June 2013

Several weeks ago the media was buzzing about a study reported in General Dentistry that said drinking diet soda pop had the same effect on your mouth as using methamphetamine or cocaine. To illustrate this point a really gross photo compared the mouth of a meth user and the mouth of a 2-liter a day, diet soda pop drinker.  But, it turns out that the study was a bit exaggerated and the diet soda pop drinker was a woman who hadn’t seen a dentist in over 20 years.  Read further into the study and you find out that the sample group was only 3 people who admittedly did not practice good oral care.  It is true that drinking large quantities of diet soda pop can rot your teeth but there is a limited risk of developing “meth mouth” if you brush and floss your teeth regularly.  However, there are lots of other reasons why you should stop drinking diet soda pop:

• Women who drink diet soda pop are at increased risk of developing depression.
• The long-term effect of consuming large quantities of artificial sweetener is not known but research suggests that artificial sweetener has an adverse effect on kidney function.
• When you consume sweet liquids you crave sweets.
• Carbonation causes belly bloat.
• Many diet soda pop drinks contain caffeine.  Caffeine is addictive and has been linked to insomnia, anxiety and fatigue.
• Acidic chemicals in diet soda pop are believed to cause inflammation and corrosion of body tissue. Translation . . . Consuming diet soda pop makes your skin look older.
• Diet soda pop drinkers are at increased risk of developing metabolic syndrome, a combination of metabolic disorders including obesity, high blood pressure, elevated triglycerides and hormone resistance that can lead to heart disease, diabetes and stroke.
• The endocrine disruptor bisphenol A (BPA), used to coat the inside of soda pop cans and to produce polycarbonate plastic bottles, has been linked to all kinds of health issues including reproductive problems. 

Drinking diet pop every now and then is not going to kill you, rot your teeth or make you obese.  Just make sure you limit your consumption and stop being that gal who is never without her Diet Coke.  Most likely you will feel better and look better.

Make time to be good to you and stop making your bed!  When you leave the bed unmade dust mites are deprived of the humidity they need to survive.  

Good Health!

Terry

“Somewhere out in this audience may even be someone who will one day follow in my footsteps, and preside over the White House as the president's spouse. I wish him well!”

~Barbara Bush, Wellesley College Commencement Address June, 1990

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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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