February 13, 2010
During the harsch winter months many people suffer from seasonal depression which is directly linked to Vitamin D deficiency - so, many folks visit tanning booths to get some UV rays for a quick sunshine fix. But did you know that tanning is a $5 billion dollar-a-year industry?
Research suggests that tanning can be addictive, since it releases mood-enhancing endorphins. One study of Scandinavian women showed that those who used tanning beds more than once a month were 55% more likely to develop melanoma ~ and that’s just ONCE A MONTH! Dermatologists are seeing people in their 20’s who already have basal-cell cancer from tanning parlors.
It’s for good reason that tanning beds are being called “tanning coffins”. Those lambent, blue-lit capsules are directly and absolutely linked to higher rates of skin cancer — even if the tanning salons claim they are “safe”.
Many young people tan because they believe that tanning clears acne. Leslie Baumann, Director of the University of Miami Division of Cosmetic Dermatology dispels the myth and says “acne actually gets worse in summer months and is worsened by UV exposure”. Not only that, you trade looking good for 3 days for looking terrible at 40! Not such a good trade-off when you think about it.
Note: As a healthier alternative try sun lamps. Before you make any purchases, do your research first and check with your doctor.
Just Ask Bri!
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February 13, 2010
The alarm goes off, you jump out of bed ~ a true morning warrior. Hustling and bustling about to not only get yourself out the door to start your day but the family too. And of course you can’t forget to feed the dog and let him out as he playfully reminds you at your heels.
While juggling breakfast, lunch money (whoever invented cafeteria lunches is a hero!), mediating arguments over who’s next in the bathroom, grabbing your lost shoe from under your bed, you’re already stressing over the traffic jam you are ready to drive into within minutes and the meeting that will start sharply at 9am. Then you hear, “Mom, don’t forget the game starts at 4.”
Within 30 minutes of waking up in the morning you are a basket case ~ and it’s only Monday. This is a common scenario of every day life in America. Raising a family, working, managing a household all on a time clock can be extremely stressful. It’s no wonder we all run to the refrigerator for comfort — food is our friend, we can carry it with us, eat on the go, eat at work, it makes us happy when the world around us is pulling in all directions. Food smells good, looks good, tastes good — food is our best friend, always there in good times and bad times.
So now we are feeding our stress which opens up a pandora’s box of other health issues just waiting around the corner. Well, the last thing you need is poor health.
If you stop for a moment and jot down all of the small demands placed on you throughout the day, I bet you’ll find a list within minutes. Each of the items on the list shares a part of where it fits into your demanding schedule.
Go through the list and see what you can actually CROSS OFF. Sometimes we create extra burden that we really wouldn’t miss if we removed it altogether.
Secondly, run through your list and see if any of the items can be delegated to other family members or coworkers. Letting go of one or two items can really make a difference. Perhaps one of the younger kids would enjoy feeding the dog, and one of the older kids would love to play banker with the lunch money distribution.
The remaining items on the list will be a little trickier since they may require some creative reorganization skills. For instance, that pot of coffee you make in the morning, think about investing in a self-timed coffee pot and get it ready the night before. With so many healthy breakfast options you may want to rethink the morning ritual. Healthy fruit and juice with whole grain bagels or yogurt are easy and kid’s love continental breakfast. The frantic shoe search may be avoided by placing a laundry basket or box at your bedroom door so if you’re too tired at the end of the day to put things in their place, throw them into the box. Create a list and post it on the bathroom door to eliminate the morning mediation -
Sara 7:00 - 7:20; Matt 7:25 - 7:45 (eventually they’ll get it)
It’s important to start your day on a happy note. The tone you set in the morning can make or break your entire day. This may require a short family meeting ~ if you make it fun and explain how the family can work together as a team and each member is an important part (including the dog), you’ll get buy-in. Create weekend reward incentives (not bribery).
Some small changes can make a significant difference in your daily life, reduce stress and contribute to overall better eating habits and improved quality of life.
~ Admin
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February 12, 2010
Stress triggers hormones that raise blood sugar. Reducing chronic stress switches this process off. Research from the Medical University of Ohio has proven that learning to melt your stress away may coax blood sugar down to healthy levels.
The experiment followed 30 people with diabetes, half of whom practiced daily tension-reducing exercises, such as muscle relaxation, and had their techniques monitored with weekly 45-minute biofeedback sessions. The others took diabetes education classes.
After ten weeks, those who relaxed saw about a 10% drop in fasting blood sugar and in the level of HbA1c — a sign that their glucose had stayed lower around the clock for the previous couple of months.
Such results mean lower risk of diabetic complications, like heart disease, blindness and nerve damage. Meanwhile, the education group’s blood sugar and HbA1c levels actually rose slightly.
Check out the Stress Busters tips and articles and learn ways to reduce stress in your life. Also, check out our store, our Synergy Relax Bath & Body Collection is designed to help your body remove the toxins of every day stress with the combination of natural essential oils - safe, effective natural healing.
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February 10, 2010
In 2005, the FDA deemed it unlikely that green tea reduces the risk of breast cancer, based on data available at the time. The most recent study conducted in China, where green-tea consumption is high, found a strong protective effect.
The scientists asked 1,009 women with breast cancer and 1,009 healthy women of similar ages about their lifelong tea-drinking habits, they found that breast-cancer risk was 43 percent lower in those who drank green tea daily (controlling for factors such as fruit and vegetable intake). Earlier studies were conducted in benefit, says researcher Min Zhang of the University of Western Australia.
To get the maximum intake of green tea’s antioxident polyphenols, women should drink it hot, not iced, and brew it for at least five minutes, she advises.
Currently, there’s no conclusive evidence but green-tea supplements may offer similar protection.
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February 8, 2010
Have you ever noticed how great you feel after watching a comedy or listening to a silly song or joke?
Laughing stress away is the oldest remedy in the book. After an especially long day or stressful week think about selecting a comedy for the next movie night. Those violent, dramatic, scary videos can wreak havoc and break down our funny bones. Classic comedies are great therapy since they bring you back to a time when life was simpler and less stressful.
Pop the popcorn, slip the disc into the DVD player and laugh together ~ laughter is the best medicine!
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February 5, 2010
Today, young women are getting skin cancer at unprecedented rates (Mayo Clinic Study, 2005). Basal-cell skin cancer among women ages 15 - 29 has risen 300 percent in 2.5 years. Although these carcinomas are hardly ever lethal, the rate of deadly melanomas has grown too and has been linked to the early use of tanning beds. In fact, melanoma is virtually the only form of cancer that has become more common over the past five years.
The biggest problem is that having any sort of skin cancer at a young age, chances of recurrance are very high. We’ve all been alerted to the obvious retreats from the damaging sun rays, like stay in the shade, or use 45 SPF ~ but now there are studies that have proven that dietary intake can prevent skin cancer and or it’s recurrence and make skin less susceptible to sunburn.
Tomatoe Sauce - In a study of volunteers who ate tomato sauce daily, sensitivity to the sun was reduced 32%. Cooked tomatoes provide large amounts of antioxidant lycopene, and oil improves the body’s absorption of it. The sun protection is low (SPF 2-3) but it covers the whole body, lasts all day after consumption and helps guard against the cumulative effects of inadvertent sun exposure. Pass the pasta sauce please!!
Spinach - Green leafy vegetables can prevent squamous-cell skin cancer or at least its recurrent. In a study over 11 years and 1,000 participants, those who had previously had skin cancer and ate vegetables such as spinach and chard regularly, reduced their risk of the cancer returning by up to 55%. Spinach is full of antioxidants, such as folate and vitamins C and E that counteract the sun’s damaging effects.
Cocoa - Well, we doubt anyone will complain about this one! Dark chocolate with elevated levels of antioxidants called flavonols can make skin less susceptible to sunburn. A study conducted by the Journal of Nutrition of 24 women volunteers, drank a specially formulated chocolate beverage daily for 12 weeks and had 25% less skin redness in response to UV exposure and also improved their skin texture and hydration. Researchers say that eating 3-4 ounces of dark chocolate a day will provide this benefit.
Fish Oil - Omega 3 fatty acids found in fatty fish and supplements can help prevent nonmelanoma skin cancer (Review in Cancer Detection and Prevention). 21 volunteers took a pill containing 4 grams of omega-3 fatty acids daily for three months and developed significantly less sunburn and DNA damage when exposed to UV light than 21 other study subjects who took a placebo.
Fern Extract - The supplement Heliocare (an antioxident from ferns) significantly reduced UV-induced DNA damage in nine volunteers in ONE day (Study from Harvard Medical School).
Brown Seaweed - Mice that were fed antioxidents from brown seaweed developed 56% fewer skin tumors than untreated mice after repeated exposure to UVB light. Eating a meal of sushi or taking the supplement Seanol could provide similar protection in humans, particularly if you also use sunscreen. (International Journal of Cancer, December 2006). This is one of the strongest inhibitors of UV-induced skin cancer seen to date, according to Gary D. Stoner, professor of internal medicine at Ohio State University.
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February 2, 2010
By: Linda Busch, CPed
Did you know that proper daily foot care can reduce and prevent lower limb amputations? In fact, a preventative approach to diabetic foot care can save lives.
I am not a podiatrist and therefore do not prescribe or diagnose customers. In fact, if you are diabetic, I strongly recommended that you visit your doctor to learn more about diabetes and the complications that can be prevented.
My objective is to help you learn about proper diabetic foot care, teach you how to take a proactive stance to prevent the debilitating complications that can rob you of the lifestyle you deserve within the realm of my pedorthic certification. You deserve a lifestyle that thrives, not one that just survives. Visit the Diabetes page at www.walk2bfit.com and learn all about this pandemic that’s sweeping our country.
Linda Busch, Certified Pedorthist
Posted in Just Ask Linda! 3 Comments »
January 11, 2010
When trying to lose weight, get into shape, and improve one’s cardio, it’s the everyday little things that can make a difference. I believe that when trying to live a healthier more active lifestyle it is crucial to do everything in your power to turn your metabolism into a fat burning furnace.
Here is a list of things you can do to help burn a few extra hundred calories doing your everyday life.
1-Take the stairs!!
If your shopping in the mall or if you work on the 4Th floor in your office, try to take the stairs everyday. Walking up a few flights of stairs several times per day can easily bring your caloric expenditure in the red by 100-200 calories in one day! If your at home and don’t have time to do cardio or make it to the gym run or walk up and down your stairs for 10 minutes straight and tell me you’re not sweating.
2-Park further away.
When I worked at Bally’s I couldn’t believe how many members would fight over the limited front parking spaces. And I’m NOT talking about handicapped people here!!! Park that car 100 yards or more away then usual and your extra steps your taking daily will begin to add up. Try and park further away each week until it takes you 5 minutes to get where you need to go. Of course this is if you have the time and your boss isn’t waiting at your desk ready to take your head off (lol). Don’t blame me cause I told you to park further away either!
3-Just move.
If your on a conference call, put that sucker on speaker and pace back and forth till the call is over. If your at home watching the kids and your stressed cause you know you won’t make it to the gym, march in place for 15-20 minutes. It seems stupid but you’ll be surprised how effective it can be.
So there you have it, 3 basic yet effective ways you can burn a few extra calories in your everyday life. If your doing your cardio and weight training sessions, along with following the proper nutritional guidelines and you begin to incorporate some of these tips you may be surprised at how much faster your weight loss seems to be happening. If your slacking a little and are pressed for time, some of these tips may be just what you need to help ward off guilt and actually make you feel you got a light workout in when all you would have done was sat there wallowing in shame cause you missed the gym.
For more information click here.
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December 24, 2009
Dark Chocolate
Here’s good news for chocolate lovers: dark chocolate (as opposed to milk or white chocolate) contains healthful flavonoids similar to those found in tea, red wine, fruits, and vegetables.
Studies have shown that small portions of dark chocolate can improve blood vessel flow, especially in older adults, and may improve blood sugar and insulin sensitivity to help reduce the risk of diabetes.
One study, published in the journal Hypertension, reported that the antioxidants found in dark chocolate could help reduce high blood pressure. The study participants who ate chocolate also reduced their LDL “bad” cholesterol levels, and improved insulin sensitivity. A little chocolate goes a long way, however. The study subjects were limited to a small portion of dark chocolate per day and cut calories elsewhere in their diets to avoid weight gain.
http://www.walk2bfit.com
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December 24, 2009
Emily Neill, founder of the Boston-based fashion consulting company Closet Smarts and author of the before-and-after book Closet Smarts, and Danica Lo, New York Post fashion columnist and author of the self-help book How Not to Look Fat—for their most figure-flattering fashion advice. Here, their top tips for everybody.
Shoes
Look for shoes in neutral shades: They blend well with skin or hosiery, making your legs look longer and leaner.
Another option: Draw the eye away from trouble areas and add punch to any outfit with heels in an unexpected print or color.
Reveal some toe cleavage with pumps that are cut low in the front (with a low vamp) to lengthen the look of your leg.
Chunky-heeled shoes balance a thicker leg; thin, stiletto heels emphasize it.
Accessories
Choose a purse that’s in proportion to your body. A small purse can make a larger body look even bigger.
Carry a short-handled purse in your hand (like a tote bag) if you have a larger upper half. Lower half larger? Wear your bag on your shoulder for balance.
Skirts/Pants
A skirt with a slight flare at the bottom keeps larger hips in proportion.
Midrise slacks (which sit mid-way between belly button and hips) with a 2- to 3-inch-wide waistband will help cover some of your stomach and make your butt look smaller.
Pants with a slight flare will balance out your rear.
Trousers that have a crease down the center elongate and slim the leg.
Lingerie
Choose sheer black pantyhose (the most slimming shade).
A good-fitting bra should lie flat against the skin between your breasts, and the back shouldn’t ride up toward your shoulder blades. Bra cups should mold to your breasts.
Control garments, from panties to camis, can create a slimmer line. Don’t be embarrassed to try them on. Do a comfort check—could you wear it all day?
Bring a thin dress, skirt, or shirt into the dressing room to see if the control garment creates any tell-tale bumps.
Tops
Fake a flattering hourglass shape: Wear a shell and cardigan in a solid color, then fasten the center two buttons.V-shape necklines or stand-up collars are universally flattering and slimming on most women.
Wrap tops can accentuate the narrowest part of your upper body.
Jackets that cinch below the bust or have darting define your waist.
A single-breasted suit jacket with three or four buttons will elongate a larger upper body. (Double-breasted jackets add bulk.)
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