Health & Wellness MARCH 2020 SUPPLEMENT
Why Annual Checkups Are So Important What Is Mindful Snacking Better Off Exercising At A Gym EDITION SEVEN: SERVING AMITYVILLE & COPIAGUE
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H&W MARCH 2020
HEALTH & WELLNESS
CONTENTS
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08 Why Annual Checkups Are So Important Nutritious diets and routine exercise are two hallmarks of a healthy lifestyle.
14 What Is Mindful Snacking? Are the foods people eat
between meals worthy of more careful attention?
19 Better Off Exercising At A Gym People who exercise at
home tend to work out alone. In so doing, they may be removing a potentially strong motivator that could keep them exercising.
Publisher: Jeff Lambert • Editor: Felicia Edwards • Creative Director: Josh Marlowe
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Why annual checkups are so important
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utritious diets and routine exercise are two hallmarks of a healthy lifestyle. Combining the two can lower people’s risk for various diseases and contribute to a high quality of life. But food and physical activity are not the only things people should do to improve their chances of living long, healthy lives. Preventive care is important. One of the most effective principles of preventive care is to schedule an annual checkup with a physician. According to the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention, routine health exams and tests can find problems before they start. During annual check-ups, doctors may notice some red flags, such as high cholesterol, that men and women won’t detect on their own. These warning signs could be increasing people’s risk for disease and/or discomfort. Many of these red flags are undetectable without proper screenings, which is why annual checkups are integral to maintaining one’s health. Annual checkups also serve as a great time for adults to be screened for certain cancers. The American Cancer Society notes that cancer screenings are used to find cancer before a person develops symptoms. That’s a vital benefit of annual checkups, as cancers caught in their early stages are more easily treated. In addition, catching cancer before it has metastasized greatly improves patients’ prognosis. Another reason to schedule annual checkups is that they make perfect opportunities for patients to discuss their family histories with their physicians. This is especially
important for adults over 40, as age and family history are significant risk factors for a host of conditions and diseases. Men and women concerned about conditions and diseases that their family members have had can discuss those concerns with their physicians during their annual checkups. Physicians can then recommend ways for patients to balance their
risk, calming patients’ concerns and giving them a road map to reduce their risk for conditions and diseases that seem to run in their families. Annual checkups are as vital a component of a healthy lifestyle as nutritious diets and routine exercise. By scheduling annual checkups with their physicians, adults can closely monitor their overall health and potentially uncover issues before they escalate into major health risks.
The rise of telehealth services
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etting sick once meant traveling to a physician’s office only to sit in a waiting room with fellow under-the-weather individuals. Few if any people like leaving home when they’re feeling ill, and thanks to technology, many no longer need to do so. Telehealth services, which the Massachusetts Medical Society defines as the delivery and facilitation of health and health-related services including medical care, provider and patient education, health information services, and self-care via telecommunications and digital communication technologies, are revolutionizing the healthcare industry. In many instances, patients need not leave the comfort of their beds or sofas to be diagnosed and treated. The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology says telehealth, which is a broader scope of remote healthcare services than telemedicine, can utilize everything from videoconferencing, the internet, store-and-forward imaging, streaming media, and terrestrial and wireless phone communications. Many providers and insurance companies now offer some method of telehealth services. Consider some of these statistics. • The American Telemedicine Association says more than one-half of all hospitals in the United States have a telehealth program.
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• Forty-eight states require payers to cover telehealth, says the Center for Connected Health Policy. • BBC Research indicates that telehealth makes up roughly one-quarter of the healthcare-related technology market. • The American Medical Association says nearly 75 percent of all doctor, urgent care and emergency room visits could be handled safely and effectively over the phone or via video. • Beckers Hospital Review says 82 percent of millennial patients surveyed would rather have a telemedicine visit than an in-person consultation. • Around seven million people use telehealth services across the globe, according to eVisit. Telehealth can connect rural providers and their patients to services at other sites and promote patient-centered health care. With a shortage of some medical specialities in rural areas, telehealth can play an important role in ensuring all patients get access to care they need. But the benefits do not only extend to rural patients. Individuals who are elderly and/or those who have mobility issues and cannot travel easily can benefit from telehealth services. Furthermore, any patient with a rare condition may no longer have to travel long distances to consult with specialists in that field. Telehealth applications and programs on EDITION SEVEN
Sick? Telehealth services enable patients to connect with providers to get the care they need without leaving home. smartphones, tablets or laptops can make it easy for people to monitor their health. These apps can enable patients to do things like track health measurements, share information with clinicians, manage chronic illnesses, and set medication or appointment reminders. Patients also can communicate with providers to get health information through patient portals or to refill prescriptions effortlessly. Telehealth is changing the face of medicine and utilizing technology in unique ways. For More Information, Call 631.226.2636
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The relationship between the Mediterranean diet and mental health
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utritious diets have long been touted as essential components of healthy lifestyles. Many people have a tendency to view diet as something that’s purely physical, associating the foods they eat with how they look and how much energy they have. While accurate, it doesn’t paint the full picture of just how big and positive an impact healthy diets can have on overall health. In regard to healthy diets, it’s hard to dispute the effectiveness of the Mediterranean diet. The Mediterranean diet focuses on plant-based foods and, as a result, includes lots of fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, and olive oil. The diet is so healthy that the World Health Organization even recognizes it as a healthy, sustainable dietary pattern. Long touted for its ability to promote heart health and reduce risk for heart disease, which the WHO notes is the number one cause of death across the globe, the Mediterranean diet has also been found to protect
against cancer and type 2 diabetes. Each of those benefits makes the Mediterranean diet worthy of consideration at the very least, but the benefits of this approach to eating don’t stop there. In fact, people unfamiliar with the Mediterranean diet, or even those who subscribe to it, may not realize that the diet can have a positive effect on mental wellness. A recent study published in the scientific journal Aging Research Reviews found that strong adherence to the Mediterranean diet was associated with a 40 percent reduced risk for cognitive impairment. Another study from researchers in Spain found that older adults who supplemented their Mediterranean diets with extra olive oil or nuts had superior cognitive function, including better memory and thinking skills, than those who ate low-fat diets. Reasoning, attention and language were better among the former group as well. In addition to improving cognitive
function, the Mediterranean diet also may improve mental wellness by reducing adherents’ risk of developing depression. A recent study published in the Journal of Nutrition, Health and Aging found that people who followed the Mediterranean diet most closely
were nearly 99 percent less likely to develop depression that those who followed the diet the least closely. While diet is often thought of in physical terms, the Mediterranean diet can benefit mental wellness while also helping people maintain healthy weights.
Preventative care also involves safeguarding mental health
P
reventive care is often looked at through the needs people need to do to protect their physical well-being. For example, a healthy diet and routine exercise, while beneficial to mental health, are often viewed as lifestyle choices that can make people feel better physically, but taking steps to protect one’s mental health also is vital to a long, productive life. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services notes that positive mental health and mental wellness can have a profoundly positive impact on a person’s life. Positive mental health can help people realize their full potential, cope with the stresses of life and make meaningful contributions to their communities.
What can I do to protect my mental health?
Learning to recognize the early warning signs of mental health problems can help prevent such problems from escalating and compel people to seek help. The DHHS advises anyone feeling these signs or recognizing these signs in others to seek help for themselves or their loved ones: • Eating or sleeping too much or too little • Pulling away from people and usual activities www.theneighbornewspapers.com/supplements
• Having low or no energy • Feeling numb or as if nothing matters • Unexplained aches and pains • Feeling helpless or hopeless • Smoking, drinking, or using drugs more than usual • Feeling unusually confused, forgetful, on edge, angry, upset, worried, or scared • Yelling or fighting with family and friends • Severe mood swings that cause problems in relationships • Persistent thoughts and memories you can’t get out of your head • Hearing voices or believing things that are not true • Thinking of harming yourself or others • An inability to perform daily tasks, such as taking care of your children or getting to work or school Taking steps to protect one’s mental wellness is a vital component of preventive care. More information about mental health is available at www.mentalhealth.gov. EDITION SEVEN
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HEALTH & WELLNESS
How to approach nutrition when feeding children away from home
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hildren can be picky eaters. Parents know that getting kids to eat anything, much less healthy foods, can sometimes make the dinner table feel more like a battlefield than a place to break bread. That’s especially so when the dinner table is in a restaurant, where savvy youngsters might know less nutritious dishes like macaroni and cheese or fried chicken fingers are on the menu. The benefits of a healthy, balanced diet are so numerous for youngsters that it’s worth doing whatever it takes to get kids to embrace nutrient-rich foods, both at home and when dining out. The American Academy of Family Physicians notes that a healthy diet can stabilize children’s energy levels, help them maintain healthy weights and potentially prevent mental health conditions, including anxiety and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD. Recognizing the importance of a healthy diet and getting kids to embrace one are two different things, especially when kids are dining out and being tempted by unhealthy alternatives. In recognition of that, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends the following strategies to parents who want their kids to eat healthy when they’re away from home. Make meals all-inclusive. When preparing school lunches or taking youngsters out for a night on the town, make sure to offer a mix of foods from the five food groups. The AAP recommends parents offer vegetables, fruit, grains, low-fat dairy, and/or quality protein sources, which can include meat, fish, nuts, seeds, and eggs. Offering each of these foods at every meal may not be feasible, but kids should eat foods selected from the major food groups at every meal.
Avoid highly processed foods. The National Institutes of Health notes that studies have suggested there’s a link between highly processed foods and health problems. Such foods, which typically contain ingredients such as hydrogenated oils, high-fructose corn syrup and flavoring agents, are typically high in calories, salt, sugar, and fat. While highly processed foods tend to be easier to make and readily available at restaurants, serving them to youngsters can start kids down the road to poor dietary habits, potentially increasing their risk for obesity and diseases like heart disease and diabetes. When packing snacks for school lunches or taking kids out to restaurants, be sure to include or bring along healthy whole foods, such as fruits
and vegetables. This can ensure kids get some healthy fare during mealtime. Enhance foods if necessary. While high amounts of sugar, salt and fat can jeopardize the health of adults and youngsters alike, the AAP notes that small amounts of these substances can be used to enhance kids’ enjoyment of healthy foods and increase the likelihood that they will eat them. Parents may not have much control over what their children eat while away from home, but a handful of strategies can increase the likelihood that kids enjoy healthy fare when eating at school or at restaurants.
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What is mindful snacking?
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any people give little thought to the snacks that take up space on their pantry shelves. But are the foods people eat between meals worthy of more careful attention? Those who subscribe to mindful snacking would suggest they are. According to the International Food Information Council Foundation, mindful eating focuses on slowing down and tuning into the sensations of eating. One of the goals of mindful eating is to prevent unhealthy behaviors associated with food and eating. One such behavior is binge eating, which can have long-term negative consequences. The National Eating Disorders Association notes that as many as two-thirds of people diagnosed with binge eating disorder, or BED, are clinically obese. Mindful eating can benefit anyone, including people who are maintaining healthy weights and not considered to be at risk of developing eating disorders. One of the questions people may have about mindful eating, and mindful snacking in particular, is how they can slow down and tune into the sensations of eating when they snack. Working professionals tend to snack at the office, where it’s not always so easy to slow down and tune in to the foods we eat. In addition, availability may dictate what people eat while away from home, which can lead to people eating unhealthy foods because that’s all that is available. While there’s no denying mindful snacking can be difficult, the IFICF
MARCH 2020
HEALTH & WELLNESS
The relationship between eating and exercise
offers these tips to help people slow down and tune in during snack time. Assess your hunger. Learning to assess their hunger can help people distinguish hunger from boredom. The IFICF recommends using a hunger scale of one to 10, with one being very hungry and 10 representing feelings of being stuffed. If you determine your hunger is a four or below, then consider a snack. Anything higher than a four, you might just be bored. When snacking, periodically pause to reassess your hunger and determine if you’re satisfied. This reassessment can help you avoid overeating. Reduce distractions. Distractions can make it hard for people to recognize how much they have eaten. Avoid snacking while watching television or using your smartphone, so you don’t accidentally overeat. Take small bites. Large bites also can make it easier to overeat. Small bites, such as one whole grain chip at a time instead of a handful with each bite, can reduce the likelihood of overeating. Let your senses savor your snacks. Using all of your senses when snacking can force you to slow down and notice flavors and aromas you might otherwise never recognize. A more mindful approach to snacking can help people better appreciate their food and may help them avoid overeating. Learn more about mindful eating at www. foodinsight.org.
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D
iet and exercise are each vital components of a healthy lifestyle. While these components tend to be looked at separately, diet and exercise are actually interconnected.
According to the American College of Sports Medicine, adequate food and fluid should be consumed before, during and after exercise. Following that advice can help men and women maintain their blood glucose concentration during exercise, which allows them to maximize their performance and improves their recovery time.
Some people understandably may feel that eating before exercising seems counterintuitive, as food may contribute to feelings of sluggishness that would make it hard to maximize a workout, but what people eat, and drink, prior to working out is important, as the right foods can make a positive impact while the wrong foods can have the opposite effect. The American Heart Association and the ACSM recommend hydrating with water prior to working out. The ACSM recommends drinking between two and three cups of water two to three hours before exercising. Adults accustomed to working out in the early morning can try to wake up earlier so they can give their bodies time to hydrate before they begin exercising. It’s also important to continue hydrating during a workout, as the ACSM recommends drinking between 1⁄2 and one cup of water every 15 to 20 minutes during a workout (amounts can be adjusted
EDITION SEVEN
based on variables such as the weather and individuals’ body sizes). After a workout, the ACSM recommends drinking two to three cups of water for every pound lost during the exercise session.
Food also plays a vital role in maximizing a workout and improving recovery time. The AHA recommends fueling up on healthy carbohydrates, such as whole-grain cereals, wholewheat toast or low-fat or fat-free yogurt, two hours before exercising. Doing so might pose a problem for early morning exercise enthusiasts, and in such instances the AHA advises eating a piece of fruit such as an apple or banana five to 10 minutes before beginning a workout. Avoid saturated fats and a lot of healthy protein prior to working out, as it takes longer for these fuels to digest in the stomach. Until foods are digested, muscles may not get all of the oxygen and energy-delivering blood they need during a workout, so it’s best to stick with foods that the body can digest more quickly.
The Mayo Clinic notes that it’s also important to make food a part of your post-workout routine. Eating a post-workout meal that contains both carbohydrates and protein can aid muscle recovery and replace glycogen stores that help increase energy levels after working out. The most effective way to exercise involves healthy foods, which can improve performance and lead to quicker post-workout recovery.
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The benefits of working with personal trainers
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oals can be a motivating force that help people realize their full potential. When it comes to personal fitness, goals are often an essential component of getting healthy.
Achieving fitness-related goals is not always so easy. A 2018 survey from Cision and Varo Money found that 45 percent of respondents resolved to lose weight or get in shape in 2018. Many of those people made those efforts part of their New Year’s resolutions, which various studies have found have a high failure rate. In fact, one 2015 report from U.S. News indicated that 80 percent of New Year’s resolutions don’t survive to see the second week of February. Fortunately, there are ways to clear the hurdles required to make significant lifestyle changes, particularly those associated with physical fitness. Whether they’re looking to lose weight, improve their overall health and/or simply hoping to look better in the mirror, many people find working with personal trainers is a good way to get on track and stay on track. People on the fence about hiring personal trainers can consider these benefits to working with these highly trained fitness professionals. • Knowledge: Gyms often require their personal trainers to earn their personal training certifications, and many universities now even partner with specific certification programs so people who want to become personal trainers can earn both their degrees and their certifications. Knowledgeable, certified personal trainers can help their clients tailor their workouts around clients’ individual goals. After meeting with a client and learning about the client’s goals, trainers can design workout
MARCH 2020
HEALTH & WELLNESS
regimens specific to the individual. That personalization is not possible for people who design their workout regimens around generalized advice they find online or elsewhere.
• Motivation: Personal trainers also can provide the motivation their clients need to keep going. That’s valuable for anyone, but especially for people new to exercise of those who haven’t been physically active for some time. Trainers can motivate clients to finish sets when weightlifting, but also track clients’ progress between workouts. When delivered by a trained fitness professional, such progress reports can motivate people to keep working, especially during those times when they might be questioning their commitments to exercising. • Variety: Many people quit working out due to something often referred to as “exercise boredom.” That’s the boredom that can set it when people perform the same exercise routine for weeks, months or even years at a time. Personal trainers can use their experience to create exercise regimens that change often enough to prevent exercise boredom from settling in. • Avoid injury: Perhaps the biggest benefit to working with a personal trainer is that doing so can reduce risk for injury. Personal trainers know the appropriate ways to use exercise machines and watch their clients closely to ensure their form is always correct during a workout. Poor form or misuse of machines can lead to injuries that can quickly derail fitness goals. Personal trainers can be invaluable assets for people looking to get or stay healthy.
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Did you know?
S
ugar is a naturally occurring component in many healthy foods, including fruit. But people looking to eat healthy should be wary of foods that contain added sugars, which can pose a significant threat to long-term health. According to the Harvard Medical School, added sugars are not currently listed on Nutrition Facts labels (though the Mayo Clinic expects that to change in the future). That can make it hard to spot foods that contain substantial amounts of added sugars. However, the HMS recommends looking at the ingredients listings on food labels and keeping an eye out for words ending in “ose.” The Mayo Clinic notes that fructose, dextrose, glucose, and maltose are the chemical names for various types of sugar. These ingredients can serve as a red flag that a product contains added sugars that can be detrimental to your overall health. In addition to words ending in “ose,” shoppers can scan ingredients listings for other common types of added sugars, including cane juice, cane syrup, corn sweeteners, high-fructose corn syrup, fruit juice concentrate and nectars, honey, malt or maple syrup, and molasses.
Did you know?
D
o you relish the idea of an afternoon nap? If so, you're in good company. According to the National Sleep Foundation, John F. Kennedy, Winston Churchill, Napoleon, and Albert Einstein each fancied afternoon naps. Youngsters nap, and so do many seniors. But by and large, humans are part of the minority of mammals that do not sleep for short periods of time throughout the day, instead dividing their days between sleep and wakefulness. However, there are some benefits to catching a midday snooze. The Mayo Clinic says napping can be a way to catch up on sleep lost during the night or if a person is feeling sleep-deprived. It also may be a way to relax, increase alertness and improve mood. Naps should take place before 3 p.m. and not exceed 20 minutes. The longer and later one naps, the greater the potential it will interfere with nighttime sleeping or backfire and cause daytime grogginess.
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Some of the most common symptoms include yellow and brown build-up of tartar along the gum line; inflamed gums; and persistent bad breath. Dental exams by a veterinarian are really key to maintaining the dental health of your pet. At the Marvin M. Fried Dental Suite at North Shore Animal League America’s Pet Health Center, our medical team provides advanced dental procedures for your dogs, cats, puppies and kittens, offering affordable services including teeth cleaning and polishing, extractions and oral surgery.
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Some benefits of frozen foods
Understanding and living with sciatica
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T
he largest nerve in the human body is the sciatic nerve, which originates in the lower back and travels through the back of each leg. Injury or pressure on this nerve can lead to a type of pain known as sciatica.
hroughout human history, there have been many ways to preserve food, including pickling, canning and salting. Such efforts became easier with the invention of the refrigerator and freezer, which opened up a whole new way to shop for and stockpile foods.
Sciatica can have an adverse effect on everyday life, causing pain that can radiate from the lower back through the hips and buttocks and down the legs. People experiencing pain in these areas should consult a physician immediately, as the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons notes that between 80 and 90 percent of people diagnosed with sciatica get better over time without surgery. Many typically feel better within several weeks of beginning treatment.
It’s difficult to imagine life without refrigerators or freezers. For example, frozen foods, which are a mainstay of the modern diet, are only possible thanks to modern refrigeration.
The American Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics says that frozen foods are an affordable way for people to get their daily recommended doses of fruits and vegetables. But the benefits do not stop with fruits and vegetables. Many other nutritious foods can be frozen and incorporated into recipes. Despite their popularity, frozen foods are sometimes mistaken as being less worthy of consumption than fresh alternatives. Food producers Green Isle Foods indicates that very often frozen foods make nutritious additions to a meal. Here are a few reasons why.
• Frozen produce is often more nutritionally reliable than fresh items, as freezing prevents sensitive nutrients and vitamins from being lost during transportation. In a 2013 study sponsored by the University of Georgia, researchers compared various private-label frozen produce items to fresh equivalents. Nutrient levels were analyzed in samples of the frozen produce and in the fresh equivalents upon being purchased and then again after the fresh produce spent five days in a refrigerator. Day-of-purchase fresh and frozen varieties were
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The first step toward diagnosing sciatica begins at home. People who learn to recognize potential symptoms of sciatica may be more likely to seek immediate treatment than those who might mistake their pain for something else. nutritionally similar. But after five days, the fresh produce lost vitamin content, especially vitamins A and C and folate.
• Frozen foods typically contain no preservatives, as freezing itself is a form of preservation.
• Frozen foods enable people to choose from a variety of items even when they would normally be out of season.
• Frozen foods may help reduce food waste, as individually packaged items help people use only what they need. • Frozen seafood is often less expensive than fresh fish because the extended shelf life offers yearround price stability and product availability.
It is important to be picky when buying frozen foods. According to nutrition experts at Tufts University, convenience meals are not always created equal. It is essential to read labels to ensure that healthy ingredients are included and to pay attention to portion sizes to keep fat and calories in check. Individuals can customize many frozen foods to their needs and can rest assured that the meals they are creating are nutritionally diverse and wholesome. www.theneighbornewspapers.com/supplements
• Degenerative disc disease: Discs in the back can degenerate naturally with age and never contribute to a problem like sciatica. However, degeneration in one or more discs in the lower back can sometimes irritate a nerve root and lead to sciatica.
• Isthmic spondylolisthesis: This occurs when a small stress fracture allowers one vertebral body to slip forward on another. The combination of collapsing disc space, a fracture and the slipping forward of the vertebral body can pinch the nerve and cause sciatica. • Lumbar spinal stenosis: In this condition, which is relatively common among people older than 60, a narrowing of the spinal canal can contribute to sciatica. • Piriformis syndrome: A muscle found deep within the buttocks, the piriformis connects the lower spine to the upper thighbone, running directly over the sciatic nerve. Spasms in the piriformis can put pressure on the sciatic nerve, triggering sciatica.
What are the symptoms of sciatica?
The AAOS notes that sciatica may feel like a bad leg cramp that lasts for weeks before it goes away. According to Spine-health.com, a property of the health publisher Veritas Health, sciatica pain is often described as burning, tingling or searing as opposed to a dull ache. In addition, pain resulting from sciatica may be worse when sitting, even though sharp pain associated with sciatica can make it difficult to stand up or walk. Numbness characterized by a “pins and needles” feeling, weakness or a burning or tingling sensation down the leg are some additional symptoms of sciatica.
Treating sciatica
Sciatica often can be treated successfully without surgery. Doctors may recommend applying heat and/ or ice packs for acute sciatic pain. In addition, over-the-counter and prescription pain medications can effectively reduce or relieve sciatic pain. Doctors also may explore other treatments, including chiropractic manipulation, acupuncture, massage therapy, and surgery. More information about sciatica can be found at www.orthoinfo.aaos.org.
Does sciatica affect both legs?
WebMD notes that sciatica usually affects only one leg, though the buttock or leg on the affected side may feel like it is in constant pain. What causes sciatica?
Spine-health.com notes that the following five lower back problems are among the most common causes of sciatica: • Lumbar herniated disc: This occurs when the soft inner material of the disc herniates, or leaks out, through the fibrous outer core, irritating or pinching the nerve root.
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As beneficial as exercise can be, many people simply don’t make physical activity part of their regular routines. Recent studies and reports from the United States’ National Center for Health Statistics and Statistics Canada, conducted separately from each other, found that roughly 80 percent of adults in both the U.S. and Canada are not meeting the minimum physical activity requirements recommended by their respective governments. While a host of factors can influence a person’s decisions on physical activity, where to exercise is one factor that could go a long way toward determining just how much adults exercise.
Basements, attics, spare bedrooms, or two-car garages may seem like the perfect places to create home gyms. However, the benefits of working out at a gym may outweigh the convenience of working out at home. Workout partners and/or other gym members may improve your chances of losing weight. People who exercise at home tend to work out alone. In so doing, they may be removing a potentially strong motivator that could keep them exercising. A 2016 study published in the research journal Obesity found that increasing contacts and interactions with thinner individuals, and declining contacts and interactions with heavier individuals,
were linked to actual weight loss. In other words, working out with a fit friend or simply interacting with fellow gym members who maintain healthy weights can benefit people who are trying to lose weight through exercise. Gym memberships have a way of paying for themselves. The cost of a gym membership is one factor many people cite as a reason for not exercising more. However, many health insurance plans now offer sweat equity rebates that reward policy holders for working out. Such rebates can greatly reduce the cost of a gym membership, if not remove it entirely. For example, a sweat equity program that offers a $200 rebate every six months for policy holders who exercise 50 times during that period can make a $30 monthly gym membership free. In that example, gym members would pay $180 for six months but get all of that money back if they work out 50 times in a six-month period.
Gyms can make it easier to diversify your workouts. Exercise boredom is something even the most ardent fitness enthusiast can relate to. Exercise boredom refers to the disinterest that can develop over time as people do the same workouts for weeks, months or years at a time. A home gym may not be spacious enough to include too many machines, whereas gyms typically include enough machines and classes to allow people to diversify their workouts as often as they’d like.
Did you know?
T
he foods a person eats before attempting to donate blood could affect whether or not he or she is allowed to donate. According to the American Red Cross, its staff members routinely check the level of hemoglobin in donors' blood and platelets before they accept donations. Hemoglobin is a protein in the body that contains iron and gives blood its distinctive red color. Hemoglobin plays a vital role in human health, carrying oxygen from the lungs to nourish all of the tissues in the body. Hemoglobin levels are checked using fingersticks, and if hemoglobin levels are low, then donors will be asked to wait to donate until their levels return to normal. So what does food have to do with hemoglobin? Iron is a part of hemoglobin and found in many of the foods a person eats. Iron helps people maintain their strength and energy, and it's also necessary to help the body make new blood cells to replace the ones that are lost through blood donations. The Red Cross encourages prospective donors to eat healthy foods that are rich in iron and high in vitamin C, as doing so can increase their chances of being accepted as blood donors and can aid in their recoveries after donating.
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This low-calorie
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C
ooks may be surprised to discover how much flavor is nestled within this 300-calorie “Spinach-Walnut Stuffed Chicken” dish from “Taste of Home: Healthy Cooking Cookbook” (RDA Enthusiast Brands) by the Taste of Home Editors. The cheese and chicken produce stick-to-your ribs satiety, and the toasted walnuts add a delicious crunch.
SPINACH-WALNUT STUFFED CHICKEN
Serves 4 1⁄2
cup finely chopped onion
1⁄4
cup finely chopped celery
1⁄2 2
21⁄2
cup finely chopped fresh mushrooms garlic cloves, minced teaspoons olive oil
1 10-ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry 1⁄4
cup crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
1⁄4
teaspoon salt
1
egg white
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves, 6 ounces each 1⁄4 1⁄4
teaspoon pepper cup ground walnuts
DIRECTIONS In a small skillet, saute the onion, mushrooms, celery and garlic in oil until tender. Stir in spinach and cheese; remove from the heat. Cut a lengthwise slit through the thickest part of each chicken breast; fill with spinach mixture. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place egg white and walnuts in separate shallow bowls. Dip one side of chicken in egg white, then in walnuts.
Place in an 11-inch x 7-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake, uncovered, at 350 F for 25 to 30 minutes, or until chicken juices run clear.
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