Is low fat really good for you?

How often do you hear the terms "low-fat" or "fat-free"? It seems like we have been told that fat is the enemy when it is in our food since it can cause obesity, heart disease, and some types of cancer (when consumed in excess). But is eliminating fat from our diet the right way to go?

First we need to understand the vital roles that fat plays in our body. Fat can help in the production, maintenance and repair of cells, it helps in nerve transmission, helps in nutrient absorption, provides and stores energy, and gives us a sense of fullness.

We need to learn how to distinguish between the types (and amounts) of fats that contribute to our health and those that are detrimental to our health.

When I was reading up on this subject I found a great question and answer forum that provided great information on this subject. The exact link is http://www.goaskalice.columbia.edu/2097.html

Dear Alice,
I know it's necessary to have a certain amount of fat in your diet, but occasionally I hear about "good fat" and "bad fat." What is the difference? Is that the same as saturated/unsaturated? What foods have "good fat"? Can I tell by looking at the nutrition label on a food product which kind of fat I'm eating?
— Curious

Dear Curious,
The "good fat/bad fat" you've heard about refers to fat's potential to cause disease. All fats have the same amount of calories, but they vary in their chemical compositions and effects on health. Fats are made of chains of carbon and hydrogen atoms. The saturation refers to whether all the available spaces on the carbon chain are bonded to hydrogen atoms, or if there are any hydrogen atoms missing. The three forms of fat found in nature are:

Saturated Fats
These fats have all of their carbon atoms filled (saturated) with hydrogen. Saturated fat is primarily found in high-fat cuts of meat, poultry with the skin, whole and 2 percent dairy products, butter, cheese, and tropical oils: coconut, palm, and palm kernel. Our body needs a small amount (about 20 grams) of saturated fat each day, but the typical American diet usually exceeds that amount. Too much saturated fat may cause a person's bad cholesterol (LDL) to rise and may also increase the risk of developing certain types of cancer. You can look for the amount of saturated fats in a serving of food on the nutrition label, under the heading "Saturated Fat" below the larger heading of "Total Fat."

Monounsaturated Fats
These fats have one space missing a hydrogen atom, instead containing a double bond between two adjacent carbon atoms. Monounsaturated fat is found in olive oil, canola oil, peanut oil, and in most nuts and nut butters. This type of fat does not cause cholesterol to increase. When a person substitutes monounsaturated fat for saturated fat, it helps to lower the bad cholesterol and protects the good cholesterol (HDL) from going down. The amount of monosaturated fats (and polyunsaturated fats, see below) is not listed separately on the food label, but it can be calculated by subtracting the saturated and trans fats (see below) from the total fat.

Polyunsaturated Fats
These fats have more than one hydrogen atom missing in the carbon chain and therefore contain more than one double bond. The two major categories of polyunsaturated fats are Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids. Omega-3 means there is a double bond in the third space from the end of the carbon chain. These fats are extremely healthful in that they protect against sudden death from heart attack. They can also help people lower their triglycerides. Omega-3s are used by the body to produce hormone-like substances with anti-inflammatory effects. The best sources of Omega-3s are fatty fish, such as salmon, sardines, mackerel, herring, and rainbow trout, among others. Canola oil, walnuts, and flaxseed also contain some Omega-3s.

Omega-6 fats have a double bond in the sixth space from the end of the carbon chain. These fats are found in oils such as corn, soybean, cottonseed, sunflower, and safflower. Omega-6 fatty acids are used in hormone-like substances that promote inflammation. Replacing saturated fats with Omega-6 fats may reduce levels of total, bad, and good cholesterol. Many health experts suggest that the ratio of Omega-6 to Omega-3 fatty acids should be 4:1 for optimal health. (Most Americans get 14 - 20:1 — a lot more than needed!) These fats are not listed separately on the food label.

The other type of fat that is found in food, but isn't natural, is:

Hydrogenated Fats (also known as Trans Fats)
These are manufactured by adding hydrogen to a polyunsaturated fat, making it solid at room temperature. However, instead of having the qualities of a polyunsaturated fat, it takes on some of the traits of a saturated fat. In the past, trans fats were widely used in foods as a replacement for saturated fats. Then it was discovered that trans fat was even worse than saturated fat in terms of its effects on health. In addition to raising LDL cholesterol, as saturated fat does, it also decreases the level of HDL cholesterol.

Many companies have found ways to eliminate trans fats from their products, and starting from January 2006, the amount of trans fats in a food must be shown on the nutrition label. Be aware that products containing half a gram or less of trans fat per serving are allowed to report zero grams of trans fat on the nutrition label. The best way to check for trans fat is to read the ingredients label; if you see the words "partially hydrogenated" or "hydrogenated" in front the word oil, the food probably has a small amount of trans fat. This doesn't mean you shouldn't eat the food, but you should limit the amount you eat — a little can add up to a lot. Some foods contain small amounts of naturally-occurring trans fats, but these fats, unlike man-made trans fats, probably do not increase the risk of heart disease and other conditions. Moreover, some manufacturers are now replacing trans fat with saturated fats, so be sure to check the nutrition label to keep your total intake of unhealthy fats in check.

Although too much can have negative results, fats are certainly required for good health. Here are some of the positives — fats:

• carry flavors
• impart desirable textures — smooth, creamy, and crispy, to name a few
• give us a sense of fullness and satisfy hunger
• are needed to absorb and store certain vitamins and plant chemicals
• can contribute to a person's enjoyment of food
• are essential building blocks in cell production, maintenance, and repair
• provide and store energy for the body's use

Bear in mind, though, that the calories from fat can add up fast since they are more concentrated in fat than in protein or carbohydrate. Also, as mentioned above, consuming too much saturated and trans fat may result in negative health consequences in some people. The secret is not to stay to one extreme or another; try to be flexible in your fat intake. What does that mean? Balance your meals and snacks. If you find you have a high fat meal (especially high in saturated fat), make the next one lower in fat. Or, if you choose a higher fat food, complement it with a lower fat one. We don't have to live an "all or nothing" philosophy when it comes to fat.
Alice

The lose weight diet

Have I ever told you about The Lose Weight Diet? I came across it about a year ago when I was surfing the internet for weight loss companies in my area. I was thinking of joining one when I stumbled across the lose weight diet. And after I saw it I just laughed. It was straight to the point in telling you how to lose weight (plus it is humorous). It was all information that I already knew...but for some reason, reading it like it was made me realize how silly I was being. You don't need to join clubs that cost lots of money to lose weight. You have the power in your own hands. Click on the link to the website. It really is simple and to the point.

Chewing Gum

I was originally going to write this post about how chewing gum is a good way to fight off cravings. Not anymore!! Just like I was shocked about how bad soda was for you (I always knew it was bad…just not as bad as it is!) I was amazed that even sugar-free gum is bad for you. I had always been told that it is a good way to clean your teeth and keep you from snacking. Wrong! Did anyone else know about all the damage it can cause? I do notice that my jaw hurts after chewing gum. Here is a list of the damage it can do.

The Price of Chewing Gum
By Dr. Ben Kim
DrBenKim.com

If you chew gum on a regular basis, please consider the following:

1. Chewing gum causes unnecessary wear and tear of the cartilage that acts as a shock absorber in your jaw joints. Once damaged, this area can create pain and discomfort for a lifetime.

2. You use eight different facial muscles to chew. Unnecessary chewing can create chronic tightness in two of these muscles, located close to your temples. This can put pressure on the nerves that supply this area of your head, contributing to chronic, intermittent headaches.

3. You have six salivary glands located throughout your mouth that are stimulated to produce and release saliva whenever you chew. Producing a steady stream of saliva for chewing gum is a waste of energy and resources that could otherwise be used for essential metabolic activities.

4. Most chewing gum is sweetened with aspartame. Long term use of aspartame has been closely linked with cancer, diabetes, neurological disorders, and birth defects.

5. If your gum isn't sweetened by aspartame, it is probably sweetened by sugar. Sugar is most likely the single greatest dietary cause of chronic health problems like cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and emotional disorders.

The next time you think about chewing gum, please remember the price that your body pays for it.

The Unknown Soda

WOW! I know I mentioned earlier that I would make a post about the evils of soda. Well, I have been studying up and now I am scared to death of drinking any soda…including the diet stuff. It just isn’t worth it! I read a ton of articles, but I found a website called Natural News that had a compilation of quotes from respected professionals about the dangers of sodas or soft drinks. I am going to include some of the quotes here since their words are stronger than any that I could supply. This is going to look like a long post, but believe me you want to read about what it is you are taking into your body.

Michael Murray ND and Joseph Pizzorno ND
Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine, Revised Second Edition

"The allergenicity of penicillin in the general population is thought to be at least ten percent. Nearly 25 percent of these individuals will display hives, angioedema, or anaphylaxis upon ingestion of penicillin…. hives and anaphylactic symptoms have been traced to penicillin in milk, soft drinks, and frozen dinners."

"Many general dietary factors have been suggested as a cause of osteoporosis, including: low calcium-high phosphorus intake, high-protein diet, high-acid-ash diet, high salt intake, and trace mineral deficiencies. It appears that increased soft drink consumption is a major factor that contributes to osteoporosis. A deficiency of vitamin K leads to impaired mineralization of bone. Boron deficiency may contribute greatly to osteoporosis as well as to menopausal symptoms."

"Soft drinks have long been suspected of leading to lower calcium levels and higher phosphate levels in the blood. When phosphate levels are high and calcium levels are low, calcium is pulled out of the bones. The phosphate content of soft drinks like Coca -Cola and Pepsi is very high, and they contain virtually no calcium."

"The United States ranks first among countries in soft drink consumption. The per-capita consumption of soft drinks is in excess of 150 quarts per year, or about three quarts per week."

"Soft drink consumption in children poses a significant risk factor for impaired calcification of growing bones."

"Of the fifty-seven children who had low blood calcium levels, thirty-eight (66.7 percent) drank more than four bottles (12 to 16 ounces per bottle) of soft drinks per week, but only forty-eight (28 percent) of the 171 children with normal serum calcium levels consumed as much soft drink … These results more than support the contention that soft drink consumption leads to lower calcium levels in children. This situation that ultimately leads to poor bone mineralization, which explains the greater risk of broken bones in children who consume soft drinks."

"Soft drink consumption may be a major factor for osteoporosis as they are high in phosphates but contain virtually no calcium. This leads to lower calcium levels and higher phosphate levels in the blood. The United States ranks first among countries for soft drink consumption with a per capita consumption of approximately 15 ounces a day."

James A Howenstine M.D.
A Physician's Guide to Natural Health Products That Work

"In an interesting experiment the sugar from one soft drink was able to damage the white blood cells' ability to ingest and kill gonococcal bacteria for seven hours."

"Soft drinks also contain large quantities of phosphorus, which when excreted pulls calcium out of the bones. Heavy users of soft drinks will have osteoporosis along with their damaged arteries."

James Duke PhD
The Green Pharmacy : The Ultimate Compendium Of Natural Remedies From The World's Foremost Authority On Healing Herbs

"And watch out for cola soft drinks, which are very high in bone-dissolving phosphorus."

Marion Nestle
Food Politics: How the Food Industry Influences Nutrition and Health (California Studies in Food and Culture)

"Soft drinks are the single greatest source of caffeine in children's diets; a 12-ounce can of cola contains about 45 milligrams but the amounts in more potent soft drinks can exceed 100 milligrams— a level approaching that found in coffee."

"Soft drinks have replaced milk in the diets of many American children as well as adults. School purchases reflect such trends. From 1985 to 1997, school districts decreased the amounts of milk they bought by nearly 30% and increased their purchases of carbonated sodas."

"The relationship between soft drink consumption and body weight is so strong that researchers calculate that for each additional soda consumed, the risk of obesity increases 1.6 times."

"Adolescents who consume soft drinks display a risk of bone fractures three to four-fold higher than those who do not."

"Sugar and acid in soft drinks so easily dissolve tooth enamel."

"Americans drink 13.15 billion gallons of carbonated drinks every year."

William Duffy
The doctor speaking in these dialogs is, Dr. McCay, the nutritionist at the Naval Medical Research Institute.

"I was amazed to learn," he testified, "that the beverage contained substantial amounts of phosphoric acid. . . . At the Naval Medical Research Institute, we put human teeth in a cola beverage and found they softened and started to dissolve within a short period… The acidity of cola beverages ... is about the same as vinegar. The sugar content masks the acidity, and children little realize they are drinking this strange mixture of phosphoric acid, sugar, caffeine, coloring, and flavoring matter."

Carol Simontacchi
The Crazy Makers: How the Food Industry Is Destroying Our Brains and Harming Our Children
"One liter of an aspartame-sweetened beverage can produce about fifty-six milligrams of methanol. When several of these beverages are consumed in a short period of time (one day, perhaps), as much as two hundred fifty milligrams of methanol are dumped into the bloodstream, or thirty-two times the EPA limit."

"What may happen, in the face of day-to-day, continuously high levels of sodium in the diet and the bloodstream, is that we experience a type of acute hypernatremia—not enough to kill us or cause the myelin sheath to lose its integrity, but enough to keep our sodium potassium pump slightly dysregulated and throw off the electrical system of the brain…. Americans drink soft drinks that are often loaded with more sodium and which further unbalance the mineral stores."

Greg Critser
Fat Land : How Americans Became the Fattest People in the World

"A joint study by Harvard University and Boston Children's Hospital researchers in February 2001 concluded that such excess liquid calories inhibited the ability of older children to compensate at mealtime, leading to caloric imbalance and, in time, obesity."

"One extra soft drink a day gave a child a 60 percent greater chance of becoming obese. One could even link specific amounts of soda to specific amounts of weight gain. Each daily drink added .18 points to a child's body mass index (BMI). This, the researchers noted, was regardless of what else they ate or how much they exercised. "Consumption of sugar [high fructose corn syrup]-sweetened drinks," they concluded, "is associated with obesity in children."

Samuel S. Epstein MD
The Safe Shopper's Bible : A Consumer's Guide to Nontoxic Household Products

"Saccharin is a 100-year-old non-nutritive, non-caloric sweetening agent… its use has exploded over the last twenty years as a staple of the diet food and drink craze. Its major current consumption is in diet pop by teenagers, and not by diabetics and the obese. The public now firmly believes that foods containing saccharin are effective in weight control, and has been persuaded by the soft drink industry (through the Calorie Control Council) that these benefits outweigh any possible health risks."

"More than a dozen animal tests over the last thirty years have demonstrated the carcinogenic effects of saccharin in the bladder and other sites, particularly female reproductive organs, and in some instances at doses as low as the equivalent of one to two bottles of diet pop daily."

"The public board of inquiry concluded that experimental data "’…do not rule out an oncogenic effect of aspartame, and that, to the contrary, they appear to suggest the possibility that aspartame, at least when administered in the 'huge' quantities employed in the studies, may contribute to the development of brain tumors.’" Until these controversial findings on brain cancer in experimental animals have been resolved, use this product sparingly, if at all."

"PET bottling and packaging: Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is used extensively in soft drink containers. PET bottles can release small amounts of dimethyl terephthalate into foods and beverages. Although the National Cancer Institute claims that dimethyl terephthalate is noncarcinogenic, these results have been questioned. Some experts believe this compound to be carcinogenic."

Neal Barnard MD
Foods That Cause You to Lose Weight: : The Negative Calorie Effect

"Another advantage of avoiding sodas is that you will avoid the caffeine that is in many of them. Caffeine is a weak diuretic that causes calcium loss via the kidneys."

Dr. Earl Mindell
Earl Mindell's New Vitamin Bible

"Recent research has linked soft drinks with childhood obesity— and an estimated 200 school districts nationwide have contracts with soft drink companies that give them exclusive rights to sell their products in schools."

"Saccharin is a noncaloric petroleum derivative estimated to be three hundred to five hundred times sweeter than sugar… It's used in diet soft drinks… Studies done in the 1970s linked saccharin ingestion to bladder cancer in laboratory animals"

"Children who drink large quantities of diet sodas containing aspartame are particularly vulnerable to its dangerous side effects."

"Aspartame contains methyl or wood alcohol, which can affect fetal brain development."

"Twenty-one percent of the sugar in the American diet comes from soft drinks! That's more than just an unhealthy consumption of empty calories. It is a dangerous overload of caffeine and potentially hazardous, nutrient-depleting additives."

"Soft drinks contain large amounts of phosphorus, which can throw off the body's calcium/phosphorus ratio (twice as much calcium as phosphorus), decreasing calcium as well as reducing your body's ability to use it."

"For anyone over age 40, soft drinks can be especially hazardous because the kidneys are less able to excrete excess phosphorus, causing depletion of vital calcium."

"Heavy soft drink consumption can interfere with your body's metabolization of iron and diminish nerve impulse transmission."

"Cola drinks can interact adversely with antacids, possibly causing constipation, calcium loss, hypertension, nausea, vomiting, headaches, and kidney damage."

"Soft drinks can decrease the antibacterial action of penicillin and ampicillin."

"Diet sodas that are low in calories are high in sodium. Too much salt in the diet may cause more calcium to be excreted in the urine and increase the risk of osteoporosis."

"Excessive consumption of soft drinks, which are high in phosphorus, can also deplete you of calcium and increase your chances of osteoporosis."

Jean Carper
Food: Your Miracle Medicine : How Food Can Prevent and Cure over 100 Symptoms and Problems

"Tests at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine by Roland R. Griffiths, MD, show caffeine withdrawal can strike people who drink a single cup of strongly brewed coffee or drink caffeinated soft drinks everyday. Further, Dr. Griffiths discovered that caffeine-withdrawal symptoms include not only headache, but also fatigue, mild depression, muscle pain and stiffness, flu-like feelings, nausea and vomiting."

"Those consuming at least one cup of a caffeine-containing beverage per day, such as coffee, tea or soft drinks, were more prone to PMS. And the more caffeine they consumed, the more severe their PMS symptoms."

Elson M Haas MD
The Detox Diet: A How-To & When-To Guide for Cleansing the Body

"Phosphorus is found in most foods but soda pops, diet pops… contain especially high amounts. The ideal dietary phosphorus-calcium ratio is about 1:1. The ratio in the average American diet is often greater than 2:1 and sometimes even 4:1 or 5:1. At those levels, excess calcium is removed from bone and eliminated, blood levels are reduced, and there is bone demineralization. A diet high in phosphorus and low in calcium has been shown to cause bone loss and increase tissue calcification."

"Tooth loss, periodontal disease, and gingivitis can be problems, especially with a high phosphorus intake, particularly from soft drinks. All kinds of bone problems can occur with prolonged calcium deficiency, which causes a decrease in bone mass. Rickets in children, osteomalacia (decreased bone calcium) in adults, and osteoporosis (porous and fragile bones) can occur when calcium is withdrawn from bones faster than it is deposited. Fractures are more common with osteoporosis—almost eight million yearly in the United States are related to this prevalent nutritional deficiency disease"

"High dietary phosphorus, as is found in a diet with meats, soft drinks, and other convenience foods, can readily affect calcium metabolism. Potential calcium deficiency symptoms may be more likely when the phosphorus intake is very high. A low calcium-to-phosphorus ratio in the diet increases the incidence of hypertension and the risk of colon-rectal cancer."

Barnet Meltzer MD
Food Swings: Make the Life-Changing Connection Between the Foods You Eat and Your Emotional Health and Well-Being

"But soft drinks are far from soft. High in phosphorous and phosphoric acid, they infiltrate bodily fluids and corrode stomach linings, upset the alkaline-acid balance of the kidneys, and eat away at your liver like Hannibal Lecter. Soft drinks also contain hidden caffeine, refined sugar, and artificial chemicals."

Ralph T Golan ND
Optimal Wellness

"Avoid processed foods and cola soft drinks; their phosphates can also cause calcium loss and excretion."

Dr. Gary Null
"Natural Living" radio show Gary Null's Power Aging

"A study on the relationship between caffeine and fertility found that… just one caffeinated soft drink per day was associated with a reduced monthly chance of conception of 50 percent."

"It should be noted here that soft drinks are the number one source of phosphorus in the American diet today… According to Dr. Steenblock, excess phosphorus is one of the major contributing factors to the development of osteoarthritis."

James A May
United American Industries Inc.

"Absorption in primates is hastened considerably if the methanol is ingested as free methanol as it occurs in soft drinks after the decomposition of aspartame during storage or in other foods after being heated. Regardless of whether the aspartame-derived methanol exists in food in its free form or still esterified to phenylalanine, 10 percent of the weight of aspartame intake of an individual will be absorbed by the bloodstream as methanol within hours after consumption."

Marcia Zimmerman CN
The A.D.D. Nutrition Solution : A Drug-Free 30 Day Plan

"Sodium benzoate Sodium benzoate is used as a preservative (microbial control) in foods, including soft drinks, fruit juices, margarine, confections, pickles, and jams. Sodium preservatives add sodium to the diet and reduce the availability of potassium. Some reported reactions to sodium benzoate include recurring urticaria (rash), asthma, and eczema."

For the past few months I have been working with a local health organization. I volunteer a few hours a week. It has helped me to realize the importance of community health. I would like to challenge you to look at the organizations in your community to see if they can help you or if you can help them. The organization that I am working with is Women’s Health Virginia and they are having their annual conference in a few weeks. Here is their information for anyone that is interested and in the area. If you click on the image it should enlarge so that you can see the details.

How GREEN are you?

I found this great article on the Everyday Health website titled Are You Greener Than You Think? It made me feel so much better about my contribution to producing a healthy environment. Sometimes we get caught up in thinking that it will cost too much to go green. But there are a lot of little things that you can do, and probably already are doing! So here is the list that they provided of practices that show you are living a greener lifestyle. I challenge you to adopt one or two new practices from this list (that is if you don’t already do them all!).

If your household…

• Recycles
• Consolidates trash
• Reuses plastic shopping bags or swaps them for cloth bags
• Utilizes sunshine light during the day
• Uses long-lasting fluorescent lightbulbs
• Unplugs electrical cords when they aren't in use
• Opens the windows for fresh air instead of using air-conditioning
• Covers windows with curtains to keep out cold or hot air
• Closes the fireplace damper when a fire isn't burning
• Has insulated heating and cooling pipes
• Machine washes only full loads of dishes and clothing
• Removes lint from the dryer filter after each use
• Covers pots and pans when cooking
• Cooks food in the microwave instead of the oven
• Uses shower-time efficiently
• Repurposes old furniture
• Washes dishes in a plugged sink or an energy-efficient dishwasher
  

If you eat/drink…

• Organic foods
• A variety of fruits and vegetables and limit your red meat consumption
• Locally grown foods
• Filtered tap water instead of bottled water
• Food products with recycled or limited packaging
• At home or in a restaurant, to reduce take-out containers
  

If you buy…

• Organic cotton, bamboo, soy, or hemp clothing
• Reusable products, such as cloth napkins or plastic containers for food storage, rather than the disposable versions
• Natural bath and body products
• Nontoxic cleaning products
• Repurposed clothing, furniture, or electronics
• Rechargeable batteries

If you travel…

• By carpool
• By public transportation
• By bicycle or on foot
• In a fuel-efficient vehicle
• By car and open your windows (rather than using air-conditioning) while driving around town
• By car and use air-conditioning (rather than opening your windows) to prevent air drag while driving on the highway

Sunscreen #2

Summer is the time when we really think about the effects of the sun on our skin. But remember, the sun shines during the rest of the year too. So these tips are ones to think about all the time…not just while you are at the beach.

1. Wear a hat with a brim so that it can protect your face, neck, and ears.

2. Wear long sleeves and long pants whenever you can.

3. When outdoors try to stay in the shade.

4. Stay out of the sun during the middle of the day, mainly 10 am to 4 pm, since that is when the sun’s rays are strongest.

5. Ultraviolet rays reflect off of light surfaces, so make sure you apply a good sunscreen when near water, sand, snow, concrete, etc…

6. Ultraviolet rays can penetrate water so be sure to apply a waterproof sunscreen.

7. Apply sunscreen with a minimum of 15 SPF daily. Choose a higher SPF depending on your exposure to the sun.


While looking at different tips for protecting your skin I found out that a typical T-shirt provides less protection from the sun (SPF) than the American Cancer Society suggests. That means that we should be applying sunscreen to the area under the T-shirt for better protection.

Sunscreen comes in a variety of SPF’s. You can get a low one like 15, up to higher ends like 45. I actually saw a 75 SPF the other day. The higher the SPF the better protected your skin. You can find many make-ups, lotions, or other everyday moisturizers with around 15 SPF in them. It is a great idea to use these type of products on a daily basis.

Now to the subject of beauty. A tan just looks better…doesn’t it?? Yes and No! The wrinkles and sun damage are unattractive and not worth the short-term tan. There are plenty of products and companies now that can give you an artificial tan that looks great and is healthier for your body. And most of all, PLEASE do not go to a tanning bed!! If you need to look tan and you are going to pay for it, just go get the spray on tan.

Also, remember that sunscreen breaks down with exposure to the ultraviolet rays also. So make sure to reapply every hour, especially if you are sweating or swimming.

Sunscreen #1

This post is going to be a little different from some of the others. When we think about health most of us focus only on the physical aspects. Health is much broader than just keeping our body in working order. There are such things as mental, spiritual, emotional and social health. So I am going to focus on those today. My post today was going to be on the use of sunscreen but that subject will actually be in the next post titled Sunscreen #2. As I searched through my google results for sunscreen I came across this video on YouTube. Not really related to sunscreen, but I think that it might lift some people up in the emotional or mental way today...and that is just as important as the physical. So enjoy.

Summer dieting

The dreaded summer is coming! The time when you have all your kids home, you go on a vacation, you have around a million BBQ's and picnics, and a bunch of family or neighborhood get-togethers. How in the world are you supposed to maintain a diet? It really is close to impossible. But, if you can keep up some small changes, MAYBE the catastrophe won’t be so bad. Here are a few tips to make the going a little easier:

1. Drink water instead of soda or alcohol.

2. Have your toppings, such as salad dressing or sauces on the side. You’ll find you’ll use less.

3. If you are in a restaurant, limit how much free bread or chips you eat.

4. Don’t finish your plate or better yet share a plate.

5. Order from the kids menu or the appetizer menu.

6. Always select the grilled, baked or broiled selections over the fried and breaded.

7. If you are using salad dressing select the lighter vinaigrette instead of the creamy dressings.

8. Ask for help. Have your family and friends keep you on track.

9. Don’t eat as you socialize. Decide what you are going to eat and finish it. Then go around and talk. If you are eating as you go, you will inadvertently eat more than you realized.

10. Don’t deny yourself dessert. Just eat a small portion.

ADHD

I just read an article about the symptoms of ADHD. I think that I have it!! Maybe not, but I certainly related to a multitude of the symptoms. Here is a list found on EverydayHealth.com.

…a child with ADHD generally shows several of the following characteristics:

• Difficulty organizing work, often giving the impression of not having heard the teacher's instructions
  
• Easily distracted
  
• Excessively restless or fidgety behavior; unable to stay seated
  
• Impulsive behavior (acts without thinking)
  
• Carelessness
  
• Frequently calling out in class (without raising hand, yelling out answer before question is finished)
  
• Failing to follow through with teachers' or parents' requests
  
• Difficulty waiting for his or her turn in group settings
  
• Unable to stay focused on a game, project or homework assignment; often moving from one activity to the next without completing any
  

This is a touchy subject so I am just going to refer you to an article that I found on PBS.org: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/medicating/experts/exist.html

This article opened my eyes a bit. I don’t know what to think. For me the jury is still out on the subject.

Diabetes

Do you know the symptoms of diabetes? Sometimes they seem harmless so it might go undiagnosed. My family has a history of diabetes, as does my husband’s. So I decided that I better find out all the symptoms so that I can be better educated both for my sake and for my family’s. The American Diabetes Association lists the following as some of the symptoms of diabetes:

• Frequent urination
  
• Excessive thirst
  
• Extreme hunger
  
• Unusual weight loss
  
• Increased fatigue
  
• Irritability
  
• Blurry vision

The American Diabetes Association has a Diabetes Risk Test available at the following link: http://www.diabetes.org/risk-test.jsp

It tells you afterwards what your risk is and then gives you ways to lower your risk. It is worth checking out. Especially if you have a family history of diabetes!