When faster is not better!

Your resting heart rate can tell you a lot about how fit you are-and perhaps some other things about your health. This refers to the number of times your heart beats per minute when you are at rest; 50 to 100 is considered normal, though most people fall in the 60-to-80 range.

            Resting heart rate varies from person to person and even over the course of the day, due to genetics and other factors, such as temperature. In general, slower is better, since a heart rate faster than necessary for good health puts unneeded stress on blood vessels and the heart. People who do acrobic exercise (such as jogging or cycling) and become very fit tend to have a lower resting heart rate because such activities strengthen the heart, so it pumps more blood with each contraction.

            On the flip side, a growing body of research has been finding an association between faster resting heart rate and increased risk of heart disease and premature death, independent of fitness level and other known cardiovascular risk factors, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and being overwright.

            Recently, a Danish study in the journal Heart, which followed 2,798 healthy middle-aged and older men for 16 years, found that for every 10-beats-per-minute increase over 50, the risk of death rose by 16 percent, after other factors that can affect heart rate were accounted for.

            “These results suggest that in healthy subjects, elevated resting heart rate is not merely a marker of poor general fitness but an independent risk factor,” the researchers concluded.

            Previous studies have linked higher resting heart rate to poorer health outcomes in both healthy people and those with heart disease, and in both men and women. According to a review paper in Progress in Cardiovascular Diseases a few years ago, resting heart rate may be a better predictor of premature death than cholesterol and blood pressure−thought there’s no consensus on what an optimal heart rate is and where increased health risks begin.

            BOTTOM LINE: If your resting heart rate is at the high end of the normal range, talk to your doctor. If you are physically fit, there may not be anything you need to (or can) do about it, but it can serve as one more piece of information your doctor can use in evaluating your heart disease risk and how to best manage your overall health. If you are not in good physical condition, aerobic exercise may bring down your resting heart rate somewhat over time−this is called the “training effect”−though it may take a long time for this to occur, and not every exerciser experiences it.

Univ. California, Berkeley Wellness Letter

Sunglasses...Style or Protection?

Eye on Sunglasses

Many people choose sunglasses by how they look and feel. But the most important feature to consider is how well they shield your eyes from ultraviolet rays (high-frequency invisible energy emitted by the sun), as well as blue light (high-frequency visible light). Chronic ultraviolet (UV) exposure is implicated in a range of eye conditions, including cataracts, benign growths on the surface of the eye, skin cancer on the eyelid and around the eyes, and even melanoma of the eye itself. Blue light is particularly damaging to internal eye tissues and over time may permanently damage the retina, leading to macular degeneration.

Sun damage is cumulative, so the more time you spend outdoors with your eyes unprotected, the greater your lifetime risk. The good news is that it’s not hard to find affordable sunglasses that are fashion-forward and protective.

Everyone who spends time outside should wear sunglasses. That includes children (whose eyes are especially vulnerable to UV) and people who wear contacts (even if UV-treated, they don’t cover the whole eye). Sunglasses are a necessity for people who are sun-sensitive due to medications (such as tetracycline) or other reasons, and for those who have had cataract surgery, especially if they have an older intraocular lens that provides no UV protection. Light-colored eyes are especially vulnerable to UV. Even on overcast and hazy days, your eyes can be exposed to significant UV radiation.

Here’s more reason to wear a pair: Very bright sunlight can irritate eyes−and even burn the cornea, a temporary  but painful condition called photokeratitis or “snow blindness.: Sunglasses also shield eyes from wind, dust, and drying, and they help reduce glare, which can be hazardous when driving, biking, or playing sports.

What to look for

There are o federal standards for sunglasses, and labels are inconsistent and confusing. A tag or sticker that simply says “blocks UV” or “UV-absorbent,” for instance, is meaningless because it doesn’t tell you how much UV is blocked. Better choices are sunglasses that claim to block most or all UV (“99-100
%UV absorbent” or “UV 400,” for example), though there is no independent verification for this. And while the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) sets voluntary standards (Z80.3 codes) for UV protection of sunglasses, you’re not likely to see these labels, and they don’t guarantee that the glasses have actually been inspected.

            One way to be certain that your sunglasses are blocking most or all UV is to have an optician test them using a photo spectrometer (often called a UV meter). It’s a good idea to have old sunglasses tested, since some of the UV coating, if one was applied, can be lost over time through scratches and abrasions. An optician can also coat sunglasses, if necessary. 

More general pointers:

■ Both clear glass and plastic lenses naturally filter out some UV light (polycarbonate plastic, in particular, blocks nearly all UV). But maximal UV protection comes from clear chemicals that are incorporated into the lenses during manufacture or applied as a coating.

■ Darker lenses don’t mean greater UV protection. In fact, unless darker lenses are fabricated to block UV, they can be more harmful than wearing no sunglasses, because they can cause pupils to dilate, allowing more UV to enter your eyes. Darker lenses do, however, block more visible light and minimize glare.  They should be dark enough so you don’t see your eyes when you look in the mirror, but light enough so you can see curbs, stop lights, and stairs.

■ Colored lenses reduce visible light, but color has nothing to do with UV protection. Yellow, amber, and orange lenses block the most blue light and enhance contrast, but can distort colors. Brown also blocks significant blue light. Gray and brown lenses produce the least color distortion and are good for all-around wear and driving. Green distorts minimally. Avoid blue-tinted glasses, which let in more blue light.

■ The larger the frames, the better.  Wrap-around glasses block light coming from the side, but may cause distortion.

■ You should be able to find an adequate pair of sunglasses for $20 to $60. More expensive ones are not necessarily better, but cheap ones (less than $10) are more likely to have optical imperfections.

■ To check lens quality, hold the glasses at arm’s length and look at a straight line in the distance. When you move the glasses across that line, the line should not bend.

■ If you wear prescription glasses, you can buy prescription sunglasses or glasses with photochromic lenses (see below). You can also get sunglass “clip-ons” for your regular frames−or “click-ons” that attach magnetically. At a minimum, your regular glasses should have added UV protection.

Beyond UV protection

You can find sunglasses with all kinds of extra features. Just make sure they are UV treated, since these features are not related to UV protection.

      Polarized lenses cut down on reflected glare, which is good if you are driving, boating, fishing, or skiing, for example−but they make it harder to see cellphone, ATM, and dashboard displays.

      Mirrored lenses can be helpful in very bright conditions, though they scratch easily. The tint of the mirror coating doesn’t affect color perception.

      Photochromic lenses automatically darken and lighten depending on the ambient light. It takes about 30 seconds for them to darken in bright light, but about five minutes to fully lighten when you go inside.

      Gradient lenses are shaded darker at the top and lighter at the bottom, which cuts light from the sky but allows you to see the car dashboard and horizon well. They also let you see your step as you enter an area with less light. Double-gradient lenses are dark at the top and bottom and are good for skiing, boating, and water sports.

      Ultra-impact-resistant lenses are good for certain sports and occupations. The FDA requires all eyeglasses to be impact-resistant, but polycarbonate lenses are the most shatterproof. They scratch easily, however, so look for ones with scratch-resistant coatings.

Berkeley Wellness.com August 2013

Do You Have Control of Your Health?

Taking charge of your health

Top 5 tips to help you become proactive in your health care.

We rely on doctors and other providers to diagnose and treat medical conditions, but the most important person in your health care is you. “Being proactive in your health care empowers you,” says Dr. Julie Silver, an associate professor at Harvard Medical School. “We can’t completely control our health, but there are things that we can take charge of that will make a positive difference.” By starting with a few small changes, you’ll gain a sense of control quickly.

1 Keep track of your health information.  Keep a written record of your health: a current list of prescriptions and supplements that you take; when your doctor wants you to report any measurements you make at home such as your weight, blood pressure, or blood sugar; when each of your last screening tests was done.

Doctors who use electronic health records can print these out for you.

Your individual targets for measurements made at home may vary depending on your age and overall health, but for most adults blood pressure should be less than 120/80 mm Hg. You’re considered to have impaired fasting glucose, part of the definition of prediabetes, if your fasting glucose level is between 100 and 125mg/dL. And your cholesterol levels are in the healthy range if the HDL is above 40mg/dL and the LDL is below 100 mg/dL.

2 Don’t miss your screening tests.  Your doctor should set targets for how often you need different screening tests. Check with your doctor if you think you’re due for a test. See our chart on this page for general recommendations.

3 Speak up about your health. Ask questions and state preferences when it comes to treatment. Share new symptoms in detail with your physician. And if your doctor orders tests, here are some important questions to ask:  What is this test

Do you think the symptoms indicate? Why is this test necessary? What therapies are available? What is the prognosis? Are there any additional costs beyond my anticipated insurance reimbursement?

4 Get moving. Regular exercise has more power to protect your health than any medicine ever invented. It reduces your resting heart rate, and allows your heart to work more efficiently. Exercise also lowers blood pressure and improves your cholesterol and the way you process blood. That can help prevent heart disease, stroke, and some forms of dementia. Exercise also causes nerve cells to release proteins called neurotrophic factors. Research in lab animals has shown these proteins stimulate the growth of new brain cells, improve neural connections in the brain, and help to regulate metabolism, energy, and mood. Exercise may also delay cognitive decline.

Strive for at least 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity exercise, such as brisk walking. If you’re unable to get aerobic exercise because of a health condition, weight lifting has also been shown to be effective at staving off diabetes and osteoporosis.

 5 Eat your way to good health.  Get rid of the junk-saturated fats, high-sodium foods, and prepackaged foods. Replace them with fresh, natural food. The Harvard School of Public Health recommends at least 4 ½ cups of vegetables and fruits a day, including dark leafy greens, and anything that’s a rich yellow, orange, or red color, such as tomatoes, oranges, strawberries, red peppers, sweet potatoes, carrots, and bananas. The Centers for Disease Control recommends keeping protein to 10% to 35% of your daily diet, and of that, the healthiest sources of proteins include lean meats, poultry, and fish, and plant-based proteins, such as nuts and beans.

Your diet is also linked to your weight, and maintaining a healthy weight has a direct impact on your health. Weight loss is good for your blood pressure and your cholesterol, for processing glucose and insulin, and for reducing inflammation and relieving joint pain.

“Taking charge of your health involves changing specific behaviors,” says Dr. Silver. “This takes effort, but over time becomes a habit that is really simple. The hard part comes first-changing what you are doing. But after a while, you’ll do it without much thought.” ☻

Harvard Health Letter – 6/2013

Healthy Choises... Are you Making Them?

Today’s baby boomers are generally healthier than their parents, right? After all, this generation has been dubbed the “Healthiest Generation” because of having the longest life expectancy of any of the previous generations – and has also had many health advantages their parents did not have. But, surprisingly, research shows that many in the aging baby boom generation are actually LESS healthy than their parents.

Researchers have discovered that the 78 million Americans born between 1946 and 1964 (baby boomers) have more diabetes, obesity, hypertension and high cholesterol than their parents’ generation. This is despite having a longer health expectancy and other advantages, like advances in medical care and public health campaigns promoting healthier lifestyles.

Americans have long thought of the current generation as being healthier than previous ones, but baby boomers seem to be ending that trend. In fact, only 13% of baby boomers rate their overall health as ‘excellent’, compared to 32% of the previous generation at the same age.

According to Dr. Dana King:

“Baby boomers are living longer, so I think there may be presumptions … that they are the healthiest generation. But they are not in excellent health while they are waiting around to live two to three years longer. Unfortunately they may be living longer with a greater burden of chronic disease, and more disability. It’s not exactly a good public health outcome.”

So, why, despite all the advantages, aren’t baby boomers enjoying better health than their parents? Experts suspect the biggest culprit is obesity. More Americans are overweight or obese than ever before, triggering a host of chronic medical conditions. And, advances in medical care may only be treating the symptoms (for example, blood pressure medication) rather than the root causes of obesity, thus perpetuating the problem.

Consequently, many baby boomers are becoming sicker sooner and experiencing a lower quality of life than their parents did at the same age – while living a few years longer.

The good news is that this trend doesn’t necessarily have to be your reality (or that of a boomer you care about):

- YOU have the power to lose weight, exercise more, eat better and otherwise shift into a health-promoting lifestyle.

- YOU have more control of your quality of life now, and in the future, than you may realize.

- It’s YOUR choice.

What are you going to do about it?

Source: http://healthland.time.com/2013/02/05/baby-boomers-not-the-healthiest-generation/?iid=hl-main-lead

Quality Protein and Fats for a Healthier Diet

Quality proteins are important because protein and Amino Acids are the building blocks of your body. Quality proteins are essentially a long strand of Amino Acids. Amino acids support growth and development within the body, but some of the Amino Acids that we require are not readily produced within our body. These are called Essential Amino Acids and we need these in a good assortment from both animal and plant sources alike. There are several types of quality proteins but not all are created equal, some are better quality than others. For instance in the meat category, there are cattle, bison, buffalo, deer, elk, chicken, turkey and wild caught fish such as halibut and salmon. Look for Meats that are Hormone and Antibiotic Free, Grass Fed, and Free Range. No hormones + grass fed= higher nutrient counts, good fats and proteins, abundant omega 3’s and vitamins A & D. You can also attain these quality proteins from beans, legumes, nuts, grains (quinoa is a great high protein grain) and even some vegetables. If you are a vegetarian, these should be your main sources of protein.

The good news is, the higher the intake of quality protein, the more fat burning your body does, which equals a leaner, meaner body and smaller waist size! When people talk about fats, there is a huge misconception about fat consumption. You must remember that there are good fats and bad fats. Essential fatty acids are necessary however our bodies do not manufacture them. Good sources of healthy fats are found in olive oil, coconut oil, palm oil, raw butter, organic grass fed meats, fish oil, seeds, avocados and nuts. Always use heat stable fats and oils to cook with. Try to choose organic foods for safe fats and consume Omega 3’s-especially for children. Good Fats help lower cholesterol and are vital components of development and repair of the brain and nervous system.

Lack of omega 3 and 6’s are associated with several disorders including: Heart Attack, Stroke, Cancer, Obesity, Insulin Resistance, Diabetes, Lupus, Depression, Alzheimer’s, chronic inflammatory disorders, ADHD, Asthma, Arthritis and more.

Just like there are good fats there are also bad fats and these are why fat is such a bad word! Bad fats are trans-fatty acids found in items such as margarine, hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils, vegetables oils and conventionally raised animals and fish. These Man Made animals and fish are raised and fed the worst foods, hormones etc; they are of very low nutritional value and often toxic with pesticides).  Avoid the following: Roasting/roasted nuts (oils become rancid upon heating increasing free radical damage in the body), non-organic dairy sources, fried foods unless prepared with palm, coconut oil or lard-but keep at a minimum!

Keep your trips to fast food restaurants to a minimum or avoid them all together. Fast Food restaurants use low quality foods and fats, most of which are highly processed. Follow these and you are heading in the right direction.

Thank you and have a healthy day,

-Jen Hughes