May 2013

Is it okay to use sunscreen past the expiration date?  Well, that depends.  The expiration date means that the manufacturer guarantees their product is safe and effective for use until a specified date.  Most likely sunscreen will continue to be effective past the expiration date. But, if it smells unusually, has been exposed to extremely high temperatures or the liquid has separated from the cream it’s definitely time to ditch it and buy new.  Remember to apply sunscreen 20 minutes before sun exposure and to reapply every 2 hours -- sooner if swimming or sweating.

Many diet plans restrict the consumption of alcohol. And that makes a lot of sense since according to Pamela, M. Peeke, M.D., author of The Hunger Fix, alcohol temporarily keeps your body from burning fat. However, middle-aged women who are moderate drinkers, defined as one drink a day, gained less weight over time and are less likely to become obese than those who never drink.  Researchers believe that most likely women who drink moderately compensate by consuming fewer calories and exercising more.  Good advice for those of us that want to enjoy an occasional glass of chardonnay.

Lose the panties ladies!  When you go au naturel it gives your external genitals a chance to dry and reduces the growth of bacteria that can cause a UTI.  Overnight is the best time to go pantie-free but proceed with caution because it might look like an invitation.  

Make time to be good to you and do some spring cleaning.  Just looking at clutter can elevate a woman’s stress hormones and create anxiety. So throw out all those white shirts with underarm stains, clear off your desk and trash those magazines and catalogs you’re never going to read.

Happy Mother’s Day, Happy Spring and Good Health!

Terry

“Giving birth is like taking your lower lip and forcing it over your head.”

~Carol Burnett

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April 2013

Carnitine -- Any idea what it is? It’s an amino acid that turns fat into the energy needed to fuel the human body. The highest concentration of carnitine is found in red meat and dairy products but it can also be found in lots of other foods like fish, poultry, wheat, legumes and nuts and in supplemental form in energy drinks. Up until now carnitine has received mostly positive attention for its ability to increase male sperm count, boost weight loss, improve moderate, persistent asthma symptoms and provide some protection from the harmful effects of oxidative stress. But, according to Dr. Stanley Hazen, carnitine has a a dark side.

It has long been believed that a diet high in red meat (saturated fat and/or cholesterol) and salt was the major cause of heart disease.  But the culprit may actually be a chemical process that involves gut bacteria and carnitine. After evaluating 2595 patients Dr. Hazen, study author and section head of Preventative Cardiology and Rehabilitation in the Miller Family Heart and Vascular Institute at the Cleveland Clinic, concluded that a compound called trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO), previously reported to promote the formation of atherosclerosis in mice, is formed when bacteria from our digestive tract breaks down the carnitine we consume. Dr. Hazen’s work has been called “potentially groundbreaking” and I would expect there to be many more studies that concentrate on gut bacteria in the future. You might expect that as a result of his research Dr. Hazen would be a vegetarian.  Not so -- Dr. Hazen still consumes red meat, just not often, proving once again that when it comes to a healthy diet it’s all about moderation, moderation, moderation.

If you need another reason to be cautious when consuming red meat I have one for you.  According to Michael Van Amburgh, PhD., associate professor of Animal Science at Cornell University, some farmers supplement their cattle’s daily feed with as much as 50 pounds of stale gummie bears, chocolate candy (including the wrappers) and bakery scraps instead of more expensive feed. One livestock farmer from Central Kansas defends this practice by saying that it doesn’t affect the nutritional quality of the beef.  How is that possible? Call me negative but I’m thinking this is another one of those nasty realities in the food processing business of which most consumers are blissfully unaware. Fortunately/Unfortunately . . . now you know.

Make the time to be good to you and ask yourself -- What do I like most about being a woman?

Good Health!

Terry

“If you want something said, ask a man; if you want something done, ask a woman.”

~Margaret Thatcher

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March 2013

Nutritional labeling laws were mandated in 1990 in an effort to provide clearer and more transparent information to consumers and enable them to better compare the nutritional value of consumable products.  I'm a nutrition label reader.  In part because my youngest son is allergic to peanuts but, also because I want to know what’s in the food I’m feeding my family.   However, the shrimp I buy from the seafood counter at my grocery store usually doesn’t come with a nutrition label. It’s seafood -- it’s health, right?   Maybe not if you’re watching your sodium intake.  Everyone needs to know that not all shrimp is created equal.  A 4 oz. serving of steamed wild-caught fresh Gulf shrimp that has never been frozen has 97mg of sodium compared to a 4 oz. serving of steamed Publix fresh frozen easy-to-peel farm-raised shrimp which as a whopping 730mg of sodium.  It would be a mistake to assume that shrimp you buy at Whole Foods is somehow better for you.  A 4 oz. steamed serving of Whole Foods individually frozen-easy-to-peel shrimp has 483 mg of sodium.  What’s the reason for the difference you ask?  Well, in order to freeze shrimp it is first washed in a saline solution and easy-to-peel shrimp are soaked in a sodium solution to prevent them from “clumping” together as they freeze.  So now you know.  Don’t assume anything and always consider the affects of processing as well as preparation.   

What is the secret for the “super human stamina” of Hillary Rodham Clinton, the most traveled Secretary of State in history?  According to Clinton biographer Kim Gattas, Clinton “eats those hot chilies that make you sweat and apparently, it’s one of the ways you can flush your system.” It’s all about the capsaicin.  Hot peppers have been proven to kill cancer cells, prevent sinus infections, produce fat oxidation, decrease blood cholesterol/triglycerides and boost immunity. And the real surprise is that hot peppers may help kill bacteria in the stomach that can lead to ulcers.  But are hot chili peppers little intense energy boosters or a Washington wife’s tale? I’ll let you decide.

Make the time to be good to you by making a decision and sticking to it.  People who second guess their decisions tend to be more stressed and less happy.

Good Health!

Terry

"I'm tough, I'm ambitious, and I know exactly what I want.  If that makes me a bitch, okay."
~Madonna

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