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

October 22, 2006- Stretch Yourself to Sleep
You might associate stretching with waking up, but it can help you nod off, too.

So if you have trouble falling asleep, trade in the tossing and turning for a simple, gentle, daily stretching routine instead. Women who regularly stretch out their knots and kinks fall asleep more easily than nonstretchers do.
Stretching isn't the only exercise factor that affects how well you sleep. Getting regular exercise of any kind can help improve your shut-eye. Just be mindful of the time of day you do it and how long you go at it.

If you prefer to exercise at night, research shows that shorter is better in terms of sleep quality -- evening exercisers get more shut-eye if they work out for no more than 3 hours a week. But finding a different time to be active, if you can swing it, is probably better for your health than cutting back on how much you exercise.

Morning exercisers might need to work out longer to experience sleep benefits -- at least 3 hours and 45 minutes a week. Why isn't clear, but that's no reason to give up on improving your nightlife with a morning walk or jog. Just set that alarm and get yourself into a routine. It won't be long until you're falling out of bed and into your gym shoes before the alarm even goes off.

And for even better sleep, add some gentle stretching to your routine -- it could make all the difference.

Oh, one little alert: Avoid intense exercise within 3 hours of bedtime; revving your system with a hard workout can wake you up just when you're trying to wind down.

Source: Real Age, ©2006

October 29, 2006- Time To Change
Just like every spring and fall we move our clocks forward or back one hour.

However, there's a very important task we must all remember to do when changing the clocks.  That's of course, changing the batteries in all the detectors.  This includes all the smoke alarms and don't forget those carbon monoxide detectors you have been buying, and will soon be required buy law to have in your home.  Changing every single battery can become sort of expensive and a nuisance, but it is so very important.  We trust these little devices every night when we are sleeping, protecting us from dangerous smoke, fire and carbon monoxide gas.

This annoying job only needs to be done twice a year, but it's a very important job, which is why we recycle this health tip, it's that important.  I'm sure you'll see this tip next year again, but just consider it a friendly reminder to help keep you and your family safe!

Source: Your friends at Brook West Chiropractic, ©2006

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