February 2011

On average, Americans spend nearly 8 hours a day sitting down and our backsides are spreading because of it. According to Dr. James Levine, MD of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, long periods of sitting may be contributing to a larger waist, a greater Body Mass Index, elevated blood fats and elevated blood sugar levels in our increasingly obese society. That’s because when we sit our body’s metabolism slows down. Dr. Levine has been conducting research on the topic of non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT) for 20 years and believes that “people who tap their feet, prefer standing to sitting, and generally move around a lot burn up to 350 more calories a day than those who sit still.” NEAT is the energy you expend for activities other than direct exercise. I like to call it “incidental exercise” – things like gardening, cooking and folding laundry. In our modern society many NEAT activities have been eliminated thanks to the car, appliances and our beloved TV with remote control.

The detrimental effects of our increasingly sedentary lifestyle may be the reason why so many women struggle with weight, blood sugar and cholesterol despite consistent workout schedules. Dr. Levine believes that you can workout for 30 minutes every day but if you spend the rest of the day sitting in your car, behind a desk/computer or in front of the TV you are at risk of suffering the negative health effects of a sedentary lifestyle. In an independent study conducted by Canadian researchers concluded that no matter how fit your are, the more time you spend sitting each day the more likely you are to die an early death.

Of course, I am all about living a long and healthy life but let’s get real here – there is no way I am giving up my cute red car, TV or dishwasher. I would rather vacuum! Here are a few easy ways you can add small bursts of physical activity to your day:

• Walk. Don’t waste time and gas driving around the parking lot looking for the closest spot to the door. And never use the drive thru window at the bank or at your favorite coffee shop.
• Prepare your own meals. Chopping, mixing, standing over the stove and washing dishes burns calories.
• Walk the stairs whenever possible. I walk the stairs at my house two stairs at a time. It doesn’t look very lady-like but it is kind of like doing lunges.
• Be your own housekeeper/gardener. Cleaning and gardening is a lot more fun when you realize it is a productive way to burn calories. Did you know that making your bed every morning is a good way to stretch?
• Drink lots of water. When you drink water you have to pee and that means you are going to need to find a bathroom. I like to take it to the next level – a bathroom on another level of my home.
• Stand up and fidget while surfing the Internet or talking on the phone. CAUTION -- It’s never a good idea to text while walking as evidenced by this popular YouTube video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hPpzj4PjNjU
• Do something while watching TV. It is also a good idea to stand up and stretch during the commercial breaks.
• Take your dog out for short walks. Don’t rely on Invisible Fence.

Please share your ideas for adding “incidental exercise” to your day by leaving a comment at the bottom of this post.

Be My Valentine ♥ and make the time to be good to you.

Good Health!

Terry

“Make it simple but significant.” ~Don Draper, Mad Men

January 2011

On January 1st, many of you resolved to make positive changes in your life in 2011. One of those changes may have been to be more eco-friendly. But be very careful if that involves using reusable bags -- they are hiding a nasty secret. Half of the reusable bags tested by researchers at the University of Arizona were contaminated by fecal bacteria. Seventeen percent tested positive for E. coli. Need I say more? If you use the same reusable bags to transport clothing and shoes that you use to transport groceries you can easily transfer bacteria. Make sure to designate bags for groceries only and wash all your reusable bags in hot water regularly to prevent the built up of illness causing bacteria.

Health magazine editors recently posted this question on Pollydaddy.com: What would you give up to lose 10 pounds by tomorrow? The results . . . 6% answered my wedding band, 7% my dog, 26% $1000 and 61% nothing. I am really not sure what that tells us about making good health decisions but thought it was interesting/odd enough to share.

I was shocked to learn that half of women over the age of 40, even those with health insurance, are not getting mammograms. In 2009, when asked what she would have done differently in her life Elizabeth Edwards said, “Well, for one thing, I would have had regular mammograms.” After being diagnosed with advanced stage breast cancer, Mrs. Edwards admitted she had not had a mammogram in 4 years. Of course this is a topic near and dear to my heart. I guess that is why I find it unbelievable that a well-educated, wealthy, mother of small children who had access to the best medical care in the world made the choice not to have a yearly breast exam. An exam that most likely would have saved her life.

If you are over 40 and are not getting regular mammograms or you are a younger woman and have not had a breast exam by a trained medical professional in over a year – shame on you. If I stop telling you to make the time to be good to you – shame on me.

Good Health!

Terry

“We cannot control the wind, but we have the power to adjust the sails.”
~Chinese Proverb

December 2010

Everybody is asking . . . Are the new airport body scanners safe? I guess the answer is yes and no depending on which expert you ask. According to Kimberly Appelgate, MD, Vice Chair for Quality and Safety in the Department of Radiology at Emory University School of Medicine, backscatter body scanner machines use low-level X-rays. Levels so low you would have to take 1000 trips through the backscatter to be exposed to the same amount of radiation found in one chest X-ray. But even though radiation levels are low there are still risks according to John Sedat, PHD a Professor Emeritus of Biophysics at the University of California, San Francisco. Dr. Sedat believes that since exposure is limited to the body’s surface you may actually be exposed to radiation levels 10 to 20 times higher than we are being told. If you are a frequent flyer, you travel with small children or you are uncomfortable with the detailed images obtained by the backscatter body scanner give the TSA Agent a thrill -- ask for a pat-down. Otherwise, wear your best bra and panties and leave your potentially dangerous items at home.

Tis the season for Good Health! gift ideas . . .

• Thrive: Finding Happiness the Blue Zones Way -- According to author and explorer Dan Buettner the average person can control about 55% of his or her individual happiness by optimizing life choices. You won’t find happiness in wealth, youth, beauty or intelligence. Instead, Buettner says the happiest people do things like socialize up to 7 hours a day, have a good friend at work and invest in their future and memories not stuff. http://www.bluezones.com/explore/books/thrive

• Clarisonic Skin Cleansing System -- With the Clarisonic you give the gift of radiant skin. After using the Clarisonic customers report fewer dry patches, softer, smoother skin and even firmer skin with improved texture. And it is a great skin prep before applying self tanner. Clarisonic is almost like having a spa in your own home. http://www.clarisonic.com

• Lululemon Athletica Women’s Relaxed Fit Pant -- I own a pair of these pants and I love them! They are one of Oprah’s Favorite Things this holiday season because “they cut your butt in half.” I am not sure about that claim but, they are really comfy and I love the zippered back pocket feature. http://shop.lululemon.com/Relaxed_Fit_Pant/pd/c/560/np/560/p/1588.html

This holiday season remember to make the time to be good to you. It is okay to drink wine and eat dessert while you celebrate with family and friends – just do it in moderation. And spread the news about Good Health! by sharing this blog with female friends and relatives.

Hope you have a Very Merry Christmas & Good Health! in the New Year.

Terry

“The happiest people don’t necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the most of everything they have.”
~ Author Unknown