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”

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

July 2009

In June, a 30-year old woman from New York filed a lawsuit against Avon claiming that Anew Professional Stretch Mark Smoother burned and scarred her skin. A reaction that is almost unbelievable since this product received such great reviews from industry experts and customers and even won the prestigious Cosmetic Executive Women's Insider Choice Award. So now the question some people in the industry are asking: Is it possible this woman inadvertently purchased a counterfeit product? Counterfeit cosmetics have become big business and are easily purchased from websites like eBay and at independent kiosks. Protect yourself. Only purchase cosmetics and skin care products from an authorized dealer.

In recent years, health conscious women have been encouraged to add soy to their diet for its protein and estrogen like qualities. Today, soy milk and soy based energy bars are big part of the health food business and perceived as a healthy snack alternative. But, just two glasses of soy milk a day, over the course of one month can change the timing of a woman’s menstrual cycle. And what would you think if I told you that consuming too much soy may lead to Persistent Sexual Arousal Syndrome (PSAS)? Dr. Irwin Goldstein, a professor of surgery at UC San Diego and the head of the Sexual Health Program at Alvarado Hospital, defines PSAS as the “spontaneous, intrusive, and unwanted genital arousal — consisting of throbbing, pulsing or tingling without the person's sexual interest or desire." While it may sound like the answer to a lazy libido, it’s not. Imagine being sexually aroused 24/7, 365 days a year! Not a good thing unless you are the main character in a Harlequin Romance novel. In the most severe cases of PSAS, patients report spontaneous orgasms and/or the need to “self stimulate” multiple times a day to relieve pelvic tension. Maybe it’s time to rethink that soy latte habit.

Step off that elliptical and take a brisk walk outside. It is a good way to clear your head and refresh your exercise routine. And it is a great way to make the time to be good to you.

Good Health!

Terry

“I believe it is how we respond to the challenges we face in life and what we learn from them that is most telling about who we truly are.”
~Jenny Sanford, First Lady of South Carolina

June 2009

If you are one of the 1 in 4 women suffering with incontinence or overactive bladder disorder there is some very encouraging medical news. Until now your only choice was to wear protective undergarments, take medication or have surgery to relieve your symptoms. But, in the May 2009 Journal of Urology, researchers at Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine published results of a study that suggests listening to an audio recording with a series of relaxation and visualization exercises at home, twice a day for two weeks may substantially reduce the symptoms of overactive bladder. Cognitive therapy worked because the women in the study were motivated to make a change and get control over their bodies -- brain over bladder.

Are you gross? What I mean is: Do you pee in the shower? Almost 75% of the 1000 women polled in a recent Glamour Magazine survey said they have relieved themselves in the shower at least once. I know that urine is non-toxic and sterile but, do you really want to stand in it? Is that healthy? Holistic health practitioners who endorse urine therapy believe that applying urine directly to your feet helps treat athlete’s foot and other fungal infections. And who can forget the 1997 episode of Friends where Monica is stung by a jellyfish and Chandler urinates on her to relieve the pain. And now some conservationists, distressed because 27% of the water used in our homes is flushed down the toilet, are encouraging the habit of peeing in the shower to protect the health of our planet. Okay -- I have reduced my consumption of bottled water, I recycle everything and I limit my use of gasoline and electricity in an effort to reduce my carbon footprint. But honestly – I do not/will not pee in the shower.

Sing in the shower, pee in the toilet and make the time to be good to you.

Good Health!

Terry

“When you know better, you do better.”
~Maya Angelou

May 2009

We all know that when we breathe our bodies take in oxygen – the most important chemical in our body. But who knew that 70% of the toxins and waste products from our bodies are removed through our breath. That is a far greater percentage than through skin at 20%, urine at 7% and feces at only 3%. The average person takes 21,600 breaths a day. But, in his new book Seven Day Energy Surge fitness expert Jim Karas says that one of the biggest drains on energy is not breathing properly. Together with collaborator Cynthia Costas Cohen, Karas encourages deep breathing as a way to increase energy and fight cancer. Cancer cells cannot properly multiply in and well oxygenated environment. A well oxygenated body is a healthy body.

On the topic of waste removal and the active, germ-conscious woman, I wanted to make sure you all heard about GoGirl. Go like a guy that is. FemMed, Inc., a Minnetonka based company, is marketing a portable, convenient, feminine urinary device that according to their website, http://www.go-girl.com, allows a woman to aim and pee while standing. Evidently European women have been using similar devices for years. But GoGirl is unique because it is made with flexible, medical grade silicone and has a patented splash guard feature. For only $5.99 you get one GoGirl feminine urinary device, tissues and a biodegradable bag for discreet disposal or storage. No more squatting over disgusting public toilets. And the best part ladies . . . GoGirl is dishwasher safe!

Exhale. Take a deep breath and slowly exhale . . . deep breath and exhale . . . deep breath and exhale. It is an easy way to make the time to be good to you.

Good Health!

Terry

“I don’t know anything that a little vanilla ice cream doesn’t improve.”
~Ina Garten, The Barefoot Contessa