Category: Wellness (Page 27 of 116)

Dangers Of Second Hand Smoke Are Real

April 27, 2012 / Staff

For those who doubt the dangers of second hand smoke consider the statistics.

The biggest benefit from limiting secondhand smoke is from the reduction in cardiac disease.

It has been demonstrated several times that towns initiating laws limiting public and workplace smoking see a decrease in heart attack rates within one year of enacting the laws.

Numerous studies of secondhand smoke have been completed over the past 40 years. A meta-analysis of 52 studies prepared for the 2006 Surgeon General’s Report on Smoking and Health showed that nonsmokers who had long-term (more than 20 years) exposure to secondhand smoke were 1.21 times more likely to develop lung cancer compared with nonsmokers who were never exposed to secondhand smoke.
A second meta-analysis of 25 studies showed that nonsmokers who are exposed to secondhand smoke were 20% more likely to develop lung cancer compared with nonsmokers working in a smoke-free environment.

There is no way to “smoke in moderation”.

And there is no amount of “safe” second hand smoke.

Quality Control, Research, Wellness

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Teenagers Using Hand Sanitizer To Get High

April 25, 2012 / Staff

The latest foray into “stinkin’ thinkin’ ” by America’s teenagers has led to drinking hand sanitizer to get high.

The problem is that drinking hand sanitizer will make you ill and land you in the E.R.

A spike in the number of teenagers who became ill after drinking hand sanitizer in Los Angeles County — 16 cases in March and April, according to the California Poison Control System. Now there’s a flurry of reports from other parts of the country, too.
Hand sanitizer kills germs because it’s made with ethyl alcohol. That’s the same stuff that gives a glass of wine its pleasant buzz. I’ve never imbibed hand sanitizer, but my guess is that it lacks the complex bouquet of a good cabernet. Indeed, I’d guess that it tastes nasty.

Quality Control, Wellness

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Canned Or Fresh, Which Is Best?

April 23, 2012 / Staff

Can you get healthy food from a can?

When you calculate cost, waste, availability and nutrition there is a scale on which to measure the value of canned versus fresh foods.

The conclusion: when price, waste and preparation time were factored in, canned foods won out as the most convenient and affordable source of nutrients. For instance, canned pinto beans cost $1 less per serving as a source of protein and fiber than dried beans. That’s because it takes about six minutes to prepare a can of pinto beans, compared to 2½ hours for dried beans, after soaking and cooking. (The researchers calculated meal prep and cooking time at $7.25 an hour, the minimum wage in New Jersey where the research was conducted.)
“While all forms of the foods — canned, frozen, fresh and dried — were nutritious, when you added the cost of the inedible portions and the cost of the time to prepare to the price, in most cases the canned versions delivered nutrients at a lower total cost.”

Nutrition, Quality Control, Resources, Wellness

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The Many Wonders Of Tea

April 21, 2012 / Staff

Everyday there is something new to love about tea.

With varieties such as, black, green white and oolong, there is a tea for everyone who wants to enjoy the health benefits of this plant.

A study done by UCLA, found that drinking three cups (or more) of either green or black tea a day can reduce your risk of stroke by 21 percent. The health benefits associated with tea come from its high levels of antioxidants such as polyphenols, flavonoids and catechins, which fight free radicals in the body and prevent healthy cells from being harmed. Other studies have found that drinking a couple cups of tea a day may also help lower cholesterol and protect against certain cancers.

The ritual of drinking tea is also a great way to break bad eating habits.

Making time to have tea instead of sweetened beverages or colas can help you to shed pounds as an added bonus.

Nutrition, Research, Wellness

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Ward Off Alzheimer’s With Housework?

April 21, 2012 / Staff

Studies find that even mild activity is better than no activity when it comes to preventing Alzheimer’s.

For those whom may be too frail for swimming or gym activities it appears as though light housework and gardening can be effective ways to keep active and avoid the disease.

The study, which was published this week in the journal Neurology, included 716 dementia-free men and women in their 70s and 80s. Compared with the most active people, those with the lowest levels of overall physical activity had more than double the risk of going on to develop Alzheimer’s. Greater physical activity was also associated with a slower rate of aging-related memory and cognitive decline.
“This suggests that people in their 80s who can’t participate in formal exercise still get a benefit by leading a more active lifestyle,” says lead author Dr. Aron S. Buchman, associate professor of neurological sciences at Rush University Medical Center, in Chicago. “You don’t have to get a membership in the local YMCA. If you walk up some more steps, stand up and do the dishes more, you stand to benefit because it’s incremental and adds up over the course of a full day.”

The key is to keep moving!

Research, Wellness

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