''If I'm out running and hit a red light, should I stop or jog on the spot?

April 9, 2012
Neither. If you stand there, you risk cooling down, and if you jog in one place you just look silly. A smarter thing to do is do a dynamic stretch. This will keep your gluteus firing and ankles and hips mobile, both of which help prevent muscle strains. 
 

New Facebook Cover Page

April 1, 2012
Hey folks, 

What do you think of our new Facebook cover page?


 

Food for thought

February 16, 2012

 

 
 



 


 
 

Pregnancy & Nutrition

February 6, 2012



You want what's best for your baby. That's why you add sliced fruit to your fortified breakfast cereal, top your salads with chickpeas and snack on soy nuts. But do you know what foods to avoid during pregnancy?
Start with the basics in pregnancy nutrition. Understanding what foods to avoid during pregnancy can help you make the healthiest choices for you and your baby.


Avoid seafood high in mercury

Seafood can be a great source of protein, and the omega-3 fatty acids in many fish can promote your baby's brain development. However, some fish and shellfish contain potentially dangerous levels of mercury. Too much mercury could damage your baby's developing nervous system.

The bigger and older the fish, the more mercury it's likely to contain. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) encourage pregnant women to avoid:

  • Swordfish
  • Shark
  • King mackerel
  • Tilefish

So what's safe? Some types of seafood contain little mercury. Although concerns have been raised about the level of mercury in any type of canned tuna, the FDA and EPA say pregnant women can safely eat up to 12 ounces (340 grams) a week. Similarly, the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend 8 to 12 ounces of seafood a week for pregnant women. That's about two average meals of:

  • Shrimp
  • Crab
  • Canned light tuna (limit albacore tuna, chunk white tuna and tuna steak to no more than 6 ounces, or 170 grams, a week)
  • Salmon
  • Pollock
  • Catfish
  • Cod
  • Tilapia

Not all researchers agree with these limits, however, citing a study that noted no negative effects for women who ate more seafood than the FDA-approved guidelines.

Avoid raw, undercooked or contaminated seafood

To avoid harmful bacteria or viruses in seafood:

  • Avoid raw fish and shellfish. It's especially important to avoid oysters and clams.
  • Avoid refrigerated smoked seafood, such as lox. It's OK to eat smoked seafood if it's an ingredient in a casserole or other cooked dish. Canned and shelf-stable versions also are safe.
  • Understand local fish advisories. If you eat fish from local waters, pay attention to local fish advisories — especially if water pollution is a concern. If advice isn't available, limit the amount of fish from local waters you eat to 6 ounces (170 grams) a week and don't eat other fish that week.
  • Cook seafood properly. Cook most fish to an internal temperature of 145 F (63 C). The fish is done when it separates into flakes and appears opaque throughout. Cook shrimp, lobster and scallops until they're milky white. Cook clams, mussels and oysters until their shells open. Discard any that don't open.

Avoid undercooked meat, poultry and eggs

During pregnancy, you're at increased risk of bacterial food poisoning. Your reaction might be more severe than if you weren't pregnant. Rarely, food poisoning affects the baby, too.

To prevent foodborne illness:

  • Fully cook all meats and poultry before eating. Use a meat thermometer to make sure.
  • Cook hot dogs and processed deli meats, such as bologna, until they're steaming hot — or avoid them completely. They can be sources of a rare but potentially serious foodborne illness known as listeriosis.
  • Avoid refrigerated pates and meat spreads. Canned and shelf-stable versions, however, are OK.
  • Don't buy raw poultry that's been pre-stuffed. Raw juice that mixes with the stuffing can cause bacterial growth. Frozen poultry that's been pre-stuffed is safe when cooked from its frozen state.
  • Cook eggs until the egg yolks and whites are firm. Raw eggs can be contaminated with the harmful bacteria salmonella. Avoid foods made with raw or partially cooked eggs, such as eggnog, raw batter, hollandaise sauce and Caesar salad dressing.

Avoid unpasteurized foods

Many low-fat dairy products — such as skim milk, mozzarella cheese and cottage cheese — can be a healthy part of your diet. Anything containing unpasteurized milk, however, is a no-no. These products could lead to foodborne illness.

Unless these soft cheeses are clearly labeled as being pasteurized or made with pasteurized milk, don't eat:

  • Brie
  • Feta
  • Camembert
  • Blue cheese
  • Mexican-style cheeses, such as queso blanco, queso fresco and panela

When selecting eggs, consider buying the pasteurized variety. In addition, avoid drinking unpasteurized juice.

Avoid unwashed fruits and vegetables

To eliminate any harmful bacteria, thoroughly wash all raw fruits and vegetables and cut away damaged portions. Avoid raw sprouts of any kind — including alfalfa, clover, radish and mung bean — which also might contain disease-causing bacteria. Be sure to cook sprouts thoroughly.

Avoid large quantities of vitamin A

Too much vitamin A can cause birth defects. The Institute of Medicine recommends that pregnant women age 19 and older get 2,565 international units (IU) of vitamin A daily. For perspective, 3 ounces of cooked beef liver contains 27,185 IU and 3 ounces of cooked chicken liver contains 12,325 IU.

Avoid excess caffeine

Caffeine can cross the placenta and affect your baby's heart rate. While further research is needed, some studies suggest that drinking too much caffeine during pregnancy might be associated with an increased risk of miscarriage. Because of the potential effects on your developing baby, your health care provider might recommend limiting the amount of caffeine in your diet to less than 200 milligrams a day during pregnancy. For perspective, an 8-ounce cup of brewed coffee contains about 95 milligrams of caffeine, an 8-ounce cup of brewed tea contains about 47 milligrams and a 12-ounce caffeinated cola soft drink contains about 29 milligrams.

Avoid herbal tea

There's little data on the effects of specific herbs on developing babies. As a result, avoid drinking herbal tea unless your health care provider says it's OK — even the types of herbal tea marketed specifically to pregnant women.

Avoid alcohol

One drink isn't likely to hurt your baby, but no level of alcohol has been proved safe during pregnancy. The safest bet is to avoid alcohol entirely.

Consider the risks. Mothers who drink alcohol have a higher risk of miscarriage and stillbirth. Too much alcohol during pregnancy can result in fetal alcohol syndrome, which can cause facial deformities, heart problems, low birth weight and mental retardation. Even moderate drinking can impact your baby's brain development.

If you're concerned about alcohol you drank before you knew you were pregnant or you think you need help to stop drinking, consult your health care provider.



 

 

The Truth About Drugs

February 3, 2012




Are generic drugs cheaper?

Not always, and not by as much as you might think. "If you check drugstore.com, the difference is huge--say, $30 for generic versus $200 for brand name," says Douglas Kamerow, M.D., chief scientist for RTI International, an independent research institute. "But if you have insurance, the difference may not be so big--maybe $3 versus $12." With some drug plans, brand-name meds may actually cost less than their generic equivalents. This happens, for example, when major drugmakers negotiate deals (often after losing their patent) to offer meds at a discount, Dr. Kamerow says.

Your move: Use a prescription drug calculator, available through your insurance provider, to easily compare prices for your plan. For example, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan offers a "Top 100 Generic Drugs Calculator," and Cigna's website features "The Prescription Drug Price Quote Tool."

Are generic and brand-name drugs the same quality?

Usually. However, "most of our generic drugs come from large overseas manufacturers in India or China," says Dr. Kamerow. "There may be questions about the integrity of the product--whether it is what they say it is." For example, in 2009, the FDA took action against the generic-drug company Ranbaxy Laboratories for lying about test results at a facility in India. It's largely an issue of logistics: The FDA would need 9 years to inspect eligible foreign facilities once (at the 2009 rate of inspection), according to the U.S. Government Accountability Office. In a 2009 survey of pharmacists, 95 percent said they feel a generic drug's country of origin affects its safety.

Your move: You can check the FDA's MedWatch to see if any quality issues have been reported for your medications. If you're concerned, Dr. Kamerow also suggests inquiring about "branded generics," or generic drugs produced by brand-name drug companies; these make up about 25 percent of the global pharmaceutical market.

Do generic and brand-name drugs use the same formulas?

No. They have the same active ingredient but sometimes contain different inactive ingredients. "It's uncommon, but a patient may have an allergic reaction to the inactive ingredients in one and not the other," Dr. Kamerow says.

"Or, more likely, the active ingredients will be absorbed in your body slightly differently." For drugs that require precise blood levels--such as certain antifungals, antibiotics, and blood thinners--even a small difference in absorption might alter their effect, he says.

Your move: Ask your doctor if your drug has a "narrow therapeutic window." If it does, Dr. Kamerow suggests that you avoid switching from a brand name to a generic and vice versa--or even from one generic to another--unless you have blood work done to establish a new dosage.

Something else to consider: Since the 1990s, the number of fatal overdoses from prescription medications has increased by almost fivefold. 

 

 




Make a Free Website with Yola.