Friday, December 31, 2010
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
The way to choose happiness is to follow what is right and real and true for you.
2 Cereals That Won't Make You Fat
If you're watching your carbs, you may find yourself avoiding certain cereals for breakfast. However, according to Ellen Kunes and Frances Largeman-Roth, authors of the best-selling new book The CarbLovers Diet, a couple types of cereal actually promote weight loss: cornflakes and puffed wheat.
Why? Because they both contain resistant starch, which travels through your bloodstream nearly intact to keep you feeling fuller longer. You can also munch on these cereals for a satisfying snack, especially if you mix the cornflakes with dried fruit and nuts or the puffed wheat with dates and coconut. Either way, you can raise your metabolism and shed pounds without worry.
Why? Because they both contain resistant starch, which travels through your bloodstream nearly intact to keep you feeling fuller longer. You can also munch on these cereals for a satisfying snack, especially if you mix the cornflakes with dried fruit and nuts or the puffed wheat with dates and coconut. Either way, you can raise your metabolism and shed pounds without worry.
12 Fun Games That Improve Brain Health
Scrabble. Sudoku. Crossword puzzles. Can these games help you stay mentally sharp as you age – and even delay or prevent Alzheimer’s disease? We explore the latest research and best games for a fit brain…
Games are enjoyable, intellectually stimulating and socially engaging – and that’s all good for you. But do they keep your brain sharp?
If people repeatedly practice a certain task, they do improve over time, says Richard Caselli, M.D., professor of neurology at Mayo Clinic Arizona, in Scottsdale.
So chances are, if you do a crossword puzzle every day, you'll become an expert at them.
But researchers are still evaluating whether that skill can transfer to other tasks, like remembering a name, date, or where you left your keys. If so, brain games could be a component in helping manage degenerative brain diseases, such as Alzheimer’s.
Specifically, scientists are testing “cognitive reserve,” the theory that a more active brain can compensate for the effects of Alzheimer’s disease – thus delaying onset of symptoms.
One 2010 study, conducted by Chicago’s Rush University Medical Center, tracked 1,157 senior citizens for 12 years and found that those who stayed mentally active had a delayed onset of Alzheimer’s symptoms. Overall, they spent less time in a disabled state.
However, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) reviewed all the research on Alzheimer’s prevention last spring and concluded that more long-term research is needed to determine whether games play a significant role.
Currently, “no evidence of even moderate scientific quality exists” that risk can be reduced by intellectual challenges, according to the NIH. The same goes for other factors they analyzed, such as diet, exercise, medications, medical conditions or social engagement.
Still, people who stay healthy overall tend to do better as they age. And intellectual engagement is an important part of overall health.
In fact, according the Alzheimer’s Association, the best way to maintain brain health is by:
Staying physically active, which maintains good blood flow to the brain and encourages the development of brain cells.
Sticking to a low-cholesterol, low-fat diet rich in fruits and dark green vegetables. Antioxidants in these foods may help protect brain cells.
Staying socially active, which reduces stress.
Staying mentally active, which may help strengthen connections between brain cells.
“There’s no downside. [These are] important choices we should make,” agrees Cynthia R. Green, Ph.D., author of Brainpower Game Plan: Food, Moves, and Games to Clear Brain Fog, Boost Memory, and Age-Proof Your Mind in 4 Weeks (Rodale).
Green advises adding some brain games to your weekly routine. Only play games you enjoy, and don’t feel obligated to play every day. A few minutes several days a week could help, she says.
If nothing else, you’ll have fun, which also delivers valuable mind-body benefits.
“People who remain intellectually active are happier and less likely to be depressed” – and thus likely to stay healthier overall, Caselli says.
Here are some games to try:
Brain Game: Sudoku
How to play: This number-placement puzzle features a 9x9 grid comprising nine 3x3 sub-grids. The grid comes with some pre-filled numbers. You fill in the rest so that each sub-grid contains the digits 1-9, without repeating a number in the same row, column or 3x3 sub-grid.
Where to find it: In daily papers, including the New York Times, and in books in the puzzle section of any bookstore. Available as an electronic handheld game at Amazon in prices ranging from $19.99-$44.31. Free games are online at the New York Times website. It’s also available as an iPhone or BlackBerry application.
(Check out more sizzling-hot topics from 2010)
Brain Game: Boggle
How to play: Shake a tray of letter-imprinted dice and let them settle into a 4x4 grid. Start the three-minute timer, then each player has to find as many words as possible. You receive points for each word you find that isn’t duplicated by another player.
Where to find it: The board game, for 2-4 players, sells for $39.94 on Amazon. It’s available as an iPod Touch, iPhone, or iPad application. You can also play it as part of Hasbro Family Game Night on your Nintendo Wii, XBOX Live, XBOX 360 or Nintendo DS. Play free online at Fun-with-words.com.
Brain Game: Bananagrams
How to play: Each player draws 21 lettered tiles. They then race against each other to form sets of connecting and intersecting words. The first player to use all their tiles shouts “Bananas!” and wins the hand.
Where to find it: The game, for 2 or more players, sells for $14.99 on Amazon. You can also play online on Facebook. Books of Bananagrams puzzles, published by Workman Publishing, sell for $8.95.
Brain Game: Set
How to play: Using 9 cards, each player has to locate a “set” of 3 features (color, number, shape or shading) that's either all the same on each card or different.
Where to find it: It’s available on Amazon as a card game for $14.99 and as a handheld game for $39.99. Four free daily puzzles are offered at the New York Times website.
Brain Game: Simon
How to play: This electronic disc has 4 colored buttons, each of which plays a different tone when pressed. The game plays you a random sequence, which you then have to reproduce by quickly pressing the buttons in the correct order.
Where to find it: The electronic handheld game is available in stores for $9.99.
Brain Game: Lumosity Brain Games
How to play: At this website, you’ll find a variety of games to test different skills: verbal fluency, problem-solving, attention, speed and memory. Directions for each game are explained on the website.
Where to find it: Free games are available on the New York Times website; registration may be required.
Brain Game: KENKEN
How to play: Place numbers in a grid so they aren’t repeated in any row or column. Boxes in the grid are highlighted, with a cue as to what the result should be when the numbers are plugged into a mathematical equation.
For example, 2X means that the numbers, when multiplied, must produce an answer of 2. You can make it harder by trying to complete the puzzle in a set amount of time.
Where to find it: In daily papers, including the New York Times, and in books in the puzzle section of any bookstore. Available as an electronic handheld game at Amazon for $19.99. Find free games online at KENKEN and the New York Times website. It’s also available as an iPhone or BlackBerry application.
Brain Game: Crossword puzzles
How to play: Make these word puzzles harder by trying to complete them in a set amount of time. Other options: Find a friend to play with, or make copies of a puzzle and compete with friends to see who finishes first.
Where to find it: In addition to your daily newspaper and puzzle collections in any bookstore, you can find links to free online puzzles at the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament website.
Brain Game: Jigsaw puzzles
How to play: Make these puzzles a social activity by working with family or friends to fit the pieces together.
Where to find it: For ideas of unique puzzles and where to buy them, visit the American Jigsaw Puzzle Society website. Games are also available online at ThirdAge.
Brain Game: Scrabble
How to play: In the classic game, you choose 8 tiles and take turns creating intersecting words on a board. But there are also new variations to try: The Scrabble Flash Game automatically times your turns. Upwords is a three-dimensional version of the game. Scrabble Nab-It allows you to steal words from your opponents.
Where to find it: You can find a list of retailers on the Hasbro website. Upwords retails for $15.99, Scrabble Flash for $29.99, and Nab-It for $19.99. Classic versions of Scrabble start at $9.99. You can also play on Facebook.
Brain Game: Tetris
How to play: Manipulate a series of tumbling shapes, so when they fall into place, they fit together and the completed lines disappear from the board. Dr. Green recommends keeping a timed game handy, on a phone or other device, so you can play easily for short periods of time.
Where to find it: Tetris is available for almost every phone, computer and game system. A complete list of products is available on the Tetris website.
Brain Game: Rubik’s Slide
How to play: This new, electronic variation of the ’80s favorite Rubik’s Cube has 9 lit-up squares on one panel. The object is to rearrange the pattern of lights by shifting and twisting the game until the pattern matches that puzzle’s solution. The game contains more than 10,000 puzzles and a variety of difficulty settings.
Where to find it: At major and specialty stores nationwide for $19.99.
Brain-Healthy Tips to Keep In Mind
When possible, play games with other people. That way you’ll stay intellectually engaged and socially active. Staying socially engaged may help people stay healthy as they age, and it’s one of the factors scientists believe may eventually be found to protect against Alzheimer’s.
Play timed games. These may help you develop focus and process information faster, Green says.
In addition to these games, find other ways to keep your brain active: Take a class, start a book group, or talk to friends about current events.
Are You a Right-Brain or Left-Brain Thinker?
Whether you use your left brain and right brain together or have a dominant half explains a great deal about how you learn and express yourself.
Games are enjoyable, intellectually stimulating and socially engaging – and that’s all good for you. But do they keep your brain sharp?
If people repeatedly practice a certain task, they do improve over time, says Richard Caselli, M.D., professor of neurology at Mayo Clinic Arizona, in Scottsdale.
So chances are, if you do a crossword puzzle every day, you'll become an expert at them.
But researchers are still evaluating whether that skill can transfer to other tasks, like remembering a name, date, or where you left your keys. If so, brain games could be a component in helping manage degenerative brain diseases, such as Alzheimer’s.
Specifically, scientists are testing “cognitive reserve,” the theory that a more active brain can compensate for the effects of Alzheimer’s disease – thus delaying onset of symptoms.
One 2010 study, conducted by Chicago’s Rush University Medical Center, tracked 1,157 senior citizens for 12 years and found that those who stayed mentally active had a delayed onset of Alzheimer’s symptoms. Overall, they spent less time in a disabled state.
However, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) reviewed all the research on Alzheimer’s prevention last spring and concluded that more long-term research is needed to determine whether games play a significant role.
Currently, “no evidence of even moderate scientific quality exists” that risk can be reduced by intellectual challenges, according to the NIH. The same goes for other factors they analyzed, such as diet, exercise, medications, medical conditions or social engagement.
Still, people who stay healthy overall tend to do better as they age. And intellectual engagement is an important part of overall health.
In fact, according the Alzheimer’s Association, the best way to maintain brain health is by:
Staying physically active, which maintains good blood flow to the brain and encourages the development of brain cells.
Sticking to a low-cholesterol, low-fat diet rich in fruits and dark green vegetables. Antioxidants in these foods may help protect brain cells.
Staying socially active, which reduces stress.
Staying mentally active, which may help strengthen connections between brain cells.
“There’s no downside. [These are] important choices we should make,” agrees Cynthia R. Green, Ph.D., author of Brainpower Game Plan: Food, Moves, and Games to Clear Brain Fog, Boost Memory, and Age-Proof Your Mind in 4 Weeks (Rodale).
Green advises adding some brain games to your weekly routine. Only play games you enjoy, and don’t feel obligated to play every day. A few minutes several days a week could help, she says.
If nothing else, you’ll have fun, which also delivers valuable mind-body benefits.
“People who remain intellectually active are happier and less likely to be depressed” – and thus likely to stay healthier overall, Caselli says.
Here are some games to try:
Brain Game: Sudoku
How to play: This number-placement puzzle features a 9x9 grid comprising nine 3x3 sub-grids. The grid comes with some pre-filled numbers. You fill in the rest so that each sub-grid contains the digits 1-9, without repeating a number in the same row, column or 3x3 sub-grid.
Where to find it: In daily papers, including the New York Times, and in books in the puzzle section of any bookstore. Available as an electronic handheld game at Amazon in prices ranging from $19.99-$44.31. Free games are online at the New York Times website. It’s also available as an iPhone or BlackBerry application.
(Check out more sizzling-hot topics from 2010)
Brain Game: Boggle
How to play: Shake a tray of letter-imprinted dice and let them settle into a 4x4 grid. Start the three-minute timer, then each player has to find as many words as possible. You receive points for each word you find that isn’t duplicated by another player.
Where to find it: The board game, for 2-4 players, sells for $39.94 on Amazon. It’s available as an iPod Touch, iPhone, or iPad application. You can also play it as part of Hasbro Family Game Night on your Nintendo Wii, XBOX Live, XBOX 360 or Nintendo DS. Play free online at Fun-with-words.com.
Brain Game: Bananagrams
How to play: Each player draws 21 lettered tiles. They then race against each other to form sets of connecting and intersecting words. The first player to use all their tiles shouts “Bananas!” and wins the hand.
Where to find it: The game, for 2 or more players, sells for $14.99 on Amazon. You can also play online on Facebook. Books of Bananagrams puzzles, published by Workman Publishing, sell for $8.95.
Brain Game: Set
How to play: Using 9 cards, each player has to locate a “set” of 3 features (color, number, shape or shading) that's either all the same on each card or different.
Where to find it: It’s available on Amazon as a card game for $14.99 and as a handheld game for $39.99. Four free daily puzzles are offered at the New York Times website.
Brain Game: Simon
How to play: This electronic disc has 4 colored buttons, each of which plays a different tone when pressed. The game plays you a random sequence, which you then have to reproduce by quickly pressing the buttons in the correct order.
Where to find it: The electronic handheld game is available in stores for $9.99.
Brain Game: Lumosity Brain Games
How to play: At this website, you’ll find a variety of games to test different skills: verbal fluency, problem-solving, attention, speed and memory. Directions for each game are explained on the website.
Where to find it: Free games are available on the New York Times website; registration may be required.
Brain Game: KENKEN
How to play: Place numbers in a grid so they aren’t repeated in any row or column. Boxes in the grid are highlighted, with a cue as to what the result should be when the numbers are plugged into a mathematical equation.
For example, 2X means that the numbers, when multiplied, must produce an answer of 2. You can make it harder by trying to complete the puzzle in a set amount of time.
Where to find it: In daily papers, including the New York Times, and in books in the puzzle section of any bookstore. Available as an electronic handheld game at Amazon for $19.99. Find free games online at KENKEN and the New York Times website. It’s also available as an iPhone or BlackBerry application.
Brain Game: Crossword puzzles
How to play: Make these word puzzles harder by trying to complete them in a set amount of time. Other options: Find a friend to play with, or make copies of a puzzle and compete with friends to see who finishes first.
Where to find it: In addition to your daily newspaper and puzzle collections in any bookstore, you can find links to free online puzzles at the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament website.
Brain Game: Jigsaw puzzles
How to play: Make these puzzles a social activity by working with family or friends to fit the pieces together.
Where to find it: For ideas of unique puzzles and where to buy them, visit the American Jigsaw Puzzle Society website. Games are also available online at ThirdAge.
Brain Game: Scrabble
How to play: In the classic game, you choose 8 tiles and take turns creating intersecting words on a board. But there are also new variations to try: The Scrabble Flash Game automatically times your turns. Upwords is a three-dimensional version of the game. Scrabble Nab-It allows you to steal words from your opponents.
Where to find it: You can find a list of retailers on the Hasbro website. Upwords retails for $15.99, Scrabble Flash for $29.99, and Nab-It for $19.99. Classic versions of Scrabble start at $9.99. You can also play on Facebook.
Brain Game: Tetris
How to play: Manipulate a series of tumbling shapes, so when they fall into place, they fit together and the completed lines disappear from the board. Dr. Green recommends keeping a timed game handy, on a phone or other device, so you can play easily for short periods of time.
Where to find it: Tetris is available for almost every phone, computer and game system. A complete list of products is available on the Tetris website.
Brain Game: Rubik’s Slide
How to play: This new, electronic variation of the ’80s favorite Rubik’s Cube has 9 lit-up squares on one panel. The object is to rearrange the pattern of lights by shifting and twisting the game until the pattern matches that puzzle’s solution. The game contains more than 10,000 puzzles and a variety of difficulty settings.
Where to find it: At major and specialty stores nationwide for $19.99.
Brain-Healthy Tips to Keep In Mind
When possible, play games with other people. That way you’ll stay intellectually engaged and socially active. Staying socially engaged may help people stay healthy as they age, and it’s one of the factors scientists believe may eventually be found to protect against Alzheimer’s.
Play timed games. These may help you develop focus and process information faster, Green says.
In addition to these games, find other ways to keep your brain active: Take a class, start a book group, or talk to friends about current events.
Are You a Right-Brain or Left-Brain Thinker?
Whether you use your left brain and right brain together or have a dominant half explains a great deal about how you learn and express yourself.
Reduce electropollution exposure
If you've used a cell phone every day for a few years--especially if you make frequent calls and have a tendency to talk for awhile--it's time to put the phone down...and let's talk.
Earlier this year, we got some disturbing news from a long-term study known as Interphone. Study subjects who used cell phones the most had a 40 percent higher risk of giloma, the same type of brain tumor that took Senator Kennedy's life.
In addition, several Interphone researchers told Microwave News that giloma risk among long-term users was higher toward the end of the study.
And Elisabeth Cardis--leader of the Interphone project--said, "Overall, my opinion is that the results show a real effect."
In response to the Interphone results, the FDA issued a press release with this title: "No Evidence Linking Cell Phone Use to Risk of Brain Tumors."
Oh, FDA! We can always count on you to divert our attention away from reality!
In the body of the press release, here's how the agency summarized the results: "The study reported little or no risk of brain tumors for most long-term users of cell phones."
So, which is it? Little risk, or no risk? And "for most long-term users"? That sounds to me like people ARE at risk if they constantly have their cell phone held tight to their ear. And I know LOTS of people like that. I'll bet you do too.
In fact, that would describe HSI Panelist Ann Louise Gittleman. Or rather, it used to describe her.
Ann Louise is a renowned nutrition specialist and a best selling author of many books on health and healing. But as she admits, she was blindsided by the health risk of cell phones. And that risk turned into a very real and frightening health challenge.
-----------------------------------------------------------
Play it safe
-----------------------------------------------------------
What the Interphone study reveals--and the FDA ignores--is that the brain is not the only area of the head that's vulnerable to cell phone radiation.
In 2005, Ann Louise was diagnosed with a parotid gland tumor (PGT)--also known as a salivary gland tumor. As she soon learned (and as Interphone documented this year) heavy cell use sharply increases PGT risk. And the risk is even greater if you live in a rural area because cell towers are spaced farther apart, so cell phones emit higher radiation levels.
Fortunately, Ann Louise's tumor turned out to be benign. It was removed, and now, as she told me recently, "No problems. Not even a scar."
Others are not so lucky. For instance, film critic Roger Ebert had a malignant PGT that spread to his jaw and became a very complicated and dangerous health issue.
The Interphone study estimates that about 260 hours of cell phone use over five years increases your risk of PGT by 50 percent. I know I certainly land in that category, along with dozens of my friends. So what can we do to protect ourselves?
Ann Louise gave me several guidelines for making cell use safe:
Use a speakerphone
Use a plastic air-tube earpiece
Limit length of calls
When possible, text instead of call
Don't make calls from cars, elevators or trains--the radiation becomes concentrated in those spaces
Ann Louise told me that her PGT experience opened up an awareness of our vast exposure to electropollution from cell phones, computers, and all the other electrical and wireless devices we use every day. Many of these common devices create powerful electromagnetic fields.
Recently, Ann Louise published a new book titled "Zapped," an invaluable guide for steering your way around harmful and sometimes very dangerous electromagnetic sources.
"Zapped" (available on Amazon.com) also offers hundreds of invaluable tips that will help you significantly reduce electropollution exposure. You can find more information about electropollution on the "Zapped" website: areyouzapped.com.
Earlier this year, we got some disturbing news from a long-term study known as Interphone. Study subjects who used cell phones the most had a 40 percent higher risk of giloma, the same type of brain tumor that took Senator Kennedy's life.
In addition, several Interphone researchers told Microwave News that giloma risk among long-term users was higher toward the end of the study.
And Elisabeth Cardis--leader of the Interphone project--said, "Overall, my opinion is that the results show a real effect."
In response to the Interphone results, the FDA issued a press release with this title: "No Evidence Linking Cell Phone Use to Risk of Brain Tumors."
Oh, FDA! We can always count on you to divert our attention away from reality!
In the body of the press release, here's how the agency summarized the results: "The study reported little or no risk of brain tumors for most long-term users of cell phones."
So, which is it? Little risk, or no risk? And "for most long-term users"? That sounds to me like people ARE at risk if they constantly have their cell phone held tight to their ear. And I know LOTS of people like that. I'll bet you do too.
In fact, that would describe HSI Panelist Ann Louise Gittleman. Or rather, it used to describe her.
Ann Louise is a renowned nutrition specialist and a best selling author of many books on health and healing. But as she admits, she was blindsided by the health risk of cell phones. And that risk turned into a very real and frightening health challenge.
-----------------------------------------------------------
Play it safe
-----------------------------------------------------------
What the Interphone study reveals--and the FDA ignores--is that the brain is not the only area of the head that's vulnerable to cell phone radiation.
In 2005, Ann Louise was diagnosed with a parotid gland tumor (PGT)--also known as a salivary gland tumor. As she soon learned (and as Interphone documented this year) heavy cell use sharply increases PGT risk. And the risk is even greater if you live in a rural area because cell towers are spaced farther apart, so cell phones emit higher radiation levels.
Fortunately, Ann Louise's tumor turned out to be benign. It was removed, and now, as she told me recently, "No problems. Not even a scar."
Others are not so lucky. For instance, film critic Roger Ebert had a malignant PGT that spread to his jaw and became a very complicated and dangerous health issue.
The Interphone study estimates that about 260 hours of cell phone use over five years increases your risk of PGT by 50 percent. I know I certainly land in that category, along with dozens of my friends. So what can we do to protect ourselves?
Ann Louise gave me several guidelines for making cell use safe:
Use a speakerphone
Use a plastic air-tube earpiece
Limit length of calls
When possible, text instead of call
Don't make calls from cars, elevators or trains--the radiation becomes concentrated in those spaces
Ann Louise told me that her PGT experience opened up an awareness of our vast exposure to electropollution from cell phones, computers, and all the other electrical and wireless devices we use every day. Many of these common devices create powerful electromagnetic fields.
Recently, Ann Louise published a new book titled "Zapped," an invaluable guide for steering your way around harmful and sometimes very dangerous electromagnetic sources.
"Zapped" (available on Amazon.com) also offers hundreds of invaluable tips that will help you significantly reduce electropollution exposure. You can find more information about electropollution on the "Zapped" website: areyouzapped.com.
New warning over dementia overmedication
Studies have shown over and over that a little TLC goes a long way for dementia patients. Of course, that takes time and patience--two things health care professionals seem to be lacking these days.
Instead, they load the patients up with antipsychotics--drugs that turn them into quiet, compliant zombies who spend their days in a glassy-eyed stupor.
But at least they're easy to care for.
Now, a few health care professionals who are fed up with the abuse have taken the issue to the U.S. Senate.
Some of the stories they told are frightening. I'm going to share just a few of them with you. As you read them, keep in mind that they aren't isolated incidents. They're real, they're prevalent, and they could be happening right now to someone you care about.
In one case, a dementia patient was put onto heavy meds because she protested whenever she was moved.
But as it turns out, there was a pretty good reason for her complaints--she had a broken hip.
They doped her for nearly a month before someone finally realized something else must be wrong and had her X-rayed.
In another case, an 89-year-old woman recovering from a broken hip was put into those antipsychotic meds... and she didn't even have dementia.
Even worse, her docs didn't even talk to anyone in her family before they drugged her--they just went ahead and did it.
Despite these constant horror stories, despite the fact that these meds have been linked to an increased risk of death, and despite the fact that they're not even approved for dementia, the mainstream is rushing to defend the practice--and trashing anyone who dares to stand in the way.
"It is a good example of well-meaning people, who do not know what they are doing, criticizing what is mostly appropriate care," Dr. Clifford Saper chairman of the neurology department at Harvard Medical School, told MedPage Today.
If it's so "appropriate," where's the evidence for it?
Answer: There isn't any--but there's plenty of evidence of harm.
One study found that atypical antipsychotics triple the risk of death or hospitalization after just a month of taking them. Another study found that dementia patients on antipsychotics have twice the death risk of those who don't take the meds.
Those who live face other risks: Antipsychotic drugs have been linked to Parkinson's-like symptoms, chest infections, brain problems, and even stroke.
The fact that it's getting Senate attention might seem like a step in the right direction... until you hear this: Not a single Senator attended beyond his own opening remarks.
On a mission for your health,
Ed Martin
Editor, House Calls
Instead, they load the patients up with antipsychotics--drugs that turn them into quiet, compliant zombies who spend their days in a glassy-eyed stupor.
But at least they're easy to care for.
Now, a few health care professionals who are fed up with the abuse have taken the issue to the U.S. Senate.
Some of the stories they told are frightening. I'm going to share just a few of them with you. As you read them, keep in mind that they aren't isolated incidents. They're real, they're prevalent, and they could be happening right now to someone you care about.
In one case, a dementia patient was put onto heavy meds because she protested whenever she was moved.
But as it turns out, there was a pretty good reason for her complaints--she had a broken hip.
They doped her for nearly a month before someone finally realized something else must be wrong and had her X-rayed.
In another case, an 89-year-old woman recovering from a broken hip was put into those antipsychotic meds... and she didn't even have dementia.
Even worse, her docs didn't even talk to anyone in her family before they drugged her--they just went ahead and did it.
Despite these constant horror stories, despite the fact that these meds have been linked to an increased risk of death, and despite the fact that they're not even approved for dementia, the mainstream is rushing to defend the practice--and trashing anyone who dares to stand in the way.
"It is a good example of well-meaning people, who do not know what they are doing, criticizing what is mostly appropriate care," Dr. Clifford Saper chairman of the neurology department at Harvard Medical School, told MedPage Today.
If it's so "appropriate," where's the evidence for it?
Answer: There isn't any--but there's plenty of evidence of harm.
One study found that atypical antipsychotics triple the risk of death or hospitalization after just a month of taking them. Another study found that dementia patients on antipsychotics have twice the death risk of those who don't take the meds.
Those who live face other risks: Antipsychotic drugs have been linked to Parkinson's-like symptoms, chest infections, brain problems, and even stroke.
The fact that it's getting Senate attention might seem like a step in the right direction... until you hear this: Not a single Senator attended beyond his own opening remarks.
On a mission for your health,
Ed Martin
Editor, House Calls
Experimental Implant Zaps Sleep Apnea
Loud snoring may do more than irritate your spouse: It can signal sleep apnea, depriving you of enough zzzz's to trigger a car crash, even a heart attack.
Now scientists are beginning to test if an implanted pacemaker-like device might help certain sufferers, keeping their airways open by zapping the tongue during sleep.
Wait, what does your tongue have to do with a good night's sleep?
One of the main causes of obstructive sleep apnea is that the tongue and throat muscles relax too much during sleep, enough to temporarily collapse and block breathing for 30 seconds or so at a time. The person jerks awake and gasps, a cycle that can repeat itself 30 or more times an hour, depriving patients of crucial deep sleep.
The idea behind the experimental implant: Stimulate the nerve that controls the base of the tongue with a mild electrical current during sleep, and maybe it will stay toned and in place like it does during the day rather than becoming floppy.
By the end of January, Minneapolis-based Inspire Medical Systems plans to begin enrolling 100 apnea patients in a key study in the United States and Europe to see if so-called hypoglossal nerve stimulation really could work. Two competitors are developing similar implants: ImThera Medical of San Diego says it hopes to begin U.S. studies later next year, and Apnex Medical of St. Paul, Minn., has announced some small-scale testing.
"In this kind of research, we're not looking for little changes," says Dr. Meir Kryger, a sleep medicine specialist at Gaylord Hospital in Connecticut, who is helping to lead Inspire's study. "What we're looking for is actually cure."
More than 12 million Americans have obstructive sleep apnea, according to the National Institutes of Health. It's particularly common in people who are overweight and in middle-aged men, but anyone can have it.
Today's undisputed best treatment, called CPAP, uses special bedtime masks to gently blow air through the nose to keep airways open. But studies suggest at least 30 percent of diagnosed apnea patients won't or can't use CPAP. They cite masks that fit poorly and leak, or say they feel claustrophobic, or rip them off while tossing and turning during the night.
Yet going untreated is more dangerous than just feeling tired. Sleep apnea stresses the body in ways that increase the risk of high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke, and diabetes. More immediately, severe apnea increases the chance of a car crash sevenfold. Last year, the National Transportation Safety Board recommended that pilots, truck drivers, and other commercial transportation operators start being screened for apnea, saying it has been a factor in incidents involving every mode of transit.
Surgeons sometimes try removing part of the roof of the mouth or other soft tissues to treat apnea by widening airways. But it's hard to predict when these difficult operations will help, so they're usually reserved for the most severe cases.
"It got to the point where I'd dread going to bed," says Rik Krohn, 67, of suburban Minneapolis. Sleep studies showed his apnea was awakening him an average of 35 times an hour. He tried five different CPAP masks unsuccessfully before giving up in frustration, and surgeons turned him away.
Enter hypoglossal nerve stimulation.
With Inspire's system, doctors implant a small pacemaker-like generator under the skin near the collarbone, and snake a wire up under the jaw to that tongue-controlling nerve. A sensor at the diaphragm detects when a patient takes a breath, signaling the implant to zap the nerve. Researchers adjust the power so that the nerve is stimulated just enough to keep the tongue from falling backward during sleep but not to stick out. Patients turn on the device at bedtime with a remote control, complete with a timer they can set so they fall asleep before the pulses begin.
"I don't have any idea while I'm sleeping that it's on," says Krohn, the Minnesota man who'd given up on apnea treatment until volunteering for an early Inspire study last year — and says he now gets a good night's sleep. "It's a game-changer for me."
A caveat: Potential participants in Inspire's upcoming study must undergo a special exam where a tube snaked down the airway documents whether a tongue collapse or a problem with some other tissue is the true cause of their apnea, stresses Connecticut's Kryger.
"It's very important to see where the obstruction is and tailor the treatment," agrees Dr. Rick Odland, Krohn's surgeon at Minneapolis' Hennepin County Medical Center. He turned away another potential candidate in earlier testing when that exam showed zapping the tongue would have targeted the wrong spot.
These experiments are only now beginning, with a handful of implants performed so far — and while it's an interesting concept, frustrated patients should try some proven steps first, cautions, Dr. Amy Atkeson of Columbia University Medical Center in New York.
Her advice: Don't give up on CPAP without first seeing an experienced sleep technician to adjust humidity levels and take other steps that not every CPAP prescriber knows to try — and if you're overweight or obese, apnea greatly improves with weight loss.
Now scientists are beginning to test if an implanted pacemaker-like device might help certain sufferers, keeping their airways open by zapping the tongue during sleep.
Wait, what does your tongue have to do with a good night's sleep?
One of the main causes of obstructive sleep apnea is that the tongue and throat muscles relax too much during sleep, enough to temporarily collapse and block breathing for 30 seconds or so at a time. The person jerks awake and gasps, a cycle that can repeat itself 30 or more times an hour, depriving patients of crucial deep sleep.
The idea behind the experimental implant: Stimulate the nerve that controls the base of the tongue with a mild electrical current during sleep, and maybe it will stay toned and in place like it does during the day rather than becoming floppy.
By the end of January, Minneapolis-based Inspire Medical Systems plans to begin enrolling 100 apnea patients in a key study in the United States and Europe to see if so-called hypoglossal nerve stimulation really could work. Two competitors are developing similar implants: ImThera Medical of San Diego says it hopes to begin U.S. studies later next year, and Apnex Medical of St. Paul, Minn., has announced some small-scale testing.
"In this kind of research, we're not looking for little changes," says Dr. Meir Kryger, a sleep medicine specialist at Gaylord Hospital in Connecticut, who is helping to lead Inspire's study. "What we're looking for is actually cure."
More than 12 million Americans have obstructive sleep apnea, according to the National Institutes of Health. It's particularly common in people who are overweight and in middle-aged men, but anyone can have it.
Today's undisputed best treatment, called CPAP, uses special bedtime masks to gently blow air through the nose to keep airways open. But studies suggest at least 30 percent of diagnosed apnea patients won't or can't use CPAP. They cite masks that fit poorly and leak, or say they feel claustrophobic, or rip them off while tossing and turning during the night.
Yet going untreated is more dangerous than just feeling tired. Sleep apnea stresses the body in ways that increase the risk of high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke, and diabetes. More immediately, severe apnea increases the chance of a car crash sevenfold. Last year, the National Transportation Safety Board recommended that pilots, truck drivers, and other commercial transportation operators start being screened for apnea, saying it has been a factor in incidents involving every mode of transit.
Surgeons sometimes try removing part of the roof of the mouth or other soft tissues to treat apnea by widening airways. But it's hard to predict when these difficult operations will help, so they're usually reserved for the most severe cases.
"It got to the point where I'd dread going to bed," says Rik Krohn, 67, of suburban Minneapolis. Sleep studies showed his apnea was awakening him an average of 35 times an hour. He tried five different CPAP masks unsuccessfully before giving up in frustration, and surgeons turned him away.
Enter hypoglossal nerve stimulation.
With Inspire's system, doctors implant a small pacemaker-like generator under the skin near the collarbone, and snake a wire up under the jaw to that tongue-controlling nerve. A sensor at the diaphragm detects when a patient takes a breath, signaling the implant to zap the nerve. Researchers adjust the power so that the nerve is stimulated just enough to keep the tongue from falling backward during sleep but not to stick out. Patients turn on the device at bedtime with a remote control, complete with a timer they can set so they fall asleep before the pulses begin.
"I don't have any idea while I'm sleeping that it's on," says Krohn, the Minnesota man who'd given up on apnea treatment until volunteering for an early Inspire study last year — and says he now gets a good night's sleep. "It's a game-changer for me."
A caveat: Potential participants in Inspire's upcoming study must undergo a special exam where a tube snaked down the airway documents whether a tongue collapse or a problem with some other tissue is the true cause of their apnea, stresses Connecticut's Kryger.
"It's very important to see where the obstruction is and tailor the treatment," agrees Dr. Rick Odland, Krohn's surgeon at Minneapolis' Hennepin County Medical Center. He turned away another potential candidate in earlier testing when that exam showed zapping the tongue would have targeted the wrong spot.
These experiments are only now beginning, with a handful of implants performed so far — and while it's an interesting concept, frustrated patients should try some proven steps first, cautions, Dr. Amy Atkeson of Columbia University Medical Center in New York.
Her advice: Don't give up on CPAP without first seeing an experienced sleep technician to adjust humidity levels and take other steps that not every CPAP prescriber knows to try — and if you're overweight or obese, apnea greatly improves with weight loss.
Prostate Cancer Treatment May Be Tied to Cataract Risk
Older men who opt for hormone-blocking therapy to treat prostate cancer might be slightly raising their risk of developing cataracts, hints new research.
However, it is not yet clear if the therapy does actually cause the clouding that develops in the lens of the eye.
The male hormone testosterone helps drive the growth of prostate cancer. So-called "androgen deprivation therapy," or ADT, suppresses production of testosterone. An estimated one of every three men with prostate cancer undergoes ADT, either in the form of drugs, such as Lupron or Zoladex, or surgery to remove the testicles.
Yet, it is increasingly being recognized that ADT carries serious potential risks — namely, diabetes and obesity.
In October, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration ruled that certain hormone treatments for prostate cancer, including Lupron, Zoladex, Trelstar, and Eligard, must carry new warnings about an increased risk of diabetes and heart problems.
Because both obesity and diabetes have been linked to cataracts, "we suspected that cataract might have been another unintended consequence" of ADT, Jennifer Beebe-Dimmer of the Karmanos Cancer Institute in Detroit, Mich., told Reuters Health in an e-mail.
To test their hunch, Beebe-Dimmer and her colleagues studied nearly 66,000 prostate cancer patients aged 66 or older from a large US cancer registry.
In this group, nearly half of the patients had received some form of ADT within the first six months of their diagnosis, mostly in the form of hormone-altering drugs.
Overall, about 111 new cataracts were diagnosed for every 1,000 men studied per year, report the researchers in the Annals of Epidemiology.
After accounting for other risk factors for cataracts, they found that men treated with the hormone drugs had, on average, a 9 percent increased risk of developing a cataract compared to those not treated with ADT. The risk rose by around 26 percent for the far smaller proportion of men who had their testicles removed.
The effect was strongest among men with no prior history of cataracts.
The increased risk is relatively small, noted Beebe-Dimmer. However, because so many men use ADT, she and her team estimate that about 5 percent of cataract cases in men with prostate cancer might be blamed on the therapy.
"With ADT so commonly used as part of a patient's treatment for prostate cancer, it's important to have a complete understanding of the negative consequences of therapy," Beebe-Dimmer said.
"Patients should be monitored carefully while on ADT for new diagnoses of diabetes, and potentially cataract," she added.
Cataracts affect more than 20 million Americans aged 40 or older and account for the majority of vision-related Medicare expenses.
However, it is not yet clear if the therapy does actually cause the clouding that develops in the lens of the eye.
The male hormone testosterone helps drive the growth of prostate cancer. So-called "androgen deprivation therapy," or ADT, suppresses production of testosterone. An estimated one of every three men with prostate cancer undergoes ADT, either in the form of drugs, such as Lupron or Zoladex, or surgery to remove the testicles.
Yet, it is increasingly being recognized that ADT carries serious potential risks — namely, diabetes and obesity.
In October, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration ruled that certain hormone treatments for prostate cancer, including Lupron, Zoladex, Trelstar, and Eligard, must carry new warnings about an increased risk of diabetes and heart problems.
Because both obesity and diabetes have been linked to cataracts, "we suspected that cataract might have been another unintended consequence" of ADT, Jennifer Beebe-Dimmer of the Karmanos Cancer Institute in Detroit, Mich., told Reuters Health in an e-mail.
To test their hunch, Beebe-Dimmer and her colleagues studied nearly 66,000 prostate cancer patients aged 66 or older from a large US cancer registry.
In this group, nearly half of the patients had received some form of ADT within the first six months of their diagnosis, mostly in the form of hormone-altering drugs.
Overall, about 111 new cataracts were diagnosed for every 1,000 men studied per year, report the researchers in the Annals of Epidemiology.
After accounting for other risk factors for cataracts, they found that men treated with the hormone drugs had, on average, a 9 percent increased risk of developing a cataract compared to those not treated with ADT. The risk rose by around 26 percent for the far smaller proportion of men who had their testicles removed.
The effect was strongest among men with no prior history of cataracts.
The increased risk is relatively small, noted Beebe-Dimmer. However, because so many men use ADT, she and her team estimate that about 5 percent of cataract cases in men with prostate cancer might be blamed on the therapy.
"With ADT so commonly used as part of a patient's treatment for prostate cancer, it's important to have a complete understanding of the negative consequences of therapy," Beebe-Dimmer said.
"Patients should be monitored carefully while on ADT for new diagnoses of diabetes, and potentially cataract," she added.
Cataracts affect more than 20 million Americans aged 40 or older and account for the majority of vision-related Medicare expenses.
Thursday, December 30, 2010
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
Ignoring problems is easier, for sure, but if we take even tiny steps to address them, those steps eventually become giant leaps on the journey to self-actualization.
Stop Tooth Grinding
Question: What can I do to stop grinding my teeth at night?
Dr. Hibberd’s Answer:
Assuming your bite is correct, a nighttime bite plate or removable appliance will provide simple and effective control of your grinding. Your dentist can assist you with this.
This is a very common problem, and very little else can be offered unless some other cause for your grinding is present that may respond to medical management. A sleep lab could be useful if pinpointing the cause for grinding is difficult.
I have seen cases of sleep apnea that present as tooth grinding, so be sure to also consult your doctor for a general review of your health.
Dr. Hibberd’s Answer:
Assuming your bite is correct, a nighttime bite plate or removable appliance will provide simple and effective control of your grinding. Your dentist can assist you with this.
This is a very common problem, and very little else can be offered unless some other cause for your grinding is present that may respond to medical management. A sleep lab could be useful if pinpointing the cause for grinding is difficult.
I have seen cases of sleep apnea that present as tooth grinding, so be sure to also consult your doctor for a general review of your health.
ARE YOU A SUGAR JUNKIE?
Surprising places sugar hides
Which has more sugar, a glazed doughnut or a bran muffin? Surprise, it's the muffin!
Which has more sugar, a glazed doughnut or a bran muffin? Surprise, it's the muffin!
Can Onions & Garlic Keep Arthritis at Bay?
Sweet-smelling breath or pain relief from arthritis? Which would you choose? A new study shows that adding garlic and onions to your diet can ward off osteoarthritis.
Better for Weight Loss Than Rice
If you haven't sampled quinoa, now's the time to give this supergrain a try. It's a great substitute for rice that's high in protein and fiber, which can fill you up fast and prevent you from overeating more-fattening foods. Try it as a side dish or serve it up with your favorite veggies or lean meats for a nutty taste you're sure to find yourself craving.
So if it’s not carbs, then what should you do for energy before a workout?
Ahhhhh … a giant plate of pasta the night before a big workout, long-distance run or a big game. It’s what all the athletes do, right? They load up on tons of carbs, so they can get the “extra energy” they’ll need.
Except that they don’t. Get the extra energy, I mean.
Conventional fitness trainers and nutritionists will tell you that pasta and carbohydrates are how you get the strength to perform at maximum capacity.
I’ve known this just doesn’t work. Now I have new evidence about why.
I just read a study in Exercise and Sport’s Science Review that shows why doing the opposite and ditching the carbs before you exercise is much better for you.1
In fact, I’ve read another study showing that people who stayed away from carbs before their workouts for 10 weeks gained “superior exercise capacity.”2
That’s because eating fewer carbs improved their “training adaptation.”
Training adaptation is your body’s ability to adjust to the physical demands you place on it. For example, when you start a new workout, you feel sore. But training adaptation gets you used to the new exercise, so you don’t get the sore feeling anymore.
Some of the more advanced athletes even use this method they now call “training low” – to train with few carbs in your body – as a replacement for the old method of the high-carb diet.
So if it’s not carbs, then what should you do for energy before a workout?
1. Eat the right protein: The first thing you want to remember is that protein isn’t just something you eat to “replace” what you lose in a workout. Protein is how your body sustains and metabolizes energy during and after your workouts.
The best source for protein before a workout is whey protein. Just make sure that the whey is from grass-fed beef sources. The whey protein cultivated from grain-fed cows is compromised and denatured. You get all the hormones and antibiotics that were pumped into the cow, which may even be in a more concentrated form.
2. Eat the right fat: You also can get energy before a workout or an athletic event by snacking on some fat. That’s right, fat. Remember, good fat is good for you. The best kind of fat you can take in before exercise is Alpha-linolenic acid or ALA. This powerful omega-3 fatty acid gives you energy that lasts longer than carbs.
Here are some foods naturally high in ALA that are perfect for pre-workout meals or snacks:
Walnuts Free-Range Eggs
Dark Green Leafy Vegetables Wild-caught Atlantic Salmon
Haas Avocados Sardines
Butternuts Brazil Nuts
Pumpkin Seeds Albacore Tuna
Black and red currant seeds also are good plant-based sources of ALA. But the world’s best source of ALA from plants is Sacha Inchi Oil from Peru. It’s nearly 50 percent pure ALA. You get almost 7 grams of omega-3 in each tablespoonful.
To Your Good Health,
Al Sears, MD
Except that they don’t. Get the extra energy, I mean.
Conventional fitness trainers and nutritionists will tell you that pasta and carbohydrates are how you get the strength to perform at maximum capacity.
I’ve known this just doesn’t work. Now I have new evidence about why.
I just read a study in Exercise and Sport’s Science Review that shows why doing the opposite and ditching the carbs before you exercise is much better for you.1
In fact, I’ve read another study showing that people who stayed away from carbs before their workouts for 10 weeks gained “superior exercise capacity.”2
That’s because eating fewer carbs improved their “training adaptation.”
Training adaptation is your body’s ability to adjust to the physical demands you place on it. For example, when you start a new workout, you feel sore. But training adaptation gets you used to the new exercise, so you don’t get the sore feeling anymore.
Some of the more advanced athletes even use this method they now call “training low” – to train with few carbs in your body – as a replacement for the old method of the high-carb diet.
So if it’s not carbs, then what should you do for energy before a workout?
1. Eat the right protein: The first thing you want to remember is that protein isn’t just something you eat to “replace” what you lose in a workout. Protein is how your body sustains and metabolizes energy during and after your workouts.
The best source for protein before a workout is whey protein. Just make sure that the whey is from grass-fed beef sources. The whey protein cultivated from grain-fed cows is compromised and denatured. You get all the hormones and antibiotics that were pumped into the cow, which may even be in a more concentrated form.
2. Eat the right fat: You also can get energy before a workout or an athletic event by snacking on some fat. That’s right, fat. Remember, good fat is good for you. The best kind of fat you can take in before exercise is Alpha-linolenic acid or ALA. This powerful omega-3 fatty acid gives you energy that lasts longer than carbs.
Here are some foods naturally high in ALA that are perfect for pre-workout meals or snacks:
Walnuts Free-Range Eggs
Dark Green Leafy Vegetables Wild-caught Atlantic Salmon
Haas Avocados Sardines
Butternuts Brazil Nuts
Pumpkin Seeds Albacore Tuna
Black and red currant seeds also are good plant-based sources of ALA. But the world’s best source of ALA from plants is Sacha Inchi Oil from Peru. It’s nearly 50 percent pure ALA. You get almost 7 grams of omega-3 in each tablespoonful.
To Your Good Health,
Al Sears, MD
5 Ways to Make Your Resolutions Stick
I know what you're thinking: another cheesy, goody-two-shoes article on how I can keep all those goals I've set going into 2010. If you abhor such articles (like 10 ways to de-clutter your bathroom), then keep on reading. I'm like you. Normal.
1. Bribe yourself.
A so-called parenting expert that I read last week claimed that bribing your kid to get him to do something was an example of irresponsible and ineffective parenting. I suspect that the same man sits in his quiet and tidy little office cranking out advice like that while either his wife or nanny is home changing diapers and doling out time-outs. Let's face it. Bribing is one of the most effective tools to get anyone--your kid, your stubborn mother, your golden retriever, or yourself--to do something.
My running coach used this brilliant method to train me to run 18 miles. Before our run, he hid Jolly Ranchers along our route, every two miles, so he'd say to me when I wanted to stop, "In another half-mile, you get a treat! Come, you can do it!" And like a rat spotting a half-eaten hotdog, I'd run to the candy. You want to make sure you stick to your resolution? Bribe yourself along the road there: at the one-forth mark, one-half mark, and three-quarters mark.
2. Team up.
Think of the buddy system from Boy Scouts. Teaming up with someone means that you have to be accountable. You have to report to someone. Which brings down your percentage of cheating by 60 percent, or something like that. Especially if you're a people-pleaser like me. You want to be good, and get an A, so make sure someone is passing out such reviews.
Also, there is power in numbers, which is why the pairing system is used in many different capacities today: in the workplace, to insure quality control and promote better morale; in twelve-step groups to foster support and mentorship; in exercise programs to get your butt outside on a dark, wintry morning when you'd rather enjoy coffee and sweet rolls with your walking partner.
3. Throw in a gimme.
This is to ensure on December 31 of next year, you will have succeeded at one goal. So make it an easy one: "Throw out my Christmas sweater with a sequenced reindeer," "Pitch my golf-ball socks with two huge holes in the toes," "Give away my Yanni CDs," "Frame the family photo I had taken two summers ago." You see where I'm going with this one? Heck, if you list a bunch of gimmes, then you'll feel even better about yourself come next December.
4. Allow some backtracking.
I think most of us say "to hell with it," around the third week in January because it takes that long for the brain to realize it is going to need a motherload of discipline to keep the resolution, and our goal isn't so newish and cool anymore. Like last May, when I decided to eat according to the "Skinny Bitch" diet. I consumed hummus and celery for three weeks straight, feeling fantastic every time I fastened my loose jeans. Then I got really stick of hummus and celery ... so sick of them that I still can't eat them to this day.
We need to go in to our resolution knowing that we are very likely going to mess up in a few weeks, or maybe days, and that's okay, because for every two steps backwards we make another half-step forward. Technically, then, we can categorize it as "progress." Moreover, if we lose our black and white thinking, and adjust our vision to see more colors-- situations and events in which we can't just eat celery and hummus-- then we'll be able to hang onto to our resolutions until February, and maybe even June!
5. Wear some resolution bling.
Let me explain this one. It has something to do with my obsessive-compulsive self, and being raised by a lot of nuns who held a lot of rosaries and holy water and other faith objects. I need reminders--ideally 234 of them--to refresh me on goals, promises, and prayers I promised myself or recited in the morning with my coffee. And because tattoos are expensive and well, permanent, I go with jewelry, medals, and beads I can hang on to.
So, for example, my resolution this year is to worry less and trust God more, especially financially: to be a little more relaxed, in general, and to try to let the big guy upstairs deal with it before I take it from him, throwing a hissy fit. This is essentially the Serenity Prayer: to accept the things I can't change, and to know the difference between the things that I can't change and the things I can. So I wear a serenity prayer bracelet, each bead symbolizing part of the prayer. My key chain holds a large cross with the serenity prayer engraved on it, and it makes a jingling sound as I drive, to remind me that the pea-brained fellow in front of me who won't let me around him is one thing I can't change.
1. Bribe yourself.
A so-called parenting expert that I read last week claimed that bribing your kid to get him to do something was an example of irresponsible and ineffective parenting. I suspect that the same man sits in his quiet and tidy little office cranking out advice like that while either his wife or nanny is home changing diapers and doling out time-outs. Let's face it. Bribing is one of the most effective tools to get anyone--your kid, your stubborn mother, your golden retriever, or yourself--to do something.
My running coach used this brilliant method to train me to run 18 miles. Before our run, he hid Jolly Ranchers along our route, every two miles, so he'd say to me when I wanted to stop, "In another half-mile, you get a treat! Come, you can do it!" And like a rat spotting a half-eaten hotdog, I'd run to the candy. You want to make sure you stick to your resolution? Bribe yourself along the road there: at the one-forth mark, one-half mark, and three-quarters mark.
2. Team up.
Think of the buddy system from Boy Scouts. Teaming up with someone means that you have to be accountable. You have to report to someone. Which brings down your percentage of cheating by 60 percent, or something like that. Especially if you're a people-pleaser like me. You want to be good, and get an A, so make sure someone is passing out such reviews.
Also, there is power in numbers, which is why the pairing system is used in many different capacities today: in the workplace, to insure quality control and promote better morale; in twelve-step groups to foster support and mentorship; in exercise programs to get your butt outside on a dark, wintry morning when you'd rather enjoy coffee and sweet rolls with your walking partner.
3. Throw in a gimme.
This is to ensure on December 31 of next year, you will have succeeded at one goal. So make it an easy one: "Throw out my Christmas sweater with a sequenced reindeer," "Pitch my golf-ball socks with two huge holes in the toes," "Give away my Yanni CDs," "Frame the family photo I had taken two summers ago." You see where I'm going with this one? Heck, if you list a bunch of gimmes, then you'll feel even better about yourself come next December.
4. Allow some backtracking.
I think most of us say "to hell with it," around the third week in January because it takes that long for the brain to realize it is going to need a motherload of discipline to keep the resolution, and our goal isn't so newish and cool anymore. Like last May, when I decided to eat according to the "Skinny Bitch" diet. I consumed hummus and celery for three weeks straight, feeling fantastic every time I fastened my loose jeans. Then I got really stick of hummus and celery ... so sick of them that I still can't eat them to this day.
We need to go in to our resolution knowing that we are very likely going to mess up in a few weeks, or maybe days, and that's okay, because for every two steps backwards we make another half-step forward. Technically, then, we can categorize it as "progress." Moreover, if we lose our black and white thinking, and adjust our vision to see more colors-- situations and events in which we can't just eat celery and hummus-- then we'll be able to hang onto to our resolutions until February, and maybe even June!
5. Wear some resolution bling.
Let me explain this one. It has something to do with my obsessive-compulsive self, and being raised by a lot of nuns who held a lot of rosaries and holy water and other faith objects. I need reminders--ideally 234 of them--to refresh me on goals, promises, and prayers I promised myself or recited in the morning with my coffee. And because tattoos are expensive and well, permanent, I go with jewelry, medals, and beads I can hang on to.
So, for example, my resolution this year is to worry less and trust God more, especially financially: to be a little more relaxed, in general, and to try to let the big guy upstairs deal with it before I take it from him, throwing a hissy fit. This is essentially the Serenity Prayer: to accept the things I can't change, and to know the difference between the things that I can't change and the things I can. So I wear a serenity prayer bracelet, each bead symbolizing part of the prayer. My key chain holds a large cross with the serenity prayer engraved on it, and it makes a jingling sound as I drive, to remind me that the pea-brained fellow in front of me who won't let me around him is one thing I can't change.
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
It's so important to forgive people for their wrongs in your own life because every bit of it was for a reason—it was to form the person that you are.
Can aspirin really lower your cancer risk?
Aspirin sales must need a boost. That's the only reason I can come up with to explain why researchers have suddenly returned to their one-a-day mantra. Only this time, they say aspirin could help you prevent cancer.
It's practically a miracle, they claim.
But dig a little deeper, and you'll find no miracles here--just the usual research smoke and mirrors.
In a new analysis of 25,000 people involved in eight studies on daily aspirin use, researchers found that the painkillers lowered the risk of cancer deaths by 10 to 60 percent.
And I have to admit, that sounded great to me--until I read the details.
The risk of death by lung cancer, for example, was 20 percent lower in daily aspirin users--but since just 326 of the 25,000 patients had lung cancer, it's hard to draw any major conclusions here.
What's more, only a third of the subjects were women. The researchers "guess" that the results would be the same for them--but they can't say for sure based on this study.
Do you want to take a drug every single day based on a guess? I know I don't.
But the truth is, women don't have to guess: One major study that was completely ignored by these researchers looked at 40,000 U.S. women--and found no reduction in the risk of any cancer deaths (with the possible exception of lung cancer--but even that wasn't proven).
I have to wonder why that one didn't make the cut--could it be that it didn't line up with their predetermined pro-aspirin outcome?
There are other problems with this analysis, including the fact that the studies used to draw these sweeping conclusions weren't even designed to measure cancer risk.
They were clinical trials that looked at heart risk.
And even if you want to believe that painkillers really can lower your risk of cancer, this should make you think twice: There was a 40 percent dropout rate among aspirin users.
It's not hard to figure out why.
Regular aspirin use can cause bleeding in the brain, leading to a brain hemorrhage. It can also cause bleeding in the stomach, leading to life-wrecking ulcers and other gastrointestinal problems.
It can even lead to tinnitus, a persistent, irritating and even painful ringing in the ears.
If you want to do something every day that can lower your cancer risk, forget aspirin--and brew yourself some green tea instead.
Studies have consistently found that green tea may help prevent many kinds of cancer--as well as lower your risk of diabetes, Alzheimer's, heart disease and stroke.
Green tea drinkers even live longer--making it a daily habit that's much easier to support.
It's practically a miracle, they claim.
But dig a little deeper, and you'll find no miracles here--just the usual research smoke and mirrors.
In a new analysis of 25,000 people involved in eight studies on daily aspirin use, researchers found that the painkillers lowered the risk of cancer deaths by 10 to 60 percent.
And I have to admit, that sounded great to me--until I read the details.
The risk of death by lung cancer, for example, was 20 percent lower in daily aspirin users--but since just 326 of the 25,000 patients had lung cancer, it's hard to draw any major conclusions here.
What's more, only a third of the subjects were women. The researchers "guess" that the results would be the same for them--but they can't say for sure based on this study.
Do you want to take a drug every single day based on a guess? I know I don't.
But the truth is, women don't have to guess: One major study that was completely ignored by these researchers looked at 40,000 U.S. women--and found no reduction in the risk of any cancer deaths (with the possible exception of lung cancer--but even that wasn't proven).
I have to wonder why that one didn't make the cut--could it be that it didn't line up with their predetermined pro-aspirin outcome?
There are other problems with this analysis, including the fact that the studies used to draw these sweeping conclusions weren't even designed to measure cancer risk.
They were clinical trials that looked at heart risk.
And even if you want to believe that painkillers really can lower your risk of cancer, this should make you think twice: There was a 40 percent dropout rate among aspirin users.
It's not hard to figure out why.
Regular aspirin use can cause bleeding in the brain, leading to a brain hemorrhage. It can also cause bleeding in the stomach, leading to life-wrecking ulcers and other gastrointestinal problems.
It can even lead to tinnitus, a persistent, irritating and even painful ringing in the ears.
If you want to do something every day that can lower your cancer risk, forget aspirin--and brew yourself some green tea instead.
Studies have consistently found that green tea may help prevent many kinds of cancer--as well as lower your risk of diabetes, Alzheimer's, heart disease and stroke.
Green tea drinkers even live longer--making it a daily habit that's much easier to support.
Fried Fish May Boost Stroke Deaths
Health expert tout the benefits of eating lots of fish, but the way it’s prepared may lessen its benefits. In a region of the country known as the “stroke belt,” residents eat significantly more fried fish than other parts of the country, according to a study published in the journal Neurology.
The stroke belt encompasses 11 southeastern U.S. states, including Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. These states have a 10 percent higher rate of death from strokes, health authorities determined.
Residents in the stroke belt were also 32 percent more likely to eat two or more servings of fried fish per week, which researchers believe may be linked to stroke risk, reports USA Today. They theorize that link may be due to the fact that frying the fish leaches it of its beneficial omega-3 fats. They also point to the bad fats used to fry the fish as a likely culprit.
The stroke belt encompasses 11 southeastern U.S. states, including Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. These states have a 10 percent higher rate of death from strokes, health authorities determined.
Residents in the stroke belt were also 32 percent more likely to eat two or more servings of fried fish per week, which researchers believe may be linked to stroke risk, reports USA Today. They theorize that link may be due to the fact that frying the fish leaches it of its beneficial omega-3 fats. They also point to the bad fats used to fry the fish as a likely culprit.
Severe Allergies Linked to Suicides
People with severe nasal or skin allergies may have a higher suicide risk than the allergy-free, a new study suggests — although the reasons are not yet clear.
Reviewing medical records for more than 27,000 suicide victims, Danish researchers found that just more than 1 percent had ever been hospitalized for severe nasal allergies or eczema. That compared with 0.8 percent among nearly 468,000 adults studied for comparison.
When the researchers weighed other factors — like people's incomes and history of mental health disorders — those treated for severe allergies had a one-third higher risk of suicide than people with no history of allergies.
While that difference sounds large, the risk to any one person with serious allergies would still be quite small.
"We did find an increased risk for suicide associated with severe allergy — however, the risk is not particularly high," said lead researcher Dr. Ping Qin, of Aarhus University in Denmark.
So allergy sufferers, Qin said in an e-mail, should not be alarmed.
The findings, published in the journal Allergy, are in line with a recent study from Taiwan linking asthma symptoms with suicide risk. But researchers are not completely sure why these connections exist.
In the current study, people who had only ever received outpatient treatment for milder nasal allergies or eczema showed no increased suicide risk.
Instead, the link was confined to people who at some point needed inpatient treatment — to manage, for instance, a severe asthma attack related to nasal allergies.
But Qin's team speculates that the suicide risk is not only a matter of people with serious allergies feeling worse.
During allergic reactions, the brain churns out substances called pro-inflammatory cytokines — proteins that help cells communicate with each other. And research shows that these cytokines can have depression-promoting effects, such as dips in the brain's production of the "feel-good" chemical serotonin.
So it's possible that such effects on the nervous system play a role, the researchers say.
But Qin's team also found that the picture became more complicated when they looked at people's mental health history.
Severe allergies, it turned out, appeared related to suicide risk only among people who had never been treated for depression or anxiety disorders. Compared with this group, people who had ever been treated for both severe allergies and depression/anxiety actually had a lower suicide risk.
According to Qin, this raises the question of whether mental health problems in people with severe allergies are going unrecognized, whereas diagnosing and treating them can lower their odds of suicide.
Certain antidepressants, the researchers note, not only ease depression symptoms, but also seem to suppress those same inflammatory cytokines released during allergic reactions.
None of this, however, means that people with allergies need to be screened for suicidal thoughts and behavior, Qin's team says.
But, they write, "the results suggest that physicians treating patients with allergic disorders should be vigilant about expressions of suicidal ideation or signs of self-harm, particularly for those with a recent diagnosis or severe allergy."
One of the limits of the current study is that the researchers had no information on the specific allergy or psychiatric treatments people had received.
Qin said more studies are needed to look at how various antidepressants and allergy drugs might affect suicide risk in allergy sufferers.
In recent years, there have been reports of depression, suicidal thoughts and other psychiatric problems in some people on allergy medications known as leukotriene modifiers — including Singulair, Accolate and Zyflo. But whether the drugs themselves are to blame remains unclear.
Reviewing medical records for more than 27,000 suicide victims, Danish researchers found that just more than 1 percent had ever been hospitalized for severe nasal allergies or eczema. That compared with 0.8 percent among nearly 468,000 adults studied for comparison.
When the researchers weighed other factors — like people's incomes and history of mental health disorders — those treated for severe allergies had a one-third higher risk of suicide than people with no history of allergies.
While that difference sounds large, the risk to any one person with serious allergies would still be quite small.
"We did find an increased risk for suicide associated with severe allergy — however, the risk is not particularly high," said lead researcher Dr. Ping Qin, of Aarhus University in Denmark.
So allergy sufferers, Qin said in an e-mail, should not be alarmed.
The findings, published in the journal Allergy, are in line with a recent study from Taiwan linking asthma symptoms with suicide risk. But researchers are not completely sure why these connections exist.
In the current study, people who had only ever received outpatient treatment for milder nasal allergies or eczema showed no increased suicide risk.
Instead, the link was confined to people who at some point needed inpatient treatment — to manage, for instance, a severe asthma attack related to nasal allergies.
But Qin's team speculates that the suicide risk is not only a matter of people with serious allergies feeling worse.
During allergic reactions, the brain churns out substances called pro-inflammatory cytokines — proteins that help cells communicate with each other. And research shows that these cytokines can have depression-promoting effects, such as dips in the brain's production of the "feel-good" chemical serotonin.
So it's possible that such effects on the nervous system play a role, the researchers say.
But Qin's team also found that the picture became more complicated when they looked at people's mental health history.
Severe allergies, it turned out, appeared related to suicide risk only among people who had never been treated for depression or anxiety disorders. Compared with this group, people who had ever been treated for both severe allergies and depression/anxiety actually had a lower suicide risk.
According to Qin, this raises the question of whether mental health problems in people with severe allergies are going unrecognized, whereas diagnosing and treating them can lower their odds of suicide.
Certain antidepressants, the researchers note, not only ease depression symptoms, but also seem to suppress those same inflammatory cytokines released during allergic reactions.
None of this, however, means that people with allergies need to be screened for suicidal thoughts and behavior, Qin's team says.
But, they write, "the results suggest that physicians treating patients with allergic disorders should be vigilant about expressions of suicidal ideation or signs of self-harm, particularly for those with a recent diagnosis or severe allergy."
One of the limits of the current study is that the researchers had no information on the specific allergy or psychiatric treatments people had received.
Qin said more studies are needed to look at how various antidepressants and allergy drugs might affect suicide risk in allergy sufferers.
In recent years, there have been reports of depression, suicidal thoughts and other psychiatric problems in some people on allergy medications known as leukotriene modifiers — including Singulair, Accolate and Zyflo. But whether the drugs themselves are to blame remains unclear.
6 Tips to Jump Start Your 2011 Diet
Now that the last of the pumpkin pie and fudge have been gobbled up, it's time to turn our attention to the annual ritual of the New Year's resolution – namely: losing weight. In addition to maintaining a healthy diet and getting enough exercise, what else can one do to make sure those good intentions have a lasting impact throughout the year?
Below are research-based tips from investigators at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center that may help jump start one's weight loss progress in the coming year.
1. Keep a food log
"By spending a little extra time to write down everything you eat and drink, you'll be able to see where extra calories sneak in," said postdoctoral research fellow Caitlin Mason, an exercise and health researcher in the Public Health Sciences Division of the Hutchinson Center. "There are lots of good online tools that can help estimate the calorie content of common foods and track your weight loss progress over time," she said. Try Fitday.com for a free, easy-to-use online journal that calculates calories and nutrition.
2. Set attainable goals
"The biggest mistake people make when trying to lose weight is trying to lose too many pounds too fast or setting unrealistic goals," Mason said. "For long-term success, aim for a slow, steady weight loss of about 1 to 2 pounds a week. No one wants to lose weight only to gain it all back — and often more — a few months later.
3. Be specific
Instead of resolving to "lose weight," which is too general, set several smaller but more specific goals, such as eating five servings of vegetables per day, taking a 15-minute walk at lunch each day, or drinking six glasses of water per day. "Adding healthy behaviors to your routine is often easier than telling yourself 'don't do this' or 'don't eat that,'" Mason said.
4. Forgive slip-ups
"Don't throw your entire routine out the window after one bad day," Mason said. "Instead, try to identify the specific barriers that got in your way and think through strategies to avoid such challenges in the future." For example, to avoid the temptation of buying a candy bar while standing in the checkout line at the grocery store, make sure to eat a healthy snack, such as a handful of nuts or a piece of string cheese, before going shopping.
5. Embrace yoga
Two observational studies conducted by cancer prevention researcher Alan Kristal, a member of the Hutchinson Center's Public Health Sciences Division, have found an association between regular yoga practice and weight maintenance and weight loss. One of his studies, published in 2005, found that regular yoga practice is associated with the prevention of middle-age spread in normal-weight people and the promotion of weight loss in those who are overweight. A follow-up study published in 2009 found that regular yoga practice is associated with mindful eating, and people who eat mindfully are less likely to be obese. "These findings fit with our hypothesis that yoga increases mindfulness in eating and leads to less weight gain over time, independent of the physical activity aspect of yoga practice," Kristal said. "Mindful eating is a skill that augments the usual approaches to weight loss, such as dieting, counting calories and limiting portion sizes. Adding yoga practice to a standard weight-loss program may make it more effective."
6. Exercise every day
We all know that exercise is crucial to losing weight, but sometimes it's easier said than done. The task need not be daunting; all it takes to see a weight-loss benefit is 30 to 60 minutes of aerobic activity daily. "You don't need to be athletic. Just brisk walking or dancing to your favorite music or using an aerobic exercise machine like a stationary bike or treadmill is all you need to do — just try to do it each day," said Dr. Anne McTiernan, director of the Hutchinson Center's Prevention Center. The exercise doesn't have to be all at once. "You can break it into 10- or 15-minute sessions throughout the day to get the weight-loss benefit," she said.
Below are research-based tips from investigators at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center that may help jump start one's weight loss progress in the coming year.
1. Keep a food log
"By spending a little extra time to write down everything you eat and drink, you'll be able to see where extra calories sneak in," said postdoctoral research fellow Caitlin Mason, an exercise and health researcher in the Public Health Sciences Division of the Hutchinson Center. "There are lots of good online tools that can help estimate the calorie content of common foods and track your weight loss progress over time," she said. Try Fitday.com for a free, easy-to-use online journal that calculates calories and nutrition.
2. Set attainable goals
"The biggest mistake people make when trying to lose weight is trying to lose too many pounds too fast or setting unrealistic goals," Mason said. "For long-term success, aim for a slow, steady weight loss of about 1 to 2 pounds a week. No one wants to lose weight only to gain it all back — and often more — a few months later.
3. Be specific
Instead of resolving to "lose weight," which is too general, set several smaller but more specific goals, such as eating five servings of vegetables per day, taking a 15-minute walk at lunch each day, or drinking six glasses of water per day. "Adding healthy behaviors to your routine is often easier than telling yourself 'don't do this' or 'don't eat that,'" Mason said.
4. Forgive slip-ups
"Don't throw your entire routine out the window after one bad day," Mason said. "Instead, try to identify the specific barriers that got in your way and think through strategies to avoid such challenges in the future." For example, to avoid the temptation of buying a candy bar while standing in the checkout line at the grocery store, make sure to eat a healthy snack, such as a handful of nuts or a piece of string cheese, before going shopping.
5. Embrace yoga
Two observational studies conducted by cancer prevention researcher Alan Kristal, a member of the Hutchinson Center's Public Health Sciences Division, have found an association between regular yoga practice and weight maintenance and weight loss. One of his studies, published in 2005, found that regular yoga practice is associated with the prevention of middle-age spread in normal-weight people and the promotion of weight loss in those who are overweight. A follow-up study published in 2009 found that regular yoga practice is associated with mindful eating, and people who eat mindfully are less likely to be obese. "These findings fit with our hypothesis that yoga increases mindfulness in eating and leads to less weight gain over time, independent of the physical activity aspect of yoga practice," Kristal said. "Mindful eating is a skill that augments the usual approaches to weight loss, such as dieting, counting calories and limiting portion sizes. Adding yoga practice to a standard weight-loss program may make it more effective."
6. Exercise every day
We all know that exercise is crucial to losing weight, but sometimes it's easier said than done. The task need not be daunting; all it takes to see a weight-loss benefit is 30 to 60 minutes of aerobic activity daily. "You don't need to be athletic. Just brisk walking or dancing to your favorite music or using an aerobic exercise machine like a stationary bike or treadmill is all you need to do — just try to do it each day," said Dr. Anne McTiernan, director of the Hutchinson Center's Prevention Center. The exercise doesn't have to be all at once. "You can break it into 10- or 15-minute sessions throughout the day to get the weight-loss benefit," she said.
Heartburn drugs linked to increased pneumonia risk
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - People on two types of widely prescribed heartburn medications may have a higher-than-average risk of developing pneumonia, a new research review finds.
The drugs in question belong to two classes frequently used to treat heartburn or stomach ulcers: proton pump inhibitors, which include drugs like Nexium, Prevacid and Prilosec; and H2-receptor blockers, such as Pepcid and Zantac.
In the U.S. alone, people spent $27 billion on these medications in 2005.
Some studies have found a connection between the heartburn drugs and a heightened risk of pneumonia. One theory is that by curbing stomach acid, the medications allow ingested bacteria that would otherwise be killed to instead survive and thrive -- and potentially get into the lungs.
For the new analysis, South Korean researchers pulled together 31 international studies looking at the connection between heartburn drugs and pneumonia.
When they combined the studies' results, they found that people on either proton pump inhibitors or H2 blockers were about one-quarter more likely than non-users to develop pneumonia.
Some studies focused on people who became infected while in the hospital, where pneumonia is a common, and often deadly, problem. Other studies focused on out-of-hospital infections. People who used heartburn drugs were at increased risk in either case.
The risks to any individual medication user were not huge. The researchers estimate, for example, that among hospital patients on the heartburn drugs, there would be about 25 cases of pneumonia per 1,000 patients. That compares with 20 cases per 1,000 among hospital patients not on the drugs.
And it's not certain that the drugs themselves are to blame, Dr. Sang Min Park, one of the researchers on the study, told Reuters Health in an e-mail.
It's possible that chronic acid reflux itself could at least partly account for the link, according to Park, of Seoul National University Hospital. Acids that back up out of the stomach can sometimes be sucked into the airways, where they could cause pneumonia.
Still, Park said the findings suggest that doctors and heartburn sufferers should use some caution when it comes to acid-suppressing drugs.
Discuss the pros and cons with your doctor, the researcher advised, and use the medications only if necessary to control your symptoms -- in cases where diet and other lifestyle changes don't work, for example -- and at the lowest dose possible.
Caution would be especially important for people already at higher-than-average risk of pneumonia, such as the elderly and people with emphysema or other chronic lung diseases, according to Park.
The findings, reported in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, are based on 31 studies from Europe, Asia and North America.
Based on the hospital studies, Park's team estimates that acid-suppressing drugs could contribute to an extra four to five cases of pneumonia for every 1,000 hospital patients.
The researchers point out that anywhere from 40 percent to 70 percent of hospital patients are on one of these drugs. This, they say, suggests that the medications could account for a "considerable" portion of hospital-acquired infections.
The researchers could not perform a similar overall estimate for out-of-hospital infections. But one study they reviewed gives an idea of the drugs' potential contribution to pneumonia cases outside hospitals.
In that study, Dutch researchers looked at out-of-hospital pneumonia rates among nearly 365,000 adults over seven years. Of the people on proton pump inhibitors or H2 blockers, 2.5 percent developed pneumonia per year, versus 0.6 percent of those not on the drugs.
Alternative ways to manage frequent heartburn include lifestyle changes, like avoiding foods that trigger symptoms, eating smaller meals and losing weight, and quitting smoking. Over-the-counter antacids, which neutralize stomach acids, can bring quick symptom relief.
Some people with frequent or severe heartburn, however, may need an acid-suppressing medication to control their symptoms and prevent or treat damage to the esophagus or stomach lining.
SOURCE: http://link.reuters.com/xyt23r CMAJ, online December 20, 2010.
The drugs in question belong to two classes frequently used to treat heartburn or stomach ulcers: proton pump inhibitors, which include drugs like Nexium, Prevacid and Prilosec; and H2-receptor blockers, such as Pepcid and Zantac.
In the U.S. alone, people spent $27 billion on these medications in 2005.
Some studies have found a connection between the heartburn drugs and a heightened risk of pneumonia. One theory is that by curbing stomach acid, the medications allow ingested bacteria that would otherwise be killed to instead survive and thrive -- and potentially get into the lungs.
For the new analysis, South Korean researchers pulled together 31 international studies looking at the connection between heartburn drugs and pneumonia.
When they combined the studies' results, they found that people on either proton pump inhibitors or H2 blockers were about one-quarter more likely than non-users to develop pneumonia.
Some studies focused on people who became infected while in the hospital, where pneumonia is a common, and often deadly, problem. Other studies focused on out-of-hospital infections. People who used heartburn drugs were at increased risk in either case.
The risks to any individual medication user were not huge. The researchers estimate, for example, that among hospital patients on the heartburn drugs, there would be about 25 cases of pneumonia per 1,000 patients. That compares with 20 cases per 1,000 among hospital patients not on the drugs.
And it's not certain that the drugs themselves are to blame, Dr. Sang Min Park, one of the researchers on the study, told Reuters Health in an e-mail.
It's possible that chronic acid reflux itself could at least partly account for the link, according to Park, of Seoul National University Hospital. Acids that back up out of the stomach can sometimes be sucked into the airways, where they could cause pneumonia.
Still, Park said the findings suggest that doctors and heartburn sufferers should use some caution when it comes to acid-suppressing drugs.
Discuss the pros and cons with your doctor, the researcher advised, and use the medications only if necessary to control your symptoms -- in cases where diet and other lifestyle changes don't work, for example -- and at the lowest dose possible.
Caution would be especially important for people already at higher-than-average risk of pneumonia, such as the elderly and people with emphysema or other chronic lung diseases, according to Park.
The findings, reported in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, are based on 31 studies from Europe, Asia and North America.
Based on the hospital studies, Park's team estimates that acid-suppressing drugs could contribute to an extra four to five cases of pneumonia for every 1,000 hospital patients.
The researchers point out that anywhere from 40 percent to 70 percent of hospital patients are on one of these drugs. This, they say, suggests that the medications could account for a "considerable" portion of hospital-acquired infections.
The researchers could not perform a similar overall estimate for out-of-hospital infections. But one study they reviewed gives an idea of the drugs' potential contribution to pneumonia cases outside hospitals.
In that study, Dutch researchers looked at out-of-hospital pneumonia rates among nearly 365,000 adults over seven years. Of the people on proton pump inhibitors or H2 blockers, 2.5 percent developed pneumonia per year, versus 0.6 percent of those not on the drugs.
Alternative ways to manage frequent heartburn include lifestyle changes, like avoiding foods that trigger symptoms, eating smaller meals and losing weight, and quitting smoking. Over-the-counter antacids, which neutralize stomach acids, can bring quick symptom relief.
Some people with frequent or severe heartburn, however, may need an acid-suppressing medication to control their symptoms and prevent or treat damage to the esophagus or stomach lining.
SOURCE: http://link.reuters.com/xyt23r CMAJ, online December 20, 2010.
What Your Hairstyle Says About You
Your hair is talking about you behind your back. So what’s it saying? And how do you get it to reveal the real you? Our top celebrity stylists share hair personality secrets and tips to get your best hairstyle ever. Plus, test how much you know about hair with our quiz...
Many women cringe at the thought of switching up their tried-and-true hairstyle. Could it be those distant memories of a haircut gone bad? Or are you afraid you just won’t feel “yourself”?
Our identities are intricately linked to the face we show others.
“Have a bad hair day and you feel low, a good one and you can conquer the world,” says Susan Sommers, personal style coach and founder of DressZing.com. “Finding the right style not only empowers you but makes everyone who sees you feel confident about your abilities.”
You may not realize that what you do with your hair in the morning matters as much as a first hello.
“Your hairstyle communicates who you are at a glance,” Sommers explains. “It's a shortcut to your personality and allows you to express yourself without saying a word.”
So what message is your 'do sending? Find your perfect look in these 7 hairstyles:
1. Long, flowing hair
Says: Sexy, ultra-feminine, pretty
Celebrity signature style: The late Farrah Fawcett made long, flowing hair popular in the ‘70s.
Other celebs: Sarah Jessica Parker, Gisele Bundchen (pictured right)
Long hair suits most people, says Carmine Minardi, co-owner of Minardi Salon and hair-care products in New York City. “For an inexpensive haircut, people felt like they could look like Farrah Fawcett.”
Looks best on: “This is great for women 5’7” and taller with a medium to slim body shape,” says Antoinette Beenders, Global Creative Director for Aveda and an award-winning stylist.
Doesn’t work on: Petite women with small faces and bodies. They tend to get lost in long, flowing tresses.
2. Long, straight hair
Says: Sensual, flirty, low-maintenance, playful
Celebrity signature style: Jennifer Aniston’s (pictured right) long, straight angles continue to be coveted and copied long after “Friends” went off the air. Her hair always looks healthy and perfectly styled, even though she rarely uses styling tools and prefers to let it dry naturally.
Other celebs: Lauren Conrad, Blake Lively
“Long, straight hair is great for women who want to feel sexier,” Beenders says. No-frills hair can also send the message that you’re low-maintenance.
Looks best on: “The tall and youthful,” says Sam Brocato, owner of Sam Brocato Salon in New York City and red-carpet stylist.
Doesn’t work on: Long, thin face shapes and petite women.
“Long, straight hair hides their shoulders, necks, collarbones and makes them look more petite,” Minardi says.
3. The bob
Says: Power, elegance, strength, simplicity
Celebrity signature style: Katie Holmes makes it look easy to juggle family and career. Her low-maintenance hair looks great even if she doesn’t have time to blow-dry and style her hair. Her cut uses gravity to pull her hair into a picture-perfect style.
Other celebs: Dorothy Hamill, Eva Longoria Parker (pictured right)
Looks best on: “For this look, you’ll need a great set of eyes and a cute nose,” Beenders says.
Doesn’t work on: “This look isn’t great for narrow face shapes, but can work well on rounder ones,” she says. “Women with square jaw lines should stay away from this shape because it accentuates the jaw.”
4. The short bob
Says: Assertive, chic, classic, sexy, stylish
Celebrity signature style: Anna Wintour
“Her short hair shows sex appeal and assertiveness,” Minardi says. As a professional woman, she needs to look the same all the time as part of her "power-look," he says.
Other celebs: Victoria Beckham (pictured right), Mary J. Blige, Ana May Wong
Looks best on: “You have to have a good jaw line,” Minardi says.
And great bones: Victoria Beckham’s backward angled bob was shorter in the back to reveal her long, sexy neck and longer in the front to frame her bone structure.
Doesn’t work on: A round face. This cut will make the face look even rounder.
5. The ponytail
Says: Creative, straightforward, powerful, no-nonsense, assertive, confident
Celebrity signature style: “Beyonce (pictured right) rocks the ponytail on the red carpet and looks chic while shopping,” Brocato says. “Depending on the placement, it can completely change the feel and attitude of the style.”
Other celebs: Jessica Alba, Portia de Rossi
Looks best on: “Ponytails are big for the 20- to 40-year-old group,” Minardi says. “It exposes your features and becomes about the makeup, skin and eyes.”
If you’re looking to play up your features, this is a great look for any occasion.
Doesn’t work on: More self-conscious women or women who want to hide certain features.
6. Bangs
Says: Youthful, cute, playful, sassy with a strong personality
Celebrity signature style: Beenders likes Reese Witherspoon’s bangs (pictured right).
“Women with fringes tend to have stronger personalities – feminine mixed with strength,” she says.
Other celebs: Nicole Richie, Marlo Thomas, Goldie Hawn
Looks best on: “Fringes look best on foreheads that aren’t too short and can be a great cover up for larger foreheads,” Beenders says.
They’re a great way to have a dramatic new look without losing the length of your style.
Doesn’t work as well: “Fringes shorten the face, so they’re not the best on square face shapes,” she adds.
Check out the Best Hairstyles for Your Face Shape.
7. The pixie
Says: Confident, self-assured, daring
Celebrity signature style: Minardi loves Halle Berry’s (pictured right) pixie cut. “That was the best look she ever had."
Other celebs: Annie Lennox, Sharon Stone, Jamie Lee Curtis
Looks best on: “A petite head and frame work best with this style in someone with a great face, strong eyes and ideally an oval face shape," Beenders says.
Doesn’t work on: “If you’re 5’ 9” or taller, it might create the pinhead effect,” she explains.
Another caution: “You have to put on a face (makeup) every time you wake up or you could look masculine,” Minardi says.
More haircut advice
Want more haircut secrets? Check out these other tips from the stylists:
Opposites attract: “If your hair is straight, attempt a curly or wavy look” to transform your style,” Beenders says. It’s easy to do with a curling iron.
“Go from long to short by pinning your locks into the nape of the neck.”
Add enhancements: “Clip- or glue- in hair extensions for length, volume, texture and color are a great, affordable way to change up a hairstyle,” says Robert Hallowell, hairstylist to the stars and creator of a line of natural hair-care products, TheKitchenBeautician.com.
Don’t always follow the rules: “Yes, there are rules or strong ideas about what is appropriate for certain head shapes and body shapes – we all pretty much know what they are – but at the same time, if you like a style and you wear it with conviction and work the look, it will work for you,” Hallowell says.
Go for products: Besides a haircut, Minardi says “there are waxes, pomades, root lifts, bodifying foams and even products that make you look like you’ve been at the beach.”
Many women cringe at the thought of switching up their tried-and-true hairstyle. Could it be those distant memories of a haircut gone bad? Or are you afraid you just won’t feel “yourself”?
Our identities are intricately linked to the face we show others.
“Have a bad hair day and you feel low, a good one and you can conquer the world,” says Susan Sommers, personal style coach and founder of DressZing.com. “Finding the right style not only empowers you but makes everyone who sees you feel confident about your abilities.”
You may not realize that what you do with your hair in the morning matters as much as a first hello.
“Your hairstyle communicates who you are at a glance,” Sommers explains. “It's a shortcut to your personality and allows you to express yourself without saying a word.”
So what message is your 'do sending? Find your perfect look in these 7 hairstyles:
1. Long, flowing hair
Says: Sexy, ultra-feminine, pretty
Celebrity signature style: The late Farrah Fawcett made long, flowing hair popular in the ‘70s.
Other celebs: Sarah Jessica Parker, Gisele Bundchen (pictured right)
Long hair suits most people, says Carmine Minardi, co-owner of Minardi Salon and hair-care products in New York City. “For an inexpensive haircut, people felt like they could look like Farrah Fawcett.”
Looks best on: “This is great for women 5’7” and taller with a medium to slim body shape,” says Antoinette Beenders, Global Creative Director for Aveda and an award-winning stylist.
Doesn’t work on: Petite women with small faces and bodies. They tend to get lost in long, flowing tresses.
2. Long, straight hair
Says: Sensual, flirty, low-maintenance, playful
Celebrity signature style: Jennifer Aniston’s (pictured right) long, straight angles continue to be coveted and copied long after “Friends” went off the air. Her hair always looks healthy and perfectly styled, even though she rarely uses styling tools and prefers to let it dry naturally.
Other celebs: Lauren Conrad, Blake Lively
“Long, straight hair is great for women who want to feel sexier,” Beenders says. No-frills hair can also send the message that you’re low-maintenance.
Looks best on: “The tall and youthful,” says Sam Brocato, owner of Sam Brocato Salon in New York City and red-carpet stylist.
Doesn’t work on: Long, thin face shapes and petite women.
“Long, straight hair hides their shoulders, necks, collarbones and makes them look more petite,” Minardi says.
3. The bob
Says: Power, elegance, strength, simplicity
Celebrity signature style: Katie Holmes makes it look easy to juggle family and career. Her low-maintenance hair looks great even if she doesn’t have time to blow-dry and style her hair. Her cut uses gravity to pull her hair into a picture-perfect style.
Other celebs: Dorothy Hamill, Eva Longoria Parker (pictured right)
Looks best on: “For this look, you’ll need a great set of eyes and a cute nose,” Beenders says.
Doesn’t work on: “This look isn’t great for narrow face shapes, but can work well on rounder ones,” she says. “Women with square jaw lines should stay away from this shape because it accentuates the jaw.”
4. The short bob
Says: Assertive, chic, classic, sexy, stylish
Celebrity signature style: Anna Wintour
“Her short hair shows sex appeal and assertiveness,” Minardi says. As a professional woman, she needs to look the same all the time as part of her "power-look," he says.
Other celebs: Victoria Beckham (pictured right), Mary J. Blige, Ana May Wong
Looks best on: “You have to have a good jaw line,” Minardi says.
And great bones: Victoria Beckham’s backward angled bob was shorter in the back to reveal her long, sexy neck and longer in the front to frame her bone structure.
Doesn’t work on: A round face. This cut will make the face look even rounder.
5. The ponytail
Says: Creative, straightforward, powerful, no-nonsense, assertive, confident
Celebrity signature style: “Beyonce (pictured right) rocks the ponytail on the red carpet and looks chic while shopping,” Brocato says. “Depending on the placement, it can completely change the feel and attitude of the style.”
Other celebs: Jessica Alba, Portia de Rossi
Looks best on: “Ponytails are big for the 20- to 40-year-old group,” Minardi says. “It exposes your features and becomes about the makeup, skin and eyes.”
If you’re looking to play up your features, this is a great look for any occasion.
Doesn’t work on: More self-conscious women or women who want to hide certain features.
6. Bangs
Says: Youthful, cute, playful, sassy with a strong personality
Celebrity signature style: Beenders likes Reese Witherspoon’s bangs (pictured right).
“Women with fringes tend to have stronger personalities – feminine mixed with strength,” she says.
Other celebs: Nicole Richie, Marlo Thomas, Goldie Hawn
Looks best on: “Fringes look best on foreheads that aren’t too short and can be a great cover up for larger foreheads,” Beenders says.
They’re a great way to have a dramatic new look without losing the length of your style.
Doesn’t work as well: “Fringes shorten the face, so they’re not the best on square face shapes,” she adds.
Check out the Best Hairstyles for Your Face Shape.
7. The pixie
Says: Confident, self-assured, daring
Celebrity signature style: Minardi loves Halle Berry’s (pictured right) pixie cut. “That was the best look she ever had."
Other celebs: Annie Lennox, Sharon Stone, Jamie Lee Curtis
Looks best on: “A petite head and frame work best with this style in someone with a great face, strong eyes and ideally an oval face shape," Beenders says.
Doesn’t work on: “If you’re 5’ 9” or taller, it might create the pinhead effect,” she explains.
Another caution: “You have to put on a face (makeup) every time you wake up or you could look masculine,” Minardi says.
More haircut advice
Want more haircut secrets? Check out these other tips from the stylists:
Opposites attract: “If your hair is straight, attempt a curly or wavy look” to transform your style,” Beenders says. It’s easy to do with a curling iron.
“Go from long to short by pinning your locks into the nape of the neck.”
Add enhancements: “Clip- or glue- in hair extensions for length, volume, texture and color are a great, affordable way to change up a hairstyle,” says Robert Hallowell, hairstylist to the stars and creator of a line of natural hair-care products, TheKitchenBeautician.com.
Don’t always follow the rules: “Yes, there are rules or strong ideas about what is appropriate for certain head shapes and body shapes – we all pretty much know what they are – but at the same time, if you like a style and you wear it with conviction and work the look, it will work for you,” Hallowell says.
Go for products: Besides a haircut, Minardi says “there are waxes, pomades, root lifts, bodifying foams and even products that make you look like you’ve been at the beach.”
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Food Swap: Which Coffee Drink Is Healthiest?
Most Americans rely on a morning pick-me-up to get their day going. While coffee itself isn't bad for you, many of the popular drinks these days are loaded with immune-suppressing sugar. But you can make a simple swap that’ll give you a good caffeine buzz without all the unnecessary sugar.
Ditch the Starbucks Frappuccino, in which has 47 grams of sugar – that's 32 more grams of sugar than I recommend all day. Instead of that energy-crashing, belly-fat promoting sugar drink, try a black coffee with cream and a packet of Stevia. And to stay hydrated, have a glass of water for every cup of joe you drink.
Ditch the Starbucks Frappuccino, in which has 47 grams of sugar – that's 32 more grams of sugar than I recommend all day. Instead of that energy-crashing, belly-fat promoting sugar drink, try a black coffee with cream and a packet of Stevia. And to stay hydrated, have a glass of water for every cup of joe you drink.
THE HEALTIEST PIZZA OPTIONS
While pizza may not exactly seem like a health food, there are some ways you can eat it without packing on the pounds. Here are the best options to try at two popular pizza chains.
Pizza Hut: You can't go wrong with two slices of the Thin 'n Crispy Veggie Lover's pizza, or two slices of 12-inch Fit 'n Delicious Chicken, Red Onion and Green Pepper pizza. Both have only 360 calories per slice.
California Pizza Kitchen: There aren't a lot of "light" choices on the menu. But sharing a tin-crust Four Season Pizza will only set you back about 475 calories.
Pizza Hut: You can't go wrong with two slices of the Thin 'n Crispy Veggie Lover's pizza, or two slices of 12-inch Fit 'n Delicious Chicken, Red Onion and Green Pepper pizza. Both have only 360 calories per slice.
California Pizza Kitchen: There aren't a lot of "light" choices on the menu. But sharing a tin-crust Four Season Pizza will only set you back about 475 calories.
7 Exercises for Your Best Legs Ever
Did you know you burn the most calories when you exercise your legs? That’s because they’re home to your body’s biggest muscle groups, so it takes more energy to move them. If you want sculpted, lean legs, check out Chief Diet and Fitness Expert Jorge Cruise's exercise plan...
You've got legs, but do you know how to use them? For great gams, the secret lies in workouts that use slow movements that purposefully fatigue the muscles, according to Jorge Cruise.
The first phase of an exercise is done to a slow count of 10 seconds. When you reach the most difficult part of the exercise – where gravity and the nature of the exercise require peak effort (maximum tension point or MTP) – hold the contraction for two seconds. Then return to the starting point through another count of 10 seconds. Moving this slowly is so important because it creates an intense resistance workout.
Let’s begin!
1. Beginner Squat
Squats are one of the best leg exercises known to man… and woman! They require the full attention of your quads, hams, glutes, and calves and utilize smaller stabilizer muscles that really sculpt lean legs. This Beginner Squat is perfect for first-timers. Just be sure you use the chairs only for balance, not to hold your weight.
Step 1: Stand between two sturdy chairs with your feet shoulder-width apart.
Step 2: Squat down, keeping your back straight, abs tight, chest up, and knees over your ankles, through a count of 10 seconds.
Step 3: At the MTP, hold for 2 seconds then return to the starting position through a count of 10 seconds.
Step 4: Without resting, repeat three times.
2. Glute Kickback on Swiss Ball
Your glutes are actually made up of three muscles: the gluteus maximus (the largest muscle, which you know as your butt), the gluteus minimus (which lies below the gluteus maximus) and the gluteus medius (positioned on your outer hip and helps stabilize your pelvis during such movements as standing on one leg). This exercise is specifically targeted to give your butt the lift you’ve been wanting.
Step 1: Place the Swiss ball on a non-stick mat, then lie over the ball on your hands and knees, as shown.
Step 2: Keeping your knee bent, slowly press the heel of your foot toward the ceiling through a count of 10 seconds.
Step 3: At the MTP, hold and squeeze for 2 seconds. Lower your leg back to the starting point through a count of 10 seconds. Repeat.
Step 4: Without resting, switch sides and complete 2 more reps with the other leg.
3. Swiss Ball Squat
For some – especially those with weak knees or ankles – squats can be a challenge. This exercise, which uses the ball to provide stability and reduce pressure on your joints, is the perfect solution. If you don’t own a Swiss ball, just slide down and up the wall, minus the ball. Perform this exercise against a blank wall or locked door for safety.
Step 1: Position yourself in front of the wall (or door) with the ball supporting your lower back. Stand with your feet hip-width apart, about 1 foot from the wall. Cross your arms in front of your shoulders.
Step 2: Squat down through a count of 10 until you reach a 90-degree angle.
Step 3: Hold for 2 seconds at the MTP. Return to the starting point through a count of 10 seconds.
Step 4: Without resting, repeat three times.
4. Quadriceps Flex
Quads are a grouping made up of four (quad) muscles, which run along the top of your upper leg. Contracting your quads can either cause your knee to bend or your hip to flex – both important everyday, functional movements. This exercise requires some balance. Be sure to use a chair or stable countertop for support.
Step 1: Grasping a chair or other hip-level support, stand with feet shoulder-width apart.
Step 2: Through a count of 10 seconds, bend your knees as you allow your body to fall slightly backward, letting your heels come up off the floor.
Step 3: When your knees are near the floor (the MTP for this exercise), hold and squeeze your quads for 2 seconds.
Step 4: Through another count of 10 seconds, slowly return to the starting point.
Step 5: Without resting, repeat three times.
5. Plié Squat
The plié may be a classic ballerina move, but this squat doesn’t require a pink tutu. Turning your toes out targets the inner thigh muscles – often considered a very difficult area to isolate.
Step 1: With both hands, grasp a dumbbell and stand with your feet about twice shoulder-width apart. Turn your toes out to the sides, keeping them aligned with your knees.
Step 2: Squat down, as if you were about to sit in a chair, through a count of 10 seconds.
Step 3: Hold for 2 seconds at the MTP. Then, for a count of 10 seconds, push through your heels and return to starting point.
Step 4: Without resting, repeat three times.
6. Lunge
Much like the squat, the lunge also utilizes all the major muscles of your legs and buttocks and requires concentration and balance. To avoid injury, make sure that your front knee stays aligned with your ankles, never crossing over your toes, and doesn’t bend farther than a 90-degree angle.
Step 1: With your back straight, chest up and abs tight, stand in a lunge position.
Step 2: Through a count of 10 seconds, drop your back knee toward the ground.
Step 3: When your knee is about 1 inch off the ground (the MTP for this exercise), hold for 2 seconds.
Step 4: Through a count of 10 seconds, return to starting position. Repeat.
Step 5: Without resting, perform 2 more reps on the other leg, totaling 4 reps.
7. Lateral Squat
Moving side to side in this lateral squat requires a lot of balance and hip stabilization – a job perfect for your gluteus medius. Remember, this muscle is positioned not where you consider your butt to be, but rather on the side of your hip. Be sure to keep your hips and shoulders in line and don’t allow your knee to drop forward over your toes.
Step 1: With your hands on your hips, stand with your feet about a foot wider than shoulder-width apart.
Step 2: Through a count of 10 seconds, squat down to the side toward one leg, while keeping the opposite leg straight.
Step 3: At the MTP, hold for 2 seconds. Return to the starting position through a count of 10 seconds.
Step 4: Without resting, alternate sides. Perform 2 reps on each side, totaling 4 reps.
Want to learn more? Get your own copy of The Belly Fat Cure (Hay House) and visit 12second.com.
You've got legs, but do you know how to use them? For great gams, the secret lies in workouts that use slow movements that purposefully fatigue the muscles, according to Jorge Cruise.
The first phase of an exercise is done to a slow count of 10 seconds. When you reach the most difficult part of the exercise – where gravity and the nature of the exercise require peak effort (maximum tension point or MTP) – hold the contraction for two seconds. Then return to the starting point through another count of 10 seconds. Moving this slowly is so important because it creates an intense resistance workout.
Let’s begin!
1. Beginner Squat
Squats are one of the best leg exercises known to man… and woman! They require the full attention of your quads, hams, glutes, and calves and utilize smaller stabilizer muscles that really sculpt lean legs. This Beginner Squat is perfect for first-timers. Just be sure you use the chairs only for balance, not to hold your weight.
Step 1: Stand between two sturdy chairs with your feet shoulder-width apart.
Step 2: Squat down, keeping your back straight, abs tight, chest up, and knees over your ankles, through a count of 10 seconds.
Step 3: At the MTP, hold for 2 seconds then return to the starting position through a count of 10 seconds.
Step 4: Without resting, repeat three times.
2. Glute Kickback on Swiss Ball
Your glutes are actually made up of three muscles: the gluteus maximus (the largest muscle, which you know as your butt), the gluteus minimus (which lies below the gluteus maximus) and the gluteus medius (positioned on your outer hip and helps stabilize your pelvis during such movements as standing on one leg). This exercise is specifically targeted to give your butt the lift you’ve been wanting.
Step 1: Place the Swiss ball on a non-stick mat, then lie over the ball on your hands and knees, as shown.
Step 2: Keeping your knee bent, slowly press the heel of your foot toward the ceiling through a count of 10 seconds.
Step 3: At the MTP, hold and squeeze for 2 seconds. Lower your leg back to the starting point through a count of 10 seconds. Repeat.
Step 4: Without resting, switch sides and complete 2 more reps with the other leg.
3. Swiss Ball Squat
For some – especially those with weak knees or ankles – squats can be a challenge. This exercise, which uses the ball to provide stability and reduce pressure on your joints, is the perfect solution. If you don’t own a Swiss ball, just slide down and up the wall, minus the ball. Perform this exercise against a blank wall or locked door for safety.
Step 1: Position yourself in front of the wall (or door) with the ball supporting your lower back. Stand with your feet hip-width apart, about 1 foot from the wall. Cross your arms in front of your shoulders.
Step 2: Squat down through a count of 10 until you reach a 90-degree angle.
Step 3: Hold for 2 seconds at the MTP. Return to the starting point through a count of 10 seconds.
Step 4: Without resting, repeat three times.
4. Quadriceps Flex
Quads are a grouping made up of four (quad) muscles, which run along the top of your upper leg. Contracting your quads can either cause your knee to bend or your hip to flex – both important everyday, functional movements. This exercise requires some balance. Be sure to use a chair or stable countertop for support.
Step 1: Grasping a chair or other hip-level support, stand with feet shoulder-width apart.
Step 2: Through a count of 10 seconds, bend your knees as you allow your body to fall slightly backward, letting your heels come up off the floor.
Step 3: When your knees are near the floor (the MTP for this exercise), hold and squeeze your quads for 2 seconds.
Step 4: Through another count of 10 seconds, slowly return to the starting point.
Step 5: Without resting, repeat three times.
5. Plié Squat
The plié may be a classic ballerina move, but this squat doesn’t require a pink tutu. Turning your toes out targets the inner thigh muscles – often considered a very difficult area to isolate.
Step 1: With both hands, grasp a dumbbell and stand with your feet about twice shoulder-width apart. Turn your toes out to the sides, keeping them aligned with your knees.
Step 2: Squat down, as if you were about to sit in a chair, through a count of 10 seconds.
Step 3: Hold for 2 seconds at the MTP. Then, for a count of 10 seconds, push through your heels and return to starting point.
Step 4: Without resting, repeat three times.
6. Lunge
Much like the squat, the lunge also utilizes all the major muscles of your legs and buttocks and requires concentration and balance. To avoid injury, make sure that your front knee stays aligned with your ankles, never crossing over your toes, and doesn’t bend farther than a 90-degree angle.
Step 1: With your back straight, chest up and abs tight, stand in a lunge position.
Step 2: Through a count of 10 seconds, drop your back knee toward the ground.
Step 3: When your knee is about 1 inch off the ground (the MTP for this exercise), hold for 2 seconds.
Step 4: Through a count of 10 seconds, return to starting position. Repeat.
Step 5: Without resting, perform 2 more reps on the other leg, totaling 4 reps.
7. Lateral Squat
Moving side to side in this lateral squat requires a lot of balance and hip stabilization – a job perfect for your gluteus medius. Remember, this muscle is positioned not where you consider your butt to be, but rather on the side of your hip. Be sure to keep your hips and shoulders in line and don’t allow your knee to drop forward over your toes.
Step 1: With your hands on your hips, stand with your feet about a foot wider than shoulder-width apart.
Step 2: Through a count of 10 seconds, squat down to the side toward one leg, while keeping the opposite leg straight.
Step 3: At the MTP, hold for 2 seconds. Return to the starting position through a count of 10 seconds.
Step 4: Without resting, alternate sides. Perform 2 reps on each side, totaling 4 reps.
Want to learn more? Get your own copy of The Belly Fat Cure (Hay House) and visit 12second.com.
How to Finally Change a Habit, Keep a Resolution, or Make a Dream Come True - By M.J. Ryan
Fast forward a few months (or a few weeks) into any given new year, and most peoples' resolutions have been either forgotten or abandoned. As one of the creators of the bestselling Random Acts of Kindness series, author and life coach Ryan outlines a concrete and practical strategy for following through on a resolution while dealing with all of life's other ups and downs: "One of the tricks about change is that we have to figure out how to do it in the midst of everything else." In encouraging, easy-to-read chapters, Ryan tackles the obstacles that keep readers from their goals and provides helpful tools and language to quell negative, self-defeating thoughts. Championing affirmation and cognitive therapy strategies, Ryan urges readers to switch from "why" thinking to "what could be possible" thinking, using "right brain" skills to achieve success: "The right brain is future oriented. It's where our aspirations, our dreams, our longings reside." Ryan's handy self-help will prove welcome for anyone seeking gentle but solid help in achieving personal change.
New Year's Resolutions - First Steps to a Better Life? - By Clare Mann
As the New Year approaches, thousands of people make New Year resolutions, determined to change their lives or aspects of them. By the third or fourth of January, many have broken them and by the middle of the month, most have forgotten them completely, yet alone used them as the impetus to change their lives. What is this collective urge to usher in a New Year, determined to make it different from the previous one? Why are so many people failing to put in place the changes they believe will transform their lives?
New Year Resolutions are often made in response to a self-censoring of one's behavior or punishment for not doing what they believe will bring happiness. Giving up smoking, losing weight or getting fit are often at the top of the list when it comes to the top ten resolutions. Self-disgust, low self esteem or admonishment by others is often the reason for making resolutions. When we look at New Year resolutions, they are focused on changing aspects of one's unacceptable behavior - rarely are they couched in terms that reflect a larger vision for our lives or the values that might underpin a personal mission for what we want lives are about. Thus, conscious and unconscious resistance to the punishments that resolutions demand, sabotage us from keeping them. The outcome is that we continue our lives as before with humor, cynicism or increased self-loathing for our inability to change. We risk, as Henry Thoreaux said 'Living a Life of Quiet Desperation'.
What alternatives are there for changing aspects of our lives in more productive and nurturing ways? The following questions help you look at your life more strategically so changes you desire can be assessed in terms of their alignment with your vision and desires.
1.What do you really want to do with your life? What do you want your life to stand for and how would you like to be remembered?
2.What would you do if you knew you couldn't fail? Don't answer this question within the constraints of what you believe is currently possible. Think big and worthy dreams.
3.What are your values and what is so important to you that you would stake 'even life itself' to act in ways to celebrate these values?
4.What thoughts, feelings and actions do you believe align with achieving your vision, values and dreams of how you want your life to be?
5.What stops you from achieving the life you so desire? What reasons do you give yourself for not having what you want? Do you blame others for your failures or are you taking full responsibility for your own life?
6.What reasons do you give yourself for not having what you want? Do you blame others for your failures or are you taking full responsibility for your entire life?
7.What do you need to do to support achievement of your desired life? If those supports are not in place, what stories do you tell yourself for why this is so?
By asking these and similar questions, you can create a pen picture of the life you want. Take that picture and set goals, targets and the means for measuring and assessing your success.
The late Earl Nightingale once said 'Success is the progressive realization of a worthy ideal'. Dare to dream something worthy and examine your thoughts, feelings and actions to assess the extent to which you are progressively realizing it.
New Year Resolutions are temporary ways to assuage the anxiety of not living the life you truly want. They provide a temporary salve hoodwinking you into believing that positive change is on the horizon.
This year, replace your New Year resolutions with value aligned ways to create a life that is worth living so temporary setbacks no longer determine your success or failure.
New Year Resolutions are often made in response to a self-censoring of one's behavior or punishment for not doing what they believe will bring happiness. Giving up smoking, losing weight or getting fit are often at the top of the list when it comes to the top ten resolutions. Self-disgust, low self esteem or admonishment by others is often the reason for making resolutions. When we look at New Year resolutions, they are focused on changing aspects of one's unacceptable behavior - rarely are they couched in terms that reflect a larger vision for our lives or the values that might underpin a personal mission for what we want lives are about. Thus, conscious and unconscious resistance to the punishments that resolutions demand, sabotage us from keeping them. The outcome is that we continue our lives as before with humor, cynicism or increased self-loathing for our inability to change. We risk, as Henry Thoreaux said 'Living a Life of Quiet Desperation'.
What alternatives are there for changing aspects of our lives in more productive and nurturing ways? The following questions help you look at your life more strategically so changes you desire can be assessed in terms of their alignment with your vision and desires.
1.What do you really want to do with your life? What do you want your life to stand for and how would you like to be remembered?
2.What would you do if you knew you couldn't fail? Don't answer this question within the constraints of what you believe is currently possible. Think big and worthy dreams.
3.What are your values and what is so important to you that you would stake 'even life itself' to act in ways to celebrate these values?
4.What thoughts, feelings and actions do you believe align with achieving your vision, values and dreams of how you want your life to be?
5.What stops you from achieving the life you so desire? What reasons do you give yourself for not having what you want? Do you blame others for your failures or are you taking full responsibility for your own life?
6.What reasons do you give yourself for not having what you want? Do you blame others for your failures or are you taking full responsibility for your entire life?
7.What do you need to do to support achievement of your desired life? If those supports are not in place, what stories do you tell yourself for why this is so?
By asking these and similar questions, you can create a pen picture of the life you want. Take that picture and set goals, targets and the means for measuring and assessing your success.
The late Earl Nightingale once said 'Success is the progressive realization of a worthy ideal'. Dare to dream something worthy and examine your thoughts, feelings and actions to assess the extent to which you are progressively realizing it.
New Year Resolutions are temporary ways to assuage the anxiety of not living the life you truly want. They provide a temporary salve hoodwinking you into believing that positive change is on the horizon.
This year, replace your New Year resolutions with value aligned ways to create a life that is worth living so temporary setbacks no longer determine your success or failure.
New Year’s Resolution Tips for Aging Backwards
"When one door closes, another opens."
Did you know Alexander Graham Bell was the first to say that?
But, he didn’t stop there. Here’s the rest of the quote:
"...but we often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door that we do not see the one which has opened for us."
The end of one year and the beginning of a new one is the perfect time to focus on the newly-opened door … and to ignore the closed one.
If you’re like most people, now is the time to make your annual New Year’s resolutions. You may want to drop weight, quit smoking, start exercising, spend more time with your family, get a better job, buy a house … and the list goes on.
Our tradition of setting New Year’s resolutions dates back 7,000 years ago to the ancient Babylonians. And, people have been breaking their resolutions ever since!
If you want to make and keep your resolutions, the secret may be to commit to just one, specific thing: Be happy!
In fact, extensive research conducted by Sonya Lyubomirsky, PhD., and her colleagues at the University of California, Riverside, showed strong support for the idea that happiness actually leads to successful outcomes, as opposed to following those outcomes. They report, “Happy individuals are more likely than their less happy peers to have fulfilling marriages and relationships, high incomes, superior work performance, community involvement, robust health, and even a long life."1
If you still plan to make a list of resolutions, follow these five tips to help you keep them. (This way you don’t join the millions of people who celebrate January 17th as “Break Your Resolution Day!”)
New Year’s Resolution Tips for Aging Backwards
1. Keep your list short. Choose only a few goals, write them down, and commit to working on them daily.
2. Use the “buddy system.” Sharing resolutions with a spouse, partner, friend or family member may help you stick to your goal. Your buddy can motivate you and keep you accountable.
3. Be realistic. For example, instead of resolving to drop 50 pounds, make your goal something easier to attain, such as "dropping two pounds a week." This keeps your goal manageable and less overwhelming.
4. Avoid extremes. Setting a resolution such as "I'll never eat sugar again" will only set you up for failure. Keep the word "never" out of your resolutions because “never” is usually unattainable.
5. Be happy. Make happiness your number-one resolution. As Dr. Lyubomirsky says, "Sustainable increases in happiness are possible … but require daily and concerted effort and commitment." In other words, try different activities on a regular basis that are easy to do and which bring you joy.
Have a Youthful Day,
Jackie Silver
Did you know Alexander Graham Bell was the first to say that?
But, he didn’t stop there. Here’s the rest of the quote:
"...but we often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door that we do not see the one which has opened for us."
The end of one year and the beginning of a new one is the perfect time to focus on the newly-opened door … and to ignore the closed one.
If you’re like most people, now is the time to make your annual New Year’s resolutions. You may want to drop weight, quit smoking, start exercising, spend more time with your family, get a better job, buy a house … and the list goes on.
Our tradition of setting New Year’s resolutions dates back 7,000 years ago to the ancient Babylonians. And, people have been breaking their resolutions ever since!
If you want to make and keep your resolutions, the secret may be to commit to just one, specific thing: Be happy!
In fact, extensive research conducted by Sonya Lyubomirsky, PhD., and her colleagues at the University of California, Riverside, showed strong support for the idea that happiness actually leads to successful outcomes, as opposed to following those outcomes. They report, “Happy individuals are more likely than their less happy peers to have fulfilling marriages and relationships, high incomes, superior work performance, community involvement, robust health, and even a long life."1
If you still plan to make a list of resolutions, follow these five tips to help you keep them. (This way you don’t join the millions of people who celebrate January 17th as “Break Your Resolution Day!”)
New Year’s Resolution Tips for Aging Backwards
1. Keep your list short. Choose only a few goals, write them down, and commit to working on them daily.
2. Use the “buddy system.” Sharing resolutions with a spouse, partner, friend or family member may help you stick to your goal. Your buddy can motivate you and keep you accountable.
3. Be realistic. For example, instead of resolving to drop 50 pounds, make your goal something easier to attain, such as "dropping two pounds a week." This keeps your goal manageable and less overwhelming.
4. Avoid extremes. Setting a resolution such as "I'll never eat sugar again" will only set you up for failure. Keep the word "never" out of your resolutions because “never” is usually unattainable.
5. Be happy. Make happiness your number-one resolution. As Dr. Lyubomirsky says, "Sustainable increases in happiness are possible … but require daily and concerted effort and commitment." In other words, try different activities on a regular basis that are easy to do and which bring you joy.
Have a Youthful Day,
Jackie Silver
Monday, December 27, 2010
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
Knowing your deepest intention can be your guiding force in the creation of a better life.
10 Ways to Beat the Bloat
Is your belly bulging after yesterday’s holiday feast? Follow these 10 bloat-busting tips and you’ll fit back into those skinny jeans again...
1. Hydrate
Drinking water is probably the last thing you want to do when you feel like your belly is about to explode.
But downing several glasses a day will restore the sodium balance so your body will give up fluids. Water also flushes your system and keeps your digestive tract moving so you don’t become constipated.
Ditch the sodas and other carbonated beverages. You may think they’ll make you feel better by inducing burping, but all they do is add gas to your system and increase bloating.
Instead, quench your thirst with water – the perfect, all-natural drink.
If you have to dress it up, add lemon or lime slices or an instant low-calorie flavor pack, like Crystal Light, Propel, Water Sensations or any store brand. Stash them in your purse or gym bag.
If you love the taste of fresh lemon and lime, try crystallized True Lemon and True Lime (TrueLemon.com) in individual packets with no sweeteners or calories.
Many water-filled fruits and veggies can help hydrate you. Grab in-season, juicy fruits like tangerines and kiwis for a healthy snack. Or dine on a fruit salad or a plate piled with hydrating vegetables like tomatoes and cucumbers.
2. Cut Down on Salt
Salt makes your body retain water. But cutting back on it isn’t easy – nearly 80% of the sodium in our diets comes from packaged or canned foods and restaurant meals. And 9 in 10 Americans are eating too much salt, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Think fresh and unprocessed. Prepare more meals at home and buy low-sodium convenience foods.
You’ll win by eating plain fruits and vegetables, but be careful about the dipping sauces or salad dressings. Their salt content can bring on the bloat.
You can’t judge a food’s saltiness by its taste, so study the nutritional information on food labels whenever possible: a 6-inch tuna sub sandwich has more than 1,000 milligrams (mg) of sodium, but an ounce (1/4 cup) of salty peanuts has only 160 mg, about the same as a cup of fruit-flavored yogurt.
At home, hide the saltshaker.
Add flavor to your dishes with lemon, garlic, basil, rosemary, cilantro, parsley, jalapeños, or any of favorite herbs and spices.
(Check out more sizzling-hot topics from 2010)
3. Skip Sugar Alcohols
These sugar substitutes – sorbitol, xylitol, maltitol, isomalt, lactitol, mannitol, erythritol and hydrogenated starch hydrolysates (HSH) – could be lurking in any food marked “sugar-free.”
Sugarless products may save a few calories, but they linger in your gut, where normal bacteria make a meal of them. The result? A lot of gas.
4. Be Wise About Dairy
A great source of calcium, protein and other nutrients, dairy also contains lactose, a natural sugar.
Nearly 50 million Americans are lactose-intolerant, meaning they lack enough of the enzyme lactase to completely digest lactose. Undigested lactose causes gas and cramping.
Some lactose-intolerant people can eat cheese and yogurt without discomfort, because much of the lactose breaks down during processing. They may even drink small amounts of milk.
If dairy bothers you, start drinking about one-fourth to one-half cup milk twice a day and work up to about two cups daily.
You can also try lactose-reduced milk or Lactaid, an over-the counter lactase supplement. Take it each time you eat or drink dairy foods.
Read more about lactose intolerance.
If you avoid dairy or eat very little of it, you’ll have to work extra hard to meet your calcium needs of about 1,000 mg to 1,300 mg per day. Try calcium-fortified soy milk or orange juice instead.
5. Eat Potassium-Rich Foods
This mineral triggers the kidneys to excrete more sodium.
Most fruits and veggies are loaded with potassium, but some are extra packed: bananas, mangos, melons, papayas, potatoes, spinach, tomatoes and nuts. OJ is another great source – but watch out.
Fruit juice is a concentrated source of natural sugars, which means the calories can add up fast.
6. Eat Small
Feel stuffed? Eat smaller portions to give your digestive tract a chance to work.
If small meals leave you hungry and low on energy, perk up with a healthful snack. Or divide your meal into two and eat them 2-3 hours apart.
If a typical lunch includes a sandwich, broccoli and apple salad, and yogurt, switch to two mini-meals:
Mini meal #1: 1/2 sandwich, broccoli and apple salad
Mini meal #2: 1/2 sandwich, yogurt
7. Savor Every Bite
Don’t gobble. Slow down and enjoy your food. You swallow more air when you race through a meal. More air in your belly means more bloating.
8. Take Beano
Plenty of disease-fighting foods – like beans, broccoli and beets – cause gas. But don’t skip them.
Instead, try Beano, an over-the-counter digestive supplement, breaks down their complex sugars into simple sugars before your gut’s bacteria can chow down and leave you with a gas crisis.
Also check out the 10 Best & Worst Foods for Your Tummy.
9. Move It
Get off the couch. Feeling bloated and sluggish is no reason to skip your workout.
You can move gas quickly through your system with a little huffing and puffing. Turn on some loud music and dance the bloat away. Take a walk. Or play tag with the kids.
10. For Chronic Bloat, See a Doctor
Most bloating is no cause for concern.
But if it’s chronic, visit your health care provider to rule out something more serious, like bowel obstruction or celiac disease, a digestive disease triggered by intolerance to gluten, a protein found in wheat, rye and barley.
Got a nutrition question? Ask Jill Weisenberger.com
1. Hydrate
Drinking water is probably the last thing you want to do when you feel like your belly is about to explode.
But downing several glasses a day will restore the sodium balance so your body will give up fluids. Water also flushes your system and keeps your digestive tract moving so you don’t become constipated.
Ditch the sodas and other carbonated beverages. You may think they’ll make you feel better by inducing burping, but all they do is add gas to your system and increase bloating.
Instead, quench your thirst with water – the perfect, all-natural drink.
If you have to dress it up, add lemon or lime slices or an instant low-calorie flavor pack, like Crystal Light, Propel, Water Sensations or any store brand. Stash them in your purse or gym bag.
If you love the taste of fresh lemon and lime, try crystallized True Lemon and True Lime (TrueLemon.com) in individual packets with no sweeteners or calories.
Many water-filled fruits and veggies can help hydrate you. Grab in-season, juicy fruits like tangerines and kiwis for a healthy snack. Or dine on a fruit salad or a plate piled with hydrating vegetables like tomatoes and cucumbers.
2. Cut Down on Salt
Salt makes your body retain water. But cutting back on it isn’t easy – nearly 80% of the sodium in our diets comes from packaged or canned foods and restaurant meals. And 9 in 10 Americans are eating too much salt, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Think fresh and unprocessed. Prepare more meals at home and buy low-sodium convenience foods.
You’ll win by eating plain fruits and vegetables, but be careful about the dipping sauces or salad dressings. Their salt content can bring on the bloat.
You can’t judge a food’s saltiness by its taste, so study the nutritional information on food labels whenever possible: a 6-inch tuna sub sandwich has more than 1,000 milligrams (mg) of sodium, but an ounce (1/4 cup) of salty peanuts has only 160 mg, about the same as a cup of fruit-flavored yogurt.
At home, hide the saltshaker.
Add flavor to your dishes with lemon, garlic, basil, rosemary, cilantro, parsley, jalapeños, or any of favorite herbs and spices.
(Check out more sizzling-hot topics from 2010)
3. Skip Sugar Alcohols
These sugar substitutes – sorbitol, xylitol, maltitol, isomalt, lactitol, mannitol, erythritol and hydrogenated starch hydrolysates (HSH) – could be lurking in any food marked “sugar-free.”
Sugarless products may save a few calories, but they linger in your gut, where normal bacteria make a meal of them. The result? A lot of gas.
4. Be Wise About Dairy
A great source of calcium, protein and other nutrients, dairy also contains lactose, a natural sugar.
Nearly 50 million Americans are lactose-intolerant, meaning they lack enough of the enzyme lactase to completely digest lactose. Undigested lactose causes gas and cramping.
Some lactose-intolerant people can eat cheese and yogurt without discomfort, because much of the lactose breaks down during processing. They may even drink small amounts of milk.
If dairy bothers you, start drinking about one-fourth to one-half cup milk twice a day and work up to about two cups daily.
You can also try lactose-reduced milk or Lactaid, an over-the counter lactase supplement. Take it each time you eat or drink dairy foods.
Read more about lactose intolerance.
If you avoid dairy or eat very little of it, you’ll have to work extra hard to meet your calcium needs of about 1,000 mg to 1,300 mg per day. Try calcium-fortified soy milk or orange juice instead.
5. Eat Potassium-Rich Foods
This mineral triggers the kidneys to excrete more sodium.
Most fruits and veggies are loaded with potassium, but some are extra packed: bananas, mangos, melons, papayas, potatoes, spinach, tomatoes and nuts. OJ is another great source – but watch out.
Fruit juice is a concentrated source of natural sugars, which means the calories can add up fast.
6. Eat Small
Feel stuffed? Eat smaller portions to give your digestive tract a chance to work.
If small meals leave you hungry and low on energy, perk up with a healthful snack. Or divide your meal into two and eat them 2-3 hours apart.
If a typical lunch includes a sandwich, broccoli and apple salad, and yogurt, switch to two mini-meals:
Mini meal #1: 1/2 sandwich, broccoli and apple salad
Mini meal #2: 1/2 sandwich, yogurt
7. Savor Every Bite
Don’t gobble. Slow down and enjoy your food. You swallow more air when you race through a meal. More air in your belly means more bloating.
8. Take Beano
Plenty of disease-fighting foods – like beans, broccoli and beets – cause gas. But don’t skip them.
Instead, try Beano, an over-the-counter digestive supplement, breaks down their complex sugars into simple sugars before your gut’s bacteria can chow down and leave you with a gas crisis.
Also check out the 10 Best & Worst Foods for Your Tummy.
9. Move It
Get off the couch. Feeling bloated and sluggish is no reason to skip your workout.
You can move gas quickly through your system with a little huffing and puffing. Turn on some loud music and dance the bloat away. Take a walk. Or play tag with the kids.
10. For Chronic Bloat, See a Doctor
Most bloating is no cause for concern.
But if it’s chronic, visit your health care provider to rule out something more serious, like bowel obstruction or celiac disease, a digestive disease triggered by intolerance to gluten, a protein found in wheat, rye and barley.
Got a nutrition question? Ask Jill Weisenberger.com
More pain for painkillers
What took them so long?
The feds have finally taken action against a common painkiller... and all it took was a five-decade killing spree.
The drug is propoxyphene, commonly sold as Darvon and Darvocet, and the FDA ban comes after a new study finds it can actually throw the heart off its rhythm.
That's not something that will hurt your appreciation of music. It's downright deadly--and the drug is believed to have killed thousands since its approval in 1957 as a result.
I don't know what's worse here: The idea that the feds have ignored this death risk for 53 years, or the idea that they simply never bothered to study it properly until now.
In either case, bear in mind that the risks found in the new study are for patients who take the drug exactly as prescribed and under "normal" circumstances.
Since propoxyphene is a highly addictive opioid drug, many take far too much, far too often.
Some have even been known to crush the pills and snort it like cocaine, or mix the powder with water and inject the solution, like heroin.
Who knows how many of those "highs" led to the ultimate low--or how many junkies started out as normal patients who just needed a little help dealing with chronic pain.
On the other hand, the drug has also been known to lead to weight loss--so maybe you'll see it back on the market in a few years under a new name.
That's not the only risky painkiller making headlines. Researchers say they believe ziconotide--a synthetic version of cone-snail venom--may be linked to an increased suicide risk.
Two patients who had no previous indication of suicidal thoughts considered suicide or tried to kill themselves after taking the med.
Sadly, one of them succeeded. The one who failed, on the other hand, stopped having suicidal thoughts when docs stopped the med, according to a report online in Pain.
While researchers say it'll take more study to prove a link, I can't help but wonder how many more patients will die in the meantime.
It's not exactly a safe med to begin with--it comes with a black box warning for severe psychiatric symptoms and neurological impairment, and known side effects include abnormal thoughts, depression, amnesia and more.
We don't need new research on this one, and we certainly don't need to wait another 53 years for the FDA to act.
We need a new approach to pain.
Since the real solution to pain will depend on the cause, there's no one-size-fits-all formula. But here are a few natural alternatives that can help get you over the hump:
Fish oil: It's one of nature's strongest anti- inflammatories... and it doesn't come with any of the side effects of risky meds. Daily use of fish oil can minimize and even eliminate chronic pains caused by inflammation, including arthritis and joint pain.
White willow bark: It's quite literally the original aspirin, since the modern med is a synthetic version of this ancient remedy. Because it's so closely related, people with aspirin sensitivity shouldn't take it. For everyone else, it's a safer option.
Turmeric: This Indian spice used in curry has natural anti-inflammatory powers. And, as a bonus, it might even inhibit tumors.
Pain-relief lotions: For a topical treatment, look for a salve with comfrey root extract, emu oil or MSM.
Glucosamine: For arthritis pain, few things can beat this popular supplement.
In addition, millions of people have reported safe and effective pain relief through acupuncture, chiropractic care and even a gentle massage.
Talk to your doctor first to make sure these treatments don't conflict with anything you're currently taking. And if you're currently taking painkillers, find a safe way off them--before it's too late.
On a mission for your health,
Ed Martin
Editor, House Calls
The feds have finally taken action against a common painkiller... and all it took was a five-decade killing spree.
The drug is propoxyphene, commonly sold as Darvon and Darvocet, and the FDA ban comes after a new study finds it can actually throw the heart off its rhythm.
That's not something that will hurt your appreciation of music. It's downright deadly--and the drug is believed to have killed thousands since its approval in 1957 as a result.
I don't know what's worse here: The idea that the feds have ignored this death risk for 53 years, or the idea that they simply never bothered to study it properly until now.
In either case, bear in mind that the risks found in the new study are for patients who take the drug exactly as prescribed and under "normal" circumstances.
Since propoxyphene is a highly addictive opioid drug, many take far too much, far too often.
Some have even been known to crush the pills and snort it like cocaine, or mix the powder with water and inject the solution, like heroin.
Who knows how many of those "highs" led to the ultimate low--or how many junkies started out as normal patients who just needed a little help dealing with chronic pain.
On the other hand, the drug has also been known to lead to weight loss--so maybe you'll see it back on the market in a few years under a new name.
That's not the only risky painkiller making headlines. Researchers say they believe ziconotide--a synthetic version of cone-snail venom--may be linked to an increased suicide risk.
Two patients who had no previous indication of suicidal thoughts considered suicide or tried to kill themselves after taking the med.
Sadly, one of them succeeded. The one who failed, on the other hand, stopped having suicidal thoughts when docs stopped the med, according to a report online in Pain.
While researchers say it'll take more study to prove a link, I can't help but wonder how many more patients will die in the meantime.
It's not exactly a safe med to begin with--it comes with a black box warning for severe psychiatric symptoms and neurological impairment, and known side effects include abnormal thoughts, depression, amnesia and more.
We don't need new research on this one, and we certainly don't need to wait another 53 years for the FDA to act.
We need a new approach to pain.
Since the real solution to pain will depend on the cause, there's no one-size-fits-all formula. But here are a few natural alternatives that can help get you over the hump:
Fish oil: It's one of nature's strongest anti- inflammatories... and it doesn't come with any of the side effects of risky meds. Daily use of fish oil can minimize and even eliminate chronic pains caused by inflammation, including arthritis and joint pain.
White willow bark: It's quite literally the original aspirin, since the modern med is a synthetic version of this ancient remedy. Because it's so closely related, people with aspirin sensitivity shouldn't take it. For everyone else, it's a safer option.
Turmeric: This Indian spice used in curry has natural anti-inflammatory powers. And, as a bonus, it might even inhibit tumors.
Pain-relief lotions: For a topical treatment, look for a salve with comfrey root extract, emu oil or MSM.
Glucosamine: For arthritis pain, few things can beat this popular supplement.
In addition, millions of people have reported safe and effective pain relief through acupuncture, chiropractic care and even a gentle massage.
Talk to your doctor first to make sure these treatments don't conflict with anything you're currently taking. And if you're currently taking painkillers, find a safe way off them--before it's too late.
On a mission for your health,
Ed Martin
Editor, House Calls
Alcohol and the Brain
Question: My husband was diagnosed with dementia in July. He quit drinking alcohol and has instead been drinking aspartame-sweetened tea. His dementia has progressed dramatically during this period. Could the aspartame have brought on this horrible progression in the dementia?
Dr. Blaylock's Answer:
Alcohol is a potent brain toxin, but much of the damage it can cause can be reversed by a good diet, using the right supplements, and avoiding toxins such as aspartame.
Many drugs, especially if used in combination, can cause dementia or a worsening of dementia. You should speak to your husband’s doctor about which medications are absolutely necessary, and which ones can be stopped.
Alcoholics are deficient in a number of critical vitamins, such as thiamine, B6, niacinamide, folate, and B12. Treatment consists in giving high doses of each — usually 100 mg of the B vitamins and 5,000 mcg of methylcobalamin (B12).
Alcoholics are also deficient in magnesium and require about 500 mg twice a day. Time-released forms are best. Phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylserine supplements also replace lost brain lipids. Several flavonoids, such as curcumin, quercetin, ellagic acid, and luteolin, will also help.
Dr. Blaylock's Answer:
Alcohol is a potent brain toxin, but much of the damage it can cause can be reversed by a good diet, using the right supplements, and avoiding toxins such as aspartame.
Many drugs, especially if used in combination, can cause dementia or a worsening of dementia. You should speak to your husband’s doctor about which medications are absolutely necessary, and which ones can be stopped.
Alcoholics are deficient in a number of critical vitamins, such as thiamine, B6, niacinamide, folate, and B12. Treatment consists in giving high doses of each — usually 100 mg of the B vitamins and 5,000 mcg of methylcobalamin (B12).
Alcoholics are also deficient in magnesium and require about 500 mg twice a day. Time-released forms are best. Phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylserine supplements also replace lost brain lipids. Several flavonoids, such as curcumin, quercetin, ellagic acid, and luteolin, will also help.
Many ignore indoor tanning risks
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Too many Americans are ignoring the dangers of indoor tanning, or they are unaware of the dangers, as evident by the number of people who do it and the fact that most don't acknowledge it increases their risk of skin cancer.
Indoor tanning does, in fact, increase the risk of skin cancer, and may speed up the aging process in skin, causing wrinkles. Despite this, a new survey released today found that 18 percent of women and more than 6 percent of men said they have gone indoor tanning at least once in the previous year.
"It's the popularity of indoor tanning that's alarming," study author Dr. Kelvin Choi of the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis told Reuters Health.
And when he and his colleagues asked a subset of participants to list the steps people could take to reduce their risk of skin cancer, only 13 percent of women - and even fewer men - said skip indoor tanning.
Indoor tanning was most popular among young women. More than 1 in 3 women between the ages of 18 and 24 -- and 1 in 4 between the ages of 25 and 34 -- said they tanned indoors.
The popularity of indoor tanning among young women may explain why more and more women under the age of 40 are being diagnosed with skin cancer, Choi noted.
"Simply avoiding indoor tanning booths and beds is just the simplest way to reduce the risk of getting skin cancer," he said.
According to the American Cancer Society, 1 million people were diagnosed with skin cancer last year, and nearly 9,000 people died of the rare - but deadliest - form of the disease, melanoma.
A study published earlier this year concluded that indoor tanning beds sharply increase the risk of melanoma, and the risk increases over time. Indeed, the World Health Organization classifies tanning beds as a human carcinogen.
Meanwhile, the indoor tanning business is booming, bringing in more than $5 billion per year and 30 million customers, mostly women.
To investigate how well people appreciate the risks of indoor tanning, Choi and his colleagues reviewed responses collected from 2,869 people about their use of indoor tanning in the previous year. One-third of participants also listed what they thought were the most important things people could do to reduce their risk of skin cancer.
Women who were younger, more educated, lived in the South or Midwest, and used spray tanning products were more likely to say they tanned indoors. Men who lived in metropolitan areas and used spray tanning were also more likely to report the behavior.
The fact that people used both spray tanning and indoor tanning was surprising, Choi said in an interview. "So it's not like they are using spray tanning products as a replacement for tanning indoors."
The findings, reported in the Archives of Dermatology, suggest many people may not realize the risks of indoor tanning, or wrongly believe it has benefits, Choi added.
For instance, a common misconception is that indoor tanning protects you from sun damage by providing a base tan, and can be a safe source of vitamin D. Both are false. "The so-called base tan is a sign of sun damage," and some research suggests it simply adds to the damage people get from additional outdoor sun, Choi said.
Even though younger women were drawn to indoor tanning, Dr. Alan Geller, senior lecturer at the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston said in an e-mail he was surprised to see so many older women adopt the behavior, including between 14 and 17 percent of those between the ages of 35 and 54.
"The fact that tanning bed use and spray tan use co-exists makes me think that we need strong public health campaigns that counter some of the strong and pervasive tan-promoting attitudes," said Geller, who reviewed the findings for Reuters Health.
SOURCE: http://link.reuters.com/fug92r Archives of Dermatology, December 2010.
Indoor tanning does, in fact, increase the risk of skin cancer, and may speed up the aging process in skin, causing wrinkles. Despite this, a new survey released today found that 18 percent of women and more than 6 percent of men said they have gone indoor tanning at least once in the previous year.
"It's the popularity of indoor tanning that's alarming," study author Dr. Kelvin Choi of the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis told Reuters Health.
And when he and his colleagues asked a subset of participants to list the steps people could take to reduce their risk of skin cancer, only 13 percent of women - and even fewer men - said skip indoor tanning.
Indoor tanning was most popular among young women. More than 1 in 3 women between the ages of 18 and 24 -- and 1 in 4 between the ages of 25 and 34 -- said they tanned indoors.
The popularity of indoor tanning among young women may explain why more and more women under the age of 40 are being diagnosed with skin cancer, Choi noted.
"Simply avoiding indoor tanning booths and beds is just the simplest way to reduce the risk of getting skin cancer," he said.
According to the American Cancer Society, 1 million people were diagnosed with skin cancer last year, and nearly 9,000 people died of the rare - but deadliest - form of the disease, melanoma.
A study published earlier this year concluded that indoor tanning beds sharply increase the risk of melanoma, and the risk increases over time. Indeed, the World Health Organization classifies tanning beds as a human carcinogen.
Meanwhile, the indoor tanning business is booming, bringing in more than $5 billion per year and 30 million customers, mostly women.
To investigate how well people appreciate the risks of indoor tanning, Choi and his colleagues reviewed responses collected from 2,869 people about their use of indoor tanning in the previous year. One-third of participants also listed what they thought were the most important things people could do to reduce their risk of skin cancer.
Women who were younger, more educated, lived in the South or Midwest, and used spray tanning products were more likely to say they tanned indoors. Men who lived in metropolitan areas and used spray tanning were also more likely to report the behavior.
The fact that people used both spray tanning and indoor tanning was surprising, Choi said in an interview. "So it's not like they are using spray tanning products as a replacement for tanning indoors."
The findings, reported in the Archives of Dermatology, suggest many people may not realize the risks of indoor tanning, or wrongly believe it has benefits, Choi added.
For instance, a common misconception is that indoor tanning protects you from sun damage by providing a base tan, and can be a safe source of vitamin D. Both are false. "The so-called base tan is a sign of sun damage," and some research suggests it simply adds to the damage people get from additional outdoor sun, Choi said.
Even though younger women were drawn to indoor tanning, Dr. Alan Geller, senior lecturer at the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston said in an e-mail he was surprised to see so many older women adopt the behavior, including between 14 and 17 percent of those between the ages of 35 and 54.
"The fact that tanning bed use and spray tan use co-exists makes me think that we need strong public health campaigns that counter some of the strong and pervasive tan-promoting attitudes," said Geller, who reviewed the findings for Reuters Health.
SOURCE: http://link.reuters.com/fug92r Archives of Dermatology, December 2010.
Different drugs … and three different deadly side effects not reported
I like to keep up on the latest news in my field.
The other day, I picked up my copy of Family Practice News, and I couldn’t believe what I saw: three articles side by side on the front page – all addressing the same thing: three different drugs … and three different deadly side effects not reported at the time that the FDA approved these drugs. And all three are still on the market.
The first story that caught my eye was about the diabetes drug Avandia. This drug is still on the market, even though it’s been proven to have caused over 83,000 heart attacks and 304 deaths.1,2
The FDA’s solution? They’re limiting the number of people allowed to take it. Now only patients who can’t manage their diabetes by taking a different medication will be allowed to take Avandia – and risk cardiac arrest. And patients who are currently taking the medication can continue if they want to. But only if they sign a waiver saying they understand the risks.
The next story was about how the FDA can’t decide on whether to remove the weight reduction drug Sibutramine from the shelves or not.
They know there are risks of “cardiovascular safety” – heart failure – but eight out of the 16 weight reduction specialists on the FDA panel voted to keep it on pharmacy shelves, even though there’s a lack of evidence that there’s any sort of health benefit associated with the drug.
Instead the FDA has decided to allow the manufacturer to sell Sibutramine with a few restrictions on its distribution.
The final story I read was about anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs). People pop these pills like they’re candy to relieve everything from headaches and minor arthritis to back pain.
According to a study cited in the article, these drugs can dramatically increase the risk of fatal and nonfatal strokes. The study followed a million Danish people over the course of nine years. And at the end of the study, they found the risk for stroke was increased by 30 percent for ibuprofen users and 60 percent for diclofenac users. And when the two NSAIDs were used together, the risk of stroke increased by a whopping 80 percent.3
Geesh – what a mess! So what to do? I just don’t use prescription drugs for anything but short-term problems. The longer I practice medicine, the less faith I have in a drug to address a long-term problem. For chronic problems, you just have to take the old-fashioned approach and get to the root of the problem.
My fall-back position for prevention in general is to give yourself back the good nutrition your body needs and physical challenges that mimic our native environment.
1. The Native Way to Feed Your Organs and Muscles
Our native ancestors lived on natural foods like fish, meat, nuts, berries, fruits and vegetables. They were robust, full of energy … never fat … and they got all of the nutrients their bodies needed from the food they ate.
Your body is 99.99 percent the same as these ancient ancestors, yet the modern way of eating is completely different. Almost everything available at your local grocery store is processed and lacking any sort of nutritional value.
To help give your body the proper nutrition it needs to feed your organs and muscles and keep your weight under control, avoid “diet” and processed foods.
The best choices are grass-fed beef, cage-free eggs, free-range chicken and locally grown organic produce. This way you know the food you’re eating is free of toxins and hormones and is pure nourishment for your body.
2. Get Back Your Native Strength
Exercise also plays a big role in fighting diabetes, obesity, and believe it or not, pain. A weak body is more susceptible to everyday aches and pains because it’s not strong enough to function properly. But a lean, strong body is better equipped to handle daily tasks with less muscle and joint pain.
Let’s go back to our ancient ancestors. Do you think a caveman would hit the gym? How about do a bicep curl with a rock for three sets of 20 reps?
Probably not.
This is why I believe the majority of people (trainers, included) are exercising the wrong way. They think aerobic exercise and weight training is the way to go, but that’s simply not the case.
Your body isn’t meant to do those types of repetitive, isolated movements. Your native ancestors had to be spry and agile to catch food, strong to lift heavy objects and build shelter, and quick to sprint away from predators. They didn’t continually run four miles without a break or lift a heavy log 15 times in a row the exact same way to work out their pecs.
If you want lean muscle that’s ready for action at a moment’s notice, and a heart and lungs with the extra capacity to deal with stress, it’s crucial to make your workouts brief but “progressive.”
What do I mean by progressive? You start off easy at what’s comfortable and then increase the difficulty (pick up the pace or increase the resistance) but not the duration.
In this way, you’ll be training your heart, lungs and muscle for strength and peak capacity but not endurance. And you can cut fat, stay lean, prevent pain and build real functional strength.
To Your Good Health,
Al Sears, MD
The other day, I picked up my copy of Family Practice News, and I couldn’t believe what I saw: three articles side by side on the front page – all addressing the same thing: three different drugs … and three different deadly side effects not reported at the time that the FDA approved these drugs. And all three are still on the market.
The first story that caught my eye was about the diabetes drug Avandia. This drug is still on the market, even though it’s been proven to have caused over 83,000 heart attacks and 304 deaths.1,2
The FDA’s solution? They’re limiting the number of people allowed to take it. Now only patients who can’t manage their diabetes by taking a different medication will be allowed to take Avandia – and risk cardiac arrest. And patients who are currently taking the medication can continue if they want to. But only if they sign a waiver saying they understand the risks.
The next story was about how the FDA can’t decide on whether to remove the weight reduction drug Sibutramine from the shelves or not.
They know there are risks of “cardiovascular safety” – heart failure – but eight out of the 16 weight reduction specialists on the FDA panel voted to keep it on pharmacy shelves, even though there’s a lack of evidence that there’s any sort of health benefit associated with the drug.
Instead the FDA has decided to allow the manufacturer to sell Sibutramine with a few restrictions on its distribution.
The final story I read was about anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs). People pop these pills like they’re candy to relieve everything from headaches and minor arthritis to back pain.
According to a study cited in the article, these drugs can dramatically increase the risk of fatal and nonfatal strokes. The study followed a million Danish people over the course of nine years. And at the end of the study, they found the risk for stroke was increased by 30 percent for ibuprofen users and 60 percent for diclofenac users. And when the two NSAIDs were used together, the risk of stroke increased by a whopping 80 percent.3
Geesh – what a mess! So what to do? I just don’t use prescription drugs for anything but short-term problems. The longer I practice medicine, the less faith I have in a drug to address a long-term problem. For chronic problems, you just have to take the old-fashioned approach and get to the root of the problem.
My fall-back position for prevention in general is to give yourself back the good nutrition your body needs and physical challenges that mimic our native environment.
1. The Native Way to Feed Your Organs and Muscles
Our native ancestors lived on natural foods like fish, meat, nuts, berries, fruits and vegetables. They were robust, full of energy … never fat … and they got all of the nutrients their bodies needed from the food they ate.
Your body is 99.99 percent the same as these ancient ancestors, yet the modern way of eating is completely different. Almost everything available at your local grocery store is processed and lacking any sort of nutritional value.
To help give your body the proper nutrition it needs to feed your organs and muscles and keep your weight under control, avoid “diet” and processed foods.
The best choices are grass-fed beef, cage-free eggs, free-range chicken and locally grown organic produce. This way you know the food you’re eating is free of toxins and hormones and is pure nourishment for your body.
2. Get Back Your Native Strength
Exercise also plays a big role in fighting diabetes, obesity, and believe it or not, pain. A weak body is more susceptible to everyday aches and pains because it’s not strong enough to function properly. But a lean, strong body is better equipped to handle daily tasks with less muscle and joint pain.
Let’s go back to our ancient ancestors. Do you think a caveman would hit the gym? How about do a bicep curl with a rock for three sets of 20 reps?
Probably not.
This is why I believe the majority of people (trainers, included) are exercising the wrong way. They think aerobic exercise and weight training is the way to go, but that’s simply not the case.
Your body isn’t meant to do those types of repetitive, isolated movements. Your native ancestors had to be spry and agile to catch food, strong to lift heavy objects and build shelter, and quick to sprint away from predators. They didn’t continually run four miles without a break or lift a heavy log 15 times in a row the exact same way to work out their pecs.
If you want lean muscle that’s ready for action at a moment’s notice, and a heart and lungs with the extra capacity to deal with stress, it’s crucial to make your workouts brief but “progressive.”
What do I mean by progressive? You start off easy at what’s comfortable and then increase the difficulty (pick up the pace or increase the resistance) but not the duration.
In this way, you’ll be training your heart, lungs and muscle for strength and peak capacity but not endurance. And you can cut fat, stay lean, prevent pain and build real functional strength.
To Your Good Health,
Al Sears, MD
Obama Embraces 'Death Panel' Concept in Medicare Rule
During the stormy debate over his healthcare plan, President Barack Obama promised his program would not "pull the plug on grandma" and Congress dropped plans for death panels and "end of life" counseling that would encourage aged patients from partaking in costly medical procedures.
Opponents of Obama's plan, including former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin, dubbed such efforts as "death panels" that would encourage euthanasia.
But on December 3rd, the Obama administration seemingly flouted the will of Congress by issuing a new Medicare regulation detailing -- "voluntary advance care planning" that is to be included during patients' annual checkups. The regulation aimed at the aged "may include advance directives to forgo aggressive life-sustaining treatment," The New York Times reported.
The new provision goes into effect Jan. 1, 2011 and allows Medicare to pay for voluntary counseling to help beneficiaries deal with the complex and decisions families face when a loved one is approaching death. Critics say it is another attempt to limit healthcare options for the elderly as they face serious illness.
Incoming House Speaker John Boehner said during the healthcare debate that, “This provision may start us down a treacherous path toward government-encouraged euthanasia.”
Specifically, the measure was known as Section 1233 of the bill passed by the House in November 2009. It was not included in the final legislation, however. It allowed Medicare to pay for consultations about advance care planning every five years. In contrast, the new rule allows annual discussions as part of the wellness visit.
Elizabeth D. Wickham, executive director of LifeTree, a pro-life Christian educational ministry, told the Times was concerned that end-of-life counseling would encourage patients to forgo or curtail care, thus hastening death.
“The infamous Section 1233 is still alive and kicking,” Ms. Wickham said. “Patients will lose the ability to control treatments at the end of life.”
The rule was issued by Dr. Donald M. Berwick, administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, according to The New York Times. He is a longtime advocate for rationing medical procedures for the elderly.
Before being tapped by Obama to his Medicare post, Berwick had long applauded Britain's National Health Service, which uses an algorithm to determine if the aged are worthy of additional expenditure for medical care and advanced treatments.
Berwick has argued that rationing will have to eventually be implemented in the U.S, stating, “The decision is not whether or not we will ration care. The decision is whether we will ration with our eyes open.”
Seniors appear to be a major target for precious resources under the Obama healthcare plan. According to the Congressional Budget Office, the Obama plan cuts nearly $500 million in Medicare benefits to seniors as the federal government adds 30 million uninsured Americans to private and public health care systems.
The cost of caring for the elderly has not been lost on Berwick.
“The chronically ill and those towards the end of their lives are accounting for potentially 80 percent of the total health care bill out here… there is going to have to be a very difficult democratic conversation that takes place,” he said.
During the heated healthcare debate, supporters of the Obama vigorously denied rationing for seniors would take place and scoffed at "death panel" critics like Palin.
Last month, however, economist and New York Times columnist Paul Krugman told ABC News that rising Medicare costs could only be dealt with by "death panels and sales taxes."
He added: "Medicare is going to have to decide what it's going to pay for. And at least for starters, it's going to have to decide which medical procedures are not effective at all and should not be paid for at all. In other words, it should have endorsed the [death] panel that was part of the healthcare reform.’"
Read more: Obama Embraces 'Death Panel' Concept in Medicare Rule, on the Internet.
Opponents of Obama's plan, including former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin, dubbed such efforts as "death panels" that would encourage euthanasia.
But on December 3rd, the Obama administration seemingly flouted the will of Congress by issuing a new Medicare regulation detailing -- "voluntary advance care planning" that is to be included during patients' annual checkups. The regulation aimed at the aged "may include advance directives to forgo aggressive life-sustaining treatment," The New York Times reported.
The new provision goes into effect Jan. 1, 2011 and allows Medicare to pay for voluntary counseling to help beneficiaries deal with the complex and decisions families face when a loved one is approaching death. Critics say it is another attempt to limit healthcare options for the elderly as they face serious illness.
Incoming House Speaker John Boehner said during the healthcare debate that, “This provision may start us down a treacherous path toward government-encouraged euthanasia.”
Specifically, the measure was known as Section 1233 of the bill passed by the House in November 2009. It was not included in the final legislation, however. It allowed Medicare to pay for consultations about advance care planning every five years. In contrast, the new rule allows annual discussions as part of the wellness visit.
Elizabeth D. Wickham, executive director of LifeTree, a pro-life Christian educational ministry, told the Times was concerned that end-of-life counseling would encourage patients to forgo or curtail care, thus hastening death.
“The infamous Section 1233 is still alive and kicking,” Ms. Wickham said. “Patients will lose the ability to control treatments at the end of life.”
The rule was issued by Dr. Donald M. Berwick, administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, according to The New York Times. He is a longtime advocate for rationing medical procedures for the elderly.
Before being tapped by Obama to his Medicare post, Berwick had long applauded Britain's National Health Service, which uses an algorithm to determine if the aged are worthy of additional expenditure for medical care and advanced treatments.
Berwick has argued that rationing will have to eventually be implemented in the U.S, stating, “The decision is not whether or not we will ration care. The decision is whether we will ration with our eyes open.”
Seniors appear to be a major target for precious resources under the Obama healthcare plan. According to the Congressional Budget Office, the Obama plan cuts nearly $500 million in Medicare benefits to seniors as the federal government adds 30 million uninsured Americans to private and public health care systems.
The cost of caring for the elderly has not been lost on Berwick.
“The chronically ill and those towards the end of their lives are accounting for potentially 80 percent of the total health care bill out here… there is going to have to be a very difficult democratic conversation that takes place,” he said.
During the heated healthcare debate, supporters of the Obama vigorously denied rationing for seniors would take place and scoffed at "death panel" critics like Palin.
Last month, however, economist and New York Times columnist Paul Krugman told ABC News that rising Medicare costs could only be dealt with by "death panels and sales taxes."
He added: "Medicare is going to have to decide what it's going to pay for. And at least for starters, it's going to have to decide which medical procedures are not effective at all and should not be paid for at all. In other words, it should have endorsed the [death] panel that was part of the healthcare reform.’"
Read more: Obama Embraces 'Death Panel' Concept in Medicare Rule, on the Internet.
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