In its effort to overhaul health care, Congress is planning to give employers sweeping new authority to reward employees for healthy behavior, including better diet, more exercise, weight loss and smoking cessation.
Congress is seriously considering proposals to provide tax credits or other subsidies to employers who offer wellness programs that meet federal criteria. In addition, lawmakers said they would make it easier for employers to use financial rewards or penalties to promote healthy behavior among employees.
Two Democratic senators working on comprehensive health legislation, Max Baucus of Montana, the chairman of the Finance Committee, and Tom Harkin of Iowa, have taken the lead in devising such incentives.
"Prevention and wellness should be a centerpiece of health care reform," said Mr. Harkin, who regularly climbs the stairs to his seventh-floor office on Capitol Hill.
The White House agrees. One of President Obama's eight principles for health legislation is that it must "invest in prevention and wellness," a goal espoused in almost identical words by Republican senators like John Cornyn of Texas and Orrin G. Hatch of Utah.
Frank B. McArdle, a health policy expert at Hewitt Associates, a benefits consulting firm, said, "Wellness and prevention programs have become a mainstream part of the benefits offered by large employers, and it's virtually certain that Congress will include incentives for such programs" in its bill. The goals of such programs are to help people control blood pressure, fight obesity and manage diabetes and other chronic conditions.
Under Mr. Harkin's proposal, employers could obtain tax credits for programs that offer periodic screenings for health problems and counseling to help employees adopt healthier lifestyles. Programs could focus on tobacco use, obesity, physical fitness, nutrition and depression, he said.
If, for example, an employer pays the cost of gym membership for employees as part of a wellness program, the payment is often counted as taxable income to employees.
Helen Darling, president of the National Business Group on Health, which represents 300 large employers, said, "We would like Congress to change the law so it would not be taxable income if an employer provides a benefit to help employees stay healthy."
Employers who reward healthy behavior may also run afoul of a 1996 law intended to prevent group health plans from discriminating against people because of their health status or medical history.
If an employer offers financial incentives to employees for lowering cholesterol, losing weight or stopping smoking, the amount of such rewards generally may not exceed 20 percent of the cost of coverage.
Many employers would like to offer larger incentives, and many in Congress want to let them do so.
Source: IHRSA
Friday, May 22, 2009
Monday, April 13, 2009
Ease the Pressure
By keeping your blood pressure in check, you can help prevent a stroke. Here are five drug-free ways to bring the numbers down.
By Elizabeth Barker
Eat Omega-3s
"Omega-3s lower your levels of blood fats and make your blood less viscous, so your heart doesn't have to work as hard," explains Ginger Nash, N.D., a naturopathic physician in Connecticut. Nash recommends eating flaxseed or nuts every day or getting three servings of omega-3-rich fish like salmon each week. If you don't get enough of these foods, consider supplementing your diet with 1,200 to 1,500 milligrams of fish oil daily, Nash says.
Get a Chiropractic Adjustment
A onetime adjustment of the Atlas vertebra (located at the base of the skull) lowers blood pressure as effectively as taking two blood pressure drugs at once, suggests a recent University of Chicago Medical Center study of 50 people. Although researchers didn't determine how the adjustment reduced blood pressure, they found that the decrease was still in effect eight weeks after treatment.
Use Supplements
Taking 60 mg per day of Coenzyme Q10-a naturally occurring compound often deficient in people with hypertension-may lower blood pressure by helping the heart contract more effectively, according to Nash. Robert E. Kowalski, author of The Blood Pressure Cure (Wiley, 2007), also recommends the supplements Lyc-O-Mato (15 mg daily), a tomato extract that provides lycopene and other antioxidants that may lower blood pressure; pycnogenol (200 mg daily), an extract of pine bark that promotes artery health; Mega- Natural-BP, a grapeseed extract that helps keep cholesterol from building up in the arteries; and EP Sustained-Release L-Arginine, an amino acid that can improve blood flow.
Take Magnesium, Calcium & Potassium
These electrolytes help nourish the heart muscle and regulate blood pressure. Kowalski suggests you get about 700 mg of magnesium, 1,200 mg of calcium, and 4,700 mg of potassium daily through your diet or in supplement form. And because too much sodium (another electrolyte) can raise your blood pressure, eat salty foods in moderation.
Do Breathing Exercises
Two to three minutes of deep breathing several times a day can help bring down blood pressure, according to Kowalski. He recommends a gadget called RESPeRATE (resperate.com) that teaches slow, paced breathing by chiming when you should inhale and exhale.
By Elizabeth Barker
Eat Omega-3s
"Omega-3s lower your levels of blood fats and make your blood less viscous, so your heart doesn't have to work as hard," explains Ginger Nash, N.D., a naturopathic physician in Connecticut. Nash recommends eating flaxseed or nuts every day or getting three servings of omega-3-rich fish like salmon each week. If you don't get enough of these foods, consider supplementing your diet with 1,200 to 1,500 milligrams of fish oil daily, Nash says.
Get a Chiropractic Adjustment
A onetime adjustment of the Atlas vertebra (located at the base of the skull) lowers blood pressure as effectively as taking two blood pressure drugs at once, suggests a recent University of Chicago Medical Center study of 50 people. Although researchers didn't determine how the adjustment reduced blood pressure, they found that the decrease was still in effect eight weeks after treatment.
Use Supplements
Taking 60 mg per day of Coenzyme Q10-a naturally occurring compound often deficient in people with hypertension-may lower blood pressure by helping the heart contract more effectively, according to Nash. Robert E. Kowalski, author of The Blood Pressure Cure (Wiley, 2007), also recommends the supplements Lyc-O-Mato (15 mg daily), a tomato extract that provides lycopene and other antioxidants that may lower blood pressure; pycnogenol (200 mg daily), an extract of pine bark that promotes artery health; Mega- Natural-BP, a grapeseed extract that helps keep cholesterol from building up in the arteries; and EP Sustained-Release L-Arginine, an amino acid that can improve blood flow.
Take Magnesium, Calcium & Potassium
These electrolytes help nourish the heart muscle and regulate blood pressure. Kowalski suggests you get about 700 mg of magnesium, 1,200 mg of calcium, and 4,700 mg of potassium daily through your diet or in supplement form. And because too much sodium (another electrolyte) can raise your blood pressure, eat salty foods in moderation.
Do Breathing Exercises
Two to three minutes of deep breathing several times a day can help bring down blood pressure, according to Kowalski. He recommends a gadget called RESPeRATE (resperate.com) that teaches slow, paced breathing by chiming when you should inhale and exhale.
Sunday, April 05, 2009
Sweet Tooth? Try Unrefined Sweeteners Like Honey for a Healthier Option
Here’s a quick way to stop guilty pleasures from filling you with guilt: Eat the ones made with honey, brown sugar, maple syrup, or molasses.
Unlike regular sugar, these unrefined sweeteners have potentially useful amounts of disease-fighting antioxidants, according to new research from Virginia Tech. Feel better? Good. Now eat your vegetables.
Unlike regular sugar, these unrefined sweeteners have potentially useful amounts of disease-fighting antioxidants, according to new research from Virginia Tech. Feel better? Good. Now eat your vegetables.
Tuesday, March 03, 2009
Power Juices
You may not be 100 percent sure how to pronounce açai, goji berries, or mangosteen. And chances are, you got your first taste of pomegranate juice in the past few years. But if researchers, health experts, and some innovative entrepreneurs have their way, these age-old fruits from around the globe (pomegranates appear in Greek mythology, the Bible, and the Koran, for example) will be as common as cranberries and dark chocolate.
Emerging research is finding more and more unique health benefits from each of these four superfruits—from pain relief and cancer-fighting properties to immune-boosting power. Add to that the high antioxidant activity from the plant compounds they contain, plus off-the-charts levels of essential vitamins (e.g., goji berries have more vitamin C than oranges), and you’ve got a group of ancient foods that deserve a modern-day review. To help you figure out why each of these is so good for you, and—better still—how to start consuming them, we’ve put together this guide.
Açai
Background:
In the Brazilian rain forest, juice from the açai (pronounced ah-sah-EE) berry has been used for medicinal purposes for centuries. The tiny, bluish-black fruit from Amazonian palm trees doesn’t travel well, so açai is found primarily in juice and powdered form outside of Brazil.
Why it’s super:
Açai contains 10 times The anthocyanins of red wine. Indeed, açai berries are “one of the richest fruit sources of antioxidants,” says Stephen Talcott, an assistant professor of food chemistry at Texas A&M University. The juice’s popularity soared after word got out that its antioxidant activity might have age-defying benefits. There is also scientific evidence for cancer suppression: In a test-tube study performed at the University of Florida, açai extract was shown to kill up to 86 percent of leukemia cells; human trials are in progress.
How to get more:
Açai juice tastes like a strong chocolate-berry combination. Drink the juice or concentrated extract straight or add to shakes and smoothies; açai is also widely available in powdered and capsule forms.
Product picks:
Cool off with a scoop (or two) of Sambazon Organic Açaí sorbets, available in Original Açaí, Strawberry Samba, and Mango Uprising. Or swap your morning glass of OJ for one of Bossa Nova’s five açai juice blends—Mango, Blueberry, Original, Passionfruit, and Raspberry.
Pomegranate
Background:
Pomegranates hold a prominent place in history: They’re mentioned in the Koran, celebrated in the Torah, and speculated to be the original forbidden fruit. (The word “pomegranate” is a derivative of Latin for “seeded apple.”)
Why it’s super:
The juicy, seedy gems have a new role to play as warriors against cancer. A 2006 study conducted at the University of California, Los Angeles, found that consuming eight ounces of antioxidant-rich pomegranate juice a day can slow the spread of prostate cancer. “I’m not saying it’s a cure,” says Allan Pantuck, MD, an associate professor of urology and lead author of the study. “But there are a lot of reasons to recommend it and not a lot of reasons to avoid it.” Earlier studies also showed pomegranate juice to have significant health benefits in lowering blood pressure and preventing osteoarthritis and heart disease.
How to get more:
Drink the juice or concentrated extract straight, or use it to flavor sparkling water. Sprinkle pomegranate seeds over salads, or use to decorate cakes and tarts.
Product picks:
Give yourself a one-two punch against heart disease with Jarrow Formulas’ new Pomegranate + Blackcurrant Juice Concentrate; popular in Europe, black currant is a fruit that has more antioxidant activity than blueberries and is particularly rich in vitamin C. Or enjoy a bottle of Cell-nique Super Green Drink in Pomegranate—each serving is rich in green foods, vitamins, minerals, and herbs.
Mangosteen
Background:
Mangosteen is a deep reddish-purple fruit with a hard, woody rind that grows in subtropical climates. It’s prized in Southeast Asia and South America for its soft, snow-white segments with a delicate floral flavor and a texture akin to a plum (and no, it’s not related to the mango). But don’t go looking for mangosteens in the produce aisle: The U.S. Department of Agriculture prohibits importing the fresh fruit, which can harbor pests (though you can sometimes find frozen whole mangosteens in Asian markets).
Why it’s super:
An Ohio State University study published in March 2006 examined mangosteen’s high levels of xanthones, certain antioxidant compounds occurring in greater amounts in the rind and seeds of this fruit than any other. These xanthones combat inflammation and free radicals (harmful ions that can contribute to cancer). The antioxidant levels found in mangosteen products are incredibly potent, believes A. Douglas Kinghorn, PhD, DSc, of Ohio State’s College of Pharmacy and lead researcher on the study. “If you drink a small amount of mangosteen liquid, it will have positive effects in terms of cancer prevention. I think it’s the most promising thing to come along in a while,” he says.
How to get more:
Look for mangosteen juice made from the whole fruit (the rind contains most of the fruit’s benefits). The juice has a tart, full-bodied flavor and rich, red color. Since it’s still new to the United States, the juice can be expensive, so sip it straight in small quantities or try one of the new juice blends. Add a dash to smoothies or dilute it with water or sparkling water.
Product picks:
Mango-xan from Pure Fruit Technologies contains 100 percent pure mangosteen fruit—try a serving after a workout for enhanced recovery. Or grab a perfectly portioned serving of this Thai fruit with XanGo Single, a new grab-and-go option from XanGo.
Goji Berries
Background:
Time Magazine called goji berries (pronounced GO-gee) “the breakout fruit of the year,” but these raisin-like dried berries or “wolfberries” have been used for centuries by Chinese cooks. Buddhist cooks also use rehydrated goji berries as a meat substitute in dumplings.
Why they’re super:
“Goji berry is a truly unique discovery,” says Nicholas Perricone, MD, dermatologist and author of Dr. Perricone’s 7 Secrets to Beauty, Health, and Longevity: The Miracle of Cellular Rejuvenation. Goji may be the only food known to stimulate the secretion of human growth hormone, which is thought to inhibit classic signs of aging, including wrinkles and susceptibility to disease, Perricone says. They also contain more vitamin C than oranges, more betacarotene than carrots, and more iron than soybeans or spinach.
How to get more:
Dried berries are readily available in health food stores and Asian markets. You can munch on a handful of dried berries or plump them in boiling water and use the same way you’d use raisins or dried cranberries (they taste like a slightly floral combination of the two) in cookies, cakes, oatmeal, yogurt, or cereal. The juice has a mild flavor; drink it on its own or add it to a smoothie.
Product Picks:
For a quick, low-calorie snack (only 100 calories), grab a handful of Heaven Mountain Goji Berries from Flora Health.
PURE FRUIT TECHNOLOGIES
For great health and beauty benefits, try these fantastic exotic fruit liquid supplements: Mango-xan Antioxidant Formula, Seabuck-7 Rejuvenation Formula, and Goji-zen Longevity Formula. Just one ounce a day of these powerful juices helps support the immune system, increases stamina and energy, and provides a bounty of powerful, freeradical devouring antioxidants, minerals, and essential fatty acids. And each great tasting superfruit blend is 100 percent natural, with no preservatives.
http://www.betternutrition.com/document/670
Emerging research is finding more and more unique health benefits from each of these four superfruits—from pain relief and cancer-fighting properties to immune-boosting power. Add to that the high antioxidant activity from the plant compounds they contain, plus off-the-charts levels of essential vitamins (e.g., goji berries have more vitamin C than oranges), and you’ve got a group of ancient foods that deserve a modern-day review. To help you figure out why each of these is so good for you, and—better still—how to start consuming them, we’ve put together this guide.
Açai
Background:
In the Brazilian rain forest, juice from the açai (pronounced ah-sah-EE) berry has been used for medicinal purposes for centuries. The tiny, bluish-black fruit from Amazonian palm trees doesn’t travel well, so açai is found primarily in juice and powdered form outside of Brazil.
Why it’s super:
Açai contains 10 times The anthocyanins of red wine. Indeed, açai berries are “one of the richest fruit sources of antioxidants,” says Stephen Talcott, an assistant professor of food chemistry at Texas A&M University. The juice’s popularity soared after word got out that its antioxidant activity might have age-defying benefits. There is also scientific evidence for cancer suppression: In a test-tube study performed at the University of Florida, açai extract was shown to kill up to 86 percent of leukemia cells; human trials are in progress.
How to get more:
Açai juice tastes like a strong chocolate-berry combination. Drink the juice or concentrated extract straight or add to shakes and smoothies; açai is also widely available in powdered and capsule forms.
Product picks:
Cool off with a scoop (or two) of Sambazon Organic Açaí sorbets, available in Original Açaí, Strawberry Samba, and Mango Uprising. Or swap your morning glass of OJ for one of Bossa Nova’s five açai juice blends—Mango, Blueberry, Original, Passionfruit, and Raspberry.
Pomegranate
Background:
Pomegranates hold a prominent place in history: They’re mentioned in the Koran, celebrated in the Torah, and speculated to be the original forbidden fruit. (The word “pomegranate” is a derivative of Latin for “seeded apple.”)
Why it’s super:
The juicy, seedy gems have a new role to play as warriors against cancer. A 2006 study conducted at the University of California, Los Angeles, found that consuming eight ounces of antioxidant-rich pomegranate juice a day can slow the spread of prostate cancer. “I’m not saying it’s a cure,” says Allan Pantuck, MD, an associate professor of urology and lead author of the study. “But there are a lot of reasons to recommend it and not a lot of reasons to avoid it.” Earlier studies also showed pomegranate juice to have significant health benefits in lowering blood pressure and preventing osteoarthritis and heart disease.
How to get more:
Drink the juice or concentrated extract straight, or use it to flavor sparkling water. Sprinkle pomegranate seeds over salads, or use to decorate cakes and tarts.
Product picks:
Give yourself a one-two punch against heart disease with Jarrow Formulas’ new Pomegranate + Blackcurrant Juice Concentrate; popular in Europe, black currant is a fruit that has more antioxidant activity than blueberries and is particularly rich in vitamin C. Or enjoy a bottle of Cell-nique Super Green Drink in Pomegranate—each serving is rich in green foods, vitamins, minerals, and herbs.
Mangosteen
Background:
Mangosteen is a deep reddish-purple fruit with a hard, woody rind that grows in subtropical climates. It’s prized in Southeast Asia and South America for its soft, snow-white segments with a delicate floral flavor and a texture akin to a plum (and no, it’s not related to the mango). But don’t go looking for mangosteens in the produce aisle: The U.S. Department of Agriculture prohibits importing the fresh fruit, which can harbor pests (though you can sometimes find frozen whole mangosteens in Asian markets).
Why it’s super:
An Ohio State University study published in March 2006 examined mangosteen’s high levels of xanthones, certain antioxidant compounds occurring in greater amounts in the rind and seeds of this fruit than any other. These xanthones combat inflammation and free radicals (harmful ions that can contribute to cancer). The antioxidant levels found in mangosteen products are incredibly potent, believes A. Douglas Kinghorn, PhD, DSc, of Ohio State’s College of Pharmacy and lead researcher on the study. “If you drink a small amount of mangosteen liquid, it will have positive effects in terms of cancer prevention. I think it’s the most promising thing to come along in a while,” he says.
How to get more:
Look for mangosteen juice made from the whole fruit (the rind contains most of the fruit’s benefits). The juice has a tart, full-bodied flavor and rich, red color. Since it’s still new to the United States, the juice can be expensive, so sip it straight in small quantities or try one of the new juice blends. Add a dash to smoothies or dilute it with water or sparkling water.
Product picks:
Mango-xan from Pure Fruit Technologies contains 100 percent pure mangosteen fruit—try a serving after a workout for enhanced recovery. Or grab a perfectly portioned serving of this Thai fruit with XanGo Single, a new grab-and-go option from XanGo.
Goji Berries
Background:
Time Magazine called goji berries (pronounced GO-gee) “the breakout fruit of the year,” but these raisin-like dried berries or “wolfberries” have been used for centuries by Chinese cooks. Buddhist cooks also use rehydrated goji berries as a meat substitute in dumplings.
Why they’re super:
“Goji berry is a truly unique discovery,” says Nicholas Perricone, MD, dermatologist and author of Dr. Perricone’s 7 Secrets to Beauty, Health, and Longevity: The Miracle of Cellular Rejuvenation. Goji may be the only food known to stimulate the secretion of human growth hormone, which is thought to inhibit classic signs of aging, including wrinkles and susceptibility to disease, Perricone says. They also contain more vitamin C than oranges, more betacarotene than carrots, and more iron than soybeans or spinach.
How to get more:
Dried berries are readily available in health food stores and Asian markets. You can munch on a handful of dried berries or plump them in boiling water and use the same way you’d use raisins or dried cranberries (they taste like a slightly floral combination of the two) in cookies, cakes, oatmeal, yogurt, or cereal. The juice has a mild flavor; drink it on its own or add it to a smoothie.
Product Picks:
For a quick, low-calorie snack (only 100 calories), grab a handful of Heaven Mountain Goji Berries from Flora Health.
PURE FRUIT TECHNOLOGIES
For great health and beauty benefits, try these fantastic exotic fruit liquid supplements: Mango-xan Antioxidant Formula, Seabuck-7 Rejuvenation Formula, and Goji-zen Longevity Formula. Just one ounce a day of these powerful juices helps support the immune system, increases stamina and energy, and provides a bounty of powerful, freeradical devouring antioxidants, minerals, and essential fatty acids. And each great tasting superfruit blend is 100 percent natural, with no preservatives.
http://www.betternutrition.com/document/670
Tuesday, February 03, 2009
Blissing Out: 10 Relaxation Techniques To Reduce Stress On-the-Spot
If your hectic lifestyle has got you down, experts say relaxation techniques can bring you back into balance -- some in five minutes or less.
The kids need a ride to school, your husband can't find his shorts, your boss has just scheduled an online meeting, and your best friend desperately needs your help -- all at the same time.
Is it any wonder that you can't find a minute for relaxation? In fact, if you're like most women, you may have even forgotten how to relax.
And while experts say that some stress is good for you -- it can sharpen your senses and your mind -- too much stress is bad for your mental and physical health. At the same time, relaxation can do wonders to restore balance in your life -- and may even reduce some of the health risks associated with stress.
WebMD talked to the experts to learn more about relaxation -- and how to attain it. What follows are 10 on-the-spot techniques you can use -- any time and almost anywhere -- to reduce the tension in your life.
1. Meditate
If you're thinking meditation means twisting your body into an uncomfortable position and uttering "oohs" and "omms" for an hour, guess again. Any repetitive action can be a source of meditation, says Herbert Benson, MD, author of The Relaxation Response anddirector emeritus, Benson-Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. This includes walking, swimming, painting, knitting -- any activity that helps keep your attention calmly in the present moment.
When you catch yourself thinking about your job, your relationship or your lifelong to-do list, experts say to simply let the thought escape, and bring your mind back the repetition of the activity. Try it for just 5 to 10 minutes a day and watch stress levels drop.
2. Picture Yourself Relaxed
Is your mind too talkative to meditate? Try creating a peaceful visualization, or "dreamscape." To start, simply visualize anything that keeps your thoughts away from current tensions. It could be a favorite vacation spot, a fantasy island, that penthouse in New York City -- or something "touchable," like the feel of your favorite silk robe or cozy sweater.
The idea is to take your mind off your stress, and replace it with an image that evokes a sense of calm. The more realistic your daydream -- in terms of colors, sights, sounds; even touch and feel -- the more relaxation you'll experience.
3. Breathe Deeply
Feeling stressed evokes tense, shallow breathing, while calm is associated with relaxed breathing, says Michael Lee, author of Turn Stress into Bliss and founder of Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapy in Bristol, Vermont. So to turn tension into relaxation, he says, change the way you breathe.
Try this: Let out a big sigh, dropping your chest, and exhaling through gently pursed lips, says Joan Borysenko, PhD, director of Harvard's Mind-Body Clinical Programs. Now imagine your low belly, or center, as a deep, powerful place. Feel your breath coming and going as your mind stays focused there. Inhale, feeling your entire belly, sides and lower back expand. Exhale, sighing again as you drop your chest, and feeling your belly, back and sides contract. Repeat 10 times, relaxing more fully each time.
continued...
4. Look Around You
"Mindfulness is the here-and-now approach to living that makes daily life richer and more meaningful," says Claire Michaels Wheeler, MD, PhD, author of 10 Simple Solutions to Stress. It's approaching life like a child, without passing judgment on what occurs. Mindfulness means focusing on one activity at a time, so forget multi-tasking! Staying in the present-tense can help promote relaxation and provide a buffer against anxiety and depression.
Practice it by focusing on your immediate surroundings. If you're outdoors, enjoy the shape and colors of flowers, hear a bird's call or consider a tree. In the mall, look at the details of a dress in the window, examine a piece of jewelry and focus on how it's made, or window-shop for furniture, checking out every detail of pattern and style. As long as you can keep your mind focused on something in the present, stress will take a back seat.
5. Drink Hot Tea
If you're a coffee-guzzler, consider going green. Coffee raises levels of the notorious stress hormone, cortisol, while green tea offers health and beauty, says Nicholas Perricone, MD, author of 7 Secrets to Beauty, Health, and Longevity.
Chamomile tea is a traditional favorite for calming the mind and reducing stress. And black tea may be a stress-fighter, too, researchers from University College London report. Participants who drank regular black tea displayed lower levels of cortisol, and reported feeling calmer during six weeks of stressful situations than those who drank a placebo with the same amount of caffeine.
6. Show Some Love
Induce the relaxation response by cuddling your pet, giving an unexpected hug to a friend or family member, snuggling with your spouse, or talking to a friend about the good things in your lives, says psychologist Deborah Rozman, PhD, co-author of Transforming Stress. When you do, you'll be reducing your stress levels.
Why? Experts say social interaction helps your brain think better, encouraging you to see new solutions to situations that once seemed impossible, she says. Studies have also shown that physical contact -- like petting your dog or cat -- may actually help lower blood pressure and decrease stress hormones.
7. Try Self-Massage
When your muscles are tense and you've no time to visit a pro, try this simple self-massage technique from Darrin Zeer, author of Lover's Massage and Office Yoga. Relax, and travel straight to Zen-land.
* Place both hands on your shoulders and neck.
* Squeeze with your fingers and palms.
* Rub vigorously, keeping shoulders relaxed.
* Wrap one hand around the other forearm.
* Squeeze the muscles with thumb and fingers.
* Move up and down from your elbow to fingertips and back again.
* Repeat with other arm.
8. Take a Time-Out
Adults need time-outs, too. So when you sense your temper is about to erupt, Jeff Brantley, MD, author of Five Good Minutes In the Evening, suggests finding a quiet place to sit or lie down and put the stressful situation on hold. Take a few deep breaths and concentrate on releasing tension and calming your heartbeat. Quiet your mind and remember: Time is always on your side, so relax. The stress can wait.
continued...
9. Try a Musical Detour
Music can calm the heartbeat and soothe the soul, the experts say. So, when the going gets rough, take a musical stress detour by aligning your heartbeat with the slow tempo of a relaxing song. And you might want to make that a classical tune. Research shows that listening to 30 minutes of classical music may produce calming effects equivalent to taking 10 mg of Valium.
10. Take an Attitude Break
Thirty seconds is enough time to shift your heart's rhythm from stressed to relaxed, Rozman says. The way to do that: Engage your heart and your mind in positive thinking. Start by envisioning anything that triggers a positive feeling -- a vision of your child or spouse, the image of your pet, that great piece of jewelry you're saving up to buy, a memento from a vacation -- whatever it is, conjuring up the thought will help slow breathing, relax tense muscles and put a smile on your face. Rozman says that creating a positive emotional attitude can also calm and steady your heart rhythm, contributing to feelings of relaxation and peace.
By Jenny Stamos Kovacs
WebMD Feature
Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD
The kids need a ride to school, your husband can't find his shorts, your boss has just scheduled an online meeting, and your best friend desperately needs your help -- all at the same time.
Is it any wonder that you can't find a minute for relaxation? In fact, if you're like most women, you may have even forgotten how to relax.
And while experts say that some stress is good for you -- it can sharpen your senses and your mind -- too much stress is bad for your mental and physical health. At the same time, relaxation can do wonders to restore balance in your life -- and may even reduce some of the health risks associated with stress.
WebMD talked to the experts to learn more about relaxation -- and how to attain it. What follows are 10 on-the-spot techniques you can use -- any time and almost anywhere -- to reduce the tension in your life.
1. Meditate
If you're thinking meditation means twisting your body into an uncomfortable position and uttering "oohs" and "omms" for an hour, guess again. Any repetitive action can be a source of meditation, says Herbert Benson, MD, author of The Relaxation Response anddirector emeritus, Benson-Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. This includes walking, swimming, painting, knitting -- any activity that helps keep your attention calmly in the present moment.
When you catch yourself thinking about your job, your relationship or your lifelong to-do list, experts say to simply let the thought escape, and bring your mind back the repetition of the activity. Try it for just 5 to 10 minutes a day and watch stress levels drop.
2. Picture Yourself Relaxed
Is your mind too talkative to meditate? Try creating a peaceful visualization, or "dreamscape." To start, simply visualize anything that keeps your thoughts away from current tensions. It could be a favorite vacation spot, a fantasy island, that penthouse in New York City -- or something "touchable," like the feel of your favorite silk robe or cozy sweater.
The idea is to take your mind off your stress, and replace it with an image that evokes a sense of calm. The more realistic your daydream -- in terms of colors, sights, sounds; even touch and feel -- the more relaxation you'll experience.
3. Breathe Deeply
Feeling stressed evokes tense, shallow breathing, while calm is associated with relaxed breathing, says Michael Lee, author of Turn Stress into Bliss and founder of Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapy in Bristol, Vermont. So to turn tension into relaxation, he says, change the way you breathe.
Try this: Let out a big sigh, dropping your chest, and exhaling through gently pursed lips, says Joan Borysenko, PhD, director of Harvard's Mind-Body Clinical Programs. Now imagine your low belly, or center, as a deep, powerful place. Feel your breath coming and going as your mind stays focused there. Inhale, feeling your entire belly, sides and lower back expand. Exhale, sighing again as you drop your chest, and feeling your belly, back and sides contract. Repeat 10 times, relaxing more fully each time.
continued...
4. Look Around You
"Mindfulness is the here-and-now approach to living that makes daily life richer and more meaningful," says Claire Michaels Wheeler, MD, PhD, author of 10 Simple Solutions to Stress. It's approaching life like a child, without passing judgment on what occurs. Mindfulness means focusing on one activity at a time, so forget multi-tasking! Staying in the present-tense can help promote relaxation and provide a buffer against anxiety and depression.
Practice it by focusing on your immediate surroundings. If you're outdoors, enjoy the shape and colors of flowers, hear a bird's call or consider a tree. In the mall, look at the details of a dress in the window, examine a piece of jewelry and focus on how it's made, or window-shop for furniture, checking out every detail of pattern and style. As long as you can keep your mind focused on something in the present, stress will take a back seat.
5. Drink Hot Tea
If you're a coffee-guzzler, consider going green. Coffee raises levels of the notorious stress hormone, cortisol, while green tea offers health and beauty, says Nicholas Perricone, MD, author of 7 Secrets to Beauty, Health, and Longevity.
Chamomile tea is a traditional favorite for calming the mind and reducing stress. And black tea may be a stress-fighter, too, researchers from University College London report. Participants who drank regular black tea displayed lower levels of cortisol, and reported feeling calmer during six weeks of stressful situations than those who drank a placebo with the same amount of caffeine.
6. Show Some Love
Induce the relaxation response by cuddling your pet, giving an unexpected hug to a friend or family member, snuggling with your spouse, or talking to a friend about the good things in your lives, says psychologist Deborah Rozman, PhD, co-author of Transforming Stress. When you do, you'll be reducing your stress levels.
Why? Experts say social interaction helps your brain think better, encouraging you to see new solutions to situations that once seemed impossible, she says. Studies have also shown that physical contact -- like petting your dog or cat -- may actually help lower blood pressure and decrease stress hormones.
7. Try Self-Massage
When your muscles are tense and you've no time to visit a pro, try this simple self-massage technique from Darrin Zeer, author of Lover's Massage and Office Yoga. Relax, and travel straight to Zen-land.
* Place both hands on your shoulders and neck.
* Squeeze with your fingers and palms.
* Rub vigorously, keeping shoulders relaxed.
* Wrap one hand around the other forearm.
* Squeeze the muscles with thumb and fingers.
* Move up and down from your elbow to fingertips and back again.
* Repeat with other arm.
8. Take a Time-Out
Adults need time-outs, too. So when you sense your temper is about to erupt, Jeff Brantley, MD, author of Five Good Minutes In the Evening, suggests finding a quiet place to sit or lie down and put the stressful situation on hold. Take a few deep breaths and concentrate on releasing tension and calming your heartbeat. Quiet your mind and remember: Time is always on your side, so relax. The stress can wait.
continued...
9. Try a Musical Detour
Music can calm the heartbeat and soothe the soul, the experts say. So, when the going gets rough, take a musical stress detour by aligning your heartbeat with the slow tempo of a relaxing song. And you might want to make that a classical tune. Research shows that listening to 30 minutes of classical music may produce calming effects equivalent to taking 10 mg of Valium.
10. Take an Attitude Break
Thirty seconds is enough time to shift your heart's rhythm from stressed to relaxed, Rozman says. The way to do that: Engage your heart and your mind in positive thinking. Start by envisioning anything that triggers a positive feeling -- a vision of your child or spouse, the image of your pet, that great piece of jewelry you're saving up to buy, a memento from a vacation -- whatever it is, conjuring up the thought will help slow breathing, relax tense muscles and put a smile on your face. Rozman says that creating a positive emotional attitude can also calm and steady your heart rhythm, contributing to feelings of relaxation and peace.
By Jenny Stamos Kovacs
WebMD Feature
Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD
Winter Blues: The Carbohydrate Connection
If you crave carbohydrates during the shorter, darker days of winter, your body may simply be trying to make up for low serotonin levels. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that--among other things--regulates mood and energy levels. When serotonin levels fall, you may experience fatigue, depression and irritability. Serotonin levels tend to be lower in the winter--and this can be the reason behind your winter blues or, the more extreme version, Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).
The connection with carbohydrates is this: Eating carbohydrates will increase serotonin production, which should elevate your mood--temporarily at least. So, those comfort food cravings may be your body's way of self-medicating. In fact, some experts advocate the controlled use of carbohydrate meals or snacks as a way of treating SAD.
"Eating carbohydrates is therapeutic," says diet detective Judith Wurtman. "The brain makes new serotonin, and the symptoms of SAD diminish. Eating potatoes, rice, bread, pasta and other carbohydrates is a natural way of dealing with the darkness of winter. This does not mean that protein foods, vegetables, fruit, dairy products should be avoided. Not at all. But one approach might be to eat protein for breakfast and lunch. As the sun and serotonin levels go down, switch to carbohydrates. A dinner of pasta, or roasted potatoes or rice and vegetables, will restore serotonin, your good mood and your energy." (SAD, serotonin, and carbohydrates.)
In fact, a small study in 2006 found that a twice-daily carbohydrate drink relieved symptoms of SAD and, researchers hoped, might do less dietary damage than the uncontrolled carbohydrate binging that some SAD sufferers resort to. ("High-Carb Drink Eases SAD Symptoms.")
But SAD expert Norman Rosenthal (author of Winter Blues) worries that the mood-elevating effect is temporary at best. In a few hours, you need another fix. By the time winter is over, you may have packed on a lot of carbohydrate-fueled pounds. Rosenthal advocates a low carbohydrate diet for those with SAD.
A better way to stimulate serotonin is to exercise regularly. Exercise stimulates serotonin production with no carbohydrate hang-over. Instead of gaining winter weight, you might even trim down. Overcoming your winter fatigue and getting yourself moving may take some self-discipline at first. But the rewards, in the form of more energy and a brighter mood, come quickly.
If you struggle with low moods and/or carbohydrate cravings at this time of year, why not give this a two-week trial: Get 30 minutes a day of moderate to high intensity exercise. If weather and schedule permits, take your exercise outdoors and get the additional benefit of some natural light therapy. If not, take advantage of your home gym or health club membership to exercise indoors.
Also, if you suffer from seasonal depression, be sure your diet contains sufficient folic acid. People who are depressed are often deficient in this nutrient, which helps to support healthy serotonin levels. Folic acid supplementation has been shown to relieve symptoms of SAD. Even better, focus on foods that are naturally high in folic acid, such as edamame, spinach, collards, and asparagus.
And, take heart! Spring begins in about two months!
Article from The Nutrition Data Blog
The connection with carbohydrates is this: Eating carbohydrates will increase serotonin production, which should elevate your mood--temporarily at least. So, those comfort food cravings may be your body's way of self-medicating. In fact, some experts advocate the controlled use of carbohydrate meals or snacks as a way of treating SAD.
"Eating carbohydrates is therapeutic," says diet detective Judith Wurtman. "The brain makes new serotonin, and the symptoms of SAD diminish. Eating potatoes, rice, bread, pasta and other carbohydrates is a natural way of dealing with the darkness of winter. This does not mean that protein foods, vegetables, fruit, dairy products should be avoided. Not at all. But one approach might be to eat protein for breakfast and lunch. As the sun and serotonin levels go down, switch to carbohydrates. A dinner of pasta, or roasted potatoes or rice and vegetables, will restore serotonin, your good mood and your energy." (SAD, serotonin, and carbohydrates.)
In fact, a small study in 2006 found that a twice-daily carbohydrate drink relieved symptoms of SAD and, researchers hoped, might do less dietary damage than the uncontrolled carbohydrate binging that some SAD sufferers resort to. ("High-Carb Drink Eases SAD Symptoms.")
But SAD expert Norman Rosenthal (author of Winter Blues) worries that the mood-elevating effect is temporary at best. In a few hours, you need another fix. By the time winter is over, you may have packed on a lot of carbohydrate-fueled pounds. Rosenthal advocates a low carbohydrate diet for those with SAD.
A better way to stimulate serotonin is to exercise regularly. Exercise stimulates serotonin production with no carbohydrate hang-over. Instead of gaining winter weight, you might even trim down. Overcoming your winter fatigue and getting yourself moving may take some self-discipline at first. But the rewards, in the form of more energy and a brighter mood, come quickly.
If you struggle with low moods and/or carbohydrate cravings at this time of year, why not give this a two-week trial: Get 30 minutes a day of moderate to high intensity exercise. If weather and schedule permits, take your exercise outdoors and get the additional benefit of some natural light therapy. If not, take advantage of your home gym or health club membership to exercise indoors.
Also, if you suffer from seasonal depression, be sure your diet contains sufficient folic acid. People who are depressed are often deficient in this nutrient, which helps to support healthy serotonin levels. Folic acid supplementation has been shown to relieve symptoms of SAD. Even better, focus on foods that are naturally high in folic acid, such as edamame, spinach, collards, and asparagus.
And, take heart! Spring begins in about two months!
Article from The Nutrition Data Blog
Thursday, January 01, 2009
10 Exercise Myths
Although some old fitness fictions, such as “no pain, no gain” and “spot reducing” are fading fast, plenty of popular exercise misconceptions still exist. Here are some of the most common exercise myths as well as the not-so-common facts based on current exercise research.
Exercise Myth 1. You Will Burn More Fat If You Exercise Longer at a Lower Intensity. The most important focus in exercise and fat weight control is not the percentage of exercise energy coming from fat but the total energy cost, or how many calories are burned during the activity. The faster you walk, step or run, for example, the more calories you use per minute. However, high-intensity exercise is difficult to sustain if you are just beginning or returning to exercise, so you may not exercise very long at this level. It is safer, and more practical, to start out at a lower intensity and work your way up gradually.
Exercise Myth 2. If You’re Not Going to Work Out Hard and Often, Exercise Is a Waste of Time. This kind of thinking keeps a lot of people from maintaining or even starting an exercise program. Research continues to show that any exercise is better than none. For example, regular walking or gardening for as little as an hour a week has been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease.
Exercise Myth 3. Yoga Is a Completely Gentle and Safe Exercise. Yoga is an excellent form of exercise, but some styles are quite rigorous and demanding both physically and mentally. As with any form of exercise, qualified, careful instruction is necessary for a safe, effective workout.
Exercise Myth 4. If You Exercise Long and Hard Enough, You Will Always Get the Results You Want. In reality, genetics plays an important role in how people respond to exercise. Studies have shown a wide variation in how different exercisers respond to the same training program. Your development of strength, speed and endurance may be very different from that of other people you know.
Exercise Myth 5. Exercise Is One Sure Way to Lose All the Weight You Desire. As with all responses to exercise, weight gain or loss is impacted by many factors, including dietary intake and genetics. All individuals will not lose the same amount of weight on the same exercise program. It is possible to be active and overweight. However, although exercise alone cannot guarantee your ideal weight, regular physical activity is one of the most important factors for successful long-term weight management.
Exercise Myth 6. If You Want to Lose Weight, Stay Away From Strength Training Because You Will Bulk Up. Most exercise experts believe that cardiovascular exercise and strength training are both valuable for maintaining a healthy weight. Strength training helps maintain muscle mass and decrease body fat percentage.
Exercise Myth 7. Water Fitness Programs Are Primarily for Older People or Exercisers With Injuries. Recent research has shown that water fitness programs can be highly challenging and effective for both improving fitness and losing weight. Even top athletes integrate water fitness workouts into their training programs.
Exercise Myth 8. The Health and Fitness Benefits of Mind-Body Exercise Like Tai Chi and Yoga Are Questionable. In fact, research showing the benefits of these exercises continues to grow. Tai chi, for example, has been shown to help treat low-back pain and fibromyalgia. Improved flexibility, balance, coordination, posture, strength and stress management are just some of the potential results of mind-body exercise.
Exercise Myth 9. Overweight People Are Unlikely to Benefit Much From Exercise. Studies show that obese people who participate in regular exercise programs have a lower risk of all-cause mortality than sedentary individuals, regardless of weight. Both men and women of all sizes and fitness levels can improve their health with modest increases in activity.
Exercise Myth 10. Home Workouts Are Fine, But Going to a Gym Is the Best Way to Get Fit. Research has shown that some people find it easier to stick to a home-based fitness program. In spite of all the hype on trendy exercise programs and facilities, the “best” program for you is the one you will participate in consistently.
Exercise Myth 1. You Will Burn More Fat If You Exercise Longer at a Lower Intensity. The most important focus in exercise and fat weight control is not the percentage of exercise energy coming from fat but the total energy cost, or how many calories are burned during the activity. The faster you walk, step or run, for example, the more calories you use per minute. However, high-intensity exercise is difficult to sustain if you are just beginning or returning to exercise, so you may not exercise very long at this level. It is safer, and more practical, to start out at a lower intensity and work your way up gradually.
Exercise Myth 2. If You’re Not Going to Work Out Hard and Often, Exercise Is a Waste of Time. This kind of thinking keeps a lot of people from maintaining or even starting an exercise program. Research continues to show that any exercise is better than none. For example, regular walking or gardening for as little as an hour a week has been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease.
Exercise Myth 3. Yoga Is a Completely Gentle and Safe Exercise. Yoga is an excellent form of exercise, but some styles are quite rigorous and demanding both physically and mentally. As with any form of exercise, qualified, careful instruction is necessary for a safe, effective workout.
Exercise Myth 4. If You Exercise Long and Hard Enough, You Will Always Get the Results You Want. In reality, genetics plays an important role in how people respond to exercise. Studies have shown a wide variation in how different exercisers respond to the same training program. Your development of strength, speed and endurance may be very different from that of other people you know.
Exercise Myth 5. Exercise Is One Sure Way to Lose All the Weight You Desire. As with all responses to exercise, weight gain or loss is impacted by many factors, including dietary intake and genetics. All individuals will not lose the same amount of weight on the same exercise program. It is possible to be active and overweight. However, although exercise alone cannot guarantee your ideal weight, regular physical activity is one of the most important factors for successful long-term weight management.
Exercise Myth 6. If You Want to Lose Weight, Stay Away From Strength Training Because You Will Bulk Up. Most exercise experts believe that cardiovascular exercise and strength training are both valuable for maintaining a healthy weight. Strength training helps maintain muscle mass and decrease body fat percentage.
Exercise Myth 7. Water Fitness Programs Are Primarily for Older People or Exercisers With Injuries. Recent research has shown that water fitness programs can be highly challenging and effective for both improving fitness and losing weight. Even top athletes integrate water fitness workouts into their training programs.
Exercise Myth 8. The Health and Fitness Benefits of Mind-Body Exercise Like Tai Chi and Yoga Are Questionable. In fact, research showing the benefits of these exercises continues to grow. Tai chi, for example, has been shown to help treat low-back pain and fibromyalgia. Improved flexibility, balance, coordination, posture, strength and stress management are just some of the potential results of mind-body exercise.
Exercise Myth 9. Overweight People Are Unlikely to Benefit Much From Exercise. Studies show that obese people who participate in regular exercise programs have a lower risk of all-cause mortality than sedentary individuals, regardless of weight. Both men and women of all sizes and fitness levels can improve their health with modest increases in activity.
Exercise Myth 10. Home Workouts Are Fine, But Going to a Gym Is the Best Way to Get Fit. Research has shown that some people find it easier to stick to a home-based fitness program. In spite of all the hype on trendy exercise programs and facilities, the “best” program for you is the one you will participate in consistently.
Vitamins and mineral supplements not helpful
December 29, 2008
They were some of the most promising medicines of the 1990s - wonder pills that appeared to fight cancer, heart disease and other ailments.
Laboratory tests and initial studies in people suggested that lowly vitamins could play a crucial role in preventing some of the most intractable illnesses, especially in an aging population. The National Institutes of Health gave them the same treatment as top-notch pharmaceutical drugs, investing hundreds of millions of dollars in elaborate clinical trials designed to quantify their disease-fighting abilities.
Now the results from those trials are rolling in, and nearly all of them fail to show any benefit from taking vitamins and minerals.
This month, two long-term trials involving more than 50,000 participants offered fresh evidence that vitamin C, vitamin E and selenium supplements don't reduce the risk of prostate, colorectal, lung, bladder or pancreatic cancer. Other recent studies have found that over-the-counter vitamins and minerals offered no help in fighting other cancers, stroke and cardiovascular disease.
Research has even suggested that, in some circumstances, vitamin and mineral supplements can be unsafe.
Some physicians now advise their patients not to bother with taking the pills and to rely instead on a healthy diet to provide needed vitamins and minerals.
Researchers have identified several reasons why vitamins don't lend themselves to randomized controlled trials. Chief among them is that there is no true placebo group when it comes to vitamins and minerals because everyone gets some in their diet.
Los Angeles Times
They were some of the most promising medicines of the 1990s - wonder pills that appeared to fight cancer, heart disease and other ailments.
Laboratory tests and initial studies in people suggested that lowly vitamins could play a crucial role in preventing some of the most intractable illnesses, especially in an aging population. The National Institutes of Health gave them the same treatment as top-notch pharmaceutical drugs, investing hundreds of millions of dollars in elaborate clinical trials designed to quantify their disease-fighting abilities.
Now the results from those trials are rolling in, and nearly all of them fail to show any benefit from taking vitamins and minerals.
This month, two long-term trials involving more than 50,000 participants offered fresh evidence that vitamin C, vitamin E and selenium supplements don't reduce the risk of prostate, colorectal, lung, bladder or pancreatic cancer. Other recent studies have found that over-the-counter vitamins and minerals offered no help in fighting other cancers, stroke and cardiovascular disease.
Research has even suggested that, in some circumstances, vitamin and mineral supplements can be unsafe.
Some physicians now advise their patients not to bother with taking the pills and to rely instead on a healthy diet to provide needed vitamins and minerals.
Researchers have identified several reasons why vitamins don't lend themselves to randomized controlled trials. Chief among them is that there is no true placebo group when it comes to vitamins and minerals because everyone gets some in their diet.
Los Angeles Times
Lessons for Other Smokers in Obama’s Efforts to Quit
December 29, 2008
By DENISE GRADY and LAWRENCE K. ALTMAN
Will one of President-elect Barack Obama’s New Year’s resolutions be to quit smoking once and for all?
His good-humored waffling in various interviews about smoking made it plain that Mr. Obama, like many who have vowed to quit at this time of year, had not truly done so.
He told Tom Brokaw of NBC several weeks ago, for example, that he “had stopped” but that “there are times where I’ve fallen off the wagon.” He promised to obey the no-smoking rules in the White House, but whether that meant he would be ducking out the back door for a smoke is not known. His transition team declined to answer any questions about his smoking, past or present, or his efforts to quit.
Antismoking activists would love to see him use his bully pulpit to inspire others to join him in trying to kick the habit, but he has not yet taken up their cause.
The last president to smoke more than occasionally was Gerald R. Ford, who was quite fond of his pipes. Jimmy Carter and both Presidents George Bush were reportedly abstainers, but Bill Clinton liked cigars from time to time, though he may have chewed more than he smoked.
Mr. Obama’s heaviest smoking was seven or eight cigarettes a day, but three was more typical, according to an interview published in the November issue of Men’s Health magazine. In a letter given to reporters before the election, Mr. Obama’s doctor described his smoking history as “intermittent,” and said he had quit several times and was using Nicorette gum, a form of nicotine replacement, “with success.” Mr. Obama was often seen chewing gum during the campaign.
His pattern matches that of millions of other people who have resolved but stumbled in their efforts to give up cigarettes. Today, 21 percent of Americans smoke, down from 28 percent in 1988. Off-again-on-again smoking and serial quitting are common, as is the long-term use of nicotine gum and patches.
“It takes the average smoker 8 to 10 times before he is able to quit successfully,” said Dr. Steven A. Schroeder, director of the Smoking Cessation Leadership Center at the University of California, San Francisco.
Dr. Schroeder said that counseling was helpful, and that if Mr. Obama were his patient, he would urge him to try it, even if only by telephone, toll free at 1-800-QUITNOW (1-800-784-8669). With nicotine replacements and counseling, quit rates at one year are 15 percent to 30 percent, Dr. Schroeder said, about twice that of those who try without help.
But Mr. Obama has apparently been chewing nicotine gum for quite a while. Is it safe? Dr. Neal L. Benowitz, another expert on nicotine addiction from the University of California, San Francisco, said that long-term use of the gum or patches, “if it keeps you off cigarettes, is O.K.”
He said people had the best chances of quitting if they used more than one type of nicotine replacement at the same time — like wearing a patch every day, but also using the gum when cravings took hold.
Studies have found that 5 percent to 10 percent of people who try nicotine replacements were still using them a year later, and nicotine itself appears not to be harmful, except possibly during pregnancy and for people at risk for diabetes, Dr. Benowitz said. The risks of cancer, other lung disease and heart problems come from other chemicals in tobacco smoke.
“If nicotine is harmful, it is a minuscule risk compared to cigarette smoking,” he said. “If people want to continue using gum or patches, and not cigarettes, their health will be enhanced.”
Nicotine can speed up the heart rate somewhat, he said, and it may raise blood pressure slightly. More important, it can reduce the body’s sensitivity to insulin and may aggravate diabetes or pre-diabetic conditions. It also constricts blood vessels in the skin and may interfere with wound healing.
But still, Dr. Benowitz emphasized, “if the choice is between taking nicotine or smoking, nicotine is far, far better.”
Falling off the wagon is typical. Three months, six months and a year are major milestones, and most people who can quit for a year will be able to stay off cigarettes for good, Dr. Benowitz said. But about 10 percent relapse even after a year or more.
“It’s generally prompted by a stressful situation, when they’re fatigued and they need to concentrate and focus,” Dr. Benowitz said. “Obama talked about that. People are used to having a cigarette in that situation.”
Nicotine is strongly addictive for many people, and withdrawal can leave them irritable, restless, sleepless, depressed and struggling to concentrate. Some experts say it is harder to give up than cocaine or heroin.
“Then there is something called hedonic dysregulation,” Dr. Benowitz said. “It involves pleasure. Nicotine involves dopamine release, which is key in signaling pleasure. When people quit smoking, they don’t experience things they used to like as pleasure. Things are not as much fun as they used to be. It’s something you get over in time.”
People become hooked on nicotine in part because, like alcohol and other addicting drugs, it alters the brain. Some of the changes are long-lasting, and the younger people are when they take up smoking, the stronger their addiction.
“There is increasing evidence that you lay down new neural circuits related to smoking, sort of memory tracks,” Dr. Benowitz said. “Nicotine does it, and other aspects of smoke do, too. Your brain is forever changed.”
Those memory tracks could be hindering Mr. Obama’s efforts to quit. Dr. Schroeder also noted that for someone who smoked fewer than 10 cigarettes a day, as Mr. Obama reportedly did, nicotine replacements may be less helpful because the addiction may be more to the habit than to nicotine.
One of the best things that President-elect Obama has going for him is that he is a jogger.
“There is increasing evidence that if you can exercise, it’s often helpful” in quitting, Dr. Benowitz said. “I hope Obama can still find time to play basketball on a regular basis.”
By DENISE GRADY and LAWRENCE K. ALTMAN
Will one of President-elect Barack Obama’s New Year’s resolutions be to quit smoking once and for all?
His good-humored waffling in various interviews about smoking made it plain that Mr. Obama, like many who have vowed to quit at this time of year, had not truly done so.
He told Tom Brokaw of NBC several weeks ago, for example, that he “had stopped” but that “there are times where I’ve fallen off the wagon.” He promised to obey the no-smoking rules in the White House, but whether that meant he would be ducking out the back door for a smoke is not known. His transition team declined to answer any questions about his smoking, past or present, or his efforts to quit.
Antismoking activists would love to see him use his bully pulpit to inspire others to join him in trying to kick the habit, but he has not yet taken up their cause.
The last president to smoke more than occasionally was Gerald R. Ford, who was quite fond of his pipes. Jimmy Carter and both Presidents George Bush were reportedly abstainers, but Bill Clinton liked cigars from time to time, though he may have chewed more than he smoked.
Mr. Obama’s heaviest smoking was seven or eight cigarettes a day, but three was more typical, according to an interview published in the November issue of Men’s Health magazine. In a letter given to reporters before the election, Mr. Obama’s doctor described his smoking history as “intermittent,” and said he had quit several times and was using Nicorette gum, a form of nicotine replacement, “with success.” Mr. Obama was often seen chewing gum during the campaign.
His pattern matches that of millions of other people who have resolved but stumbled in their efforts to give up cigarettes. Today, 21 percent of Americans smoke, down from 28 percent in 1988. Off-again-on-again smoking and serial quitting are common, as is the long-term use of nicotine gum and patches.
“It takes the average smoker 8 to 10 times before he is able to quit successfully,” said Dr. Steven A. Schroeder, director of the Smoking Cessation Leadership Center at the University of California, San Francisco.
Dr. Schroeder said that counseling was helpful, and that if Mr. Obama were his patient, he would urge him to try it, even if only by telephone, toll free at 1-800-QUITNOW (1-800-784-8669). With nicotine replacements and counseling, quit rates at one year are 15 percent to 30 percent, Dr. Schroeder said, about twice that of those who try without help.
But Mr. Obama has apparently been chewing nicotine gum for quite a while. Is it safe? Dr. Neal L. Benowitz, another expert on nicotine addiction from the University of California, San Francisco, said that long-term use of the gum or patches, “if it keeps you off cigarettes, is O.K.”
He said people had the best chances of quitting if they used more than one type of nicotine replacement at the same time — like wearing a patch every day, but also using the gum when cravings took hold.
Studies have found that 5 percent to 10 percent of people who try nicotine replacements were still using them a year later, and nicotine itself appears not to be harmful, except possibly during pregnancy and for people at risk for diabetes, Dr. Benowitz said. The risks of cancer, other lung disease and heart problems come from other chemicals in tobacco smoke.
“If nicotine is harmful, it is a minuscule risk compared to cigarette smoking,” he said. “If people want to continue using gum or patches, and not cigarettes, their health will be enhanced.”
Nicotine can speed up the heart rate somewhat, he said, and it may raise blood pressure slightly. More important, it can reduce the body’s sensitivity to insulin and may aggravate diabetes or pre-diabetic conditions. It also constricts blood vessels in the skin and may interfere with wound healing.
But still, Dr. Benowitz emphasized, “if the choice is between taking nicotine or smoking, nicotine is far, far better.”
Falling off the wagon is typical. Three months, six months and a year are major milestones, and most people who can quit for a year will be able to stay off cigarettes for good, Dr. Benowitz said. But about 10 percent relapse even after a year or more.
“It’s generally prompted by a stressful situation, when they’re fatigued and they need to concentrate and focus,” Dr. Benowitz said. “Obama talked about that. People are used to having a cigarette in that situation.”
Nicotine is strongly addictive for many people, and withdrawal can leave them irritable, restless, sleepless, depressed and struggling to concentrate. Some experts say it is harder to give up than cocaine or heroin.
“Then there is something called hedonic dysregulation,” Dr. Benowitz said. “It involves pleasure. Nicotine involves dopamine release, which is key in signaling pleasure. When people quit smoking, they don’t experience things they used to like as pleasure. Things are not as much fun as they used to be. It’s something you get over in time.”
People become hooked on nicotine in part because, like alcohol and other addicting drugs, it alters the brain. Some of the changes are long-lasting, and the younger people are when they take up smoking, the stronger their addiction.
“There is increasing evidence that you lay down new neural circuits related to smoking, sort of memory tracks,” Dr. Benowitz said. “Nicotine does it, and other aspects of smoke do, too. Your brain is forever changed.”
Those memory tracks could be hindering Mr. Obama’s efforts to quit. Dr. Schroeder also noted that for someone who smoked fewer than 10 cigarettes a day, as Mr. Obama reportedly did, nicotine replacements may be less helpful because the addiction may be more to the habit than to nicotine.
One of the best things that President-elect Obama has going for him is that he is a jogger.
“There is increasing evidence that if you can exercise, it’s often helpful” in quitting, Dr. Benowitz said. “I hope Obama can still find time to play basketball on a regular basis.”
Don’t Starve a Cold of Exercise
By GINA KOLATA
YOU have what seems to be a really bad cold. You are coughing and sneezing, and it is hard to breathe.
Should you work out?
And if you do, should you push yourself as hard as ever or take it easy? Will exercise have no effect, or make you feel better or worse?
It is a question, surprisingly enough, that stumps many exercise physiologists and infectious disease specialists.
“That question has not been actually studied,” said Dr. Aaron E. Glatt, a spokesman for the Infectious Diseases Society and the president of New Island Hospital in Bethpage, N.Y.
Many avid exercisers make up their own rules, and it seems that many of them, like Dr. Michael Joyner, an exercise researcher at the Mayo Clinic who is a swimmer and runner, decide to keep exercising if they possibly can.
“I can tell you that unless I am really wiped out, I still work out but maybe scale back a bit,” Dr. Joyner said. “I think that would be the answer from most relatively hard-core, old-school types.
“If I have an obvious fever and muscle aches,” he continued, “I do very little or take a day or two off, but I really have to be in a bad way to skip more than that.”
Dr. Bill Schaffner, chairman of the department of preventive medicine at Vanderbilt University and a member of the board of directors of the Infectious Diseases Society, said he was unaware of any studies that addressed the issue.
Dr. Schaffner described himself as a jogger who runs a few miles most days and goes to a gym for resistance training. And, he said, he continues his workouts when he has a cold.
Exercise, he said, makes him feel better. He speculates that perhaps it is because his blood vessels are dilated when he exercises.
“I think exercise pushes me along a route to recovery,” Dr. Schaffner said. “Of course, I recognize that I might have been on a route to recovery anyway. But I can’t think of a reason why exercise would affect you adversely.”
It turns out that, even though they were unaware of them, the strategies of people like Dr. Schaffner and Dr. Joyner are actually supported by two little-known studies that were published a decade ago in the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. Results from the studies were so much in favor of exercise that the researchers themselves were surprised.
The studies began, said Leonard Kaminsky, an exercise physiologist at Ball State University, when a trainer at the university, Thomas Weidner, wondered what he should tell athletes when they got colds.
The first question was: Does a cold affect your ability to exercise? To address that, the researchers recruited 24 men and 21 women ages 18 to 29 and of varying levels of fitness who agreed to be deliberately infected with a rhinovirus, which is responsible for about a third of all colds. Another group of 10 young men and women served as controls; they were not infected.
At the start of the study, the investigators tested all of the subjects, assessing their lung functions and exercise capacity. Then a cold virus was dropped into the noses of 45 of the subjects, and all caught head colds. Two days later, when their cold symptoms were at their worst, the subjects exercised by running on treadmills at moderate and intense levels. The researchers reported that having a cold had no effect on either lung function or exercise capacity.
“I was surprised their lung function wasn’t impaired,” Dr. Kaminsky said. “I was surprised their overall exercise performance wasn’t impaired, even though they were reporting feeling fatigued.”
He said he also tested the subjects at different points in the exercise sessions, from moderate to intense effort, and found that their colds had no effect on their metabolic responses.
Another question was: Does exercising when you have a cold affect your symptoms and recovery time?
Once again, Dr, Kaminsky and his colleagues infected volunteers with a rhinovirus. This time, the subjects were 34 young men and women who were randomly assigned to a group that would exercise with their colds and 16 others who were assigned to rest.
The group that exercised ran on treadmills for 40 minutes every other day at moderate levels of 70 percent of their maximum heart rates.
Every 12 hours, all the subjects in the study completed questionnaires about their symptoms and physical activity. The researchers collected the subjects’ used facial tissues, weighing them to assess their cold symptoms.
The investigators found no difference in symptoms between the group that exercised and the one that rested. And there was no difference in the time it took to recover from the colds. But when the exercisers assessed their symptoms, Dr. Kaminsky said, “people said they felt O.K. and, in some cases, they actually felt better.”
Now, Dr. Kaminsky said, he and others at Ball State encourage people to exercise when they have colds, at least if they have the type producing symptoms like runny noses and sneezing. He is more cautious about other types of colds that produce fevers or symptoms below the neck such as chest congestion. Exercising with a head cold is not an issue for athletes, Dr. Kaminsky said, because most of them want to train no matter what. “If anything they tend to push too much,” he said.
Dr. Kaminsky also runs a fitness program at the university, dealing with regular exercisers. When he tells them it is all right to exercise when they have a cold, many are “a little suspicious,” he said. Often, they want to back off a little, lowering the intensity of their efforts.
“We tell them that’s O.K. if it’s for a short period of time,” Dr. Kaminsky said. “But what you have to be cautious of, where I see it as more of an issue, is with people who are trying to build that exercise habit. They’ve got all these barriers anyway.”
AND too often taking time off because of a cold is the start of falling away from the program entirely.
Dr. Kaminsky, who runs and works out on elliptical cross trainers and does resistance training, takes the studies’ findings to heart. Now when he has a cold, he continues to work out.
“It did give me the personal assurance that it was a good thing to do,” he said.
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YOU have what seems to be a really bad cold. You are coughing and sneezing, and it is hard to breathe.
Should you work out?
And if you do, should you push yourself as hard as ever or take it easy? Will exercise have no effect, or make you feel better or worse?
It is a question, surprisingly enough, that stumps many exercise physiologists and infectious disease specialists.
“That question has not been actually studied,” said Dr. Aaron E. Glatt, a spokesman for the Infectious Diseases Society and the president of New Island Hospital in Bethpage, N.Y.
Many avid exercisers make up their own rules, and it seems that many of them, like Dr. Michael Joyner, an exercise researcher at the Mayo Clinic who is a swimmer and runner, decide to keep exercising if they possibly can.
“I can tell you that unless I am really wiped out, I still work out but maybe scale back a bit,” Dr. Joyner said. “I think that would be the answer from most relatively hard-core, old-school types.
“If I have an obvious fever and muscle aches,” he continued, “I do very little or take a day or two off, but I really have to be in a bad way to skip more than that.”
Dr. Bill Schaffner, chairman of the department of preventive medicine at Vanderbilt University and a member of the board of directors of the Infectious Diseases Society, said he was unaware of any studies that addressed the issue.
Dr. Schaffner described himself as a jogger who runs a few miles most days and goes to a gym for resistance training. And, he said, he continues his workouts when he has a cold.
Exercise, he said, makes him feel better. He speculates that perhaps it is because his blood vessels are dilated when he exercises.
“I think exercise pushes me along a route to recovery,” Dr. Schaffner said. “Of course, I recognize that I might have been on a route to recovery anyway. But I can’t think of a reason why exercise would affect you adversely.”
It turns out that, even though they were unaware of them, the strategies of people like Dr. Schaffner and Dr. Joyner are actually supported by two little-known studies that were published a decade ago in the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. Results from the studies were so much in favor of exercise that the researchers themselves were surprised.
The studies began, said Leonard Kaminsky, an exercise physiologist at Ball State University, when a trainer at the university, Thomas Weidner, wondered what he should tell athletes when they got colds.
The first question was: Does a cold affect your ability to exercise? To address that, the researchers recruited 24 men and 21 women ages 18 to 29 and of varying levels of fitness who agreed to be deliberately infected with a rhinovirus, which is responsible for about a third of all colds. Another group of 10 young men and women served as controls; they were not infected.
At the start of the study, the investigators tested all of the subjects, assessing their lung functions and exercise capacity. Then a cold virus was dropped into the noses of 45 of the subjects, and all caught head colds. Two days later, when their cold symptoms were at their worst, the subjects exercised by running on treadmills at moderate and intense levels. The researchers reported that having a cold had no effect on either lung function or exercise capacity.
“I was surprised their lung function wasn’t impaired,” Dr. Kaminsky said. “I was surprised their overall exercise performance wasn’t impaired, even though they were reporting feeling fatigued.”
He said he also tested the subjects at different points in the exercise sessions, from moderate to intense effort, and found that their colds had no effect on their metabolic responses.
Another question was: Does exercising when you have a cold affect your symptoms and recovery time?
Once again, Dr, Kaminsky and his colleagues infected volunteers with a rhinovirus. This time, the subjects were 34 young men and women who were randomly assigned to a group that would exercise with their colds and 16 others who were assigned to rest.
The group that exercised ran on treadmills for 40 minutes every other day at moderate levels of 70 percent of their maximum heart rates.
Every 12 hours, all the subjects in the study completed questionnaires about their symptoms and physical activity. The researchers collected the subjects’ used facial tissues, weighing them to assess their cold symptoms.
The investigators found no difference in symptoms between the group that exercised and the one that rested. And there was no difference in the time it took to recover from the colds. But when the exercisers assessed their symptoms, Dr. Kaminsky said, “people said they felt O.K. and, in some cases, they actually felt better.”
Now, Dr. Kaminsky said, he and others at Ball State encourage people to exercise when they have colds, at least if they have the type producing symptoms like runny noses and sneezing. He is more cautious about other types of colds that produce fevers or symptoms below the neck such as chest congestion. Exercising with a head cold is not an issue for athletes, Dr. Kaminsky said, because most of them want to train no matter what. “If anything they tend to push too much,” he said.
Dr. Kaminsky also runs a fitness program at the university, dealing with regular exercisers. When he tells them it is all right to exercise when they have a cold, many are “a little suspicious,” he said. Often, they want to back off a little, lowering the intensity of their efforts.
“We tell them that’s O.K. if it’s for a short period of time,” Dr. Kaminsky said. “But what you have to be cautious of, where I see it as more of an issue, is with people who are trying to build that exercise habit. They’ve got all these barriers anyway.”
AND too often taking time off because of a cold is the start of falling away from the program entirely.
Dr. Kaminsky, who runs and works out on elliptical cross trainers and does resistance training, takes the studies’ findings to heart. Now when he has a cold, he continues to work out.
“It did give me the personal assurance that it was a good thing to do,” he said.
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