“Adults should NOT be drinking milk …”

This statement elicited a direct response from another reader, “Adult[s] do need calcium. Haven’t you read the article how important milk is?”

This is an alarming reply, as it implies that recommending less consumption of milk is the same as recommending a decreased intake of calcium. Calcium is necessary for many functions in our body, especially for keeping our bones strong and preventing osteoporosis, but is milk really our best source?

On one hand, we have the pro-milk side, who believes that increased calcium intake, in the form of milk, is the best way to prevent osteoporosis. Gotmilk.com makes the claim that 75% of the calcium in calcium-fortified beverages, such as soy drinks and orange juice, gets left at the bottom of the container. From their standpoint, milk is the only sure-fire source of calcium.

So who disagrees? Researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health do. The results from a large (70,000+ women) and long-term (18 years) health study showed no correlation between milk consumption and fracture risk. Rather, it has become apparent that consistent exercise (especially weight-bearing and resistance-training exercises) is an influential factor in preventing osteoporosis. Let it be made clear again that milk in this context is not synonymous with calcium.

The problem with milk, according to these researchers, is that it also contains vitamin A, which depletes calcium sources and adversely affects bone health. There is also research to prove that a diet high in calcium leads to increased risk of ovarian cancer for women and prostate cancer for men.

Also, some people are lactose intolerant, so they experience painful symptoms after its consumption. While most mammals become lactose intolerant during development, humans have developed some lactose persistence (which means we can continue to digest lactose during adulthood). In fact, a whopping three-quarters of adults worldwide actually have some degree of lactose intolerance, and may benefit from avoiding lactose in their diets.

The bottom line is that the jury is still out on the milk debate; however, more and more research is starting to indicate that milk isn’t quite the “superdrink” it has always been touted to be. While calcium is conveniently found in dairy products, we can also find it in vegetables, dried beans, and legumes, which might be, on the whole, healthier choices.

Overview
In 2010, an estimated 785,000 Americans had a new coronary attack, and about 470,000 had a recurrent attack. About every 25 seconds, an American will have a coronary event, and about one every minute will die from one (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). In essence, heart disease touches all of our lives in some way, from losing loved ones… to being affected ourselves.

Hope Through Prevention
These are scary statistics; however, each of us can lower our risk of heart disease through preventative measures. The American Heart Association (AHA) has come out with a new program to help citizens make heart care a priority. “Life’s Simple 7” provides a blueprint for healthy heart living.

The AHA strongly suggests that people take the following steps:

1. Get Active.
2. Control Cholesterol.
3. Eat Better.
4. Manage Blood Pressure.
5. Lose Weight.
6. Reduce Blood Sugar.
7. Stop Smoking.

It is worth a visit to the AHA website to learn more about how to implement these simple seven steps into your life. Also, an interactive tool on the site can assess where you already stand concerning these important factors.

Women Need More Education
For years, the general public thought that only men suffered from heart disease. Not true. Women are at risk as well. Many national campaigns promote the issue for women, but “The Heart Truth” from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) is one of the best known.

A little red dress symbolizes the movement. Introduced in 2002, the dress reminds and inspires women to protect themselves. The NHLBI states, “The campaign’s goal is to give women a personal and urgent wakeup call about their risk of heart disease.” A sobering statistic from the organization supports the effort. Amazing as it may seem, one in four women in the United States dies from heart disease! Compare that to breast cancer deaths in women – one in 30.

Much like the AHA, the NHLBI offers ways to prevent this terrible disease. By doing just four things—eating right, being physically active, not smoking, and keeping a healthy weight, a woman can reduce the risk of heart disease by as much as 82 percent.

“The Heart Truth” website provides plenty of additional information. Check it out here. You’ll find enlightening facts such as that, “the most common cause of heart disease is narrowing or blockage of the coronary arteries, the blood vessels that supply blood to the heart itself.”

Visit Your Medical Provider Regularly
Common sense also tells us that in order to love our hearts, we must visit a health care provider. Health screenings such as blood pressure and cholesterol checks need to be completed on a regular basis. Doctors/nurses can also give useful advice on losing weight and quitting smoking. Loving your heart means finding a health care provider you want to visit annually.

Three Ways to Show Your Heart “Love” Today

1. Eat a piece of fresh fruit.
2. Increase your activity level – take the stairs, park farther from the entrance at work or at a store.
3. Stop smoking – if you don’t smoke, stay away from second-hand smoke.

A Love Letter to Your Heart
Long associated with love, hearts need special care too. This February, make a vow to learn more about heart disease and how you can prevent it. By changing a few things about you and how you live your life, you can improve your chances of being around a long time for the ones you love.

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.

If you have ever wondered just why an apple a day is said to keep the doctor away, you may be interested to learn that eating apples provides many healthful benefits, from dentition and digestion to diabetes management and more.

Apples contain pectin which acts as a natural tooth whitener, and biting and chewing the crunchy fruit helps maintain strong teeth and gums. Pectin, a soluble fiber, and the large number of antioxidants found in apples can also work to significantly reduce LDL cholesterol levels. Low-density lipoproteins are what are commonly referred to as “bad” cholesterol. Pectin’s main component, galacturonic acid, may assist in the management of diabetes by helping to naturally reduce the body’s need for insulin.

Digestion is improved by the consumption of apples; one large apple contains more than thirty percent of minimum recommended daily fiber, assisting in the treatment and prevention of constipation. Diarrhea may be treated with apples, as well, since they are known to possess antiviral qualities. Apples also contain the mineral boron, and a flavanoid known as phloridzin, both of which have been shown to help improve bone strength and density, and reduce the risk of osteoporosis.

Studies underway also appear to indicate that some extracts from the skin of an apple can help to lower the risk of developing certain types of cancers, including lung, liver, colon and breast cancer. The presence of the flavanoids naringin and quercetin may contribute greatly to the reduction in risk. Quercetin may also offer protection from brain cell damage by free radicals that may lead to Alzheimer’s.

Critics object to the idea of colonic cleansers because they maintain that the body performs this function without assistance, and attempting to flush the intestines artificially can lead to increased risk of dehydration. Proponents insist that the process of colon cleansing removes harmful toxins from the body and assists in the growth of “good” bacteria in your colon. So who is right?

Some evidence shows that there may be benefits to cleansing your colon. These include the removal of harmful toxins from your intestines, boosting your immune system, enhancing memory function, sharpening mental focus, and increasing metabolic activity. Opponents of the theory insist that the same benefits can be garnered by simply eating more fiber, drinking more water, and getting more exercise.

Colon cleansing may also be beneficial to those experiencing a plateau during weight loss. If you have been losing weight on a healthy diet and exercise plan, and suddenly the numbers on the scale quit moving, a colon cleanse may be helpful in jumpstarting that weight loss process. Many dieters have reported success with the use of colonic cleansers in this way.

If you do plan to try a colon cleansing method, however, take care in choosing a quality product and make yourself aware of the ingredients. While colon cleanse products do not contain pharmaceuticals, some herbal supplements in improper proportions can cause harmful side effects. Also remember to remain well-hydrated throughout the entire cleansing process.

The screen itself is a series of movement tests that document movements key to normal human functioning.  The FMS records asymmetries and functional limitations of the body through a series of ten tests and then based on the score, corrective exercises are assigned to the areas of the body that need to be repositioned and/or strengthened.  The score is done by exercise professional who has been certified in the screen.

To become certified one must attend a two-day seminar and then complete some one-on-one hours with an instructor followed by completing an online exam.  The examiner uses the score to track one’s progress as they move along with the corrective exercises.  The score is given out as a 0, 1,2 or 3.  A score of 3 means the movement was completed with no pain and no restriction.  A 2 as a score means the movement was almost completed but there was a restriction.  A score of 1 means that the movement could not be completed fully due to restriction and pain.  A 0 as a score indicates pain that totally restricts the movement.  To be cleared as totally functional a score of 15 is needed.

The great part about the exercises is they are easy to understand and keep up with on your own.  This allows for anybody to go through the FMS.  So whether you are an athlete, a parent, a grandparent or someone who works forty plus hours a week the FMS is an option for you.  It takes fifteen minutes to get screened so check for an instructor near you at www.functionalmovement.com.

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.”

What is in sex then that makes it good for your health? Here are some of the known health benefits that sexual activity can bring you:

You will live longer if you make love more often. A study done in Britain showed that men who had sex at least two times a week lived longer than men who had sex less than once a month. A similar study also was conducted in the US, and it showed the same results–men who have sex more often live longer. The British study also revealed that men who have sex more often have healthier hearts and are less likely to have heart attacks. Another study, which was published in the Biological Psychology journal, reveals frequent sexual activity lowers diastolic blood pressure.

A French study also showed that women who do not have sexual intercourse often are more likely to have breast cancer than those who do regularly. In men, frequent sexual activity was found to be a good way to prevent prostate cancer, this was found out in a study conducted in Minnesota.

Every time you have sex, you burn around 50 calories. Imagine how much calories you’d be burning if you have sex at least three times a week. This is probably why those who have frequent sexual intercourse tend to be sexier than those who do less often.

If you want to live longer, start making love to your partner more often, it will bring the two of you a lot of benefits.

Dr. Raul Artal, chairman of obstetrics, gynecology and women’s health for the Saint Louis University School of Medicine says that women who exercise during pregnancy are less likely to develop conditions like gestational diabetes. Dr. Artal also says that “exercise maintains musculoskeletal fitness and women can cope with the anatomical and physiological changes of pregnancy better when they’re in good shape. Women who exercise can also tolerate labor better and recover more quickly from delivery as compared to those who do not exercise.”

But it is not only the mother who benefits from exercise, the baby also gets something very good out of the mother’s exercise. The baby reaps cardiac benefits in the form of lower fetal heart rates every time the mother works out. A 30 minute session of moderate exercise each day is recommended by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. But a pregnant woman must first seek the advice of her doctor before doing any kind of exercise.

“A lot of things depend on the level of fitness a woman had before her pregnancy,” Dr. Thomas Wang, a family practitioner for Kaiser Permanente in San Diego, said. An expectant mother should see to it that the kind of exercise she will do will give her a good level of exertion but not too much that it tests her pregnant body’s limits. ”Anything that involves impact or the chance of abdominal trauma, they should try to avoid,” Dr. Wang explained.

The best exercise that a pregnant woman could pursue is any one of the following: walking, light dancing, and light swimming. Exercise that involves the risk of falling should be avoided.

While studying the benefits of laughter, it came into Miller’s mind that probably music has the same effect on the blood vessels as laughter. He studied the effects of music on the cardiovascular system and found out that  music may be one of the best de-stressors — either by playing or even listening to music. But not all kinds of music can act as a de-stressor because when a person is forced to listen to music he does not like, his blood vessels close up.

Using high-tech  imaging, Dr. Miller was able to measure blood vessel size as people listened to music. He learned that when a person listens to the kind of music that she likes, her blood vessels open up. When forced to listen to music she doesn’t like, the blood vessel were observed to shrink.

“The inner lining of the blood vessel relaxed, opened up and produced chemicals that are protective to the heart,” stated Dr. Miller, as he explained the effects of music on the blood vessel.

Stress can contribute to the damage on the cardivascular system, so it is important to have a de-stressor. Music is always there, ready for you to enjoy and fight stress with. It is good to have music that you like play in the background as much as possible to help you fight stress.

Is your dry mouth related to the antibiotics, or a new symptom? Can you drink milk with your statin medication? Can you take your anti-inflammatory with your iron supplement?

What about herbal remedies and vitamins? You can purchase these over the counter, but the FDA doesn’t require them to be labeled the same way prescription medications are. It’s also possible that the ginger you are taking for gout will work against the ulcer medication you’re taking for heartburn.

Fortunately, any information you need is a simple mouse-click away. Most major pharmaceutical companies have websites full of information, and even interactive forms for reporting adverse reactions.  Some sites have a good amount of human growth hormone information.

Be an informed consumer, and bookmark this list of links when you need to check out your supplements and medications!

RxList – A large database of prescription medications, it also includes a “pill identifier” button. Click on “Consumer” for information; “Advanced Consumer” will give you the actual chemical structure and other details directed towards professionals.

Vitamin Encyclopedia – This is a commercial site but has loads of information on all things vitamin, including recommended daily allowances, therapeutic doses, and symptoms of overdose. It’s easy to navigate by vitamin or mineral name. The only drawback is each vitamin page contains links to purchase related products at the bottom; be a savvy consumer and do plenty of research before purchasing vitamins and supplements!

Herbal Encyclopedia - Similar to the Vitamin Encyclopedia, and also includes lists of dangerous interactions.

Drugs.com – The most comprehensive and easy to use of all prescription sites. Also contains a drug interaction checker, news, pill identifier, and more.

Dr. Sinclair’s research involved fat mice and average girth mice. In the study, fat mice that consumed red wine lived as long and as healthy as the slim and trim mice. The fat mice which were on a high fat, high calorie diet were given resveratrol (a main component of red wine). The resveratrol-given mice showed healthy insulin control, livers, and cardiovascular systems.

So if you like cracking open a bottle of Merlot on a regular basis, you should read this study and drink to your health!