Archive | June, 2011

Put that pop down!

12 Jun

Put that pop can down, whether it’s diet or not!  Just read a study that  tracked 2500 people for nine years, and it stated that if you drink one diet pop a day, had a 61% increase your risk of stroke, heart attack and vascular-related death than compared to those who didn’t drink the stuff … And you might as well get your palate used to water and healthier options now, as soda is starting to be banned in certain places, ie. San Francisco. The USDA announced that the caramel colouring in Coke/Pepsi may be linked to cancer (more to come), so why play russian roulette with your own health?!

This infographic leads to this week’s new goal: of eliminating the soda and focusing on actually drinking those “8 glasses” of water we’ve all been told to do. This is a vague rule that I have not found any scientific evidence to support the “8 glasses,” just take the hint and drink as much water as you can before feeling the urge to drink, which is the brains signal you’re already dehydrated. I’ll write a blog post on the importance of water, to cement this habit into your brains. No matter how much you love soda, it’s not clean living, as the diagram sums up nicely.

Young at heart

11 Jun

I stumbled upon this post on http://www.wediditforlove.com, and even though I did not grow up during the time mentioned, the same upbringing belonged to me. This post resonated within me, and I thought i would re-post it for you to read and get out this weekend; carefree, and ENJOY the time off, like people used to. Simply, yet much more meaningfully. Remember how as a kid you never wanted to go to sleep, and you always woke up at the break of dawn, so as not to miss a thing? Well, you shouldn’t want to miss a thing now, either. Live to your potential. Enjoy your weekend:)

People Over 45 Should be Dead

People over 35 should be dead. Here’s why. According to today’s regulators and bureaucrats, those of us who were kids in the 40’s, 50’s, 60’s, or even maybe the early 70’s probably shouldn’t have survived.Our baby cribs were covered with bright colored lead-based paint. We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, doors or cabinets, and when we rode our bikes, we had no helmets. (Not to mention the risks we took hitchhiking.)As children, we would ride in cars with no seat belts or air bags. Riding in the back of a pickup truck on a warm day was always a special treat!We drank water from the garden hose and not from a bottle. Horrors! We ate cupcakes, bread and butter, and drank soda pop with sugar in it, but we were never overweight because we were always outside playing. We shared one soft drink with four friends, from one bottle, and no one actually died from this.We would spend hours building our go-carts out of scraps and then rode down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes. After running into the bushes a few times, we learned to solve the problem.

We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as we were back when the street lights came on.

No one was able to reach us all day. NO CELL PHONES!!!!! Unthinkable!

We did not have Play-stations, Nintendo 64, X-Boxes, no video games at all, no 99 channels on cable, video tape movies, surround sound, personal cell phones, personal computers, or Internet chat rooms.

We had friends! We went outside and found them. We played dodge ball, and sometimes, the ball would really hurt.

We fell out of trees, got cut and broke bones and teeth, and there were no lawsuits from these accidents. They were accidents. No one was to blame but us. Remember accidents?

We had fights and punched each other and got black and blue and learned to get over it.

We made up games with sticks and tennis balls and ate worms, and although we were told it would happen, we did not put out very many eyes, nor did the worms live inside us forever.

We rode bikes or walked to a friend’s home and knocked on the door, or rang the bell or just walked in and talked to them!

Little League had tryouts and not everyone made the team. Those who didn’t had to learn to deal with disappointment.
Some students weren’t as smart as others, so they failed a grade and were held back to repeat the same grade.

Horrors! Tests were not adjusted for any reason.

Our actions were our own. Consequences were expected. The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke a law was unheard of. They actually sided with the law. Imagine that!

This generation has produced some of the best risk-takers and problem solvers and inventors, ever. The past 50 years have been an explosion of innovation and new ideas. We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned how to deal with it all.

And you’re one of them!

Congratulations!

New trend of “medical tourism”

10 Jun

On a recent trip I took with my boyfriend to Costa Rica, we were introduced to the new emerging trend of medical tourism. We were there for some sun and relaxation, but as we lounged around the pool, our eyes and ears were opened to the vast number of women there with breast augmentation, lip implants, liposuction.. We heard of people discussing over their pina coladas that their doctor in Canada recommended for them to come to Costa Rica (in this example) to get a “deal” on their wanted “work”. Seems like this is a growing trend over certain countries in the world, popular for North Americans and Europeans who are willing to travel to get cheaper cosmetic surgery, health care treatment and dental work, all the while on so-called “vacation”. Brings a whole new meaning to going on vacation to “rejuvinate”. Here’s an infographic I found online with popular medical tourism destinations, and the services and prices that are offered.

Popular Dietary Supplements

9 Jun

5 deceiving health myths

8 Jun

”]

Coffee vs Tea

7 Jun

Vaccination Charts

4 Jun

Vaccination charts- one for children (birth to 18 years old) and one for adults. Check that you are up-to-date with these simple, easy to track charts. Make sure to keep your child’s vaccination chart filled in, bring to each appointment.

CHILDHOOD
ADULTHOOD

Proper Health Screening Chart

3 Jun

Do you ever wonder when you should be booking your next physical for yourself or your family member?  Ever wonder how often you need to do certain screening methods, at what age? Prevention is key. Here is a chart I made that you may print out, and keep yourself up-to-date.  Hope it is of benefit!

Birth-10years old
  • height and weight
  • blood pressure
  • vision and hearing screening
  • hemoglobinopathy screen (at birth)
  • phenylalanine level (at birth)
  • TSH and/or T4
11-24 years old
  • height and weight
  • blood pressure
  • general exam
  • pap smear
25-64 years old (*see below chart for further explanation)
  • height and weight
  • blood pressure every 2 years
  • cholesterol every 5 years
  • Pap test and bimanual pelvic exam
  • FOBT (fecal occult blood test)
  • sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy
  • mammography
>65 years old (*see chart below)
  • height and weight
  • blood pressure
  • FOBT
  • osteoporosis scans for women (DEXA)
  • vision and hearing screening
  • Pap test
  • sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy

Further information regarding appropriate screening periods

In general, the doctor may ask you about your family history. By doing so, we see if you at an “at-risk” patient, and appropriate screening measures should be undertaken. If you have a family member with, for example, a history of breast cancer diagnosed in your mother at age 38, the doctor will begin to screen 10 years earlier than the relative was diagnosed, irregardless of what inheritable/genetically susceptible medical condition is being spoken of.

FOBT                              (fecal occult blood testing) Once every year in patients >50 years old (or >40 for high risk patients)
COLONOSCOPY Once every 10 years in patients >50 years old (or >40 for high risk patients)
FLEXIBLE SIGMOIDOSCOPY Once every 5 years in pts >50 (or >40 in high risk)
DRE      (Digital rectal exam) Once a year to male patients >50 (or >40 in high risk)
BIMANUAL PELVIC EXAM For women between 20-40 years of age: once every 1-3 years.
For women >40: every year.
PAP TEST Once yearly, up until age 30. If three cytology results return negative for three consecutive years, then the interval can be increased to once every 2-3 years in patients >30.
MAMMOGRAPHY Once every 1-2 years in patients over 40.
CLINICAL BREAST EXAM Offered to females in their 20s and 30s every 3 years, and in patients >40, every year
(NOTE: monthly self check exams are advised to be performed on all females)
ENDOMETRIAL TISSUE SAMPLING Only recommended as a screening test if there is postmenopausal bleeding.
PSA                            (Prostate specific Antigen) Offer every year to males >50, or if they are at risk, >40.
(Note: this is a non-specific test for prostate cancer, DRE much more sensitive and specific).
A positive fecal occult blood test.

Image via Wikipedia

Pap test, Papanicolau stain, 400x. Atrophic sq...

Image via Wikipedia

06.02.11-Old food pyramid retires, and is replaced with the new and improved, younger version:)!

2 Jun

One size does not fit all… Now, the new food guide’s aim is to help people with portion sizes, and remind them of the importance of physical activity, in a more comprehensive way.

Old food pyramid, which has no mention of physical activity, and has not been received well by the public, as demonstrated by the growing obesity and diabetes epidemics. The 1992 food pyramid, with horizontal bands containing drawings of one of the food groups. The USDA recommended eating more foods from the bottom of the pyramid and fewer from the top.

 The new food plate has vertical wider at the bottom of the pyramid and narrower toward the top. The purpose of the vertical bands is to remind you to eat more food in each group that contains whole and natural foods, and to limit your intake of each food group that has processed fats or refined sugars.


The food plate was designed to remind people to make healthy food choices and to be active.

  • Activity: Being active is important.
  • Moderation: Within each group, there are choices that are healthier (little or no solid fats or added sugars) and those that are less healthy (added sugars and solid fats). Choose healthier foods more often and less healthy foods less often.
  • Personalization: The interactiveWeb site allows you to personalize a food guide pyramid based on your age, your gender, and the amount of physical activity you get.

             Go to http://www.MyPyramid.gov to interactively personalize your own diet! 

  • Proportion: Choose foods from the groups with wide bands more often. Eat less from those groups with narrow bands.
  • Variety: Choose foods from all of the food groups.
  • Gradual improvement: Take small steps to improve your diet and lifestyle.
Hope this new guide allows you to make the association between a healthy, moderate diet and the importance of exercise on your health! 🙂 You may print this guide as a note-to-self!

(all info taken from: livestrong.com, revolutionhealth.com)