REPORTING POINT 8-06
HEALTH NEWS
“Live healthy...live well”
Dedicated to providing pertinent information on health, fitness, and nutrition to foster a culture of wellness among Southwest Airlines flight crews and their families.
by Larry Kline
SWAPA Voice Mailbox 4337/email: livehealthy-livewell@cox.net
Past issues of “Health News” are available at http://health.theballfamily.org. It includes a search engine; just enter a key word to find past articles. LK
DIRTY DOCTORS – a Swiss study shows that only 57 percent of physicians follow their hospitals’ hand-hygiene guidelines. The study cites too much work as the top reason for the noncompliance. Men’s Health 11/04.
ANOTHER REASON TO EXERCISE – one in three adult Americans, about 70 million, has arthritis or other chronic joint problems. That new CDC estimate is 60 percent higher than estimates made just nine years ago. The upward revision is due to an increase in arthritis (actually a wide range of joint disorders) in our aging population, as well as a more thorough survey. Arthritis is hardly limited to the elderly; at least half of all people who report having arthritis are under 65. Being overweight or inactive increases the risk. University of California Berkeley Wellness Letter 9/03.
KILLER COMBOS – coffee and asthma medications should not be taken together. This is only one of the potentially dangerous medicine-food combinations that could cause your body to absorb either too much or too little of your prescription medicine. These are dangerous combinations:
Drug Used to Treat Example Foods to Avoid
bronchodilators asthma Theo-Dur24, high-fat/high-carb meals,
Uniphyl products with caffeine
quinolones bacterial Cipro, Levaquin, milk, yogurt, and other cal-
infections Floxin, Trovan cium-rich foods; products
with caffeine
antifungals fungal Diflucan, Nizoral dairy products
infections Grifulvin
Health 3/02.
CHEW ON THIS – modern commercial chewing gum got its start in the 1860s with the discovery of chicle, a rubbery substance derived from sapodilla trees, which grow in tropical climates. Unlike its chewy predecessors, which include paraffin, chicle is smooth and springy and holds flavors well. Most gums are now made from synthetics, rather than real chicle.
DOES CHEWING GUM…
PREVENT TOOTH DECAY? It may help. Saliva is good for your teeth as it helps neutralize acids produced by bacteria in the mouth, as well as clearing some debris. Any gum might help since it helps squeeze saliva in the spaces between the teeth, but sugarless gum is a lot better, especially gum sweetened with xylitol, a sugar alcohol that is almost calorie-free. Chewed for 10 minutes after a meal, xylitol gum can actually suppress the growth of cavity-producing bacteria in the mouth. No gum can take the place of brushing and flossing, but might help after eating foods in the cockpit where brushing is impractical. Constant gum chewing also has a dental downside as it can wear down tooth enamel.
FRESHEN BREATH? Chewing a piece of gum may temporarily mask odors, but bad breath may signal dental problems that a breath freshener will not fix. Chewing sugary gum might make matters worse. Rinsing your mouth with water or brushing your teeth, if possible, will help as much or more.
AFFECT THE DIGESTIVE TRACT IN ANY POSITIVE WAY? It might. Because it increases salivation, chewing gum, especially sugarless gum, lowers acidity in the mouth and may counteract heartburn.
CAUSE JAW PAIN? Yes, if you chew gum often or too vigorously. There is no evidence that gum chewing causes temporomandibular disorder, a chronically painful jaw condition, but it can make it worse.
ENHANCE CONCENTRATION? One or two studies suggest that it might improve recall. But do not count on it if you are studying for a test. There is no scientific evidence that should persuade teachers to reverse no-chewing gum rules.
PROMOTE WEIGHT LOSS? This has been studied by the Mayo Clinic. It does require some energy to chew – an hour of chewing burns 11 calories. You would have to chew sugarless gum 12 hours a day for a year to lose approximately 10 pounds. But if you chew gum instead of consuming a candy bar, it is a good substitute and can aid one in losing weight.
PREVENT EARACHE ON WHEN ON AN AIRCRAFT? It helps counteract the changes in air pressure that can make your ears ache. So can sucking on candy, yawning, taking a sip of water, and similar maneuvers.
HELP SMOKERS QUIT? Chewing gum can quell the urge for a cigarette, according to many people who have successfully kicked the habit. Some reformed smokes claim that chewing gum relaxes them.
CAUSE TROUBLE IN THE INTESTINES IF SWALLOWED? No. It passes out in the stool. University of California Berkeley Wellness Letter 6/04.
WEIGHT LOSS TIPS – try adding these techniques to your daily regime to help you lose weight (and don’t forget to exercise):
EAT FIVE MEALS A DAY – try eating three meals plus two snacks. In a study in the American Journal of Epidemiology, researchers found that men who ate four or more times a day had half the risk of becoming overweight compared with those who ate three times or fewer. This does not mean three feast-sized meals and two large snacks, but sensible portions to keep your metabolism higher.
FILL UP ON FIBER – fiber is the best food you can eat when your are trying to lose weight. Fiber slows your rate of digestion, which keeps you feeling full longer and reduces sugar cravings. It also binds to other foods and speeds their passage through your system quicker. Try to consume 25-30 grams of fiber daily.
Good sources of fiber include whole-grain cereals, whole-grain breads, whole-grain rice, and whole-grain pasta; beans, apples, pears, and most other fruits, vegetables, and nuts.
