CROSSFEED 4-94
AEROMEDICAL NEWS
HEALTH NEWS
by L. Kline
BACK PROBLEMS - back problems are a leading cause of pain and sick leave use. Over 80% of adults will experience back problems some time in their lives.
Here are some suggestions from the Mayo Clinic Health Letter that may help prevent straining and injuring your back:
1. Plan ahead - think through risky movements that may cause the twisting and straining injuries that are likely to occur.
2. Listen to your body - if your back hurts, stop what you are doing and rest. Change sitting or standing positions frequently.
3. Stand tall - good posture (learned from the military as military bearing) aids in supporting the back. Good posture takes a minimal effort to balance the body and maintain the three natural curves in the back. Good posture = tuck in your chin, keep your chest high, your shoulders back and relaxed, your stomach and buttock muscles tight. (Brace mister and sound off!)
4. Sit comfortably - sitting is stressful on the back and hard to avoid in our occupation. To minimize stress, choose a sitting position that allows you to place your feet flat on the floor and at the same time supports the lower back. Another aid is to place a pillow or rolled up towel in the small of the back to maintain the normal curve and support the lumbar area. Adjust the seat to keep the knees and hips level, with the seat forward enough to avoid over-reaching the rudder pedals.
5. Sleep right - good sleeping position allows the back to rest during sleep. When sleeping on your side, support your head with a pillow and place another pillow between your knees. When sleeping on your back, place a pillow under your knees. Avoid sleeping on your stomach.
6. Lift with the legs - plant the feet firmly, one foot slightly ahead of the other, bending the knees so the arms are level with the object - then tighten the abdominal muscles when beginning to lift. Keep the back straight and hold the load close to the body. Avoid lifting something over the head, such as
putting objects on high shelves.
FITNESS ON THE DECLINE - in the last 10 years, the percentage of Americans that are committed to physical fitness has declined from 42 percent to only 30 percent. Even those watching their weight has decreased from 52 percent to 49 percent.
Why the decline? Part of the explanation may be that most of the recent research indicates that good health is not a product of fanatical exercise and dieting, but rather moderate exercise with sensible eating habits.
ANOTHER REASON TO EXERCISE - in a comparison of the exercise habits of 794 testicular cancer patients and a equal number of healthy men; those that exercised regularly had a much lower cancer rate. The risk of testicular cancer was 71 percent higher for sedentary types!
GAINING WEIGHT LATELY? - those meals consumed late in the evening prior to evening rest may be partly responsible for weight gain. Studies of obese people show that most get more than half of their calories after six in the evening. The problem with eating late in the day is that the body is more into storing calories (fat) for the least active part of the day. "Instead of being burned up as fuel, the food you eat before bed has more of a chance of going into storage," explains James O. Hill, Ph.D., an obesity researcher at the University of Colorado Center for Human Nutrition.
How to avoid late night munching? Try snacking throughout the day. Eating a big meal just before sleep periods causes the body to produce excess insulin, which helps transport energy into storage (fat). But a series a smaller snacks throughout the day keeps insulin levels lower, resulting in calories being burned by the body more efficiently, even at night. Eating the bigger meals earlier in the day will help fuel the body during the most active part of the duty-day. For AM fliers, a good workout before the evening meal suppresses the appetite, so you'll be less likely to pig out.
NATURAL SOURCES OF VITAMINS - since publishing previous articles on the benefits of the anti-oxidant vitamins, there have been several inquiries as to the best natural sources of these and other important vitamins and minerals:
Vitamin A - carrots
Vitamin C - red bell peppers (3 1/2 times more than oranges)
Vitamin E - wheat germ oil
Folic acid - most fortified breakfast cereals
Fiber - high fiber breakfast cereal
Calcium - parmesan cheese (11 times more than skim milk)
(Health 1-2/94)
REDUCING BREAST CANCER RISK - according to a recent study conducted at the University of Southern California which included 1100 subjects, there is a 60% reduction of risk of breast cancer occurring in women who exercise regularly. Professor Leslie Bernstein of USC, stated that regular moderate exercise reduces the production of two hormones that may lead to breast cancer.
A very good predictor of breast cancer is family history; i.e. if a first-degree relative, a sister or mother, who has had the disease, you are more likely than the general population as a whole to develop it. But only 5% of all breast cancer occurs in women with such a genetic disposition.
Besides exercising moderately, reducing risk of the disease includes low-fat diets rich in vegetables, which seem to have an antitumor effect. Excess body fat produces estradiol, an estrogen that is the primary female hormone. Overweight women tend to breakdown estradiol in a dangerous form, whereas thin women tend to have more of the innocuous form.
USE IT OR LOSE IT - muscle that is. Inactive middle-aged folks lose about a pound of muscle mass a year due to aging unless some sort of regular strength training program is undertaken.
IMPORTANCE OF SLEEP - the cumulative effects of three straight nights of only four hours sleep impairs visual attention (reaction times) as much as an entire night without any sleep. (University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine - David Dinges, Ph.D.)
TARGETING INDIVIDUAL SYMPTOMS - if one has two illnesses simultaneously, such as a cold and headache, relief will be quicker by treating them with two separate products rather than one that treats both. Combination products provide less pain reliever on average, but are much more expensive. (UC - Berkeley Wellness Letter)
QUALITY, NOT QUANTITY - people with large appetites can still lose weight by altering the quality of the diet, not quantity, according to a study at Indiana University. The diets of slim and heavy people who eat the same number of calories indicated that the lean people generally eat more fiber, less fat, and less added sugar than their obese counterparts.
HEALTHY LUNCHEON CHOICE?: caesar salad vs. the "big mac" - the most popular salad in America is worse than the typical "burger biggie". The common caesar salad contains over 500 calories, 40 grams of fat, 215 mg of cholesterol and 1,075 mg of sodium. It's the dressing that turns the salad into the fat bomb - go lightly on dressing and opt for the low-fat/non-fat variety if available.
And speaking of favored luncheon choices, the Texas favorite of chicken-fried steak: dipped in egg yolk, breaded, redipped, deep-fried and topped with cream gravy contains 1,052 calories and over 60 grams of artery-clogging fat! Self 10/94
Food-For-Thought: seatbelt extensions, for our larger customers, are stamped with the initals of the FAA Technical Standards Order -FAA-TSO! (columnist Herb Caen)
[insert Garfield cartoon here]
BREAD QUIZ - what basis do you use to purchase bread? If you, like most health-conscious consumers today, read labels to get the low-fat products you desire, you may not be getting what you think. Ingredients are listed in order of contribution by weight. If the label says "white bread" or just "bread", the loaf's made with refined flour. If it says "enriched", the dough must contain specified amounts of thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, and iron. A label can say "whole wheat" only if the bread is made from 100 percent whole wheat flour containing everything in the same proportion as in the original wheat kernel. No refined flour allowed. Unless the label says "whole wheat", it is very likely that the bread is made from refined flour.
Between white bread and whole wheat lies a full spectrum of specialty loaves; twelve-grain, potato, rye, and sour dough. Only the ingredients list can give a true idea as to what you're really getting, not the label. Some "oat bran" labelled breads show "wheat flour" as their first ingredient - just another name for white flour - your basic "Wonder Bread", not the high fiber good-for-you bread that you thought you were getting.
The following may help you decipher the labels of your favorite loaves:
Natural - means nothing. The FDA has no regulation defining "natural", although some manufacturers imply no preservatives used in baking.
Reduced calorie - by law, must contain one-third fewer calories than an equivalent non-diet slice.
High-fiber - means nothing. No FDA standard exists for dietary fiber.
Unbleached - not treated with benzoyl peroxide, chlorine, or other bleaches.
Enriched - has FDA specified amounts of iron and three B vitamins.
Wheat flour - white flour
Malted barley flour - barley flour that has been partially germinated, dried and powdered or made into syrup which feeds the yeast that helps the bread rise and brown well.
Corn syrup - a sweetener, but usually added to feed yeast rather than to affect taste.
Wheat bran - the shell of the wheat berry, added back into the bread to increase the fiber content.
Soy flour - added for fiber
Sugar - same as "corn syrup"
Wheat gluten - elastic protein that binds dough and helps bread rise.
Yeast - the fermenting agent without which bread would be unleavened (and very heavy).
Vegetable oil - lubricates the dough to make it expandable and fluffy.
From the Flight Surgeon:
"A HEART-TO-HEART!"
by Joe Battersby, D.O.
FAA Medical Examiner
[insert Battersby article here]
(I will fax Battersby's article to you this week-LK)
Friday, April 1, 1994
Tuesday, March 1, 1994
Health News
CROSSFEED 3-94
AEROMEDICAL NEWS
HEALTH NEWS
by L. Kline
TOP FOODS FOR HEALTHY TEETH - enroute snacks make brushing after eating very difficult on long duty days, but there are foods that can help prevent tooth decay and gum disease. A crisp juicy apple or other raw crunchy fruit or vegetable contains fiber that helps scrape away bacteria and plaque. Carrots are especially beneficial as studies suggest that diets that are high in beta-carotene, found abundantly in carrots, cantaloupe and other fruits and vegetables, have a lower risk of oral cancer than people who have a lower intake of the nutrient.
HEALTHY ETHNIC FOODS - recent publicity has assailed chinese, italian, and mexican foods as generally being high in saturated fats and calories. But there are healthy choices available:
Chinese - order wonton soup, steamed vegetables, rice, and fish. Avoid deep-fried eggrolls, barbecued pork ribs, fried rice, sweet-and-sour dishes, and fried noodles.
Italian - order pastas with tomato sauces and garlic while avoiding heavy creamy sauces.
Mexican - try the soft corn tortillas, which have one-seventh the saturated fat of the flour tortillas. Grilled fish, chicken, and beef are preferable. Avoid refried beans (contains lard!), cheese and sour cream. Men's Health 7/94
A NEW HEALTH DRINK - silicon is an essential element required for healthy bone metabolism and stimulating growth. Trace amounts of silicon are found in unrefined cereals and drinking water, but a more reliable source of silicon is...beer. According to the British medical journal The Lancet, blood levels of silicon rose significantly one hour after six male volunteers downed 2 pints. Now if we could just find a medical benefit for "Wild Turkey!"
ACQUIRING A TASTE FOR A HEALTHY DIET - western pallets have a taste for fatty and sugary foods. Children are given foods such as sweeten cereals and hamburgers from an early age, thusly conditioning the young to require a certain "taste" that can be quenched only by foods high in fat and sugar. Yet it only takes 90 days of an altered diet low in fats to change cravings for fatty foods. According to a study at the Monell Chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia, people who were put on reduced-fat diets for three months actually acquired a taste for lower fat foods and lost their cravings for fatty foods such as butter and mayonnaise. The same was true for sugary foods.
DON'T BE A "DEADHEAD" - getting a lot of mental exercise on the job may protect you from Alzheimer's disease. Research at Columbia University, testing the mental capacities of 593 volunteers aged 60 and older, found that people who spent their lives in more intellectually demanding occupations had half the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease as those employed in less stimulating positions. Researchers speculate that an active mind may develop a reserve of brain cells that resists the disease. Self 7/94
RED WINE FOR YOUR HEART - red wine not only lowers cholesterol levels, but new research from the University of Wisconsin indicates that consuming three or four glasses a week also reduces the blood's tendency to clot.
BURNING FAT TWICE - an old saying about cutting firewood is that it warms you twice; once when cutting it and again in the fireplace. Research at Colorado State University now indicates that weight training keeps the body's metabolism running at a higher level long after the workout. Two hours after a test group exercised for 90 minutes, their metabolic rate was still 11% higher than it was before exercise. Even 15 hours later, their metabolism was between 5% and 10% higher than before exercising. This could add up to a 114 calorie afterburn, beyond the benefits of the exercise itself. The calories burned by the body after exercising tend to come from fats rather than carbohydrates.
CRAVING BEEF? - if your taste for beef is still not abated after all the articles you've read in this publication, there may be a viable substitute - if you can find it. Central Washington University research indicates that hamburger made from "beefalo", a low-fat meat from a bison-cattle crossbreed, will not raise total or LDL (bad) cholesterol levels, whereas eating the same amount of beef significantly raises LDL levels.
STOPPING STONES - kidney stones afflict nearly one million Americans every year. The stones - hardened mineral deposits that grow inside the kidneys and slowly, and painfully, pass into the bladder, may be prevented by:
Drink lots of water - at least eight glasses a day.
Drink skim milk - the calcium in milk binds in the intestines with the minerals that form kidney stones and helps them pass harmlessly out the body.
Cut the beef - diets rich in animal protein increases the risk of stones forming by boosting the amount of uric acid in urine.
Hold the salt - sodium causes the kidneys to retain calcium crystals, which can become kidney stones.
Add potassium - diets high in potassium are at low risk for kidney stones to form. Best sources of potassium are bananas, potatoes, nectarines, and oranges. Men's Health 7/94
THE IMPORTANCE OF EXERCISE - young Americans between the ages of 25 and 30 are weighing, on average, 10 pounds more than they did seven years ago, according to The National Institutes of Health. While subjects in this group are eating less cholesterol and fat, they are also consuming more calories and not exercising.
From the Flight Surgeon:
"YO! BARTENDER!"
by Joe Battersby, D.O.
FAA Medical Examiner
[insert Battersby article here]
(I will fax Battersby's article to you this week-LK)
AEROMEDICAL NEWS
HEALTH NEWS
by L. Kline
TOP FOODS FOR HEALTHY TEETH - enroute snacks make brushing after eating very difficult on long duty days, but there are foods that can help prevent tooth decay and gum disease. A crisp juicy apple or other raw crunchy fruit or vegetable contains fiber that helps scrape away bacteria and plaque. Carrots are especially beneficial as studies suggest that diets that are high in beta-carotene, found abundantly in carrots, cantaloupe and other fruits and vegetables, have a lower risk of oral cancer than people who have a lower intake of the nutrient.
HEALTHY ETHNIC FOODS - recent publicity has assailed chinese, italian, and mexican foods as generally being high in saturated fats and calories. But there are healthy choices available:
Chinese - order wonton soup, steamed vegetables, rice, and fish. Avoid deep-fried eggrolls, barbecued pork ribs, fried rice, sweet-and-sour dishes, and fried noodles.
Italian - order pastas with tomato sauces and garlic while avoiding heavy creamy sauces.
Mexican - try the soft corn tortillas, which have one-seventh the saturated fat of the flour tortillas. Grilled fish, chicken, and beef are preferable. Avoid refried beans (contains lard!), cheese and sour cream. Men's Health 7/94
A NEW HEALTH DRINK - silicon is an essential element required for healthy bone metabolism and stimulating growth. Trace amounts of silicon are found in unrefined cereals and drinking water, but a more reliable source of silicon is...beer. According to the British medical journal The Lancet, blood levels of silicon rose significantly one hour after six male volunteers downed 2 pints. Now if we could just find a medical benefit for "Wild Turkey!"
ACQUIRING A TASTE FOR A HEALTHY DIET - western pallets have a taste for fatty and sugary foods. Children are given foods such as sweeten cereals and hamburgers from an early age, thusly conditioning the young to require a certain "taste" that can be quenched only by foods high in fat and sugar. Yet it only takes 90 days of an altered diet low in fats to change cravings for fatty foods. According to a study at the Monell Chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia, people who were put on reduced-fat diets for three months actually acquired a taste for lower fat foods and lost their cravings for fatty foods such as butter and mayonnaise. The same was true for sugary foods.
DON'T BE A "DEADHEAD" - getting a lot of mental exercise on the job may protect you from Alzheimer's disease. Research at Columbia University, testing the mental capacities of 593 volunteers aged 60 and older, found that people who spent their lives in more intellectually demanding occupations had half the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease as those employed in less stimulating positions. Researchers speculate that an active mind may develop a reserve of brain cells that resists the disease. Self 7/94
RED WINE FOR YOUR HEART - red wine not only lowers cholesterol levels, but new research from the University of Wisconsin indicates that consuming three or four glasses a week also reduces the blood's tendency to clot.
BURNING FAT TWICE - an old saying about cutting firewood is that it warms you twice; once when cutting it and again in the fireplace. Research at Colorado State University now indicates that weight training keeps the body's metabolism running at a higher level long after the workout. Two hours after a test group exercised for 90 minutes, their metabolic rate was still 11% higher than it was before exercise. Even 15 hours later, their metabolism was between 5% and 10% higher than before exercising. This could add up to a 114 calorie afterburn, beyond the benefits of the exercise itself. The calories burned by the body after exercising tend to come from fats rather than carbohydrates.
CRAVING BEEF? - if your taste for beef is still not abated after all the articles you've read in this publication, there may be a viable substitute - if you can find it. Central Washington University research indicates that hamburger made from "beefalo", a low-fat meat from a bison-cattle crossbreed, will not raise total or LDL (bad) cholesterol levels, whereas eating the same amount of beef significantly raises LDL levels.
STOPPING STONES - kidney stones afflict nearly one million Americans every year. The stones - hardened mineral deposits that grow inside the kidneys and slowly, and painfully, pass into the bladder, may be prevented by:
Drink lots of water - at least eight glasses a day.
Drink skim milk - the calcium in milk binds in the intestines with the minerals that form kidney stones and helps them pass harmlessly out the body.
Cut the beef - diets rich in animal protein increases the risk of stones forming by boosting the amount of uric acid in urine.
Hold the salt - sodium causes the kidneys to retain calcium crystals, which can become kidney stones.
Add potassium - diets high in potassium are at low risk for kidney stones to form. Best sources of potassium are bananas, potatoes, nectarines, and oranges. Men's Health 7/94
THE IMPORTANCE OF EXERCISE - young Americans between the ages of 25 and 30 are weighing, on average, 10 pounds more than they did seven years ago, according to The National Institutes of Health. While subjects in this group are eating less cholesterol and fat, they are also consuming more calories and not exercising.
From the Flight Surgeon:
"YO! BARTENDER!"
by Joe Battersby, D.O.
FAA Medical Examiner
[insert Battersby article here]
(I will fax Battersby's article to you this week-LK)
Tuesday, February 1, 1994
Health News
CROSSFEED 2-94
AEROMEDICAL NEWS
HEALTH NEWS
by L. Kline
LIVE LONG AND PROSPER - in a recent article, the American Journal of Epidemiology interviewed 7,000 seniors aged 65 and older to identify the health factors that accounted for long and physically active retirements. the four prevalent factors were:
1. Not smoking
2. Small-to-moderate alcohol consumption
3. Moderate body weight
4. Frequent physical activity
SQUEEZE OR SPREAD - the type of margarine that you use does make a difference to your heart. All margarine is made from vegetable oil and contains no cholesterol. However, stick-type margarine is made semi-solid by a process called hydrogenation, that creates trans-fatty acids that have cholesterol-raising qualities similar to saturated fats.
Liquid margarine, conversely, doesn't have the same risk. It is not hydrogenated and does not contain the trans-fatty acids that increase heart disease risk. Studies show that changing to a liquid (squeezable) margarine brings lower total and LDL "bad" cholesterol. Prevention 8/93
TAKE A PILL TO STOP A HEART ATTACK - as many as 8,000 people could be saved a year if they could be given an aspirin when heart attack symptoms occur. Aspirin thins blood and stops clotting. Men's Health 5/94
EARLY COLON CANCER DETECTION - researchers at John Hopkins University have found a way to diagnose a common inherited disease that often progresses into colon cancer. A relatively simple blood test can detect mutations on the gene that cause the disease "familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP)". In a study of 62 FAP patients, the blood test correctly detected the flaws in the gene that mark the disease in 87 percent of the cases. Researchers say the blood test can detect colon cancer before symptoms show up, allowing doctors a chance to keep tumors from developing.
PLASTIC OR CARDBOARD? - milk purchased in semi-clear jugs can lose up to 90% of its vitamin A just being stored in a display case exposed to fluorescent light. The vitamin is sensitive to light and some research shows that just 24 hours under the lights can
deplete most of the vitamin A (an important anti-oxidant). Cardboard containers shield the milk and prevent the loss of vitamin A.
JOLT OF REALITY - AIDS is now the number one cause of death among men ages 24-44, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Among women in the same age group, AIDS is the fourth leading cause of death.
PROTECT AGAINST BACK PAIN - drink water to help prevent back pain! With age, the disks in the spine begin to lose fluid, which is part of the reason old guys have slumped posture. Eight glasses a day is a good target to strive for. Fruit juices count - beer doesn't.
From the Flight Surgeon:
"HOW SWEET IT IS (OR PERHAPS AIN'T)!"
by Joe Battersby, D.O.
FAA Medical Examiner
[insert Battersby article here]
(I will fax Battersby's article to you this week-LK)
MODERATE EXERCISE MORE EFFICIENT THAN VIGOROUS EXERCISE
by L. Kline
We have written previously about the benefits of moderation in lifestyle, including exercising. Now this apparent benefit of moderate aerobic exercise has been quantified by additional data that suggests the body may burn fat at double the rate with moderate versus intense exercise rates.
Research at the University of Toledo has been conducted to determine the actual fat burned by the body during exercise by comparing the ratio of carbon dioxide to oxygen in expired air. Subjects rode stationary bikes at 70% of maximum capacity until they had burned 300 calories. It was found that 65 of those calories came from fat (22% of total calories burned). Later, the group rode at 45% of capacity where 133 calories of the 300 burned came from fat (44% of total calories burned came from fat!).
At high intensity exercise rates, when the subject is not in controlled breathing, the body is operating in oxygen deficiency or anaerobically. This is the regime where the body burns carbohydrates and little fat. At lower exercise rates, the body takes in the proper amount of oxygen to burn body fat - exercising aerobically.
Yes it does take longer to burn that 300 calories at the lower exercise rate, but the body will actually burn more fat at the aerobic exercise rate than at higher intensity levels.
Moderate exercising also apparently increases the body's immune system by temporarily increasing the blood levels of various immune cells and substances that improve the body's resistance to disease. Strenuous exercise may have an adverse effect by impairing the immune system.
And speaking of personal health and exercise programs, maintaining a consistent exercise regime gives long term benefits. Even if you avoided athletics in college, beginning and maintaining an effective and comfortable exercise program gives the same low risk benefits as classmates who had been vigorous all along. Likewise, former varsity athletes who discontinued their sports activities have higher rates of disease and death than teammates who continued energetic exercise programs. (The New England Journal of Medicine.)
The definition of "energetic exercise" has become moderated in recent years. At the Cooper Institute for Aerobics Research in Dallas, data indicates the biggest jump in health benefits occurs as one moves from "couch potato" to moderate exercise levels, which is attainable with as little as 30 minutes of aerobic exercise three to four times a week. According to the Cooper Institute, it does not matter what type of physical activity is performed; sports planned exercise, household or yard work, or occupational tasks are all beneficial. The key is to be constant.
Consistency in exercise really does pay off. A study that started in 1965 followed the health habits of almost 7,000 people into their later lives. Those over 80 years who could still climb stairs, walk half a mile, lift 10 pounds plus and various other activities had been consistently active over the preceding 20 years by maintaining regular physical activity, moderate alcohol use, and keeping body weight in line. But again the key is to make it a lifestyle commitment. Choosing an exercise that you like is probably the single most important factor to achieving life-long exercise goals. Biking, running, tennis, fast walking, swimming, hiking, racquet ball, skiing, skating, just as examples, can all lead to continued more active and healthier lifestyles that incorporate fun actives and the added benefit of stress reduction.
Couple this with a diet low in fat and you have the formula for a long, healthy, active life - with a little help from good health genes. Following this path should find most of us spending our profit sharing/401K's when we are well into our 80's and 90's.
AEROMEDICAL NEWS
HEALTH NEWS
by L. Kline
LIVE LONG AND PROSPER - in a recent article, the American Journal of Epidemiology interviewed 7,000 seniors aged 65 and older to identify the health factors that accounted for long and physically active retirements. the four prevalent factors were:
1. Not smoking
2. Small-to-moderate alcohol consumption
3. Moderate body weight
4. Frequent physical activity
SQUEEZE OR SPREAD - the type of margarine that you use does make a difference to your heart. All margarine is made from vegetable oil and contains no cholesterol. However, stick-type margarine is made semi-solid by a process called hydrogenation, that creates trans-fatty acids that have cholesterol-raising qualities similar to saturated fats.
Liquid margarine, conversely, doesn't have the same risk. It is not hydrogenated and does not contain the trans-fatty acids that increase heart disease risk. Studies show that changing to a liquid (squeezable) margarine brings lower total and LDL "bad" cholesterol. Prevention 8/93
TAKE A PILL TO STOP A HEART ATTACK - as many as 8,000 people could be saved a year if they could be given an aspirin when heart attack symptoms occur. Aspirin thins blood and stops clotting. Men's Health 5/94
EARLY COLON CANCER DETECTION - researchers at John Hopkins University have found a way to diagnose a common inherited disease that often progresses into colon cancer. A relatively simple blood test can detect mutations on the gene that cause the disease "familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP)". In a study of 62 FAP patients, the blood test correctly detected the flaws in the gene that mark the disease in 87 percent of the cases. Researchers say the blood test can detect colon cancer before symptoms show up, allowing doctors a chance to keep tumors from developing.
PLASTIC OR CARDBOARD? - milk purchased in semi-clear jugs can lose up to 90% of its vitamin A just being stored in a display case exposed to fluorescent light. The vitamin is sensitive to light and some research shows that just 24 hours under the lights can
deplete most of the vitamin A (an important anti-oxidant). Cardboard containers shield the milk and prevent the loss of vitamin A.
JOLT OF REALITY - AIDS is now the number one cause of death among men ages 24-44, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Among women in the same age group, AIDS is the fourth leading cause of death.
PROTECT AGAINST BACK PAIN - drink water to help prevent back pain! With age, the disks in the spine begin to lose fluid, which is part of the reason old guys have slumped posture. Eight glasses a day is a good target to strive for. Fruit juices count - beer doesn't.
From the Flight Surgeon:
"HOW SWEET IT IS (OR PERHAPS AIN'T)!"
by Joe Battersby, D.O.
FAA Medical Examiner
[insert Battersby article here]
(I will fax Battersby's article to you this week-LK)
MODERATE EXERCISE MORE EFFICIENT THAN VIGOROUS EXERCISE
by L. Kline
We have written previously about the benefits of moderation in lifestyle, including exercising. Now this apparent benefit of moderate aerobic exercise has been quantified by additional data that suggests the body may burn fat at double the rate with moderate versus intense exercise rates.
Research at the University of Toledo has been conducted to determine the actual fat burned by the body during exercise by comparing the ratio of carbon dioxide to oxygen in expired air. Subjects rode stationary bikes at 70% of maximum capacity until they had burned 300 calories. It was found that 65 of those calories came from fat (22% of total calories burned). Later, the group rode at 45% of capacity where 133 calories of the 300 burned came from fat (44% of total calories burned came from fat!).
At high intensity exercise rates, when the subject is not in controlled breathing, the body is operating in oxygen deficiency or anaerobically. This is the regime where the body burns carbohydrates and little fat. At lower exercise rates, the body takes in the proper amount of oxygen to burn body fat - exercising aerobically.
Yes it does take longer to burn that 300 calories at the lower exercise rate, but the body will actually burn more fat at the aerobic exercise rate than at higher intensity levels.
Moderate exercising also apparently increases the body's immune system by temporarily increasing the blood levels of various immune cells and substances that improve the body's resistance to disease. Strenuous exercise may have an adverse effect by impairing the immune system.
And speaking of personal health and exercise programs, maintaining a consistent exercise regime gives long term benefits. Even if you avoided athletics in college, beginning and maintaining an effective and comfortable exercise program gives the same low risk benefits as classmates who had been vigorous all along. Likewise, former varsity athletes who discontinued their sports activities have higher rates of disease and death than teammates who continued energetic exercise programs. (The New England Journal of Medicine.)
The definition of "energetic exercise" has become moderated in recent years. At the Cooper Institute for Aerobics Research in Dallas, data indicates the biggest jump in health benefits occurs as one moves from "couch potato" to moderate exercise levels, which is attainable with as little as 30 minutes of aerobic exercise three to four times a week. According to the Cooper Institute, it does not matter what type of physical activity is performed; sports planned exercise, household or yard work, or occupational tasks are all beneficial. The key is to be constant.
Consistency in exercise really does pay off. A study that started in 1965 followed the health habits of almost 7,000 people into their later lives. Those over 80 years who could still climb stairs, walk half a mile, lift 10 pounds plus and various other activities had been consistently active over the preceding 20 years by maintaining regular physical activity, moderate alcohol use, and keeping body weight in line. But again the key is to make it a lifestyle commitment. Choosing an exercise that you like is probably the single most important factor to achieving life-long exercise goals. Biking, running, tennis, fast walking, swimming, hiking, racquet ball, skiing, skating, just as examples, can all lead to continued more active and healthier lifestyles that incorporate fun actives and the added benefit of stress reduction.
Couple this with a diet low in fat and you have the formula for a long, healthy, active life - with a little help from good health genes. Following this path should find most of us spending our profit sharing/401K's when we are well into our 80's and 90's.
Saturday, January 1, 1994
Health News
CROSSFEED 1-94
AEROMEDICAL NEWS
HEALTH NEWS
by L. Kline
PAINFUL SACRIFICE - abstaining from sex for a week before a prostate cancer blood screening may give you more accurate test results. According to data from New York's Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, levels of PSA (prostate specific antigen - the key marker of cancer of the prostate gland) are misleadingly low in men who had recent sexual experiences.
STAYING YOUNG AT HEART - want the heart of a man 19 years younger than you? Earn it with exercise. A study of 3,100 men conducted at the University of North Carolina found that aerobic exercise offers more heart protection than pushing back the clock 19 years.
CAN'T FLY AND BRUSH? - try an apple for a snack. Apples crunch between the teeth, dislodging food and stimulating saliva flow to counteract plaque, says Elaine Parker - former assistant professor of dental hygiene at the University of Maryland.
DOES OAT-BRAN CEREAL REALLY HELP? - everyone by now has heard ad nauseum that eating oat bran lowers cholesterol concentrations in the blood, but does the small amount you get in breakfast cereal really help? To find out, researchers in Kentucky studied 12 men with high total cholesterol concentrations. All subjects ate the same diet, but some men ate breakfast of cornflakes for two weeks, the rest on normal-sized servings of ready-to-eat oat-bran cereal, about two ounces , or less than an ounce of bran per day. Compared to a diet of cornflakes, the oat-bran diet lowered total cholesterol by 5.4 percent and LDL cholesterol by 8.5 percent-enough to make oat-bran cereal a significant and practical tool for lowering risk of coronary heart disease.
AN ASPIRIN EVERY OTHER DAY - according to the Physician's Health Study, an aspirin every other day will thin your blood and reduce the risk of a heart attack. Aspirin taken daily will have a counterproductive effect by suppressing both thromboxane, a blood thickener and prostacyclin, a blood thinner. But the suppressing effect lasts only half as long on the blood thinner, so aspirin taken every other day will have a positive effect on helping to prevent strokes and heart attacks.
Healthfact No.1 - People who use humor to cope have more infection-fighting antibodies. Men's Fitness 11/92
BEST REASON TO AVOID BUNGEE JUMPING THIS YEAR - William Brotherton, 20, was killed after jumping from a hot air balloon in Arvada, Colorado. Investigators concluded the reason for the accident was that the hot air balloon was tethered at a height of 190 feet while Brotherton's bungee cord stretched to 260 feet!
MODERATION IN ALL THINGS? - does that occasional cheese burger, french fries and shake hurt? According to studies at the Medical College of St. Bartholomew's Hospital in London, eating just one high fat meal can increase a middle-aged person's risk of heart attack within a matter of hours.
When saturated fats enter the bloodstream, a protein in the blood, called Factor VII increases. Factor VII apparently reacts to the sudden infusion of fat in the bloodstream as a sign of damage, and it precipitates a clot to protect that area. This protective activity can block the flow of blood and cause a heart attack. However, a regular low-fat diet keeps levels of Factor VII in check. (Aviation Medical Bulletin 1/94)
HIT THE FITNESS PLATEAU? - have you been unable to progress and improve in your exercise program, yet someone fairly new to fitness seems to be blowing past you and handling weights and aerobic challenges easily that took you years to accomplish? It may not be anything that you are doing wrong or he's doing right; the upper limits of your exercise capacity may have been determined before you were born.
Researchers in Canada took a group of men in their late 20's with similar body compositions and put them through the same 12 week aerobic workout program. Some didn't increase their heart efficiency at all while others had as much as a 14-fold increase. The researchers concluded that the differences in the aerobic improvement was genetic. The subjects chromosomal makeup is now being analyzed to see if the genes can be identified that allow marked improvement. If this genetic information can be isolated, it may be possible to pass this genetic advantage on to the rest of us.
Meanwhile, even if you're one of the genetically deprived, don't quit training. You may not win the next Ironman or Wimbledon, but you will enhance your chances for longevity and enjoy far greater mental and physical health.
PROSTATE CANCER - WHO'S AT RISK - we've recently had two of our fellow Southwest brothers stricken with prostate cancer. A number of factors have been linked to higher rates of prostate cancer. Here's the lowdown on a few of the most important:
Vasectomy. The National Institute of Health recently concluded that the weak links found to date are likely due to chance or "detection bias," meaning men with vasectomies may simply see their urologists more.
Race. Black men get prostate cancer at a 40 percent higher rate than whites do. Researchers speculate it may have to do with blacks' synthesizing less vitamin D, low levels of which have also been associated with the disease.
Family history. Having a father or a brother with the disease doubles your risk; having two members of your immediate family stricken at an early age (mid-50's or younger) raises your risk to five times average.
High-fat diet. Several studies have established a link between fat intake and prostate cancer. Diets high in animal fats can significantly raise your risk for developing advanced prostate cancer, placing those with such diets at almost double the risk of contracting a fatal case of prostate cancer.
Researchers suggest that a high-fat diet may act as a trigger for the disease. While family history and race could make you more likely to develop prostate cancer, eating less red meat and other fatty foods may ultimately give you a better chance of surviving it. Other dietary choices that may help lower your risk include soy products and high-fiber foods, such as beans, lentils, tomatoes, peas a;nd dried fruit.
Lack of exercise. Preliminary studies suggest regular vigorous activities like brisk walking and sports lower your risk, perhaps by lowering the body's testosterone levels. (Men's Health 12/93)
From the Flight Surgeon:
"TO FLY OR NOT TO FLY"
by Joe Battersby, D.O.
FAA Medical Examiner
[insert Battersby article here]
(Contributing Editor's note: Felton Havins will be contributing articles on vitamins periodically.)
AMERICA DOESN'T HAVE A HEALTH CARE CRISIS
AMERICA HAS A LIFE STYLE PROBLEM
Everything that happens to you in life is affected by your nutritional intake and also what you fail to consume. Here are a few facts from leading bio-chemists, Dr. Richard Passwater and Dr. Linus Pauling, that may surprise you:
Fresh-cooked foods can lose up to 56% of their nutrients in cooking. The same is true of your vitamins if they are processed with heat.
Canned foods lose 30% of their nutrients in the scalding process, 25% in sterilization, 27% in liquor diffusion, and 12% in reheating.
Frozen foods lose 25% of their nutrients in the scalding process, 19% in freezing, 15% in thawing and 24% in cooking.
A tomato picked in Nebraska contains selenium (essential trace mineral for the distribution of Vitamin E) at 1000 parts per million, whereas a tomato picked in a neighboring state may only contain 1 part per million. Soil depletion from the turn of the century has been dramatic, not to mention pesticides and early green harvest followed by gas processing.
The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (HANES) reveals that children and teenagers are as likely to consume Kool-Aid or colas
as they are orange juice. They are more likely to consume potato chips and cookies than an apple or other pieces of fruit. The only vegetable to pass the lips of most teenagers is a french-fried potato.
Adults did not fare much better, with over 70% of those surveyed not eating a single fruit or vegetable rich in Vitamins A and C. Ironically, even with all the scientific research pointing to the health benefits of antioxidants (such as beta carotene) and cruciferous vegetables in helping to reduce the risk for certain types of cancer and in helping to reduce heart disease, 80% of survey participants still failed to eat so much as a daily stalk of broccoli or other cruciferous vegetable. The Council for Responsible Nutrition finds that 97% of Americans do not eat diets that match even the RDA. (Required Daily Allowance - 1960's nutritional technology)
So, what's the solution? ...............................SUPPLEMENTATION, SUPPLEMENTATION, SUPPLEMENTATION. Many leading Bio-Chemists preach, "it's important what you eat but it's of even greater significance what you fail to eat."
Your bio-available life span (if you did nothing to harm it) is somewhere between 120 to 125 years of age. You can get way ahead of the game if you exercise at least three times a week (30-45 min. each), eat something less than 20% fat in your diet, and take SUPPLEMENTS. You may not make 120 yrs. but the age you do reach will be a lot more fun than a wheelchair, sun visor and jello.
Only 7% of Americans eat enough of the right foods to get even the RDA level. In order to gain this RDA level, a person would have to eat 5 servings of fruits- 4 servings of vegetables- 3 servings of breads, pastas-3 servings of meat, poultry or fish. Now you won't get rickets, beri-beri, or scurvy. Whoa! It's virtually impossible to reach antioxidant protection levels from food alone. What's an antioxidant? What's a free radical?
Antioxidants are vitamin molecules that carry three electrons by nature. Free radicals are mutated molecules that are suppose to carry an even number of electrons but have had one knocked out of orbit as a result of smoking, radiation exposure, stress, alcohol, fat foods, pollution, etc. Now it's unstable and begins to wreak havoc by robbing electrons from adjacent cells. It's a chain reaction as each molecule tries to stabilize itself by stealing an adjoining cell's electron. If you can see small brown spots on your hands - that's free radical damage. They're wrongly called age spots. It's properly called an oxidation indicator. That's how we age.... through oxidation. Free radicals are the bad bombers doing the dirty work. Antioxidants are the free radical interceptors. The big problems starts when the free radicals reach the nucleus of the cell and damage your DNA. Once the DNA is altered the possibility of cancers, cardiovascular diseases etc. dramatically increases.
The cover of Time Magazine, April 1992, stressed that these things called antioxidants may very well fight age related diseases such as cancer and heart diseases. Since then technology has continued to verify the research. And guess what...... all these bio-chemist doing the research are on antioxidant supplementation. (buzz word of the 90's)
The average adult has between 80 to 100 trillion cells. One billion cells per hour must be replaced. Dr. Dewayne Aschmeads contends that your body takes about 100,000 free radical hits a day per cell from a normal non-smoking person. That number increases into the trillions if you do smoke or lay out in the sun to tan. Close behind these heavies are stress, alcohol, and a fatty diet.
Speaking of a fat diet you may be surprised to know the average Oriental consumes about 3,000 calories a day compared to 2,400 for the average American. Why are they so slender for the most part and we're so fat? Because we eat 42% fat a day and they eat only 15 % fat. Conclusion ......Calories don't make you fat.....FAT makes you fat!
If you've ever been associated with a cattle or hog processing plant you would know they use diet technology by starving the animals for severadays and then feeding them for several days. If you do this enough you can absolutely destroy their metabolism and they will gain more weight faster and more efficiently with each cycle.
I think it's absolutely hilarious (maybe sad would be a better word) when the flight attendants are called in for weight check. The supervisors put them on the scales and say lose 25 lbs. in the next few weeks or take some time off. So, what happens? The FAs go on a horrendous diet (what other nations call starvation) lose water and lean muscle but more significantly, drain their immune system. Now having been weakened properly they become susceptible to colds, flu, or viruses and call in sick or worse; try to fly and give it to another FA who will continue the cycle. This is what I call "The Health Drain Chain". The pilots are even worse about this. I had to make my First Officer go home last week with a terrible cold he had gotten from the previous Captain. Where did that Captain get it. I checked! He got it from the pervious F/O. I wonder what the $ figure is for antibiotics and missed days of work as the "Health Drain Chain" continues. This minor example easily hits somewhere around $7,000 and that's going only 3 deep in the Drain Chain. By the way , the Chain was broken when FO Carl Low got on board with some sanitary wipes he carries and proceeded to sterilize the O2 mask, yolk, throttles and myself. Carl just made many $ for the Airline. Our immune system is affected by all the free radicals and their tools of aging Smoking is lung cancer's roommate. Alcohol is always seen with liver and kidney problems. Excess fat tags along with heart disease. Some of us are truly overweight, meaning excess % of body fat. Some of us don't meet the current weight guide lines and yet are in exceptional health with very little body fat. You FA supervisors and management people should give FAs the option of being weighed or being calipered. Every body knows lean muscle weighs more than fat. It doesn't matter what you weigh if the inches are right. Your typical anorexic is 40% + body fat, in poor health, yet would meet the weight criteria of SWA. But how many sick days would they create. If all our SWA smokers took 12,000 IU of Beta Carotene a day ......how many sick days could be saved? I haven't even touched on the loss of mental acuity and job performance. Only through education can you institute a permanent life style change. Free radicals are very expensive!
Southwest Airlines is a young, aggressive modern thinking company. We should be the leader in hanging up old antiquated health technology. Play it again Sam......
1. Exercise more, eat less than 20% fat in your diet, and take supplements! If you have any inkling to garden-do so.
2. Rest properly, don't compromise your immune system.
3. All employees should carry sanitary wipes. They should be stocked in the cockpit. Don't give your associates your sickness.
4. Don't diet....Diets don't work. And you FA health nuts should request to be calipered before you give up your immune defenses.
5. Smoke less--Drink less or just quit altogether.
I'm going to request permission to place two very good VCR tapes at each base. One is how to eat properly and is required viewing at the University of Texas Medical School. The other is a health report on the nineties and includes great graphics on how free radicals tear your body up and how antioxidants can neutralize most of them.
Remember the body is just like any engine... it takes in oxygen and gives off poisonous oxides (FREE RADICALS). See it's all a neat but deadly plan for our early exit from mother earth. How's your time table? How many free radicals will you neutralize today? You must make a life style change. (Forever)
AMERICA DOESN'T HAVE A HEALTH CARE CRISIS
AMERICA HAS A LIFE STYLE PROBLEM
In the next issue I will relay information about the value of chelated minerals and your vitamin supplements. Without the minerals the vitamins just don't work. The minerals are the spark plug of the whole system.
The Vita-man
Capt. Felton Havins
Hou 3550
INDUSTRY NEWS
by L. Kline
NEW AUS AIRPORT - Bergstrom Air Force Base is scheduled to replace Robert Mueller Municipal Airport as the civil airport serving Austin, Texas, in late 1998. Upgrades to Bergstrom include a new 9,000 foot runway in addition to the existing 12,500 foot runway.
CLINTON WANTS TO REMOVE ATC FROM FAA - President Clinton is proposing legislation to remove the nation's ATC system from the FAA and place it into a new independent "government corporation" in response to one of the most controversial recommendations from the National Commission to Ensure a Strong Competitive Airline Industry. Proponents of the move say that it will free the ATC system from the cumbersome federal rules on procurement that have put ATC modernization years behind schedule.
WAKE TURBULENCE ACCIDENTS - NTSB investigators believe wake vortices from B757 aircraft may have caused at least four accidents or incidents recently. These include two fatal crashes; a Citation in Billings, and a Westwind at Orange Co. Airport (SNA), California, in December 1993. These accidents have prompted FAA Administrator Hinson to issue a letter to all U.S. pilots warning of the hazards of B757 wake vortices.
This author attended the FAA Wake Turbulence Symposium in October 1991. This symposium was the first meeting held in over a decade to discuss wake hazards. Data and information from the symposium was reported in the December, 1991, "Reporting Point" and is reprinted here in part for your information: "...some research evidence was shown that some narrow-body aircraft create a more intense vortex than some heavy aircraft. Research in both the U.K. and this country has demonstrated that the wake vortex signature of the B757 is as intense as most heavy jets. In England, recommendations by their CAA (British FAA) have included classifying the B757 as a heavy jet because of the nature of the produced vortex, in some cases with observed core velocities of 200-300 mph! Further research has yielded that two aircraft types are more vulnerable to wake vortex encounters and upset than most, the DC-9 and the B737. This data reveals that the rate of encounters is much greater for these two aircraft types as compared to other transport aircraft.
Only concerned about the wake turbulence hazard in the terminal area? Then consider this - several years ago, the Air Force had an accident involving two heavy aircraft; KC-135's. At FL250, the trailing 135 was about 3 miles behind and 500 feet below the lead aircraft when the tanker encountered the lead's wake. The 135 rolled slightly right, then violently left followed by another rapid roll right. Engines 1 and 2 were torn off from the engine pylons and the aircraft lost 4000 feet of altitude until recovery was initiated. It is important to remember that these were the same size aircraft at altitude, where wake vortices do not decay as rapidly as when in the earth's boundary layer."
Quoting from Administrator Hinson's letter, "Whether or not a warning has been given, the pilot is expected to adjust his or her operations and flight path as necessary to preclude serious wake encounters."
LEGAL DECISIONS:
LOGGING AIRCRAFT DISCREPANCIES - the NTSB granted an appeal from a pilot accused of violating FAR 121.563.
In July, 1989, the captain of a Continental B737 flight from LGA to CLE received a door warning light (Equip) shortly after takeoff. The captain immediately returned to LGA and brought the aircraft to the head of an alleyway in the ramp area near the gate, where a mechanic check the door. The mechanic testified that the door appeared to be closed but that a switch might be malfunctioning. The light did not come on again, and the aircraft resumed its schedule, using the same clearance. Upon arrival in CLE, the captain wrote up the discrepancy in the logbook.
The Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) hearing the case dismissed one of the FAA charges against the crew, inadequate preflighting, but reaffirmed the FAR 121.563 violation against the captain. He found that, in light of the definition of "flight time" logging in CLE rather than LGA violated the rule, which stipulated that irregularities occurring during flight time are to be entered into the maintenance log at the end of that flight time.
The NTSB, in reviewing the case, concluded that the rule itself is "vague and ambiguous, providing insufficient notice to airmen of its application to the facts here...Indeed, our review of cases cited by the Administrator confirms difficulties of interpretation."
The FAA argued that the term "flight time" was added to reflect the intent to cover the ground, as well as air, time; in effect, to cover the entire period until the aircraft came to a final rest. The NTSB noted that the aircraft did not do so in LGA.
The captain of the flight argued that the landing at LGA did not end that segment of the flight time. The aircraft remained pressurized, did not return to the gate or open its doors, and it took off again with the same ATC clearance.
The NTSB agreed with the pilot and exonerated the captain of any FAR violations related to this flight. Administrator v. Lambert
AEROMEDICAL NEWS
HEALTH NEWS
by L. Kline
PAINFUL SACRIFICE - abstaining from sex for a week before a prostate cancer blood screening may give you more accurate test results. According to data from New York's Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, levels of PSA (prostate specific antigen - the key marker of cancer of the prostate gland) are misleadingly low in men who had recent sexual experiences.
STAYING YOUNG AT HEART - want the heart of a man 19 years younger than you? Earn it with exercise. A study of 3,100 men conducted at the University of North Carolina found that aerobic exercise offers more heart protection than pushing back the clock 19 years.
CAN'T FLY AND BRUSH? - try an apple for a snack. Apples crunch between the teeth, dislodging food and stimulating saliva flow to counteract plaque, says Elaine Parker - former assistant professor of dental hygiene at the University of Maryland.
DOES OAT-BRAN CEREAL REALLY HELP? - everyone by now has heard ad nauseum that eating oat bran lowers cholesterol concentrations in the blood, but does the small amount you get in breakfast cereal really help? To find out, researchers in Kentucky studied 12 men with high total cholesterol concentrations. All subjects ate the same diet, but some men ate breakfast of cornflakes for two weeks, the rest on normal-sized servings of ready-to-eat oat-bran cereal, about two ounces , or less than an ounce of bran per day. Compared to a diet of cornflakes, the oat-bran diet lowered total cholesterol by 5.4 percent and LDL cholesterol by 8.5 percent-enough to make oat-bran cereal a significant and practical tool for lowering risk of coronary heart disease.
AN ASPIRIN EVERY OTHER DAY - according to the Physician's Health Study, an aspirin every other day will thin your blood and reduce the risk of a heart attack. Aspirin taken daily will have a counterproductive effect by suppressing both thromboxane, a blood thickener and prostacyclin, a blood thinner. But the suppressing effect lasts only half as long on the blood thinner, so aspirin taken every other day will have a positive effect on helping to prevent strokes and heart attacks.
Healthfact No.1 - People who use humor to cope have more infection-fighting antibodies. Men's Fitness 11/92
BEST REASON TO AVOID BUNGEE JUMPING THIS YEAR - William Brotherton, 20, was killed after jumping from a hot air balloon in Arvada, Colorado. Investigators concluded the reason for the accident was that the hot air balloon was tethered at a height of 190 feet while Brotherton's bungee cord stretched to 260 feet!
MODERATION IN ALL THINGS? - does that occasional cheese burger, french fries and shake hurt? According to studies at the Medical College of St. Bartholomew's Hospital in London, eating just one high fat meal can increase a middle-aged person's risk of heart attack within a matter of hours.
When saturated fats enter the bloodstream, a protein in the blood, called Factor VII increases. Factor VII apparently reacts to the sudden infusion of fat in the bloodstream as a sign of damage, and it precipitates a clot to protect that area. This protective activity can block the flow of blood and cause a heart attack. However, a regular low-fat diet keeps levels of Factor VII in check. (Aviation Medical Bulletin 1/94)
HIT THE FITNESS PLATEAU? - have you been unable to progress and improve in your exercise program, yet someone fairly new to fitness seems to be blowing past you and handling weights and aerobic challenges easily that took you years to accomplish? It may not be anything that you are doing wrong or he's doing right; the upper limits of your exercise capacity may have been determined before you were born.
Researchers in Canada took a group of men in their late 20's with similar body compositions and put them through the same 12 week aerobic workout program. Some didn't increase their heart efficiency at all while others had as much as a 14-fold increase. The researchers concluded that the differences in the aerobic improvement was genetic. The subjects chromosomal makeup is now being analyzed to see if the genes can be identified that allow marked improvement. If this genetic information can be isolated, it may be possible to pass this genetic advantage on to the rest of us.
Meanwhile, even if you're one of the genetically deprived, don't quit training. You may not win the next Ironman or Wimbledon, but you will enhance your chances for longevity and enjoy far greater mental and physical health.
PROSTATE CANCER - WHO'S AT RISK - we've recently had two of our fellow Southwest brothers stricken with prostate cancer. A number of factors have been linked to higher rates of prostate cancer. Here's the lowdown on a few of the most important:
Vasectomy. The National Institute of Health recently concluded that the weak links found to date are likely due to chance or "detection bias," meaning men with vasectomies may simply see their urologists more.
Race. Black men get prostate cancer at a 40 percent higher rate than whites do. Researchers speculate it may have to do with blacks' synthesizing less vitamin D, low levels of which have also been associated with the disease.
Family history. Having a father or a brother with the disease doubles your risk; having two members of your immediate family stricken at an early age (mid-50's or younger) raises your risk to five times average.
High-fat diet. Several studies have established a link between fat intake and prostate cancer. Diets high in animal fats can significantly raise your risk for developing advanced prostate cancer, placing those with such diets at almost double the risk of contracting a fatal case of prostate cancer.
Researchers suggest that a high-fat diet may act as a trigger for the disease. While family history and race could make you more likely to develop prostate cancer, eating less red meat and other fatty foods may ultimately give you a better chance of surviving it. Other dietary choices that may help lower your risk include soy products and high-fiber foods, such as beans, lentils, tomatoes, peas a;nd dried fruit.
Lack of exercise. Preliminary studies suggest regular vigorous activities like brisk walking and sports lower your risk, perhaps by lowering the body's testosterone levels. (Men's Health 12/93)
From the Flight Surgeon:
"TO FLY OR NOT TO FLY"
by Joe Battersby, D.O.
FAA Medical Examiner
[insert Battersby article here]
(Contributing Editor's note: Felton Havins will be contributing articles on vitamins periodically.)
AMERICA DOESN'T HAVE A HEALTH CARE CRISIS
AMERICA HAS A LIFE STYLE PROBLEM
Everything that happens to you in life is affected by your nutritional intake and also what you fail to consume. Here are a few facts from leading bio-chemists, Dr. Richard Passwater and Dr. Linus Pauling, that may surprise you:
Fresh-cooked foods can lose up to 56% of their nutrients in cooking. The same is true of your vitamins if they are processed with heat.
Canned foods lose 30% of their nutrients in the scalding process, 25% in sterilization, 27% in liquor diffusion, and 12% in reheating.
Frozen foods lose 25% of their nutrients in the scalding process, 19% in freezing, 15% in thawing and 24% in cooking.
A tomato picked in Nebraska contains selenium (essential trace mineral for the distribution of Vitamin E) at 1000 parts per million, whereas a tomato picked in a neighboring state may only contain 1 part per million. Soil depletion from the turn of the century has been dramatic, not to mention pesticides and early green harvest followed by gas processing.
The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (HANES) reveals that children and teenagers are as likely to consume Kool-Aid or colas
as they are orange juice. They are more likely to consume potato chips and cookies than an apple or other pieces of fruit. The only vegetable to pass the lips of most teenagers is a french-fried potato.
Adults did not fare much better, with over 70% of those surveyed not eating a single fruit or vegetable rich in Vitamins A and C. Ironically, even with all the scientific research pointing to the health benefits of antioxidants (such as beta carotene) and cruciferous vegetables in helping to reduce the risk for certain types of cancer and in helping to reduce heart disease, 80% of survey participants still failed to eat so much as a daily stalk of broccoli or other cruciferous vegetable. The Council for Responsible Nutrition finds that 97% of Americans do not eat diets that match even the RDA. (Required Daily Allowance - 1960's nutritional technology)
So, what's the solution? ...............................SUPPLEMENTATION, SUPPLEMENTATION, SUPPLEMENTATION. Many leading Bio-Chemists preach, "it's important what you eat but it's of even greater significance what you fail to eat."
Your bio-available life span (if you did nothing to harm it) is somewhere between 120 to 125 years of age. You can get way ahead of the game if you exercise at least three times a week (30-45 min. each), eat something less than 20% fat in your diet, and take SUPPLEMENTS. You may not make 120 yrs. but the age you do reach will be a lot more fun than a wheelchair, sun visor and jello.
Only 7% of Americans eat enough of the right foods to get even the RDA level. In order to gain this RDA level, a person would have to eat 5 servings of fruits- 4 servings of vegetables- 3 servings of breads, pastas-3 servings of meat, poultry or fish. Now you won't get rickets, beri-beri, or scurvy. Whoa! It's virtually impossible to reach antioxidant protection levels from food alone. What's an antioxidant? What's a free radical?
Antioxidants are vitamin molecules that carry three electrons by nature. Free radicals are mutated molecules that are suppose to carry an even number of electrons but have had one knocked out of orbit as a result of smoking, radiation exposure, stress, alcohol, fat foods, pollution, etc. Now it's unstable and begins to wreak havoc by robbing electrons from adjacent cells. It's a chain reaction as each molecule tries to stabilize itself by stealing an adjoining cell's electron. If you can see small brown spots on your hands - that's free radical damage. They're wrongly called age spots. It's properly called an oxidation indicator. That's how we age.... through oxidation. Free radicals are the bad bombers doing the dirty work. Antioxidants are the free radical interceptors. The big problems starts when the free radicals reach the nucleus of the cell and damage your DNA. Once the DNA is altered the possibility of cancers, cardiovascular diseases etc. dramatically increases.
The cover of Time Magazine, April 1992, stressed that these things called antioxidants may very well fight age related diseases such as cancer and heart diseases. Since then technology has continued to verify the research. And guess what...... all these bio-chemist doing the research are on antioxidant supplementation. (buzz word of the 90's)
The average adult has between 80 to 100 trillion cells. One billion cells per hour must be replaced. Dr. Dewayne Aschmeads contends that your body takes about 100,000 free radical hits a day per cell from a normal non-smoking person. That number increases into the trillions if you do smoke or lay out in the sun to tan. Close behind these heavies are stress, alcohol, and a fatty diet.
Speaking of a fat diet you may be surprised to know the average Oriental consumes about 3,000 calories a day compared to 2,400 for the average American. Why are they so slender for the most part and we're so fat? Because we eat 42% fat a day and they eat only 15 % fat. Conclusion ......Calories don't make you fat.....FAT makes you fat!
If you've ever been associated with a cattle or hog processing plant you would know they use diet technology by starving the animals for severadays and then feeding them for several days. If you do this enough you can absolutely destroy their metabolism and they will gain more weight faster and more efficiently with each cycle.
I think it's absolutely hilarious (maybe sad would be a better word) when the flight attendants are called in for weight check. The supervisors put them on the scales and say lose 25 lbs. in the next few weeks or take some time off. So, what happens? The FAs go on a horrendous diet (what other nations call starvation) lose water and lean muscle but more significantly, drain their immune system. Now having been weakened properly they become susceptible to colds, flu, or viruses and call in sick or worse; try to fly and give it to another FA who will continue the cycle. This is what I call "The Health Drain Chain". The pilots are even worse about this. I had to make my First Officer go home last week with a terrible cold he had gotten from the previous Captain. Where did that Captain get it. I checked! He got it from the pervious F/O. I wonder what the $ figure is for antibiotics and missed days of work as the "Health Drain Chain" continues. This minor example easily hits somewhere around $7,000 and that's going only 3 deep in the Drain Chain. By the way , the Chain was broken when FO Carl Low got on board with some sanitary wipes he carries and proceeded to sterilize the O2 mask, yolk, throttles and myself. Carl just made many $ for the Airline. Our immune system is affected by all the free radicals and their tools of aging Smoking is lung cancer's roommate. Alcohol is always seen with liver and kidney problems. Excess fat tags along with heart disease. Some of us are truly overweight, meaning excess % of body fat. Some of us don't meet the current weight guide lines and yet are in exceptional health with very little body fat. You FA supervisors and management people should give FAs the option of being weighed or being calipered. Every body knows lean muscle weighs more than fat. It doesn't matter what you weigh if the inches are right. Your typical anorexic is 40% + body fat, in poor health, yet would meet the weight criteria of SWA. But how many sick days would they create. If all our SWA smokers took 12,000 IU of Beta Carotene a day ......how many sick days could be saved? I haven't even touched on the loss of mental acuity and job performance. Only through education can you institute a permanent life style change. Free radicals are very expensive!
Southwest Airlines is a young, aggressive modern thinking company. We should be the leader in hanging up old antiquated health technology. Play it again Sam......
1. Exercise more, eat less than 20% fat in your diet, and take supplements! If you have any inkling to garden-do so.
2. Rest properly, don't compromise your immune system.
3. All employees should carry sanitary wipes. They should be stocked in the cockpit. Don't give your associates your sickness.
4. Don't diet....Diets don't work. And you FA health nuts should request to be calipered before you give up your immune defenses.
5. Smoke less--Drink less or just quit altogether.
I'm going to request permission to place two very good VCR tapes at each base. One is how to eat properly and is required viewing at the University of Texas Medical School. The other is a health report on the nineties and includes great graphics on how free radicals tear your body up and how antioxidants can neutralize most of them.
Remember the body is just like any engine... it takes in oxygen and gives off poisonous oxides (FREE RADICALS). See it's all a neat but deadly plan for our early exit from mother earth. How's your time table? How many free radicals will you neutralize today? You must make a life style change. (Forever)
AMERICA DOESN'T HAVE A HEALTH CARE CRISIS
AMERICA HAS A LIFE STYLE PROBLEM
In the next issue I will relay information about the value of chelated minerals and your vitamin supplements. Without the minerals the vitamins just don't work. The minerals are the spark plug of the whole system.
The Vita-man
Capt. Felton Havins
Hou 3550
INDUSTRY NEWS
by L. Kline
NEW AUS AIRPORT - Bergstrom Air Force Base is scheduled to replace Robert Mueller Municipal Airport as the civil airport serving Austin, Texas, in late 1998. Upgrades to Bergstrom include a new 9,000 foot runway in addition to the existing 12,500 foot runway.
CLINTON WANTS TO REMOVE ATC FROM FAA - President Clinton is proposing legislation to remove the nation's ATC system from the FAA and place it into a new independent "government corporation" in response to one of the most controversial recommendations from the National Commission to Ensure a Strong Competitive Airline Industry. Proponents of the move say that it will free the ATC system from the cumbersome federal rules on procurement that have put ATC modernization years behind schedule.
WAKE TURBULENCE ACCIDENTS - NTSB investigators believe wake vortices from B757 aircraft may have caused at least four accidents or incidents recently. These include two fatal crashes; a Citation in Billings, and a Westwind at Orange Co. Airport (SNA), California, in December 1993. These accidents have prompted FAA Administrator Hinson to issue a letter to all U.S. pilots warning of the hazards of B757 wake vortices.
This author attended the FAA Wake Turbulence Symposium in October 1991. This symposium was the first meeting held in over a decade to discuss wake hazards. Data and information from the symposium was reported in the December, 1991, "Reporting Point" and is reprinted here in part for your information: "...some research evidence was shown that some narrow-body aircraft create a more intense vortex than some heavy aircraft. Research in both the U.K. and this country has demonstrated that the wake vortex signature of the B757 is as intense as most heavy jets. In England, recommendations by their CAA (British FAA) have included classifying the B757 as a heavy jet because of the nature of the produced vortex, in some cases with observed core velocities of 200-300 mph! Further research has yielded that two aircraft types are more vulnerable to wake vortex encounters and upset than most, the DC-9 and the B737. This data reveals that the rate of encounters is much greater for these two aircraft types as compared to other transport aircraft.
Only concerned about the wake turbulence hazard in the terminal area? Then consider this - several years ago, the Air Force had an accident involving two heavy aircraft; KC-135's. At FL250, the trailing 135 was about 3 miles behind and 500 feet below the lead aircraft when the tanker encountered the lead's wake. The 135 rolled slightly right, then violently left followed by another rapid roll right. Engines 1 and 2 were torn off from the engine pylons and the aircraft lost 4000 feet of altitude until recovery was initiated. It is important to remember that these were the same size aircraft at altitude, where wake vortices do not decay as rapidly as when in the earth's boundary layer."
Quoting from Administrator Hinson's letter, "Whether or not a warning has been given, the pilot is expected to adjust his or her operations and flight path as necessary to preclude serious wake encounters."
LEGAL DECISIONS:
LOGGING AIRCRAFT DISCREPANCIES - the NTSB granted an appeal from a pilot accused of violating FAR 121.563.
In July, 1989, the captain of a Continental B737 flight from LGA to CLE received a door warning light (Equip) shortly after takeoff. The captain immediately returned to LGA and brought the aircraft to the head of an alleyway in the ramp area near the gate, where a mechanic check the door. The mechanic testified that the door appeared to be closed but that a switch might be malfunctioning. The light did not come on again, and the aircraft resumed its schedule, using the same clearance. Upon arrival in CLE, the captain wrote up the discrepancy in the logbook.
The Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) hearing the case dismissed one of the FAA charges against the crew, inadequate preflighting, but reaffirmed the FAR 121.563 violation against the captain. He found that, in light of the definition of "flight time" logging in CLE rather than LGA violated the rule, which stipulated that irregularities occurring during flight time are to be entered into the maintenance log at the end of that flight time.
The NTSB, in reviewing the case, concluded that the rule itself is "vague and ambiguous, providing insufficient notice to airmen of its application to the facts here...Indeed, our review of cases cited by the Administrator confirms difficulties of interpretation."
The FAA argued that the term "flight time" was added to reflect the intent to cover the ground, as well as air, time; in effect, to cover the entire period until the aircraft came to a final rest. The NTSB noted that the aircraft did not do so in LGA.
The captain of the flight argued that the landing at LGA did not end that segment of the flight time. The aircraft remained pressurized, did not return to the gate or open its doors, and it took off again with the same ATC clearance.
The NTSB agreed with the pilot and exonerated the captain of any FAR violations related to this flight. Administrator v. Lambert
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