If that statistic doesn’t alarm my female readers, this additional one from the CDC will: “almost two-thirds of the women who die suddenly of coronary heart disease have no previous symptoms. Even if you have no symptoms, you may still be at risk for heart disease.” What this means is that YOU could be at risk and not even know it.

Because heart disease kills so many American women (and men), the American Heart Association (AHA) has named February Heart Health Month.  During this important time, the AHA and cooperating agencies and businesses promote heart health awareness; therefore, this is the perfect time to make sure your heart is as healthy as it can be.

Where do you start?  The good thing is that it’s pretty easy to improve your heart health. First, make sure that you have your blood pressure checked regularly.  This is because many people who have high blood pressure may experience no symptoms. If you find out you have high blood pressure, your doctor will teach you how to manage it. You should also make sure you know what your cholesterol level is.  If it’s too high, you need to change your diet in an effort to reduce the number.  Also, if you smoke – QUIT!  There are many over the counter medications available to help you kick the habit. If you have diabetes, make sure that you follow your doctor’s orders for controlling it.  Finally, get your body moving!

Sometimes it is easy to forget that your heart is a muscle that needs to be exercised.  Most health agencies recommend that a woman needs to exercise for 30 minutes each day.  The neat thing is that you don’t have to exercise in 30 minute blocks; you can exercise for 10 minutes at a time.  You’ve heard the drill before, but have you really tried to implement more movement into your life?

If you haven’t exercised in a long time, try either of these suggestions:

1.  Walk with a friend.

Exercising is so much easier when you do it with a friend.  Take a walk while at work, or schedule time to walk in a park or even a mall.  Walking is easy to do, it doesn’t cost anything, and it’s one of the best exercises for heart health.

2.  Embrace the stairs.

Sometimes we avoid the stairs because we feel too tired; however, climbing stairs is one of the best exercises for hearts.  If you work in an office building, start by getting off the elevator one floor below where you work.

This February, give yourself a valentine…a healthy heart, one that will last you for many years to come.

To begin thinking about belly fat, one must remember that the fat you can see is not the only fat around your middle. Where an outer layer of fat exists, an inner layer is present as well. This increases a person’s risk for many health issues, such as diabetes, stroke, and heart attack. You should also picture what the fat looks like inside your body…it is thick and white, much like the fat you trim off beef! As you can imagine, this taxes the body greatly.

Next, a person must know how many inches he or she needs to lose from the waist to be considered healthy. On the Mayo Clinic website, it is suggested women should be at no more than 35 inches, while men should not exceed 40 inches; however, on a recent edition of the Dr. Oz show, a target of 32 inches for women was promoted. (Remember, if you have had children, your skin will have stretched a bit, and it will most likely not completely tighten again).

After you determine how many inches you want to get rid of, a diet and exercise plan must be initiated. In order to lose a pound of fat, you need to burn at least 2,500 more calories per week than you consume. This sounds like a lot, and it is! That is why slow and steady weight loss is best. If you starve yourself, you may lose weight quickly, but you will gain it right back when you resume eating normally.

Basically, experts assert that you can lose a clothing size with every 10 – 12 lbs shed. This can take from one to two months. The lesson here is that losing weight, takes time. You won’t see immediate results, but rest assured, if a person continually consumes less calories than those being burned, he or she will lose weight (and inches).

Simple foods, including fruits and vegetables are best for losing belly fat, as well as whole grain products. As always, stay away from fast foods, high calorie sauces, and sweets. You can eat many of the foods you love, but make sure to limit portion sizes. If you usually eat an entire plate full of spaghetti and sauce, switch to whole grain noodles and sauce…and limit yourself to half the plate. (Don’t worry. Your hunger pains will diminish within a few days).

Losing belly fat can seem to be impossible, but leading experts agree that it is not impossible. If people watch caloric intake, eat healthy foods, and exercise more – waistlines can be reduced – at least that’s what all the news outlets tell us!

The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) sees this change as important, as they state that “Tobacco use is the leading cause of premature and preventable death in the United States, and claims almost half a million lives each year. Requiring larger, more prominent warnings on cigarette packaging and advertisements is part of a broader strategy to help tobacco users quit and prevent young people from starting.”

The intent of this new type of graphic warning is pretty straightforward, as we Americans have turned into a visual society. As a people, we respond to pictures much more readily than to written warnings. For example, one of the new warnings shows a man with a lit cigarette in hand, and smoke coming out a hole in his neck. One can certainly infer that the hole resulted from the removal of the voice box, almost always due to cancer caused by cigarette smoking.

Although many agree that preventing children from starting to smoke (or aiding smokers to stop this dangerous habit) is legitimate, a recent ruling by a judge may place the roll out of these new ads in jeopardy. In a recent email from Corporate Accountability International, they profess, “A U.S. District Judge sided with Big Tobacco in its lawsuit against the FDA for requiring graphic health warning labels on cigarette packages. If this ruling stands, it would deal a major blow to public health and corporate accountability in the United States and around the world.”

In the email, the group asks citizens to contact President Obama about this turn of events. As part of their campaign to alert the President about the negative impact of this ruling, they include a letter that says in part, “It is important that the FDA implement measures to strengthen warning labels on tobacco products by requiring graphic health information labels on 50 percent of the top half of the front and back of tobacco product packaging, to protect public health and set an example for countries around the world working hard to advance tobacco control policies in the face of strong arm industry tactics.”

These nine new warning labels can be viewed on the FDA’s website. They discuss both the addictive properties of nicotine, as well as the dangers of second-hand smoke. One of the most vivid labels shows a picture of a deceased individual, a recent surgical scar covering his entire chest area. Another one shows an infant who had been negatively affected in the womb because of smoking.

Time will tell if the labels will be implemented. Certainly, this ruling may have an impact on the 9/12 projected date; however, the FDA will continue to work towards making sure these ads become a reality.

Why is this happening? First, pain medications have become more available to the general public. As compared to 1999, there were 4 times as many prescription drugs supplied to medical providers in 2010. In addition, patients have begun to shop around for doctors in order to obtain more pills than needed, and some doctors provide much more medicine than a patient can truly use (CDC). Finally, patients may not realize that these types of drugs can lead to dependence and addiction.

As explained by the CDC, the pain relieving medications being abused are opioids and narcotics. You may recognize the more common names: Vicodin and OxyContin.

Living in certain states also affect a person’s chance of overdosing on pain medications. The CDC contends that Florida has the highest rate of pain killer sales per person, while Illinois has the lowest. This fact is significant, as states with higher rates of sales of these drugs have a higher rate of death by drug overdose.

Other facts to know:
• Many more men than women die of overdoses from prescription painkillers.
• Middle-aged adults have the highest prescription painkiller overdose rates.
• People in rural counties are nearly twice as likely to overdose on prescription painkillers as people in big cities.
• Whites and American Indian or Alaska Natives are more likely to overdose on prescription painkillers.
• About 1 in 10 American Indian or Alaska Natives aged 12 or older used prescription painkillers for nonmedical reasons in the past year, compared to 1 in 20 whites and 1 in 30 blacks (CDC).

So what can an average citizen do to avoid becoming a statistic? As with any medication, a patient should take pain medication only as prescribed. Don’t think that just because one pill takes away most of the pain, that two or three must be better. With this erroneous mindset, a person sets him or herself up for disaster. If someone suffers from chronic pain, he or she needs to seek help from a physician to learn about other ways to obtain relief than just from prescription pain killers.

Another way to help – one person should not allow others to use his or her pain meds. Finally, people should store medications in a safe place, and when finished with the product, make sure to dispose of the pills properly.

As you can see, Americans must be vigilant in helping to prevent deaths caused by prescription pain killers. Pain, whether the result of injury, illness, or surgery, does hurt, and it does negatively affect a person’s quality of life, yet care must be taken when treating this pain. You don’t want to trade pain for a worse alternative – death!

First, make sure to keep exercising as you age. A study by the National Academy of Scientists showed that walking helps to build a part of the brain called the hippocampus. This area, which can shrink as human’s age, is responsible for helping turn short-term memory into long-term memory. The study shows that if this portion does not shrink, people can boost memory and keep dementia at bay.

Next, make sure to not smoke. Although most people understand that smoking hurts the lungs, many do not realize that it hurts the brain as well. A startling fact about smoking is that it doubles the chances someone could develop dementia, including Alzheimer’s, when they become older. Think of it this way…smoking limits oxygen to the brain, and it also exposes it to harsh chemicals, such as nicotine.

Another way to avoid the onset of Alzheimer’s is to have your cholesterol checked regularly. If you have high levels of LDL or “bad” cholesterol, you could be doing damage to your brain. Easy diet modifications, as well as medications prescribed by your doctor (if appropriate) can assist you in lowering this type of cholesterol.

Did you know that some cases of dementia are alcohol related? I am sure you have heard about the notion that drinking destroys brain cells. Well, it turns out that while having a sip or two of alcohol can have some benefits for the brain, heavy exposure to alcohol definitely harms your thinking process. By limiting the amount you drink, you can lower your risk even more.

Much of what I’ve read about staying sharp into old age concerns keeping your brain active as you grow older. Simple things like doing cross word puzzles, or more complex tasks like learning a new language, can do wonders to keep your brain agile. Some experts even suggest taking different routes to and from work every once in a while as a way to stimulate your brain. I guess you could say that if you keep learning, and exposing your brain to new things, it will thrive with the acquisition of this new knowledge.

Finally, addressing hearing loss may be one key in keeping dementia from affecting your life. Researchers aren’t sure exactly why, but if a person cannot hear properly, he or she may be more likely to suffer from Alzheimer’s. Hearing aids can be expensive, but even devices such as the “hunter’s ear” can benefit a person with hearing loss.

Alzheimer’s is a devastating disease; try these simple steps as a way to delay or even prevent its onset.

If you have a family member suffering from Multiple Sclerosis, maybe you stay tuned for developments in treatment of that disease, or if you’ve put on a few pounds, you may welcome news accounts of medications to assist with suppressing the appetite; however, whatever health concern you may be most interested in, you need to realize that there are credible sources of health news and some that are not so credible.

First, and foremost, do not look for credible health news in sensational newspapers. We’ve all seen them as we stand in the grocery store checkout line. The headlines scream at us, “40 pound tumor removed from woman” or “AIDS cure found.” These newspapers operate for one reason only – to make money. Many times information may be presented in an incomplete manner, and in many cases, they fabricate stories. Many people joke about stories in these newspapers, yet some people may actually believe such nonsense. Protect yourself, and do not automatically trust these publications.

Although I think that talk shows may help raise awareness concerning health issues, they should not be a person’s primary source of health news. Why? Because they only have a limited amount of air time; they need to present only a sweeping overview of a health topic. For example, a recent show focused on a woman who suffered from tremors and spastic limbs. Although the program discussed her brain surgery, the main focus was her struggle to regain her prior life as a dancer. Can you see where I’m going? These programs want to attract viewers, and presenting too much health information instead of emotions might drive viewers away. Again, protect yourself, and do not rely solely on talk shows as your health news source.

I am also scared of many Internet sites that may seem credible, yet they do not have the credentials to be offering health advice. Think about it this way – if you were recently diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer, which website would be more beneficial – The American Cancer Society web page or Lori’s Cancer Facts web page? That example may seem simplistic, yet there are literally hundreds of people presenting incorrect health news on websites. If you are unable to determine which sites are telling the truth, and which ones are not, ask your doctor to recommend a few good ones.

In past posts I’ve asked readers to become their own health advocate. This means only you can make sure you are getting the best care available, and only you can determine if you are listening to medical news that comes from sources who know what they are talking about. Remember, US government websites, like the Centers for Disease Control, offer worthwhile information, as well as large hospitals, such as the Mayo Clinic.

These statistics, provided by the educational website Above the Influence, show the devastating effects of tobacco use on our population. Think about it. Don’t we all know someone who died from lung cancer, or someone who can’t work because of emphysema – all because of previous tobacco use?

So, not only is tobacco use addicting, it has been proven to be unhealthy. For these reasons, many health advocates stress the fact that children should not start smoking or chewing. If kids can stay away from tobacco products when young, they have a better chance of growing up to lead healthy, tobacco-free lives.

There remains one obstacle to keeping children away from cigarettes and chew – big tobacco. Tobacco companies need new smokers (and those who chew) in order to stay in business. You may wonder if they really target children with their products, but it sure seems as if they do – if you take into consideration the following two tactics:

1. They manufacture tobacco products that look like candy.

How can tobacco companies hook young users? They manufacture tobacco products that look like candy, of course! For example, one such product, tobacco sticks, look like toothpicks covered in chocolate. Produced by Skoal and Marlboro, the sticks appeal to a child’s curiosity and love of sweets. Another product, Camel Snus, comes in an attractive tin, which looks much like breath mints. The same can be said for Camel Orbs, tobacco pellets which actually look like Tic Tacs. Equating tobacco with breath mints promotes an image of safety that is untrue. And using flavors in tobacco products that appeal to children, such as the cinnamon and mint in Orbs, is asking for trouble.

2. They promote smokeless (no-spit) tobacco.

Outlined in a recent article in the Los Angeles Times, adults should be worried about smokeless tobacco use and children. In the article it states, “According to a 2010 survey by Monitoring the Future, an annual nationwide study funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, 8.5% of 12th-graders said they had used a smokeless tobacco product in the last 30 days compared with 6.7% in 2003.”

The article provides many reasons why smokeless tobacco appeals to children, but one of the main ones is that kids can easily hide the product from parents/guardians. In addition, the product may appeal to females. Matthew Myers, president of the Washington-based anti-smoking group Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, states that “Traditionally, girls have not used smokeless tobacco products. But (one) product does not have a substantial smell or require spitting. There is a real concern that this product will appeal to adolescent girls, particularly those concerned about weight” (Los Angeles Times, July 2011).

The USDA’s pyramid was actually quite controversial. Some point out that it makes little sense that the U.S. Department of Agriculture, whose responsibilities include developing and executing U.S. federal government policy on farming, agriculture, and food, is the organization backing the design. There have been accusations that the pyramid is influenced more by the food industries than a concern for public health. For example, the section that one might expect to be labeled as “dairy” is actually labeled as “milk.” This implies that milk (or some other dairy product) is an essential part of a healthy diet, despite the fact many people are lactose intolerant or simple choose not to consume dairy, and can still maintain a complete, healthy diet.

This past June, the USDA replaced MyPyramid with a completely new image called MyPlate. MyPlate is a circle divided into four portions, with a small circle on the outside. The circle represents the recommended way to fill your plate. Fruits and vegetables cover half the plate, and protein and grains cover the other half. Grains and vegetables occupy the most space. The small circle outside the plate is dairy. Its smaller size and exclusion from the plate shows that it is less essential, an improvement over the previous design. Fats and simple sugars are simply omitted.

Unfortunately, MyPlate is still lacking in many of the same regards as its predecessor. In 2005, the Department of Nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health published their own pyramid – the Healthy Eating Pyramid. Harvard nutritionist, Dr. Walter Willett, believes this better represents a healthy diet than what the USDA has published, based on the most up-to-date research available. Willett has pointed out that the USDA’s pyramid (and the new plate) does not distinguish between good and bad sources of fat, between healthy and unhealthy sources of protein, or acknowledge the use of vitamins supplement or the consumption of alcohol. MyPlate is extremely simplistic. This is a simultaneously positive and negative attribute, because it is easy to understand, but it fails to truly inform Americans how to make the healthiest choices without having to look at more resources, such as the MyPlate web site.

• Water and sweat resistance – Products may no longer claim to be waterproof or sweat-proof; that is a misleading overstatement. Sunscreen labels may claim to be water resistant, but must indicate the amount of time the product remains effective, either 40 or 80 minutes. Sunscreens that are not water resistant must include directions to use a water resistant sunscreen if swimming or sweating.
• Timing – Some sunscreens claim “instant protection.” The new rules force companies to seek FDA approval on submitted data in order to make such a claim. The same goes for sunscreens that claim to provide protection for more than 2 hours without reapplication.
• Broad Spectrum designation - In order to be labeled as “Broad Spectrum SPF [value]” on the front label, the sunscreen must pass the FDA’s broad spectrum test procedure, which measures a product’s ultraviolet A (UVA) protection relative to its ultraviolet B (UVB) protection.
• Use claims - If, and only if, a sunscreen has the broad spectrum designation and has an SPF of 15 or higher, may the label make the claim to reduce the risk of skin cancer and early skin aging if used as directed with other sun protection measures. If it does not meet both of these requirements, the sunscreen simply helps prevent sunburns.
• Drug Facts - All sunscreens must include standard Drug Facts information on the back and/or side of the container.

These amendments do not take effect until 2012. If your favorite brand comes out with a new design next year, you will know why! There is also a proposed rule that the highest SPF label would be 50+, because there is not sufficient data to show that products with SPF values higher than 50 provide greater protection for users than products with SPF values of 50.

By the way, do you know the difference between sunblock, sunscreen, and sun tan lotion? Once upon a time, these terms had distinct definitions. Sunblock was a thick lotion that completely blocked the sun’s rays, while sunscreen, which is the only one of the three that should have an indicated SPF value, simply reduced the ray’s harmfulness. Sun tan lotion referred to what is now more commonly known as “tanning lotion,” a product meant to absorb UV rays, not weaken or reflect them. Somehow, the lines between these products have become blurred. The new FDA rules now ban the labeling of a product as a “sunblock,” which is another misleading overstatement.

Since I’ve worked in public health for 20 years, I find this list extremely exciting, because I’ve overseen countless projects addressing the concerns listed above. Citizens need to realize just how much public health deserves our praise.

Here is a brief overview.

1.  Maternal and Infant Health

Some ways local health departments address this include: new baby visits, breastfeeding lessons, pre-natal care, as well as education on the importance of folic acid in a pregnant woman’s diet.

2.  Motor Vehicle Safety

As a Safe Community Coalition Coordinator, I did projects to increase seatbelt and helmet usage. And, seat belt legislation and safer cars really do make an impact on improving safety in vehicles.

3.  Cancer Prevention

Public health has continued to stress the importance of early cancer screenings for all types of cancers. Believe it or not, two decades ago people rarely thought of getting screenings.

4.  Occupational Safety

The CDC reports farm safety has improved greatly in the past 10 years, as well as work place safety. Much education has also been done concerning proper lifting techniques.

5.  Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention

Because many children in the US are exposed to lead in older homes, health departments across the nation assist landlords and homeowners. In essence, lead must be removed safely, and children who have been exposed must be tested.

6.  Emergency Preparedness and Response

Since 9/11, public health began improving preparedness and response to all kinds of emergencies. For several years, I participated in “mock” disasters with the health departments where I worked. I learned how to use satellite phones, how to set up a mass vaccination clinic, how to inform the public about an emergency…and much more! Citizens, the US government is ready.

7.  Vaccines

Vaccinations prevent illness and death; most understand this fact. Over the past 10 years, new vaccines have helped to save even more lives, especially deaths related to pneumonia.

8.  Infectious Disease Control

Accomplishments in this category include better tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS control. In addition, ways to screen blood for West Nile Virus were developed.

9.  Cardiovascular Disease Prevention

Because of many factors, including better medications and screenings, there have been improvements in heart disease and stroke death rates.

10. Tobacco Control

Efforts to reduce tobacco use among adults and youth have paid off.  Less people are smoking, and fewer children are picking up the habit. Also, many states have smoke-free workplace laws.

The bottom line?  As stated by the CDC, “From 1999 to 2009, the age-adjusted death rate in the United States declined from 881.9 per 100,000 population to 741.0, a record low…” As you can see, what public health does matters!

Maybe I am part of a group known as the “worried well.” These people, although they eat right, exercise regularly, and get enough sleep, become upset every time they hear about a new illness or public health concern. They think that they, too, will automatically become sick, even though they may be hundreds or even a thousand miles away from the hazardous area (such as with the recent radiation scare in Japan).

Or, maybe the media have made me afraid. Many times it portrays health news in such a negative way that Americans begin to fear things we shouldn’t. A look at recent news stories show a diversity of topics, from the effect of mold on children’s allergies to the fact that formaldehyde has been added to the list of chemicals known to cause cancer. The media make it seem like a new health scare looms around every corner.

Or maybe I am afraid of becoming ill because cancer runs in my family. I have lost two aunts to the disease, my grandmother died of cancer, and my mother is currently battling it for the fourth time. It’s truly scary when parents, aunts, uncles, cousins have all fought the “big C,” with some victorious and others not so fortunate.

In truth, I think I am scared of illness because of all these reasons. Being a health educator, I know a lot about health issues, and sometimes I worry when I shouldn’t. For example, I don’t live where tapeworms are a problem, yet I still fear them! I also follow health news, maybe a bit too closely, because of my job.  Finally, whenever I go for my annual exam, I wonder if this is the year I will inherit the family cancer curse.

But I should remember, and many Americans need to remember as well, that although our health care system may not be perfect, it is still good. Most have access to state of the art care, and our government backs public health initiatives. I also need to remember we live in a time when illness has plummeted because of prevention. Consider the following by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC):

Ten Great Public Health Achievements — United States, 1900-1999

• Vaccination
• Motor-vehicle safety
• Safer workplaces
• Control of infectious diseases
• Decline in deaths from coronary heart disease and stroke
• Safer and healthier foods
• Healthier mothers and babies
• Family planning
• Fluoridation of drinking water
• Recognition of tobacco use as a health hazard

What I need to do is take a deep breath, and realize that health information, the same as any information, must be used wisely. I need to concentrate on my health screening score, which proves…I must be doing something right!

For these patients, summer presents unique challenges. Altered diets, increased exercise, and even sun burns can change blood glucose levels. Also, did you know that diabetes medications and supplies can suffer in the heat?

Read on to discover more about how summer can affect a diabetic person.

First, a person’s diet generally changes in the summer months. This is because, for some, heat acts as a natural appetite suppressant. Most people also tend to take advantage of fresh fruits and vegetables; however, there are people who eat more in the summer due to increased exercise. The main point to remember is that with any change in daily habits, insulin needs may change.

Next, increased amounts of exercise can reduce insulin requirements. This makes sense, especially in the northern climates, as people are more active in the summer than during the long winter months.

Another effect summer has on diabetics concerns supplies. They can become compromised in the summer heat and high humidity. If not kept at the correct temperature, insulin can break down. Also, extreme heat can negatively affect blood glucose meters and test strips.

In addition to harming supplies, extreme heat (over 90 degrees) coupled with high humidity can make it difficult for a person with diabetes to regulate his or her body temperature. Many studies show that persons with diabetes have a decreased ability to sweat. This translates into problems with core temperatures; therefore, caution must be taken by the patient at these times in order to alleviate trips to the doctor.

The sun not only dehydrates a person with diabetes, it can lead to unnecessary stress on the body. How? If a person with diabetes ends up with a sun burn, he or she can increase blood glucose levels.

These dangers are frightening, but there are ways a diabetic person (you or a loved one) can protect him or herself during the summer months.

1.  Stay cool. Stay inside during the hottest part of the day. If you like to exercise outdoors, do so early in the morning or in the evening when temperatures have moderated. If the heat climbs to over 90 degrees coupled with high humidity, be especially careful.

2.  Monitor your blood sugar. With the changes in diet, exercise, and daily routine that summer brings, make sure to test your blood sugar more often.

3.  Keep your insulin and supplies safe. This means to avoid exposing items to heat and humidity.

4.  Avoid sun burns. Make sure to wear a hat, sunglasses, and sun screen. Keep out of the sun between the hours of 10:00 am and 2:00 pm, when rays are the strongest.

5.  Drink plenty of water, unless you have another recommendation by your doctor. If you like to take walks or ride a bike, bring a water bottle along. If you are a senior citizen, be aware that our “thirst mechanism” decreases as we age.  You might not feel thirsty, yet you must drink water!

How can you protect yourself from the types of parasites, bacteria, and viruses that cause food poisoning? The following suggestions will help.

1. Store food properly
This means that cold items should be kept cold and hot items should be kept hot. For example, when you purchase items from the grocery store, put them away as soon as possible. Avoid leaving cold and frozen items in the car while you run other errands. Also, when you offer hot foods to guests at party, make sure that they are kept at the proper temperature if they are going to sit out for some time. Crock pots work well, but beware of warming trays with heat sources that may burn out.

2. Prepare food properly
When preparing a meal, make sure to wash all fruits and vegetables. Also, be sure to thaw foods properly. You should thaw meats in the refrigerator or in the microwave; never set meat out to thaw on the counter. In addition, you will want to keep raw meat separate from other foods. It is also important to follow instructions to make sure foods, especially meats, are cooked to the proper internal temperature. This is crucial for killing any parasites or germs. Finally, after you have finished your meal, refrigerate all leftovers as soon as possible.

FoodSafety.gov has four easy words to help you to remember proper food preparation. They are:

• CLEAN: Wash hands and surfaces often
• SEPARATE: Don’t cross-contaminate!
• COOK: Cook to proper temperature
• CHILL: Refrigerate promptly

3. When in doubt, throw it out!
Having worked in local health departments for 10 years, I know many health slogans. This particular slogan is very helpful in helping to avoid food-borne illness. If you are trying to decide whether to eat something that has been stored in the refrigerator, but you don’t know exactly how long it has been in there, throw it out. There’s no reason to risk getting sick. Most leftovers can be stored safely for four days, and although older foods don’t smell – don’t eat them. In addition, foods can be kept in the freezer for up to a year, yet make sure to discard any parts that have freezer burn.

4. Don’t buy questionable food
By this I mean do not purchase cans that are bulging or that have compromised seams. Also stay away from open packages where the contents have been exposed to air.

5. Visit FoodSafety.gov
This website is chock full of valuable information, from food recalls to food storage and handling tips. It also goes into more details about particular types of food-borne illness from parasites to Salmonella.

This staggering number represents thousands of individual Americans who wait patiently for organ donations to save their lives. According to information supplied by the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network, as of March 20, 2011, the highest donation needs were:

Kidney:  87,981
Liver:  16,130
Heart:  3,180

Because April is National Donate Life Month, there is no better time to learn more about the gift of organ donation.

Instituted in 2003 by Donate Life America (DLA), National Donate Life Month raises awareness concerning organ donation and encourages Americans to become donors. DLA explains the need for continued education, because although “transplantation is one of the most remarkable success stories in the history of medicine… the need for organs and tissue is vastly greater than the number available for transplantation.”

The United Network of Organ Sharing explains that donations may be limited due to myths about the process. Some of the most common myths include:

Myth: Having “organ donor” on your driver’s license or carrying a donor card is all you have to do to become a donor.
Fact: In most states, hospitals can legally proceed with donations, without consent from next of kin, if you have a driver’s license with an “organ donor” designation or you have signed an organ donation registry; however, it’s important to talk to your family about your decision to donate so they are aware of your wishes.

Myth: Only hearts, livers, and kidneys can be transplanted.
Fact: Needed organs include the heart, kidneys, pancreas, lungs, liver and intestines. Tissues that can be donated include the eyes, skin, bone, heart valves and tendons.

Myth: Your history of medical illness means your organs or tissues are unfit for donation.
Fact: At the time of death, the appropriate medical professionals will review your medical and social histories to determine whether or not you can be a donor. With recent advances in transplantation, many more people than ever before can be donors.

Myth: If you agree to donate your organs, your family will be charged for the costs.
Fact: There is no cost to the donor’s family or estate for organ and tissue donation. Funeral costs remain the responsibility of the family.

Myth: Your religion prohibits organ donation.
Fact: All major organized religions approve of organ and tissue donation and consider it an act of charity.

If these and other myths are dispelled, more Americans may choose to donate life. As shown in their third annual National Donor Designation Report Card, DLA reports that 86.3 million people were enrolled in state donor registries at the end of 2009. This represented an increase of 24.4 percent since 2007 and brings the organization a step closer to their goal of 100 million designated donors.

Becoming a donor is easier than most people think. But each state does have its own laws and regulations regarding the process. For assistance with understanding laws, DLA provides state specific information on their website.

During April, Donate Life America and its partners will be stressing the fact that anyone can be a potential donor regardless of age, race, or medical history.

It makes sense to state that obesity starts at a young age. This study showed that if a baby is overweight at 9 months, it was very likely that the child was going to be overweight at 2 years old from there, and so on and so forth. Numbers-wise, an obese 9 month old baby has a 37.6 percent chance of being a normal weight at age 2, 18% moved into the “at risk of being obsese” category, and the remaining 43.9% stayed in the obese category. Comparing this to the children who were of normal weight at 9 months of age we can see that 75% of those children stayed a normal weight. In the “at risk” category, those who had been at risk at 9 months had a 50% chance of becoming obese by the age of 2.

It is extremely important to keep the young ones healthy. Teaching good habits and eating the right types of food at such a young age is imperative. I think that it is so sad that so many babies are overweight and what is even more sad is that babies typically have no say in what they eat! In other words, they have no control over what they are eating and because of their caretakers, they become obese. Now, that is unfair and not right.

What is one step towards healthier babies? Breastfeeding. According to many doctors, breastfeeding, and not breastfeeding combined with bottle-feeding, prevents obesity. What a simple solution! Other ideas are to promote eating apples rather than drinking juice (which is just sugar) or to gain fiber by another means.

Let’s try to stop obesity from the get go!

Well, for example, France and Denmark have both prohibited Red Bull– saying that it is a cocktail of death. This is because its vitamin components are mixed with glucuronolactone. What is that? Glucuronolactone is an extremely dangerous chemical that acts as a stimulant. You may or may not be old enough to know this, but this chemical was actually used in the sixties by United States troops in Vietnam. The United States Department of Defense developed this drug to stimulate the moral of the troops, and this chemical acted like a hallucinogenic drug that essentially calmed the stresses that are associated with the war. However, its use was eventually stopped due to an increase in cases of migraines, cerebral tumors, and diseases of the liver. Sounds healthy, huh?

To continue to focus more on Red Bull, here are some other things you should know.

Red Bull does “give you wings” and energy; in fact, studies have shown that you shouldn’t exercise after having it because you get pumped with so much energy that your heart rate increases to such a ridiculously high rate that is dangerous enough to cause a heart attack. Red Bull also can dilute the blood, so you run the risk of undergoing a cerebral hemorrhage because the blood is delivered more forcefully with less effort. Another danger of it is that when it is mixed with alcohol, which it should never be, it attacks the liver directly and the affected area will never regenerate again.

When used in moderation, energy drinks might not be as bad as this post makes them out to be. However, as with everything, the important word is moderation. I think that even having one energy drink a week is more than moderation. Energy drinks are not even that much more effective than other sources of energy such as coffee or tea. Try a more natural approach next time you think that you need a boost of energy. Try green or black tea. Eat an apple. Go for a run! Sleep! You will most certainly doing your body a favor and it is going to put a healthier spin on your day as well.

Just to be on the same page, allow me to explain what “sweat” is. Yes, it can smell sometimes, but there are a lot of benefits to it. There are a few types of sweat. Perspiration is made up of water, salt, and a small amount of electrolytes. The purpose of it is to regulate the fluid balance in your body. One type of sweat cools the body because it evaporates on the surface of the skin. This type of sweat develops from the eccrine glands and the eccrine glads are stimulated by the automatic nervous system when the body temperature goes up. The other type of sweat comes from the apocrine glands. This sweat typically comes with an accompanying odor that comes from the bacteria that breaks it down and is associated with emotional stress.

The study intends to look into the effectiveness of different kinds of sweat and then examine how the sweating response relates to reproductive hormones.

A Japanese study was done that found that the reason why women “glow” and men “sweat” is because women have to work harder than men while they are exercising in order to start sweating. The study only involved 37 people (20 females and 17 males). During the study the participants cycled at 35, 50, and 65 percent of their maximal uptake of oxygen for an hour with a relative humidity of 45 percent. Ten of the females were characterized as “untrained” and these females had to work harder and/or have a higher body temperature in order to reach the maximal activated sweat gland response.

Between the trained males and females, the researchers from the study found that the sweat gland’s response to physical training was higher among the men. This study did not measure testosterone levels, but the researchers believe that the reason why the men’s sweat gland’s response was much better was because they have more testosterone. They believe that it is the testosterone that may enhance the sweating response.

Perhaps the most important aspect of sweating that the researchers found was that men are more efficient at sweating. They also found that men benefited more from their training experience in their sweat production than the women do.

Lifeguarding is an investment because you have to pay a couple hundred dollars to get certified, but in my experience, many employers offer to reimburse you. A lifeguard certification (life saving and first aid) is good for three years. However, you have to get recertified for CPR every year.

Some great places to work as a lifeguard would be the following:

• YMCA
• NYSC
• Your local swim club
• Your local swim school
• Your local gym
• Your College/University
• Your local Day Camp

One of  the most important benefits of being a lifeguard is the acceptance of the responsibility. For teens/young adults, lifeguarding is a great way to teach them how their attentiveness and actions greatly affect others. For example, this experience will likely encourage teens to think twice about driving and texting or drinking and driving. In some facilities, one lifeguard may be responsible for an entire pool. In other facilities like a day camp, a lifeguard may be one of twenty lifeguards responsible for one pool. It all depends on the facility but one thing remains: lifeguards are trained and responsible for safety first.

Another benefit of lifeguarding is the ability to teach people, young or old, how to swim. At the YMCA or day camp, lifeguards may be responsible to teach children as young as two how to swim or at least introduce them to the water.

Some strategies to being the best swim instructor are as follows:

• Know the names of your kids within two days—they generally respond better with individual attention
• Make the kids comfortable with you right away. Know their fears and favorite things; if you are aware of a fear up front, you can begin concurring it sooner. If they like to jump into deep water, make sure you allow them to participate in that favorite activity often.
• Form relationships with your kids. On Monday ask them how their weekend was and what they did. Play games like Goofy and learn what their favorite color and favorite activity at camp are.  Try to put everything in terms they will understand. For example, for young boys relate things to cartoons or super heroes.
• Make your kids want to come to swim lessons! They have to enjoy what they are learning!

Finally, the financial benefits of being a lifeguard. With a lot of responsibility comes a lot of compensation.

• If you are teaching swim lessons for a group and a parent thinks their kids requires extra time and attention and you agree encourage private swim lessons. In my experience, I found that children respond better and learn more quickly with individual lessons. Also, as a certified lifeguard you can charge anywhere from $20-$30/30 minutes depending on your experience.
• If you are not interested in teaching private swim lessons, people are always looking for lifeguards for private parties. The going rates for these range from approximately $25-$35/hour. Keep in mind, parties are usually a few hours like 3PM-8PM where you could make a well-earned $125 for the day.

Overall, lifeguarding is a great skill and certification to have. It looks great on a resume and shows extreme dedication and responsibility. If you choose to become a lifeguard…best of luck to you! My last words of advice…wear SPF 30 at all times!

Now, you might be asking what exactly is a food revolution?  Well, Jamie is a promoter of fresh food, this means no preservatives, no additives, no coloring, just fresh, fresh, fresh.  His goal for the show is to come into the city and effectively bring this idea to how food is made in the schools, on the street and in the home.

Jamie met a lot of opposition.  The residents were not so willing to follow his meals at home, and the schools were having trouble finding the time, money and extra help to pull off the freshly prepared meals.  

Also, the kids were not exactly thrilled with the meal changes.  Jamie went to great lengths to convince the town that his meals were better for them and still fast.  In working with the parents to show them the seriousness of the situation he is quoted as saying, “Statistically your kids will be the first generation to live shorter lives than their parents.”

Now let’s stop and think about this.  This next generation of kids will live shorter lives than their parents because of the food we feed them. Come on, people. We are taking years off our lives due to the fact that we don’t want to take an extra five minutes to prepare a fresh meal!  This was the point Jamie did get through to the parents, and he hopes to bring his meals to all of the county schools. So, are you ready to get on board? Follow his show on ABC or visit his page on ABC.com and finally take the initiative.

In the words of Jamie Oliver, “Cheers!”

You can purchase Inherent Health’s test online for $149. They send you a kit to swab your DNA and return it for the test results. Their laboratory then looks for Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms in four genes (FABP2, PPARG, ADRB2 and ADRB3). The test offers a profile to assist you in managing your weight loss through diet and exercise, all with keeping in mind genetic factors that may play a part in your overweight or obese condition.

This test was examined by Stanford researchers, and their results showed that out of 140 overweight or obese women, those who kept with the diet given to them with the test results lost more weight than women who chose other methods. These successful women lost a total of 5.3 percent of their body weight, as opposed to the other women who lost 2.3 percent body weight.

The results of this test could be interesting, especially if you feel that genetics are part of the reason you are having trouble with your weight. The test brings exciting ideas about the beliefs of weight loss to the forefront, as scientists are thinking in different ways about weight loss.

One still can argue that the test taker who discovers that genetics are the reason for her overweight or obese condition needs to focus on healthy living – not on pointing fingers for her condition. If this test can be taken with the attitude of not only finding the reason for weight gain but understanding that the solution is still to focus on a healthy lifestyle (or other options, such as Lap Band Mexico), those who are overweight or obese will see greater success than if they simply focus on the results. The thought that the test results come with a suggested diet that has shown to be successful in a Stanford based study is certainly something to think about. Just don’t chew on the results – go for a walk instead!

We all know that people who spend most of their days sitting are more likely to become fat and susceptible heart attack, but that is just one part of it, there is more to prolonged sitting than just becoming fat. Elin Ekblom-Bak of the Swedish School of Sport and Health Sciences says that “after four hours of sitting, the body starts to send harmful signals and the genes regulating the amount of glucose and fat in the body start to shut down.” A study in Canada that was published last year revealed that people who spend most of their time siting have a higher death risk whether or not they exercised regularly.

Now that we know that sitting too much could be deadly, what can we do to counteract it? Peter Katzmarzyk of the Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge has this advice: “We don’t have enough evidence yet to say how much sitting is bad, but it seems the more you can get up and interrupt this sedentary behavior, the better.” Ekblom-Bak has similar advice; she says, “People should keep exercising because that has a lot of benefits, but when they’re in the office, they should try to interrupt sitting as often as possible, don’t just send your colleague an e-mail. Walk over and talk to him. Standing up.”

“We were able to show the tissue was able to integrate and function in the long term, which means we can start planning clinical applications in humans. Our hope is to be able to treat patients with many conditions, including congenital abnormalities of the penis, traumatic injuries, penile cancer and severe cases of erectile dysfunction that don’t benefit from drug treatments,” the director of the Institute for Regenerative Medicine at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center and senior author of the study, Dr. Anthony Atala said.

The study is really promising, but it is still in the early stage. This gives a lot of men hope because the researchers have shown that it is possible to grow erectile tissue in the laboratory. More than 30% of men do not respond to drugs for erectile dysfunction, and this study aims at addressing their problem.

• It restricts insurance companies from denying coverage to anyone with a pre-existing condition or for cost of care.
• It provides federal subsidies to those who cannot afford health insurance (low- to middle-income families). Are you wondering where this money comes from? Families with an income greater than $500,000 per year should expect an increase in their taxes.
• It guarantees coverage for 96% of Americans.
• As it is, this plans costs $1.3 trillion over the next decade. (This number appears to be dropping in order to encourage its passing in the Senate.)
• A stipulation in this bill is that it requires that women in this plan purchase supplemental abortion insurance with private funds if they want to be covered in the future. Representative Bart Stupak proposed this amendment that brought many of the pro-life representatives who had been against the bill to become supportive of it.

This bill has Obama’s full support; if it makes it through the Senate the next step is to have it set to work. It would be the biggest change in health care since the creation of Medicare four decades ago. However, no one can be sure whether or not it will pass through the Senate, thus all we can do is wait. But we are quite accustomed to that by now, are we not?

What’s your opinion on the health care bill? Does it give the government too much power or is it still too little or is it “just right”? Leave a comment.

Novel Influenza A (H1N1) virus, the “pandemic (H1N1) 2009 virus” or “swine flu”, is a type of influenza virus that causes respiratory disease. It can spread between people, and as of August 25th, 2009, there have been 1528 hospitalizations, ICU cases, and deaths. On June 11, 2009, the World Health Organization (WHO) raised the worldwide pandemic alert level to Phase 6.  It was raised to this level in response to the ongoing global spread of the swine flu.

What does it mean to have a pandemic alert level of Phase 6? According to WHO, “Phase 6, the pandemic phase, is characterized by community level outbreaks in at least one other country in a different WHO region in addition to the criteria defined in Phase 5. Designation of this phase will indicate that a global pandemic is under way.”

Let us take a step by step look at the various phases this virus has gone through in order to get to this extremely serious phase.

In Phase 1 we know that the virus exists naturally among animals, especially birds. In this phases there are no reported cases of humans being infected by this virus that exists among the animals. A virus is proclaimed to be Phase 2 when it is known to have infected humans. At this point officials start to consider this virus as a potential pandemic threat. Phase 3 indicates that there are sporadic or clusters of diseases in people, which means that it seems as though this virus is spread via human to human contact. However, in reality, during this stage the disease is still not spread through humans.

Phase 4 means that human to human transmission of an animal or human-animal influenza virus has occurred. The influenza virus may or may not yet be proclaimed a pandemic. Phase 5 means that human to human spread of the virus exists in at least two countries in one WHO region. This means that a pandemic is imminent.

The N1N1 virus has now passed Phase 5 and is in Phase 6. The most important idea to remember is to stay healthy and to take precautionary measures this upcoming season rather than panic about this pandemic.