, most people with tobacco-related emphysema begin to experience symptoms of the disease between the ages of 40 and 60. Current or former smokers account for as many as nine of 10 COPD-related deaths.

Environmental exposure. People who have had long-term exposure to lung irritants such as certain chemicals, dust or fumes in the workplace are at increased risk. Heavy or long-term exposure to secondhand smoke or other air pollutants also may contribute.

Genetic factors. In some people, COPD is caused by a genetic condition known as alpha1-antitrypsin (AAT) deficiency, the lack of a protein necessary for proper lung and liver function.
The National Heart Lung and Blood Institute estimates that as many as 100,000 Americans have the deficiency, which can lead to COPD in people who never have smoked or had long-term exposure to harmful pollutants.
Source: American Profile Magazine supplement to Elyria-Chronicle May 8tth, 2012

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Go Fish

Posted on May 9, 2012 by Kathy

You probably already know it’s good for your heart, brain, and waistline.
Now a large study suggests that eating fish high in omega-3 fatty acids might help protect the colon, at least in women. Those who said they ate an average of three servings of fish a week had a lower risk of polyps (abnormal growths in the colon) than women who ate less than one serving a week.
The finding didn’t apply to men.
Source: ConsumerReports on Health May 2012

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More Magnesium

Posted on May 8, 2012 by Kathy

More magnesium may mean a lower risk of stroke.
Researchers have looked at seven studies that followed a total of roughly 240,000 people for eight to 15 years. The risk of an ischemic stroke was 9 percent lower for each 100 milligrams of magnesium the participants reported eating per day.

What to do:
It’s worth eating magnesium-rich foods even though it’s too early to know if magnesium prevents strokes (or diabetes, as other evidence suggests.)
Among the best sources: leafy greens, beans, seafood, nuts, tofu, yogurt, and whole grains. Most daily multivitamin-and-mineral supplements have only about 50 to 100 milligrams of magnesium. The recommended Dietary Allowance is 320 mg for women and 420 mg for men over 30.
Source: Nutrition Action Healthletter April 2012

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Warning Signs of Diabetes

Posted on May 7, 2012 by Kathy

All of these symptoms are considered warning signs of diabetes:
drowsiness
blurry vision
excessive thirst
fatigue
frequent urination
itchy skin
slow healing of cuts or sores
numbness or tingling in the extremities
If you have any of the symptoms listed above, please consult your healthcare professional.
Source: Diabetes Care & Education & DHS, Direct Healthcare Supply, leaflet 2012

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Smart Eating Rules Chefs Swear By

Posted on May 6, 2012 by Kathy

Put down the spoon, pick up a carrot. In the kitchen, “you can be tasting and feel like you haven’t eaten anything, but meanwhile you’ve already ingested 800 to 1,000 calories in sauces alone,” says Michelle Bernstein, chef-owner of Michy’s and Sra. Martinez in Miami. Her solution:
“Dipping lettuce or a carrot means my body doesn’t trick my mind into thinking I haven’t eaten anything, plus it means I’ve had something nutritious (but not highly caloric) before the meal.”

Like to snack?
“I’m a nervious eater,” says Andrea Reusing, chef-owner of Lantern in Chapel Hill, N.C. “Some nights I find I’ve eaten my day’s calories in croutons.” Rather than curb her grazing, she stopped sitting down to a meal after a shift spent tasting sauces and meats and found she wasn’t missing anything. “Breakfast-lunch-dinner is not always the way to go,” agrees Marcus Samuelsson, chef-owner of Red Rooster Harlem in New York City. “A lot of people in the world don’t eat that way, and they’re in great shape.

Keep portions small
“The most compelling portion of a dish is the first three or four bites,” says renowned chef Thomas Keller of New York’s Per Se and the French Laundry in Yountville, Calif. The tenth spoonful of ice cream, the umpteenth tortilla chip with guacamole–none are as great as the first (or second or third). His advice: Have less, savor more. To Keller, the perfect time to part ways with a plate of food is when you’re still wishing for one more bite.
From Smart Chefs Stay Slim: Lessons in Eating and Living from America’s best chefs by Allison Adata. Available at amazon.com.
Source this article Elyria Chronicle Parade Magazine 4-29-2012

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Keep Moving

Posted on May 5, 2012 by Kathy

How much? Every 30 minutes all day, every day. If you have a desk job or long commute or simply like to veg in front of the flat-screen, you’re spending at least two-thirds of your day completely sedentary. All that hanging around is counteractive to good health—even if you dutifully put in time on the treadmill a few days a week. “Our bodies are built to move,” says Dr. Church, MD,PhD, director of prevention medicine research at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge, LA..
“The less active you are, the more damage you’ll do, including increasing your risk of obesity, high blood pressure, high triglycerides, insulin resistance, and other markers of chronic disease.” One recent study found that even when physical activity levels were taken into account, women who reported sitting the most had the poorest metabolic profiles.

Make it work for you:
Use every opportunity to move more. Take the stairs instead of the elevator; deliver a message to a coworker in person rather than by e-mail; pace when you are on the phone. “Even little changes like these can add up to an extra 50 calories or more burned a day,” says Dr. Colberg-Ochs, PhD, professor of exercise science at Old Dominion University. Over a year, that’s a 5-pound weight loss.
Source: Prevention Book May 2012

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Sodas & Heart Disease

Posted on May 4, 2012 by Kathy

“Diet soda drinks linked to heart disease.” ran the headline in The New York Times in February. But a second, larger study released since then found no link.
The first study tracked roughly 2,500 middle-aged and older men and women living in Upper Manhattan for 10 years. Those who drank diet sodas every day had a 43% higher risk of heart attacks, strokes, or other “vascular events” than those who drank no diet sodas. Those who drank sugar-sweetened sodas had no increased risk. The second study followed more than 42,000 male health professionals for 22 years. Those who drank the most sugar-sweetened sodas (roughly one a day) had a 20% higher risk of heart disease than those who drank none. However, those who drank diet sodas (roughly one a day) had no higher risk than non-diet soda drinkers.
Why did the results differ? First, the Manhattan study’s results are less reliable because so few of its participants drank diet soda. Only 163 New Yorkers–compared to 10,000 health professionals–drank diet soda daily.
Second, the New Yorkers who drank diet sodas were more likely to have high blood pressure, diabetes, high triglycerides, a large waist, or a previous diagnosis of heart disease or peripheral vascular disease than the New Yorkers who drank no diet soda.
It’s possible that”people at increased risk of vascular events due to pre-existing vascular conditions may be advised to switch from regular to diet soft drinks,” note the authors. If so, those conditions–not the diet soda–could have caused their heart attacks or strokes.

What to do:
It’s worth limiting diet sodas to avoid their aspartame and/or acesulfame potassium, two poorly tested artificial sweeteners, but not to lower your risk of heart attack or stroke.
Source:Nutrition Action Healthletter May 2012

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