Weekly Health Tips for the month of October
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October 1, 2006- Don't Waist Your Breath
Trouble breathing? That spare tire may be to blame.

Belly fat is the ringleader in a gang of health woes whose members wreak physical havoc -- we're talking insulin resistance, high blood pressure, bad blood fats, and out-of-whack glucose metabolism. The perfect setup for cardiovascular disease. Now abdominal fat is wanted for another crime -- taking your breath away. Walking and calorie-counting can help, but your leading defense against a bulging belly is resistance training.

Abdominal fat leaves less room for your lungs to expand and it's bosom buddies with insulin resistance, a condition that increases inflammation in your body, which reduces lung function and makes it harder to breathe. Resistance training -- any workout that makes your muscles press or pull against a weight, such as curling a can of beans or pushing your own body weight off the floor -- can help you breathe easier. You also can use stretchy tubing or gym machines to help build bulging muscles instead of a burgeoning waistline. Muscle burns more calories than fat, even when you're sleeping, which can give you the extra boost you need to say bye-bye to an expanding middle and hello to deep, satisfying breaths.

Source: Chest, ©2006

October 8, 2006- Get Fresh with Ginger Tonight
If you're cooking in the kitchen with ginger, chances are you're lowering your risk of cancer.

Every pantry should be stocked with this knobby-looking rootstock spice. It possesses two cancer-inhibiting compounds, 6-gingerol and 6-paradol, and it lends a warm, pungent twist to dishes, especially fish. In fact, you may be most familiar with the pickled ginger that is often served with sushi. For the most benefit, choose fresh over pickled whenever possible; simply peel, shred, and mince the root into foods, such as this Asian Salmon.

Other spices that may boost your ability to reduce cancer risk include garlic and onion. And, incidentally, their flavors pair very well with ginger's in soup and stir-fry dishes. Garlic is rich in allicin, a compound that has been shown to restrict the growth of certain cancer cells. Onion is rich in quercetin, a polyphenol that has been shown to inhibit the growth of pancreatic cancer cells.

Source: Cancer Research, ©2006

October 15, 2006- Where the Germs Hide
E.T., phone home -- and ask for some disinfecting wipes, pronto.

That device you use to reach out and touch someone -- your phone -- may be touching you back with dirt, germs, and other baddies. In a study of household surfaces in kitchens and bathrooms, scientists discovered that phone handsets and mouthpieces were two of the most contaminated. So grab a cleaning wipe and give yours a rubdown regularly.

High levels of amylase, an enzyme that warns of contamination from saliva, sweat, urine, or other bodily fluids, were found on the handsets and mouthpieces of phones that researches recently tested in 17 households. Phones tended to have even more amylase than baby gear, including baby changing mats.

If that's not bad enough, researchers speculate that contaminated phones might be a culprit in nasty cold and flu infections. Viruses can survive on certain surfaces for hours, or even days, depending on the room's humidity and temperature. And once you touch a contaminated surface with your hands, it's maddeningly likely that the virus will be transferred to your nose or mouth -- and bingo, the bug's in your body. So clean your phone, and don't forget to wash your hands afterward!
Source: Epidemiology and Infection, ©2006

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