Doctor HealthHealth Tips

Women who have had two or more induced abortions have a reduced risk of pre-eclampsia by 60 %. It is not currently understood to what degree physical activity during pregnancy protects against pre-eclampsia, compared to previous studies. This is shown in two new studies from the Norwegian Institute of Public Health (NIPH) that use data from the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study (MoBa). The new results from MoBa were presented on Friday 7th November at 21st Norwegian Perinatal Days, a conference organised jointly with the 2008 International Stillbirth Conference. The NIPH chaired the conference and many researchers from the NIPH presented research about stillbirth and findings from the MoBa.
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Exercise Tip for Parents No. 5: Establish Family Fitness

If you want your children to know the value of fitness, exercise with them.

With infants and toddlers, go for brisk walks with the baby in the stroller, says Chipko. While they nap during the day, fit in some fitness — doing basic lunges, squats, push-ups, and crunches.

“These are all things that don’t require any equipment or space and don’t take a lot of time,” Schoenfeld says.

With preschool to school-aged children, strive for family fitness. Go to the park, ride bikes, hike, and swim while the weather’s nice. In the winter, ice-skate, snowshoe, cross-country ski, or go sledding.

“Physical activity time also provides a great opportunity to talk with your kids,” adds Keller. ”But sometimes, just doing something with them is worth more than we realize.”

Bottom line?

“Your desire to be physically active with your child will usually force a creative solution to do so,” says Keller. “You may be the only parent who is jogging around your kid’s soccer practice field, but your kid will get used to it.”

Exercise Tip for Parents No. 6: Set Goals

The very first step to staying fit or regaining fitness is to want it, say experts.

“Motivation comes from within,” says Schoenfeld. “I can’t motivate someone if they don’t have a reason to do something.”

Set short-term goals, says Schoenfeld, so as not to overwhelm yourself. If it’s four sizes you need to lose, start with one. If it’s 20 pounds, set a more manageable goal of 1-2 pounds per week.

Most people go too far and say, ‘I want to run a marathon,’” says Chipko. “That’s too big.”

Goals have to be realistic, says Chipko: “If your goal is to look like Kelly Ripa or Angelina Jolie, your determination is going to be crushed if you work out and eat yogurt for a week and you don’t look like them.”

Exercise Tip for Parents No. 7: Put In the Effort

Don’t expect to get fit overnight, warns Chipko. “It’s a matter of putting time in. Anything worth having is hard. There is work involved.”

But, you say, fitting in work and everything needed to run a household is hard enough. Who needs the added pressure of squeezing in a workout?

The truth, Keller says, is that exercise will actually give you more energy to tackle the tasks always hanging over your head.

And somewhere along the line, says Chipko, exercise will become a habit.

“People always ask me how long it’s going to take,” he says. “Everybody wants that quick fix.”

It may take a month, it may take a year, he says, but when you reach a goal you set on your own, it’s much more rewarding.

Exercise Tip for Parents No. 8: Be a Role Model

Whether they admit it or not, kids look to their parents as role models.

“What you do has a huge effect on what they do,” says Chipko, who works with youth from 9 to 18.

If you’re a couch potato, you may pass that trait on to your children. On the other hand, if kids grow up in a family where they walk the dog, hike, or go for bike rides, they will emulate that behavior, says Keller.

“When trying to teach kids discipline,” says Chipko, “you as a parent should have some as well.”

Exercise Tip for Parents No. 1: Be Active All Day

You don’t have to be athletic to be physically active, says Keller.

Move around, walk to your neighbor’s house instead of calling, take the stairs, park farther away from your destination. All these things help burn calories and keep you moving — and they all add up.

“You are tied to the child. You can’t leave them, but you can get up and move around,” Keller says.

“There are lots of ways parents can incorporate physical activity into their day, or just as importantly, as a family activity,” says Hull. “It may take more preparation for parents, but physical activity can and should be balanced back in.”

Exercise Tip for Parents No. 2: Defy the Myth of Time

Granted, children take up a lot of time you previously had for yourself.

But here’s the great part, says Brad Schoenfeld, a fitness trainer in Scarsdale, N.Y.: “It does not take a lot of time to achieve a basic level of fitness.

“People tend to think they need to spend hours on end at the gym. It’s the quality, not the quantity. With a 15- to 20-minute weight workout, you can achieve great benefits.”

Schoenfeld, author of two fitness books, says that even the advanced athletes he trains complete their workouts in about 3 to 3 1/2 hours a week.

“You don’t need 30 to 45 minutes of exercise a day in one continuous bout,” says Hull. Shoot for 10 to 15 minutes a couple times throughout the day, he recommends.

Exercising in small chunks will help you avoid burnout and may also keep you motivated, experts say.

Exercise Tip for Parents No. 3: Define Your Priorities

Many athletes, celebrities, and those who just exercise for fitness and health have kids, says Chipko.

“It’s a matter of priorities,” he says. “I have a 44-year-old mother of four who still finds time to exercise five days a week for 45 minutes.”

When you’re stretched for time or crave a little time to yourself, Chipko says, it’s easy to go for the quick fix, like going shopping, stopping for a latte, or watching TV.

“Somewhere along the line you’re substituting a long-term goal for something short term,” says Chipko. “In the long run, quick fixes are not going to benefit you.”

Exercise Tip for Parents No. 4: Cultivate Social Support

Having a parent, a friend, or a neighbor to whom you can entrust the care of your children will pay dividends.

“A lot [of what happens with an exercise routine] depends on the opportunity [a parent] has to leave the child and do exercise outside the home,” says Keller.

If you don’t have family nearby, says Hull, “establish a network of friends that you trust and can trade off child care with.”

When we reach 50 years of age or there about many of us become more concerned than ever before about our health and weight. Subsequently if we are over 50, overweight or obese we become more mindful of the fact. Should we be concerned? You bet we should (That is if we care about the longevity and the quality of our life as we get older). There is a direct correlation between weight and health. We know inherently if we are indeed carrying more weight than we should and that we need to lose extra weight in order to cut body fat. How do we know we are overweight or obese? Well, we can look in the mirror. But a more scientific approach would be to calculate what is called the BMI (Body Mass Index). This is simply put - a ratio between weight and height letting us know if we have more body fat than we should. In the USA alone 27% are obese and 64% are overweight. If you are overweight or obese you are not alone. You are among 130,000,000 US adults. Obesity is the 2nd leading cause of preventable death and as many of us are already aware obesity is closely related to conditions such as: Heart Disease, High Blood Pressure, Cancer, Diabetes, Arthritis, Gout, Asthma, and Gum Disease. Obesity occurs when a person consumes more calories than (s)he burns. What causes this imbalance between consuming and burning of calories can be any of the following: Age, Gender, Genetics, Environmental Factors, Physical Activity, Psychological Factors, Illness and Medication. Here we will focus on one aspect of this weight and health correlation – telomeres. Telomeres are part of the cells’ chromosomes, which house DNA. They are part of what our body uses for cell repair. White blood cells show telltale signs of aging when weight gain or insulin resistance is present. The length of the white blood cells’ telomeres naturally gets shorter with age. So we do not want them to shorten any faster than they will naturally. Why does obesity cause them to shrink faster than normal? Cell damaging free radicals and inflammation might be responsible. Obesity is associated with increased inflammation because fat tissue is a major source of inflammatory chemicals. Inflammation burns out white blood cells faster and the effort of replacing them wears down the telomeres. Obesity is also thought to be linked to free radical damage. The damaged cells become free radicals. That can hurt DNA in normal cells laying the foundation for health problems. No matter what you think, you can lose weight and start living a better quality of life no matter what your age. Go to your doctor for a checkup. So decide now (especially if you are neer or over 50, overweight or obese )to lose extra weight and cut body fat. You can do it and it is not that hard, all you need is a commitment to yourself and those you love.
by ELIZABETH MUESCH

When kids are active, they have different nutritional needs compared to those who aren’t. As parents of active children, we need to know we’re feeding our kids what they need to meet their energy requirements. But how much do you feed them? What kinds of foods do you feed them? And what do you feed them before, during and after physical activity and athletic competitions?

Talking with other parents, I realized that many are getting bombarded with misinformation regarding sports nutrition. Therefore, I decided to write up some nutrition guidelines for active kids so that you will have answers to the most commonly asked questions. Active pre-teen females (ages 6 to 12) require anywhere from 1600-2200 calories per day, while males of the same age range need 1800-2400 calories per day.

The more time spent doing physical activity means more calories and other nutrients are needed to support the demands of physical activity as well as normal growth and development. Fortunately, most athletes will naturally increase their food intake because their hunger will increase. But as a parent, what you can do is make sure your child is eating a little more food when they’re active than when they’re not.

Carbohydrates

While many adults try to stay away from carbohydrates, battling the buldge, they are the main source of fuel for muscles during exercise. Children should be offered carbohydrate-rich foods at each meal and snack time.

Avoid giving your children simple carbohydrates such as cookies, candy or soft drinks before exercise. Instead, offer complex carbohydrates such as breads, cereals, rice and pasta. These foods are digested relatively quickly, so blood sugar levels will remain stable before practice or a game. If your child is nervous before a game and has trouble eating, then offer them liquids such as sports drinks.

Protein

Young athletes get all the protein they need when eating a carbohydrate-rich, well-balanced diet. Excess protein that replaces carbohydrates can actually impair athletic performance. Good sources of protein include chicken, turkey, eggs, cheese, milk, yogurt, dried beans and legumes, and lean meats.

Hydration

Child athletes need plenty of fluids. Grade school children are especially susceptible to heat exhaustion and heat stroke because they do not produce sweat as easily as adults. As a result, your child’s body temperature will rise faster, and they can become dehydrated quickly. To prevent dehydration, encourage your child to drink 3-4 ounces of fluids every 15 minutes.

Remember-not all beverages are created equally. Avoid beverages high in sugar, like fruit juices and soft drinks, because they are absorbed more slowly and may increase the chance of stomach cramps and nausea. Sports drinks containing carbohydrates and electrolytes like sodium and potassium are recommended to help keep your child well-hydrated.

Pre-exercise and post-exercise meals

Active children need to eat a small meal or snack every 3-4 hours to help keep their energy up and blood sugar stable, especially when they’re exercising. A pre-event meal is suggested, and it serves two main purposes: first, it can prevent your child from feeling hungry before or during the activity. Second, it helps supply fuel to the muscles so that your child can go the distance during practice and the event.

The pre-exercise snack or meal should be high in carbohydrates and low to moderate in protein, fat and fiber so it can easily be digested. Some suggestions include fresh fruit low in fiber (plums, melon and peaches), breads, bagels and crackers.

The post-exercise snack or meal should be moderate in protein and include carbohydrates, a combination that will help replenish glycogen stores and repair muscle tissue. Some ideas include fruit yogurt and a banana, turkey and cheese sandwich or spaghetti with meat sauce.

by Capessa

Breast cancer is second only to lung cancer as the leading cause of cancer death among women in the United States.
Breast cancer occurs in men also, but the number of new cases is small. Early detection and effective treatment is expected to reduce the number of women who die from breast cancer, and development of new methods of prevention continue to be studied.

No one knows the exact causes of breast cancer. Doctors can seldom explain why one woman gets breast cancer and another does not. However, research has shown that women with certain risk factors are more likely than others to develop breast cancer.

Anything that increases a person’s chance of developing a disease is called a risk factor; anything that decreases a person’s chance of developing a disease is called a protective factor. Some of the risk factors for breast cancer can be avoided, but many cannot.

Some studies suggest that the more alcoholic beverages a woman drinks, the greater her risk of breast cancer.

So if you an alcoholic, there is a higher risk of breast cancer.

The equivalent of a glass of wine after work - this is a relatively safe level to drink. However even low levels of alcohol intake have been linked to breast cancer.

Besides cutting down on alcohol, being physically active is important, as it further reduces risk of breast cancer.

Women who are physically inactive throughout life appear to have an increased risk of breast cancer. Being physically active may help to reduce risk by preventing weight gain and obesity.

It is especially important to remain physically active after menopause. The chance of getting breast cancer goes up as a woman gets older. A woman over age 60 is at greatest risk. This disease is very uncommon before menopause. High levels of estrogen may be the reason that obese women have an increased risk of breast cancer. And some studies show that gaining weight after menopause increases the risk of breast cancer.

Lack of physical activity is an important contributor to many of the most important chronic diseases for older Americans, including heart disease, diabetes, colon cancer, and high blood pressure. Lack of physical activity, along with poor nutrition, is a major contributor to the growing epidemic of obesity in the United States.

Start to be physically active today, and always be in the pink of health as you age!

by JULIE WALKER

For most people who are overweight or obese, the safest and most effective way to lose weight is to eat less and exercise more. If you eat less and exercise more, you will lose weight. Simple as that. There are no magic pills. Diets that sound too good to be true are just that.

Effective weight loss plans include several parts. You will find tips for achieving these goals in the next sections.

• Eating less: Unless you eat fewer calories than your body uses, you will not lose weight.
• Physical activity: Any good diet plan will include physical activity. Physical activity burns calories and is one less opportunity to eat during the day. You should exercise for at least 30 minutes, 5 times a week. Regular exercise also has many other health benefits.
• Change in habits and attitudes: Most people have enough willpower to lose weight for a few weeks. To lose enough weight to improve your health and keep it off, you will need to change the way you think about food and exercise. As you eat, try to understand some of the hidden reasons you eat. You can learn to spot situations in which you overeat and head off the overeating. You can learn to enjoy eating less and being active.
• Support: Many people find that enlisting friends, family, and coworkers for support is helpful in losing weight. Others prefer groups such as Weight Watchers or Take Off Pounds Sensibly (TOPS) to keep them motivated. The important thing is to seek the support you need to achieve your goals.

Drastic changes in eating habits, such as not eating at all (fasting), are usually unsuccessful. Eating too few calories causes your metabolism to slow down, meaning the body burns fewer calories.

Don’t believe claims about losing weight while you sleep or watch TV, or plans that claim to cause weight loss without dieting or exercise. Such gimmicks just don’t work. They may even be unsafe or unhealthy.

Of special interest to women who have gained weight during pregnancy is that breastfeeding helps you shed some extra pounds. It is good for your baby too.