TheState.com: Health and Fitness

Sheriff’s departments holding blood drive

Thu, 15 May 2008 21:00 EDT

The sheriff’s departments of Richland and Lexington counties are holding a blood drive with the American Red Cross in honor of deputies killed in the line of duty.

The drive is from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday at Columbia Place mall.

Donors will receive a free T-shirt and will be entered in a drawing for a chance to win a tour of Universal Studios.

To set up an appointment, visit donatebloodtoday.org, or call South Carolina Blood Services at (800) GIVE-LIFE.

Safety and health fair to be at Wal-Mart

Thu, 15 May 2008 21:00 EDT

The Wal-Mart Supercenter in Batesburg-Leesville will team up with law enforcement officials to host the town’s Community Public Safety and Health Fair later this month.

The event — from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. May 24 at the Wal-Mart at 115 E. Church St. — includes a child-safety seat inspection program, a child identification program, law enforcement displays and other community-based health-related information.

The Batesburg-Leesville Police Department and the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department also are hosting.

Health fair coming up in Batesburg-Leesville

Thu, 15 May 2008 12:21 EDT

The Wal-Mart Supercenter in Batesburg-Leesville will team up with law enforcement officials to host the town’s Community Public Safety and Health Fair later this month.

The Batesburg-Leesville Police Department and the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department are also hosting.

STEMI may speed up cardiac treatment

Wed, 14 May 2008 21:35 EDT

People in Richland County who are suffering a heart attack might benefit from a new cardiac treatment announced recently by Palmetto Health and the county.

As part of the STEMI program — named for an often deadly type of heart attack — county emergency workers will be able to remotely send potentially lifesaving cardiac information to the emergency room ahead of an ambulance’s arrival.

The program is intended to reduce the diagnosis and treatment time of cardiac patients, especially those suffering from an ST-elevation myocardial infarction, or STEMI.

Cool camping gear

Mon, 12 May 2008 16:42 EDT

There’s no such thing as too much outdoor gear. With that in mind, we hit the streets to try to find some of the coolest camping gadgets for outdoor enthusiasts.

CAMP CHOPSTICKS

Snow Peak’s compact chopsticks are durable and break down to fit in a handy carrying case. They are perfect for camping and backpacking. Sure beats carrying a fork.

Cost: $24.95, REI, rei.com

HEAT AND SERVE

The Diet Detective: Flaxseeds brimming in nutrients

Mon, 12 May 2008 16:42 EDT

There is a never-ending stream of nutrition questions. So we looked to a few of our expert sources to find answers about whether flaxseeds matter, why red peppers may be better than others, and if frozen yogurt is just plain old dessert.

What are flaxseeds? Why have they received such attention from health food advocates?

Fact: Flaxseeds (aka linseeds) are about the size of sesame seeds and come from a blue-flowering member of the Linaceae family grown largely in Canada, China and the United States.

"The plants have been used for centuries to make fabric and cloth and for other household and industrial purposes (for example, the linseed oil used by painters)," says registered dietitian Marian L. Neuhouser, nutrition researcher at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle.

"The lignans in flaxseeds produce anti-inflammatory prostaglandins that help to reduce the inflammation that may be associated with asthma, arthritis, osteoporosis and migraine headaches. The nutrient benefits have been shown to reduce risk for diabetes, reduce blood cholesterol levels, control blood sugar and insulin levels, and promote gastro-intestinal health," Neuhouser adds.

You can exercise without leaving your cubicle

Mon, 12 May 2008 16:42 EDT

Are you suffering from cubicle-itis? Stiff neck and shoulders — and pretty much everything else — from sitting long hours in front of a computer. Here's a cure for what ails you:

Seated spine stretch: Sit tall in chair with knees spread apart greater than hip distance. Inhale to prepare. Then exhale and bend forward toward the floor, imagining yourself peeling off the wall one vertebra at a time, contracting your abdominal muscles at the same time. A comfortable stretch should be felt in your lower back. Inhale and hold your stretch. Then, as you exhale, roll back up to your start position and sit up tall.

Seated stretch: Cross leg so ankle is lying over opposite knee. Inhale to prepare. Sitting up tall, exhale and lean forward at the hips so you feel a comfortable stretch in hip and buttock area. Hold 15-20 seconds. Relax. Repeat 3 times. Switch sides.

Wrist stretch: Keeping elbow straight, grasp right hand and slowly bend wrist back until gentle stretch is felt. Hold 15-20 seconds. Relax. Repeat 3 times. Switch sides.

Seated rotation: With hands behind your head, rotate your body to one side, keeping your abdominals tight. This should be a slow and controlled movement. Return to center. Do 10 on each side. (This position is particularly good if you have had shoulder injuries.)

Technology eases skin removal concerns

Mon, 12 May 2008 16:42 EDT

Like teachers erasing a blackboard to get a clean slate, dermatologists can wipe away skin defects on patients' faces by destroying a layer of old cells.

The process lets patients start fresh with newly grown skin cells, but only after enduring a week — or more — with a raw, swollen, oozing face.

Nice, huh?

Whether the old cells are wiped out by chemicals, by friction or by a laser, it's strong medicine that makes doctors and patients squirm. So for years, doctors and medical-device makers have been seeking less drastic remedies for acne scars, wrinkles and discoloration — mostly with mixed results.

Now, experts are cautiously optimistic that some newer skin treatment machines — devices that peel away skin cells via radio-frequency waves, electrical charges, intense pulses of non-laser light and less-invasive lasers — may provide an easier answer.

Into Gear: ‘I DID run that mile’

Mon, 12 May 2008 16:33 EDT

The following is an excerpt from a blog by Beth Shine, a Colonial Life employee who participated in national Run-a-Mile Day last week.

Unfortunately, an unavoidable conflict prevented me from making the group run at 12:15 p.m. That said, I am thrilled to say that I DID run that mile on my own. I made it in 11:07:51 — not a record breaker by any means, but it is the fastest (if only) mile I've ever run! ... I also want to recognize the Colonial Life running team volunteers who slowed down their normal pace in order to help us train. You could have left us in the dust, but you stuck with us and showed us how to be better runners. ... Who knows, maybe there is a 5K in my future (maybe).

READ SHINE’S FINAL POST AT HTTP://THESTATECOM.TYPEPAD.COM/HEALTH_NUTS/

Looking Good: Wicked underwear

Mon, 12 May 2008 16:33 EDT

Most athletic apparel companies have thought of everything. There are special socks to keep feet warm in the winter and dry in the summer. There are shirts meant to keep the skin cool. But sometimes it seems as though all these innovative fabrics are for outerwear. What about underneath?

The KN Cool Collection from Karen Neuburger is an undergarment line that is lightweight and wicks away moisture. The collection was developed to provide relief to women experiencing a warmer core because of hot flashes, chemotherapy or pregnancy.

But its wicking microfiber makes it appropriate for exercise. It's the type of undergarment that would work well while hiking, golfing or playing tennis.

The collection includes camisoles and bikinis, briefs and hipsters. Cost: $11 to $24, available at Macy's department stores or Karenneuburger.com.

McClatchy-Tribune

Diet Right: Potassium primer

Mon, 12 May 2008 16:33 EDT

Do you know how potassium is used by the body and which foods are a good source? Here's a true-false quiz from the American Heart Association to test your knowledge.

1. Potassium plays an essential role in the response of nerves to stimulation and the contraction of muscles.

2. Potassium helps the body keep a normal water balance between cells and body fluids.

3. Grapefruit should be avoided by people with potassium deficiency.

4. Some foods that are high in potassium and calcium, such as fruits, vegetables and low-fat dairy products, can help lower blood pressure.

Money allocated to treat HIV/AIDS

Wed, 07 May 2008 22:26 EDT

For the second year in a row, lawmakers have approved new funds to provide lifesaving medicines for people with HIV/AIDS who have little or no income or health insurance.

The $2.4 million allocated to the mostly federally funded AIDS Drug Assistance Program run by the health department follows a $4 million allotment last year.

“I made it through (a period of sickness) because of what you have done. I got the medications I needed,” Deadra Lawson Smith, who has been living with HIV for 20 years, told lawmakers Wednesday.

The money will help stave off a waiting list like the one that grew to 567 people after federal funding cuts last year. The program again faces federal cuts and rising costs.

In the long run, spending money to keep people healthy helps save the state billions.

Spring buzzkills

Mon, 05 May 2008 17:57 EDT

Spring comforts us like an electric blanket on a cold night. It lures us with its bouquet and rejuvenates us as we crawl out from winter’s cocoon.

But before jumping wildly into spring’s waiting arms, health and safety issues are worth considering.

Spring also ushers in insects that can bite us or make us sick, a hot sun that can burn us and even lead to skin cancer, and pollen and mold that trigger allergies and aggravate asthma.

Here are some reminders to help make your spring healthy and inviting.

SKIN WATCH

Feeling sleepy? Take a nap!

Tue, 06 May 2008 10:53 EDT

An afternoon snooze refreshes, revitalizes, recharges body and soul. Yet in our caffeine-buzzed society, naps are downright un-American.

Slamming Red Bull, hanging at Starbucks and draining quad-shots of espresso is a lot more socially acceptable as the “cure” for sleep debt. Besides, it’s tough to nap with all that caffeine rocketing through the aorta.

And remember, if you snooze, you lose, right?

Not according to scientific research. The rejuvenating effects of naps has resurfaced in a new Stanford University School of Medicine study. Emergency room doctors and nurses who worked overnight shifts and were allowed 40-minute naps showed a boost in alertness and performance over those who worked straight through.

Which group of doctors would you prefer probing your abdomen for a 38-caliber slug?

Naps — scientifically speaking

Mon, 05 May 2008 17:23 EDT

• Nap between 2-4 p.m. when you have the natural sleep drive and it won’t disturb night sleep.

• Don’t nap in the early evening when your sleep clock is counting down for a good night’s sleep. It will mess with your normal sleep pattern.

• If you’re napping in the mornings there’s something wrong with your sleep. You should be alert after you’ve slept.

• Often, a short nap of 15 or 20 minutes is equally or even more refreshing than a longer nap. More than 30 minutes and you may feel worse.

• Teenagers are biologically wired to nap because they’re sleep deprived. Teens need about an hour of sleep more than adults to feel rested. Their sleep clock also resets to a later sleep time, so they’re night owls.

The Diet Detective: The clues in your poo

Mon, 05 May 2008 17:23 EDT

Warning: If you have an aversion to your body’s waste, don’t read any further. However, if you’re like most people, you’re probably very interested in what your stool can tell you about your diet and your health. Who better to tell us a bit about our poo then Anish Sheth, MD, a gastroenterology fellow at the Yale School of Medicine and the co-author of the best-seller What’s Your Poo Telling You? (Chronicle Books, 2007). Here are a few diet situations and how they affect your poo:

Anti-Diet: White toast, no fruits or veggies (no fiber)

A lack of fiber causes infrequent, hard stools that require straining during defecation (“logjam”). Fiber, both insoluble and soluble forms, is vital to soften the stool and aid in its effortless passage through the GI tract. Low-fiber diets produce dry, pebbly stools and, in severe cases, can result in fecal impaction — a condition in which stool forms a rock-hard plug that prohibits passage of any stool at all.

Plant Eater: Steamed broccoli, tofu burger, apple and asparagus

Vegetarians tend to eat balanced diets high in fiber. The good news is that their stools are frequent (sometimes up to three times a day) and soft in consistency, making trips to the loo satisfying and enjoyable. The downside can be the formation of gas. Because our bodies are unable to digest many of the plant products we consume, these substances undergo fermentation by the bacteria in our colons. The formation of carbon dioxide causes bloating and excessive flatus production but is otherwise harmless. In fact, vegetarian flatus, and feces for that matter, tend not to smell as bad as carnivore-produced waste.

Diet right: Food saviors

Mon, 05 May 2008 17:23 EDT

Almonds. Cranberries. Salmon. Such is the stuff that could save your life. The food list alone is old news — who hasn’t grabbed a handful of almonds for a quick mid-afternoon boost? But did you know that almonds are the seeds of a fruit tree that is related to the rose family?

This and other fascinating facts are sure to keep trivia lovers’ thumbing through “101 Foods That Could Save Your Life” by David Grotto (Bantam, $14).

This encyclopedia of foods not only tells you what to eat but why. Almonds, for example, lower cholesterol and may help your memory. Everything is written in short, easily digestible blurbs so you don’t have to finish the whole thing in one sitting. But you just might want to once you get started.

JAN JARVIS, MCCLATCHY NEWSPAPERS

Racing to the finish

Quick hits: Outdoors online

Mon, 05 May 2008 17:23 EDT

For an informational look at outdoor resources on the Web, check out “Outdoors Online: An Internet Guide to Everything Wild & Green” by Erika Dillman ($14.95, Mountaineers Books). The hook is hundreds of Web sites, arranged in 11 categories that include the outdoors on foot and on water, gear, safety, wildlife, places to go and the like.

Spend an hour between www.weather.com and www.nws.noaa.gov, and you’ll start thinking like a meteorologist.

MCCLATCHY-TRIBUNE

MYTH OR FACT?

Drinking three cups of milk a day can help you lose weight.

A better water bottle

Mon, 28 Apr 2008 17:32 EDT

If you happened to miss the news on the potential health hazards of some hard-plastic reusable bottles — and we don’t know how you could have — here’s a recap, along with some options for carrying water for your daily workout.

A plastic known as polycarbonate — which is used in the manufacture of some popular water bottles, including Nalgene — can contain a compound called BPA, or bisphenol A. Animal studies indicate that the chemical, which mimics a human hormone, can induce long-term changes in animals exposed to it. A report by the National Toxicology Program, an office of the National Institutes of Health, has expressed concerns about BPA in baby bottles, and this month, Canada banned infant bottles made with the substance.

Some fear the compound could leach into the liquids we drink from certain plastic containers.

You can follow some of the scientific debate at such Web sites as this one from the National Institutes of Health: www.niehs.nih.gov/news/media/questions/sya-bpa.cfm.

Does your bottle contain BPA? Turn it upside down. If the letters PC (polycarbonate) appear, chances are your bottle was made with BPA. The triangular sign on the bottom of the bottle (usually with a number from 1 to 7 in the middle of it) refers to a recycling code.

Take steps to prevent tennis and golf injuries

Mon, 28 Apr 2008 17:32 EDT

Few things can stop an avid tennis lover from hitting the court or a golfer from hitting the links on a warm, sunny day — except, perhaps, an injury.

ELBOW DREAD

Tennis elbow is the bane of tennis players, but the condition also can affect people in other professions. Carpenters, gardeners and musicians all run a high risk of developing tennis elbow.

Symptoms of tennis elbow may include pain that radiates from the outside of the elbow toward the forearm and wrist, tenderness when the elbow is touched or bumped, or difficulty with a grip when holding an object or even shaking hands.

The Mayo Clinic suggests a few preventative measures to reduce the chance of developing tennis elbow.