Health 08 (Oct 14 - Jun 15)

[winston]

You Better Watch Out!

You wouldn't eat 13 candy canes, so why would you drink the equivalent?

Because Starbucks is being naughty and is trying to fill your stomach with way too many calories and over 54 grams of sugar with their seasonal peppermint coffee drink.

A Grande (16oz) version of the peppermint mocha coffee (made with 2% milk) contains 410 calories, 15 grams of fat and 63 grams of carbohydrates. Yikes. That's almost 3 times as many calories as one of their chewy chocolate chunk flour-less cookies.

If you want a treat, go with a mint tea and one of the cookies, or better yet, a mint tea and a BioTrust protein bar. If you must have one of these high-calorie coffees, have it after your workout when your muscles will suck up the sugar. You can also limit the damage by eliminating the 'pumps of added syrup'. Each one contains 20 calories of sugar (5 grams, equivalent to nearly one teaspoon).

Another way is to eliminate the whipped cream (that cuts 80 calories and 7 grams of fat). Next, go with an 8oz version rather than the 16 oz version. Using those tricks, you've now turned that 410 calorie coffee into a short (8oz) peppermint mocha coffee with just 160 calories and "only" 26 grams of sugar. That's still too much sugar, but if you drink just one per week as a treat, that's fine. Personally, I'd rather have the cookie.

Source: ETR

[winston]

What Happens When You Drink 10 Cokes a Day for a Month?

Here's one more reason why you should cut soda immediately from your diet. George Prior, from Los Angeles, recently chronicled a self-experiment where he drank 10 cans of Coca-Cola a day for a month.

The previously gym-toned Prior put on twenty three pounds, and saw his blood pressure rise to an unhealthy 145/96. He also reported strong cravings for more sugar, even though he was consuming 350g of sugar daily from his Coke intake alone.

Prior's reasoning for the experiment: "I did the experiment to get people thinking and talking about how much sugar they eat and how unhealthy it is. People need to be aware of the real and powerful damaging effects of sugar on their health."

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/men/active/m ... month.html

[behappyalways]

Standing on one leg for 20 seconds can predict chance of dementia
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healt ... entia.html

[winston]

Your Healthiest Work Meeting Ever

Unbroken hours spent seated in a chair hurt our bodies in a way that even regular visits to the gym or a 5k weekend run can’t fix.

More and more research links sitting for uninterrupted periods of time — the kind of sitting we experience at work in meetings and while commuting — with two times greater risk of diabetes, a 90% greater risk of cardiovascular disease, and a 49% greater risk of death, among other conditions and diseases.

The good news is you can easily fix this. Researchers have found that walking at work can boost creativity, improve focus and retention, and of course reverse the negative health effects associated with sitting.

Source: ETR

[winston]

Millions of Americans are needlessly putting their eyes at risk by Dr. David Eifrig

Your contact lenses can blind you…

According to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the bacterial infection microbial keratitis resulted in 930,000 doctor’s visits and 58,000 emergency visits in 2010.

Microbial keratitis affects your cornea. Left untreated, it leads to eye pain, blurred vision, and blindness. The main risk factor of microbial keratitis is improper use of contact lenses.

I first warned subscribers about the dangers of wearing contacts last year. About 38 million Americans wear contact lenses.

A 2012 study, published in Optometry and Vision Science journal, found 98% of wearers use them improperly. The CDC estimates the yearly health care cost of microbial keratitis is $175 million.

So save yourself pain and money and take proper care of your contacts. The CDC keeps a detailed list of how to care for contact lenses here.

Source: Retirement Millionaire

http://www.cdc.gov/contactlenses/protect-your-eyes.html

[winston]

Stroke risk may reflect in inability to stand on one leg

WASHINGTON: Struggling to stand on one leg for less than 20 seconds is linked to a higher risk of stroke, small blood vessel damage in the brain and reduced cognitive function, Press Trust of India (PTI) reports citing a study.

"Our study found the ability to balance on one leg is an important test for brain health," said Yasuharu Tabara, lead study author and associate professor from the Centre for Genomic Medicine at Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine in Kyoto, Japan.

"Individuals showing poor balance on one leg should receive increased attention as this may indicate an increased risk for brain disease and cognitive decline," Tabara said.

The study involved 841 women and 546 men with an average age of 67.

To measure one-leg standing time, participants stood with their eyes open and raised one leg.

The maximum time for keeping the leg raised was 60 seconds. Participants performed this examination twice and the better results were used in the study analysis.

Cerebral small vessel disease was evaluated using brain magnetic resonance imaging.

Researchers found that the inability to balance on one leg for longer than 20 seconds was associated with cerebral small vessel disease - small infarctions without symptoms such as lacunar infarction and microbleeds.

The study revealed 34.5 percent of those with more than two lacunar infarction lesions had trouble balancing as did 16 percent of those with one lacunar infarction lesion.

Thirty percent of participants with more than two microbleed lesions and 15.3 percent with one microbleed lesion had also trouble balancing.

Overall, those with cerebral diseases were older, had high blood pressure and had thicker carotid arteries than those who did not have cerebral small vessel disease.

However, after adjustment for these covariates, participants with more microbleeds and lacunar infarctions in the brain had shorter times standing on one leg.

Short one-legged standing times were also independently linked with lower cognitive scores.

"One-leg standing time is a simple measure of postural instability and might be a consequence of the presence of brain abnormalities," said Tabara.

The research was published in the American Heart Association's journal Stroke.

Source: Bernama

[winston]

Everyday Foods That Contain Way More Sugar Than You Thought

Just because it's supposed to be healthy does not mean a food can't contain excess sugar. Which happens to be the case for these sneaky everyday foods:

Raisins - ¼ cup of them contains 29 grams of sugar.

Tomato Soup - Tomato soup needs to have a lot of sugar added to round out the acidity. One can of Campbell’s condensed tomato soup, for example, contains about 30 grams of sugar.

Granola Bars - Granola bars, while they enjoy a reputation for being healthy, are often much sweeter than they need to be. Those Nature Valley Trail Mix Fruit & Nut bars, for example, contain 13 grams of sugar, and the popular Oats ‘n Honey bars contain 12 grams of sugar per pack. And even though Quaker Chewy Chocolate Chip Granola Bars are pretty small, those still contain 7 grams of sugar each.

Source: ETR

[winston]

Our seasonal "taste test" could save you money and improve your health over the holidays

by Dr. David Eifrig

Source: Retirement Millionaire

http://thecrux.com/doc-eifrig-our-seaso ... ur-health/

[winston]

3 Surprising Ways to Avoid Getting Sick

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Except for nasty colds that are being passed around. Thankfully we've got some helpful tips so you can avoid getting sick.

Get a Protein Fix - "Research shows that diets that are too low in protein can deplete the immune system. So I make sure to get protein-rich foods throughout the day, especially fish, eggs and yogurt." - Douglas Kalman, PhD, RD, director of nutrition and applied clinical trials at Miami Research Associates

Live By the Pen - "With an immune-compromised child at homemy son got a bone-marrow transplant when he was a year old to treat Wiskott-Aldrich SyndromeI've become used to bringing my own pen to the bank, the grocery store, the doctor's office. I even touch the ATM with it. That way, I avoid picking up germs I might spread to my child." - Kim Okochi

Don't Talk Dirty - "As a doctor, I need to keep my cell phone with me at all times. During the day, I might place it on a counter or use it in between opening doors, pushing elevator buttons or shaking hands with patients or colleagues. Cleaning my phone with a sanitizing wipe regularly cuts back on the germs that get near my face and mouth." - Dr. Broumand

Source: ETR

[winston]

How to Fight Colds and the Flu By Dr. David Eifrig

'Tis the season for flu and colds... But can you tell the difference between the two?

The Cleveland Clinic has put together a concise list to help you figure out if you're fighting the flu or a cold and how to combat each one.

Flu: Use the acronym FACTS – Fever, Aches, Chills, Tiredness, and Sudden Onset.

Sudden onset is one of the key differences between the flu and a common cold. If you're older than 65 and feel flu symptoms come on fast, get to your doctor quickly. The sooner you can take antiviral medications, the better.

The flu usually lasts two to four days when treated with bed rest, liquids, and over-the-counter flu medications. Avoid antibiotics for the flu, since the flu is a virus. Antibiotics target bacteria, so they're useless against the flu.

Cold: You can feel a cold "coming on" for a while before you really get sick. It typically lasts from one to three weeks. Symptoms include a runny rose, congestion, sneezing, sore throat, and coughing. You can treat it with over-the-counter cold medicine and vitamin C.

The common cold also comes from a virus, so skip the antibiotics here, too. If you feel yourself getting sick, do what I do. Wash your hands with non-antibacterial soap and take plenty of vitamin C. I also use a Neti pot to wash out my sinuses and help clear up my congestion. (But make sure you use your Neti pot correctly.)

Source: ETR