REPORTING POINT 01-05
HEALTH NEWS
“Live healthy...live well”
by Larry Kline
SWAPA Voice Mailbox 4337/email: livehealthy-livewell@cox.net
(Past issues of “Health News” are available on my son’s website, which includes a word-search engine - just go to the site with your browser and insert the key word to find past articles: http://home.earthlink.net/~candace_ball/healtharticles/frameset.htm) – LK
STOMACH DISTRESS? – cramping or bloating may be a result of consuming olestra or Olean, which until recently, food manufacturers were required to display a warning label on the product which included the fat substitute.
Food producers convinced the FDA that the warning label was no longer necessary; however some consumers still report gastric distress due to consuming olestra. To be sure, check the ingredients label to see if olestra is causing your stomach problem. Men’s Health 11/03.
LOWERING ALZHEIMER’S RISK – being overweight appears to increase the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. After tracking the health of two groups of test subjects, researchers in Sweden found that for every 1-point increase in body-mass index (BMI), the risk of Alzheimer’s may increase by more than 30 percent. Eliminate just 125 calories from your daily diet each day and you will lose a pound a month, enough to seriously lower your BMI – and Alzheimer’s risk in less than a year’s time. Men’s Health 11/03.
NUTRITIONAL QUIZ 14 – which of the following contain fats that are good for you? a) fish, b) canola oil, c) walnuts and walnut oil, d) butter, or e) stick margarine? Answer is below.
KID TESTED, DOCTOR APPROVED – cholesterol screening for kids has been recommended since 1998 by the American Academy of Pediatrics for certain at-risk children between the ages of 2 and 10. A child qualifies if there is heart disease in the family or if the father’s or mother’s total cholesterol is 240 or higher. Some pediatricians even recommend cholesterol testing for all children at age 10 because cholesterol levels tend to fluctuate during adolescence.
Given the epidemic rise of childhood obesity, testing the child’s cholesterol levels may give ample warning to those vulnerable to diabetes later in life, as well as provide motivation to change dietary and exercise habits. Men’s Health 11/03.
NUTRITIONAL QUIZ ANSWER: a), b), and c) Butter is rich in saturated fat; stick margarine is made from hydrogenated oil, which contains undesireable trans fats. Fish are the main source of a type of unsaturated fat called omega-3s; walnuts canola oil, and flaxseeds and their oil contain alpha-linolenic acid – a heart healthy related to those found in fish. University of California Berkeley Wellness Letter 6/03.
LOWER BACK PAIN EXERCISE – for a sudden onset of back pain, the best bet is ice and low-impact exercise, such as walking. Chronic back pain must be dealt with at its source – connective tissue failure that leads to atrophy of the back’s rotator muscles. These fibers, the multifidus and rotatory muscles, are the deepest muscles supporting the lumber spine joints. Gradually, the muscles around the spine lose their strength because they are inhibited by pain. Engaging these muscles with exercises that make you rotate your torso in a limited range of motion can help loosen and strengthen these core muscles. Grab a 5 or 10 pound weight plate (or a large book) and hold it to your chest, arms crossed. Stand with the feet shoulder-width apart, bending slightly at the knees, and lean forward about as much as you would in a golf stance. Without arching the back, turn rapidly from side to side, no more than 30 degrees each way. You should be able to maintain this exercise for 3 to 5 minutes pain-free. Men’s Health 6/04.
“Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at 20 or 80. Anyone who keeps learning stays young. The greatest thing in life is to keep your mind young” Henry Ford
WHAT’S THE BEEF? – excessive iron intake from red meat may double the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, according to a Harvard University study that followed the dietary habits of 38,000 men for 12 years. The primary culprit is a particular type of iron found in beef: heme iron, a strong pro-oxidant that generates free radicals. These can attack cells and tissues in the pancreas, resulting in decreased insulin secretion that can lead to type 2 diabetes. The study’s authors are not condemning red meat altogether, but just suggesting reducing consumption and replacing it with other protein sources. Chicken and fish have less heme iron. Men’s Health 6/04.
ANOTHER REASON TO AVOID TRANS FAT – trans fat, found in many packaged foods and fast foods raises LDL (bad) cholesterol and lowers HDL (good) cholesterol, and increases inflammation in the body. Chronic low-grade inflammation is an important aspect in cardiovascular disease. Being overweight also affects inflammation levels. Studies have shown that overweight people who lose weight by reducing caloric intake and exercising significantly reduced inflammation levels. University of California Berkeley Wellness Letter 7/04.
TUNES WHILE YOU EXERCISE – listening to music while you exercise increases brainpower, say researchers at Ohio State University. People did twice as well on cognitive tests after exercising with a soundtrack than after sweating in silence. Exercise fights off decay in the area of the brain responsible for “executive function” tasks, such as reasoning and sequencing. Music may “enhance organization of cognitive material, which is also an executive-function task.” The study used classical music, but other types of music probably have similar effects. Men’s Health 6/04.
FLU-FIGHTING STRATEGIES – since there is such a shortage of flu vaccine this flu season, this is a good opportunity to review ways to minimize the risk of catching a bad bug this year. The flu vaccine is never a guarantee that you won’t get sick with the flu anyway as the flu strain that breaks out will not always match the flu strain in the vaccine.
It is estimated that 10 percent to 20 percent of Americans comedown with the flu each flu season. To avoid joining this group, try the following preventive measures:
WASH, WASH, WASH
Flu viruses spread in two ways; through droplets in the air and by touch. Once flu season gets going, beware of both methods of transmission. That means avoiding people who are coughing and sneezing, or if you are the sick one, you should cover your nose and mouth. It means thinking twice about shaking hands. And mostly, it means lots of soap and water. The number one thing is hand-washing - before and after eating, after using a tissue, after using the restroom and often if you are caring for someone who is ill.
When it comes to hand washing, don’t be in a hurry. The CDC recommends a 15 to 20 second scrub under warm water. If there is no sink around, a hand sanitizer will help. Until you do wash your hands, keep your hands out of your nose and mouth and eyes.
Even something as innocent as a hand shake can transfer flu viruses. Vigorous hand washing will go a long way to minimize your exposure to harmful viruses that can lead to a nasty bout of the flu and lessen your chances of catching a cold. If you feel the sniffles coming on, skip the crew exchange hand shake and tell the crew that you feel the sniffles coming on so we’d better not shake hands. Your fellow crewmembers will be grateful for your concern.
PRE-EMPTIVE STRIKE
At the first sign of the flu, call the doctor. If you counterattack the virus in the first 24 to 48 hours with antiviral medicines such as Tamiflu or Relenza, you may shorten the severity of the illness.
If you do get sick and miss the window for the antiviral medicines to work, you could be in for a bad week. First of all, do not go to work and do not send kids to school if they are sick. Disregarding this advice will help spread the virus and infect many other people. No one wants your flu – stay at home until you are well. Generally, stay at home until 24 hours after your fever breaks.
Once you feel better, you still need to be careful. Figure that for each day you were in bed wit the flu, your post-flu resistance is lower for three days. So the risk is higher of catching another, more dangerous infection.
If your fever has broken without the help of medication, then spikes again, that could mean a new infection. Call the doctor again – if you are having trouble breathing or start coughing up blood, go to the emergency room – your illness may have deepened into pneumonia.
BOOSTING THE IMMUNE SYSTEM NATURALLY
Take a hike – walking not only burns calories, it also briefly increases levels of while blood cells, which serve as a defense against infection. In fact, one noted scientist believes that , “..no medicine, dietary supplement or other strategy has emerged to be as powerful as a 30 to 45 minute daily walk.” Research has shown that those that exercise moderately daily take half as many sick days for colds and infections as non-exercisers.
Sleep – experts say that adequate sleep enables the body to fight infection, while those that are sleep-deprived have lower immune response to fight infections.
Be cautious – almost paranoid about being careful to not touch objects that may harbor infectious agents, including public telephones, door knobs, microphones and anywhere that may have been touched by an infected person. If you have to touch these objects, do not touch your eyes, mouth or nose until you have washed your hands.
Eat a well-balanced diet – a good, healthy diet is the best defense – especially consuming foods with vitamins C, A, and E which are immune-enhancers and antioxidants.
Also, zinc is strongly tied to our immune system as it helps make white blood cells that help fight off the germs that cause the flu. Good dietary sources of zinc include lean beef, chicken, milk, eggs and yogurt.
Vitamins may help, but the data is inconclusive as to the effectiveness of vitamin C in large quantities and Echinacea, an herbal supplement which many believe enhances the immune system for short periods of time. A lack of adequate vitamins and minerals in the diet may lower the body’s ability to fight infection.
Drink plenty of fluids, including tea, preferably black and green, which has been shown to help get the body’s immune system ready to fight infection. Dallas Morning News 11/16/04 submitted by Captain Charlie Sink
Health Editor’s note: the following was submitted by one of our readers as a warning for marketing scams for health products and supplements – LK
There's a company called Berkley Premium Nutraceuticals, based in Cincinnati, Ohio. The name might not immediately seem familiar, but you've undoubtedly seen their frequent commercials for Enzyte, Avlimil, and Altovis, and they also sell Rogisen, Rovicid, and Ogoplex. The company website is http://www.askenzyte.com
A common thread to all products is that they offer a free 25-30 day trial supply. There's a shipping charge, a reasonable-sounding $4.50, and they take plastic. The problem is that they continue to charge your credit card for two months of NON-free product at a time. It seems that by accepting the "free" sample, you're also supposedly agreeing to an automatic purchase program. It bills your credit card concurrently with the product being shipped, and once shipped, it cannot be returned. Of course, your first inkling that you've "ordered" it is when you notice that your account has been hit, or it shows up in your mailbox. Getting out of the automatic purchase program isn't as easy as it seems either, and some folks have had their accounts charged more than once.
The following is from a online complaint that I filed with the Ohio State Attorney General's office: Description: Ordered a "free" 30-day cycle of Altovis (for fatigue) and gave them my credit card number for the $4.50 shipping. Sample arrived. About a month later, my card gets hit for $70 for another 60-day supply which I did not order. Calls to their toll-free number are unsuccessful due to the long hold times (45+ minutes) and the "opt-out" via the internet is useless. These folks are selling a number of products; all heavily advertised on TV, and they are suckering folks in with a 30-day free trial and enrolling them in an automatic purchase plan without the knowledge and approval of the customer, and with little recourse once this scam is discovered. The efficacy of the products aside, if a company has to resort to "tricking" people to making their first purchase, it could be argued that maybe the stuff doesn't work to begin with, since customer service doesn't seem to be a goal here. Satisfactory Solution: Immediate crediting of my account for the $70.00 for stuff I didn't order.
It appears that I am not alone. Here are over 160 similar complaints from just one website http://www.ripoffreport.com Search for "nutraceutical" and you'll see them, all with nearly identical complaints.
This post describes in detail how they are making it difficult for consumers to cancel the automatic purchase program: http://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/ripoff92042.htm
You might also want to check out BBB and other consumer-oriented sites.
If you paid with a credit card, you have recourse with your card issuer. I paid with a debit card, and had to cancel it to start the refund process, and to hopefully ensure that they didn't hit my card for another $70 down the line, as has happened to some other folks. I wanted to share what happened so you and your family can avoid the same experience. Don't let it happen to you...
