Your Monthly Check-Up: A Healthy Me is Drug-Free!

Have you been seeing an abundance of red ribbons this week, perhaps pinned to a coworker’s shirt or displayed at your local school? That’s because it’s Red Ribbon Week! The National Red Ribbon Campaign® is the oldest and largest drug prevention program in the nation, reaching millions of young people from October 23-31 each year.

Organized by the National Family Partnership (nfp.org) in 1985, Red Ribbon Week has grown to become a national celebration honoring the importance of educating America’s youth about drug use. While it initially served as a response to the murder of DEA Agent Enrique Camarena, the campaign has since reached millions of children and families across the US.

The NFP’s drug prevention outreach is threefold:

• Awareness via the annual Red Ribbon Week
• Advocacy by bringing the concerns and agenda of America’s parents and families to policy makers on local, state and national levels
• Resources in the form of up-to-date literature regarding the Red Ribbon Campaign, Red Ribbon Certified Schools™, Lock Your Meds® and Safe Homes/Safe Parties™

According to a statistic on RedRibbon.org, “Children of parents who talk to their teens regularly about drugs are 42 percent less likely to use drugs than those who don’t, yet only a quarter of teens report having these conversations.” But what can we do to increase this percentage and increase the number of children who steer clear of the dangers of drug use and underage drinking?

As it turns out, there is a lot we can do! Just a few of the activities going on across the country this week include Wear Red Week, a “Just Say No” magic show, wearing shirts backwards to “turn your back on drugs,” visits from local police and K-9 units, creating lists of what you’d rather be doing than drugs, plastering red ribbons all over town to create awareness, taking various pledges to be drug-free and so much more. Many of these activities are occurring at schools but similar events can be organized at other community outposts as well.

But most importantly, since Red Ribbon Week is just that – a week – we must remember that any time is a good time to talk to your children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, neighbors and friends about the destruction that drug use can cause. Check out RedRibbon.org and nfp.org for ideas and resources about talking to kids about drug and alcohol abuse and remind them that “The BEST you is a drug-free you!”

Your Monthly Check-Up: September is National Cholesterol Education Month

Cholesterol. A funny word with a bad reputation. A waxy, fat-like substance that floats around in your blood. Sounds icky, but it’s something your body actually needs. The problem is, too much of it can cause serious problems. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC):

There are two kinds of cholesterol: high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and low-density lipoprotein (LDL). HDL is also called "good" cholesterol. LDL is called "bad" cholesterol. When we talk about high cholesterol, we are talking about "bad" LDL cholesterol.

Seventy-one million American adults have high cholesterol, but only one-third of them have the condition under control…Too much cholesterol in the blood is one of the main risk factors for heart disease and stroke—two leading causes of death in the United States. One way to prevent these diseases is to detect high cholesterol and treat it when it is found.

High cholesterol has no symptoms so you won’t know if you have it until you get a screening. A simple blood test will tell you what your good and bad cholesterol levels are and doctors recommend people ages 20 and over get their cholesterol screened every five years.

Sometimes, if certain risk factors are at play, your doctor may recommend more frequent cholesterol screenings. For example, if your total cholesterol is 200 mg/dL or higher, you’re a man older than 45 or a woman over 50, your HDL is lower than 40 mg/dL or you have other risk factors for heart disease or stroke, your doctor might want to check your cholesterol more often.

The good news is that if you have high bad cholesterol or low good cholesterol, there are things you can do to get yourself more in balance. Making a few lifestyle changes will help lower your LDL. These include:

• Eating more fiber and avoiding saturated and trans fats
• Engaging in moderate exercise for 2.5 hours weekly
• Losing weight
• Quitting smoking

Coincidentally, making these changes to help lower your LDL can also help raise your HDL. It’s like a two-for-one with regard to your health! According to the Mayo Clinic, incorporating healthy mono- and polyunsaturated fats – the fats found in olive, peanut and canola oil – can also help raise your HDL, as well as drinking alcohol in moderation – up to one drink per day for women or two for men. However, if you don’t drink, it’s not a good idea to start just for the purpose of raising your HDL. Go for the many other options instead! Additionally, if you are on cholesterol-controlling medication, take as directed according to your doctor.

See? Cholesterol isn’t all bad – and you’re required to eat fats to keep it in check! Why not celebrate your health this month by adopting a few of these healthy habits and treating yourself to a cholesterol screening? Your heart will thank you, and you’ll no doubt start to see other positive changes, as well!

Your Monthly Check-Up: Did you do the Ice Bucket Challenge?

By now everyone has seen at least one person on Facebook or other social media sites dumping a bucket of ice cold water on his or her head. Perhaps you’ve done it yourself (several Hinda staffers have!). The Ice Bucket Challenge is soaking the nation all in the name of raising awareness about ALS.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is often referred to as Lou Gehrig's disease after the famous New York Yankee first baseman who died of complications from ALS in 1941. While the origins of the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge are unclear, the goal of raising awareness – and donations – aligns with other cold water challenges and polar plunges made popular by various charitable organizations.

According to the ALS Association, ALS is

a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord. Motor neurons reach from the brain to the spinal cord and from the spinal cord to the muscles throughout the body. The progressive degeneration of the motor neurons in ALS eventually leads to their death. When the motor neurons die, the ability of the brain to initiate and control muscle movement is lost. With voluntary muscle action progressively affected, patients in the later stages of the disease may become totally paralyzed. (www.alsa.org)

While this disease isn’t completely understood, one thing is for sure – the Ice Bucket Challenge is working. According to Wikipedia,

After the Ice Bucket Challenge went viral on social media, public awareness and charitable donations to ALS charities soared. The New York Times reported that the ALS Association had received $41.8 million in donations from July 29 until August 21. More than 739,000 new donors have given money to the association, which is more than double the $19.4 million in total contributions the association received during the year that ended January 31, 2013. Similarly, the ALS Therapy Development Institute reported a ten-fold increase in donations relative to the same period in 2014, with over 2,000 donations made in a single day on August 20, 2014, while Project ALS reported a 50-fold increase.

The ALS Association, which raised $64 million in all of 2013, raised more than $10 million on Thursday, August 21, 2014, alone. 

ALS mainly affects people between the ages of 40 and 70, however there are cases of people in their 20s and 30s who have been diagnosed. The ALS Association says that, according to the ALS CARE Database, 60 percent of people with ALS are men and 93 percent of patients are Caucasian (figures taken from ALS patients represented in the Database). It is estimated that as many as 30,000 Americans have the disease at any given time. More work is being done to determine possible risk factors, but one known risk is that military veterans, particularly vets of the Gulf War, are twice as likely to develop ALS.

While symptoms at the onset of ALS are easily overlooked, some signs during the disease’s progression include:

• muscle weakness in the hands, arms, legs and/or the muscles of speech, swallowing or breathing
• twitching (fasciculation) and cramping of muscles, especially in the hands and feet
• impairment in the use of the arms and legs
• "thick speech" and difficulty projecting the voice
• shortness of breath, difficulty in breathing and swallowing (in more advanced stages)

The symptoms of ALS and rate at which it progresses can vary widely from person to person, and not all sufferers experience the same symptoms. However, progressive muscle weakness and paralysis are present in all cases. Although the mean prognosis is three to five years, many people live five or ten years or more. One example of this is Stephen Hawking, who was diagnosed with a form of ALS when he was 21 and is currently in his early 70s.

Since ALS attacks only motor neurons, the five senses are not affected. For many people, muscles of the eyes and bladder are generally not affected.

To learn more about ALS, visit www.alsa.org.

Your Monthly Check-Up: Soothing the Sting of Summer

By the time summer rolls around, most of us are so sick of winter that we want to burn our wardrobes and the thought of snow puts us over the edge. But the warmer months don’t come without their share of drawbacks. Mosquito and other bug bites as well as sunburn can put a damper on any outdoor activity. Here are some tips, courtesy of “EXPERIENCE L!FE” magazine, to help avoid bug bites and sunburn or sooth them if you’ve been outsmarted.

The best way to ward off mosquito bites is to remove any standing water from your surroundings, burn citronella candles and avoid wearing perfume. If you’re unlucky enough to get a bite or two (or a hundred), try witch hazel, a natural astringent, to reduce swelling and sooth the angry bites.

Calendula cream, which is made from marigolds, can also help bring relief in the event of a mosquito bite or bee sting. The essential oils in calendula are anti-inflammatory as well as antimicrobial – and it’s helpful for sunburn, too! If you’re allergic to ragweed, be sure to test a patch of skin first so you don’t get an allergic reaction. The last thing you want when treating your bug bites is to make them worse!

Let’s talk sunburn. Everyone knows that excessive sun exposure is dangerous, but trying to block out rays using sunscreens full of chemicals is bad for you, too. Plus, the sun is how we get our vitamin D, so we don’t want to completely block it out. Try mineral-based formulas with UVA/UVB protection and steer clear of sunscreens containing retinyl palmitate (vitamin A), retinol, octinoxate and oxybenzone.

Stayed out there a little too long? Lavender and tea tree oil are both antiseptics and can help you with your agony. Besides having a very calming aroma, lavender can help cool the pain of mild burns and prevent scarring. Tea tree oil also helps relieve burns and prevent infection. Too much of either, however, can dry out the skin, so use sparingly.

Aloe vera is also a good sunburn remedy as it sooths and cools the skin and calms the irritation of the sunburn. As the pain subsides, the polysaccharides help the body create more antibodies to speed up the healing process. The best source of aloe vera is straight from the plant. Keep one handy and clip from the oldest, bottom-most leaves. For store-bought varieties, look for ones with aloe vera high on the ingredients list and without the neon green dyes.

Get more great natural remedies here and important sun information here!

Your Monthly Check-Up: June is Men's Health Month

When it comes to our health, it seems women are more apt to see a doctor when something is wrong, whereas men will avoid an appointment at all costs until the situation becomes serious. In fact, men are 24 percent less likely than women to have visited a doctor in the past year, according to recent U.S. Government statistics. For an African American or Hispanic male, the odds of having seen a doctor are even lower. The same for men ages 18 to 44.  

• June is National Men’s Health Month. Do you know what percentage of adult males are at risk? The following statistics were taken from the CDC:
• Percent of men 18 years and over who met the 2008 federal physical activity guidelines for aerobic activity through leisure-time aerobic activity: 53.6%
• Percent of men 18 years and over who had 5 or more drinks in 1 day at least once in the past year: 31.4%
• Percent of men 18 years and over who currently smoke cigarettes: 21.2%
• Percent of men 20 years and over who are obese: 34.6%
• Percent of men 20 years and over with hypertension: 31.6%  

Are these statistics surprising? When you avoid the doctor, you miss out on important health screenings that may catch something early on before it progresses to a more serious health threat. Also, just because you may feel fine doesn’t mean that you are fine. High cholesterol and high blood pressure, among other conditions, can worsen if left untreated. Men are much more likely than women to need hospitalization for conditions that could have been prevented with regular health screenings.

On average, women live about five years longer than men. Could men's avoidance of doctors and routine checkups have something to do with that? Something to keep in mind is that doctors have heard it all, so there’s no reason to be embarrassed about bringing up any and all health issues with your doctor. It could save your life! 

If you’re still feeling uneasy, it’s always good to have a game plan. Start by scheduling a check-up and don’t hold back about anything that’s been bothering you. Be screened and take any medications as prescribed. Create healthful habits and brush up on old ones – limit your alcohol consumption, exercise and eat as many healthy, whole foods as possible. After you check these off your list, give yourself a little pat on the back for taking all the right steps toward a longer and healthier life! 

Read more about Men’s Health Month here here and here !

Your Monthly Check-Up: Spice up Your Summer!

Things really start heating up this time of year – the sun, the air, your grill – and Memorial Day this past weekend signals the official kickoff of summer. The calendar might say summer starts June 21, but why wait? Those hotdogs and hamburgers aren’t going to eat themselves!

Speaking of heat, did you know that adding certain spices to your favorite foods can provide important health benefits, like preventing strokes, battling diabetes and staving off cancer? Throwing in a sprinkle or a pinch of turmeric, cinnamon, coriander, cayenne pepper, ginger or cumin can do wonders for your health without much effort – great news for when it’s too hot to put much effort into anything!

We mentioned earlier this month that May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and studies show that turmeric can be as effective as Prozac for treating depression. It’s also a powerful anti-inflammatory, along with ginger, and a cancer fighter, like cinnamon.

Along with cinnamon, coriander and cumin can both help lower cholesterol – coriander also helps battle type 2 diabetes and contains an anti-bacterial compound while cumin contains antimicrobial properties and boosts the immune system with its vitamin C content.

Cumin and cinnamon both also regulate blood sugar and cinnamon amps up brain power and prevents strokes while cumin encourages a good night’s sleep. Cayenne pepper improves circulation and revs metabolism, which can assist in weight loss. Besides being an anti-inflammatory, ginger eases nausea and helps treat arthritis, headaches and some heart conditions.

You get the idea – not only do these spices add flavor and depth to your favorite dishes, they offer an arsenal of health benefits. So spice up your food, fire up the grill and get ready to enjoy the warm summer months while they last!

Mind Your Health - May is Mental Health Awareness Month!

Each month we try to bring you helpful health-related news with our “Your Monthly Check-up” column. In support of that – and to bring you an extra dose of wellness information – we’re happy to help spread the word about Mental Health Month!

For 65 years, Mental Health America and its affiliates across the country have led the observance of Mental Health Month each May by reaching out to millions of people through the media, local events and screenings. This year’s theme is “Mind Your Health.” Goals of Mental Health America include:

• building public recognition about the importance of mental health
• informing people of ways that the mind and body interact with each other
• providing tips for taking positive action to protect mental health and promote overall wellness

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, about one in four Americans age 18 and over suffer from some form of mental disorder in a given year. That shows just how common these disorders are and how imperative it is for all of us to take care of our mental health.

We know what you’re thinking: “This sounds pretty important, but what can I do about it?” Glad you asked. Lime green is not only an amazing color, it’s the color of Mental Health Month. Sporting lime green shows you support the cause and stand up for erasing the stigma surrounding mental illness. You can also learn about how healthy eating, exercise, relaxation and other tools can improve your mental health as well as your overall health.

But most importantly, keep talking about it. Not one single person who suffers from mental illness is alone, even though it may feel that way. Mental disorders are prevalent and no one should have to feel ashamed about their thoughts or feelings. Let’s all do our part to keep this important topic in the “lime light!”