HEALTHY LIVING !!

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Comment by Tawnette Fulton- Gilbert on June 27, 2011 at 10:48pm

THANKS PHOEBE 4 THE 411!!!!!  GOOD 2 KNOW!!

Comment by Kevin Shepard on June 25, 2011 at 6:47pm

Very helpful info, Phoebe, thanks!

Kev

 

Comment by Phoebe Macon on June 25, 2011 at 6:15pm

The Top 5 Killers of Men

By Bill Phillips and the Editors of Men's Health
Jun 16, 2011

 

 

It was a sunny September day in the Pacific Northwest, and Jeff Hale had just closed a $1.5 million deal. To celebrate, he was taking the afternoon off, relaxing on his patio lounge, and playing ball with his dog. That's when he began feeling compression high in his chest, some pain in his left shoulder, and an unsettling sense of dread. At 44, he was in relatively good shape, although 15 pounds overweight and under a lot of stress from work. At first, he thought it was an asthma attack and took a hit off his inhaler. But when that didn't help, he remembered an article he’d read in Men's Health.

"There were two things from that article I recalled," he recounted to our reporter a few years ago. "One was that every heart attack is unique. My symptoms will be different from your symptoms. The other was, if you suspect you're having a heart attack, take an aspirin." Hale took two and drove himself to the hospital. He almost didn't make it. Doctors found blockages in three arteries and performed a triple bypass the next day. "They told me I'd saved my life," says Hale. "The aspirin thinned my blood, and the inhaler dilated my arteries."

Heart disease is the number one killer of men, claiming the lives of nearly 400,000 fathers, friends, brothers, and sons every year. Often, the difference between life and death is razor thin—remembering to pop an aspirin, not delaying your trip to the E.R.

This week is National Men's Health ofile puts you at risk for at least one of them.

But, as Jeff Hale learned, our fates are not sealed. If you understand your risks, and learn how to negate them, you can outrun the reaper. Here’s how:

STROKE
Why you’re at risk: Each year, nearly 50,000 American men die of a stroke, according to the American Heart Association. I know what you’re thinking: But those are really old men. But you’re wrong. In fact, 1 in 14 stroke victims is younger than 45. As a neurologist I interviewed a few years ago told me: “If you did MRI scans on a hundred 40-year-olds, you’d see that a large number have already had a silent stroke.” And that’s scary because small, silent strokes often precede large, debilitating strokes.

What you can do about it: Keep your blood pressure at 120/80 or lower. Every 20-point increase in systolic BP (the top number) or every 10-point rise in diastolic BP doubles your risk of dying of a stroke, says Walter Kernan, M.D., an associate professor of medicine at Yale University. The good news: Simple lifestyle changes can dramatically reduce your risk. Assess your stroke risk right here, and learn how to turn the odds in your favor.

CHRONIC OBSTRUCTIVE PULMONARY DISEASE
Why you’re at risk: Nearly 60,000 men died from COPD—which includes chronic bronchitis and emphysema—in 2006, according to the CDC. The chief cause: the Marlboro Man. In fact, smoking causes 80 percent of COPD deaths. Considering that tobacco use has also been directly linked to the other man killers on our Top 5 list—notably, heart disease (#1) and cancer (#2)—you have to ask: Why are people still smoking?

What you can do about it: It’s pretty simple, really. You need to figure out how to kick butts for good. Improve your odds by joining a gym—smokers who are trying to quit often fall off the wagon during stressful moments. Regular exercise lowers levels of cortisol, the stress hormone, in the brain. Warning: Going cold turkey is one of the least successful ways of quitting. Find out how to tilt the odds of success in your favor by checking out Will You Be Able to Quit Smoking?

ACCIDENTS
Why you’re at risk: According to the CDC, 80,000 men die each year in unexpected tragedies, from sports injuries to fires to falls. But the most preventable accidental deaths are the 30,000 that occur on America’s roads every year.

What’s that? You’re a great driver? Not surprising that you think so. According to a study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, 72 percent of drivers regard themselves as more skilled than everyone else. Researchers trace the bias to a fundamental information imbalance, namely that the poorest performers are also the least able to recognize skill (or lack of skill) in themselves or others.

But fine, let’s say it’s true. Then consider the guys you’re sharing the road with: Surveys indicate there's a nearly 80 percent chance they speed regularly, and a 53 percent likelihood they talk on the phone while driving. There's a 4 percent chance they run red lights—on purpose—and a 2 percent chance they have driven after drinking too much. These guys make Evel Knievel look like a defensive driver.

What you can do about it: If you do one thing today, make it this: Stop texting while driving. You’ve probably heard that texting behind the wheel is just as dangerous as drinking and driving. Not true. Texting is way more dangerous. In fact, texting increases your risk of a crash by 23 times (versus 11 times for driving under the influence), according to a Virginia Tech study. Step into the MH Driving Simulator and test how well you multitask behind the wheel.

CANCER
Why you’re at risk: The Big C killed nearly 300,000 men in 2010, according to the American Cancer Society. Lung cancer tops the list, accounting for 29 percent of all cancer deaths, followed by prostate cancer (11 percent) and colon/rectum cancer (9 percent). We all know that smoking causes lung cancer, but the risk factors for prostate cancer are less well known. Yet, it’s one of the most common—1 in 6 men will get prostate cancer in their lifetimes—and least understood killers of men.

What you can do about it: Take our quiz to determine your risk. If you’re at high risk, put certain staples of the Mediterranean diet on your plate. A study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute shows that men who eat more than 10 grams of garlic or scallions (about three cloves of garlic or 2 tablespoons of scallions) daily have a 50 percent lower risk of prostate cancer than those who eat less than 2 grams. Sound like too much of a good thing? Other studies have linked the lycopene in cooked tomato products to lower prostate cancer risk; aim for at least two servings a week. And if you really like coffee . . . Harvard researchers found that drinking 6 cups a day reduces your risk of developing advanced prostate cancer by 59 percent.

HEART DISEASE
Why you’re at risk: This is the deadliest disease known to man. More than 1 in 3 adult men have some sort of heart disease and more than 390,000 men died of the killer in 2007, according to the American Heart Association.

But you’re a fit, healthy guy, right? Why would you die of heart disease? Believe it or not, not every victim of the disease is overweight or inactive. Men’s Health Editor Peter Moore discovered this eight years ago. He was doing everything right: He was thin, exercised regularly, and ate a healthy diet. But none of that prevented one of the arteries in his heart from becoming 99 percent blocked. Still think you’re risk-free? You can find out your heart disease risk by clicking right here.

What you can do about it: Small lifestyle changes can yield big results when it comes to improving heart health. Here are four simple changes you can make today:

• Exercise for 30 minutes. Middle-aged men who exercise vigorously for two hours a week (aim for 30 minutes, four times a week) have a 60 percent lower risk of a heart attack than inactive men.

• Lose the spare tire. If you’re overweight, dropping 10 to 20 pounds lowers your risk of dying from a heart attack. In fact, a 10-year study found that overweight people had heart attacks 8.2 years earlier than normal-weight victims.

• Drink five glasses of water a day. Men who drink that many 8-ounce glasses are 54 percent less likely to have a fatal heart attack than those who drink two glasses or fewer. Researchers say the water dilutes the blood, making it less likely to clot.

• Count to 10. Keeping your cool under stress may keep you alive. Men who respond with anger are three times more likely to have heart disease and five times more likely to have a heart attack before turning 55.

 

Comment by Edmund Stevens on June 9, 2011 at 3:24pm

Hey Phoebe, I didn't know that the potatoes and ice cream could make us sick, and I never thought about the young kids choking on the hotdogs. Who knew that eating can be hazardous to your health! Thanks again for the very important and healthful info.! Love Ed

Comment by Phoebe Macon on June 9, 2011 at 1:24pm

 

7 Foods Most Likely to Make You Sick

 

Every day, more than 130,000 Americans are stricken with food poisoning. While the rates of some common food-borne bugs have declined, cases of Salmonella—the most common infection and leading cause of both hospitalization and death from food-borne illness—have risen by 10 percent since 2006, according to a new food safety report issued by the CDC on June 7. About 1.2 million Americans suffer bouts of Salmonella each year.

“The bottom line is that food-borne illness, particularly salmonella, is still far too common,” said CDC director Dr. Thomas Frieden. One reason is that it can taint a wide range of foods, including meat, eggs, poultry, vegetables and nuts. One detail of the report highlights just how entrenched the pathogen is: New US standards to take effect next month call for “allowable contamination” of chicken at processing plants to be reduced to 7.5 percent from the current rate of 20 percent—hardly an assurance of safety. Here’s a look at seven of the riskiest foods for triggering serious health problems.

Find out where Salmonella and other germs lurk in your home.

1.  Leafy Greens: Greens like lettuce, escarole, endive, spinach, cabbage, kale, arugula and chard top a list compiled by the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) of the riskiest foods regulated by the FDA. 

• Culprits: E. coli, Norovirus and Salmonella.
• The problem: Contamination can occur at the farm through contact with wild animals, manure, contaminated water or unsanitary harvesting, or at home through inadequate hand washing or unsanitary preparation. At least 363 outbreaks of food-borne illness are linked to leafy greens.
• Prevention: Wash raw vegetables thoroughly and avoid preparing them near raw chicken or meat. You may want to avoid packaged salad mixes, since combining vegetables from multiple sources could increases the risk of a contaminated ingredient finding its way into the mix.

2.  Eggs: Eggs and egg products have been blamed for more than 350 outbreaks of food poisoning. Last year they sickened more than 50,000 Americans, leading to the recall of a half-billion eggs.  

• Culprits: Salmonella. The most common strain infects the ovaries of hens, contaminating eggs before the shell is formed.
• The problem: Serving raw or runny eggs or leaving eggs at improper temperatures at buffets.
• Prevention: Thorough cooking kills most pathogens.

Follow these tips to keep your food clean and healthy.

3.  Hot Dogs: OK, you wouldn’t consider them a health food, but you may not know that hot dogs are hazardous to young kids.

• The problem: Hot dogs have been blamed for food-related asphyxiations in kids under age 10. Every five days a young child dies as a result of choking on food.
• Prevention: Cut hot dogs into half-inch chunks for kids under age four, then slice chunks in half. Cut grapes in half too. The American Academy of Pediatrics has a new report on choking prevention.

4.  Tuna: Mercury isn’t the only hazzard. A naturally occurring toxin—a histamine-like chemical—can trigger a syndrome similar to an allergic reaction. Affected fish may have a peppery, bitter or metallic flavor.

• Culprit: Scombrotoxin forms when certain fish—typically large, meaty varieties such as tuna and mahi mahi--are inadequately refrigerated.
• The problem: Once formed, the toxin can’t be destroyed by cooking, freezing, smoking, curing or canning. Symptoms include skin flushing, headaches, abdominal cramps, nausea, diarrhea, and palpitations. Antihistamines may reduce symptoms, which usually clear up within a day. 
• Prevention: The problem can be prevented if fish is kept chilled from capture to cooking. Don’t eat fish with an off flavor.

5. Peanuts: In moderation, peanuts can be nutritious as they contain heart-healthy monounsaturated fats. However, they can be dangerous or deadly to about one percent of the population.

• Culprit: An allergy that’s on the rise among children. Peanuts are the leading cause of food-allergy deaths.
• The problem: The immune system of those with the allergy mistakenly identifies peanut proteins as a threat to health, triggering symptoms ranging from mild to deadly.
• Prevention: People with severe peanut allergies should carry an EpiPen for immediate treatment of reactions and scrutinize food labels carefully.

6.  Potatoes: Outbreaks of illness are linked to potato salad.

• Culprits: Salmonella, Shingella, Listeria or E. coli bacteria can get into potato dishes via cross contamination from raw-to-cooked ingredients during handling and preparation.
• The problem: Shigella is transmitted easily from an infected person to food. Listeria can live on deli counters and kitchens. More than 40 percent of potato-related illnesses are triggered by prepared foods from restaurants, groceries and delis.
• Prevention: Avoid letting potato salad sit at room temperature for long periods.

7.  Ice Cream: The largest ice-cream outbreak ever occurred in 1994 when a manufacturer transported raw eggs and pasteurized ice cream premix in the same truck.

• Culprits: Salmonella and Listeria.
• The problem: Almost half of all-ice cream outbreaks occur in private homes, probably due to Salmonella from undercooked eggs in homemade ice cream. Listeria can live inside of soft ice cream machines and contaminate multiple batches. Other dairy products can also harbor Listeria.
• Prevention The CDC advises pregnant women to avoid soft cheeses like feta, Brie and Camembert. Salmonella can be killed by pasteurization. Also be cautious about eating soft or homemade ice cream.

Comment by Phoebe Macon on May 21, 2011 at 12:39am

SIGNS & SYMPTOMS THAT YOU MAY BE DEPRESSED







DEPRESSION


Definition:

Depression may be described as feeling sad, blue, unhappy, miserable, or down in the dumps. Most of us feel this way at one time or another for short periods.


True clinical depression is a mood disorder in which feelings of sadness, loss, anger, or frustration interfere with everyday life for an extended period of time.
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Causes & Risk Factors
Depression often runs in families. This may due to your genes (inherited), learned behavior, or both. Even if your genes make you more likely to develop depression, a stressful or unhappy life event usually triggers the onset of a depressive episode.

Depression may be brought on by:

•Alcohol or drug abuse
•Childhood events like abuse or neglect
•Chronic stress
•Death of a friend or relative
•Disappointment at home, work, or school (in teens, this may be breaking up with a boyfriend or girlfriend, failing a class, or parents divorcing)
•Drugs such as sedatives and high blood pressure medications
•Medical conditions such as hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid), cancer, or hepatitis
•Nutritional deficiencies (such as a lack of folate and omega-3 fatty acids)
•Overly negative thoughts about one's self and life, self blame, and ineffective social problem solving skills
•Prolonged pain or having a major illness
•Sleeping problems
•Social isolation (common in the elderly)
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Tests & Diagnostics
The guidelines for diagnosis of major depressive disorder and dysthymic disorder are found in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM IV). In addition to an interview, several clinical inventories or scales may be used to assess a patient's mental status and determine the presence of depressive symptoms. Among these tests are: the Hamilton Depression Scale (HAM-D), Child Depression Inventory (CDI), Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and the Zung Self-Rating Scale for Depression. These tests may be administered in an outpatient or hospital setting by a general practitioner, social worker, psychiatrist, or psychologist.
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Treatments
If you are depressed for 2 weeks or longer, you should contact your doctor, who can offer treatment options. Regardless of whether you have mild or major depression, the following self-care steps can help:

•Get enough sleep.
•Follow a healthy, nutritious diet.
•Exercise regularly.
•Avoid alcohol, marijuana, and other recreational drugs.
•Get involved in activities that make you happy, even if you don't feel like it.
•Spend time with family and friends.
•Try talking to clergy or spiritual advisors who may help give meaning to painful experiences.
•Consider prayer, meditation, tai chi, or biofeedback as ways to relax or draw on your inner strengths.
•Add omega-3 fatty acids to your diet, which you can get from cold-water fish like tuna, salmon, or mackerel.
•Take folate (vitamin B9) in the form of a multivitamin (400 to 800 micrograms).
If your depression occurs in the fall or winter months, try light therapy using a special lamp that mimics the sun.

Many people try a popular over-the-counter herb called St. John's wort. Some studies do suggest that this herbal remedy may be helpful for mild depression, but not moderate or severe. Be aware that St. John's wort has potential drug interactions and should NOT be taken with prescription antidepressants, birth control pills, protease inhibitors for HIV, theophylline, warfarin, digoxin, reserpine, cyclosporine, or loperamide. Talk to your doctor if you are thinking about trying this herb for mild depression.

If you have moderate to severe depression, the most effective treatment plan will likely be a combination of counseling and medication.
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Drugs
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), such as fluoxetine (Prozac) and sertraline (Zoloft), reduce depression by increasing levels of serotonin, a neurotransmitter. Some clinicians prefer SSRIs for treatment of dysthymic disorder. Anxiety, diarrhea, drowsiness, headache, sweating, nausea, poor sexual functioning, and insomnia all are possible side effects of SSRIs. A recent study shows this generation of drugs increases patients' risk of gastrointestinal bleeding.

Tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) are less expensive than SSRIs, but have more severe side effects including persistent dry mouth, sedation, dizziness, and cardiac arrhythmias. Because of these side effects, caution is taken when prescribing TCAs to elderly patients. TCAs include amitriptyline (Elavil), imipramine (Tofranil), and nortriptyline (Aventyl, Pamelor). A 10-day supply of TCAs can be lethal if ingested all at once, so these drugs may not be a preferred treatment option for patients at risk for suicide.

Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAO inhibitors), such as tranylcypromine (Parnate) and phenelzine (Nardil), block the action of monoamine oxidase (MAO), an enzyme in the central nervous system. Patients taking MAOIs must avoid foods high in tyramine (found in aged cheeses and meats) to avoid potentially serious hypertensive side effects.

Heterocyclics include bupropion (Wellbutrin) and trazodone (Desyrel). Bupropion is prescribed to patients with a seizure disorder. Side effects include agitation, anxiety, confusion, tremor, dry mouth, fast or irregular heartbeat, headache, low blood pressure, and insomnia. Because trazodone has a sedative effect, it is useful in treating depressed patients with insomnia. Other possible side effects of trazodone include dry mouth, gastrointestinal distress, dizziness, and headache. In 2003, Well-butrin's manufacturer released a once-daily version of the drug that offered low risk of sexual side effects or weight gain.
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Supplements
Homeopathic remedies can be helpful treatments for depression. A homeopathic practitioner should be consulted for dosages, but common remedies are:

•Arum metallicum for severe depression
•Ignatia for adjustment disorder
•Natrum muriaticum for depression of long duration.

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Alternative Therapies
Homeopathic remedies can be helpful treatments for depression. A homeopathic practitioner should be consulted for dosages, but common remedies are:

•Arum metallicum for severe depression
•Ignatia for adjustment disorder
•Natrum muriaticum for depression of long duration.
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Complications
Dysthymia commonly occurs in tandem with other psychiatric and physical conditions. Up to 70% of dysthymic patients have both dysthymic disorder and major depressive disorder, known as double depression. Substance abuse, panic disorders, personality disorders, social phobias, and other psychiatric conditions also are found in many dysthymic patients. Dysthymia is prevalent in patients with certain medical conditions, including multiple sclerosis, AIDS, hypothyroidism, chronic fatigue syndrome, Parkinson's disease, diabetes, and postcardiac transplantation. The connection between dysthymic disorder and these medical conditions is unclear, but it may be related to the way the medical condition and/or its pharmacological treatment affects neurotransmitters. Dysthymic disorder can lengthen or complicate the recovery of patients also suffering from medical conditions.

Along with an underlying feeling of depression, people with dysthymic disorder experience two or more of the following symptoms on an almost daily basis for a period for two or more years (most suffer for five years), or one year or more for children:

•under or overeating
•insomnia or hypersomnia
•low energy or fatigue
•low self-esteem
•poor concentration or trouble making decisions
•altered libido
•altered appetite
•altered motivation
•feelings of hopelessness
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Prevention
Healthy lifestyle habits can help prevent depression, or lessen the chances of it happening again. These habits include eating properly, sleeping adequately, exercising regularly, learning to relax, and not drinking alcohol or using drugs.

Counseling may help you through times of grief, stress, or low mood. Family therapy may be particularly important for teens who feel blue.

If you feel socially isolated or lonely, try volunteering or getting involved in group activities.
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Comment by Phoebe Macon on May 10, 2011 at 11:51pm

Simple Ways To Keep Your Brain Sharp, Healthy

 

Comment by Phoebe Macon on March 31, 2011 at 1:11am

Early Signs Of Alzheimers And What To Watch For:

The National Alzheimer's Association has created a list of 10 warning signs of the disease. For more information on these potential indicators - and how to distinguish them from similar but more standard age-related changes - go to www.alz.org/alzheimers

• 1- Memory loss that disrupts daily life.
• 2- Challenges in planning or solving problems.
• 3- Difficulty completing familiar tasks at home, at work or at leisure.
• 4- Confusion with time or place.
• 5- Trouble understanding visual images and spatial relationships.
• 6- New problems with words in speaking or writing.
• 7- Misplacing things and losing the ability to retrace steps.
• 8- Decreased or poor judgment.
• 9- Withdrawal from work or social activities.
• 10- Changes in mood and personality.

Comment by Phoebe Macon on March 16, 2011 at 5:18pm

The Surgeon General On Healthy Communities

 

 

Comment by Phoebe Macon on March 16, 2011 at 5:17pm

HEALTH & WELLNESS: Working Up A Sweat With Video Games

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