TipSheet : General Health

Best Organics for the Buck

Newsweek — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 20:33:11 GMT

By Karen Springen

October 13, 2008

Fewer Americans are buying organic. The number of people who regularly consume organic food and drinks dropped from 25 percent to 22 percent in the last year, according to a new report from consultant NPD Group. With the economy in the dumps, who can blame them? If you’re concerned about pesticides and added growth hormones but want to save money on groceries, knowing which conventionally grown items are highest in contaminants will help you prioritize.

• Milk. If you or your kids are big milk drinkers, it pays to buy organic. “There are so many hormones and antibiotics [in many brands of conventional milk],” says environmental activist Deirdre Imus, author of the “Green This!” series. Some studies have found organic milk to have higher levels of healthy fats and antioxidants, such as beta carotene.

If you don’t want to pay organic prices, get skim milk, since many pollutants concentrate in fat, says Richard Wiles, executive director of the Environmental Working Group.

• Beef. The government allows cattle—but not pigs and chickens—to be raised with added hormones. If you’re worried about these hormones, buy organic beef, which must be fed 100 percent organic feed and is hormone-free. Save money by sticking with conventional pork, chicken and eggs. For those who stick with conventional beef, the leaner the cut, the fewer the contaminants.

• Produce. The Organic Center (organic-center.org) and the Environmental Working Group (ewg.org) have analyzed U.S. Department of Agriculture tests of conventionally grown produce. The fruits with some of the highest pesticide levels are cranberries, nectarines, peaches, strawberries, pears and apples; veggies with the highest levels are sweet bell peppers, celery, cucumbers, tomatoes, peas and lettuce. Some of the least contaminated fruits are those with removable peels, like bananas, citrus fruits, pineapple, mango and avocado.

Washing and peeling removes some—but not all—pesticides, which can grow into the flesh of your food, says Dr. Alan Greene, author of “Raising Baby Green.” (Be wary of becoming a peeling zealot, though, since it makes foods less nutritious). Follow the USDA guidelines: wash your own hands to avoid contaminating food, rub the produce for 30 seconds under running water and use a clean towel to wipe off the produce. Then take a bite—or chop, cook and enjoy.

Give Your Knees a Break

Karen Springen — Sat, 15 Mar 2008 16:25:40 GMT

Running helps prevent obesity, diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol and heart disease. It also helps with mental health while burning between 450 and 1,400 calories an hour, depending on a runner’s speed and size. No wonder nearly 12 million Americans do it regularly and more than 37 million lace up their running shoes at least once a year. “You don’t need anything other than a good pair of shoes and somewhere safe to run,” says Dr. Margot Putukian, director of athletic medicine at Princeton University. Here’s how to optimize your run:

Don’t overdo it. Runners of all levels fall victim to the too’s—“too much, too soon, too hard,” says Dr. William Roberts, medical director for the Twin Cities Marathon in Minnesota. Start slowly, running half a mile, then walking half a mile—or walking a block, then running a block. People who do too much too quickly can develop problems like tendonitis in their heels or knees. For the average runner, a half hour five times a week is enough.

Don’t postpone a doctor visit. “People are notorious for trying to run through their pain,” says Dr. Tyler Cooper, a physician at the Cooper Clinic in Dallas and coauthor (with his father, Dr. Kenneth Cooper) of “Start Strong, Finish Strong.” “Be proactive. Go to the doctor before it gets bad. A lot of times just put-ting some orthotics [special inserts] in your shoe can change everything.”

Wear good, supportive running or cross-training shoes. Old or ill-fitting ones can lead to problems with your feet, ankles and knees. Replace shoes every 500 miles or so. For a 10-mile-a-week runner, that’s once a year.

Try softer surfaces. “Concrete is the hardest thing on your knees,” says Cooper, who prefers dirt roads or tracks because they “take some of the tension off of the joints. When you hit the concrete, it doesn’t give.” Grass is good, too, though watch for holes.

Be safe. Don’t put your iPod on too loud. It’s important to be able to hear cars—or someone calling to you for help or to warn you of danger. For early-morning or twilight runs, wear a reflective vest so you’re visible.

Hydrate. “Replace sweat losses and no more,” says Roberts. “Water alone is fine for most athletes.” Sports drinks, he says, “make little if any difference for a recreational or beginning runner, and if competitive running, only if nearing an hour.” Save the drink money for those new running shoes.

Less Pain, More Gain

Karen Springen — Sat, 15 Mar 2008 16:22:05 GMT

No athlete wants an aching back. Yet it’s extremely common: in 2005, 15 percent of U.S. adults reported back problems, and an estimated 60 to 90 percent of Americans get lower back pain at some time in their lives. “There’s nothing you can do that’s going to guarantee that you’ll never get lower back pain,” says Dr. Stanley Herring, chair of the American College of Sports Medicine’s Clinical Sports Medicine Leadership Committee and a team physician for the Seattle Seahawks and Mariners. But you can lessen the odds— and take proper steps if pain strikes. A few tips:

Stretch and strengthen. Strong, flexible muscles provide the best back support. “God created us with a back brace: it’s the muscles in our back and stomach that help support our spine,” says Darrell Barnes, a certified athletic trainer at St. Vincent Sports Performance Center in Indianapolis. The National Athletic Trainers’ Association’s most recent recommendations to combat lower back pain call for paying attention to posture, standing up straight, always warming up first, getting a good night’s sleep on a firm mattress that doesn’t sag, adding aerobic exercise and using proper lifting technique (standing with a wide stance and a slight bend at the hips and knees, tightening the stomach and keeping the back flat).

Choose joint-friendly sports. Swimming and walking are easy on the back, says UCLA orthopedic surgeon Nick Shamie, a spokesman for the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.

Know when to worry. Most lower back pain involves an injury to the muscles or soft tissue and gets better on its own. “Hurt doesn’t always mean harm,” says Herring. But see the doctor if pain fails to improve, if you feel shooting pain in the legs (a possible sign of pressure on the sciatic nerve, which can be caused by a herniated disk) or if your back pain comes from trauma, like a serious fall.

Keep moving. If you do injure your back, take it easy for a day or two, but then get mobile in order to stay flexible and prevent stiffness. “When you’re sitting, you’re putting more pressure on your back than when you’re walking around,” says Dr. Joel Press of Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine. Doctors no longer advise bed rest. “We’re done with that,” says Herring. “Movement is good.” Exercise therapy increases range of motion, flexibility, trunk strength and endurance. “Reactivation is essential. Don’t go from the pitcher’s mound to lying in bed. There’s something in between.”

Medicate carefully. Acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Motrin) can help reduce pain, but as with all medications, use the lowest dose possible and for a short period.

Use heat and cold. Traditionally, doctors have recommended ice in the first 24 to 48 hours to decrease blood flow and swelling and to numb the nerves. (Heat at this point can increase inflammation.) But after two or three days, you may want to switch to heat to increase blood flow and help healing. Try a warm bath or over-the-counter hot packs to relax muscles.

Increase activity gradually. Start by looking for the cause of your injury: was it a lack of warm-up time or incorrect usage of exercise equipment? (For more info, see www .nata.org.) Too many athletes go back and do the same activity, the same way, without fixing their problem, says Barnes: “Try to get yourself back to where you can function, and then correct the imbalances.” He recommends exercises such as squeezing your glutes and lifting them off the ground.

Don’t be passive. It’s OK to get massages and ultrasound treatment in the short term—but it’s no substitute for your own hard work. “Try to re-establish normal cardiovascular fitness and good function of your core and spine,” says Herring.

Don’t immediately demand high-tech testing or surgery. Imaging studies are for structural abnormalities, not pain. “Most patients don’t need X-rays, MRIs or injections,” says Herring. And less than 1 percent of people with back pain need operations, he says.

Thanksgiving: Trimming the Turkey

Newsweek — Sat, 10 Nov 2007 17:41:58 GMT

With all that stuffing, creamy mashed potatoes and butter-basted turkey, Thanksgiving isn’t the healthiest of holidays. By the end of the day you’ll have consumed too much salt, not a lot of fiber, and as much as 4,000 calories, says Sarah Krieger of the American Dietetic Association. Here’s how to lighten it up:

• Mash potatoes with fat-free sour cream and skim milk and sneak in some steamed and puréed cauliflower.

• Skim the fat off the top of the gravy before you serve it, or buy low-fat gravy.

• Use chicken broth and a bit of olive oil to moisten the stuffing instead of that stick or two of butter. Make it in a pan, instead of in the bird, so it won’t absorb all the turkey fat.

• Stick to white meat and no skin if you don’t want to absorb all the turkey fat yourself.

• Sauté or roast vegetables for a side. If you can’t give up that green-bean casserole, use a low-fat cream soup and sprinkle those french-fried onions over it as a garnish, not a layer.

• Go with an apple crisp and a crustless pumpkin custard instead of pie to avoid the butter-rich pastry.

Find healthy holiday recipes at foodfit.com. And don’t forget to skip the mayo when you make that leftover turkey sandwich.

—Linda Stern