smarthealth4

SMARTHEALTHYOUR GUIDE TO HEALTHY LIVING

GET THE MOSTFROM YOUR

DAILY JOGCALORIE

RESTRICTIONSECRET TO ALONGERLIFE

BACK TO SCHOOLTHINKING

OUT OF THE(LUNCH)BOX

CALORIERESTRICTIONSECRET TO A LONGER LIFE

SMARTHEALTH

6THEPREPAREDPATIENT8

4 SAVING YOUR EYES FROM

THE COMPUTER

The information in this publication does not constitute medical advice and is not intended to be a substitute for propermedical care provided by a physician Entire publication copy Digital Access 2009 All rights reserved Any reference to otherorganizations or companies including their Internet sites is not an endorsement or warranty of the services informationor products provided by them

12

10GET THE MOSTFROM YOUR

DAILY JOG

THINKING OUT OF THE

(LUNCH)BOX

14

AN UPSIDE TOMIGRAINES

CALORIE RESTRICTIONSECRET TO A LONGER LIFE

A recently concluded 20-year study of Rhesus monkeys holdsthe promise that dramatically restricting calories mdash in thiscase a 30 percent cut mdash may add years to your life Themonkeys showed fewer signs and diseases of aging livedlonger than monkeys who ate more and even looked better

The findings provide support for ascientific movement known commonlyas Calorie Restriction or CR which haslong posited that a consistent ultra-lowcalorie diet may prolong life in humansThe theory has been around at leastsince the 1930s and has spawnedThe Calorie Restriction Society whosemembers believe that this daily regi-men is ldquothe only proven life-extensionmethod known to modern sciencerdquo

Previous evidence about the linkbetween eating less and living longerwas based on studies of more primitivecreatures like worms flies yeast fishand rodents The new study at theWisconsin National Primate ResearchCenter is the first to include largemammals In addition to living longerthe dieting monkeys showed lesscancerous tumors heart diseasediabetes and brain shrinkage Leadresearcher Rick Colman PhD anassociate scientist at the Center putit simply ldquoMonkeys in the calorie-restricted group are more likely tolive healthier longerrdquo

Since calorie restriction by its natureinvolves the less intake of nutrientsfood choices become critical Fruitsvegetables grains and lean proteintend to be favored over sugars or highcarbohydrate items On averageAmericans consume between 2000and 3000 calories a day someonepracticing calorie restriction wouldneed to get this down to 1500 to 2000daily calories

Obviously no one is yet sure if thefindings can be generalized to humanbeings and the research will go onBut experts extrapolate from themonkey study that if it works people intheir 30s who start the process couldextend their lives by 8 to 10 years

Which raises the question

If you could prolong your lifebut the price would be eating30 percent fewer calories everysingle day would it be worth it

LIVE LONGER RESTRICTIONDIET PLAN VIDEO gt

SMARTHEALTH 5

THEPREPAREDPATIENT

Adoctor visit is a two-waystreet Yes most of the burdenof responsibility is on thehealthcare professional tobe hellip well hellip professionalBut being a better patientcan help make the processsmoother more pleasantand more productive Hereare some positive recom-mendations for how you asa patient can contribute tomaking sure you get themost of your appointment

SMARTHEALTH 7

DO SOME HOMEWORKA little bit of preparation before a visit canmake a difference Write down your medicaland surgical history in chronological orderas well as allergies and all medicationsyou are taking including vitamins andsupplements with brands and dosagesKeep a list of your doctors and theircontact information If significant illnessesrun in your family note these Make a noteif your parents or siblings are deceasedhow old they were and what illnessesthey had Written or online Personal HealthRecord forms are a common organizingtool these days so look into this

BRING YOUR RECORDSIf you have these bring copies of your labwork and X-ray and MRI reports withyou or have them faxed to the doctorrsquosoffice Check the day before your visit tosee that they actually arrived Start thatprocess early You should have copies ofall your medical records it is your right

GET YOUR QUESTIONS READYBefore your visit write down the criticalissues that you want to cover and exactly

what questions you need answered Ifsome questions are not strictly medicalor could well be answered by someoneelse in the office such as the nurse oroffice manager then ask that otherperson The time with the doctor is shortand should stay strictly medical Try tokeep chats to a minimum

WHAT DID HE SAYPatients often feel overwhelmed or over-wrought during the visit and then canrsquotremember anything that was said If thisis you I suggest that you bring a smallelectronic recorder or a good friend totake notes Check your list of preparedquestions and issues and make sure yourquestions are answered This gives thedoctor the chance to clarify and explainmore precisely It assures that goodcommunication has occurred

BRING A DISTRACTIONBring something to read or watch or do orplay Many physicians today are forced toschedule patients tightly the result is thatafter the first few patients they are alreadybehind If doctors are running late it maybe because they are giving other patientsthe time they need and will do the samefor you If it happens once in a while beunderstanding if it happens every timethink about changing doctors

START A PERSONAL HEALTH RECORD gtA VERY USEFUL ORGANIZING TOOL

SAVING YOUR EYES FROM

THE COMPUTER

If you spend more than three hours a day working or playing on thecomputer mdash and who doesnrsquot mdash you are at higher risk for ComputerVisual Syndrome than the casual computer user Symptoms arising fromeye strain include blurred vision itching burning dry eyes teary eyesdifficulties in focusing double vision squinting eye strain headachespain in the neck back or shoulders In extreme cases the eyeballs caneven reshape themselves leading to myopia or shortsightedness An

estimated 9 in 10 computer users have one ormore symptoms

THE EASY BUT HIGHLY IMPRACTICAL SOLUTION ISTO REDUCE THE NUMBER OF HOURS THAT SAID HEREARE A FEW GUIDELINES FOR REDUCING THE STRAIN

SMARTHEALTH 9

1 Lighting MattersMake sure your room or office is well lit Do nothave the computer screen more brightly lit thanthe rest of your surroundings Adjust your screenlighting and brightness to make sure you feelcomfortable with it

2 Sit ComfortablyThe computer screen should be at least two feetaway from you and it should be a lower level toyour eyes at 15 to 20 degree down-vision angle

3 Tear Down That WallMake sure there is open space rather thana wall behind the computer Open space makesit easier to look at distant objects from time totime and takes pressure off the eyes

4 Take BreaksThree to five minute breaks for every half hour ofwork are recommended Even if you canrsquot walkaway from the screen look around at some dis-tant objects There are severalinexpensive software programs that remind youto take a break

5 Make Type LargerAdjust the resolution of your monitor or screen toadapt to your needs Where possible enlarge thefonts to make reading easier and less stressful

6 Vary Your TaskSchedule work activities for variety to break uplong stretches of staring at the screen

7 Take OpportunitiesIf software is downloading or a web browsertakes time to open take that opportunity to lookaway It will happen whether you stare or not

8 Blink Blink BlinkAn easy and surprisingly effective exercise is toblink Ten or twenty times every once in a whilewill prove a tremendous help There are manyother simple at-your-desk exercises you can getfrom your optometrist

9 Stay MoistA common problem is dry eye since manyoffices are overheated or over-airconditioned Itis critical to keep eyes moist so washthem out occasionally or keep a tube of eyedrops nearby

10 The Rule of EightBe sure to sleep as close to eight hours as pos-sible and to drink eight glasses of water at dayRelated health tips Vitamins A Ed and C are es-sential for good eyesight

GET THE MOST FROM YOUR

DAILY JOG

HEART AND SOLEShoes are the heart and

ldquosolerdquo of your run Expensiveis not necessary but be

careful not to go too cheapYou need jogging shoes to becomfortable and to provide asmuch support as possible

10 SMARTHEALTH

Jogging like other types of aerobic exercise is an excellent way to improvecardiovascular health bone density physical fitness Not to mention theweight loss On one level everyone instinctively knows how to jog On theother hand you can get more out of your job and avoid damage to your bodyif you do some simple preparation and follow a few simple guidelines

Stand Up StraightFolding or slouching restricts blood flow

Standing tall opens up your chest for better

breathing Also do not lean to one side or the

other as this creates too much muscle tension

Thrust and SwingA thrust off your landed foot creates forward

momentum and better flow for your body

Keep yourself under control by swinging

your arm in rhythm with the opposite leg

Breathe DeepShallow breathing is the most common

mistake that joggers make It inhibits the

amount of oxygen the body can absorb

and makes you tired Deep rhythmic

breaths evenly paced are best for your

body and will buy you extra distance

WARM UPIt is important that you stretchbefore running especially if it is coldIt gets your leg neck back and armmuscles ready to do their work andit loosens up your skeletal structurefor the impact to come

SMARTHEALTH 11

PRE-RUN WARM UP VIDEO gt

The IncredibleLightness of BeingMove lightly and grace-

fully Donrsquot slam your legsdown This will reduce

the impact on your kneesand ankles Try to land

on the middle of your feetas often as possible

Lift Your KneesDonrsquot be lazy Lift yourknees and take longer

strides This will give youadditional speed and help

you burn calories Formore calorie burn seekout a few gentle hills

EAT AND DRINKJogging causes a surprisingamount of water loss So drinkplenty of water an hour before youjog guzzling at the last minute isnot as efficient and can unsettlethe stomach In the same vein asmall carbohydrate rich meal anhour before you go can help yourenergy and muscle preservation

THINKING OUT OF THE(LUNCH)BOX

INVOLVE YOUR CHILDENTheyrsquoll be more likely to eat what your pack whenthey have made the choice So brainstorm withthem but within reason of course

GIVE LAST NIGHTS DINNER NEW LIFEPrepare lunches with leftovers form the night beforeLeftover spaghetti or grilled chicken breast tastesgreat the next day

STAY IN BALANCEHealthy lunches should have bread or pita for complexcarbs peanut butter or lean meat for protein yogurtor milk for dairy and a serving of fruit or veggies

THINK SOUPS AND CHILISThese are generally healthy and can be made in bigbatches to make your life easier too

EXPAND THEIR TASTESThe lunchbox is a good place into gradually introducenew foods Add different kinds of a vegetable sliceswith a favorite dressing or dip pair new cheeses withthe preferredmeats put a new flavor jam into thePBampJ

SAFETY COUNTSWhen packing up lunch health experts recommend acold packwhen yogurt deli meats or other foods needrefrigeration Addmoist towelettes so kids remembertowash their hands Andwash out the lunch box every-day or use brown paper bags that can be discarded

Itrsquos back to school season Among so many other thingsthat means making sure your kids have a healthy lunchHere are a few tips that will help you keep them away

from the junk foods the empty calories the sugar-packeddrinks and the processed meals that are so bad for them

LAST NIGHTrsquoS DINNER LUNCBOX RECIPES gt

SMARTHEALTH 13

MAKE IT FUNBe creative by cutting

sandwiches into fun shapesChange the bread And

remember that kids love bite-sized foods and finger foodsso create rollups of meatsand cheeses or cut and dice

foods into cubes

6 FINISH STRONGKeep desserts sweet but lightand low on fats and sugars Ricecrispy treats oatmeal raisincookies low-sugar Jello orpuddings all do the trick

FUN SANDWICH SHAPERS gt

AN UPSIDE TOMIGRAINES

Strange as it may seem there may be an upside tootherwise painful migraines A new study has found

that women with a history of migraines aresignificantly less likely to get breast cancer

SMARTHEALTH 15

The researchers were motivated to do

the research because it is speculated

that both health problems are related

to unstable or changing hormone levels

at least in women More specifically

drops in estrogen can trigger migraines

while increased estrogen can boost

breast cancer risk

An earlier study by the same team

lead by Dr Christopher I Li of the Fred

Hutchinson Cancer Research Center

found that postmenopausal women

with a history of migraines had roughly

a one-third lower chance of develop-

ing breast cancer The new second

study doubled the sample size and

expanded the test to women of various

menopausal stages starting with age

35 Once again womenwith a history of

migraines showed much lower breast

cancer risk this time 26 percent

Medical experts are excited by the pos-

sibilities but it is not yet clear why the

relationship exists Researchers say they

hope that they will be able to identify

the role of hormones in the process

most notably the levels of estrogen in

a womanrsquos body Another possibility is

that genes may be the underlying link

between migraines and tuors Still a

third consideration is whether certain

medications often taken by migraine

victims such as NSAIDs like ibuprofin

may be part of the explanation rather

than the migraines themselves

The experts also notethat the best way to reducebreast cancer risk is tohave regular checkupsmammograms and knowhow to do a self-examination

BREAST CANCER SELF-EXAMINATIONFOLLOW THESE STEPS gt