October 2009

In 1985, AstraZeneca, the company that manufactures the breast cancer drugs Arimidex and Tamoxifen, declared the month of October – National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. In spite of significant increased awareness, breast cancer will take the life of an estimated 40, 170 women in 2009. But there is good news: Breast cancer mortality rates have declined by 24% in the past 10 years – due in large part to better early detection methods. Among the very newest screening techniques currently undergoing testing is digital tomosynthesis (pronounced toh-moh-SIN-thah-sis). Once it is approved by the FDA, it is anticipated that digital tomosynthesis will replace traditional mammography because it makes breast cancers easier to find in dense breast tissue. Current mammogram technology only takes images of two angles of the breast. Depending on breast size, tomosynthesis takes at least 11 different angles for about the same cost. Every year, 10% of women in the United States are recalled for a second mammogram after an abnormality is detected on the first. Experts predict that recall rates and the accompanying emotional and medical costs associated with these recalls will decline when digital tomosynthesis mammography is approved for use. And the really great news -- tomosynthesis uses less compression and less compression equals less pain!


When would your grocery store encourage you to have a tattoo? When it is a tattooed orange, tomato, squash, onion, etc . . . of course. Laser-etching technology, invented by physicist Greg Drouillard, can be used to basically tattoo product information on most fruits and vegetables (with the exception of leafy greens). The laser cauterizes the peel, much like a laser used on human skin. The cauterized area is impenetrable to pathogens and decay organisms and resists water loss. But, will laser labels affect the taste of your fruits and vegetables? No -- because the laser beam penetrates only the outer layer of the fruit or vegetable. Say goodbye to those sticky PLU labels currently used to identify produce. Tattooed produce is coming soon to a grocery store near you.

Do you need to be motivated to get out there and rake leaves? Well you might want to try figuring out the number of calories burned while raking using the Self Magazine Health Calculator: http://www.self.com/calculatorsprograms/calculators/caloriesburned/raking_leaves This month it’s easy to make the time to be good to you -- just spend some time raking leaves.

Don’t forget to get your flu shots -- Good Health!

Terry

“My boobs resemble two balloons you find behind the couch a week after the party.”
~Felicity Huffman as Lynette Scavo, “Desperate Housewives”

September 2009

Have you ever wondered if it was dangerous to inhale the dust from mineral makeup powder? Health experts are free to admit that at this point no one really knows -- little research has been conducted on potential harmful effects of breathing these powders. Minerals like zinc and titanium, found in most mineral makeup, are safe when applied to healthy skin. But in micronized nanoparticle form (powdered) these minerals can have dangerous, even toxic properties. These dangers increase when applied to damaged skin or when inhaled, according to Jane Houlihan, research director of the consumer watchdog agency, The Environmental Working Group. Certainly people who work in the facilities that manufacture these powders may be at higher risk of lung disease and certain cancers. If you use mineral makeup my advice to you -- don’t inhale!

According to Dr. Eric Ravussin, a prominent exercise research expert, exercise may be useless for weight loss and may actually be making it harder to lose weight. WHAT? Exercise is critical for good overall health and has been shown to help prevent disease. But exercise stimulates hunger so people who exercise tend to eat more. Exercise weakens your brain's self-control muscle. After a vigorous workout you may feel a greater sense of entitlement and indulge yourself with a bag of chips, cookies or high calorie drink. If you spend 60 minutes sweating it out at the gym and then treat yourself, Dr. Ravussin and his colleagues believe that “from a weight-loss perspective, you would have been better off sitting on the sofa knitting.” The study that supports Dr. Ravussin’s research is complicated but, the bottom line – it is what you eat, not how hard you try to work it off.

If you are trying to lose weight and you need a little inspiration, try Prevention’s Weight Loss Simulator: www.prevention.com/mvm. It’s a fun way to make the time to be good to you.

Good Health!

Terry

“Put down the Twinkie.”
~Dr. Phil

August 2009

Contrary to a popular Internet rumor – baby carrots are not preserved in bleach or made from rotten carrots. Baby carrots are the brainchild of a California farmer by the name of Mike Yurosek who was tired of throwing away tons of malformed carrots. Yurosek came up with the idea of cutting these carrots down into 2-inch sections, peeling them and selling them as baby carrots. Before baby carrots are packaged they are treated with a chlorine wash. That’s because chlorine washes are an FDA approved antimicrobial treatment to protect consumer health. Chlorine kills the bacteria that cause food borne illness like E coli and salmonella. Almost all precut produce including frozen vegetables and fruits are washed in chlorine and thoroughly rinsed before they are packaged. The chlorine used in these washes is the same kind of chlorine used to treat municipal drinking water. And finally, the “white blush” as it is called in the industry, which sometimes appears on the surface of refrigerated baby carrots is a harmless discoloration resulting from moisture loss and/or abrasion during storage. It has nothing to do with chlorine and does not affect the taste or nutritional value of the carrots. You can learn more about how baby carrots are processed by checking out the information at http://www.carrotmuseum.co.uk/babycarrot.html.

If you are considering Botox injections you may want to make an appointment before the government decides it is a good idea to tax cosmetic surgery. Max Baucus, Democratic senator from the state of Montana and chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, recently proposed a 10 percent tax on elective cosmetic surgery procedures as a way to fund President Obama’s $1 trillion dollar overhaul of our nation's health-care system. Political insiders say that the “Botox Tax” isn’t likely to go into effect but you never know. Everyone thought Minnesotans had learned a valuable lesson and would never elect another “entertainer” to represent them on a national level and we all know how that turned out.

It’s okay to fantasize about living the life of a Real Housewife of New York City. It’s okay to buy yourself a hula hoop and use it to tone your tummy. And, it’s okay to make today the day you make the time to be good to you.

Good Health!

Terry

“The more you praise and celebrate your life, the more there is in life to celebrate.”
~Oprah Winfrey