Gym etiquette:Follow these ironclad rules

INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

pg 2 Self-Care Corner

pg 3 What’s Up Doc?

pg 4 Healthy Eating

pg 6 Health Tips

pg 7 Work Life

pg 7 Be Fit

pg 8 Family Life

HEALTHYLIFE®

LetterOctober 2007

Diving into the gym without annoying the gym veteranstakes some consideration and know-how. Bryan Stednitz,assistant director of Fitness and Wellness for IndianaUniversity’s Division of Campus Recreational Sports, andChris Arvin, program director, offer these ironclad tips soyou won’t be one of these maddening weight room users:

Talkers. Especially when the gym is crowded, beaware of your surroundings. Don’t talk on your cell phoneor just stand around. If you are going to the gym to workout, then work out.

Sweaters. Nobody wants to sit or lie down in a poolof your sweat. Bring a towel and wipe down theequipment after you use it. Also, put weights back whenthe workout is complete.

Grunters. If you’re really pushing yourself, somegrunts on the last couple reps are to be expected. Butdon’t let out a Tarzan-like scream every time you push theweight. And try not to drop the weights. Not only is itobnoxious, you can damage them and yourself.

Bad form lifters. It happens all the time;someone puts on way too much weight, can’t do theexercise correctly, and looks foolish. Not only is thisdangerous, it is counter-productive. Using the correctform, getting the full range of motion on your exercisewhile using less weight will give you a much betterworkout.

Cutters. Wait your turn. Many gyms have sign-upsheets for busy machines such as ellipticals, treadmills andother exercise equipment. Once signed up, don’t be late.

CHILL OUTWhen bad weather causes electrical

power outages, you can keeprefrigerated and frozen foods fromspoiling. Fill empty plastic milkjugs three-quarters with water andfreeze them now. These homemadeblocks of ice stashed inside yourrefrigerator can keep food colder

longer (and safer) if the power goesout. A tip from food scientists at

Saint Louis University.

Shorter days, longer nights can bring on depression. It’s called seasonal affective disorder (or SAD) –the “winter blues.”

“A SAD diagnosis is usually based on whether the person has been depressed in the winter andrecovered in the spring or summer for at least two years in a row,” said Gary Malone, MD, apsychiatrist at Baylor All Saints Medical Center in Fort Worth. “These dramatic mood swingsduring season changes are what distinguish SAD from other forms of depression.”

The symptoms: irritability, sadness, anxiety, decreased activity, drowsiness during thedaytime, and problems with work and relationships. According to Dr. Malone,SAD may cause an increase in appetite marked by cravings for carbohydrates,weight gain and excessive sleeping too. Most adults who develop SAD arewomen. “For people with SAD, these symptoms usually occur at the sametime each year beginning in the fall and ending in the spring,” he said.

Treatment includes medication and counseling. Light therapy canbe highly effective. It is believed that light therapy helps to reseta person’s internal “clock.” Someone with SAD would sit infront of a light box that produces artificial light for acertain amount of time in the morning.

Another popular form of light therapy is called“dawn stimulation.” A low-intensity light is timedto turn on at a certain time in the morningbefore a person wakes up. The lightgradually gets brighter.

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SELF-CARE CORNER

{NNoottee :: Many topics like the ones above are contained in a medical self-care guide, such as Healthier at Home®, Health at Home®, and HealthyLife® Self-Care Guide. They serve as excellent resources. If you have a self-care guide, refer to it whenever you are unsure about what to do for symptoms and health issuesyou are experiencing. It can help you make better decisions about when to seek professional assistance and when you can treat yourself at home using self-care.}

A toe hold

Leaves fall, and so do you

Fungus infections occur when tiny fungi gain entry through a small trauma in thenail, then grow and spread in the warm, moist environment inside your socks andshoes. Symptoms of toenail fungus, which can be caused by several types of fungi,include swelling, yellowing, thickening or crumbling of the nail, streaks or spotsdown the side of the nail, and even complete loss of the nail. Toenail color can varyfrom brown or yellow to white with this condition.

The foot specialists at Foot.com say prevention is the best way to stop fungi fromgetting a toe hold on your toes. * Wear protective shoes or sandals in public showers, pool areas and gyms. * Don’t wear other people’s shoes or socks. * Wash your feet regularly and dry well. * Keep toenails trimmed. Disinfect any tools you use to trim your toenails.* Nail polish is not advised. It can seal in fungus and allow it to grow.If you develop toenail fungus, see your foot doctor. Drugs can help.

10 tips when your child is in the hospital“PARENTS ARE AN INTEGRAL PART OF THEIR CHILD’S HEALTH

CARE TEAM, EVEN IN THE HOSPITAL,” SAID KAREN BERGAN,PARENT LEADER AND CHAIR OF THE FAMILY ADVISORY

COUNCIL AT MORGAN STANLEY CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL.“YOU KNOW YOUR CHILD BEST. LISTEN TO THEM AND TRUST

YOUR INSTINCTS. WHEN MEETING WITH YOUR DOCTOR,COMMUNICATE YOUR THOUGHTS, AND DON’T FORGET TO ASK

LOTS OF QUESTIONS.”

These 10 tips were developed by the hospital’s Family Advisory Council:

1. Take notes and include names andcontact numbers for your child’smedical team.

2. Store the nurses’ station phonenumber in your wallet (or cell phone)and call anytime for updates on yourchild.

3. Give the nurses your contactinformation so you can be reachedanytime.

4. Ask your medical team about thecare plan for the day and write itdown.

5. Always repeat information back tothe doctor or nurse to confirm yourunderstanding.

6. Write down any questions as youthink of them – even in the middleof the night.

7. Refer to your notebook when talkingwith doctors.

8. Ask for as many explanations of adiagnosis, “labs” or test results asneeded until you understand theinformation.

WHAT’S UP DOC?

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5 health tests every woman needs

9. Note any changes in your child’sappetite, energy level, mood, painlevels or other areas you observe,and share this information with thehealth care team.

10. If you think your child is in pain,contact the nurse right away.

Blood pressure andcholesterol.To prevent heart disease, the number onekiller of US women. The best bloodpressure with respect to heart risk is lessthan 120 over 80. Your LDL or “bad”cholesterol should be below 100. YourHDL or “good” cholesterol should be 50or higher.

Mammogram.To detect early breast cancer. Starting atage 40, women should get an annualscreening. Women with a family historyof breast cancer should discuss moreoptions.

Pap test.To prevent cervical cancer. Womenshould have their first Pap test within 3years of their first sexual experience ornot later than age 21. An HPV (humanpapillomavirus) vaccine is now availablefor women between ages 9 and 26, whichcan protect against 2 strains of HPV thatcause most cervical cancer.

Colonoscopy.To detect early colon cancer, the thirdleading cause of cancer deaths in USwomen. This test is recommended every10 years, starting at age 50. Women witha family history of colon cancer shoulddiscuss more options.

Skin exam.To detect early skin cancer, the mostcommon cancer in men and women inthe US. Melanoma, the most deadly formof skin cancer, is the most commoncancer in women between the ages of 25and 29.

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HEALTHY EATING

Play by the tailgate rules

Crazy over peanuts

Tailgating can be tons of fun as longas you observe the rules of the game.Nobody wants to spoil the party byinviting bacteria. “The biggest food-safety issues at tailgates arise from thefact that you are moving food fromone location to another,” said ReneeBoyer, consumer food-safety specialistfor Virginia Cooperative Extension.

TThhee wwiinnnniinngg rruu lleess ::* Pack meats and other raw items in

sealed plastic bags or containers ina chilled, insulated cooler keptbelow 40 degrees. Separate rawfoods (the chicken and burgers)from ready-to-eat foods (potatosalad, cut-up veggies).

* Store chilled drinks in a differentcooler away from the food.

A lot of people love peanuts, but for an unfortunate few,eating peanuts and other foods that cause food allergies,death could result. An estimated 2% of adults and about5% of infants and young children in the US suffer fromfood allergies. Allergic reactions to food vary in severity,but about 30,000 people require fast treatment in the ERand 150 die each year as a result of them. The onlymeans of preventing allergic reactions is to avoid thefoods that cause them.

TThhee 88 mmoosstt ccoommmmoonn ffooooddss tthhaatt ccaauussee bbaadd rreeaacc tt iioonnss :: 1. Milk2. Eggs3. Fish (such as bass, flounder, cod)4. Shellfish (such as crab, lobster, shrimp)5. Tree nuts (such as almonds, walnuts, pecans)6. Peanuts7. Wheat8. Soybeans

Symptoms of food allergies typically appear within afew minutes or up to 2 hours after a person has eatenthe food to which he or she is allergic. An allergicreaction to food is a 911 emergency. Symptoms caninclude:* Hives* Flushed skin or rash* Tingling or itchy sensation in the mouth* Face, tongue, or lip swelling* Vomiting and/or diarrhea* Abdominal cramps* Coughing or wheezing* Dizziness and/or lightheadedness* Swelling of the throat and vocal cords* Difficulty breathing* Loss of consciousness

* Use a meat thermometer. To besafe, ground beef and chickenshould reach an internaltemperature of 165 degrees.

* Bring a hand sanitizer or a bleachsolution. Be sure to wash yourhands before and after youprepare the food.

* Remove meat from the cooleronly when you wish to place iton the grill. Never put cookedmeat back in the container withraw meat. Use separate cuttingboards to prevent cross-contamination between raw andcooked foods.

* When removing cooked itemsfrom the grill, use a clean pair oftongs that have not come intocontact with raw foods.

* Eat cooked foods immediatelyor keep at a temperature of140 degrees or hotter untilserved. Wrapping a hot item inaluminum foil will help keep itwarm.

* Eat deli salads within 2 hoursafter removing from thecooler.

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Featured RecipeGerman Chocolate CakeChef and cookbook author Andrew Schloss, in partnership with the Canned Food Alliance, combined store-bought mixes,canned goods and a few other ingredients. Called “CANfidential Creations,” each recipe gives you at least a half-cup offruits or vegetables per serving. Here is one of those recipes.

IngredientsNon-stick baking spray 1/4 cup cornstarch1 can (16 ounces) sauerkraut, drained 2 cans (14.5 ounces each) pear halves in light syrup, not drained1 box (18.25 ounces) devil’s food cake mix 1 tablespoon unsalted butter3 large eggs 2 teaspoons vanilla extract1 cup fat-free sweetened condensed milk 1/4 teaspoon almond extract3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce 1/2 cups sweetened flaked coconut1/2 cup finely chopped pecans, toasted

DirectionsPreheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray 2, 8-inch layer pans with baking spray; set aside. Put sauerkraut in a strainer and washunder cold, running water, wring dry and chop coarsely; set aside. Purée pears with their liquid in a blender until smooth;divide in half and set aside. Mix cake mix, half the puréed pears and eggs in the large bowl of an electric mixer. Beat onlow speed for 30 seconds and on high for 2 minutes, until the batter is thick and smooth. Fold in the sauerkraut.

Pour and scrape the batter into prepared pans and bake in the oven for 30 minutes until a tester inserted into the centercomes out with a few moist crumbs clinging to it. Cool in the pans on racks for 20 to 30 minutes, until cool enough totouch. Remove cakes from pans and cool on racks until room temperature.

Frosting: While the cake is baking, prepare the frosting. Mix condensed milk, remaining puréed pears, applesauce andcornstarch in a medium saucepan with a whisk, until smooth. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until themixture comes to a boil and thickens. Remove from heat and stir in butter, vanilla and almond extracts, coconut andpecans; set aside to cool.

To assemble the cake, place 1 cake layer on a serving plate, top with a third of the cooled frosting. Place the second layeron top. Ice the sides and top of the cake with the remaining frosting. Refrigerate until serving. Cut in 12 wedges and serve.Servings: 12 slices. Per serving: calories 380; total fat 12g; saturated fat 3.5g; cholesterol 60mg; sodium 530mg; carbohydrate 62g; fiber 5g

HEALTHY EATINGEat soup

Want to cut calories? Eat soup before your meal. Eating low-calorie soupbefore a meal can help cut back on how much food and calories you eat at

the meal, a new Penn State study has found. Results showed that whenparticipants in the study ate a first course of soup, they reduced their total calorie intake at the meal by 20%. Pick low-calorie, broth-basedsoups that are about 100 to 150 calories per serving. Be careful of

higher-calorie, cream-based soups that could actually increase the total number of calories you eat.

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So just how do lip balms keep dryness atbay? “When you put a lip balm on yourlips, you block the loss of naturalmoisture into the environment,” said Dr.said Lisa Garner, MD, dermatologist atBaylor Medical Center at Garland. “Soyou actually keep more of your ownnatural moisture, as if you seal it in.”

You should have no problems using lipbalm unless you are allergic to any ofthe ingredients. If so, your lips will feeldry because you’re having a reaction tothe lip balm. By buying balms withsunscreen in them, you are giving yourlips added protection.

Little known fact: According to theexperts, there isn’t much difference inthe effectiveness of a 99-cent lip balmand a much more expensive one.

Too many bathroom tripsHEALTH TIPS

Worrying can keep youup at night – and all day

An increase in the number of trips to thebathroom — day or night — often meanssomething is going on. With properdiagnosis and treatment, it’s possible toreturn to normal habits. Common causes:

Urinary tract infections.Symptoms of a bacterial infection of thebladder or the urethra can includeburning with urination, foul-smellingurine, fever and pelvic pain.

Side effect of medication.Diuretics (“water pills”) and other drugscan increase the need to go to thebathroom.

Age-related changes.When muscles of the bladder, urethraand pelvic floor become weak, thebladder may not be able to “hold it.”

Prostate problems.For men, an enlarged or infectedprostate can lead to urgency andfrequent urination, especially at night.

Bladder problems.Frequent or urgent urination can be anearly sign of bladder cancer. Bladderstones or bladder inflammation also cancause frequent or painful urination.

Diabetes.When excess blood sugar is excreted intourine, it draws water from the body’stissues, increasing the need to urinate.

Kidney disease.Diseases that cause kidney decline mayaffect the kidneys’ ability to processurine, increasing the amount of urineproduced.

A weak heart due toheart failure.A weak heart can’t pump blood well, sofluids build up in the body. The kidneyswork to rid the body of excess fluid,causing large amounts of urineproduction and frequent urination.

The key to treatment is finding out thecause.

Why using lip balm is notsuch a good idea Everybody worries from time to time, but people

with generalized anxiety disorder spend nearly 40hours a week worrying.

Most people worry about life events such as jobs,money and health. That’s natural. But for people withan anxiety disorder (about 4 million Americans,including children and teens), worries consume theirdaily life. Unexplained health problems may developsuch as sleeplessness, tension headaches, and irritability.

Scientists think various parts of the brain may over-react to daily events causing too much fear andworry.

Only a third of people with anxiety seek treatment.The good news is that both drugs and talk therapywork. Techniques such as yoga and meditation bringthe world back into focus. Exercise also helps thebody tame the mind.

Source: Freedom From Fear, www.freedomfromfear.org

Call 800.345.2476www.HealthyLife.com 7

WORK LIFEThe serious business of business cards

Handle with care.When presenting your

business, don’t do it in themiddle of a conversation.

Start by asking, “May I giveyou my business card?” Take a

second to look at the cardwith pride, then turn it soyour name is facing the

recipient. Once you’ve handedit over, give the person amoment to look at it.

How do you make the giving and receiving of business cards meaningful? Followthese networking tips from business etiquette expert Ellen A. Kaye:

Keep your righthand clean.

No one wants to shake handswith or receive a card from ahand that’s been holding asweaty glass or appetizers.

Receive withgraciousness.

When receiving anotherperson’s business card, treat itas if it were a gift. Start bysaying, “Thank you.” Then

look at it carefully.

Pay a compliment.After looking at the person’s card, pay acompliment, then use the opportunity to

further explore the person’s line ofbusiness and its relevance to you and

your business goals.

Write on the card.If you handle it right, making

notes on someone’s business cardis a further compliment to thembecause you’re communicatingthat something they said is soimportant you don’t want to

forget what it was or who said it.

How much exercise is enough?So 30 minutes of exercise on most days is the recommendation, but what aboutthose of us who don’t get even 30 minutes on some days? A study suggests thateven low levels of weekly exercise drive down blood pressure and boost overallfitness. The study was in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.

Can you be active 3 days a week? Take an occasional walk? Whatever you canget in makes some difference in lowering blood pressure and thus increasingoverall health, according to the study. PS: You may not use this study as anexcuse not to exercise!

BE FIT

Copyright 2007, American Institute for Preventive Medicine.

30445 Northwestern Hwy., Ste . 350,Farmington Hills, MI 48334

248.539.1800 • 800.345.2476www.HealthyLife.comAll rights reserved.

An Apple A Day Isn't Enough!®

FREE GOOGLE MAP

PEDOMETER. This is one of those incredible

Web tools you’ll want tobookmark and tell everyoneabout. Plot and calculate the

distance of your walking route.Use the calorie converter to

figure out how many calories youburned on your walk:www.webwalking.com/

googlemap.htm.

FAMILY LIFETime for a backpack inspectionWhat are you looking for? An overstuffedbackpack that weighs too much and can putyour child at risk for back injury.

“Parents should inspect their child’s backpackfrom time to time. They often carry much morethan they should with extra shoes, toys andother unnecessary items,” said Dr. JoshuaHyman, associate professor of orthopedicsurgery at Columbia University College ofPhysicians and Surgeons.

Step on the scale – kid and backpack together.“A backpack shouldn’t weigh more than 15percent of the child’s weight or about 7 poundsfor a child who weighs 50 pounds. If it istextbooks that are making the bag too heavy,parents should speak with the teacher –sometimes these books can be left at school,”said Dr. Hyman.

Watch for signs of trouble: a child whoseposture changes while wearing the backpack, astruggle to put it on, any pain, tingling or redmarks from the backpack.

TO PREVENT INJURY,CHILDREN SHOULD WEAR

A BACKPACK CORRECTLY

OVER BOTH SHOULDERS

TO SPREAD THE WEIGHT

EVENLY. OR THEY

SHOULD CONSIDER A

WHEELED BACKPACK.