Daily Health Bits

Today is "Livestrong Day" a la Lance Armstrong.  In 2002, the Lance Armstrong Foundation joined forces with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to lead a public health effort to address the issues faced by the growing number of cancer survivors.  Their collaboration, A National Action Plan for Cancer Survivorship: Advancing Public Health Strategies, charts a course for the public health community to more effectively and comprehensively address cancer survivorship with the goal of improving the quality of life for survivors.  Today, more than 600 cancer awareness and fundraising events will take place all across the country. The objective is to make cancer a priority in your community and unite in the fight against this disease.  Whether you wear a yellow LAF bracelet, attend a cancer event, make a donation, or just make yourself more aware of the subject of cancer in some way, I hope you will join me in this fight.  Today, I am going to make a donation to LAF in honor of my cousin, Darline, who is fighting cervical cancer right now.  I ordered LAF-type bracelets for our family to wear in support of her fight and I will proudly wear it today and every day until she is cured.  Here is a pic of Daisy and I with our bracelets on:

If you would like to make a donation to the Lance Armstrong Foundation, here is the link.

 

Posted by Cindy Burreson at 09:15 AM | Permalink

May is Skin Cancer Month, and Oil of Olay, the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery (ASDS) and Marcia Cross have joined together to invite you and your girlfriends to get a free skin cancer screening.  One of my friends sent me this information, and I am so scared of skin cancer (as I've mentioned before) that I wanted to take advantage of this program as well as pass it on.  Here is the link to find a participating dermatologist and to pass on to your friends.  Be sure to wear sunscreen and check your moles and freckles for any changes.  Link

Posted by Cindy Burreson at 10:22 AM | Permalink

I have mentioned before that I am overabundant in the "backside" and therefore really appreciated the article my sister sent me yesterday to plead the case for our family's most obvious trait.  Apparently, researchers have discovered that a type of fat that accumulates around the hips and bottom may actually offer some protection against diabetes.  They found that the subcutaneous fat improves sensitivity to insulin, which helps to regulate blood sugar.  It has been widely reported that people with visceral fat (accumulated around their waist/abdomen) have a higher risk of diabetes and heart disease, but those with it in the lower areas may be less prone to these disorders.  Researchers injected mice in their abdomens with subcutaneous fat and found that they actually lost weight and had lower insulin levels.  They are doing more research to find out what substances are in this type of fat that may be used in the future to make products.  So, if you are pear-shaped like me, keep working out to keep your abdominal fat down and the rest of your body healthy, but make the most of your genetic "gifts".

 

Source: Yahoo! News May 8, 2008

Posted by Cindy Burreson at 11:04 AM | Permalink

There is a lot of research done on the affects of the Mediterranean Diet and it's contribution to longevity.  The common Mediterranean dietary pattern has these characteristics:

• high consumption of fruits, vegetables, bread and other cereals, potatoes, beans, nuts and seeds
• olive oil is an important monounsaturated fat source
• dairy products, fish and poultry are consumed in low to moderate amounts, and little red meat is eaten
• eggs are consumed zero to four times a week
• wine is consumed in low to moderate amounts

People who follow the average Mediterranean diet eat less saturated fat than those who eat the average American diet. 

More than half the fat calories in a Mediterranean diet come from monounsaturated fats (mainly from olive oil). Monounsaturated fat doesn't raise blood cholesterol levels the way saturated fat does.

The health benefits attributed to the Mediterranean Diet include longer lives, decreased chances of childhood allergies and asthma if the pregnant mother followed the diet, longer lives for Alzheimer's patients, less chance of lung disease, and overall better health.  The research is interesting and substantial enough to look into the details of this diet.  So, I am going to check it out, and next week I will post more about the Mediterranean Diet.  In the meantime, eat well!

Source:

Posted by Cindy Burreson at 09:53 AM | Permalink

The other night when I was at work, a group of young women came in, all dolled up and ready to have "girl's night".  They ordered their cosmos and lemondrop martinis and sat around laughing and chatting.  Each time I passed their table, I could hear them making complimentary comments to one another.  I stopped and asked them what they were doing, and they said that they meet once a year and this is one of their rituals.  Each girl takes a turn to tell each other girl something they admire about them.  I thought, what an inspiring, powerful tool to boost your friends' and your own confidence and be emotionally supportive.  So, I encourage you to choose five friends today and write them a quick email or card and let them know something you admire about them.  They will love the unexpected praise, and it could make someone's day!

Posted by Cindy Burreson at 11:37 AM | Permalink