SMARTHEALTHYOUR GUIDE TO HEALTHY LIVING

PILATESVERSUSYOGA

MAKEUP’SHIDDENDANGERS

A CLOSERLOOK ATLASIK VIEW IN

FULLSCREENCLICK ABOVE

JANUARY 26, 2011

TAKING FOODALLERGIESON THE ROAD

The information in this publication does not constitute medical adviceand is not intended to be a substitute for proper medical care providedby a physician. Entire publication © Digital Access 2009. All rightsreserved. Any reference to other organizations or companies, includingtheir Internet sites, is not an endorsement or warranty of the services,information or products provided by them.

MAKEUP’SHIDDENDANGERS6

4 UNDERSTANDINGCHOLESTEROLMEDS

SMARTHEALTH

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12

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PILATESVERSUSYOGA

SUPERMARKETSYMBOLS

THE BIG FIVE

14A CLOSER LOOK

AT LASIK

TAKING FOOD ALLERGIESON THE ROAD

EASY ACCESSPack all medications you will need onyour trip in your purse, briefcase or carry-on luggage so you don’t lose them ifyour luggage is delayed. This includesthe epi-pen, if necessary. Make sureyou bring more than enough, and storemedications in original containers.

DON’T BE SHYDo not be shy about asking food serversabout food ingredients and how dishes areprepared. Some people even bring a cardor note explaining the allergy so the chefcan see what ingredients are a no-no.

THINK AHEADDo research about your destination beforeyou leave. This includes both hotels andrestaurants. Explain the allergy and askfor recommendations.

BEWARE AIRLINE FOODEven more than other people, be waryof airline food. Since the food comesfrom a vendor, no one on board may beable to tell you the specific ingredientsof the foods.

MAKE YOUR OWNYou may consider staying in locationswith private kitchenettes so you cancontrol the preparation of at least someof the meals and snacks.

INSURE YOURSELFIf you are traveling overseas, find out abouttravel medical insurance. Having this willmake it easier to receive treatment in aforeign country should this be necessary.

DON’T OBSESSAfter all this advice about safeguards, itis also important not to let these fears weighyou or your child down. There is lotsmore to do on a vacation than just eating,and the idea is to have fun along the way.

So your child has food allergies? At home, it’s a hardjob to keep everyone safe, but at least you can usuallycontrol the environment. Not so much when it comes totraveling and eating out. Here are some tips for making

your next trip relaxing, fun and incident free.

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ACCESSORIZEHave your child wear a bracelet ornecklace listing his or her allergysymptoms with instructions as towhat do in case of an emergency.You may wish to tie this into amedical alert network as well.

BUY KID-FRIENDLYALLERGY BRACELETS

MAKEUP’S HIDDEN DANGERSDid you know that makeups have an expiration date?

Indeed, they do. Since cosmetics are not required by law to have expiration dates

printed on them, you can’t check the label. And like most people, you probably have

tubes, brushes and jars sitting in your bathroom shelves that date back to the pre-

historic age. Here is the heart of the issue: expired makeup can harbor dangerous

and infectious bacteria. Let’s not go overboard since most makeup preservatives kill

common bacteria for a period of time. But once items are opened and used, they do

become a breeding ground. The longer makeup is exposed to air, to moisture, to

heat and to the body, the more the danger grows. Here are some expiration date

guidelines and some common sense approaches to keeping your makeup fresh.

MASCARA3 MONTHS

LIP GLOSS2 YEARS

GENERAL MAKEUPHEALTH TIPS

WASH HANDS BEFOREAPPLYING MAKEUP

NEVER SHARE MAKEUP

DO NOT ADD WATER ORSALIVA TO DILUTE

KEEP COSMETICS INA DRY AND COOL AREA

WRITE AN EXPIRATIONDATE ON THE LABELS

BE ALERT FOR CHANGESIN SMELL, EXPOSURES TOPROLONGED HEAT, FOR MOLD,AND FOR OBVIOUS COLOROR TEXTURAL CHANGES.

LIPSTICK1 YEAR

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STEP BY STEPINSTRUCTIONS FORCLEANING YOURMAKEUP BRUSHES

FOUNDATION

1 YEARBRUSHESWASHWEEKLYNAIL POLISH

1 YEAR

CREAM BASED6 MONTHS

POWDER BASED18 MONTHS

APPLICATORS4 WEEKS

EYE + LIPPENCILS3 YEARS

UNDERSTANDINGCHOLESTEROL MEDS

CHOLESTEROL IS A WAXY, GREASY SUBSTANCE THAT OUR BODIESNEED TO PRODUCE A NUMBER OF HORMONES AND CELL MEMBRANES.There are two types of cholesterol, the good, known as HDL, and the bad, known as LDL.While the good cholesterol helps the body function properly, the bad cholesterol is the well-documented cause of heart-related diseases and heart attacks. Good cholesterol is madein the liver. Bad cholesterol generally comes from foods. There are many lifestyle changesone can make to lower cholesterol, including, of course, diet. But if you are like millions ofAmericans who need meds — by prescription or over-the-counter to help, there are severalapproaches to lowering cholesterol. Here’s a quick rundown to discuss with your physician.

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STATINSBLOCKS PRODUCTION IN THE LIVERStatins block the production of cholesterol inyour liver; bad cholesterol and triglycerides arethen reduced and good cholesterol can be in-creased a bit. If you require cholesterol medicine,your doctor may well prescribe a statin; some ofthe names you know, such as Crestor, Lipitor andZocor, are statins. Your doctor will then watchfor such side effects such as intestinal problems,liver damage and muscle tenderness.

NIACIN OUT WITH THE BADThis B-vitamin, a natural ingredient in foods andoften added to some manufactured foods, isquite effective at lowering bad cholesterol andraising good cholesterol. The mechanism bywhich it does its magic is not well understood.Also known as nicotinic acid, there are occasionalside-effects such as flushing, itching, tinglingand headaches. Examples of often-used niacin-related medicines are Nicolar and Niaspan.

BILE ACID RESINSINSIDE THE INTESTINEThese drugs work inside the intestine, where theybind to bile from the liver and prevent it frombeing reabsorbed into the system. Bile is made

largely from cholesterol so these drugs work bylowering the bodies supply of cholesterol. Sideeffects like constipation, gas and stomach upsetmay be encountered. Familiar drug names hereinclude Questrai, Colestid and WelChoi. A newclass of cholesterol lowering drugs, Ezetimibe, alsowork by stopping absorption in the intestines.

FIBRATES LIMIT TRIGLYCERIDESFibrates limit production of triglycerides andcan help increase good cholesterol. Examples ofthe drug include Atromid,Tricor and Lopid.

It is important to understand that all cholesterolmedicines have potential side effects such asdigestive problems, allergic reactions, heartburn,abnormal liver function and,most serious, muscleaches. You shouldn’t take more than one kind ofcholesterol medicine at a time or take them withanticoagulants. In addition to, or instead of, med-ications your physician may also advise that youto make some lifestyle choices that will changethe way you live your life and the food you eat.With the right medication and the right lifestylechanges, most people are able to get back to areasonable cholesterol level.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUTTHESE DRUGS CLICK HERE

PILATES VERSUS YOGATHERE IS A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF EXCITEMENT ABOUT PILATES ANDABOUT YOGA, AND EVEN ABOUT DOING THESE TWO SYSTEMS TOGETHER.

THERE IS ALSO A LOT OF CONFUSION ABOUT HOW THEY DIFFER.

At first blush, the two exercise regimens seem quite similar. They do sharesome commonalities. Both use a similar posture, both focus on breathing, bothbelieve that you must think of the body as a whole, understanding how themany parts that make up a human being are linked together, and both have

respect for the mind-body connection. Both are done barefoot and both firmlyreject the traditional exercise approach of focusing on one muscle or muscle

group at a time. The differences between Pilates and Yoga, however,are even greater than the similarities.

The primary goal of Pilates is to improvethe core strength of the body: the ab-dominal muscles, the lower back andthe buttocks. To that end, Pilates incor-porates lots of workouts on bothmat andmachines. The progression of exerciseconsists of twisting, stretching, pushing,pulling and rolling movements. The ex-cercises are meant to build strength,increase flexibility and promotemind andbody control. There is an emphasis onconcentration intended to assure properpositions, prevent injury, and increasethe exercise’s effectiveness. Again, theemphasis for founder, Joseph Pilates, ison physical change, evenwhen themindis being trained. The promise is a newsense of body control and strength after10, 20 or 30 sessions.

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VIEW A SAMPLE OFA YOGA/PILATESWORKOUT HERE

This contrasts with Yoga, which is centered on the spiritual and is more of a lifestylethan an exercise regime. Yoga is essentially the attempt to unify mind, body andspirit, with attention to diet, breathing, relaxation and meditation. Clearly, one couldwrite a book about the religious and spiritual nature of Yoga and its “eight limbs”approach to reaching greater knowledge of being and enlightenment. Staying in afitness setting for purposes of this article, Yoga focuses more than Pilates on theimportance of flexibility and strength through stability and mobility. The body isplaced in various positions, often named after nature, that increase strength in partsof the body and flexibility in other parts.

An interesting new development in the Pilates versus Yoga debate is the growingmovement among fitness experts to recommend that people use both systems.Here, they accentuate how Pilates and Yoga can be complimentary in buildingstrength for mind and body.

SUPERMARKET SYMBOLS

THE BIG FIVE

12 SMARTHEALTH

Consumers care about diet and nutrition, but they often do not understand theNutrition Facts panel on packaged foods. And they have not embraced attemptsby the major food manufacturers to make it easier by popularizing nutritionratingsandcertificationsymbols—thinkPepsi’s SmartSpot,Unilever’sEatSmart,Kraft’s Sensible Solutions. Into this void step the large supermarket chains.Viewed asmore independent and trustworthywhen it comes to nutrition, severalare introducing proprietary nutrient profiling systems that rate or classify thenutritional goodness of food, and identify the findingswith an icon or logo, usuallyon shelf tag and occasionally right on package if the product is a store brand.

GUIDING STAR STORESHannaford’s Bloom, Food Lion andSweet Bay are adopting the GuidingStars program. It was developed byadvisory panels from Dartmouth MedicalSchool and the University of NorthCarolina. Foods are rated on nutritionalquality. One star is good, two are better,three the best. Symbols will appear onthe shelf tag. No stars, no symbol at all.

NUTRITION iQ STORESAcme, Albertson’s Jewel-Osco, Biggs,Cub Foods, Farm-Fresh, Hornbacher’s,Lucky, Shaw’s/Star Market, Shop’n Saveand Shoppers are included in this program.It was developed by Supervalu Inc. incollaboration with the Joslin DiabetesCenter. Color coded shelf tag bars identifyfoods that meet certain standards. Forexample, low cal, high fiber productshave a purple (calorie) strip and an orange(fiber) strip. Approximately 10 percent offoods are expected to earn their stripes.

NuVALPrice Chopper, Hy-Vee, Giant-Eagle andMeijer use NuVal standards, developedby an advisory panel convened at theYale University School of Medicine. Theprogram scores all foods on a scale of1 to 100. The higher the score, the betterthe product. More than 30 nutrients arefactored in. This is a huge in scope: sev-eral thousand stores are slated to beginusing the NuVal system by late 2009.

HEALTHY IDEASGiant Foods and Stop & Shop had thisprogram specifically designed for themby an advisory panel of nutritionists anddoctors affiliated with the Harvard Med-ical School. Healthy Ideas provides asymbol to all foods that meet a minimumlevel of nutritional value. All fresh produceautomatically qualify as do about 25percent of the other products in a typicalgrocery store.

SMART CHOICESThis program cuts across all stores thatcarry foods made by Coca-Cola, ConAgraFoods, PepsiCo, Kraft Foods, GeneralMills, Kellogg Company, Unilever, Walmart.The symbols appear right on the package,rather than on the shelf tag. Developedby a coalition of food manufacturers, theSmart Choices Program rates foods ac-cording to nutrient thresholds; qualifiedproducts will also display front-packcalorie information with calories per serv-ing and number of servings per container.This voluntary industry system is rolling outright now, and will make many on-packagenutrition symbols such as those from Pepsi,Unilever, Kraft and General Mills obsolete.

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FOR MORE INFORMATIONON HEALTHY LIVINGVISIT THE AMERICANDIETETIC ASSOCIATION

ACCORDING TO THE AMERICAN DIETETIC ASSOCIATION, HERE ARETHE BIG FIVE OF SUPERMARKET NUTRITIONAL PROFILING PLANS.

A CLOSER LOOK AT LASIK

LASIK surgery — laser-assisted in-situ keratomileusis —makes it possible to reduce or eliminate your need for glassesor contact lenses. It is a type of refractive eye surgery, during

which a surgeon uses a laser to reshape your cornea and correctfocusing problems in your eyes. It is an increasingly popular

approach and has a very good track record. Many people swearby it, but it is not for everyone.

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Who's a good candidatefor LASIK surgery?The procedure works best for thosewith a moderate degree of the verycommon sight issues — nearsightedness,farsightedness or astigmatism. Somedoctors are reluctant to endorse LASIKsurgery, reasoning your eyes are basicallyhealthy even if you are nearsighted orfarsighted. A good surgical outcomedepends on careful evaluation of youreyes before the surgery.

What might disqualify youfrom having LASIK surgery?The surgery carries higher risks forthose who suffer from: an immune systemdisease such as HIV or rheumatoid arthri-tis which may impair the ability to healafter the surgery; those with persistentdry eyes or dry eye syndrome which,again, may make it more difficult to heal;people with an abnormally shapedcornea such as one with an extremelyuneven surface; those with unstablevision, such as a progressive worseningor fluctuation of eyesight; and anyone

who has had an eye injury or infection inthe recent past.

There are some gray areas as well, wherethe risk-benefit analysis makes the decisiona close call. This includes, for example,people with severe nearsightedness(“high refractive error”) who may not getmuch improvement; those with largepupils for whom LASIK surgery mayresult in glare, halos and other unwantedsymptoms; those who play contactsports and tend to get hit in the face;and those who have pretty good visionand only need lenses or glasses part ofthe time.

Needless to say, get yourself evaluatedby a professional before you jump in.And one final point. LASIK surgery is notcheap and many insurance plans do notcover it. So price it out first and checkwith your health plan to see if it pays.

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