FitSugar

What's the Deal With: Alkaline-Producing Foods

FitSugar — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 03:30:00 -0700

You eat to maximize your fiber. You eat for omega-3s. Well, there's another way to figure out what to put on your plate and what to avoid: the pH your food produces.

Foods that fall on the alkaline side of the pH scale offer many health benefits. Along with fighting inflammation, which is thought to lead to heart disease and some cancers, alkaline-producing foods can help maintain bone density and muscle mass. It is not the food's pH measurement that counts, but what happens to its acidity level during digestion. If a food increases the acidity of your urine, it is considered an acid-producing food. For instance, orange juice is an acidic food source but becomes alkaline as it is metabolized, while cheddar cheese is considerably more acidic than Camembert.

I am not advocating giving up all acid-producing foods - I love cheese too much - but you can make some healthy swaps, which will diversify your diet as well.

To see my ideas, read more.

Eat More: Alkaline-Producing Foods	Eat Less: Acid-producing foods
Plain yogurt	Hard cheeses
Green tea	Cola
Hazelnuts	Peanuts
Orange juice	Cranberry juice
Quinoa	Brown rice
Mangoes	Prunes
Raw spinach	Cooked spinach

I have a few friends with inflammatory issues in their digestive tracts, and increasing their intake of alkaline-producing foods has improved their symptoms. Do you pay attention to the pH level your diet creates?

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What's the Deal With: Leptin

FitSugar — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 02:00:00 -0700

I have come across the word "leptin" a lot recently and instead of just skimming over it and knowing it is vaguely related to weight, I thought I'd do a bit more research.

Leptin (from the Greek word leptos meaning thin) is a hormone that helps control appetite and metabolism. In a normal weight person, when body fat increases, leptin levels rise which signal the brain that it needs to speed up metabolism and decrease appetite. According to Leo Galland, M.D., author of The Fat Resistance Diet, when folks are overweight the leptin message gets lost and the body cannot regulate its fat stores.

New research indicates that inflammation, a condition in which your immune system is kicked into overdrive, may lead to weight gain and make losing more difficult. Doctors think inflammation interferes with leptin production. So from a nutritional perspective you should eat inflammation fighting foods that are high in omega-3 fatty acids.

Simply put, leptin is part of the complicated chemical process that helps regulate weight.

What's the Deal with: Tendonitis?

FitSugar — Wed, 23 May 2007 13:30:00 -0700

Injuries are a serious bummer, especially when they prevent you from doing the things you love. One common injury is tendonitis, and I bet you already figured out that it involves your tendons, which you remember are those tough, yet flexible bands of tissue connecting muscles to bones. When a tendon becomes inflamed or irritated, that's tendonitis (or sometimes spelled tendinitis).

Symptoms include: tenderness, pain and stiffness in the area, possibly a burning sensation, as well as pain after activities that aggravate the inflamed tendon. There may even be swelling or redness. Tendonitis usually occurs at the thumb, elbow, shoulder, knee, heel (you know Achilles tendonitis) and wrist, but can occur anywhere there is a tendon. Dancers can even experience the injury in their hips.

The most common cause of tendonitis is not surprisingly over-use. Suddenly increasing your level of exercise or learning something new (like playing an instrument) can put strain on and aggravate a tendon. Another major cause of this inflammatory condition is repetitive motions, like clicking a mouse or knitting. You know I preach moderation, and tendonitis is just another reason why moderation is a key component to keeping your body happy.

If you want to know how you can you tell if you have it, then read more

Tendonitis can be tricky to diagnosis since symptoms are similar to arthritis and carpel tunnel syndrome. Talking to your doctor about what your pain feels like, and what causes pain, may help to figure out if you have tendonitis or something else.

Your doctor may recommend getting an X-ray, so he or she can rule out other conditions such as a muscle tear, or a bone fracture. An MRI may also be helpful to look at the soft tissue in that area.

Fit's Tips: If you do have tendonitis, you want to do all you can to relieve pain and reduce inflammation. Icing the area helps to reduce swelling and tenderness. I like to fill a bag with a little water and alot of ice, so the cold can distribute evenly over the area.

Rest and immobilization of the affected area is helpful. If you've figured out that certain activity or repetitive motion is causing your tendonitis, as difficult as it may be, you need to give yourself a break from it.

Taking anti-inflammatory drugs such as aspirin or ibuprofen may help to reduce the swelling. Also, physical therapy that stretches and strengthens the muscle and tendon is essential. This can restore the tendon's ability to function properly, improve healing, and prevent future injury.

Source

To Ice or to Heat? That is The Question

FitSugar — Mon, 29 Jan 2007 10:45:00 -0800

If you have a pain or you hurt yourself, do you ice it or heat it? Good question for all of you weekend warriors.

Apply ice no longer than 20 minutes:

If you've hurt yourself in the last 48 hours (sprained your ankle or hammered your thumb instead of the nail).
If the area is swollen - ice will decrease the inflammation around the injury which will help control the pain.
After surgery to reduce swelling, bleeding, and bruising.
To chronic injuries suffered by athletes, such as overused joints like runner's knees - these areas should be iced after the activity to reduce inflamation.

Apply heat no longer than 20 minutes:

If you have chronic pain, such as sore, stiff, nagging joint or muscle pain - the heat brings new blood to the area to help loosen the tissues and help them to relax.
To chronic conditions, such as a tight hamstring before you exercise to improve elasticity.

Fit's Tips: Both heat and ice manipulate blood flow. Heat increases circulation which boosts the supply of oxygen to the area which accelerates the removal of waste products. Ice restricts blood flow which reduces inflammation and pain. If the injury hasn't improved or gets worse after 48 hours make an appointment to see your doctor.

Sty In My Eye

FitSugar — Fri, 05 Jan 2007 12:15:00 -0800

"Oh my - I'll try not to cry but there's a sty in my eye."

I used to say that all the time when I was in junior high; my hey day of sharing eye liner and mascara. One too many styes made me wise up and use my own make-up.

What exactly is a sty, anyway?

A sty is an acute infection or inflammation of the secretory glands of your eyelid. The gland gets blocked, the oil produced by the gland backs up and forces itself out through the wall of the gland. This forms a little annoying and unexpectedly painful bump on your eyelid.

Bacteria can infect the blocked gland, causing it to become even more irritated and inflamed. If it gets really bad, the infection can cause the white part of your eye to get red, and sometimes the outside of the eye and cheek can become red as well.

The actual bump appears with a whitish or yellowish spot (kind of like a pimple). Multiple styes can form on one lid and they will disappear as soon as the blocked gland is relieved.

Want to know how to prevent the evil sty in the first place? Then read more

Don't share make-up (including eyelash curlers and eye make-up brushes). It's a great reason to get rid of your old make-up and buy new stuff.
Remove eye make-up completely every night before going to bed.
The obvious - Try not to touch or rub your eye unless you've just washed your hands.

If you do get that frustrating little sty:

Apply warm compresses (with your eye closed) to the infected area for about 15 minutes to help with the drainage.
Very gently wash your eyelid with warm water and nonirritating soap like baby shampoo (again - keep your eye closed).
Very important - Do NOT squeeze or puncture your sty - it may get even more infected.
Ditch the eye make-up and eye creams you were using because they may also be infected.
If you're a contact lens wearer, you may want to switch to your glasses until it goes away.

Shoulder joint inflammation

admin — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 19:36:32 -0700

Back

HEALTH GUIDE REFERENCE FROM A.D.A.M

An inflammation of the shoulder joint can cause pain and restricted joint movement.

Review Date: 3/9/2007

Reviewed By: Thomas N. Joseph, MD, Private Practice specializing in Orthopaedics, CamdenBone & Joint, Camden, SC. 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.

adam.com

Source Doc: 2_8811

Retroperitoneal inflammation

admin — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 17:55:26 -0700

Illustrations

Digestive system organs

HEALTH GUIDE REFERENCE FROM A.D.A.M

Definition

Retroperitoneal inflammation is swelling that occurs in the retroperitoneal space. The retroperitoneal space is in front of the lower back and behind the abdominal lining (peritoneum). Organs in this space include the pancrease, spleen, and kidneys.

Alternative Names

Retroperitonitis

Review Date: 10/26/2006

Reviewed By: Benjamin W. Van Voorhees, MD, MPH, Assistant Professor of Medicine and Pediatrics, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

A.D.A.M. Copyright

adam.com

Source Doc: 1_001255

Organ Lessons: The Pancreas

FitSugar — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 03:47:02 -0800

It's time to take some organ lessons, but not the musical kind. I'm going to teach you about your internal organs, starting with the pancreas.

November is National Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month, devoted to educating people about the disease that took the life of Patrick Swayze earlier this year. If you're like most people, you probably don't know exactly what the pancreas does, so read on to learn more.

Food Review: Code Blue Recovery Drink

FitSugar — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 04:30:47 -0800

I must admit I'm not big on special fitness drinks, especially recovery drinks. They're often full of extra calories, and I usually opt for water since most exercise physiologists believe you don't need to worry about replacing electrolytes, carbs, and protein unless you have been working out and sweating for more than an hour. I often think a lot of these drinks have added coloring and chemicals, so when I saw Code Blue marketed as an all natural post-workout drink I was curious to try it. I must admit, I liked its tropical flavor, and although it only has 40 calories per eight-ounce serving (the can contains 12 ounces, equal to one and a half servings) Code Blue does not have that artificial sweetener taste of many low-cal beverages.

To see how this drink is sweetened and if it is an unnatural color, just read more.

Looking at the ingredient list on the back of the Code Blue can, I can't say I felt like I was drinking something "natural." After water, the next three ingredients are: crystalline fructose, agave nectar, and malic acid, which adds tartness more than sweetness. Further down the list I found stevia leaf extract listed as well, which is a bit more natural. Code Blue contains the electrolytes potassium and sodium, but also contains the supplement milk thistle to help detox the liver (trainer Bob Harper believes in the treatment), and prickly pear extract to reduce inflammation.

The first time I tried Code Blue, I drank it straight from the can. You can imagine my surprise when I poured it into a glass and found the liquid to be a vibrant unnatural blue. Which prompts the question, what natural ingredient was used to color this drink and why even bother coloring it?

Ingredients: Filtered Purified Water, Crystalline Fructose, Agave Nectar, Malic Acid, Sodium Phosphate, Potassium Citrate, Citric Acid, Natural Flavor, D-Ribose, Fruit Juice (for color), Sustamine™ (L-Alanine L-Glutamine), Pectin, Inositol, Ascorbic Acid, Prickly Pear Extract (Opunitia ficus-indica), Milk Thistle (Silybum marianum) Extract, N-Acetyl Cysteine, Stevia (Stevia Rebaudiana) Leaf Extractives, Soy Protein and Rice Flour, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Niacinamide (Vitamin B3), DL-alpha-Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E), Selenium Complexed with Amino Acids and Polypeptides, Cyanocobalamin (Vitamin B12)

I'm not really sold on the drink, but I'm not completely opposed to it either. I would certainly drink this over other recovery drinks, but more likely I will sip some water instead. Have you tried it?

This just in: The color comes from blueberries.

Another Reason to Love the Med Diet: It Fights Depression

FitSugar — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 04:30:18 -0700

We've been touting the benefits of the Mediterranean diet for a while now - it reduces allergy symptoms, helps with weight control, supports longevity, and is good for vision and heart health. A new study gives us yet another reason to go the way of Mediterranean: it may protect against depression.

Researchers studied a pool of 11,000 Spanish adults over a four-and-a-half-year period and found that those who stuck closely to a Mediterranean diet were 30 percent less likely to develop depression than those that didn't.

It's unclear exactly why the diet acts as a mood lifter, but researches noted that the diet may improve blood vessel function, reduce the risk of heart disease, fight inflammation, and repair oxygen-related cell damage, elements which may be key in warding off depression.

To learn how to eat like a Mediterranean, check out our tips.