Weight Debate

Acute Back Pain Treatment
Acute (starts quickly and lasts less than 6 weeks) back pain usually gets better without any treatment, but you may want to take acetaminophen, aspirin, or ibuprofen to help ease the pain. Exercise and surgery are not usually used to treat acute back pain.

Chronic Back Pain Treatment
Some types of treatments:

• Hot Packs or Cold Packs or Both – Heat reduces muscle spasms and pain, cold helps reduce swelling and numbs deep pain, but this treatment does not fix the cause of chronic back pain.
• Exercise – Proper exercise can help ease chronic pain but should not be used for acute back pain. Your doctor or physical therapist can tell you the best types of exercise to do.
• Medications
  • Analgesic medications – acetaminophen and aspirin or prescription pain medications.
  • Topical analgesics – creams, ointments, and salves rubbed onto the skin over the site of pain.
  • Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) – drugs that reduce both pain and swelling, NSAIDs include over-the-counter drugs such as ibuprofen, ketoprofen, and naproxen sodium or your doctor may prescribe stronger NSAIDs.
  • Muscle relaxants and some antidepressants may be prescribed for some types of chronic back pain, but these do not work for every type of back pain.
• Behavior Changes – proper lifting, pushing, pulling, relaxing, and sleeping can help lessen back pain and put less stress on your back. Eating a healthy diet and not smoking also help.
• Injections – Ask your doctor about steroid or numbing shots.
• Complementary and Alternative Medical Treatments
  • Manipulation – Adjust or massage the spine or nearby tissues by professionals.
  • Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) – A small box over the painful area sends mild electrical pulses to nerves, may not always effective for reducing pain.
  • Acupuncture – use of thin needles to relieve pain and restore health.
  • Acupressure – Pressure applied to certain places in the body to relieve pain, although not studied well for back pain.
• Surgery – Usually used for chronic back pain if other treatments do not work. You may need surgery if you have:
  • Herniated disk – When one or more of the disks that cushion the bones of the spine are damaged, the jelly-like center of the disk leaks, causing pain.
  • Spinal stenosis – causes the spinal canal to become narrow.
  • Spondylolisthesis – one or more bones of the spine slip out of place.
  • Vertebral fractures – caused by a blow to the spine or by crumbling of the bone due to osteoporosis.
  • Degenerative disk disease – As people age, some have disks that break down and cause severe pain.

Rarely, when back pain is caused by a tumor, an infection, or a nerve root problem called cauda equina syndrome, surgery is needed right away to ease the pain and prevent more problems.

If you are pregnant and follow a vegetarian diet, you can continue a vegetarian eating plan during pregnancy, but make sure you talk to your doctor first.

Your doctor may ask you to meet with a registered dietitian who can help you plan meals to make sure you are getting enough important nutrients, including protein, iron, vitamin B12, and vitamin D. Your doctor may also recommend that you take vitamin supplements.

People spend more time indoors during cold weather, which increases the chance that viruses will spread to you from someone else.

Cold weather can make the inside lining of your nose drier and more vulnerable to viral infection.

During the colder months of the year, when the humidity is low, the most common “cold causing” viruses survive better.

But… there is no evidence that you can catch the common cold from exposure to cold weather or from getting chilled or overheated.

Supplements are helpful for some older adults who can not get all of the nutrients they need through the foods they eat, nutrients like vitamins and minerals. But recently, however, some new kinds of supplements have been appearing in stores even though they have not been shown to improve health, and their safety remains unproven.

A balanced diet is the best way for most older people who exercise to get the nutrients they need. But some people in the marketing industry are doing a good job of convincing older people that they need expensive nutritional supplements, some of which have not been shown to be helpful or safe, and some of which most older people may not even need. Some of these claims give older adults the impression that certain supplements can restore youthful energy and strength.

One persuasive clerk at a popular health food store recently told an older woman interested in exercise that she should buy certain supplements that cost about $70 a month to increase her energy and her ability to build muscles. The supplements included a protein powder and a vitamin mineral pill containing the same ingredients as generic brand vitamins, available at a fraction of the cost at drug stores, and some other substances not proven to build muscles or energy in older people.

This 75 year old woman had eaten an excellent diet based on the USDA food pyramid for years, and really didn’t need these supplements.

No one likes to spend money needlessly, but for older adults on a limited income such as social security, unnecessary expenditures can deprive them of the things they really do need, like the money to buy whole foods rich in nutrients. Too much protein puts extra demands on the kidneys and can lower calcium levels. Although protein, vitamin, and mineral supplements are helpful to older people who truly need them, excessive doses can have harmful side effects.

A clerk at another health food store told the same wowan that, if she planned to start exercising, she should buy a powder made of protein, vitamins, and minerals that cost $19 for a 10 serving bottle. Taken once a day, that comes out to about $60 a month. One of the reasons she needed this supplement, the clerk told her, was that it contained the mineral potassium, and “older people require more of that.”

Taken as directed on the label, the supplement would not have harmed the woman, but the clerk’s scientific sounding advice might have. Overdoses of potassium can cause an irregular heart beat and even death.

For most older adults, standard FDA approved multivitamin mineral supplements that contain potassium are just fine if taken as directed, and it would be virtually impossible to overdose on potassium by eating foods that contain this essential mineral naturally. Some people really do need potassium supplements, as prescribed by a doctor, only, for very specific medical conditions and in very specific, carefully monitored amounts.

The point is… anyone can make scientific sounding claims, but it does not necessarily mean that those claims are true or safe. This caution is especially important for people who are on diets with special restrictions – for example, people with kidney disease, congestive heart failure, or diabetes.

The bottom line is… Buyer, Beware, and always check with your doctor first before spending your hard earned money on supplements that promise to restore youthful energy and strength!!

Source: weboflife.nasa.gov

Reducing your calorie intake by 150 calories a day, along with participating in moderate activity, could double your weight loss and is equivalent to approximately 10 pounds in 6 months and 20 pounds in 1 year.

One small chocolate chip cookie, approximately 50 calories, is equivalent to walking briskly for 10 minutes.

The difference between a large gourmet chocolate chip cookie and a small chocolate chip cookie, approximately 200 calories, could be about 40 minutes of raking leaves.

One hour of walking at a moderate pace at 20 minutes a mile, uses about the same amount of energy that is in one jelly filled doughnut, about 300 calories.

A fast food meal containing a double patty cheeseburger, extra large fries and a 24 ounce soft drink is equal to running 2 and a half hours at a 10 minute a mile pace, about 1500 calories.

A difference of one 12 ounce soda, approximately 150 calories, or 30 minutes of brisk walking most days of the week can add or subtract approximately 10 pounds to your weight each year.

You don’t need special skills or training to be physically active. Walking is a great way to be active.

Physical activity should be initiated slowly, and the intensity should be increased gradually, for example, start with a 10 minute walk three times a week and work your way up to 30 minutes of brisk walking or other form of moderate activity five times a week.

Activities can be split into several short periods, for example, 10 minutes 3 times a day, instead of one longer period, such as 30 minutes once a day.

You should select activities that you ENJOY and can fit into your daily life.

Approximately 300,000 deaths each year in the United States may be attributable to obesity.

Overweight and obesity are associated with:

• Heart disease
• Certain types of cancer
• Type 2 diabetes
• Stroke
• Arthritis
• Breathing problems
• Psychological disorders, such as depression

When regular physical activity is performed on most days of the week, you reduce your risk of developing or dying from some of the leading causes of illness and death in the United States.
Regular physical activity improves health in the following ways:

• Helps control cholesterol levels
• Reduces the risk of dying prematurely.
• Reduces the risk of dying from heart disease.
• Reduces the risk of developing diabetes.
• Reduces your risk of having a stroke
• Reduces the risk of developing high blood pressure.
• Helps reduce blood pressure in people who already have high blood pressure.
• Reduces the risk of developing colon cancer.
• Reduces feelings of depression and anxiety.
• Helps you control your weight.
• Helps build and maintain healthy bones, muscles, and joints.
• Reduces arthritis pain and associated disability.
• Reduces risk for osteoporosis.
• Helps older adults become stronger and better able to move about without falling.
• Promotes psychological well-being.

Talk to your doctor before starting a vigorous exercise program if you have ever had

• Heart trouble.
• High blood pressure.
• Suffer from chest pains, dizziness, fainting, or arthritis.
• If you are a man over age 40, or a woman over age 50.

Note:
Calories burned per hour are approximate because a heavier person burns more calories, and a person who weighs less burns fewer calories.

Make sure you get a routine mammogram.

Eestrogen Regulation – Many types of breast cancer are fueled by estrogen.

Boost Your Immunity – Boosting your immune system is one of the best defenses against cancer and other diseases.

Three scientifically proven ways to regulate estrogen and boost your immunity:

1. Foods

• Green tea - 3 cups of green tea a day can prevent breast cancer by as much as 50 percent. It’s high in EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate) antioxidant content. You can squeeze a bit of lemon in your cup to increase the antioxidant power by 10 times.
• Cruciferous vegetables - Leafy greens such as bok choy, Swiss chard, and kale bind estrogen in your gastrointestinal (GI) tract and reduce tumor stimulation. They also detoxify the liver, so you don’t have toxins flowing through your body that can irritate cells and turn them into early cancers.
• Garlic - Good immunity booster, also has anti-inflammatory properties.
• Tumeric - An orange colored spice that helps decrease estrogen. One teaspoon a day has been shown to reduce tumor growth. Mix tumeric in salad dressings, rice and/or vegetable dishes.
• Olive oil - Monounsaturated fat can help suppress tumor activity.
• Seaweed - Seaweed is high in iodine, another estrogen reducer.

2. Vitamin D
A daily supplement of vitamin D (1200 IUs) can prevent:

• Tumor metastasis – the spreading of a disease, especially cancer, to another part of the body.
• Reduce cancer cells.
• Help with estrogen inhibitors.

Make sure to get your dietary sources of calcium too, such as salmon, sardines, and some dairy such as milk and cheese. Get 15 to 20 minutes of sunshine everyday. All of these combined can decrease your breast cancer risk by 50 percent.

3. Aspirin or Ibuprofen

• The inflammatory process plays a role in causing malignancies in several different organs, including the breast. By taking 2 aspirin or ibuprofen a week, you’ll reduce your chance of breast cancer between 21 to 28 percent. The anti-inflammatory properties in these drugs are excellent for heart health too. Always check with your doctor before taking any medicines.

Thiazolidinedione – pronounced THY-uh-ZOHL-ih-deen-DY-ohn – a class of oral medicines approved for the treatment of type 2 diabetes that helps insulin take glucose from the blood into the cells for energy by making cells more sensitive to insulin.

Brand Name – Avandia, Generic Name – rosiglitazone maleate.
Brand Name – Actos, Generic Name – pioglitazone.

Avandia and Actos medications helps treat insulin resistance.

With insulin resistance, your body doesn’t use insulin the way it should. Thiazolidinediones help your insulin work properly. Then your blood glucose levels stay on target and your cells get the energy they need.

Warning:
If you have heart failure (very poor pumping ability of the heart), you should not take this type of medication, it can cause congestive heart failure or make it worse. Studies have shown that Avandia is associated with an increased risk for heart attacks and chest pain (angina) or discomfort from blocked blood vessels. Congestive heart failure is a condition in which your heart no longer pumps properly. Then your body keeps too much fluid in your legs, ankles, and lungs.

Call your doctor right away if you have signs of heart failure. Warning signs of heart failure include:

• Having swelling in your legs or ankles.
• Gaining a lot of weight in a short time.
• Having trouble breathing.
• Having a cough.
• Being very tired.

Possible Side Effects of This Medicine

• Congestive heart failure is the most serious side effect.
• Anemia, a condition that can make you feel very tired.
• An increased risk of getting pregnant even if you’re taking birth control pills.
• Women who take Actos, Avandia, or combination diabetes pills containing pioglitazone or rosiglitazone may have an increased risk of bone fractures.
• This type of pill doesn’t cause low blood glucose by itself, but your risk of having low blood glucose goes up if you also take:
  • Diabetes pills that cause low blood glucose
  • Insulin

Your doctor may ask you to take a lower dose of your other diabetes medicines while you take this type of medication.

You should talk to your doctor about whether to take this type of medication if:

• You have heart failure or other heart problems.
• You are on any medicines for high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or heart failure, or for prevention of heart disease or stroke.
• You take insulin or nitrate medicines.
• You are pregnant, planning to get pregnant, breastfeeding, or planning to breastfeed.
• You have liver disease. If you take Actos or Avandia, your doctor should make sure your liver is working properly. Call your doctor right away if you have any signs of liver disease: nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, tiredness, dark-colored urine, or loss of appetite.
• You have macular edema – a type of diabetic eye disease.

Iron is a mineral needed by our bodies. When our bodies don’t have enough iron, many parts are affected.

There are two forms of dietary iron:

• Heme iron - Heme iron is found in animal foods that originally contained hemoglobin, such as red meats, fish, and poultry. Heme iron is absorbed two to three times better than non heme iron.
• Non heme iron - Non heme iron is found in plant foods such as lentils and beans. Non heme iron is also added to iron-enriched and iron-fortified foods. The amount of iron absorbed from plant foods depends on the other types of foods eaten at the same meal. Foods containing heme iron (meat, poultry, fish) enhance iron absorption from foods that contain non heme iron (fortified cereals, some beans, and spinach). Also, foods that are rich in vitamin C can improve absorption of non heme iron, especially when the food is eaten at the same meal.

Iron deficiency is the most common and number one nutritional disorder in the world. As many as 80 percent of the world’s population may be iron deficient, while 30 percent may have iron deficiency anemia.

The terms anemia, iron deficiency, and iron-deficiency anemia are often used interchangeably, but are not equivalent. Anemia can only be diagnosed as iron deficiency anemia when there is additional evidence of iron deficiency.

Iron deficiency is a condition resulting from too little iron in the body.

Iron deficiency limits oxygen delivery to cells.

Iron deficiency can cause fatigue that impairs the ability to do physical work in adults.

Iron deficiency may affect memory or other mental function in teens.

Iron Deficiency Anemia
Iron deficiency anemia is an advanced stage of iron depletion. It occurs when storage sites of iron are deficient and blood levels of iron cannot meet daily needs. Blood hemoglobin levels are below normal with iron deficiency anemia. Iron deficiency anemia affects the functioning of several organ systems. You need iron to make hemoglobin. People with iron deficiency anemia (IDA) are sometimes said to have iron-poor blood or tired blood.

Iron deficiency anemia during pregnancy can increase risk for small or early (preterm) babies.

Iron deficiency anemia can be associated with low dietary intake of iron, inadequate absorption of iron, or excessive blood loss.

Those at risk for iron deficiency are:

• Adolescent girls and Women.
• People who frequently donate blood.
• Preterm and low birth weight infants, older infants, and toddlers. Iron deficiency in young children is seen most often between six months and three years of age due to rapid growth and inadequate intake of dietary iron. Infants and toddlers need more iron than older children. Iron deficiency can delay normal infant motor function (normal activity and movement), or mental function (normal thinking and processing skills).
• People with kidney failure, especially those undergoing routine dialysis.
• People with gastrointestinal disorders who do not absorb iron normally
• Inadequate absorption of iron, for example:
  • Lack of heme iron from meat, fish, and poultry in the diets of vegetarians. Total dietary iron intake in vegetarian diets may meet recommended levels, but, that iron is less available for absorption than in diets that include meat. Vegetarians who exclude all animal products from their diet may need almost twice as much dietary iron each day as non-vegetarians because of the lower intestinal absorption of non heme iron in plant foods. Vegetarians should consider consuming non heme iron sources together with a good source of vitamin C, such as citrus fruits, to improve the absorption of non heme iron.
  • Taking antacids beyond the recommended dose, and medicine used to treat peptic ulcer disease and acid reflux can reduce the amount of iron absorbed in the stomach.
  • Diseases, such as Crohn’s disease and Celiac disease, or drugs they need to take.
• Blood loss
  • In women from very heavy and long periods, as well as from childbirth, or from uterine fibroids, which can bleed slowly.
  • Colon polyps, colon cancer, or ulcers.
  • Regular use of aspirin and other drugs for pain.
  • Infections.
  • Severe injury.
  • Surgery.

Adult men and post-menopausal women lose very little iron, and have a low risk of iron deficiency.

Signs and Symptoms of Iron Deficiency
Someone with early stages of iron deficiency may have no signs or symptoms. Your doctor or healthcare provider will do blood tests to screen for iron deficiency. Signs of iron deficiency anemia include:

• Feeling tired and weak.
• Decreased work and school performance.
• Slow cognitive and social development during childhood.
• Difficulty maintaining body temperature.
• Decreased immune function, which increases susceptibility to infection.
• Glossitis – an inflamed tongue.

Treatment for Iron Deficiency
Treatment depends on factors such as your age, health, and the cause of iron deficiency. These groups of people should be screened at times for iron deficiency by their doctor. Your doctor may prescribe iron supplements (like vitamins or iron pills) for you to take, or prescribe iron shots in extreme cases of iron deficiency, or your doctor may tell you to eat more iron-rich foods.

• Eat a healthy diet, and eat foods rich in iron, or iron-fortified foods such as cereal, bread, and pasta. Foods that are fortified have important vitamins and minerals added, such as cereal with added folic acid.
• A healthy diet includes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, fat free or nonfat milk and dairy products, lean red meats, poultry, fish, dry beans, eggs, nuts, and is low in saturated fat, trans fats, cholesterol, salt, and added sugars. The iron in red meats, poultry, and fish is easier for your body to absorb than the iron in plant foods.
• Eat foods that help your body absorb iron better, for example, you can eat a fruit or vegetable that is a good source of vitamin C with a food or meal that contains non heme iron.

Look at the Nutrition Facts label on a food product to find out how much iron it contains. The amount is given as a percentage of the total amount of iron you need every day.

Talk with your doctor to find out if you are getting enough iron through the foods you eat, or if you or your child needs to be taking iron pills.

Side Effects of Iron Supplements
Doses of iron pills prescribed for iron deficiency anemia, especially when the supplements are taken on an empty stomach, are associated with:

• Constipation
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea

Meals that are low in red and processed meat, fast foods, sodas, and refined grains, and include vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and reduced-fat dairy products, may result in smaller gains in Body Mass Index (or BMI), and your waistline. These are two key indicators of health.

For example, abdominal weight gain and corresponding increase in waist circumference contribute more to the development of metabolic syndrome than does overall weight. Metabolic syndrome is the combination of abdominal obesity, high blood pressure, poor blood sugar control, and high triglycerides that increase risk for heart disease and diabetes.

ARS-funded (Agriculture Research Service) scientists who studied records of the eating habits of about 500 healthy men and women found that adults who ate the greatest amounts of white bread, for instance, had 3 times greater increases in waist circumference in a year than their healthier-eating counterparts.

Nutritional epidemiologists with the ARS Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging, Boston, Massachusetts, conducted the study.

Source: www.ars.usda.gov/ 02/14/2007

The B vitamins are:

B1 – thiamine
B2 – riboflavin
B3 – niacin
B5 – pantothenic acid, dexpanthenol
B6 – pyridoxine, pyridoxal, and pyridoxamine
B12 – cobalamin
Folic acid – or folate
Biotin

• The B vitamins help break down food to give you energy.
• The B vitamins are good for your nervous system.
• The B vitamins help your body make red blood cells.
• Folic acid, or folate, prevents a type of birth defect called spina bifida.
• The B vitamins thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, and folate play a key role in metabolism, they help your body release energy from protein, carbohydrates, and fat.

You can find B vitamins in these foods:

• Whole grains, such as whole wheat and oats.
• Many refined grains are enriched with these B vitamins.
• Fish and seafood.
• Poultry and lean red meats.
• Eggs.
• Dairy products, like milk and yogurt.
• Leafy green vegetables.
• Beans and peas.

You can usually get your vitamins from the foods you eat. In some cases, you may need to take a daily multivitamin. Remember that taking high doses of some vitamins can make you sick.