FitSugar

Breast Cancer Prevention: 5 Tips From Dr. Susan Love For Breast Cancer Awareness Month

PopSugar LivingTV — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 15:50:27 PDT

Since breast cancer is a growing concern among women, we talked to Dr. Susan Love, a known expert in the field, to share her tips on how to prevent breast cancer. Watch our video to find out what she thinks the likely causes are and easy things you can do now to keep cancer at bay, including staying away from unnecessary radiation and the right time to get a mammogram.

Monday's Leftovers: Classic Manhattan Clam Chowder

Susannah Chen — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 09:15:23 PDT

When an unrelenting craving hits, there's only one thing to do: satisfy it. For days now, I've had a hankering for red, or tomato-based, clam chowder, laden with chunks of celery, and chewy, briny clams. Tonight, I'm going to address it with a quick, scrumptious, and healthy version of the Manhattan specialty.

Although the recipe allows for canned clams, I'll be using leftover shellfish from last night's dinner as my base, along with some bacon and Tabasco to up the flavor quotient. This recipe serves four, but I'm certain I'll be able to finish the entire batch of mouthwatering goodness myself. Want in on the recipe? Then keep reading.

Prevent Migraines With Magnesium

FitSugar — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 03:00:03 PDT

When I asked my doctor about ways to prevent migraines, she recommended I take a magnesium (oxide) supplement. I headed to my closest drugstore and picked up a bottle of Nature's Bounty Magnesium supplement (500 mg), and I've been taking one pill every morning for the last few weeks.

Even though it's been less than a month, since taking the mineral supplement I've been headache and migraine free! This even includes the times that I've had red wine, which is one of my triggers. In the last few months I've also been incorporating foods that prevent migraines into my diet, like topping my yogurt and fruit with ground flaxseed. But I didn't notice a drastic change until I started taking magnesium. Have you tried any supplements to rid you of your ailments? Any other tips for saying goodbye to migraines?

5 Foods That Fight Migraines

FitSugar — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 10:35:43 PDT

If you're a migraine sufferer like me, you are constantly looking for prevention ideas. Depending on what your triggers are - wine, cheese, chocolate, etc. - you may spend most of your time focusing on what not to eat, in addition to other measures like getting enough sleep, exercising, and avoiding stress. But how about foods that help, not hinder, your headache woes? You're in luck, because I've rounded up five foods that help prevent migraine misery.

5 Reasons You Have a Summer Cold

FitSugar — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 09:00:32 PDT

Over the Fourth of July weekend, four friends and I were all hit with a doozy of a cold, the worst. It even made us question the accepted belief that more people get sick in the Winter. But viruses still survive in the Summer sun, and some people can't fight off infection as well as others. There are ways to protect yourself, which is a must, given all the traveling, eating, and lounge time taking place this season. Here are ways to take care of yourself so you'll stay far away from a weekend full of Kleenex, cough medicine, and mega doses of vitamin C.

What the Experts Won't Even Eat

FitSugar — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 05:50:26 PST

Grocery shopping can be a daunting task. That's why a recent article from Prevention magazine really caught my eye. The magazine asked experts who work in the field of food safety what they avoid eating at all costs, and though some of their answers were things I already knew, others were pretty eye opening. Here are a few items to think twice about the next time you're out buying food.

Microwave popcorn. Popcorn usually makes a great snack, but the bags used to make microwave popcorn are lined with harmful chemicals that are "linked to infertility in humans." Prevention warns that these chemicals are transferred to popcorn upon microwaving and can live in your body for years to come. Instead of buying microwave popcorn, make it on your stove or use an air popper instead.

To hear what other items the experts avoid,

Nonorganic potatoes. You'd think that root vegetables would be protected since they grow underground, but they absorb all the pesticides and fertilizers that are in the soil. And potatoes are treated with harmful toxins multiple times - while growing, being harvested, and after they're picked. Always, always buy organic potatoes since "washing isn't good enough if you're trying to remove chemicals that have been absorbed into the flesh."
Canned tomatoes. It's been shown that there are harmful levels of bisphenol-A (BPA) in canned goods that can migrate onto food. Expert Fredrick vom Saal, PhD, an endocrinologist at the University of Missouri who studies BPA, told Prevention that this is especially true of canned tomatoes, which can contain up to 50 mcg of BPA per liter. As a result, vom Saal won't go near canned tomatoes and opts for boxed and fresh instead.

Check out the rest of Prevention's list to find out what other foods the experts avoid, and be sure to get up to speed on what foods you should always consider buying organic.

Type 2 Diabetes: How to Lower Your Risk

FitSugar — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 07:30:00 PST

November is Diabetes Awareness Month and I think we are probably all aware that the incidence of type 2 diabetes is on the rise. Type 2 diabetes, known as adult onset diabetes until recently, is the most common form of diabetes where either the body does not produce enough insulin or the cells just ignore the insulin. Insulin is necessary for the body to convert sugar into energy to fuel our every activity. Aside from the cells being starved for energy, this form of diabetes can over time harm your eyes, kidneys, nerves or heart.

Now there are things you can do to considerably lower your chances of developing type 2 diabetes. One is take this risk assessment test at the American Diabetes Association. Plus, you can reduce your risk with some simple lifestyle changes. I found this great list of tips at The Diet Dish and here are some highlights.

Maintain a healthy weight: It is no coincidence that the incidence of diabetes has increased as the incidence of obesity has increased. If your "ideal" weight is unrealistic for you, at least work on losing 10-20 pounds. Even modest weight loss can have profound impact on your health.
Eat light and often: Keeping your glucose consistent throughout the day is one of the best nutritional habits to prevent diabetes. Do not skip meals. Do not overeat at meals. Have three small meals and three snacks daily to spread out your calories and therefore blood glucose throughout the day.

To see more ways to reduce your risk just

Limit the amount of sweets you eat: It is a myth that eating sugar causes diabetes. Your body does not have a certain threshold for sugar that all of a sudden you will get diabetes eating your 1,000th cookie. However, limiting simple sugars is a good nutritional practice and can help to keep your blood sugar under good daily control.
Choose foods with low glycemic index: Even foods we think are healthy like pretzels can have a strong impact on blood sugar when eaten by themselves. Choose whole grains instead of refined grains and look for fiber and protein in snack foods.
Get regular exercise: Exercise is like natural insulin--the more you move the more you use excess glucose in your bloodstream. Look for every opportunity in your day to get more daily activity in addition to daily exercise.

Dutch Nail Biting Cure: The "Preventer"

FitSugar — Mon, 10 Sep 2007 03:30:00 PDT

One of the most common symptoms of stress, pathological nail biting troubles some people 6 million people worldwide. Or so estimates Alain-Raymond van Abbe the Dutch inventor of the "Preventer."

Although his background is in marketing and not medicine, van Abbe describes himself as a "problem solver." His solution for nail biting, The Preventer, is essentially a molded mouth guard, worn on either the upper or lower teeth. The Preventer is barely visible and it prevents biting, hence your fingernails cannot be bitten. It can, however, be removed for actual eating. It takes about 4 weeks of wearing the Preventer to control the nail biting impulses. Van Abbe has created an entire clinic for chronic nail biters and he is doing a brisk business. Treatment costs about $640.

Pathological nail biting is now classified as a category of obsessive-compulsive disorders called Body-Focused Repetitive, along with hair pulling and biting the inside of the cheek, and these habits are gaining more scientific attention. Some American psychologists believe Van Abbe might be onto something, since his treatment deals with both cognitive and behavioral aspects. However there is skepticism that an entire clinic dedicated to nail biters can remain afloat.

And you, are you a nail biter? If so would you try this treatment? Let me know in the comments below.

Source

Head Lice: Do You Know the Facts?

FitSugar — Fri, 31 Aug 2007 07:00:00 PDT

I'm sure we all have a horror story about lice, whether we've been through it ourselves, or saw someone else go through it.

Having lice is no fun, and knowing the facts about it can help prevent a horrendous outbreak. It is back-to-school season so let's test your knowledgeo of lice.

Source and Source

Take the Quiz

Another Reason to Exercise (and Drink Coffee)

FitSugar — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 14:30:00 PDT

Here's good news for all us high strung coffee drinking exercising fanatics . . .

A new study has found that your habits could mean that your chances of getting skin cancer are lower than those who skip the java and the gym. We've already learned that caffeine and exercise alone could kill off damaged skin cells, so it makes perfect sense that they work even better when used together. How or why this happens? They're still not sure. So don't ditch your sunscreen anytime soon, since one thing they are sure of is that protecting yourself from the sun is currently the only proven way to prevent skin cancer.