FitSugar

Physical Traits Give Clues About Your Health Risks

FitSugar — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 08:00:15 -0700

There are many things we can do to enhance our health and prevent illness. Exercising regularly, eating a healthy diet, not smoking, limiting your alcohol intake, and reducing your stress can add years to your life. Who knew that your appearance and physical characteristics such as finger length and your sense of smell could let you know what health risks you might be prone to? Check out the list below from Prevention magazine.

Finger length: For women, if your index finger is shorter than your ring finger, then it means you have double the risk of osteoarthritis of the knee. If yours is longer or even with your ring finger, you're in the clear, but if it's not, do exercises to strengthen your knees, such as squats and lunges. Arthritis and finger length are both related to low levels of estrogen, so that's why the two are connected.
Arm length: Extend your arms in T-position out to the sides and measure the distance form fingertip to fingertip. If the distance is less than 60 inches, you're at a higher risk for Alzheimer's. So do activities that stimulate your brain and your body. Take a painting class, learn to play a musical instrument, play chess, or take dance lessons.

There's more, so keep reading

Why Cardio Still Matters

FitSugar — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 03:00:00 -0700

Just in case you were planning on using the news that exercise doesn't help you burn fat when you stop exercising I have a few reminders of why cardio matters.

Aerobic exercise greatly reduces your risk of heart disease and increases your life expectancy. It is like strength training for your heart, which one could argue is the most important muscle of your body.
Vigorous cardio has been shown to help prevent cancer. So work your interval training and bike up those hills.
Regular moderate cardio exercise boosts your immune system. Along with strengthening your heart, aerobic exercise creates physiological changes to your immune system making it stronger.
Light to moderate cardio can not only improve your mood, it decreases the symptoms of depression. Feeling gloomy? Go for a walk, run, or bike ride and sweat your blues away.
Moderate aerobic exercise eases insomnia. If you don't suffer from insomnia, getting your heart rate up can still improve your sleep, helping you fall asleep more quickly and have better quality sleep as well.

If you are now in need of a plan, check out these cardio routines for all types of aerobic exercise and cardio equipment. Tell me, why do you do cardio?

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Top Five Ways to Prevent Diabetes

FitSugar — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 03:30:00 -0800

I just read that the rate of diabetes in the US has doubled in the last decade. If you thought diabetes was a disease that only older people needed to worry about, you should think again. About 90 percent of the new cases of diabetes are the type 2 variety, which is the form of diabetes linked to obesity. There are many ways you can cut your risk, by up to half, by being a little proactive. Here are some suggestions from Care2.

Get as close to your ideal weight as possible. Carrying extra pounds poses a huge risk when it comes to developing diabetes. More than 80 percent of people with type 2 diabetes are overweight.
Include regular exercise in your schedule. Not only will exercising keep your weight down, but it also strengthens your immune system. Working out regularly, at least four hours a week, can significantly lower your risk for diabetes.
Watch those hot dogs and cheese. A diet high in saturated fat can raise the LDL (bad) levels of cholesterol in your body. This can lead to heart disease and also affect blood sugar levels for some people. So limit the animal products you consume.

To find out what else you can do, read more.

Don't overeat on a regular basis. Indulging in a few extra bites here and there is totally fine. The problem is when you consistently eat more calories each day than you burn, causing extra pounds to tack on. So be mindful of how many calories you're consuming.
Fiber, fiber, and more fiber. Not only does eating enough fiber keep your digestive system happy, but consistently eating enough has also been linked to a lower risk of type 2 diabetes. Fiber helps regulate blood sugar levels. Women should aim for 25 to 30 grams of fiber a day.

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Preventing Heart Disease: New Recommendations for Women

FitSugar — Tue, 20 Feb 2007 11:00:00 -0800

February is Heart Health month and coincidentally new guidelines have just been released for preventing heart disease in women. Nearly all American women are in danger of heart disease or stroke and there are some significant things we can all do to prevent the onset of problems, starting many when you are young is the best prevention.

This is the first time that guidelines have encouraged women to take aspirin for daily preventing stroke. Sounds familiar but this is a new recommendation for women. However this is not recommended for young women and the American Heart Association strongly suggests speaking with a physician before heading to your local drugstore for a bottle of aspirin. Although men are advised to start taking aspirin daily, it is not recommended for women until age 65.

It is not surprising that the guidelines advise daily exercise and eating less fat. They also declare vitamins C and E, beta carotene and folic acid supplements worthless for preventing heart disease. This doesn't mean that those vitamins, minerals and antioxidants have no other benefits. Folic acid is especially important if you are considering getting pregnant or already are.

At risk of sounding like a broken record, since the suggestions sound very familiar, here is the list of new recommendations.

Exercise is so important. Get at least 30 minutes of moderately intense exercise on most and preferably all days, 60 to 90 minutes if you need to lose weight.
Watch what you eat. Eat mostly fruits and vegetables, whole grain and high-fiber foods, fish at least twice a week, and little salt. Limit saturated fat to less than 10 percent of calories, 7 percent if possible, and trans fats to less than 1 percent. Limit alcohol to one drink or less a day.

There's more, so read more

Don't smoke. Use nicotine replacement products if needed to stop.
In terms of weight, keep your body-mass index under 25. To find out your BMI check out Fit's calculator.
Consider omega-3 fatty acids (fish oil) if you already have heart disease.
Blood pressure and cholesterol - you need to keep them under control, with medicine if needed. Keep LDL or bad cholesterol under 100 if at high risk of heart disease and under 70 if at very high risk.

Just a friendly reminder, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

Take it From Someone Who Has Heart Disease...

FitSugar — Mon, 22 Jan 2007 08:30:17 -0800

Heart disease is a killer, making it a very scary thing. The risk factors for heart disease include family history, diet, smoking and a lack of exercise -- 3 out of the 4 are factors that we have control over.

Maybe if you don't know anyone with heart disease, it is hard to realize the harm and pain it brings. Charlie Hoff, former CNN reporter, has experienced heart disease first hand and he tells his story in his most recent blog on CNN. Here is an excerpt:

The pain associated with the onset of a heart attack is angina. Angina is non-discriminating and may attack your body in places other than your chest. My first episode was signaled by a pain in the neck - I was alone, confused and in denial. I did not get help for several hours and I have paid the price.

To read his full blog and to hear how someone with heart disease deals, visit CNN.com. The best way to avoid heart disease? Prevention (healthy diet and proper exercise, which I am teaching you here on FitSugar). You really do not want to have to go through angina and finding treatments to make life livable.

ICYMI: 4 Healthy Choices to Aid Your Fight Against Disease

FitSugar — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 03:00:25 -0700

We all know that living a healthy lifestyle full of regular exercise and well-balanced, well-portioned meals is key to fighting chronic diseases. Yet for some reason, we want the benefits of our healthy choices quantified. We want inspiring statistics. A new study, published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, once again found that four healthy habits significantly lower the risk of developing diabetes, heart disease, and cancer by an impressive 80 percent. The four healthy habits are going to sound familiar, but I would like a drumroll anyway. They are . . .

Engage in regular physical activity
Eat a healthy diet
Do not smoke
Maintain a healthy body weight

I am sure you are not surprised by these healthy habits, but only 10 percent of the more than 23,000 people participating in a multiyear study followed these simple preventive measures. Do you?

Prevention of heart disease

admin — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 19:27:07 -0700

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HEALTH GUIDE REFERENCE FROM A.D.A.M

Heart disease may be prevented by recommended healthy diet, regular exercise and to stop smoking if you are a smoker. Follow your health care provider's recommendations for treatment and prevention of heart disease.

Review Date: 2/23/2007

Reviewed By: Larry A. Weinrauch, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, and Private practice specializing in Cardiovascular Disease, Watertown, MA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org). URAC's accreditation program is an independent audit to verify that A.D.A.M. follows rigorous standards of quality and accountability. A.D.A.M. is among the first to achieve this important distinction for online health information and services. Learn more about A.D.A.M.'s editorial policy, editorial process and privacy policy. A.D.A.M. is also a founding member of Hi-Ethics and subscribes to the principles of the Health on the Net Foundation (www.hon.ch).

A.D.A.M. Copyright

The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed medical professional should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Call 911 for all medical emergencies. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. © 1997-2009 A.D.A.M., Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited.

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Diet and disease prevention

admin — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 19:38:48 -0700

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HEALTH GUIDE REFERENCE FROM A.D.A.M

There have been recent dietary recommendations that have a proven relationship to a disease or health-related condition. For instance, adequate amounts of calcium in the diet are needed for strong teeth and bones and to prevent osteoporosis.

Review Date: 8/8/2007

Reviewed By: Cynthia Dennison Haines, MD, family physician specializing in nutrition, fitness, and preventive health, St. John's Mercy Medical Center, St. Louis, MO, and Assistant Clinical Professor, St. Louis University's School of Medicine, Department of Community and Family Medicine.

A.D.A.M. Copyright

adam.com

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Fresh Air Prevents Diseases

FitSugar — Wed, 28 Feb 2007 17:30:00 -0800

I am a fresh air freak and am always looking for science to back up my pet theories. One such theory is that stuffy rooms are unfortunately a great environment for growing germs, especially ones that cause colds and coughs. A recent study backs me up, well kind of....

An international team of researchers concluded that preventing the spread of disease in a hospital may be as simple as opening a window. Seems that fancy ventilation systems don't work as well as fresh air for blowing airborne diseases away. The research team focused on airborne bacteria that causes tuberculosis and found that the natural ventilation of opening a window and a door moved substantially more air through rooms than mechanical ventilation.

Well, I for one will keep opening the windows in stuffy rooms, especially if someone is coughing around me. Here is the link to the study if you would like to read more of the details.

Health Benefits of Pears

FitSugar — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 09:00:13 -0700

Apples are in season in the Autumn, but pears are too. The soft, sweet, buttery flesh of the pear makes this Fall fruit one of my favorites. Plus there are so many varieties to choose from - Bartlett, Bosc, and Anjou - that they each seem like a different fruit. These juicy gems are pretty healthy for you, too.

Pears are high in fiber. One medium-sized pear contains six grams, so snacking on a pear can help you meet your daily requirement of 25 to 30 grams. They're a delicious way to keep you regular too, which can help prevent colon cancer. A diet high in fiber can also keep your cholesterol levels down, which is good news for your ticker. Getting your fill of fiber from fruit is also linked to a lower risk for breast cancer.
Pears contain a fair amount of vitamins A, C, K, B2, B3, and B6. For expecting or nursing moms, they also contain folate. Pears aren't too shabby in the mineral department either, containing calcium, magnesium, potassium, copper, and manganese. Vitamin C and copper are antioxidant nutrients, so eating pears is good for your immune system, and may help prevent cancer.
Pears also contain boron, which our bodies need in order to retain calcium, so this fruit can also be linked to osteoporosis prevention.

For the other health benefits, read more.

The hydroxycinnamic acid found in pears is also associated with preventing stomach and lung cancer.
It's a hypo-allergenic fruit. That means those with food sensitivities can usually eat pears with no adverse effects.
Eating three or more servings of fruits a day, such as pears, may also lower your risk of age-related macular degeneration (ARMD), the primary cause of vision loss in older adults.
Quercetin is another antioxidant found in the skin of pears. It helps prevent cancer and artery damage that can lead to heart problems. A recent study at Cornell University found it may also protect against Alzheimer’s disease. So don't peel your pears!

Tell me, what's your favorite type of pear?