December 2009

I was shocked when I read the new guidelines issued by the U. S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) regarding self breast exams and mammograms. First of all I wanted to know -- What is the U. S. Preventative Services Task Force? According to their website they are “an independent panel of experts in primary care and prevention that systematically reviews the evidence of effectiveness and develops recommendations for preventive services." Currently the task force is composed of 16 health care experts, none of whom are oncologists. The task force recommended that women no longer perform a monthly self breast exam and only those women considered at “high risk” for breast cancer should have yearly mammograms before age 50. According to vice chair of the task force Dr. Diana Petitti, “We aren't against screening women in their 40s, we just don't think it should be routine." I find it very unsettling that risk models predict that by age 40 -- 1 out of 68 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer.

The dust from this explosive USPSTF press release had not settled when the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecologists announced they were changing their recommendation on frequency of PAP testing. Without a doubt we all fear the speculum. But, since the introduction of the Pap test, deaths caused by cervical cancer have been significantly reduced in populations where women are screened regularly. One thing is for sure -- if you are diagnosed with any type of cancer sooner rather than later your survival rate increases. You have more options for treatment and in most cases you can take advantage of less painful and less aggressive therapies. It has never been more important for a woman to consult with her doctor on the best way to safeguard her health.

Good Health Gift Ideas 2009:
• Peace Lilies – B.C. Wolverton, author of “How to Grow Fresh Air” says that live plants are nature’s purifier. They eliminate the need for chemical based air fresheners and they add life to your home.
• A New Bed Pillow -- The average bed pillow contains microscopic bugs that eat dead skin cells and up to 47 different types of fungi. For optional health replace bed pillows every two or three years.
• Reebok EastTone Shoes – These new shoes have Balance Pod Technology to give you a better workout just by walking. Reebok marketing says it all – “Better legs and a better butt in every step.”

And finally, why not give a subscription to Good Health! Subscribing to my Good Health blog is FREE and will remind you and all the special women in your life to make the time to be good you.

Happy Holidays and Good Health!

Terry
“I like to spread Christmas cheer, by singing loud for all to hear.”
~Buddy The Elf

November 2009

Vitamin D has become a hot topic in traditional and alternative medicine because there seems to be a direct correlation between vitamin D levels and many health concerns – osteoporosis, cancer, depression, immune function and even autism. In the early part of the 20th century, some moms gave their kids a daily dose of cod liver oil to prevent rickets – softening of the bones caused in part by a vitamin D deficiency. Today most of the milk we buy is fortified with vitamin D. That may be enough to prevent rickets but it falls well short of the 1000 to 2000 IU daily dose of vitamin D recommended by the National Academy of Sciences for optimal health. Because our bodies produce vitamin D in response to sunlight, those of us who live above the 37th parallel are far more likely to become vitamin D deficient than our neighbors to the south. Individuals with limited sun exposure should consider taking a vitamin D supplement. It is very difficult to get the recommended daily amount of vitamin D in a typical healthy diet because only fatty fish and fish oils naturally contain significant amounts of vitamin D. The bottom line: Research on the super power of vitamin D is very compelling. So compelling I now offer everyone in my family a daily 1000 IU vitamin D supplement in pill form. I guess I could have gone the cod liver oil route but, I have been told that cod liver oil is an acquired taste.

Do your earlobes make you look old? Do they hang low? Do they wobble to and fro? Age, heavy earrings and heredity may have left you with disproportionally large or creased earlobes that have lost their tone. So what’s a girl to do? You can’t exercise your earlobes. But, for about $1000 a plastic surgeon will harvest fat from your belly and inject it in your earlobes. Finally a great use for belly fat!

November is National Pomegranate Month. Make the time to be good to you by having a glass - or two - of pomegranate juice daily. Clinical studies have shown that the antioxidants in pomegranates can reduce your blood pressure and your risk of clogged arteries.

Happy Thanksgiving & Good Health!

Terry

“Not what we say about our blessings, but how we use them, is the true measure of our thanksgiving.”
~W.T. Purkiser

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”