Monday, January 31, 2011
How Can I Cure a Chronic Staph Infection?
Question: My husband has had a staph infection for six years now. He gets boils on the back of his neck and there is at least one there all of the time. He has been to doctors and they tell him the treatment would be worse than just living with it. Do you have any suggestions on how to get rid of this?
Dr. Hibberd's Answer:
Staphylococcus aureus (staph) is a skin surface dwelling bacteria that lives on the skin surface of most all of us and usually does not invade the skin surface absent some underlying condition or break in the integrity of or skin surface.
Culture swabs done on our skin whether ill or not will invariably grow out staph.
Some strains, however, are particularly hardy and do manage to invade the skin surface usually via minor sites of irritation, cuts or via infection of the sebaceous gland associated with the hair follicle.
The past 10 years have seen an increasingly resistant strain of this bacterium emerge called MRSA (which stands for methicillin resistant sphylococcus areus). MRSA is resistant to the conventional antibiotics used to treat usual staph infections, is notoriously infectious, has a tendancy to cause deep abscesses, and is very difficult to eradicate once contacted.
Risk factors for MRSA are as follows:
•Antibiotic use in the past year
•Long-term care, nursing home, or hospital residency
•Presence of permanent indwelling catheter or percutaneous medical device
•Recent hospitalization
•Exposure to athletic facilities or correctional facilities
•Patients who are immunocompromised
•Military training and/or deployment
•Poor hand hygiene in both health care and community environments
•Crowded living conditions
A carrier state for MRSA exists in the nose for most of its victims, requiring extended treatment with topical bactroban in addition to oral antibiotics to clear up infections.
Usually oral Bactrim is used, often in association with topical and intranasal bactroban and rifampin for resistant or recurrent cases.
Intravenous preparations such as Vancomycin (a toxic antibiotic) are available but have significant adverse effects limiting their use to severe life-threatening infections. Oral vancomycin is not useful here due to lack of absorption.
A new class of antibiotic has recently become available for intravenous use in severe complicated and intra-abdominal infections. Called glycylcyclines, they are related to tetracylcines and the first one available is tigecycline (marketed as Tygacil). This new antibiotic has good MRSA coverage, at least for now until resistance develops, and is for severe infections only.
I recommend you have these abscesses properly treated first and be sure to obtain a stain culture and sensitivity of the contents of one of these boils, so you understand which anti-microbial agents are going to be the most useful.
You need to differentiate whether MRSA or some other organism (such as pseudomonas or other pathogens) are responsible. Proper treatment may involve oral and/or topical antibiotic use, selective drainage of abscesses, and meticulous hand hygiene.
Be sure to treat any underlying conditions (such as diabetes mellitus, immune deficiency, chronic dermatitis, nutritional and hygiene issues) that may predispose you to infection.
Avoid tight fitting collars until well healed.
Staph is usually the culprit and is spread by direct contact, so frequent hand washing with anti-bacterial soap will be essential. Minimize recurrences with measures described above and your doctor may consider periodic use of an antiseptic solution or rinse such as hibiclens to intact skin surfaces to reduce your staph load. I agree this skin condition can and should be controlled. Request a referral to a dermatologist if you wish an alternate professional opinion.
Dr. Hibberd's Answer:
Staphylococcus aureus (staph) is a skin surface dwelling bacteria that lives on the skin surface of most all of us and usually does not invade the skin surface absent some underlying condition or break in the integrity of or skin surface.
Culture swabs done on our skin whether ill or not will invariably grow out staph.
Some strains, however, are particularly hardy and do manage to invade the skin surface usually via minor sites of irritation, cuts or via infection of the sebaceous gland associated with the hair follicle.
The past 10 years have seen an increasingly resistant strain of this bacterium emerge called MRSA (which stands for methicillin resistant sphylococcus areus). MRSA is resistant to the conventional antibiotics used to treat usual staph infections, is notoriously infectious, has a tendancy to cause deep abscesses, and is very difficult to eradicate once contacted.
Risk factors for MRSA are as follows:
•Antibiotic use in the past year
•Long-term care, nursing home, or hospital residency
•Presence of permanent indwelling catheter or percutaneous medical device
•Recent hospitalization
•Exposure to athletic facilities or correctional facilities
•Patients who are immunocompromised
•Military training and/or deployment
•Poor hand hygiene in both health care and community environments
•Crowded living conditions
A carrier state for MRSA exists in the nose for most of its victims, requiring extended treatment with topical bactroban in addition to oral antibiotics to clear up infections.
Usually oral Bactrim is used, often in association with topical and intranasal bactroban and rifampin for resistant or recurrent cases.
Intravenous preparations such as Vancomycin (a toxic antibiotic) are available but have significant adverse effects limiting their use to severe life-threatening infections. Oral vancomycin is not useful here due to lack of absorption.
A new class of antibiotic has recently become available for intravenous use in severe complicated and intra-abdominal infections. Called glycylcyclines, they are related to tetracylcines and the first one available is tigecycline (marketed as Tygacil). This new antibiotic has good MRSA coverage, at least for now until resistance develops, and is for severe infections only.
I recommend you have these abscesses properly treated first and be sure to obtain a stain culture and sensitivity of the contents of one of these boils, so you understand which anti-microbial agents are going to be the most useful.
You need to differentiate whether MRSA or some other organism (such as pseudomonas or other pathogens) are responsible. Proper treatment may involve oral and/or topical antibiotic use, selective drainage of abscesses, and meticulous hand hygiene.
Be sure to treat any underlying conditions (such as diabetes mellitus, immune deficiency, chronic dermatitis, nutritional and hygiene issues) that may predispose you to infection.
Avoid tight fitting collars until well healed.
Staph is usually the culprit and is spread by direct contact, so frequent hand washing with anti-bacterial soap will be essential. Minimize recurrences with measures described above and your doctor may consider periodic use of an antiseptic solution or rinse such as hibiclens to intact skin surfaces to reduce your staph load. I agree this skin condition can and should be controlled. Request a referral to a dermatologist if you wish an alternate professional opinion.
What’s the Right Pillow for You?
Having trouble sleeping? The right pillow can help you rest through the night. Whether you’re a back-sleeper or champion snorer, we’ll guide you to the best place to lay your head…
Hitting the pillow and getting some shut-eye isn’t always as easy as it seems.
About 75% of Americans suffer from one or more sleep disorders at least a few nights a week, says psychologist James Maas, Ph.D., a sleep expert and the author of Power Sleep (Harper).
Pain can also keep you up at night. Nearly 60% of U.S. women report that physical discomfort interrupts their slumber at least three nights a week, according to a poll by the National Sleep Foundation.
Poor sleep doesn’t just leave you bleary-eyed the next day. It can also have serious health consequences, including a higher risk of hypertension, stroke and heart attack, Maas says.
So what’s costing you those precious zzz’s?
Possibly your pillow.
The right support is medium firm and not too thick. It keeps your head and neck in a line, as if you were standing up, according to Maas.
If it doesn’t, you can end up with headaches, insomnia, pain, stiffness, and numbness or tingling in the arms, says Michelle Zarzana, D.C., a chiropractor in Long Beach, Calif.
And remember, pillows have a shelf life.
“Good pillows might last 4-5 years if you’re lucky, but there are people sleeping with the same pillow they’ve had since they were children,” Maas says.
And that’s just the beginning. The way you sleep and certain health conditions also determine which pillow you need. We asked experts how to get the right support.
1. Back Sleepers
In this position, an unsupportive pillow or no pillow at all may place unnecessary pressure on the back and the joints between the vertebrae.
But a stack of pillows can cause injury too, Zanzana warns. If it makes your head jut farther forward than normal, you’ll get pain and tightness in your neck.
For back sleepers, she recommends memory foam, which molds to the neck’s natural curve. Denser pillows tend to be more supportive, but they’re also more expensive.
Another option is a water pillow, which has a water-filled base sandwiched between polyester filling. Just add water to achieve the desired pillow height.
Both types of pillows offer consistent support, even when you change positions.
Also, placing a second pillow under your knees – such as a bolster (tube-shaped pillow), half-bolster or wedge – can alleviate pressure on the lower back.
2. Side Sleepers
A little feather pillow doesn’t give side sleepers the spine proper support. This can lead to compression of the vertebrae. If you’ve woken up with numbness and tingling in your arms, you’ve probably experienced that.
To keep your spine aligned, side sleepers should use a medium-firm pillow that supports the back and neck.
When testing different pillows, lie on your side and make sure the space under your neck – between the head and shoulders – is well-supported, Maas says.
To improve overall spinal alignment, sleep with a “leg-spacer” pillow between your knees, Zarzana suggests. These are designed to relieve pressure on the hips, knees, ankles and joints.
These pillows may also ease sciatica pain by reducing pressure on lumbar vertebrae where the sciatic nerve is located, says Wayne McAllister, a chiropractor in Stockton, Calif.
3. Stomach Sleepers
Sleeping on your stomach is a no-no. Don’t do it.
When you lie on your stomach, you have to twist your head in order to breathe. That can lead to neck pain and headaches, Zarzana says. Stomach sleeping also stresses the lower back.
Break the habit by sleeping on your side with a body pillow in front of you, McAllister suggests. This type of pillow is three times as long as a king-size, allowing you to snooze on your side while keeping the front of your body comfortably supported.
4. Neck Pain Sufferers
For the 35%-80% of the population who suffer from neck soreness, memory foam and water-based pillows are best, Zarzana says.
In fact, snoozing on a water-based pillow can relieve chronic neck pain, reduce the frequency of headaches and improve sleep by better supporting neck muscles, according to a 1997 Johns Hopkins University study.
5. Allergy Sufferers
Choose synthetic fibers if you have asthma or allergies.
“Feather pillows can worsen allergies and make you cough or wheeze at night,” says Ronald Kotler, M.D., medical director of the Pennsylvania Hospital Sleep Disorders Center in Philadelphia and author of 365 Ways to Get a Good Night’s Sleep (Adams Media).
Other allergens that might be hiding in your pillow: pollen, pet dander and dust mites – plus their fecal matter. To keep these away from your head, use an anti-allergy pillow cover (on its own or under a regular pillowcase).
In addition to helping you sleep through the night, these pillows could make you look better when you wake up. These irritants often lead to morning facial swelling and puffiness, according to Mehmet Oz, M.D., co-author of YOU: The Owner’s Manual (Collins).
Down alternatives, such as lamb’s wool or silk, are natural dust-mite repellants, so they can also provide relief. Memory foam and water pillows are hypoallergenic too.
6. Snorers (and Their Partners)
If you or your bedmate snores like a foghorn, take heart. An anti-snoring pillow can help.
They’re designed to support the back of the neck and subtly shift a back-sleeper’s head to “the sniff position.” That’s as if you sat upright and pulled your head slightly forward to smell something, Kotler says. This opens airways for easier breathing.
It’s a gentle adjustment that won’t create other problems, such as neck pain.
If that doesn’t help, other factors may be at play.
Some snoring is related to sleep apnea, a dangerous condition marked by gasping or periods of stopped breathing during sleep.
Sleep apnea raises the risk of high blood pressure and is linked to depression and gastroesophageal reflux disease. If you suspect you or your partner have it, consult a doctor.
7. Pregnant Women
Most women sleeping for two experience back pain, especially in the eighth and ninth month of pregnancy.
So the right pillow is a must, says Thomas Holtgrave, N.P., a Long Beach, Calif., a nurse practitioner specializing in obstetrics and gynecology.
He advises expectant moms to sleep on their sides, which encourages blood flow between the two main vessels that run down the center of the body (the descending aorta and the inferior vena cava).
Avoid sleeping on your back, because the gravity of a pregnant uterus obstructs blood flow.
Pregnant women should sleep with one or two pillows under the head, and another between the stomach and bed to prop up the belly and take pressure off ligaments.
Add a pillow between your knees to minimize pressure on hips and lower back. Another small pillow propped behind the lower back can provide lumbar support, Holtgrave says.
Or here’s a simpler solution: A full-body pregnancy pillow shaped like a giant, contoured “U” or “C.” Many women find that these support them perfectly, Zarzana says.
Hitting the pillow and getting some shut-eye isn’t always as easy as it seems.
About 75% of Americans suffer from one or more sleep disorders at least a few nights a week, says psychologist James Maas, Ph.D., a sleep expert and the author of Power Sleep (Harper).
Pain can also keep you up at night. Nearly 60% of U.S. women report that physical discomfort interrupts their slumber at least three nights a week, according to a poll by the National Sleep Foundation.
Poor sleep doesn’t just leave you bleary-eyed the next day. It can also have serious health consequences, including a higher risk of hypertension, stroke and heart attack, Maas says.
So what’s costing you those precious zzz’s?
Possibly your pillow.
The right support is medium firm and not too thick. It keeps your head and neck in a line, as if you were standing up, according to Maas.
If it doesn’t, you can end up with headaches, insomnia, pain, stiffness, and numbness or tingling in the arms, says Michelle Zarzana, D.C., a chiropractor in Long Beach, Calif.
And remember, pillows have a shelf life.
“Good pillows might last 4-5 years if you’re lucky, but there are people sleeping with the same pillow they’ve had since they were children,” Maas says.
And that’s just the beginning. The way you sleep and certain health conditions also determine which pillow you need. We asked experts how to get the right support.
1. Back Sleepers
In this position, an unsupportive pillow or no pillow at all may place unnecessary pressure on the back and the joints between the vertebrae.
But a stack of pillows can cause injury too, Zanzana warns. If it makes your head jut farther forward than normal, you’ll get pain and tightness in your neck.
For back sleepers, she recommends memory foam, which molds to the neck’s natural curve. Denser pillows tend to be more supportive, but they’re also more expensive.
Another option is a water pillow, which has a water-filled base sandwiched between polyester filling. Just add water to achieve the desired pillow height.
Both types of pillows offer consistent support, even when you change positions.
Also, placing a second pillow under your knees – such as a bolster (tube-shaped pillow), half-bolster or wedge – can alleviate pressure on the lower back.
2. Side Sleepers
A little feather pillow doesn’t give side sleepers the spine proper support. This can lead to compression of the vertebrae. If you’ve woken up with numbness and tingling in your arms, you’ve probably experienced that.
To keep your spine aligned, side sleepers should use a medium-firm pillow that supports the back and neck.
When testing different pillows, lie on your side and make sure the space under your neck – between the head and shoulders – is well-supported, Maas says.
To improve overall spinal alignment, sleep with a “leg-spacer” pillow between your knees, Zarzana suggests. These are designed to relieve pressure on the hips, knees, ankles and joints.
These pillows may also ease sciatica pain by reducing pressure on lumbar vertebrae where the sciatic nerve is located, says Wayne McAllister, a chiropractor in Stockton, Calif.
3. Stomach Sleepers
Sleeping on your stomach is a no-no. Don’t do it.
When you lie on your stomach, you have to twist your head in order to breathe. That can lead to neck pain and headaches, Zarzana says. Stomach sleeping also stresses the lower back.
Break the habit by sleeping on your side with a body pillow in front of you, McAllister suggests. This type of pillow is three times as long as a king-size, allowing you to snooze on your side while keeping the front of your body comfortably supported.
4. Neck Pain Sufferers
For the 35%-80% of the population who suffer from neck soreness, memory foam and water-based pillows are best, Zarzana says.
In fact, snoozing on a water-based pillow can relieve chronic neck pain, reduce the frequency of headaches and improve sleep by better supporting neck muscles, according to a 1997 Johns Hopkins University study.
5. Allergy Sufferers
Choose synthetic fibers if you have asthma or allergies.
“Feather pillows can worsen allergies and make you cough or wheeze at night,” says Ronald Kotler, M.D., medical director of the Pennsylvania Hospital Sleep Disorders Center in Philadelphia and author of 365 Ways to Get a Good Night’s Sleep (Adams Media).
Other allergens that might be hiding in your pillow: pollen, pet dander and dust mites – plus their fecal matter. To keep these away from your head, use an anti-allergy pillow cover (on its own or under a regular pillowcase).
In addition to helping you sleep through the night, these pillows could make you look better when you wake up. These irritants often lead to morning facial swelling and puffiness, according to Mehmet Oz, M.D., co-author of YOU: The Owner’s Manual (Collins).
Down alternatives, such as lamb’s wool or silk, are natural dust-mite repellants, so they can also provide relief. Memory foam and water pillows are hypoallergenic too.
6. Snorers (and Their Partners)
If you or your bedmate snores like a foghorn, take heart. An anti-snoring pillow can help.
They’re designed to support the back of the neck and subtly shift a back-sleeper’s head to “the sniff position.” That’s as if you sat upright and pulled your head slightly forward to smell something, Kotler says. This opens airways for easier breathing.
It’s a gentle adjustment that won’t create other problems, such as neck pain.
If that doesn’t help, other factors may be at play.
Some snoring is related to sleep apnea, a dangerous condition marked by gasping or periods of stopped breathing during sleep.
Sleep apnea raises the risk of high blood pressure and is linked to depression and gastroesophageal reflux disease. If you suspect you or your partner have it, consult a doctor.
7. Pregnant Women
Most women sleeping for two experience back pain, especially in the eighth and ninth month of pregnancy.
So the right pillow is a must, says Thomas Holtgrave, N.P., a Long Beach, Calif., a nurse practitioner specializing in obstetrics and gynecology.
He advises expectant moms to sleep on their sides, which encourages blood flow between the two main vessels that run down the center of the body (the descending aorta and the inferior vena cava).
Avoid sleeping on your back, because the gravity of a pregnant uterus obstructs blood flow.
Pregnant women should sleep with one or two pillows under the head, and another between the stomach and bed to prop up the belly and take pressure off ligaments.
Add a pillow between your knees to minimize pressure on hips and lower back. Another small pillow propped behind the lower back can provide lumbar support, Holtgrave says.
Or here’s a simpler solution: A full-body pregnancy pillow shaped like a giant, contoured “U” or “C.” Many women find that these support them perfectly, Zarzana says.
Protect Against Aluminum Dust
Question: I work in a factory that produces aluminum panels for airplanes, and the factory is full of aluminum dust. Will my body absorb aluminum through breathing and being around this dust?
Dr. Blaylock's Answer:
Yes, aluminum dust is readily absorbed by the lungs and also through the nasal lining (mucosa), and enters the brain via the olfactory nerves in the nose.
In the past, in an attempt to prevent silicosis in silica miners, officials would set off aluminum dust “bombs” in the mine, thinking that the inhaled aluminum would prevent silica lung damage (pulmonary silicosis). Unfortunately, those bombs destroyed the health of the miners, many of whom eventually became demented.
I would suggest wearing a high-filtration mask when working in that area. Magnesium and many of the flavonoids, such as curcumin, hesperidin, and ellagic acid, can counteract a good deal of aluminum toxicity.
A powerful new aluminum-chelating agent called Feralex-G is awaiting Food and Drug Administration approval. In tests, it has been shown to be very safe and can be taken orally.
Dr. Blaylock's Answer:
Yes, aluminum dust is readily absorbed by the lungs and also through the nasal lining (mucosa), and enters the brain via the olfactory nerves in the nose.
In the past, in an attempt to prevent silicosis in silica miners, officials would set off aluminum dust “bombs” in the mine, thinking that the inhaled aluminum would prevent silica lung damage (pulmonary silicosis). Unfortunately, those bombs destroyed the health of the miners, many of whom eventually became demented.
I would suggest wearing a high-filtration mask when working in that area. Magnesium and many of the flavonoids, such as curcumin, hesperidin, and ellagic acid, can counteract a good deal of aluminum toxicity.
A powerful new aluminum-chelating agent called Feralex-G is awaiting Food and Drug Administration approval. In tests, it has been shown to be very safe and can be taken orally.
Fats Affect Depression
There is a strong correlation between the intake of certain fats and depression, anxiety, and suicide risk.
Studies have shown that high intake of omega-6 oils (corn, safflower, sunflower, peanut, canola, and soybean oils) increases the risks of major depression because it increases inflammation in the brain.
On the other hand, omega-3 oils — especially their DHA (fatty acid) component — have been associated with reductions in depression, particularly in the orbitofrontal cortex. Low DHA levels in this brain area are also associated with bipolar disorder.
There is evidence that the medications used to treat bipolar disorders may work by altering the effects of DHA on the brain. Lithium, one of the most effective treatments for bipolar mania, improves DHA effectiveness.
Another study found that diets high in omega-6 oils and low in omega-3 oils (the typical American diet of processed foods) were associated with depression and neurotic behavior. To learn more about how stress affects your brain health, read my report Want to Stop Your Brain from Shrinking, Starting Right Now?
A separate study found that college students under stress who were also low in omega-3 intake had greater stress-induced elevations in inflammatory cytokines than students with higher DHA levels. This stress-related increase in brain inflammation gets much worse as we age, meaning that higher DHA intake is vital for brain protection.
Populations such as the Japanese, Koreans, and Norwegians, who eat a diet high in omega-3 fatty acids, show much lower rates of depression, bipolar disorder, and suicide risk.
What all this means is that you should avoid processed foods and take high-quality DHA supplements daily. The average adult should get around 1,000 mg of omega-3 oils a day. A high-DHA, low-EPA (fatty acid) supplement is best. Children under age 14 can take 200 mg a day; pregnant women can take around 1,000 mg a day.
To learn more about the benefits of omega-3, read my report You Don't Eat Enough Fat.
Studies have shown that high intake of omega-6 oils (corn, safflower, sunflower, peanut, canola, and soybean oils) increases the risks of major depression because it increases inflammation in the brain.
On the other hand, omega-3 oils — especially their DHA (fatty acid) component — have been associated with reductions in depression, particularly in the orbitofrontal cortex. Low DHA levels in this brain area are also associated with bipolar disorder.
There is evidence that the medications used to treat bipolar disorders may work by altering the effects of DHA on the brain. Lithium, one of the most effective treatments for bipolar mania, improves DHA effectiveness.
Another study found that diets high in omega-6 oils and low in omega-3 oils (the typical American diet of processed foods) were associated with depression and neurotic behavior. To learn more about how stress affects your brain health, read my report Want to Stop Your Brain from Shrinking, Starting Right Now?
A separate study found that college students under stress who were also low in omega-3 intake had greater stress-induced elevations in inflammatory cytokines than students with higher DHA levels. This stress-related increase in brain inflammation gets much worse as we age, meaning that higher DHA intake is vital for brain protection.
Populations such as the Japanese, Koreans, and Norwegians, who eat a diet high in omega-3 fatty acids, show much lower rates of depression, bipolar disorder, and suicide risk.
What all this means is that you should avoid processed foods and take high-quality DHA supplements daily. The average adult should get around 1,000 mg of omega-3 oils a day. A high-DHA, low-EPA (fatty acid) supplement is best. Children under age 14 can take 200 mg a day; pregnant women can take around 1,000 mg a day.
To learn more about the benefits of omega-3, read my report You Don't Eat Enough Fat.
10 Reasons Why Legal Documents Get Rejected by Courts
Based on our many years of experience with court filing in California, as well as input from various California Courts, we have compiled a top 10 list of reasons why court documents are often rejected for filing. Here is the list, starting with reason number 10, for your consideration:
10. Amended complaints without leave from the Court.
9. Filing complaints or documents in the incorrect jurisdiction.
8. Incorrect or missing filing fees.
7. Writ submitted prior to the expiration of the time for service of the Memorandum of Costs.
6. Using pleadings when mandatory Judicial Council forms are required.
5. Dismissal of “entire action” submitted without the consent of the cross complainant.
4. Filing documents under seal without a court order.
3. Motion date is not reserved before papers are filed.
2. Judicial Council forms are not completely filled out.
And, the number 1 reason why legal documents get rejected is...
1. Signature is missing on the document.
Of course, this is not a complete list of all reasons, rather a snapshot based on our experiences. The good news is that with Rapid Legal's online court filing service, our branch offices review and prepare your documents for filing. In doing so, we double-check these items so issues can often be resolved before actually filing the documents with the courts.
Most of the customers we've shared this information with have found it very helpful and we hope you find it useful as well.
10. Amended complaints without leave from the Court.
9. Filing complaints or documents in the incorrect jurisdiction.
8. Incorrect or missing filing fees.
7. Writ submitted prior to the expiration of the time for service of the Memorandum of Costs.
6. Using pleadings when mandatory Judicial Council forms are required.
5. Dismissal of “entire action” submitted without the consent of the cross complainant.
4. Filing documents under seal without a court order.
3. Motion date is not reserved before papers are filed.
2. Judicial Council forms are not completely filled out.
And, the number 1 reason why legal documents get rejected is...
1. Signature is missing on the document.
Of course, this is not a complete list of all reasons, rather a snapshot based on our experiences. The good news is that with Rapid Legal's online court filing service, our branch offices review and prepare your documents for filing. In doing so, we double-check these items so issues can often be resolved before actually filing the documents with the courts.
Most of the customers we've shared this information with have found it very helpful and we hope you find it useful as well.
Nobel-Prize-winning discovery is changing human history
There’s new evidence that a simple “fuse” inside every cell in your body is getting shorter and increasing the chance you’ll get cancer by 300 percent.1
But we’ve just figured out how to re-lengthen that fuse.
It’s so important that the researchers who discovered how it works won the Nobel Prize for Medicine in 2009.
I’ll show you how this Nobel-Prize-winning discovery is changing human history. And how you can be one of the first to tap its remarkable power to allow you to keep doing everything you want for longer than you ever thought possible.
I don’t exaggerate when I call this the most exciting medical breakthrough of the last century.
Doctors and researchers continue to discover compelling evidence this “fuse” inside your cells determines your cancer risk. When your fuse is longer, your risk is minimal. When your fuse is shorter, your chance of getting cancer skyrockets:
A team at Harvard discovered that having this short fuse nearly doubled the risk for bladder cancer.2
The journal Breast Cancer Research and Treatment published findings that breast cancer cells had shorter fuses than normal cells.3
Japanese researchers found cancers of the mouth begin in cells with short fuses.4
The British Journal of Cancer reported that colon cancer cells have shorter fuses.5
These “fuses” are genetic material that sit on the end of each strand of your DNA. Called telomeres, the fuses get shorter as you age.
That’s because when your cells divide, they use up a little bit of each telomere. The telomeres get shorter the more times your cells divide, just like the fuse on a lit stick of dynamite.
When your telomeres burn down low enough, cell division stops and your life comes to an end.
The good news is that it’s possible to add more time to your “genetic fuse” so you can keep getting better and do more well into your 90s, and even past 100. After all, why should your mind keep gaining new insights and more knowledge while your body falls behind?
You want to maintain your abilities so you can still use that understanding years from now. And the key is longer telomeres.
Did you know that people who live past 100 have longer telomeres?
When you have longer telomeres, your cells don’t age as quickly, which means that not only do you avoid diseases like cancer, you live younger longer.
Have a look at these study results:
100-year-olds in good health had “significantly longer” telomeres than those with health problems.6
Your risk of heart attack increases the faster your telomeres break down. When researchers looked at people in perfect health who later died from heart disease, they found the death rate from heart attack was three times higher for men whose telomeres got short the fastest. The death rate for women was 2.3 times higher.7 Simply stated, the shorter your telomere, the more likely you are to die of a heart attack.
People with shorter telomeres in their immune cells had twice the risk of death from heart failure as patients with the longest telomeres. The study, published by the American Heart Association, found the highest-risk group had telomeres half the length of the lowest-risk group.8
The message here is clear. When you preserve telomere length, you sidestep many of the diseases associated with aging.
And because we now understand the very mechanism by which you age, we’ve been able to develop a simple 6-step system that you can use to preserve what you have right now.
You don’t have to go downhill after the age of 40 anymore. And you can use these 6 steps to keep going up and do more through your 60s, 70s, 80s and more… right from your own living room.
You’ll be in the front row as my team of leading anti-aging experts and I walk you through the easy-to-follow steps on my DVD called Telomeres: Nobel Prize Winning Breakthrough.
When you play the DVD, you’ll be able to use the secrets behind the rejuvenating power of this Nobel-Prize-winning discovery. And I’ll show you 6 simple steps to take advantage of it – right away.
You’ll also hear from people who already see results.
In fact, my colleagues and I are personally undergoing this historic anti-aging treatment ourselves. We’ll share with you the changes we’ve seen in a matter of months, which include sharper vision and enhanced mental powers.
You’ll hear about people like Bob Hayes. At 82, he regularly runs 50-mile races and outperforms competitors half his age.
Or Helen Klein. She just broke the world record for marathoners aged 85-90, by over an hour.
The secret lies in the Nobel Prize-winning discovery of the enzyme telomerase (teh-lah-mer-race). It’s what your body uses to protect your telomeres, and in some cases re-lengthen them. That means your cells can stay young as time goes by.
Telomerase is in every cell of your body, but it’s turned off. However, a new DNA therapy switches it back on.
Most doctors have never heard of it.
A group of scientists stumbled upon it just 10 years ago. They watched in awe as generation after generation of cells multiplied without aging.
As one top researcher put it in a Harvard report, “With this switch turned on, these cells become ‘immortalized.’”9
But it’s not only lifespan we’re talking about here. It’s healthspan – staying well throughout your life. That’s because telomeres are dramatic indicators of your overall wellness.
Until very recently, we didn’t know how to activate telomerase. Today, we do.
And the prestigious journal Lancet backed up my 6 steps to switch on telomerase.10 Researchers discovered that the same lifestyle changes you’ll find in my Telomeres: Nobel Prize Winning Breakthrough DVD can boost your telomerase levels by 29 percent.
This DNA technology is your key to a long, disease-free life. All you have to do is put it into action.
This DVD shows you how.
Just slide it into your DVD player and press “play” to start “growing younger” right in your own home. If you don’t agree it’s the most remarkable discovery of our lifetime, or that it puts you in complete control of your healthspan, let us know and we’ll send you a full refund. No questions asked.
To find this DVD, go on line and look up alsearsmd.com.
To Your Good Health,
Al Sears, MD
But we’ve just figured out how to re-lengthen that fuse.
It’s so important that the researchers who discovered how it works won the Nobel Prize for Medicine in 2009.
I’ll show you how this Nobel-Prize-winning discovery is changing human history. And how you can be one of the first to tap its remarkable power to allow you to keep doing everything you want for longer than you ever thought possible.
I don’t exaggerate when I call this the most exciting medical breakthrough of the last century.
Doctors and researchers continue to discover compelling evidence this “fuse” inside your cells determines your cancer risk. When your fuse is longer, your risk is minimal. When your fuse is shorter, your chance of getting cancer skyrockets:
A team at Harvard discovered that having this short fuse nearly doubled the risk for bladder cancer.2
The journal Breast Cancer Research and Treatment published findings that breast cancer cells had shorter fuses than normal cells.3
Japanese researchers found cancers of the mouth begin in cells with short fuses.4
The British Journal of Cancer reported that colon cancer cells have shorter fuses.5
These “fuses” are genetic material that sit on the end of each strand of your DNA. Called telomeres, the fuses get shorter as you age.
That’s because when your cells divide, they use up a little bit of each telomere. The telomeres get shorter the more times your cells divide, just like the fuse on a lit stick of dynamite.
When your telomeres burn down low enough, cell division stops and your life comes to an end.
The good news is that it’s possible to add more time to your “genetic fuse” so you can keep getting better and do more well into your 90s, and even past 100. After all, why should your mind keep gaining new insights and more knowledge while your body falls behind?
You want to maintain your abilities so you can still use that understanding years from now. And the key is longer telomeres.
Did you know that people who live past 100 have longer telomeres?
When you have longer telomeres, your cells don’t age as quickly, which means that not only do you avoid diseases like cancer, you live younger longer.
Have a look at these study results:
100-year-olds in good health had “significantly longer” telomeres than those with health problems.6
Your risk of heart attack increases the faster your telomeres break down. When researchers looked at people in perfect health who later died from heart disease, they found the death rate from heart attack was three times higher for men whose telomeres got short the fastest. The death rate for women was 2.3 times higher.7 Simply stated, the shorter your telomere, the more likely you are to die of a heart attack.
People with shorter telomeres in their immune cells had twice the risk of death from heart failure as patients with the longest telomeres. The study, published by the American Heart Association, found the highest-risk group had telomeres half the length of the lowest-risk group.8
The message here is clear. When you preserve telomere length, you sidestep many of the diseases associated with aging.
And because we now understand the very mechanism by which you age, we’ve been able to develop a simple 6-step system that you can use to preserve what you have right now.
You don’t have to go downhill after the age of 40 anymore. And you can use these 6 steps to keep going up and do more through your 60s, 70s, 80s and more… right from your own living room.
You’ll be in the front row as my team of leading anti-aging experts and I walk you through the easy-to-follow steps on my DVD called Telomeres: Nobel Prize Winning Breakthrough.
When you play the DVD, you’ll be able to use the secrets behind the rejuvenating power of this Nobel-Prize-winning discovery. And I’ll show you 6 simple steps to take advantage of it – right away.
You’ll also hear from people who already see results.
In fact, my colleagues and I are personally undergoing this historic anti-aging treatment ourselves. We’ll share with you the changes we’ve seen in a matter of months, which include sharper vision and enhanced mental powers.
You’ll hear about people like Bob Hayes. At 82, he regularly runs 50-mile races and outperforms competitors half his age.
Or Helen Klein. She just broke the world record for marathoners aged 85-90, by over an hour.
The secret lies in the Nobel Prize-winning discovery of the enzyme telomerase (teh-lah-mer-race). It’s what your body uses to protect your telomeres, and in some cases re-lengthen them. That means your cells can stay young as time goes by.
Telomerase is in every cell of your body, but it’s turned off. However, a new DNA therapy switches it back on.
Most doctors have never heard of it.
A group of scientists stumbled upon it just 10 years ago. They watched in awe as generation after generation of cells multiplied without aging.
As one top researcher put it in a Harvard report, “With this switch turned on, these cells become ‘immortalized.’”9
But it’s not only lifespan we’re talking about here. It’s healthspan – staying well throughout your life. That’s because telomeres are dramatic indicators of your overall wellness.
Until very recently, we didn’t know how to activate telomerase. Today, we do.
And the prestigious journal Lancet backed up my 6 steps to switch on telomerase.10 Researchers discovered that the same lifestyle changes you’ll find in my Telomeres: Nobel Prize Winning Breakthrough DVD can boost your telomerase levels by 29 percent.
This DNA technology is your key to a long, disease-free life. All you have to do is put it into action.
This DVD shows you how.
Just slide it into your DVD player and press “play” to start “growing younger” right in your own home. If you don’t agree it’s the most remarkable discovery of our lifetime, or that it puts you in complete control of your healthspan, let us know and we’ll send you a full refund. No questions asked.
To find this DVD, go on line and look up alsearsmd.com.
To Your Good Health,
Al Sears, MD
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Can Heart Medications Cause Fatigue?
Question: My husband has had a bypass operation and is wearing a pacemaker but still has a fast heartbeat at times. He was given amiodarone and he went for a blood test and was told his thyroid was low. He also is taking niaspan 500 milligrams twice a day along with simastatin 40 milligrams once a day. He also has been feeling tired and he always was very active. Do you think it could be from the amiodarone?
Dr. Hibberd's Answer:
Amiodarone needs to be considered, but fatigue in the case of your husband could have several causes.
The bypass and pacemaker procedures, if recent, may be adequate reason especially if he has any degree of heart failure (reflected as his ejection fraction on ultrasound or dye study) associated with his condition.
Amiodarone is generally indicated for the treatment of documented, life-threatening recurrent ventricular arrythmias (rhythm disurbances of heart: recurrent ventricular fibrillation or recurrent unstable ventricular tachycardia). Its use is accompanied by substantial toxicity (especially lung, eye, liver, thyroid, and heart rhythm), some of which may be heralded by fatigue.
Amiodarone does interfere with thyroid function, and is known to cause hypothyoidism (underactive thyroid condition) and may also cause hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid condition). Both of these conditions will cause fatigue. Careful thyroid monitoring and treatment is very important for your husband while on amiodarone treatment.
There is an increased risk of myopathy (muscle disorder) when amiodarone is used with simvastatin or lovastatin. Fatigue is a common symptom here also, usually associated with muscle aches.
Caution is advised with simvastatin doses over 20 milligrams per day unless clinical benefit outweighs his risk of myopathy or rhabdomyelysis, a potentially life-threatening muscle condition.
I would consider an alternate agent given this caution especially given he is also on niaspan (a sustained release niacin preparation) that also increases his myopathy risk with his current medicine combinations.
I hope this is helpful for you. Remember, do not drink grapefruit juice when on amiodarone and simvastatin. Discuss your concerns with your doctor and get some idea of the long- and short-term plan he or she has for your husband.
Dr. Hibberd's Answer:
Amiodarone needs to be considered, but fatigue in the case of your husband could have several causes.
The bypass and pacemaker procedures, if recent, may be adequate reason especially if he has any degree of heart failure (reflected as his ejection fraction on ultrasound or dye study) associated with his condition.
Amiodarone is generally indicated for the treatment of documented, life-threatening recurrent ventricular arrythmias (rhythm disurbances of heart: recurrent ventricular fibrillation or recurrent unstable ventricular tachycardia). Its use is accompanied by substantial toxicity (especially lung, eye, liver, thyroid, and heart rhythm), some of which may be heralded by fatigue.
Amiodarone does interfere with thyroid function, and is known to cause hypothyoidism (underactive thyroid condition) and may also cause hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid condition). Both of these conditions will cause fatigue. Careful thyroid monitoring and treatment is very important for your husband while on amiodarone treatment.
There is an increased risk of myopathy (muscle disorder) when amiodarone is used with simvastatin or lovastatin. Fatigue is a common symptom here also, usually associated with muscle aches.
Caution is advised with simvastatin doses over 20 milligrams per day unless clinical benefit outweighs his risk of myopathy or rhabdomyelysis, a potentially life-threatening muscle condition.
I would consider an alternate agent given this caution especially given he is also on niaspan (a sustained release niacin preparation) that also increases his myopathy risk with his current medicine combinations.
I hope this is helpful for you. Remember, do not drink grapefruit juice when on amiodarone and simvastatin. Discuss your concerns with your doctor and get some idea of the long- and short-term plan he or she has for your husband.
10 Ways You're Making Your Child Fat
More than 12.5 million U.S. children are overweight and face chronic disease ahead. But let’s face it: It’s tough to get young ones to chow down on veggies and fruits when they’re screaming for fries or ice cream. Are you setting your child up for trouble? Read on for the 10 biggest food mistakes parents make…
Today’s parents are up against the biggest food fight of any previous generation.
Everywhere you look, more junk foods and sugary drinks are available to our children, and there are more kid-targeted food commercials on TV.
“The No. 1 ‘vegetable’ the average 18-month-old consumes in the U.S. is French fries,” says Christina Schmidt, M.S., a certified nutrition educator and author of The Baby Bistro and The Toddler Bistro (Bull Publishing Co.).
What’s worse: Many parents don’t see a problem.
“Parents don’t get it,” says William H. Dietz, M.D., director of the Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Only 42% of parents cite childhood obesity as a health concern, according to the 2007 National Poll on Children’s Health by C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital.
Why?
Some don’t know the nutritional content of the food they serve. Others don’t want to be the “bad guy” and force fruits and veggies on finicky eaters.
Yet childhood obesity can shorten life expectancy by up to five years and lead to heart disease, type 2 diabetes and some cancers, Dietz says.
One 2010 study published in the International Journal of Pediatric Obesity also found that obese children with big bellies are at greater risk for future heart problems.
“Seventy percent of obese children today already have one cardiovascular risk factor, such as elevated blood pressure,” Dietz says.
What’s fueling this obesity epidemic? Not enough exercise, for one. Plus, too much face time with TVs and computers, which experts say are linked.
As a result of this media overload, children ask for foods they see in ads, Dietz says.
That’s why parents have to step in.
“No matter how strong outside influences are, what we do at home is stronger,” says Nancy Tringali Piho, author of My Two-Year-Old Eats Octopus: Raising Children Who Love to Eat Everything (Bull Publishing Co.).
Here are 10 mistakes parents make when feeding kids:
1. Deferring authority.
“Don’t ask your child what he’d like to eat,” Dietz advises. They’ll say “gummy worms” or “ice cream.”
Instead, tell them what’s on the menu and that there will be no substitutions.
“Parents have to remember they’re parents,” says chef Ann Cooper, author of Lunch Lessons: Changing the Way We Feed Our Children (Collins Living). Your job is to provide nourishing foods; your child’s role is to eat them and reap the nutritional benefits.
2. Offering too many choices.
Making hot dogs for one kid, mac ‘n’ cheese for another and a “grown-up” meal for Mom and Dad will drive a home cook crazy.
“Parents shouldn’t be running short-order restaurants,” Cooper says. Plan one menu for the entire family.
But ask your children for their opinion. Broccoli or green beans? Or serve them both.
“Offering two or three choices of a fruit or vegetable encourages kids to try at least one of them,” says Baby Bistro author Schmidt.
3. Not setting limits.
The worst thing for a child is not knowing the limits or having ones that constantly change, Dietz says.
Every kid needs boundaries, so stand your ground when it comes to what your child eats. If on Monday you proclaim “no fast food,” don’t go to Burger King on Friday. It sends mixed messages and kids quickly pick up on that ambiguity.
Also, don’t set limits you can’t — and shouldn't — keep, like banning all foods with sugar. There’s just no way around a little sweet stuff in a kid’s life — and there shouldn’t have to be.
Experts agree: “Everything in moderation.”
Even after you’ve set boundaries, expect them to be tested — repeatedly. Just stand your ground.
4. Underestimating kids’ willingness to eat an assortment.
“One mistake parents make is not exposing [their kids] to a wide variety of foods and flavors from an early age,” Tringali Piho says.
Start small and build on each success. Forgo the white-bread PB&J; offer up cucumber and hummus on whole wheat instead. Your kid’s taste buds might surprise you both.
Also, make learning about new chow a game. Let your children discover a new food – through books, the Internet or from friends. Then help them prepare it.
“Kids love to be hands-on with everything they’re learning,” Schmidt says. The more they’re involved, the more likely they are to eat happily.
5. Worrying they’ll go to bed hungry.
Hunger can be a persuasive learning tool. Next time your children refuse to eat what you’ve prepared, tell them: “The choices are to eat it now, later or nothing at all,” Schmidt says.
“Unless children learn that they’ll be hungry if they don't eat, they won't learn to eat what’s offered,” Dietz says.
If your children push away the food, be matter-of-fact about it, he says. Simply put the plate aside, so they can eat it later.
This may be harder on parents. It’s never fun to watch your children cry and scream. And you don’t want them to go to bed hungry.
But they’ll learn to make a better choice next time: I guess I’ll just eat the salmon patty. Hey, this tastes kind of good!
6. Making excuses for their eating habits.
“If kids are labeled as picky, they’ll act that way,” Schmidt says.
Instead, be persistent. Offer up the despised foods as many times and in as many forms as possible. Broccoli hater? Try it steamed, roasted, baked in a quiche, chopped up with a low-fat dip or served with veggie sticks.
7. Worrying that they’re not eating enough.
When a child has consumed only three graham crackers all day, it can drive a parent to force them to eat.
The strategy will backfire, Dietz says.
“There’s no quicker way to get a child not to eat than by forcing him or her to eat,” he says.
Even if your child has barely touched food all day, don’t worry.
“Children regulate their nutrition intake surprisingly well,” Schmidt says.
They learn to recognize their natural hunger and satiety cues. “Forcing them to eat destroys these healthy instincts.”
Children go through natural periods of eating very little or eating more than you’d expect. It’s normal and linked to their growth cycles. But if you’re concerned, talk to your pediatrician about whether a multivitamin will provide the nutrition they need.
8. Always disguising healthy foods.
Would you recognize zucchini if it showed up only in muffins or cookies? Sneaking extra veggies into prepared products isn’t bad, but it’s important to offer them in their natural state too.
“If we keep those green veggies under wraps all the time, children will never choose them in their true [form],” Schmidt says.
Get to the root of the situation – literally.
“If we want to change children’s relationship to food, we have to get kids involved in cooking, gardening and grocery shopping," Cooper says.
Grow veggies in a garden pot or plot. Or go to a nearby you-pick-it farm. When children see where food comes from and help get it from farm to table, they’ll appreciate it more.
It helps instill a sense of ownership in what they’re eating – “I picked that strawberry!” or “I grew that tomato!”
9. Offering rewards or bribes for eating.
Bribery is another trick nearly every parent uses – but shouldn’t.
“Don’t reward children for eating foods they don’t like by giving them junk foods,” Dietz says. That means not dishing out ice cream because they’ve finished the spinach.
Sure, you’re enticing kids to eat the good stuff, but it will just make mealtime more difficult for you. Before long, they’ll be bribing you with, “I’ll only eat it if I can have a sno-cone!”
10. Giving up too soon.
“Parents need to repeatedly introduce new food before accepting that their child doesn’t like it,” Dietz says.
A scrunched-up face or barfing noise doesn’t mean game over.
“It takes eight to 15 times for a child to accept a new food,” Schmidt says.
Most parents give up after two or three tries.
Vary your approach and be creative with presentation, Schmidt suggests. Cut foods into fun shapes (like zucchini stars), make mini versions of their favorites or call foods by nicknames.
Finally, don’t expect good eating habits to be a piece of cake.
“‘Success’ is not defined as ‘no conflict,’” Tringali Piho says. “No one ever said it will be easy!”
Today’s parents are up against the biggest food fight of any previous generation.
Everywhere you look, more junk foods and sugary drinks are available to our children, and there are more kid-targeted food commercials on TV.
“The No. 1 ‘vegetable’ the average 18-month-old consumes in the U.S. is French fries,” says Christina Schmidt, M.S., a certified nutrition educator and author of The Baby Bistro and The Toddler Bistro (Bull Publishing Co.).
What’s worse: Many parents don’t see a problem.
“Parents don’t get it,” says William H. Dietz, M.D., director of the Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Only 42% of parents cite childhood obesity as a health concern, according to the 2007 National Poll on Children’s Health by C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital.
Why?
Some don’t know the nutritional content of the food they serve. Others don’t want to be the “bad guy” and force fruits and veggies on finicky eaters.
Yet childhood obesity can shorten life expectancy by up to five years and lead to heart disease, type 2 diabetes and some cancers, Dietz says.
One 2010 study published in the International Journal of Pediatric Obesity also found that obese children with big bellies are at greater risk for future heart problems.
“Seventy percent of obese children today already have one cardiovascular risk factor, such as elevated blood pressure,” Dietz says.
What’s fueling this obesity epidemic? Not enough exercise, for one. Plus, too much face time with TVs and computers, which experts say are linked.
As a result of this media overload, children ask for foods they see in ads, Dietz says.
That’s why parents have to step in.
“No matter how strong outside influences are, what we do at home is stronger,” says Nancy Tringali Piho, author of My Two-Year-Old Eats Octopus: Raising Children Who Love to Eat Everything (Bull Publishing Co.).
Here are 10 mistakes parents make when feeding kids:
1. Deferring authority.
“Don’t ask your child what he’d like to eat,” Dietz advises. They’ll say “gummy worms” or “ice cream.”
Instead, tell them what’s on the menu and that there will be no substitutions.
“Parents have to remember they’re parents,” says chef Ann Cooper, author of Lunch Lessons: Changing the Way We Feed Our Children (Collins Living). Your job is to provide nourishing foods; your child’s role is to eat them and reap the nutritional benefits.
2. Offering too many choices.
Making hot dogs for one kid, mac ‘n’ cheese for another and a “grown-up” meal for Mom and Dad will drive a home cook crazy.
“Parents shouldn’t be running short-order restaurants,” Cooper says. Plan one menu for the entire family.
But ask your children for their opinion. Broccoli or green beans? Or serve them both.
“Offering two or three choices of a fruit or vegetable encourages kids to try at least one of them,” says Baby Bistro author Schmidt.
3. Not setting limits.
The worst thing for a child is not knowing the limits or having ones that constantly change, Dietz says.
Every kid needs boundaries, so stand your ground when it comes to what your child eats. If on Monday you proclaim “no fast food,” don’t go to Burger King on Friday. It sends mixed messages and kids quickly pick up on that ambiguity.
Also, don’t set limits you can’t — and shouldn't — keep, like banning all foods with sugar. There’s just no way around a little sweet stuff in a kid’s life — and there shouldn’t have to be.
Experts agree: “Everything in moderation.”
Even after you’ve set boundaries, expect them to be tested — repeatedly. Just stand your ground.
4. Underestimating kids’ willingness to eat an assortment.
“One mistake parents make is not exposing [their kids] to a wide variety of foods and flavors from an early age,” Tringali Piho says.
Start small and build on each success. Forgo the white-bread PB&J; offer up cucumber and hummus on whole wheat instead. Your kid’s taste buds might surprise you both.
Also, make learning about new chow a game. Let your children discover a new food – through books, the Internet or from friends. Then help them prepare it.
“Kids love to be hands-on with everything they’re learning,” Schmidt says. The more they’re involved, the more likely they are to eat happily.
5. Worrying they’ll go to bed hungry.
Hunger can be a persuasive learning tool. Next time your children refuse to eat what you’ve prepared, tell them: “The choices are to eat it now, later or nothing at all,” Schmidt says.
“Unless children learn that they’ll be hungry if they don't eat, they won't learn to eat what’s offered,” Dietz says.
If your children push away the food, be matter-of-fact about it, he says. Simply put the plate aside, so they can eat it later.
This may be harder on parents. It’s never fun to watch your children cry and scream. And you don’t want them to go to bed hungry.
But they’ll learn to make a better choice next time: I guess I’ll just eat the salmon patty. Hey, this tastes kind of good!
6. Making excuses for their eating habits.
“If kids are labeled as picky, they’ll act that way,” Schmidt says.
Instead, be persistent. Offer up the despised foods as many times and in as many forms as possible. Broccoli hater? Try it steamed, roasted, baked in a quiche, chopped up with a low-fat dip or served with veggie sticks.
7. Worrying that they’re not eating enough.
When a child has consumed only three graham crackers all day, it can drive a parent to force them to eat.
The strategy will backfire, Dietz says.
“There’s no quicker way to get a child not to eat than by forcing him or her to eat,” he says.
Even if your child has barely touched food all day, don’t worry.
“Children regulate their nutrition intake surprisingly well,” Schmidt says.
They learn to recognize their natural hunger and satiety cues. “Forcing them to eat destroys these healthy instincts.”
Children go through natural periods of eating very little or eating more than you’d expect. It’s normal and linked to their growth cycles. But if you’re concerned, talk to your pediatrician about whether a multivitamin will provide the nutrition they need.
8. Always disguising healthy foods.
Would you recognize zucchini if it showed up only in muffins or cookies? Sneaking extra veggies into prepared products isn’t bad, but it’s important to offer them in their natural state too.
“If we keep those green veggies under wraps all the time, children will never choose them in their true [form],” Schmidt says.
Get to the root of the situation – literally.
“If we want to change children’s relationship to food, we have to get kids involved in cooking, gardening and grocery shopping," Cooper says.
Grow veggies in a garden pot or plot. Or go to a nearby you-pick-it farm. When children see where food comes from and help get it from farm to table, they’ll appreciate it more.
It helps instill a sense of ownership in what they’re eating – “I picked that strawberry!” or “I grew that tomato!”
9. Offering rewards or bribes for eating.
Bribery is another trick nearly every parent uses – but shouldn’t.
“Don’t reward children for eating foods they don’t like by giving them junk foods,” Dietz says. That means not dishing out ice cream because they’ve finished the spinach.
Sure, you’re enticing kids to eat the good stuff, but it will just make mealtime more difficult for you. Before long, they’ll be bribing you with, “I’ll only eat it if I can have a sno-cone!”
10. Giving up too soon.
“Parents need to repeatedly introduce new food before accepting that their child doesn’t like it,” Dietz says.
A scrunched-up face or barfing noise doesn’t mean game over.
“It takes eight to 15 times for a child to accept a new food,” Schmidt says.
Most parents give up after two or three tries.
Vary your approach and be creative with presentation, Schmidt suggests. Cut foods into fun shapes (like zucchini stars), make mini versions of their favorites or call foods by nicknames.
Finally, don’t expect good eating habits to be a piece of cake.
“‘Success’ is not defined as ‘no conflict,’” Tringali Piho says. “No one ever said it will be easy!”
Flying Fickle Finger of Fate: Cellphone Rings In Crocodile’s Stomach and Dental story...
Today’s Flying Fickle Finger of Fate has flown to the Ukraine! Zookepers did not believe a visitor who said a crocodile ate her phone, until they heard the croc’s stomach ringing! What was the ringtone? “Crocodile Rock” by Elton John of course!
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A German dentist has found a way to distract patients while she works on their teeth, it’s called a low-cut dress! She noticed that the patients were distracted by skimpy outfits so she hired some dental hygentists who are well endowed. For some reason the practice has increased by 35% and all the new patients are men.
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A German dentist has found a way to distract patients while she works on their teeth, it’s called a low-cut dress! She noticed that the patients were distracted by skimpy outfits so she hired some dental hygentists who are well endowed. For some reason the practice has increased by 35% and all the new patients are men.
Breast implants may be linked to rare cancer-FDA
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Women with breast implants may face an increased risk of a rare immune-system cancer near their implants, U.S. regulators said on Wednesday.
Health officials need more data to tell if the implants are related to the cancer and are asking doctors to report any confirmed cases, the Food and Drug Administration said in a statement. Overall the agency still considers implants safe.
Safety concerns have dogged breast implants for years. Silicone breast implants were banned for most U.S. women in 1992 after some complained the devices leaked and made them chronically ill. Widespread sales resumed in 2006 with FDA approval over sharp protests from consumer advocates.
"This is exactly the kind of problem we were concerned about when we said we don't know enough about these products and whether they are safe," said Amy Allina, policy director at the National Women's Health Network.
The FDA said its review found about 60 cases of anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL), a type of immune-system cancer. The number is tough to verify and some reports could be duplicates, the agency said. Data so far suggest women with silicone or saline-gel breast implants "may have a very small but significant risk of ALCL in the scar capsule adjacent to the implant," the agency said.
"We need more data and are asking that healthcare professionals tell us about any confirmed cases they identify," said Dr. William Maisel, chief scientist in the FDA's device unit.
An estimated 5 million to 10 million women around the world have breast implants.
Health officials need more data to tell if the implants are related to the cancer and are asking doctors to report any confirmed cases, the Food and Drug Administration said in a statement. Overall the agency still considers implants safe.
Safety concerns have dogged breast implants for years. Silicone breast implants were banned for most U.S. women in 1992 after some complained the devices leaked and made them chronically ill. Widespread sales resumed in 2006 with FDA approval over sharp protests from consumer advocates.
"This is exactly the kind of problem we were concerned about when we said we don't know enough about these products and whether they are safe," said Amy Allina, policy director at the National Women's Health Network.
The FDA said its review found about 60 cases of anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL), a type of immune-system cancer. The number is tough to verify and some reports could be duplicates, the agency said. Data so far suggest women with silicone or saline-gel breast implants "may have a very small but significant risk of ALCL in the scar capsule adjacent to the implant," the agency said.
"We need more data and are asking that healthcare professionals tell us about any confirmed cases they identify," said Dr. William Maisel, chief scientist in the FDA's device unit.
An estimated 5 million to 10 million women around the world have breast implants.
How Dangerous Is Secondhand Smoke?
Secondhand smoke is a burning health issue, thanks to two new major studies. Find out how to protect yourself and your family from this insidious killer...
Everyone knows smoking is dangerous – 1 in 10 deaths worldwide is from a smoking-related disease, according to the World Health Organization.
But exposure to tobacco fumes kills 600,000 nonsmokers a year worldwide, including 165,000 children, according to a December 2010 WHO study. That’s about 1 out of every 100 deaths worldwide, through smoke-related illnesses such as heart disease, lower respiratory infections, asthma and lung cancer.
And the fumes are harder to avoid than you think: They can seep through apartment ventilation systems and cling to baby car seats, where they’re easily ingested.
The U.S. Surgeon General’s office issued its own smoking report in December, reinforcing the dangers of “passive,” or secondhand, exposure.
“Chemicals in tobacco smoke reach lungs quickly every time you inhale, causing damage immediately,” said U.S. Surgeon General Regina M. Benjamin, M.D.
“Inhaling even the smallest amount can also damage DNA, which can lead to cancer.”
About 3,400 lung cancer deaths a year are attributable to secondhand smoke, the report estimates.
Read on to learn more about secondhand smoking risks and how to limit exposure:
Why Other People’s Smoke Can Harm You
Tobacco smoke contains 7,000 chemicals, including hundreds that are toxic and at least 70 known to cause cancer, according to the Surgeon General’s report.
Passive exposure also causes heart attacks, says cardiologist Matthew Sorrentino, M.D., FAAC, an associate professor of medicine at the University of Chicago.
“The toxins in cigarette smoke enter the body and damage the coronary arteries that bring blood to the heart,” he says. “Cholesterol builds up on the arteries, and they become blocked, which can lead to a heart attack.”
The more you’re exposed, the higher your health risks.
“Someone who works in a bar or restaurant eight hours a day and is surrounded by smokers will have a higher exposure rate than most other people. The longtime spouse of a smoker will have a higher dose effect as well.”
Each year, 46,000 American nonsmokers who live with smokers die from heart disease, according to the Surgeon General’s report.
Demand Builds for Smoke-Free Environments
As concerns about secondhand smoke increase, so have calls for smoke-free homes, workplaces and public venues.
“The U.S. Surgeon General concluded that there’s no safe level of exposure to tobacco smoke,” says Joel London, a spokesperson for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Office on Smoking and Health in Atlanta.
The District of Columbia and 25 states now have comprehensive anti-smoking laws that apply to various locales.
Efforts like these appear to be working: While the percentage of Americans who smoke has stayed relatively constant – 20.6% percent in 2009 – the percentage of nonsmokers exposed to secondhand smoke has dropped from 88% in 1988-‘91 to 40%, as of 2007-‘08.
Still, that 40% accounts for 88 million people. Kids are at even greater risk: More than half of American children ages 3-11 are exposed to tobacco toxins.
A national study of 5,000 children by the American Academy of Pediatrics is expected to add momentum to the call for smoke-free housing policies.
The report, published in the journal Pediatrics in 2010, examined exposure by measuring the kids’ levels of the tobacco biomarker cotinine. (This chemical is produced when the body metabolizes nicotine.)
Among the children who didn’t live with a smoker, those in multi-unit housing complexes had 45% higher cotinine levels than those in detached homes, the study found. Researchers theorized that smoke from other residences seeps in through walls or shared ventilation systems.
“This is a pretty dramatic illustration of why we need smoke-free policies in apartment buildings,” says Jonathan P. Winickoff, M.D., FAAP, a pediatrician at Massachusetts General Hospital for Children and senior author of the study.
Winickoff encourages apartment dwellers to lobby landlords for building-wide bans on smoking. In addition to health benefits for residents, they would reduce fire risk and lower the building’s clean-up and insurance costs, he adds.
Activists are pushing for smoke-free policies in other places too, such as airports, restaurants and bars. Of the nation’s 29 largest airports, 22 are now smoke-free – almost double the amount in 2001, according to CDC spokesperson London.
But millions of passengers are exposed in the seven major airports that still allow smoking – including those in Atlanta, Ga.; Dallas, Texas; and Denver, Colo.
As for other gathering places, “37% of the population isn’t covered by local and state clean-indoor-air laws for bars, and 26% of the population isn’t covered for restaurants,” says Cheryl G. Healton, president and CEO of Legacy, a national public health foundation in Washington, D.C.
These fumes don’t only affect customers. Food-service workers exposed to secondhand smoke also have a 50% increased risk of lung cancer, the foundation notes.
Support for Quitters
The most effective way to limit your tobacco exposure is to convince smokers around you to give up the habit, the experts say.
Your best bet: Encourage smokers to enter an organized cessation program that includes a coordinator to monitor progress. Less than 20% of smokers are able to quit on their own, but these programs increase success rates to nearly half, says Sorrentino.
Other popular stop-smoking aids include nicotine patches, gum, hypnosis and prescription medicines. Call 800-QUIT-Now to find resources in your area.
While quitting can’t mitigate damage already caused by smoking, it offers almost immediate health benefits.
“The risk of having a stroke or heart attack because of past smoking dissipates pretty quickly, within a year or two of quitting,” Sorrentino says.
How to Limit Exposure
While avoiding tobacco smoke completely can be difficult – especially if one or more people you live with refuse to quit – there are steps you can take to limit exposure, Winickoff says.
Here are his suggestions:
1. Don’t allow smoking in your home or vehicle. Some smokers assume that running a fan or opening windows can prevent negative effects of secondhand smoke.
They’re wrong. The fumes can still be inhaled by others, and they leave a residue of invisible toxins that cling to hair, clothing, carpeting and fabric – something Winickoff and other researchers refer to as thirdhand smoke.
Wiping surfaces clean doesn’t fully eradicate this harmful residue.
“Babies will touch their car seats, then bring their hands to their mouths. In the process, they ingest the toxins of tobacco smoke,” Winickoff says.
2. Stop workplace smoking. Insist that smokers leave the building to light up, and ask managers to offer incentive programs to help employees quit. Some companies offer cash, gift certificates, stop-smoking medication or counseling to help coworkers kick the habit.
“When employers encourage staff to stop smoking, they see fewer breaks, lower incidences of heart disease and no asthma events,” Winickoff says.
3. Choose smoke-free child care and senior programs. Children and the elderly are particularly vulnerable to secondhand toxins and may be less able to get away from the source of the smoke.
Hire non-smoking babysitters and senior aides, too, Winickoff suggests.
4. Patronize businesses with no-smoking policies. In addition to avoiding exposure, it shows other establishments that going smoke-free is a good business practice.
Several hotel chains, including Westin, Heartland Inns and all of the Marriott brands, now have smoke-free policies.
5. Avoid smoke as much as possible. “A single molecule of [smoke component] benzene can affect DNA and cause mutations,” Winickoff says.
The CDC’s London is optimistic that these policies will continue to take hold in venues across the country, noting that more states are enacting public anti-smoking laws.
“After the 2006 Surgeon General’s report on the impact of secondhand smoke was released, there was a groundswell of support for smoke-free policies,” he says.
The newly released 2010 report should yield even more positive results, he says, particularly as more secondhand-smoke-related risks come to light.
Other Dangers of Secondhand Smoke
Cancer and heart disease aren’t the only health problems associated with secondhand smoke. Recent studies link it to several other issues affecting kids and adults alike. Here are just a few:
Asthma and respiratory problems lead the list of smoke-related health dangers for kids, Sorrentino says. Between 200,000 and 1 million asthmatic children in the U.S. have aggravated symptoms due to secondhand smoke, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.
Preschool children are likely to have higher blood pressure if their parents smoke, according to a 2011 German study published in the journal Circulation.
Earlier studies have linked secondhand smoke with Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), low birth weight and learning disabilities.
In households with secondhand smoke, kids age 12-17 are 1.67 times more prone to recurrent ear infections than those in a smoke-free environment, according to a 2010 Harvard study. Parents often smoke indoors more as children grow older, the study also found.
There are 20 known or suspected mammary carcinogens in tobacco smoke. A lifetime of either smoking or exposure to secondhand smoke “about doubled the risk of premenopausal breast cancer,” according to 2010 research by an expert panel of Canadian researchers reviewing past studies.
Nonsmokers with heavy exposure to secondhand smoke have higher odds of psychological distress, according to a 2010 British study published in Archives of General Psychiatry. Over a six-year follow-up, they were more likely to be hospitalized for depression, schizophrenia, delirium or other psychiatric conditions.
About 40% of all cases of chronic sinus disease appear to have been caused by smoke exposure, according to a 2010 Canadian study published in the Archives of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery.
Are You Ready to Quit Smoking?
By now you should know that smoking increases your risk for heart disease, lung cancer, stroke and more.
Everyone knows smoking is dangerous – 1 in 10 deaths worldwide is from a smoking-related disease, according to the World Health Organization.
But exposure to tobacco fumes kills 600,000 nonsmokers a year worldwide, including 165,000 children, according to a December 2010 WHO study. That’s about 1 out of every 100 deaths worldwide, through smoke-related illnesses such as heart disease, lower respiratory infections, asthma and lung cancer.
And the fumes are harder to avoid than you think: They can seep through apartment ventilation systems and cling to baby car seats, where they’re easily ingested.
The U.S. Surgeon General’s office issued its own smoking report in December, reinforcing the dangers of “passive,” or secondhand, exposure.
“Chemicals in tobacco smoke reach lungs quickly every time you inhale, causing damage immediately,” said U.S. Surgeon General Regina M. Benjamin, M.D.
“Inhaling even the smallest amount can also damage DNA, which can lead to cancer.”
About 3,400 lung cancer deaths a year are attributable to secondhand smoke, the report estimates.
Read on to learn more about secondhand smoking risks and how to limit exposure:
Why Other People’s Smoke Can Harm You
Tobacco smoke contains 7,000 chemicals, including hundreds that are toxic and at least 70 known to cause cancer, according to the Surgeon General’s report.
Passive exposure also causes heart attacks, says cardiologist Matthew Sorrentino, M.D., FAAC, an associate professor of medicine at the University of Chicago.
“The toxins in cigarette smoke enter the body and damage the coronary arteries that bring blood to the heart,” he says. “Cholesterol builds up on the arteries, and they become blocked, which can lead to a heart attack.”
The more you’re exposed, the higher your health risks.
“Someone who works in a bar or restaurant eight hours a day and is surrounded by smokers will have a higher exposure rate than most other people. The longtime spouse of a smoker will have a higher dose effect as well.”
Each year, 46,000 American nonsmokers who live with smokers die from heart disease, according to the Surgeon General’s report.
Demand Builds for Smoke-Free Environments
As concerns about secondhand smoke increase, so have calls for smoke-free homes, workplaces and public venues.
“The U.S. Surgeon General concluded that there’s no safe level of exposure to tobacco smoke,” says Joel London, a spokesperson for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Office on Smoking and Health in Atlanta.
The District of Columbia and 25 states now have comprehensive anti-smoking laws that apply to various locales.
Efforts like these appear to be working: While the percentage of Americans who smoke has stayed relatively constant – 20.6% percent in 2009 – the percentage of nonsmokers exposed to secondhand smoke has dropped from 88% in 1988-‘91 to 40%, as of 2007-‘08.
Still, that 40% accounts for 88 million people. Kids are at even greater risk: More than half of American children ages 3-11 are exposed to tobacco toxins.
A national study of 5,000 children by the American Academy of Pediatrics is expected to add momentum to the call for smoke-free housing policies.
The report, published in the journal Pediatrics in 2010, examined exposure by measuring the kids’ levels of the tobacco biomarker cotinine. (This chemical is produced when the body metabolizes nicotine.)
Among the children who didn’t live with a smoker, those in multi-unit housing complexes had 45% higher cotinine levels than those in detached homes, the study found. Researchers theorized that smoke from other residences seeps in through walls or shared ventilation systems.
“This is a pretty dramatic illustration of why we need smoke-free policies in apartment buildings,” says Jonathan P. Winickoff, M.D., FAAP, a pediatrician at Massachusetts General Hospital for Children and senior author of the study.
Winickoff encourages apartment dwellers to lobby landlords for building-wide bans on smoking. In addition to health benefits for residents, they would reduce fire risk and lower the building’s clean-up and insurance costs, he adds.
Activists are pushing for smoke-free policies in other places too, such as airports, restaurants and bars. Of the nation’s 29 largest airports, 22 are now smoke-free – almost double the amount in 2001, according to CDC spokesperson London.
But millions of passengers are exposed in the seven major airports that still allow smoking – including those in Atlanta, Ga.; Dallas, Texas; and Denver, Colo.
As for other gathering places, “37% of the population isn’t covered by local and state clean-indoor-air laws for bars, and 26% of the population isn’t covered for restaurants,” says Cheryl G. Healton, president and CEO of Legacy, a national public health foundation in Washington, D.C.
These fumes don’t only affect customers. Food-service workers exposed to secondhand smoke also have a 50% increased risk of lung cancer, the foundation notes.
Support for Quitters
The most effective way to limit your tobacco exposure is to convince smokers around you to give up the habit, the experts say.
Your best bet: Encourage smokers to enter an organized cessation program that includes a coordinator to monitor progress. Less than 20% of smokers are able to quit on their own, but these programs increase success rates to nearly half, says Sorrentino.
Other popular stop-smoking aids include nicotine patches, gum, hypnosis and prescription medicines. Call 800-QUIT-Now to find resources in your area.
While quitting can’t mitigate damage already caused by smoking, it offers almost immediate health benefits.
“The risk of having a stroke or heart attack because of past smoking dissipates pretty quickly, within a year or two of quitting,” Sorrentino says.
How to Limit Exposure
While avoiding tobacco smoke completely can be difficult – especially if one or more people you live with refuse to quit – there are steps you can take to limit exposure, Winickoff says.
Here are his suggestions:
1. Don’t allow smoking in your home or vehicle. Some smokers assume that running a fan or opening windows can prevent negative effects of secondhand smoke.
They’re wrong. The fumes can still be inhaled by others, and they leave a residue of invisible toxins that cling to hair, clothing, carpeting and fabric – something Winickoff and other researchers refer to as thirdhand smoke.
Wiping surfaces clean doesn’t fully eradicate this harmful residue.
“Babies will touch their car seats, then bring their hands to their mouths. In the process, they ingest the toxins of tobacco smoke,” Winickoff says.
2. Stop workplace smoking. Insist that smokers leave the building to light up, and ask managers to offer incentive programs to help employees quit. Some companies offer cash, gift certificates, stop-smoking medication or counseling to help coworkers kick the habit.
“When employers encourage staff to stop smoking, they see fewer breaks, lower incidences of heart disease and no asthma events,” Winickoff says.
3. Choose smoke-free child care and senior programs. Children and the elderly are particularly vulnerable to secondhand toxins and may be less able to get away from the source of the smoke.
Hire non-smoking babysitters and senior aides, too, Winickoff suggests.
4. Patronize businesses with no-smoking policies. In addition to avoiding exposure, it shows other establishments that going smoke-free is a good business practice.
Several hotel chains, including Westin, Heartland Inns and all of the Marriott brands, now have smoke-free policies.
5. Avoid smoke as much as possible. “A single molecule of [smoke component] benzene can affect DNA and cause mutations,” Winickoff says.
The CDC’s London is optimistic that these policies will continue to take hold in venues across the country, noting that more states are enacting public anti-smoking laws.
“After the 2006 Surgeon General’s report on the impact of secondhand smoke was released, there was a groundswell of support for smoke-free policies,” he says.
The newly released 2010 report should yield even more positive results, he says, particularly as more secondhand-smoke-related risks come to light.
Other Dangers of Secondhand Smoke
Cancer and heart disease aren’t the only health problems associated with secondhand smoke. Recent studies link it to several other issues affecting kids and adults alike. Here are just a few:
Asthma and respiratory problems lead the list of smoke-related health dangers for kids, Sorrentino says. Between 200,000 and 1 million asthmatic children in the U.S. have aggravated symptoms due to secondhand smoke, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.
Preschool children are likely to have higher blood pressure if their parents smoke, according to a 2011 German study published in the journal Circulation.
Earlier studies have linked secondhand smoke with Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), low birth weight and learning disabilities.
In households with secondhand smoke, kids age 12-17 are 1.67 times more prone to recurrent ear infections than those in a smoke-free environment, according to a 2010 Harvard study. Parents often smoke indoors more as children grow older, the study also found.
There are 20 known or suspected mammary carcinogens in tobacco smoke. A lifetime of either smoking or exposure to secondhand smoke “about doubled the risk of premenopausal breast cancer,” according to 2010 research by an expert panel of Canadian researchers reviewing past studies.
Nonsmokers with heavy exposure to secondhand smoke have higher odds of psychological distress, according to a 2010 British study published in Archives of General Psychiatry. Over a six-year follow-up, they were more likely to be hospitalized for depression, schizophrenia, delirium or other psychiatric conditions.
About 40% of all cases of chronic sinus disease appear to have been caused by smoke exposure, according to a 2010 Canadian study published in the Archives of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery.
Are You Ready to Quit Smoking?
By now you should know that smoking increases your risk for heart disease, lung cancer, stroke and more.
Hand Splints Relieve Arthritis Pain
Hand splints to steady achy joints may ease the pain for people who suffer from degenerative arthritis, the most common joint disorder.
That's the conclusion from a new review of the medical literature, published in the journal Arthritis Care and Research.
It appears that hand exercises might have some effect, too, but the evidence is less solid, according to the review.
One in four women and one in eight men aged 70 or older have degenerative arthritis, also called osteoarthritis, in their hands. The chronic condition is painful and limits hand movements due to swelling, bony growths, and cartilage breakdown.
Many people with the disease seek relief from anti-inflammatory and pain medications — such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen — as well as a confusing array of other treatment options, including hot or cold treatments, rest or exercise, and hard or soft splints.
Ingvild Kjeken and her colleagues at Diakonhjemmet Hospital in Oslo, Norway, had noticed that patients in their clinic found significant pain relief from thumb splints. The doctors were also aware of accumulating research evaluating such splints, which are designed to support, protect, or immobilize joints.
So they decided to summarize the evidence to get a better idea of what might best "reduce symptoms and enhance function in people with hand osteoarthritis," Kjeken told Reuters Health in an e-mail.
The researchers identified 12 studies with a total of nearly 500 patients, each testing the effects of hand splints, exercises, or a combination of the two.
While "striking" differences in the splints and exercise programs limited the comparisons they could make, Kjeken said they were still able to get some idea of what worked.
Short and rigid day splints, for example, cut hand pain in half after six months of use, according to one high-quality study. Similarly, another study found that hand pain was halved for patients who wore a long and rigid splint every night for one year. Just one month of night use lessened pain by a quarter, Kjeken said.
However, the splints usually didn't improve hand function or strength.
Kjerken said the findings mean that splints have about the same effect on pain as anti-inflammatory drugs. The devices range widely in cost, from about $25 for a prefabricated version to over $100 if it is custom made. Ibuprofen, the most commonly used drug by people with osteoarthritis, runs about $10 a month.
"Whether this is an incremental improvement on top of what drugs do, or if splinting is enough to keep someone from having to take drugs, is an interesting question which warrants further testing," she added.
It's not clear just how splints reduce pain, although the researchers point to some possibilities such as providing support to inflamed joints or a slowing the development of deformities.
"There is strong evidence that splints reduce hand pain," said Kjeken. "A small splint for pain relief during the day combined with a custom-made and rigid splint for prevention of deformities at night may be an optimal regimen."
On the other hand, data on exercises was not as good, leaving the team unable to estimate how well exercise might decrease pain or increase function.
Some weak studies did hint at a potential benefit, and Kjeken highlighted existing recommendations that patients should do repetitions of different exercises to increase both joint mobility and grip strength for a minimum of 20 minutes three times a week.
"Due to the risk of developing deformities in the thumb base joint, one should probably avoid excessive exercises to improve pinch or key grip strength," she said, "and rather include exercises aimed at strengthening the muscles involved in opening the hand to be able to grip larger objects."
"It is important that these treatments are individualized and closely monitored," added Kjeken, "especially in the beginning of the treatment period."
That's the conclusion from a new review of the medical literature, published in the journal Arthritis Care and Research.
It appears that hand exercises might have some effect, too, but the evidence is less solid, according to the review.
One in four women and one in eight men aged 70 or older have degenerative arthritis, also called osteoarthritis, in their hands. The chronic condition is painful and limits hand movements due to swelling, bony growths, and cartilage breakdown.
Many people with the disease seek relief from anti-inflammatory and pain medications — such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen — as well as a confusing array of other treatment options, including hot or cold treatments, rest or exercise, and hard or soft splints.
Ingvild Kjeken and her colleagues at Diakonhjemmet Hospital in Oslo, Norway, had noticed that patients in their clinic found significant pain relief from thumb splints. The doctors were also aware of accumulating research evaluating such splints, which are designed to support, protect, or immobilize joints.
So they decided to summarize the evidence to get a better idea of what might best "reduce symptoms and enhance function in people with hand osteoarthritis," Kjeken told Reuters Health in an e-mail.
The researchers identified 12 studies with a total of nearly 500 patients, each testing the effects of hand splints, exercises, or a combination of the two.
While "striking" differences in the splints and exercise programs limited the comparisons they could make, Kjeken said they were still able to get some idea of what worked.
Short and rigid day splints, for example, cut hand pain in half after six months of use, according to one high-quality study. Similarly, another study found that hand pain was halved for patients who wore a long and rigid splint every night for one year. Just one month of night use lessened pain by a quarter, Kjeken said.
However, the splints usually didn't improve hand function or strength.
Kjerken said the findings mean that splints have about the same effect on pain as anti-inflammatory drugs. The devices range widely in cost, from about $25 for a prefabricated version to over $100 if it is custom made. Ibuprofen, the most commonly used drug by people with osteoarthritis, runs about $10 a month.
"Whether this is an incremental improvement on top of what drugs do, or if splinting is enough to keep someone from having to take drugs, is an interesting question which warrants further testing," she added.
It's not clear just how splints reduce pain, although the researchers point to some possibilities such as providing support to inflamed joints or a slowing the development of deformities.
"There is strong evidence that splints reduce hand pain," said Kjeken. "A small splint for pain relief during the day combined with a custom-made and rigid splint for prevention of deformities at night may be an optimal regimen."
On the other hand, data on exercises was not as good, leaving the team unable to estimate how well exercise might decrease pain or increase function.
Some weak studies did hint at a potential benefit, and Kjeken highlighted existing recommendations that patients should do repetitions of different exercises to increase both joint mobility and grip strength for a minimum of 20 minutes three times a week.
"Due to the risk of developing deformities in the thumb base joint, one should probably avoid excessive exercises to improve pinch or key grip strength," she said, "and rather include exercises aimed at strengthening the muscles involved in opening the hand to be able to grip larger objects."
"It is important that these treatments are individualized and closely monitored," added Kjeken, "especially in the beginning of the treatment period."
Kidney Stones Tied to Heart Disease Risk
Young adults who've had kidney stones may also have an increased risk of clogged arteries, a new study says.
This does not mean that one causes the other, but instead the two conditions might have some common root cause, according to the paper published in the Journal of Urology.
"People who have kidney stones could be sort of the canary in the mine shaft," said Dr. Marshall Stoller, professor of urology at the University of California in San Francisco, and an author on the paper.
Slightly less than 4 percent of people had kidney stones at some point in the 20-year study. These people had about a 60-percent increased risk of getting clogged arteries later in their lives.
People tend to think of a kidney stone as a urinary problem, "but we need to be cognizant of the fact that the kidney is a blood filter," Stoller said, and can show signs of problems in the arteries as well.
High cholesterol, high blood pressure, smoking, and diabetes can all increase the risk of clogged arteries, which can lead to both heart attacks and strokes. These two diseases combined killed more than 589,000 people in 2005, according to the American Heart Association.
That people with kidney stones have an increased risk of clogged arteries is not really a surprise, said Andrew Evan, professor of medicine at Indiana University-Purdue University in Indianapolis, who was not involved in the study.
Previous studies have linked kidney stones with high blood pressure, which increases the risk of developing clogged arteries. But as far as what can lead to clogged arteries, "is it the higher blood pressure, or is it the kidney stones themselves?" Evan said. "We really don't know that."
About 5 percent of adults in the United States have had kidney stones, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, a slightly higher proportion than in the study.
The study involved more than 5,000 young adults between 18 and 30 years old who came back for exams at regular intervals over the next 20 years.
At the 20-year exam, the researchers analyzed the thickness of the wall of participants' carotid arteries. (A thicker-than-normal artery wall is a sign of the arteries getting clogged up.) And that's when they found that people who'd reported having kidney stones were 60 percent more likely to have clogged arteries, compared to people without kidney stones.
A problem with the study is that it included all people with kidney stones together in one group, Evans said. There are a number of different reasons people can get kidney stones such as too having much calcium in the urine, sustained dehydration, or a hereditary disorder. Not all may have an increased risk of clogged arteries, although more research is needed to shed some light on the issue.
In the meantime, you can reduce your risk of getting kidney stones by drinking enough to urinate about two liters a day and by cutting down on salt and meat, Stoller said.
And the American Heart Association advises that to reduce the risk of clogged arteries, people should exercise, eat a healthy diet, and not smoke.
"This is a warning sign," Stoller said. "The kidney stone is the tip of the iceberg."
This does not mean that one causes the other, but instead the two conditions might have some common root cause, according to the paper published in the Journal of Urology.
"People who have kidney stones could be sort of the canary in the mine shaft," said Dr. Marshall Stoller, professor of urology at the University of California in San Francisco, and an author on the paper.
Slightly less than 4 percent of people had kidney stones at some point in the 20-year study. These people had about a 60-percent increased risk of getting clogged arteries later in their lives.
People tend to think of a kidney stone as a urinary problem, "but we need to be cognizant of the fact that the kidney is a blood filter," Stoller said, and can show signs of problems in the arteries as well.
High cholesterol, high blood pressure, smoking, and diabetes can all increase the risk of clogged arteries, which can lead to both heart attacks and strokes. These two diseases combined killed more than 589,000 people in 2005, according to the American Heart Association.
That people with kidney stones have an increased risk of clogged arteries is not really a surprise, said Andrew Evan, professor of medicine at Indiana University-Purdue University in Indianapolis, who was not involved in the study.
Previous studies have linked kidney stones with high blood pressure, which increases the risk of developing clogged arteries. But as far as what can lead to clogged arteries, "is it the higher blood pressure, or is it the kidney stones themselves?" Evan said. "We really don't know that."
About 5 percent of adults in the United States have had kidney stones, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, a slightly higher proportion than in the study.
The study involved more than 5,000 young adults between 18 and 30 years old who came back for exams at regular intervals over the next 20 years.
At the 20-year exam, the researchers analyzed the thickness of the wall of participants' carotid arteries. (A thicker-than-normal artery wall is a sign of the arteries getting clogged up.) And that's when they found that people who'd reported having kidney stones were 60 percent more likely to have clogged arteries, compared to people without kidney stones.
A problem with the study is that it included all people with kidney stones together in one group, Evans said. There are a number of different reasons people can get kidney stones such as too having much calcium in the urine, sustained dehydration, or a hereditary disorder. Not all may have an increased risk of clogged arteries, although more research is needed to shed some light on the issue.
In the meantime, you can reduce your risk of getting kidney stones by drinking enough to urinate about two liters a day and by cutting down on salt and meat, Stoller said.
And the American Heart Association advises that to reduce the risk of clogged arteries, people should exercise, eat a healthy diet, and not smoke.
"This is a warning sign," Stoller said. "The kidney stone is the tip of the iceberg."
6 Dos and Don’ts to Avoid Colon Cancer
Colon cancer is the second-leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States, killing nearly 52,000 people last year, according to the American Cancer Society. It’s most prevalent in Western societies, where animal fat and processed and refined foods are front and center in people’s diets.
Colon cancer is one of the most preventable cancers, with lifestyle playing a key role in stopping it, experts say. In fact, the death rate for colon cancer would be cut in half, saving 25,000 lives a year, if all adults 50 and older would just get screened, according to the American Cancer Society. So schedule your screening today, and consider taking these additional six steps to cut your risk.
Don’t: Carry excess belly fat
After not smoking, maintaining a healthy weight is the most important action you can take to prevent cancer, according to American Institute for Cancer Research experts. Excess body fat, particularly fat around the waist, is an important risk factor for colon cancer. The AICR recommends being as lean as possible without becoming underweight. A study published in the Annals of Behavioral Medicine shows that making a new small change each week in eating and activity habits is more effective than traditional weight-loss programs. For example, replace a daily snack with fruit and take the stairs rather than the elevator whenever possible.
Do: Eat a plant-based diet
Consuming low-fat, fiber-rich, whole foods, like fruits, vegetables, beans, and whole grains, helps lower colon cancer risk. Such a diet slows growth of polyps, reduces their formation, and prevents them from becoming malignant. Experts note that it’s not just the fiber itself in these foods that is protective; rather, it’s the compounds of high-fiber natural foods —micronutrients and phytochemicals — working together, according to the Colon Cancer Foundation.
Don’t: Eat processed meat
It’s best not to eat that bacon, hot dog, ham, or sausage. Cancer risk associated with processed meat begins to grow with any portion of it, the AICR reports. So health experts recommend avoiding it altogether. Cell-damaging carcinogens can form when preservatives are added to meat, or when it is salted, cured, or smoked, health experts warn.
Do: Limit red meat
Studies show we can eat up to 18 ounces of red meat a week without increasing our cancer risk, reports the American Institute for Cancer Research. Red meat — pork, lamb, and beef — contain substances linked to colon cancer, such as heme iron, which gives meat its red color. The compound has been shown to damage the colon lining. What’s more, research shows that meat lovers tend to eat fewer plant-based foods, missing out on their anti-cancer benefits.
Do: Get some B6
Reporting on an analysis of 13 previous studies, researchers said last year in the Journal of the American Medical Association that vitamin B6 helps prevent colon cancer. However, in the United States, 40 percent of women and 20 percent of men over age 50 don’t consume enough of the nutrient, found in bananas, avocados, beans, grains, poultry, vegetables, and fish, JAMA reported. The Institute of Medicine recommends a daily intake of 1.7 mg for men and 1.5 mg for women over 50 from a variety of foods. Vitamin D also has been tied to lower colon cancer risk, although further study has been called for.
Don’t: Order a third drink
In a research review released in September, the AICR found a strong link between alcohol consumption and colon cancer for men, and for rectal cancer in both men and women. (Research didn’t show as strong a connection for women and colon cancer, but there’s convincing evidence that alcohol boosts breast cancer risk.) Of the 154,000 cases of colon cancer diagnosed annually in the United States, 7,700 are attributable to alcohol consumption. The cancer research organization recommends that men have no more than two drinks a day and women have no more than one.
Colon cancer is one of the most preventable cancers, with lifestyle playing a key role in stopping it, experts say. In fact, the death rate for colon cancer would be cut in half, saving 25,000 lives a year, if all adults 50 and older would just get screened, according to the American Cancer Society. So schedule your screening today, and consider taking these additional six steps to cut your risk.
Don’t: Carry excess belly fat
After not smoking, maintaining a healthy weight is the most important action you can take to prevent cancer, according to American Institute for Cancer Research experts. Excess body fat, particularly fat around the waist, is an important risk factor for colon cancer. The AICR recommends being as lean as possible without becoming underweight. A study published in the Annals of Behavioral Medicine shows that making a new small change each week in eating and activity habits is more effective than traditional weight-loss programs. For example, replace a daily snack with fruit and take the stairs rather than the elevator whenever possible.
Do: Eat a plant-based diet
Consuming low-fat, fiber-rich, whole foods, like fruits, vegetables, beans, and whole grains, helps lower colon cancer risk. Such a diet slows growth of polyps, reduces their formation, and prevents them from becoming malignant. Experts note that it’s not just the fiber itself in these foods that is protective; rather, it’s the compounds of high-fiber natural foods —micronutrients and phytochemicals — working together, according to the Colon Cancer Foundation.
Don’t: Eat processed meat
It’s best not to eat that bacon, hot dog, ham, or sausage. Cancer risk associated with processed meat begins to grow with any portion of it, the AICR reports. So health experts recommend avoiding it altogether. Cell-damaging carcinogens can form when preservatives are added to meat, or when it is salted, cured, or smoked, health experts warn.
Do: Limit red meat
Studies show we can eat up to 18 ounces of red meat a week without increasing our cancer risk, reports the American Institute for Cancer Research. Red meat — pork, lamb, and beef — contain substances linked to colon cancer, such as heme iron, which gives meat its red color. The compound has been shown to damage the colon lining. What’s more, research shows that meat lovers tend to eat fewer plant-based foods, missing out on their anti-cancer benefits.
Do: Get some B6
Reporting on an analysis of 13 previous studies, researchers said last year in the Journal of the American Medical Association that vitamin B6 helps prevent colon cancer. However, in the United States, 40 percent of women and 20 percent of men over age 50 don’t consume enough of the nutrient, found in bananas, avocados, beans, grains, poultry, vegetables, and fish, JAMA reported. The Institute of Medicine recommends a daily intake of 1.7 mg for men and 1.5 mg for women over 50 from a variety of foods. Vitamin D also has been tied to lower colon cancer risk, although further study has been called for.
Don’t: Order a third drink
In a research review released in September, the AICR found a strong link between alcohol consumption and colon cancer for men, and for rectal cancer in both men and women. (Research didn’t show as strong a connection for women and colon cancer, but there’s convincing evidence that alcohol boosts breast cancer risk.) Of the 154,000 cases of colon cancer diagnosed annually in the United States, 7,700 are attributable to alcohol consumption. The cancer research organization recommends that men have no more than two drinks a day and women have no more than one.
Saturday, January 29, 2011
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
Here's to your health, to every moment, every week and month that you wake up to the privilege of another breath—another chance to get it right.
Is Superhero Pain Control Possible?
For most people, lower-back pain is a constant presence, and the idea of ignoring it is impossible. But focusing on the pain, regardless of the cause, can just make things worse. Meditation, on the other hand, can give you control over the pain—and increase your general tolerance.
Counting Calories? Choose These Healthier Fast Foods
Soup or Caesar salad? How many calories in a doughnut? Today’s healthy food selections may surprise you. Read on to learn how to choose healthier fast foods…
While skimming the menu the other day at our favorite café, my husband asked, “Which is more fattening: pancakes or French toast?”
I had no idea.
If you’re aiming to lose weight or eat more healthfully, some restaurant food choices are no-brainers. Tomato-based marinara sauce or cream-based Alfredo? Marinara, of course. French fries or baked potato? The potato, assuming it’s not drenched with butter and sour cream.
But often the best choice isn’t obvious at all.
“A lot of people will choose a muffin over a doughnut, not realizing the muffin is twice as bad calorie-wise – and sometimes not even better in saturated fat,” says Katherine Tallmadge, R.D., a Washington, D.C., nutritionist and spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association.
Consider this: A Dunkin’ Donuts glazed doughnut contains 260 calories, with 14 g of fat. It’s no health food, but it’s still a better bet than the chain’s wholesome-sounding pumpkin muffin, which is larger, sweeter and weighs in at 600 calories and 26 g of fat.
A new federal law requires chain restaurants with 20 or more locations to include calorie information on their menus, but it’s unclear when those rules will take effect – and even then, you may have to search to find other nutritional data.
Until then, knowing what you’re really eating will help you make better decisions.
Here’s the lowdown on 9 common dietary dilemmas, including my husband’s recent breakfast predicament. He ordered French toast. Was it a wise choice?
1. Pancakes vs. French toast
French toast may seem like a virtuous choice because it’s coated with egg and milk. But jumbo restaurant servings of the breakfast treat often dwarf pancakes, or even waffles.
The eggs’ “added bit of protein won’t make French toast a winner,” says Tallmadge, especially because the milk is often full-fat and the toast is fried in shortening.
At IHOP, the Original French Toast contains 920 calories and 15 g of artery-clogging saturated fat.
You should get no more than 7% of your daily calories from saturated fat, according to the American Heart Association (AHA). On a 2,000-calorie diet, that’s about 16 g per day.
By contrast, five IHOP buttermilk pancakes weigh in at 770 calories and 9 g of saturated fat. (Three pancakes have 490 calories and 8 g of saturated fat.) A plain Belgian waffle: 360 calories and 8 g of saturated fat.
But there’s added damage, depending on how much syrup (about 50 calories per tablespoon) and butter (50 calories per tablespoon of whipped margarine) you use.
“Pancakes need a lot of syrup because they’re so dry,” says Tara Gidus, R.D., a nutritionist in Orlando, Fla. “French toast automatically has moisture built in because of the egg batter. A waffle has oil in the batter so it’s not as dry.”
So don’t pour syrup on pancakes or French toast. Instead, dip your fork into the side cup of syrup for each bite, Gidus advises. That allows more control over the amount of syrup per mouthful.
2. Bacon vs. sausage
Forget the sausage.
“Bacon isn’t a health food, but portions are smaller. And with crispy bacon, a lot of fat is cooked off,” says Chicago nutritionist Dawn Jackson Blatner, R.D., author of The Flexitarian Diet (McGraw-Hill).
For example, two IHOP sausage links contain 180 calories and 6 g of saturated fat; two bacon strips have 80 calories and 2 g of saturated fat.
At Denny’s, four sausage links contain 370 calories and 13 g of saturated fat – far worse than the 140 calories and 4 g of saturated fat in four bacon strips.
Ordering turkey sausage or turkey bacon saves in the saturated-fat department, but you’re still not doing your arteries – or waistline – a favor.
“Turkey has such a health halo, but there’s no guarantee [a restaurant serves] lean turkey,” Tallmadge says.
At Denny’s, four strips of turkey bacon contain 10 more calories than four strips of pork bacon (150 to 140). And while you’ll get more protein, you’ll also get more sodium and cholesterol.
Dietitian Gidus’ advice: Skip both the bacon and sausage.
“Go for the tomato slices,” she suggests.
3. Toast vs. bagel
Toast almost always wins because bagels are thicker, Tallmadge says. Both are about 70 calories per ounce, but a standard slice of toast is just 1 ounce. A bagel is around 4 ounces.
“Most women shouldn’t have more than two servings of starch per meal – about 200 calories’ worth, or half a bagel,” Tallmadge says.
Some restaurants, however, serve extra-large toast slices. In that case, an English muffin, if offered, is better for you.
“An English muffin will trump them all, because it’s standard size,” Blatner says.
Plus, with English muffins, you have two halves, so you feel like you’re eating more, she notes.
But then there’s the topping.
At Denny’s, the standard serving of two slices of toast with margarine contains 270 calories, an English muffin with margarine has 130 calories, and a bagel with cream cheese has 428 calories.
4. Butter vs. jelly
“Jelly has no redeeming qualities – you’re not spreading on fruit – but that little dose of sugar is probably better for most people than artery-clogging saturated fat,” Blatner says.
Plus, she says, jelly sits atop the bread, so you can more easily control the portion.
“When spreading butter, you don’t know how much you’re using because it melts into the crevices,” Blatner explains.
5. Muffin vs. scone
Both contain fatty ingredients like butter, and muffins can also include shortening and oils, but they’re still the healthier of two high-calorie evils.
“Scones have more saturated fat because they’re made with heavy cream and more butter,” Blatner says.
For example, at Panera Bread, a wild-blueberry scone and wild-blueberry muffin both have 440 calories. But the scone has 12 g of saturated fat; the muffin, 3 g.
A Panera cinnamon-chip scone contains 600 calories and 19 g of saturated fat – well over a day’s worth.
But don’t be fooled by the healthy-sounding descriptions of many muffins. When you order a Dunkin’ Donuts reduced-fat blueberry muffin (430 calories), you save only 50 calories over a regular blueberry muffin – and you’ll still get 41 g of sugar. (That’s about as much as in four full-size Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups.)
Bran muffins aren’t your friend, either.
“Oat bran isn’t that tasty, so [bakers] compensate with a vat of sugar and oil,” Gidus says.
A raisin bran muffin at Au Bon Pain is a tradeoff: It has 480 calories, nearly a quarter of your daily intake. But it also contains a substantial 10 g of fiber (nearly half of the recommended daily amount).
Starbucks and Panera Bread have introduced mini-scones, donuts and muffins (“muffies” at Panera) that are one-third to one-half the typical size and calories. These are a much better bet – as long as you stop at one.
Still, experts say, you’re better off bypassing the pastry shelf and choosing oatmeal or a yogurt parfait.
“Muffins, scones and donuts aren’t snacks,” Tallmadge points out. “They’re desserts.”
6. Soup vs. salad
You’d think salad is the better choice. And you’d be wrong.
“Put on dressing, croutons, cheese, nuts, dried fruit and candied nuts, and what started out at 80 calories may edge up to 800,” Blatner says. “Surprisingly, soups are often the lower-calorie choice.”
Even cream-based soups are often more filling and lower in calories than salads.
At Applebee’s, for example, a lunch-combo Oriental chicken salad has 410 calories, 90 calories more than if you ordered the broccoli cheddar soup.
At Outback Steakhouse, a side, blue-cheese-and-pecan chopped salad has 523 calories and a side “classic, blue-cheese wedge salad” has 357 calories, both substantially more than a cup of creamy broccoli soup, with 281 calories. (But watch out for that 546-calorie cup of baked potato soup!)
The lowest-calorie salads are typically called “house salad,” “green salad” or “garden salad.”
However, when asked, “Soup or salad?” there’s more to consider than just calories.
“Soup can be a bowl of sodium,” Gidus says.
Applebees’ chicken-tortilla soup has just 160 calories, but packs a 1,380-mg dose of sodium – more than half of the 2,300 mg recommended as a daily maximum by current U.S. dietary guidelines.
And it’s near the maximum daily total – 1,500 mg – recommended by the Centers for Disease Control for people ages 40 or older. (The average American consumes 3,436 mg of sodium per day, according to the AHA.)
Some soups are triple whammies: loaded with sodium and saturated fat, and relatively high in calories.
For example, at Outback Steakhouse, a mere cup of onion soup delivers 300 calories with 1,287 mg of sodium and 12 g of saturated fat.
If black-bean soup is on the menu, “that’s the best choice in a heartbeat,” Gidus advises.
7. Creamy dressing vs. vinaigrette
Think you’re saving calories by ordering balsamic vinaigrette instead of blue cheese or ranch?
“Just because it’s called ‘vinaigrette’ doesn’t mean it’s lower in calories than a creamy dressing,” Blatner says. “The main ingredient is oil, which has a lot of calories.”
Some vinaigrettes have as much saturated fat as creamy dressings, depending on the amount and kinds of oil the restaurant uses.
For example, at Chili’s, the citrus balsamic vinaigrette contains 250 calories, compared to 240 for blue cheese and 170 for ranch. All have 4 or 5 g of saturated fat.
The best options: low-calorie dressings, such as Chili’s nonfat honey mustard (70 calories) or low-fat ranch (45 calories) – or the 15-calorie reduced-fat Italian at IHOP, an enormous savings compared to the 260-calorie balsamic vinaigrette. The house salad itself has just 90 calories.
Low-calorie dressings have a lower ratio of calorie-packed oils to other ingredients, typically replacing them with more lemon juice and vinegar, Blatner says. (They may also have more sugar.)
As with pancakes, Blatner recommends the “dip method” here too: Dip your fork into a side container of dressing rather than pouring it onto your salad.
8. Hamburger vs. hot dog
Think small with this choice.
“A hot dog is usually smaller, so usually you’ll get less saturated fat and fewer calories than in a burger,” Tallmadge says.
At Wienerschnitzel, a double hamburger has 390 calories and 6 g of saturated fat. But an Original Plain Hot Dog contains only 270 calories and 4 g of saturated fat. (A plain turkey dog is about the same, weighing in at 260 calories with 3 g saturated fat.)
But upgrade to an Angus All-Beef Plain Hot Dog with a seeded bun and you’re looking at 450 calories with 9 g of saturated fat.
At A&W, a hot dog contains 310 calories and 8 g of saturated fat. You can just about double that for a Papa Burger, with 720 calories and 15 g of saturated fat.
One burger benefit: You can easily load it with relatively healthy toppings like lettuce and tomato, unlike hot dogs.
9. Fried rice vs. chow mein or lo mein
Even a nutritionist was fooled by this one.
Blatner figured rice was the easy right choice. “But I guessed wrong,” she says.
At both Panda Express and PF Chang’s, noodles win over rice in both calories and saturated fat.
“It’s probably [due to] a surface-area issue,” Blatner says. “There are more pieces of rice to absorb oil.”
At Panda Express, chow mein noodles have 400 calories and 2 g of saturated fat, though the 1,060 mg of sodium is high.
The fried rice, by contrast, contains 570 calories, 4 g of saturated fat and 900 mg sodium.
The best option, if available, is steamed brown rice. At PF Chang’s, it contains 190 calories, no sodium or saturated fat, and 3 g of fiber per serving.
Blatner also recommends steamed veggies and steamed dumplings.
“Steamed is such a good word,” she says.
Suzanne Schlosberg is author of The Ultimate Workout Log (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt) and co-author of Fitness for Dummies (John Wiley & Sons).
Need a little boost for your New Year’s resolutions? We’re giving away three great prizes to give you all the “umph” you may need. Come play our “Get Fit Giveaway” this weekend and enter for a chance to win prizes or gift cards from Nike, iPod, Sports Authority or Target. No strings attached!
While skimming the menu the other day at our favorite café, my husband asked, “Which is more fattening: pancakes or French toast?”
I had no idea.
If you’re aiming to lose weight or eat more healthfully, some restaurant food choices are no-brainers. Tomato-based marinara sauce or cream-based Alfredo? Marinara, of course. French fries or baked potato? The potato, assuming it’s not drenched with butter and sour cream.
But often the best choice isn’t obvious at all.
“A lot of people will choose a muffin over a doughnut, not realizing the muffin is twice as bad calorie-wise – and sometimes not even better in saturated fat,” says Katherine Tallmadge, R.D., a Washington, D.C., nutritionist and spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association.
Consider this: A Dunkin’ Donuts glazed doughnut contains 260 calories, with 14 g of fat. It’s no health food, but it’s still a better bet than the chain’s wholesome-sounding pumpkin muffin, which is larger, sweeter and weighs in at 600 calories and 26 g of fat.
A new federal law requires chain restaurants with 20 or more locations to include calorie information on their menus, but it’s unclear when those rules will take effect – and even then, you may have to search to find other nutritional data.
Until then, knowing what you’re really eating will help you make better decisions.
Here’s the lowdown on 9 common dietary dilemmas, including my husband’s recent breakfast predicament. He ordered French toast. Was it a wise choice?
1. Pancakes vs. French toast
French toast may seem like a virtuous choice because it’s coated with egg and milk. But jumbo restaurant servings of the breakfast treat often dwarf pancakes, or even waffles.
The eggs’ “added bit of protein won’t make French toast a winner,” says Tallmadge, especially because the milk is often full-fat and the toast is fried in shortening.
At IHOP, the Original French Toast contains 920 calories and 15 g of artery-clogging saturated fat.
You should get no more than 7% of your daily calories from saturated fat, according to the American Heart Association (AHA). On a 2,000-calorie diet, that’s about 16 g per day.
By contrast, five IHOP buttermilk pancakes weigh in at 770 calories and 9 g of saturated fat. (Three pancakes have 490 calories and 8 g of saturated fat.) A plain Belgian waffle: 360 calories and 8 g of saturated fat.
But there’s added damage, depending on how much syrup (about 50 calories per tablespoon) and butter (50 calories per tablespoon of whipped margarine) you use.
“Pancakes need a lot of syrup because they’re so dry,” says Tara Gidus, R.D., a nutritionist in Orlando, Fla. “French toast automatically has moisture built in because of the egg batter. A waffle has oil in the batter so it’s not as dry.”
So don’t pour syrup on pancakes or French toast. Instead, dip your fork into the side cup of syrup for each bite, Gidus advises. That allows more control over the amount of syrup per mouthful.
2. Bacon vs. sausage
Forget the sausage.
“Bacon isn’t a health food, but portions are smaller. And with crispy bacon, a lot of fat is cooked off,” says Chicago nutritionist Dawn Jackson Blatner, R.D., author of The Flexitarian Diet (McGraw-Hill).
For example, two IHOP sausage links contain 180 calories and 6 g of saturated fat; two bacon strips have 80 calories and 2 g of saturated fat.
At Denny’s, four sausage links contain 370 calories and 13 g of saturated fat – far worse than the 140 calories and 4 g of saturated fat in four bacon strips.
Ordering turkey sausage or turkey bacon saves in the saturated-fat department, but you’re still not doing your arteries – or waistline – a favor.
“Turkey has such a health halo, but there’s no guarantee [a restaurant serves] lean turkey,” Tallmadge says.
At Denny’s, four strips of turkey bacon contain 10 more calories than four strips of pork bacon (150 to 140). And while you’ll get more protein, you’ll also get more sodium and cholesterol.
Dietitian Gidus’ advice: Skip both the bacon and sausage.
“Go for the tomato slices,” she suggests.
3. Toast vs. bagel
Toast almost always wins because bagels are thicker, Tallmadge says. Both are about 70 calories per ounce, but a standard slice of toast is just 1 ounce. A bagel is around 4 ounces.
“Most women shouldn’t have more than two servings of starch per meal – about 200 calories’ worth, or half a bagel,” Tallmadge says.
Some restaurants, however, serve extra-large toast slices. In that case, an English muffin, if offered, is better for you.
“An English muffin will trump them all, because it’s standard size,” Blatner says.
Plus, with English muffins, you have two halves, so you feel like you’re eating more, she notes.
But then there’s the topping.
At Denny’s, the standard serving of two slices of toast with margarine contains 270 calories, an English muffin with margarine has 130 calories, and a bagel with cream cheese has 428 calories.
4. Butter vs. jelly
“Jelly has no redeeming qualities – you’re not spreading on fruit – but that little dose of sugar is probably better for most people than artery-clogging saturated fat,” Blatner says.
Plus, she says, jelly sits atop the bread, so you can more easily control the portion.
“When spreading butter, you don’t know how much you’re using because it melts into the crevices,” Blatner explains.
5. Muffin vs. scone
Both contain fatty ingredients like butter, and muffins can also include shortening and oils, but they’re still the healthier of two high-calorie evils.
“Scones have more saturated fat because they’re made with heavy cream and more butter,” Blatner says.
For example, at Panera Bread, a wild-blueberry scone and wild-blueberry muffin both have 440 calories. But the scone has 12 g of saturated fat; the muffin, 3 g.
A Panera cinnamon-chip scone contains 600 calories and 19 g of saturated fat – well over a day’s worth.
But don’t be fooled by the healthy-sounding descriptions of many muffins. When you order a Dunkin’ Donuts reduced-fat blueberry muffin (430 calories), you save only 50 calories over a regular blueberry muffin – and you’ll still get 41 g of sugar. (That’s about as much as in four full-size Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups.)
Bran muffins aren’t your friend, either.
“Oat bran isn’t that tasty, so [bakers] compensate with a vat of sugar and oil,” Gidus says.
A raisin bran muffin at Au Bon Pain is a tradeoff: It has 480 calories, nearly a quarter of your daily intake. But it also contains a substantial 10 g of fiber (nearly half of the recommended daily amount).
Starbucks and Panera Bread have introduced mini-scones, donuts and muffins (“muffies” at Panera) that are one-third to one-half the typical size and calories. These are a much better bet – as long as you stop at one.
Still, experts say, you’re better off bypassing the pastry shelf and choosing oatmeal or a yogurt parfait.
“Muffins, scones and donuts aren’t snacks,” Tallmadge points out. “They’re desserts.”
6. Soup vs. salad
You’d think salad is the better choice. And you’d be wrong.
“Put on dressing, croutons, cheese, nuts, dried fruit and candied nuts, and what started out at 80 calories may edge up to 800,” Blatner says. “Surprisingly, soups are often the lower-calorie choice.”
Even cream-based soups are often more filling and lower in calories than salads.
At Applebee’s, for example, a lunch-combo Oriental chicken salad has 410 calories, 90 calories more than if you ordered the broccoli cheddar soup.
At Outback Steakhouse, a side, blue-cheese-and-pecan chopped salad has 523 calories and a side “classic, blue-cheese wedge salad” has 357 calories, both substantially more than a cup of creamy broccoli soup, with 281 calories. (But watch out for that 546-calorie cup of baked potato soup!)
The lowest-calorie salads are typically called “house salad,” “green salad” or “garden salad.”
However, when asked, “Soup or salad?” there’s more to consider than just calories.
“Soup can be a bowl of sodium,” Gidus says.
Applebees’ chicken-tortilla soup has just 160 calories, but packs a 1,380-mg dose of sodium – more than half of the 2,300 mg recommended as a daily maximum by current U.S. dietary guidelines.
And it’s near the maximum daily total – 1,500 mg – recommended by the Centers for Disease Control for people ages 40 or older. (The average American consumes 3,436 mg of sodium per day, according to the AHA.)
Some soups are triple whammies: loaded with sodium and saturated fat, and relatively high in calories.
For example, at Outback Steakhouse, a mere cup of onion soup delivers 300 calories with 1,287 mg of sodium and 12 g of saturated fat.
If black-bean soup is on the menu, “that’s the best choice in a heartbeat,” Gidus advises.
7. Creamy dressing vs. vinaigrette
Think you’re saving calories by ordering balsamic vinaigrette instead of blue cheese or ranch?
“Just because it’s called ‘vinaigrette’ doesn’t mean it’s lower in calories than a creamy dressing,” Blatner says. “The main ingredient is oil, which has a lot of calories.”
Some vinaigrettes have as much saturated fat as creamy dressings, depending on the amount and kinds of oil the restaurant uses.
For example, at Chili’s, the citrus balsamic vinaigrette contains 250 calories, compared to 240 for blue cheese and 170 for ranch. All have 4 or 5 g of saturated fat.
The best options: low-calorie dressings, such as Chili’s nonfat honey mustard (70 calories) or low-fat ranch (45 calories) – or the 15-calorie reduced-fat Italian at IHOP, an enormous savings compared to the 260-calorie balsamic vinaigrette. The house salad itself has just 90 calories.
Low-calorie dressings have a lower ratio of calorie-packed oils to other ingredients, typically replacing them with more lemon juice and vinegar, Blatner says. (They may also have more sugar.)
As with pancakes, Blatner recommends the “dip method” here too: Dip your fork into a side container of dressing rather than pouring it onto your salad.
8. Hamburger vs. hot dog
Think small with this choice.
“A hot dog is usually smaller, so usually you’ll get less saturated fat and fewer calories than in a burger,” Tallmadge says.
At Wienerschnitzel, a double hamburger has 390 calories and 6 g of saturated fat. But an Original Plain Hot Dog contains only 270 calories and 4 g of saturated fat. (A plain turkey dog is about the same, weighing in at 260 calories with 3 g saturated fat.)
But upgrade to an Angus All-Beef Plain Hot Dog with a seeded bun and you’re looking at 450 calories with 9 g of saturated fat.
At A&W, a hot dog contains 310 calories and 8 g of saturated fat. You can just about double that for a Papa Burger, with 720 calories and 15 g of saturated fat.
One burger benefit: You can easily load it with relatively healthy toppings like lettuce and tomato, unlike hot dogs.
9. Fried rice vs. chow mein or lo mein
Even a nutritionist was fooled by this one.
Blatner figured rice was the easy right choice. “But I guessed wrong,” she says.
At both Panda Express and PF Chang’s, noodles win over rice in both calories and saturated fat.
“It’s probably [due to] a surface-area issue,” Blatner says. “There are more pieces of rice to absorb oil.”
At Panda Express, chow mein noodles have 400 calories and 2 g of saturated fat, though the 1,060 mg of sodium is high.
The fried rice, by contrast, contains 570 calories, 4 g of saturated fat and 900 mg sodium.
The best option, if available, is steamed brown rice. At PF Chang’s, it contains 190 calories, no sodium or saturated fat, and 3 g of fiber per serving.
Blatner also recommends steamed veggies and steamed dumplings.
“Steamed is such a good word,” she says.
Suzanne Schlosberg is author of The Ultimate Workout Log (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt) and co-author of Fitness for Dummies (John Wiley & Sons).
Need a little boost for your New Year’s resolutions? We’re giving away three great prizes to give you all the “umph” you may need. Come play our “Get Fit Giveaway” this weekend and enter for a chance to win prizes or gift cards from Nike, iPod, Sports Authority or Target. No strings attached!
Which Nuts Are Better for You?
When it’s snack time, reach for a handful of nuts – but not just any kind will do. Ditch the Planters Sweet N' Crunchy Peanuts, which have 13 grams of sugar, and grab a fistful of NOW Raw Brazil Nuts or Planters Deluxe Mixed Nuts. These nuts give you the benefits of "good" fat without the added sugar.
Nuts are packed with monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, which have been shown to reduce cholesterol and lower the risk of heart disease. Brazil nuts are my favorite because they are one of the best sources for selenium, a mineral that can help protect against prostate and breast cancer. Too much selenium isn't good for you, so limit your consumption of Brazil nuts to five a day. Eat a few for an afternoon snack to get a quick boost of energy and protein – plus, you'll feel full until dinner.
Nuts are packed with monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, which have been shown to reduce cholesterol and lower the risk of heart disease. Brazil nuts are my favorite because they are one of the best sources for selenium, a mineral that can help protect against prostate and breast cancer. Too much selenium isn't good for you, so limit your consumption of Brazil nuts to five a day. Eat a few for an afternoon snack to get a quick boost of energy and protein – plus, you'll feel full until dinner.
Kidney stones and clogged arteries may be linked
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Young adults who've had kidney stones may also have an increased risk of clogged arteries, a new study says.
This does not mean that one causes the other, but instead the two conditions might have some common root cause, according to the paper published in the Journal of Urology.
"People who have kidney stones could be sort of the canary in the mine shaft," said Dr. Marshall Stoller, professor of urology at the University of California in San Francisco, and an author on the paper.
Slightly less than four percent of people had kidney stones at some point in the 20 year study. These people had about a 60-percent increased risk of getting clogged arteries later in their lives.
People tend to think of a kidney stone as a urinary problem, "but we need to be cognizant of the fact that the kidney is a blood filter," Stoller said, and can show signs of problems in the arteries as well.
High cholesterol, high blood pressure, smoking, and diabetes can all increase the risk of clogged arteries, which can lead to both heart attacks and strokes. These two diseases combined killed more than 589,000 people in 2005, according to the American Heart Association.
That people with kidney stones have an increased risk of clogged arteries is not really a surprise, said Andrew Evan, professor of medicine at Indiana University-Purdue University in Indianapolis, who was not involved in the study.
Previous studies have linked kidney stones with high blood pressure, which increases the risk of developing clogged arteries. But as far as what can lead to clogged arteries, "is it the higher blood pressure, or is it the kidney stones themselves?" Evan said. "We really don't know that."
About 5 percent of adults in the US have had kidney stones, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, a slightly higher proportion than in the study.
The study involved more than 5000 young adults between 18 and 30 years old who came back for exams at regular intervals over the next 20 years.
At the 20-year exam, the researchers analyzed the thickness of the wall of participants' carotid arteries. (A thicker-than-normal artery wall is a sign of the arteries getting clogged up.) And that's when they found that people who'd reported having kidney stones were 60 percent more likely to have clogged arteries, compared to people without kidney stones.
A problem with the study is that it included all people with kidney stones together in one group, Evans said. There are a number of different reasons people can get kidney stones such as too having much calcium in the urine, sustained dehydration, or a hereditary disorder. Not all may have an increased risk of clogged arteries, although more research is needed to shed some light on the issue.
In the meantime, you can reduce your risk of getting kidney stones by drinking enough to urinate about two liters a day and by cutting down on salt and meat, Stoller said.
And the American Heart Association advises that to reduce the risk of clogged arteries, people should exercise, eat a healthy diet, and not smoke.
"This is a warning sign," Stoller said. "The kidney stone is the tip of the iceberg."
SOURCE: http://bit.ly/foU860 The Journal of Urology, online January 19, 2011.
This does not mean that one causes the other, but instead the two conditions might have some common root cause, according to the paper published in the Journal of Urology.
"People who have kidney stones could be sort of the canary in the mine shaft," said Dr. Marshall Stoller, professor of urology at the University of California in San Francisco, and an author on the paper.
Slightly less than four percent of people had kidney stones at some point in the 20 year study. These people had about a 60-percent increased risk of getting clogged arteries later in their lives.
People tend to think of a kidney stone as a urinary problem, "but we need to be cognizant of the fact that the kidney is a blood filter," Stoller said, and can show signs of problems in the arteries as well.
High cholesterol, high blood pressure, smoking, and diabetes can all increase the risk of clogged arteries, which can lead to both heart attacks and strokes. These two diseases combined killed more than 589,000 people in 2005, according to the American Heart Association.
That people with kidney stones have an increased risk of clogged arteries is not really a surprise, said Andrew Evan, professor of medicine at Indiana University-Purdue University in Indianapolis, who was not involved in the study.
Previous studies have linked kidney stones with high blood pressure, which increases the risk of developing clogged arteries. But as far as what can lead to clogged arteries, "is it the higher blood pressure, or is it the kidney stones themselves?" Evan said. "We really don't know that."
About 5 percent of adults in the US have had kidney stones, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, a slightly higher proportion than in the study.
The study involved more than 5000 young adults between 18 and 30 years old who came back for exams at regular intervals over the next 20 years.
At the 20-year exam, the researchers analyzed the thickness of the wall of participants' carotid arteries. (A thicker-than-normal artery wall is a sign of the arteries getting clogged up.) And that's when they found that people who'd reported having kidney stones were 60 percent more likely to have clogged arteries, compared to people without kidney stones.
A problem with the study is that it included all people with kidney stones together in one group, Evans said. There are a number of different reasons people can get kidney stones such as too having much calcium in the urine, sustained dehydration, or a hereditary disorder. Not all may have an increased risk of clogged arteries, although more research is needed to shed some light on the issue.
In the meantime, you can reduce your risk of getting kidney stones by drinking enough to urinate about two liters a day and by cutting down on salt and meat, Stoller said.
And the American Heart Association advises that to reduce the risk of clogged arteries, people should exercise, eat a healthy diet, and not smoke.
"This is a warning sign," Stoller said. "The kidney stone is the tip of the iceberg."
SOURCE: http://bit.ly/foU860 The Journal of Urology, online January 19, 2011.
New U.S. analysis backs annual breast screening
CHICAGO (Reuters) - A new analysis of evidence used by a U.S. advisory panel to roll back breast cancer screening guidelines suggests it may have ignored evidence that more frequent mammograms save more lives, U.S. researchers said on Tuesday.
Researchers at the University of Colorado and University of Michigan studied some of the same risk models used by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) to issue controversial breast screening guidelines in 2009.
Those guidelines recommended against routine mammograms for women in their 40s and said women in their 50s should get mammograms every other year instead of every year.
In the new analysis, the team found that annual mammograms starting at age 40 save 65,000 more women from breast cancer than mammograms done every other year in women 50 and older.
"It is not a small difference," said Dr. Mark Helvie of the University of Michigan Health System, who worked on the study published in the February issue of the American Journal of Roentgenology.
His team calculated that a woman who gets a yearly mammogram starting at age 40 cuts her risk of dying from breast cancer by 71 percent compared to a 23 percent reduction in risk if a woman followed the task force recommendations.
When they were issued, the task force's guidelines contradicted years of messages about the need for routine breast cancer screening starting at age 40, kicking off a fury of protest among breast cancer experts and advocacy groups who argued the recommendation of fewer screenings would confuse women and result in more deaths from breast cancer.
They were meant to spare women some of the worry and expense of extra tests needed to distinguish between cancer and harmless lumps.
But Helvie and colleague Edward Hendrick of the University of Colorado wrote that "the USPSTF chose to ignore the science available to them and overemphasized the potential harms of screening mammography, to the serious detriment of U.S. women who follow their flawed recommendations."
Dr. Carol Lee who chairs the American College of Radiology's Breast Imaging Commission said the new study highlights the risk of setting policy based on the conclusions of one group of scientists.
She said breast mammograms have contributed significantly to reducing deaths from breast cancer, a fact that should not be ignored in favor of mathematical models.
"It's like a weather man using a computer model to see what the weather is rather than looking outside the window," Lee said in a telephone interview.
Many groups, including the American Cancer Society, have stuck by their long-standing recommendations of a yearly breast exam for women starting at age 40, stressing that the breast X-rays have been proven to save lives by spotting tumors early, when they are most easily treated.
Breast cancer is the second-leading cause of cancer death among U.S. women, after lung cancer. It kills 500,000 people globally every year and is diagnosed in close to 1.3 million people around the world.
SOURCE: http://bit.ly/hdHj3b American Journal of Roentgenology, February 2011.
Researchers at the University of Colorado and University of Michigan studied some of the same risk models used by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) to issue controversial breast screening guidelines in 2009.
Those guidelines recommended against routine mammograms for women in their 40s and said women in their 50s should get mammograms every other year instead of every year.
In the new analysis, the team found that annual mammograms starting at age 40 save 65,000 more women from breast cancer than mammograms done every other year in women 50 and older.
"It is not a small difference," said Dr. Mark Helvie of the University of Michigan Health System, who worked on the study published in the February issue of the American Journal of Roentgenology.
His team calculated that a woman who gets a yearly mammogram starting at age 40 cuts her risk of dying from breast cancer by 71 percent compared to a 23 percent reduction in risk if a woman followed the task force recommendations.
When they were issued, the task force's guidelines contradicted years of messages about the need for routine breast cancer screening starting at age 40, kicking off a fury of protest among breast cancer experts and advocacy groups who argued the recommendation of fewer screenings would confuse women and result in more deaths from breast cancer.
They were meant to spare women some of the worry and expense of extra tests needed to distinguish between cancer and harmless lumps.
But Helvie and colleague Edward Hendrick of the University of Colorado wrote that "the USPSTF chose to ignore the science available to them and overemphasized the potential harms of screening mammography, to the serious detriment of U.S. women who follow their flawed recommendations."
Dr. Carol Lee who chairs the American College of Radiology's Breast Imaging Commission said the new study highlights the risk of setting policy based on the conclusions of one group of scientists.
She said breast mammograms have contributed significantly to reducing deaths from breast cancer, a fact that should not be ignored in favor of mathematical models.
"It's like a weather man using a computer model to see what the weather is rather than looking outside the window," Lee said in a telephone interview.
Many groups, including the American Cancer Society, have stuck by their long-standing recommendations of a yearly breast exam for women starting at age 40, stressing that the breast X-rays have been proven to save lives by spotting tumors early, when they are most easily treated.
Breast cancer is the second-leading cause of cancer death among U.S. women, after lung cancer. It kills 500,000 people globally every year and is diagnosed in close to 1.3 million people around the world.
SOURCE: http://bit.ly/hdHj3b American Journal of Roentgenology, February 2011.
Top 5 Birth Control Methods
Unless you’re ready for maternity clothes and diaper bags, birth control is a non-negotiable part of your sex life. But which method is right for you? Check out these 5 ways to stay baby-free until the time is right. Plus, test your contraception IQ…
If you think “the talk” taught you everything you needed to know about birth control, think again. The latest and greatest a generation ago is old news compared to pregnancy prevention today.
From the pill to IUD, one size doesn’t fit all when it comes to contraception. Find out the best method for your body:
1.The Pill
The latest: These days, birth control pills come with an added bonus – shorter periods or none at all.
Yaz or Loestrin Fe 24 – both approved in 2006 – have 24 days of hormone pills, followed by four days of placebos, says Julie Tantibhedhyangkul, M.D., of the Cleveland Clinic OB/GYN & Women’s Health Institute. Regular birth control pills offer 21 days of hormones with seven days of placebos.
Why increase the number of hormone pills?
“To decrease the level of hormone fluctuation and hormone withdrawal symptoms – such as pelvic pain, headaches, bloating and breast tenderness – that some women have during the seven days of placebo pills,” she says.
Don’t want to deal with pads and tampons every month? Approved in 2006, Seasonique cuts periods down to just four a year. It provides women with a low dose of estrogen during their quarterly periods, which may lower the chances of breakthrough bleeding.
Lybrel – approved in 2007 – completely eliminates your monthly visitor with 365 days of low-dose hormones.
And rest easy about tampering with nature that way, Tantibhedhyangkul says: There’s no danger from having none or shorter periods while on birth control pills.
“The birth control pill is one of the most well-studied medications the FDA [Food and Drug Administration] has ever seen,” agrees Beth Jordan, M.D., medical director of the Association of Reproductive Health Professionals.
Approved in 2006, Femcon Fe is the newest generation of 21-day traditional birth control pill. The difference? It can be chewed or swallowed. But if you choose to chew it, you must drink 8 ounces of water immediately afterward to make sure the entire tablet is absorbed into your body.
How it works: All birth control pills are taken orally every day.
Just like traditional birth control pills, the newer versions offer pregnancy protection by preventing ovulation – or release of an egg from the ovaries.
The pill also inhibits egg development, thickens cervical mucus (making it harder for sperm to swim to the uterus) and makes the uterine lining unsuitable for implantation.
Reliability: Taken properly, the traditional and newer forms of the pill are at least 99% effective in preventing pregnancy. Be sure not to miss a dose and take it at the same time every day.
The good: Extended oral contraceptives offer a host of other benefits. They can:
Improve acne
Decrease facial hair
Decrease pain during your period
Reduce period bleeding, which lowers the chance of having iron deficiency anemia
Lower risk of ectopic pregnancy, benign breast disease and endometrial and ovarian cancers
Possibly decrease the incidence of ovarian cysts
Yaz is also approved for treatment of premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) – a severe form of PMS.
The bad: The progestin in Yaz can raise blood potassium levels (hyperkalemia), Tantibhedhyangkul says, which can cause several health issues, including heart disease. Women with kidney, liver or adrenal problems – all of which can also cause hyperkalemia – should choose different birth control.
Other side effects are the same as with the traditional pill and typically improve in 2-3 months:
Nausea
Breast tenderness
Bloating
Mood changes
Breakthrough bleeding
No version of the pill protects against sexually transmitted diseases.
Fertility usually returns as soon as the pill is stopped, Tantibhedhyangkul says.
Who it’s for: Extended oral contraceptives may help women with heavy periods, pelvic pain, PMS or hormone withdrawal symptoms while using traditional birth control pills.
Pills containing estrogen should be avoided by women with uncontrolled high blood pressure, a personal or family history of blood clots or stroke, or a history of estrogen-dependent tumors or active liver disease. Women older than 35 and who smoke should also stay away.
How to get it: All daily oral contraceptives are available by prescription only.
2. The Sponge
The latest: Yes, it’s back. Approved in the U.S. in 1983, the sponge was pulled from shelves in 1995 because of manufacturing problems.
Re-introduced in 2009, the Today Sponge (the only brand available in the U.S.) is a non-hormonal, barrier method.
How it works: It’s a disc-shaped polyurethane foam device containing nonoxynol-9, which kills sperm. It prevents pregnancy by covering the cervix and blocking semen from meeting up with an egg.
First, moisten the sponge with water to activate the spermicide. Fold it in half and insert it into your vagina, placing it firmly against your cervix. Finally, use one or two fingers to gently push the sponge up as far as it will go.
Reliability: “The sponge is a good barrier method, but it’s really not the most effective form of birth control,” Jordan says.
Even when used properly, about 9% of women will get pregnant in the first year of use, says Margaret Lewin, M.D., FACP, chief medical director of Cinergy Health in New York. With typical use – which includes slipups, like taking it out too soon or putting it in after intercourse – that number goes up to 16%.
The sponge is less effective in women who’ve had a baby, because it fits loosely: 20% will get pregnant in the first year with perfect use. With typical use, odds go up to 32%.
The good: Today’s Sponge can be inserted up to 24 hours before sex, so you don’t have to break the mood to prep. And women can have sex as many times as desired within that time-frame without changing the sponge or adding spermicide, Tantibhedhyangkul says.
But you must wait at least 6 hours after sex before removing it and you shouldn’t wear the sponge for more than 30 hours.
The bad: Its failure rate is high. And some women complain of vaginal dryness, soreness or itching after using it, Tantibhedhyangkul says.
The sponge won’t suit women allergic to polyurethane or spermicide. And the fit is a problem for women with abnormal anatomy in the vagina or cervix, she says.
It also doesn’t protect against STDs; in fact, it might raise your risk.
“The sponge might irritate the vaginal mucosa and increase the risk of HIV infection,” Tantibhedhyangkul says.
Who it’s for: The sponge may be a good option for women who want a non-hormonal option that won’t interfere with spontaneous sex – and for those who won’t be devastated by an accidental pregnancy.
How to get it: The Today Sponge is available over the counter and doesn’t require any special fitting. Plus, at $13.99 for a three-pack, it's an inexpensive way to stay baby-free.
3. The IUD
What’s new: “This isn’t your mother’s IUD,” says Nancy Stanwood, associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Rochester School of Medicine. “They’re effective and great, and a lot of women in the U.S. are using them.”
About 1.8% of U.S. women using contraception choose the IUD, she says, and today they have two options: copper or hormone.
Approved in 1988, the copper IUD – called Paragard – has the metal wrapped around a T-shaped plastic frame.
The hormone IUD – Mirena – was approved in 2001 and also has a plastic frame, but features a reservoir containing progestin.
How they work:
Copper IUD (Paragard): After insertion by a doctor, “the copper repels sperm” by prompting the uterus to produce white blood cells, copper ions and other enzymes that kill sperm, Jordan says.
Paragard is effective for 10 years.
Hormone IUD (Mirena): This IUD releases progestin to change the chemistry in the cervix and uterus. Thick, sticky mucus prevents sperm from getting through. The hormone also keeps the lining of the uterus thin, creating an unsuitable environment for an egg to implant and grow.
Mirena is effective for five years.
Reliability:
Copper IUD (Paragard): “Over the first five years, the risk (of pregnancy) is 1%,” Stanwood says. “Over 10 years, it’s 2%.”
Hormone IUD (Mirena): It’s more than 99% effective at preventing pregnancy, Stanwood says.
The good: The copper IUD (Paragard) is the most commonly used reversible method of contraception around the world, hands down,” Stanwood says. “It just works so well and for so long, and it's so convenient.”
The hormone IUD (Mirena) relieves heavy and crampy periods, she says. And even women with normal periods will notice lighter, shorter flows. After a year, 50% stop having periods, and that’s not something to worry about.
“Periods stopping with the hormone IUD isn’t a problem at all and many women like it,” Stanwood says.
The bad: Paragard (the copper IUD) can exacerbate problems for women with heavy, crampy periods.
Neither IUD will properly fit a woman with an abnormally shaped uterus or whose uterus has changed because of fibroids, Stanwood says.
All IUDs come with small risks:
About 5% of the time, they fall out. They can be re-inserted, but the risk of a second one falling out increases to 30%.
About 3 in 1,000 women develop infections, which can be treated with antibiotics.
In 1 out of 1,000 women, the IUD will be inserted too deep into the uterine wall, causing pain or migration into the abdomen, Stanwood says. It can be repositioned or removed and re-inserted.
IUDs don’t protect against STDs, so it’s not for women with multiple partners.
Who it’s for: Women who want long-term pregnancy protection or simply wish to space out pregnancies, Stanwood says. It can be removed at any time (with no effect on fertility) if a woman wants to get pregnant.
How to get it: Both IUDs require a doctor’s visit. The device is inserted into the uterus during a 10-minute procedure, usually without anesthesia, Stanwood says. Brief cramping is common.
4. Implanon
The latest: Approved in 2006, the hormone-based Implanon is a single flexible, plastic rod inserted in the upper arm. More than 4.5 million rods have been sold worldwide since 1998.
“It's the only implant contraceptive system available in the U.S.,” Tantibhedhyangkul says. (Another, Norplant, was taken off the market in 2002 because of problems with removing its six rods.)
How it works: The rod contains a progestin-like hormone called etonorgestrel, which is slowly released into the body to prevent ovulation and, therefore, pregnancy for three years.
The device also thins the uterine lining and thickens, and decreases cervical mucus, making it harder for sperm to swim inside the uterus.
Reliability: Implanon is more than 99% effective – even better than the pill, Tantibhedhyangkul says.
The good: Most women experience lighter periods on Implanon, she says. And many have no periods at all after the first year of use.
Plus, women are almost immediately fertile after the rod is removed, Lewin says.
The bad: Many women have spotting. It’s the main reason that about 15% of women in the U.S. and Europe discontinue it, Tantibhedhyangkul says.
Implanon also:
Can trigger acne and breast pain.
Can trigger adverse drug interactions with anti-seizure medications, anti-fungals, St. John’s wort and other herbal medication.
Doesn’t protect against STDs.
Who it’s for: Women who want long-term pregnancy protection without the bother of taking a daily pill.
It's also a safe, effective birth-control option for breast-feeding women.
How to get it: Implanon is surgically inserted under the skin at your doctor’s office. The procedure takes 2-3 minutes.
5. Emergency Contraception (Plan B)
The latest: A birth-control mishap doesn’t have to equal mommyhood. Approved in July 2009, Plan B One-Step is a single-dose backup method for preventing pregnancy when taken within 72 hours of having unprotected sex or contraceptive failure.
It’s an improvement on the first generation of Plan B, which required women to take two doses 12 hours apart, Stanwood says.
But don’t confuse Plan B with Mifepristone (or RU486), which terminates a pregnancy.
“If a woman takes Plan B when she’s pregnant and doesn’t know it, it won’t cause a miscarriage and birth defects,” she says.
How it works: Plan B One-Step is a progestin-only pill that delays ovulation.
“Sperm can make a woman pregnant for three days after sex, so if you can postpone the egg from being released for at least three days, it works as a contraceptive,” Stanwood explains.
Reliability: According to the manufacturer, Plan B One-Step prevents pregnancy in 7 out of 8 women who take the emergency contraception. It’s most effective if taken within 24 hours of having unprotected sex or contraception failure.
The good: Plan B One-Step is as safe and effective as the original Plan B, Stanwood says. Women with medical conditions – such as heart disease, diabetes or history of blood clots – that prevent them from using standard birth-control pills can take Plan B because it doesn’t contain estrogen.
The bad: About 25% of women taking Plan B One-Step feel nauseous and 6% vomit.
Plan B One-Step doesn’t protect against STDs.
Who it’s for: Any woman worried about pregnancy due to contraceptive failure or unprotected sex. But it shouldn’t be used as a regular birth control method.
How to get it: Plan B One-Step is available at drugstores without a prescription to women age 17 and older. Men may also buy it for their partners. Those younger than 17 need a prescription.
Not-2-late.com – operated by the Office of Population Research at Princeton University and the Association of Reproductive Health Professionals – helps women find doctors who will prescribe Plan B in a timely manner without an office visit, Stanwood says. The website also instructs women how to use their brand of birth control pill as emergency contraception.
Freelance writer Shanna Thompson Zareski contributed to this article.
If you think “the talk” taught you everything you needed to know about birth control, think again. The latest and greatest a generation ago is old news compared to pregnancy prevention today.
From the pill to IUD, one size doesn’t fit all when it comes to contraception. Find out the best method for your body:
1.The Pill
The latest: These days, birth control pills come with an added bonus – shorter periods or none at all.
Yaz or Loestrin Fe 24 – both approved in 2006 – have 24 days of hormone pills, followed by four days of placebos, says Julie Tantibhedhyangkul, M.D., of the Cleveland Clinic OB/GYN & Women’s Health Institute. Regular birth control pills offer 21 days of hormones with seven days of placebos.
Why increase the number of hormone pills?
“To decrease the level of hormone fluctuation and hormone withdrawal symptoms – such as pelvic pain, headaches, bloating and breast tenderness – that some women have during the seven days of placebo pills,” she says.
Don’t want to deal with pads and tampons every month? Approved in 2006, Seasonique cuts periods down to just four a year. It provides women with a low dose of estrogen during their quarterly periods, which may lower the chances of breakthrough bleeding.
Lybrel – approved in 2007 – completely eliminates your monthly visitor with 365 days of low-dose hormones.
And rest easy about tampering with nature that way, Tantibhedhyangkul says: There’s no danger from having none or shorter periods while on birth control pills.
“The birth control pill is one of the most well-studied medications the FDA [Food and Drug Administration] has ever seen,” agrees Beth Jordan, M.D., medical director of the Association of Reproductive Health Professionals.
Approved in 2006, Femcon Fe is the newest generation of 21-day traditional birth control pill. The difference? It can be chewed or swallowed. But if you choose to chew it, you must drink 8 ounces of water immediately afterward to make sure the entire tablet is absorbed into your body.
How it works: All birth control pills are taken orally every day.
Just like traditional birth control pills, the newer versions offer pregnancy protection by preventing ovulation – or release of an egg from the ovaries.
The pill also inhibits egg development, thickens cervical mucus (making it harder for sperm to swim to the uterus) and makes the uterine lining unsuitable for implantation.
Reliability: Taken properly, the traditional and newer forms of the pill are at least 99% effective in preventing pregnancy. Be sure not to miss a dose and take it at the same time every day.
The good: Extended oral contraceptives offer a host of other benefits. They can:
Improve acne
Decrease facial hair
Decrease pain during your period
Reduce period bleeding, which lowers the chance of having iron deficiency anemia
Lower risk of ectopic pregnancy, benign breast disease and endometrial and ovarian cancers
Possibly decrease the incidence of ovarian cysts
Yaz is also approved for treatment of premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) – a severe form of PMS.
The bad: The progestin in Yaz can raise blood potassium levels (hyperkalemia), Tantibhedhyangkul says, which can cause several health issues, including heart disease. Women with kidney, liver or adrenal problems – all of which can also cause hyperkalemia – should choose different birth control.
Other side effects are the same as with the traditional pill and typically improve in 2-3 months:
Nausea
Breast tenderness
Bloating
Mood changes
Breakthrough bleeding
No version of the pill protects against sexually transmitted diseases.
Fertility usually returns as soon as the pill is stopped, Tantibhedhyangkul says.
Who it’s for: Extended oral contraceptives may help women with heavy periods, pelvic pain, PMS or hormone withdrawal symptoms while using traditional birth control pills.
Pills containing estrogen should be avoided by women with uncontrolled high blood pressure, a personal or family history of blood clots or stroke, or a history of estrogen-dependent tumors or active liver disease. Women older than 35 and who smoke should also stay away.
How to get it: All daily oral contraceptives are available by prescription only.
2. The Sponge
The latest: Yes, it’s back. Approved in the U.S. in 1983, the sponge was pulled from shelves in 1995 because of manufacturing problems.
Re-introduced in 2009, the Today Sponge (the only brand available in the U.S.) is a non-hormonal, barrier method.
How it works: It’s a disc-shaped polyurethane foam device containing nonoxynol-9, which kills sperm. It prevents pregnancy by covering the cervix and blocking semen from meeting up with an egg.
First, moisten the sponge with water to activate the spermicide. Fold it in half and insert it into your vagina, placing it firmly against your cervix. Finally, use one or two fingers to gently push the sponge up as far as it will go.
Reliability: “The sponge is a good barrier method, but it’s really not the most effective form of birth control,” Jordan says.
Even when used properly, about 9% of women will get pregnant in the first year of use, says Margaret Lewin, M.D., FACP, chief medical director of Cinergy Health in New York. With typical use – which includes slipups, like taking it out too soon or putting it in after intercourse – that number goes up to 16%.
The sponge is less effective in women who’ve had a baby, because it fits loosely: 20% will get pregnant in the first year with perfect use. With typical use, odds go up to 32%.
The good: Today’s Sponge can be inserted up to 24 hours before sex, so you don’t have to break the mood to prep. And women can have sex as many times as desired within that time-frame without changing the sponge or adding spermicide, Tantibhedhyangkul says.
But you must wait at least 6 hours after sex before removing it and you shouldn’t wear the sponge for more than 30 hours.
The bad: Its failure rate is high. And some women complain of vaginal dryness, soreness or itching after using it, Tantibhedhyangkul says.
The sponge won’t suit women allergic to polyurethane or spermicide. And the fit is a problem for women with abnormal anatomy in the vagina or cervix, she says.
It also doesn’t protect against STDs; in fact, it might raise your risk.
“The sponge might irritate the vaginal mucosa and increase the risk of HIV infection,” Tantibhedhyangkul says.
Who it’s for: The sponge may be a good option for women who want a non-hormonal option that won’t interfere with spontaneous sex – and for those who won’t be devastated by an accidental pregnancy.
How to get it: The Today Sponge is available over the counter and doesn’t require any special fitting. Plus, at $13.99 for a three-pack, it's an inexpensive way to stay baby-free.
3. The IUD
What’s new: “This isn’t your mother’s IUD,” says Nancy Stanwood, associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Rochester School of Medicine. “They’re effective and great, and a lot of women in the U.S. are using them.”
About 1.8% of U.S. women using contraception choose the IUD, she says, and today they have two options: copper or hormone.
Approved in 1988, the copper IUD – called Paragard – has the metal wrapped around a T-shaped plastic frame.
The hormone IUD – Mirena – was approved in 2001 and also has a plastic frame, but features a reservoir containing progestin.
How they work:
Copper IUD (Paragard): After insertion by a doctor, “the copper repels sperm” by prompting the uterus to produce white blood cells, copper ions and other enzymes that kill sperm, Jordan says.
Paragard is effective for 10 years.
Hormone IUD (Mirena): This IUD releases progestin to change the chemistry in the cervix and uterus. Thick, sticky mucus prevents sperm from getting through. The hormone also keeps the lining of the uterus thin, creating an unsuitable environment for an egg to implant and grow.
Mirena is effective for five years.
Reliability:
Copper IUD (Paragard): “Over the first five years, the risk (of pregnancy) is 1%,” Stanwood says. “Over 10 years, it’s 2%.”
Hormone IUD (Mirena): It’s more than 99% effective at preventing pregnancy, Stanwood says.
The good: The copper IUD (Paragard) is the most commonly used reversible method of contraception around the world, hands down,” Stanwood says. “It just works so well and for so long, and it's so convenient.”
The hormone IUD (Mirena) relieves heavy and crampy periods, she says. And even women with normal periods will notice lighter, shorter flows. After a year, 50% stop having periods, and that’s not something to worry about.
“Periods stopping with the hormone IUD isn’t a problem at all and many women like it,” Stanwood says.
The bad: Paragard (the copper IUD) can exacerbate problems for women with heavy, crampy periods.
Neither IUD will properly fit a woman with an abnormally shaped uterus or whose uterus has changed because of fibroids, Stanwood says.
All IUDs come with small risks:
About 5% of the time, they fall out. They can be re-inserted, but the risk of a second one falling out increases to 30%.
About 3 in 1,000 women develop infections, which can be treated with antibiotics.
In 1 out of 1,000 women, the IUD will be inserted too deep into the uterine wall, causing pain or migration into the abdomen, Stanwood says. It can be repositioned or removed and re-inserted.
IUDs don’t protect against STDs, so it’s not for women with multiple partners.
Who it’s for: Women who want long-term pregnancy protection or simply wish to space out pregnancies, Stanwood says. It can be removed at any time (with no effect on fertility) if a woman wants to get pregnant.
How to get it: Both IUDs require a doctor’s visit. The device is inserted into the uterus during a 10-minute procedure, usually without anesthesia, Stanwood says. Brief cramping is common.
4. Implanon
The latest: Approved in 2006, the hormone-based Implanon is a single flexible, plastic rod inserted in the upper arm. More than 4.5 million rods have been sold worldwide since 1998.
“It's the only implant contraceptive system available in the U.S.,” Tantibhedhyangkul says. (Another, Norplant, was taken off the market in 2002 because of problems with removing its six rods.)
How it works: The rod contains a progestin-like hormone called etonorgestrel, which is slowly released into the body to prevent ovulation and, therefore, pregnancy for three years.
The device also thins the uterine lining and thickens, and decreases cervical mucus, making it harder for sperm to swim inside the uterus.
Reliability: Implanon is more than 99% effective – even better than the pill, Tantibhedhyangkul says.
The good: Most women experience lighter periods on Implanon, she says. And many have no periods at all after the first year of use.
Plus, women are almost immediately fertile after the rod is removed, Lewin says.
The bad: Many women have spotting. It’s the main reason that about 15% of women in the U.S. and Europe discontinue it, Tantibhedhyangkul says.
Implanon also:
Can trigger acne and breast pain.
Can trigger adverse drug interactions with anti-seizure medications, anti-fungals, St. John’s wort and other herbal medication.
Doesn’t protect against STDs.
Who it’s for: Women who want long-term pregnancy protection without the bother of taking a daily pill.
It's also a safe, effective birth-control option for breast-feeding women.
How to get it: Implanon is surgically inserted under the skin at your doctor’s office. The procedure takes 2-3 minutes.
5. Emergency Contraception (Plan B)
The latest: A birth-control mishap doesn’t have to equal mommyhood. Approved in July 2009, Plan B One-Step is a single-dose backup method for preventing pregnancy when taken within 72 hours of having unprotected sex or contraceptive failure.
It’s an improvement on the first generation of Plan B, which required women to take two doses 12 hours apart, Stanwood says.
But don’t confuse Plan B with Mifepristone (or RU486), which terminates a pregnancy.
“If a woman takes Plan B when she’s pregnant and doesn’t know it, it won’t cause a miscarriage and birth defects,” she says.
How it works: Plan B One-Step is a progestin-only pill that delays ovulation.
“Sperm can make a woman pregnant for three days after sex, so if you can postpone the egg from being released for at least three days, it works as a contraceptive,” Stanwood explains.
Reliability: According to the manufacturer, Plan B One-Step prevents pregnancy in 7 out of 8 women who take the emergency contraception. It’s most effective if taken within 24 hours of having unprotected sex or contraception failure.
The good: Plan B One-Step is as safe and effective as the original Plan B, Stanwood says. Women with medical conditions – such as heart disease, diabetes or history of blood clots – that prevent them from using standard birth-control pills can take Plan B because it doesn’t contain estrogen.
The bad: About 25% of women taking Plan B One-Step feel nauseous and 6% vomit.
Plan B One-Step doesn’t protect against STDs.
Who it’s for: Any woman worried about pregnancy due to contraceptive failure or unprotected sex. But it shouldn’t be used as a regular birth control method.
How to get it: Plan B One-Step is available at drugstores without a prescription to women age 17 and older. Men may also buy it for their partners. Those younger than 17 need a prescription.
Not-2-late.com – operated by the Office of Population Research at Princeton University and the Association of Reproductive Health Professionals – helps women find doctors who will prescribe Plan B in a timely manner without an office visit, Stanwood says. The website also instructs women how to use their brand of birth control pill as emergency contraception.
Freelance writer Shanna Thompson Zareski contributed to this article.
Friday, January 28, 2011
Bone Up on Cheese
While it's true that cheese can be loaded with calories and fat, it's not all bad, says our health editor at large, Madelyn Fernstrom, Ph.D., C.N.S. A one-ounce serving (about the size of a pair of dice) provides a full 25 percent of your recommended daily calcium intake for strong bones.
Even better news: Low-fat cheese contains the same nutritional value without all the fat and calories.
Even better news: Low-fat cheese contains the same nutritional value without all the fat and calories.
Better Than Ice Cream?
They don't call it Chunky Monkey ice cream for no reason! Enjoy the same delicious creamy goodness with 18.5 fewer fat grams, thanks to our version made from fresh ginger, fruit and frozen Greek-style yogurt.
Hello? Good Manners Are Calling
Today’s message isn’t so much about health and wellness as it is about common courtesy and good manners. In my opinion, there simply isn’t enough politeness and consideration going around these days. I think modern technology may have a lot to do with this. Perhaps we have become less courteous and more egocentric because modern technology has inadvertently created distance between us and other human beings. For example, how many people actually hand-write letters these days? With the advent of cell phones, email and text messaging, personal contact is definitely on the decline. But one of my particular modern technology pet peeves is people talking loudly on their cell phones in places where they shouldn’t.
Case in point: I was recently sitting in a restaurant having a bite to eat when the man sitting in the booth next to me answered his cell phone and began talking very loudly. This man was so loud that everyone in the place just stopped and stared at him. But he was so oblivious that he didn’t even notice the icy stares he was getting from the angry mob around him! My mission today is to vent a little and to try to have an impact on this disruptive behavior. If you are someone who feels like you must ALWAYS take every call, no matter where you are, I respectfully ask you to take a moment and reconsider. If you must answer that cell phone, please talk quietly or take your calls outside and give the rest of us some peace and quiet. You're not the only one in the room so please don’t be CELLfish!
Wishing You Great Health,
Dr. John H. Sklare
www.innerdiet.com
Case in point: I was recently sitting in a restaurant having a bite to eat when the man sitting in the booth next to me answered his cell phone and began talking very loudly. This man was so loud that everyone in the place just stopped and stared at him. But he was so oblivious that he didn’t even notice the icy stares he was getting from the angry mob around him! My mission today is to vent a little and to try to have an impact on this disruptive behavior. If you are someone who feels like you must ALWAYS take every call, no matter where you are, I respectfully ask you to take a moment and reconsider. If you must answer that cell phone, please talk quietly or take your calls outside and give the rest of us some peace and quiet. You're not the only one in the room so please don’t be CELLfish!
Wishing You Great Health,
Dr. John H. Sklare
www.innerdiet.com
What Is Gout?
Gout is a special type of arthritis caused by an excess of uric acid in the blood, says the American Diabetes Association (ADA). Uric acid crystals tend to settle in joints in the lowest part of the body, which is why the big toe is most often affected. These crystals can cause the big toe joint to become red, warm and swollen, and can be extremely painful.
If you have these gout symptoms, your health care provider may withdraw some joint fluid and examine it under a microscope to look for crystals, explains the ADA. Medication and a special diet to lower the uric acid levels in the body are the main treatments.
Sometimes it is difficult to tell the difference between gout and an infection caused by bacteria. If you think you might have gout, see your health care provider. Repeated episodes of gout tend to damage the big toe joint and may even make it stiff. This can cause a high-pressure spot on your foot that is more prone to developing a callus and an ulcer.
Be sure to check your feet daily for any signs of redness or ulcerations.
Reprinted from 101 Foot-Care Tips for People with Diabetes, by Jessie H. Ahroni, PhD, ARNP, CDE. Copyright by the American Diabetes Association. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
If you have these gout symptoms, your health care provider may withdraw some joint fluid and examine it under a microscope to look for crystals, explains the ADA. Medication and a special diet to lower the uric acid levels in the body are the main treatments.
Sometimes it is difficult to tell the difference between gout and an infection caused by bacteria. If you think you might have gout, see your health care provider. Repeated episodes of gout tend to damage the big toe joint and may even make it stiff. This can cause a high-pressure spot on your foot that is more prone to developing a callus and an ulcer.
Be sure to check your feet daily for any signs of redness or ulcerations.
Reprinted from 101 Foot-Care Tips for People with Diabetes, by Jessie H. Ahroni, PhD, ARNP, CDE. Copyright by the American Diabetes Association. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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