Health Tips

Do your part to prevent the spread of illness this winter -

    We were all taught to cover our mouth or nose when coughing or sneezing to prevent the spread of germs to others. The major problem with this is that the hand that catches all of these germs is then used to touch doorknobs, telephones, and other items; plus it is often extended to others in order to shake their hand.

    What you should do, rather than covering your mouth and nose with your hand, is to cover your face with your arm. Bring your arm up to your face and sneeze or cough into the bent part of your arm. This keeps most of the germs from becoming airborne and keeps your hands clean too.

    Of course you can use a tissue if you have one, but then you should wash your hands immediately because even when using a tissue, you contaminate your hands.

The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth: The Surprising Truth About What You Should Eat and Why

    This is the title of the best book on nutrition, and easiest to read and understand that I've ever seen, so I decided to recommend it for this month's health tip. This book, published in January of 2007, was authored by Jonny Bowden, Ph.D, C.N.S.

    Whether you know very little about nutrition or know a lot, you'll learn about quite a few foods that are good for you that you didn't know were healthy (or at least I didn't) such as: pecans, butter, coffee, cashews, and coconut - and why they are good for you.

    Other foods that I thought were my friends, I learned, are not really that good: soy milk and tofu, for example.

    The reasons why a food is good or not so good are spelled out in very easy to understand language and backed with compelling evidence and assistance from about a dozen other health experts such as Mehmet Oz, M.D. (author of YOU: The Owner's Manual and YOU: The Smart Patient; and a regular guest on Oprah) and Barry Sears, Ph.D (author of The Zone).

    The book is not a boring list of foods, but rather filled with very entertaining nuggets of wisdom such as the difference between good-for-you cheese and "single-sliced cheese foods that bear no resemblance to anything that should ever be put into the human body."

    It retails for $24.99 but I found my copy at Sam's for $13.59 and it sells at Amazon.com for $15.74. You can read more about the book at Amazon's web site.

Iron-deficiency anemia

    Iron-deficiency anemia is most likely to occur in pre-menopausal women, pregnant women and women who have just given birth, long-distance runners, vegetarians, those with an ulcer, and people who frequently donate blood. Children going through a rapid growth spurt can also become anemic. Symptoms of anemia include feeling tired, weak, frontal headaches, paleness, irritability, and brittle nails. An iron-rich diet is the best prevention of anemia. Liver, oysters, lean beef, clams, and egg yolks are some of the best sources of iron-rich foods. Plant-based foods, such as fortified cereals, oatmeal, and beans are also good sources of iron but the iron is not as easily absorbed as from meat-based sources. Adding a little meat or eating something with Vitamin C in the same meal greatly increases the absorption of iron from non-meat sources (vegetables, legumes, grains and iron supplements). Antacids, tea, and milk interfere with the absorption of iron, therefore should not be consumed in the same meal as your iron-rich meal.

Sunglasses and Kids

    You know to protect your children's skin from the harmful effects of the sun's ultraviolet (UV) radiation*, but did you know that children's eyes are more vulnerable to sun exposure than adults? For one thing, kids spend more time outdoors and in direct sun. Photokeratitis, or a corneal sunburn, can result if exposed to too much sun at one time such as a long day at the beach, lake, or snow-skiing without eye protection. Cumulative exposure to the sun can lead to cataracts later in life and possibly macular degeneration. The latter two disorders can cause vision loss. Besides sunscreen for their skin, get your kids sunglasses. Additionally, a sun visor or brimmed hat cuts the amount of UV that reaches the eyes in half. When choosing sunglasses consider:

• Don't simply get darkened lenses without UV protection. Get sunglasses that block 99-100% of UVA and UVB rays. Shatterproof polycarbonate lenses are best.
• Get glasses large enough to shield the eyes from most angles.
• Choose glasses that reduce glare.
• Choose a pair that does not distort colors. Gray is best.
• Let your child pick out a pair that is both comfortable and that they like. If they don't like them, they aren't going to wear them.

* UV radiation collectively refers to three bands of UV from the sun. It is an invisible light consisting of UVA, UVB, and UVC. Both UVA and UVB rays can cause eye damage, immune suppression, skin cancer, and skin aging. UVC rays do not reach the earth's surface, therefore are of little concern.

More added with each issue of the newsletter.