How Clean Are Your Sheets?

Sleep is a big part of being healthy and your sheets can play a big part in how well you sleep! I asked a few people around the office how often they change the sheets and heard anything from every couple days to every couple months.  I did some research and learned all kinds of stuff and some of it is fairly disgusting!

>Normal average adults should change their sheets every week.  We shed like snakes, particularly when sleeping.  The combination of sweat and skin builds up and needs to be washed away on a regular basis.  

>Making the bed immediately after you get up traps heat and moisture which is a great environment for germs and crawlies. Wait at least ½ hour to let it dry out.  Or…just don’t make the bed, it’s actually healthierJ

>Blankets and mattress protectors should be washed every two weeks.

>If you have allergies, you will probably want to change your sheets every few days to help keep the bed mite population down. No matter how clean you keep your house, you still have dust mites sharing your bed and furniture with you.

>If eating and/or sex are regular occurrences in your bed (good for you!) it is best to wash bedding after each such activity, since food and bodily fluids attract outside germs and also create their own.  

>If you sleep nude, you should change your sheets twice a week.

>What about pillows? Ideally, you should change your pillow case every couple of days.  Hair, sweat, flaking skin, and drool can really mess with your face.  Pillows should be washed on a regular basis and replaced at least every 2 years.   

How Long Will You Live?

A friend recently sent me an online calculator that figures out how long you will live.  This isn't entriely accurate because accidents can't be predicted, but if you look strictly at lifestyle, this might open your eyes a bit.

Click HERE to take the test. It will only take a few minutes and is intereseting to see how the choices you make can affect how long you live and most likely the quality of your life. 

Are there Toxic Chemicals in Your Wallet?

Having been in the supermarket business for 20 years and handling what seems like millions of receipts, this new study has me concerned.  Did you know that receipts that you get at the ATM, gas station, supermarket, and other retail stores might contain BPA?

What is BPA and why should you be concerned?
Bisphenol A or BPA for short has been controversial for years.BPA is a substance that interferes with your hormonal system and has been linked to a variety of problems from heart disease to testicular damage.  This endocrine disruptor mimics estrogen and has been found in clear hard plastic like baby and water bottles as well as the lining of food and beverage cans. Now it appears that BPA is as close as your wallet in the form of receipts.

Studies have shown that 40 percent of receipts contain BPA, some up to 1,000 times higher than what is found in the lining of a can. 

Do we need to worry?  "For the general population, especially for infants and children, we still believe food containers [plastics containing BPA and canned food with BPA-containing liners] are the primary source of exposure," says Anila Jacob, MD, MPH, senior scientist at EWG and one of the report's authors. "But we do think receipts are a potentially significant source of exposure, especially for the millions of people in the retail industry." Cashiers and salespeople sometimes handle hundreds of receipts a day, every day they work, she adds, so for them it poses a significant risk."

What remains unknown, Dr. Jacob says, is how much BPA the average person absorbs after coming into contact with a receipt. It's easy to assume that someone could ingest BPA after handling a receipt and then eating soon afterwards, or by placing a receipt in a grocery bag where the BPA can rub off onto unpackaged produce, she says, "but we just don't know how much that contributes to our overall exposure."

So- what can we do to reduce our exposure?
1- Just say "no"  Do you really need the receipt?  If not, turn it down
2-Don't keep receipts in your purse or wallet.  Put them in an envelope or bag
3-Don't put receipts in the recycle bin.  BPA can rub off on items that will be recycled into food containers
4-Wash your hands frequently but avoid hand sanitizers.  A recent study shows that the use of hand sanitizers actually helps increase absorption of BPA into the skin, which is a huge concern as cashiers use hand sanitizer constantly. 

Bottom line- is it time to freak out? No, but it is good to be aware until more studies are done.  If you want more information- click HERE for an excellent article on the dangers of BPA and how to avoid them.

Sunday Morning Inspiration from Dr. Suess

You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself in any direction you choose.

~Dr. Seuss

The Deadliest Animal on Earth

The list of the Top Ten deadliest animals contains a few that are obvious such as the polar bear, cobra, great white shark, and crocodile- but the number one spot is held by the tiny little mosquito. 

Due to malaria carrying parasites transferred by the mosquito, it is responsible for the deaths of more than two million people per year. In addition, mosquitoes are estimated to transfer diseases to more than 70 million people per year. Even in countries where the more temperate climate has reduced mosquito bites to mostly an annoyance, they still cause some deaths every year.

So how do we avoid being bitten?  You need to hide from the little bugger!  It's not so much that we want to repel them, we don't want them to find us in the first place.

One of the most effective ways to keep mosquitoes at bay is a spray that contains DEET. 

In a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, researchers compared several types of mosquito repellents head-to-head in laboratory tests. 

"OFF! Deep Woods" repellent, a product containing about 24% DEET, fared the best. Its protection lasted an average of five hours. The least effective products were wristbands treated with DEET or citronella, which offered almost no protection. According to the researchers, this wasn't a surprise. It's known that mosquito repellent only works on the surface to which it's applied directly. Mosquitoes are happy to bite skin only four centimeters away from the repellent slick.

I had always thought that DEET was unsafe, but it does have an excellent safety record.  N,N-diethyl-3-methylbenzamide doesn't sound like something you'd want to spray on your skin, and and maybe it reminds people of DDT, a very dangerouss and banned chemical, but they are nothing alike. 

The Environmental Protection Agency must approve all pesticides used in the U.S., and although DEET isn't a pesticide by definition because it does not kill insects,  the EPA does test it. DEET is safe WHEN USED CORRECTLY- read the label and follow all directions. DEET is also safe for children 2 months and older but do not allow youngsters to apply it themselves.

If you are looking for a natural alternative, many people swear by Avon's Skin So Soft.  However, studies show that it is effective for about 10 minutes.  Other natural products such as soybean oil sprays and lotions last about 90 minutes.

What about the gadgets?

Citronella candles have been used since 1882 as a means of drawing mosquitoes away from people, but one study shows that they're not much more effective than plain candles, which also give off heat, carbon dioxide, and moisture.

And unplug the bug zapper- it doesn't work on mosquitoes and will kill beneficial bugs in your yard.

The best way to keep swarms of mosquitoes from descending on your backyard barbecue is to get rid of standing water, where mosquitoes lay their eggs.

Some mosquito species lay eggs directly in stagnant water. Others lay eggs in containers -- a tree hollow, a birdbath, a kiddie pool, etc. -- above the water line. Then, when it rains, the eggs are submerged and they hatch. In order to get rid of the eggs, you need to scrub the container, whether it is a bird bath or kiddie pool- just dumping the water does not dislodge the eggs. 

So- how do you relieve the itch if that mosquito feasts on you?  Here are a few  unusual tips to try!

Are You a Mosquito Magnet?

My husband is a mosquito magnet, so is my daughter.  I do have a few bites now and then but not really that bad. Why do some people seem to attract mosquitoes and some rarely get bitten? 

The two most important reasons a mosquito is attracted to you have to do with sight and smell. About 20 percent of people are high attractor types.

Mosquitoes are highly visual, especially later in the afternoon, and their first mode of search for humans is through vision. People dressed in dark colors -- black, navy blue, red -- stand out to mosquitoes and movement also attracts them.

Once the mosquito spots you,  she (and it's always "she" -- only the ladies bite) then picks up on your smell. The main attractor is your rate of carbon dioxide production with every exhale you take. The heavier you breathe, the better the chance that she will find you.

Those with higher metabolic rates produce more carbon dioxide, as do larger people and pregnant women. Although carbon dioxide is the primary attractant, other secondary smells coming from your skin or breath mark you as a good landing spot.

Lactic acid (given off while exercising), acetone (a chemical released in your breath), and estradiol (a breakdown product of estrogen) can all be released at varying concentrations and lure in mosquitoes. Your body temperature, or warmth, can also make a difference. Mosquitoes may flock to pregnant women because of their extra body heat.

 Studies show that it could be that individuals who get less bites produce chemicals on their skin that make them more repellent and cover up smells that mosquitoes find attractive. So, if you are a magnet, it might not be that you are  more attractive, you are just less repellent than the others around  you!

Mosquitoes don't bite you for food, since they feed off plant nectar.  Females suck your blood to get a protein needed to develop their eggs, which can then send more pesky insects into the world to annoy you.

 Keep this in mind when you're outdoors this summer: Mosquitoes are more attracted to people after they drink a 12-ounce beer. It could be that people breathe a little harder after a brew or their skin is a little warmer. 

Here are more fun facts about mosquitoes and bites provided by the experts:

• Eating bananas will not attract mosquitoes and taking vitamin B-12 will not repel them; these are old wives' tales.
• Some mosquito species are leg and ankle biters; they cue into the stinky smell of bacteria on your feet.
• Other species prefer the head, neck and arms perhaps because of the warmth, smells emitted by your skin, and closeness to carbon dioxide released by your mouth. 
• The size of a mosquito bite welt has nothing to do with the amount of blood taken and everything to do with how your immune system responds to the saliva introduced by the mosquito into your skin.
• The more times you get bitten by a particular species of mosquito, the less most people react to that species over time. The bad news? There's more than 3.000 species worldwide.

Stay tuned...tomorrow I will compare repellents and other gadgets to help keep you itch free!

Some New Moves!

I teach Strength and Resistance classes twice a week at the Y as well as doing my own strength workouts so I am always looking for new moves to keep it interesting.  I found a couple of great ones that seem easy, but everyone in my class (including me) found some new muscles the next day!  Some of us really like sore muscles-it reminds us that no matter how good you think you are, there is room for improvement.

Try these great no-equipment exercises:

Spider Man Press Up:This will work your chest, triceps (back of arms), abs, obliques, butt, and hips.

Start in a full push up position.  (make it easier by doing a modified version on your knees)
Bring your right knee out to hip level and toward your right elbow
Bend your elbows to 90 degrees until your knees and elbows touch (or close for beginners!)
Press up and return to start. 
Do 8 reps, switch sides and repeat.  If you can't do 8, do your best and forget the rest! (borrowed from P90X)
Click HERE for a video demonstration.  He is going faster than I do and I don't alternate, but you'll get the idea. Another version of this exercise can be found on the link below from Fitness Magazine.

I love the Livestrong website, while you're there, check out Daily Plate to start tracking your calories.  It helped me lose 10 pounds buy having to account for every bite I ate!

Sunburst Slimmer:
Start on the ground on all fours then extend your right leg behind you, toes pointed
Bending elbows and keeping them close to the body, glide torso down and forward while lifting your right leg behind you. Return to start
Do 5 reps and switch legs.

Click HERE for a video demonstration.  Every every exercise in the "Target Practice" routine on this link is great-try them all.

You will have sore shoulders and triceps after this but you will also look great in a tank top!

Can't Go Naked? Some Advice to Stay Cool and Comfortable

Yep- it is still hot and humid.  You might want to curb an intense outdoor workout a bit for the next few days, but even a light stroll after dinner can make you awfully uncomfortable if you aren't prepared.  Here are a few tips to help keep you comfortable if you are biking, mowing, or just moving around!

Rule #1: NO COTTON!! It soaks up moisture and sits on your skin like a wet rag, not allowing sweat to evaporate and cool you off. Wear high-tech (synthetic) fabrics that wick away sweat. There are dozens of name brands including CoolMax, PowerDry, DryCore and Dri-Fit.  They are well worth the investment.  Get rid of those cotton t-shirts and join this century!
One warning: Synthetics can get a bit smelly so rinse them right away and hang to dry instead of throwing them into the hamper wet with sweat. Launder in warm water with detergent and 1/4 cup of Borax.  There are also detergents made specifically to clean and de-stink synthetic sports gear but I find Borax works just as well and is quite a bit cheaper.

Rule #2: Wear light-colored clothes
Lighter clothes reflect rather than absorb the sun’s rays.

Rule #3: Avoid the chafe
Test your clothing on a short walk/run/hike before going long. If the seams chafe or ride up, you’re going to be awfully uncomfortable. Look for flat-constructed seams or fewer seams to avoid the issue. 

Rule #4: Keep your Feet Cool!
Do not wear all-cotton socks. Sweat-wicking blends will keep your feet cooler and prevent blisters.

Rule #5: Sunglasses are not created equal.
 Invest in a good pair of sunglasses, not the $2 pair at the gas station. Better glasses protect against serious, long-term eye damage due to exposure to UVA and UVB rays. Cheap glasses tend to fog up; polarized glasses offer much better contrast. Get glasses labeled as 100 percent UVA/UVB protective.

Rule #6: Don't forget the Sun Block! Sunscreen protects your skin from painful burns, premature aging, and the risk of skin cancer. Avoid oil-based sunscreens because they impede sweating, and sweat evaporates and keeps you cool. An SPF of 45 is sufficient and reapply every few hours. 

In addition:

Shower right after your workout and put on a clean, dry shirt.  Don't let sweat dry on your skin as it is a breeding ground for bacteria which can clog pores and cause all sorts of skin issues so wash it off as soon as  you can. If you have cats, they love the salt and will lick you clean if you don't shower!  ( they like to do this at about 3am, cat owners know what I mean)

 Sweating can also dry out your skin so apply a moisturizer after showering. 

Hot weather is not an excuse to lay around and eat chips, you just need a bit of preparation.  Enjoy it now- in a few months I will  probably be writing about shoveling. 

Everything You Want to Know About Sweat...and some things you don't!

It is HOT and HUMID in Northeast Wisconsin and I love it!  The only downside is the parade of sweaty bodies in questionable clothes (or lack of) wandering through the store where I work.  Have you ever had someone hand you damp money?  There's something really icky about that feeling!  So, is sweat bad?  I went looking for sweat info and here's what I found:

Sweat is good for you- it helps your body regulate its temperature. 

The average person has 2.6 million sweat glands in their skin. The glands are distributed over the entire body-except for the lips, nipples and external genital organs.

We have two types of sweat glands: eccrine, which produce volumes of the watery stuff, and apocrine, which produce tiny amounts of thick odorless fluid.

-We have eccrine glands all over our bodies, including the palms of our hands, the soles of our feet and our foreheads.

-We have apocrine glands under our arms and in the genital area. When the thick odorless fluid from our apocrine glands sits on our skin, bacteria act upon it, which is what causes body odor. This means the stinky sweat is in your pits and crotch so take special care in those areas.

-Apocrine glands contain proteins and fatty acids, making their secretions thicker and giving them a milky or yellowish color. That's why underarm stains in clothing appear yellowish.

- Add 1/4 cup of Borax with your laundry detergent to get the body odor stink out of your workout clothes, especially if you wear cotton. (more on that tomorrow)


-Apocrine glands develop during puberty, which is why children don't need deodorant or antiperspirant.

-Men tend to produce more sweat than women. 

Now that we know about sweat- how do you deal with it when working out on a hot and humid day?

We are constantly sweating, even though we may not notice it because it usually evaporates quickly.  The humidity of the air around us affects the rate at which sweat evaporates. If humidity is high, the air cannot absorb any more moisture and our sweat won't evaporate and cool our bodies as efficiently as when the air is dry.

-Losing excessive amounts of sweat can quickly dehydrate you, leading to circulatory problems, kidney failure and heat stroke so keep yourself sufficiently hydrated with water.  If you are working really hard, a sports drink with electrolytes will help but they can be loaded with calories.

-Sweat is made from fluid in your blood, which means the more you sweat, the thicker your blood becomes and the harder your heart has to work to pump that blood. Take it easy on hot days- even if you are in great shape, your heart can only handle so much.

-Drink at least 16 oz of water an hour or two before you go outside for a bike ride or run.  Take a bottle of water with you and drink 12 oz every 15 minutes while you are working out. This applies to lawn mowing, gardening, and other outdoor activities as well.

More on hot weather workouts tomorrow but I'll finish with another fun fact.  Did you know that most Japanese  have little to no body odor?  Japanese men who had body odor were not allowed to serve during WW II because the were not considered pure. I don't understand it, I'm just reporting it!

Give Your Produce a Good Bath!

Blueberries were on sale last week so I bought buying 6 pints a day to stock up for winter!  They freeze well and are much cheaper than buying them out of season.  I used to just give them a quick rinse until I read that blueberries have the highest levels of organophosphates, followed by strawberries and celery.

What's an organophosphate?   It is a man-made pesticide that is sprayed onto fruits and vegetables to keep insects away. While once thought harmless, some now argue children are sensitive to these pesticides.  At a young age, the brain is rapidly developing, and kids possibly consume more due to their smaller body weight and size. Experts believe that these chemicals have led to a variety of childhood issues including ADHD.

To minimize your exposure to chemicals, buy local and organic but you should still give everything a thorough washing.

There are commercial produce washes like "FIT" available in the supermarket but there is a less expensive alternative that you can make at home. Add one cup of vinegar to three cups of water in a spray bottle, shake well and spray your produce until it is completely covered.  Rinse with cold water to remove the vinegar taste and wash away any chemical residue.


Tests prove that the vinegar solution removes 98% of all bacteria or pesticides, compared to 80% when washing with a water and brush. Take a few minutes when you get home from the store or Farmers Market to wash all your fruits and veggies- your body and brain will appreciate it!

Oh- and freezing blueberries is easy.
Wash and rinse.  Put 1 layer on a cookie sheet and place in freezer for at least an hour.  Put frozen blueberries into freezer safe bag or container. Doing it this way keeps them from clumping together.

Enjoy this amazing super fruit all year long!

Two Remarkable Women

Jaycee Dugard and Elizabeth Smart were both in the news this week.  At age 14, Elizabeth was kidnapped from her home and held for 9 months just miles from her home.  She is now 23 and will be a contributor to ABC News as an analyst on missing persons cases.   She stared defiantly at the man who assaulted her daily as she gave her testimony.  Before he was sent to life in prison, she told him "I just want you to know that I have a wonderful life now" 

Even more incredible is the story of Jaycee Dugard.  If you did not see Diane Sawyer's interview with her, go to abc.com and watch.  Jaycee was kidnapped at just 11 years old and held captive for 18 years.  She was repeatedly assaulted and gave birth to two children in a backyard, one when she was just 14. This girl is absolutely inspiring.  No matter what you have had to deal with in your life, it pales in comparison.

In the summer of 1991 I was a normal kid. I did normal things. I had friends and a mother who loved me. I was just like you. Until the day my life was stolen.
For eighteen years I was a prisoner. I was an object for someone to use and abuse.
For eighteen years I was not allowed to speak my own name. I became a mother and was forced to be a sister. For eighteen years I survived an impossible situation.
On August 26, 2009, I took my name back. My name is Jaycee Lee Dugard. I don’t think of myself as a victim. I survived.
A Stolen Life is my story—in my own words, in my own way, exactly as I remember it.

Psychotherapist Stacy Kaiser writes in USA Today, "Most of us don't know how to handle a crisis or devastating experience, let alone recover from one. While a traumatic situation can make both a psychological and emotional impact on any of us, the way we handle the recovery process can set the tone for our future success and ultimately our happiness. All of us can use Jaycee's approach as a blueprint for how to rise above trauma and even thrive in spite of it."





Inspiration for everyone...

Want to Change Your Mood? Do it With Food!

Feeling Foggy?Having trouble concentrating? Snack on some protein rich foods like low cal string cheese or some lean skinless chicken or turkey breast.

   Stop Feeling Sluggish!

Are you tired and lethargic? Can’t get going in the morning? Whip up some scrambled eggs or an omelette. Eggs are a great source of zinc, a substance that makes you feel more awake, energized, and engaged by regulating your blood sugar. For a lower calorie boost, try using Egg Beaters.

Are You Stressed or Nervous?

Soothe your nerves with some skim milk or a handful of almonds. Both are rich in calcium and calcium is great for reducing anxiety, making you calm and relaxed.

Stabilize your Mood Swings

Do you go from laughing to crying in a matter of seconds? Curbing mood swings might be as east as drinking water. Dehydration plays a big part in emotional instability. If you don’t drink enough water, you might find yourself sweating the small stuff.

I am So ANGRY!!

Reach for a grapefruit, some grapes, an apple, or some carrots. All four of these are rich in pectin, a fiber that lowers cholesterol. When you are angry your heart rate, adrenaline levels and blood pressure tend to increase. Pectin reverses these effects and helps your system return to normal.

 

Snack Happy!

Salmon and Strawberries may be nature’s equivalent of Prozac and Zoloft. Folate rich foods boost serotonin levels in the brain, much like anti-depressants do. The next time you feel down, grill some salmon or treat yourself to a bowl of strawberries and turn that frown upside down!

The Ultimate Mood Lifter:

CHOCOLATE! The fat, sugar, and high amounts of tryptophan found in dark chocolate work together to raise serotonin and endorphin levels in the brain making you feel happy, content and soothed. Just be careful not to eat to much- a 1 oz square of dark chocolate is all you need! More than that and you are adding unnecessary calories.

More Scoop on Poop!

I am not being anal about this, it is actually very important to know what comes out of your body because tells you a lot about your overall health.  You don’t have to study each and every BM, but take a glance once in awhile.  Think of it as an emissions test for your body.

Floaters and Sinkers

Experts do not all agree, but the general consensus is a that a healthy poop will sink.  When a digestive tract is operating properly and the diet is well-balanced, stools will sink in the bowl. That is because the body has eliminated the waste in your system properly and your stools do not contain any gases and the fats from your diet have been processed properly. Now, without raising any alarm bells, your diet will change from day to day and your stools may occasionally float and that is not a problem. It happens to everyone. When your poop floats all of the time and never sinks, then there could in fact be a medical problem.

 You might be thinking that you have no symptoms other than floating poop so there is no need for concern. WRONG!  Many diseases in the early stages have little or no symptom association. The only way to be absolutely certain that nothing is wrong is to seek a medical consultation. Few people associate floating stools with one of the worst cancers-cancer of the pancreas. The pancreas is responsible for processing waste materials and fat in an efficient manner. When the pancreas cannot do its job properly, more and more fat is allowed into the waste causing the stool to be lighter and thereby causing it to float. When caught very early, for instance as soon as your stools have been floating for more than 10 or 14 days, the cancer treatment is much more effective and your cure probability is much higher. Of course, if you ignore it due to embarrassment of having to tell a doctor that your poop is floating, then your survival rate begins to diminish until there is no chance of beating this horrible disease.

Hey Stinky!  
It really is true that you are what you eat, much like you are what you poop! 
If you eat junk food, then junk is what will come out the other end and your poop will be stinky! It takes about 15 hours for food to completely pass through system. So, if you think about that and the temperature at which our internal organs are kept (a toasty 98.7 degrees Fahrenheit for most people), then some foods will definitely start to stink after so long. If we eat foods that start to stink in a short time, then what comes out will surely stink as well!

How to Make It Smell Better...

Changing your diet to fresh foods, eliminating processed foods that are loaded with chemicals and reducing sugar intake will prevent those bathroom bombs. If you eat healthy, your poop will smell healthy- not rotten!

What about my dog/cat?  Can I do something about that smell?
Much like humans, the quality of food you feed your pet will be reflected in the litter box or in the yard.  If your pet has a serious stink problem, you might want to consider changing the brand of food.  Check with your vet for recommendations.  Just for fun…

How come, no matter how much I chew it corn comes out in whole kernels?

When we chew corn, the outer layer slips off and we actually chew the inside of the kernel.  This yellow outside layer is cellulose and is indigestible.  It slips through the system untouched and comes out looking like a whole kernel when it is in fact, just the outer skin.

But seriously…

Be good to yourself and have your concerns properly checked out by a medical professional.
Your health is your first responsibility in being the best you can possibly be so take control and observe those subtle little changes without getting overly concerned.

What Your Poop is Trying to Tell You

You can learn a lot about your health by taking a look at your poop! What goes in must come out and your feces reflects what is happening inside your body.

Here's the scoop on poop...

A healthy poop should be golden brown.  You want to make sure the color is normal because it tells you a lot about what is going on in your body. 

Your poop should be in one long torpedo.  It should resemble the shape and consistency of an unripe banana (although not that color!) It should not be in pieces but should be 1-2 inches in diameter and 18 inches long!!  ( really?? wow!!) It should also be almost odorless. (more on this tomorrow).

What about color?

Black: Feces can be black if dried blood is present in it from internal bleeding in the upper digestive tract.  See your doctor.

Very dark brown: Drinking wine the night before can do this.  It could also be the result of too much salt or not enough vegetables.

Yellow: There are several infections that can cause yellow poop.  See your doctor if you are consistently pooping yellow.

Green: Babies have green poop when they are given a food for the first time. Adults have green poop if we eat large amounts of green leafy vegetables or lots of food with green food coloring.  Light green poop might indicate excessive sugar in the diet.  Green poop can also occur with diarrhea from bile passing through the system.  Again, see a doctor if you are concerned.

White/pale: A white or pale stool can be an indication of problems in the gallbladder or liver.

Red: Bright red in the feces may be indicative of active bleeding, possibly the results of hemorrhoids.  A magenta color may result from intense red food coloring or red foods such as beets.

How often should I poop?  It really depends on you.  Some people poop three times per week, others three times per day. As long as you are on a regular pooping schedule, you are ok. If this schedule changes and you become uncomfortable, see your doctor.

Next issue- Should it Float?  How can I make it smell better?  And what about Corn?  Stay tuned…

Is Your Farting Normal?

Some people don't want to admit it- but everybody farts!   Some of you might be more expressive than others in your delivery, but we all have to release gas, either by belching from the top of the gastrointestinal tract, or flatulence, which comes out of the bottom of the tract.  Bloating is caused by excess stomach gas that has not been released. 

Some gas after eating — and releasing it through burping and farting — is normal. Most people produce as many as one to four pints of gas a day, which they pass, on average, about 14 times a day.

However, if you’re experiencing painful gas and the embarrassment of chronic and foul smelling flatulence, you might want to figure out why.

Excessive Gas: Foods to Avoid
Beans, beans, the musical fruit.  The more you eat, the more  you toot! But it isn't just beans that will make you gassy.

Foods such as dairy products and certain vegetables cause some people to have excessive gas. Foods like these contain fiber, sugars, and starches that don't get digested and absorbed, eventually causing intestinal gas when they are finally broken down in the large intestine.

One way to manage flatulence and belching is to eat fewer of the well-known gassy foods. Everyone reacts differently, but common gassy foods are fruits, such as apples and pears, certain vegetables including broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and onions, whole grains like bran, and dairy products, from milk to cheese to ice cream.

Foods containing sorbitol, a naturally occurring sugar found in fruits, are on some people’s gassy-foods list. Others are bothered by carbonated soft drinks and fruit drinks. If you discover that these foods are causing you excess gas, you don't have to stop eating them- just use some moderation. 


Other ways to avoid gassiness:

• Drink before meals, not during.  If you drink liquids with your meals, you lose stomach acids and can’t break down the foods as well.  Try drinking about 30 minutes before a meal, not during, to help your stomach better digest food.

• Eat and drink slowly. When you eat or drink quickly, you can swallow a lot of air, which can cause gas,  Slow down when you eat — you will swallow less air and be less gassy.  Bonus- you will proably eat less!

• Take over-the-counter digestive aids. Digestive enzymes are available as over-the-counter supplements. You can find these at a health food store or in the natural aisle at the grocery store. Take one or two each day, you will know within a few weeks if it helps. FYI- antacids do nothing to help with excess gas.

• Be a Beano counter. Another over-the-counter digestive aid, Beano, contains an enzyme that can allow the body to digest the sugar in beans and many vegetables.  Add five drops of the liquid form or swallow one Beano tablet per half-cup serving of food before eating. Heating degrades the enzyme in Beano, so  don't add it to foods while cooking.  Beano will not help if excessive gas is caused by fiber or lactose.

• Don't fill up on air. Habits like smoking, chewing gum, and drinking through a straw may cause your stomach to fill with air, leading to gas.

• Avoid artificial sweeteners. Sorbitol and related sugar alcohols used in many sugar-free versions of foods can also aggravate gas as they are digested by gut bacteria which ferment and release gas and have a laxative effect.  Chewing gum that contains Sorbitol is similar to eating a prune.  However, the sugar substitutes that you use in coffe or in soda are not the kind that cause gas. The various packet sweeteners — yellow (sucralose), pink (saccharine), and blue (aspartame) — are not associated with gas or laxative effects. 

Related Conditions That Could Be to Blame
If the problem of excessive body gas is persistent or severe, consult your doctor — it could be a sign of a more serious digestive condition. Don’t simply ignore the problem or blame it on indigestion. 

These conditions might seem extreme, but see your doctor if you have concerns.

• Lactose intolerance. People who are lactose intolerant are unable to digest lactose, the sugar that is found in milk and milk products. Try eliminating dairy milk from your diet and see if it helps.

• Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). This type of pain is usually in the lower bowel area.

• Colon cancer. Excess gas is rarely the presenting symptom for patients with colon cancer, but it does remind you to get checked.

• Upper gastrointestinal disorders. Occasional belching is normal, but frequent belching may be a sign of an upper gastrointestinal disorder. These include peptic ulcers, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), or gastroparesis, also called delayed gastric emptying.

As annoying as it might be, some gas is a natural by-product of the body’s digestive system. But if your gas is excessive, painful, or chronic, talk to your doctor about possible causes and remedies.

Now that you have the facts, start counting your burps and farts to see if you are normal!

What is your stomach trying to tell you?

Train Your Brain!

While we spend alot of time getting our body in shape...what about your  brain? We take for granted all the things our brain does until it stops doing those things.  Your brain has 5 cognitvie functions and each needs to be challenged and stimulated on a daily basis.  Here are some easy ways to train your brain!

1- Memory

Memory plays a crucial role in all cognitive activities, including reading, reasoning and mental calculation. There are several types of memory at work in the brain and loss of these skills are what we notice most when they begin to fail. To maintain a good memory, you need to train for it, which can be easier than you think. Listening to a song you don’t know and memorizing the lyrics will boost the level of acetylcholine, the chemical that helps build your brain and improve your memory skills. Here's a fun challenge:  Use your opposite hand to brush your teeth. Or- try getting dressed or showering in the dark.  These exercise help build new associations between the neurons in your brain.

2- Attention

Attention is necessary in nearly all daily tasks. Good attention enables you to maintain concentration despite noise and distractions and to focus on several activities at once. You can improve our attention by simply changing your routines. Drive a different route to work or reorganize your desk, I moved my phone to the the other side and reach for it with the opposite hand, this was actually quite difficult!   Doing these things will force your brain to wake up from habits and pay attention again. As we age, our attention span  decreases, making us easily distracted and  less efficient at multitasking. Another challenge: combine activities like listening to abook with jogging or doing math in your head while you drive. This forces your brain to work at doing more in the same amount of time. 

3- Language

Language activities will challenge our ability to recognize, remember and understand words.  Your Language Challenge: Read a section of the paper that you don't usually read.  You’ll be exposed to new words, which are easier to understand when read in context or easier to look up on a dictionary site if you are reading the news online. Take time to understand the word in its context, which will help you build your language skills and retrieve the word more readily.  It's amazing how many words we skip over because we don't know the  meaning, take a moment to look it up.   Need a more difficult challenge?  Try learing a new language!

4- Visual-Spatial

We live in a 3D World. You need to analyze visual information to act within your environment. Your Challenge: Walk into an unfamiliar space and pick out five items and their locations. When you exit the space, try to recall all five items and where they were located.  If this is too easy-wait two hours and try to remember those items and their locations. Actually, try this in a familiar room, you'll be surprised at how many things you see every day and can't remember or place them. 

5- Executive Function

Without even realizing it, you use your logic and reasoning skills on a daily basis to make decisions.  We are constantly
 working on strategies to reach our desired goal or calcualting to find solutions to everyday problems. Your challenge?  Video games. Yes, I said video games.  They  require strategy and problem -solving to reach a desired outcome -- like making it to the final level.  A few mintues a day with the Playstation or XBox can be good for your brain, but too much stimulation is not!  I'm a little old-fashioned with this, I prefer a good crossword puzzle. 

As we age, it’s important to flex our mental muscles as well as our body.  Now that you’re aware of the five main cognitive functions and how to exercise them, it will be easy to find daily activities that will help you break a mental sweat and keep your brain in shape!

What was I Going to Write About?

All kidding aside, I am becoming very forgetful in my old age and it worries me as I am really not that old.  In fact, when I had to ask my daughter something for the third time, she asked if I had Alzheimer's. I really think it is because I have outsourced my brain to my laptop and Blackberry so I really don't have to remember anything anymore.  I couldn't even tell you phone numbers that I call frequently, I just push the speed dial button!   After doing some research, I found that my forgetfulness is normal, but it doesn't hurt to keep an eye on these symptoms.
I have listed the warning signs of Alzheimer's as well as what is "normal" as you age. 

1. Memory loss that disrupts daily life

Normal: Sometimes forgetting names or appointments, but remembering them later ( I just look them up in my Blackberry)

2. Challenges in planning or solving problems
Normal: Making occasional errors when balancing a checkbook (Again, the computer does this for me, I don't have to think)

3. Difficulty completing familiar tasks at home, at work or at leisure
Normal: Occasionally needing help to use the settings on a microwave or to record a television show (We just blame it on the cable company!)

4. Confusion with time or place
Normal:  Getting confused about the day of the week but figuring it out later

5. Trouble understanding visual images and spatial relationships
Normal: Vision changes related to cataracts

6. New problems with words in speaking or writing
Normal:  Sometimes having trouble finding the right word

7. Misplacing things and losing the ability to retrace steps
Normal: Misplacing things from time to time, such as a pair of glasses or the remote control (that's why I have glasses in every room of the house)

8. Decreased or poor judgment
Normal:  Making a bad decision once in a while. (this seems to be more of a young person symptom!)

9. Withdrawal from work or social activities
Normal: Sometimes feeling weary of work, family and social obligations

10. Changes in mood and personality
Normal:  Developing very specific ways of doing things and becoming irritable when a routine is disrupted.

You must admit that you chuckled at a few of these- we have been misplacing the remote for  years and I know many people who don't want their routine interrupted.  If you or someone you know is experiencing any of these symptoms that are beyond the "normal" please see a health professional. 

Coming up- Exercises to keep your brain active and healthy in a "thinking optional" world. 

5 Simple Things You Can Do Today To Change Your Life

Improving your life doesn't mean you have to make a lot of earth shattering changes and you don't have to do them all at once.  Try doing one or two of these things and then add to it as you begin to notice how a few "better" choices can help you feel great and improve your outlook on life. 

• EAT BETTER – Rather than  going to a drive-through or eating something out of a can or box, start eating whole foods in the right proportions. Fresh fruits and vegetables, low-fat dairy, lean meat, whole grains and other healthful choices can have a very big impact on your overall health. Learn to limit the size of your meals. Remember, it’s always better to eat less, but more frequently. Three small meals a day combined with a few healthy snacks can help you lose weight, maintain health and simply feel better.

• MOVE AROUND – Start working out about an hour most days of the week. Keep in mind that working out doesn’t mean you have to go all out at the gym. Pick a few things you find enjoyable and give them a go to see a real difference in your life. If you haven't been off the couch in years- take it slow, start with 20 minutes a day and build- make physical exercise part of your daily routine. 

• SLEEP MORE – Getting at least eight hours of peaceful sleep is essential for the body, mind and soul. If you have trouble sleeping, picking up the exercise habit and eating right can combine to help a great deal.Remove your TV from the bedroom, turn off the cell phone , and make your room as dark as possible.  The TV habit is tough to break, but you will sleep much better.  

• DRINK PLENTY OF FLUIDS – Getting plenty of water during the course of each day is essential for health. Keeping the body hydrated can improve your physical status and better prepare you to tackle your daily routine and exercise, too.  Get in the habit of drinking a big glass of water as soon as you wake up and carry water with you the rest of the day.

• IMPROVE YOUR SELF IMAGE– Working to adopt a healthy, positive attitude can assist you in everything you do. Learn to listen to your inner-speak and weed out the negative thoughts. The more positive you are about yourself and the world around you, the more likely it is you will attain your goals and even surpass them. If you have negative people in your life, tell them that you will no longer let them bring you down.  This is YOUR life- make it a great one!

If you’re ready to change your life, start small and stay positive.

Starbucks VS McDonalds

After my posts on some of the new summer beverages at McDonald's, I was asked to check out the new Frapee and I'm sorry to tell you that this might be the worst of the bunch.  It is not a coffee drink, it is a full fat milkshake in a coffee disquise. Let's look at the nutritional info:


Good gosh, I didn't even get past the first line and I had to stop when I was checking the facts so this is all I have for the 16 oz. Mocha Frapee:

                    560 calories; 24 grams of fat; 70 grams of sugar


OMG!  The average adult should consume 2,000ish calories in a day so this beverage is over 1/4 of your calories for the WHOLE DAY!! 


Let's look at the sugar- 70 grams??  Seriously??  That equals FOURTEEN TEASPOONS.  If you really think you want to order a frapee, before you leave home- get a 16 oz. cup and measure out FOURTEEN TEASPOONS of sugar and see if you still want to order it. 


If you really need an icy chilled coffee drink, Starbucks would be a better choice, though not really that great, either. A 16 oz Frappuccino has 370 calories; 15 grams of fat; 54 grams of sugar. Still shocking but better if you need to fill that craving. 

Try this:  Go to the grocery store and buy a bottle of Starbucks Light Vanilla or Mocha Frappuccino and pour it over ice or blend.  It has 180 calories, 3 grams of fat but it does have 31 grams of sugar (about 7 teaspoons).

Let's make it even better! 

Light Mocha Cafe Recipe

3 tbl. coffee

3 tbl light chocolate syrup

3 splendas

8 ice cubes

1/4 cup  vanilla soymilk or almond milk

1/2 cup  water

Directions

Put all ingredients into frappe maker and blend

Calories:108 Fat: 1 gram, Sugar: 17 grams

Yes!!!!

  This is easy to make and look how much better it is nutritionally.  It pays off both for both your weight and health to read the labels and do some research before indulging. 

 

Will you be Steve Austin or Jaime Sommers soon?

If you are old enough to get the reference, it might be time to think about joint replacements!! 

Joint-replacement patients are younger and more active than ever before. More than half of all hip-replacement surgeries performed this year are expected to be on people under 65, with the same percentage projected for knee replacements by 2016.The fastest-growing group is patients 46 to 64, according to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgery. Right now over half of these surgeries are paid for by Medicare but  more and more are being covered by private insurance. Analysts fear that replacement surgeries could break the Medicare bank as well as cause steep inclines in insurance premiums.

What can you do?  While not all joint replacements are preventable, there are a few things you can do now to reduce your chances of needing surgery later. 

1-      Maintain a healthy body weight.  Our bones are designed to handle a certain amount of weight so excess can lead to joint deterioration

2-      Exercise- Strong hip, core, and leg muscles are key to healthy hips and knees.  Our sedentary lifestyle has led to weaker muscles which contribute to deterioration and pain. I’m a big fan of Lance  Armstrong’s website and he has some great exercises for hips.  Click here for more info.

3-      Nutrition- carbonated soft drinks are a huge culprit in decreasing bone density.  Carbonated drinks have a high phosphate content, which binds calcium in the bowel and reduces the absorption.  Phosphate also forms acid in the bloodstream which then leaches calcium from your bones to maintain balance in the bloodstream.  In other words, carbonation steals calcium from your bones, this is especially troubling for women who are already susceptible to osteoporosis.  Bone loss is showing up at a much younger age as soda replaces milk as the beverage of choice.

Today is the day to start preparing yourself for the future!