August 2015 Promot ing Heal th . Enhancing L i fe . Reducing Costs .

Healthy Letter®Life

Inside This Issue:

Self-Care Corner .................2

Medical News ......................3

Feed Your Body – Feed Your Soul ...................4

Well-Being Tips ...................5

Family Life ...........................6

Women traveling alone:

SAFETY TIPSPerhaps more than ever, women are willing to ditch their traveling companions and go solo when it comes time to hit the road and see the world. Many travel for business.

Still, despite the trend, many women may worry that travelling alone can

carry too many risks, making them a target for

thieves, kidnappers, and other criminals.

• Steer clear of the most dangerous locales. Simply put, some places just aren’t worth the risk. Avoid “no go” neighborhoods, cities, and countries.

• Connect with friendly contacts. Make yourself known not only to the US embassy or consul, but also to people in your field, Foster said. During her travels, Foster wrote articles about libraries she visited. Her fellow librarians were a protective group.

• Learn the language or at least useful phrases. Even if it’s just a few key words, speaking the language can come in handy if you need to seek help. Knowing what others are saying can also alert you to potential dangers.

• Dress wisely, pay attention to manners, and spend money in moderation. Don’t draw needless attention to yourself. For added protection against thieves, Foster suggests carrying money and ID in a pouch under your shirt.

• Travel in the US. You will miss many of the world’s must-see places, but if the thought of traveling abroad holds too much stress for you, it might be better to stick closer to home.

Barbara Foster, a veteran globetrotter and author of the book The Confessions of a Librarian: A Memoir of Loves, advises, “Sure, there are risky places and bad types out there. But with the right precautions, women can travel solo with confidence, visiting the places and meeting the people they always dreamed of and returning home with wonderful stories and memories.”

2

Self-Care Corner

Or maybe the real issue is to heat or not to heat? Either way, whether you’re dealing with a one-time injury or chronic aches and pains, a few simple guidelines will help you know whether it’s best to bag some ice or get the trusty heating pad.

Dr. Scott Lynch, director of sports medicine at Penn State Medical Center, said it’s all about blood flow. When you injure yourself, you should follow guidelines known as RICE—rest, ice, compression, and elevation.

“Elevation is probably the most important thing because it limits the amount of blood flow to the area and the amount of swelling,” he said.

Cold temperatures applied to an injury help constrict, or narrow, the blood vessels and keep blood from pooling there. This could cause too much inflammation or swelling that can delay the healing process.

Dr. Cayce Onks, family and sports medicine physician at Penn State Hershey, said icing an injury for the first 48 to 72 hours after it occurs can reduce the amount of secondary tissue damage. Ice also can help decrease pain.

Use ice for 20 minutes, once an hour. That’s so you don’t create other issues such as frostbite or damage to the skin. It also gives the skin a chance to recover from each icing session.

While special freezer packs are easy to obtain, Dr. Onks said plain old ice in a bag (or a bag of frozen vegetables) works best. “You can mold it around the injury and get more coverage,” he said. “You also have to keep in mind that because of the chemicals in freezer packs, they can get much colder than ice and you could cause temperature-related skin problems.”

Heat, on the other hand, is often used to ease muscle aches and pains, or to loosen up tense and sore areas before activity.

“Heat typically brings blood flow to the area, which provides nutrients that the tissues need for healing,” Dr. Onks said. “It can also increase the flexibility of tendons and muscles.”

Athletes who have chronic issues or old injuries typically heat before they are active and ice afterward. Some people prefer moist heat because they feel the extra humidity helps the heat penetrate.

In an athletic training room or physical therapy setting, providers can also produce deeper heat by using ultrasound. A heating pad or a pack you heat up in the microwave will do the trick. Commercial heat patches or products such as Icy Hot may provide temporary or superficial relief, but they don’t typically offer the penetration of ice, moist heat, or ultrasound.

To ice or not to ice—that is the question

1. REST

SPRAINED ANKLETREATMENT – R.I.C.E.

2. ICE

3. COMPRESSION 4. ELEVATION

3

Medical News

Sleep, but how?

“We know that how much you sleep and the quality of your sleep can have a tremendous impact on your overall health,” said Dr. David J. Earnest, professor at the Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine, who studies circadian rhythms—the human body’s master clock.

“We’re starting to recognize that sleep deprivation and disorders are more prevalent than any other health disorder that affects Americans,” he said.

If you feel like there’s a deeper cause to your sleep woes, you may be like 1 in 10 Americans who suffer from insomnia or other sleep disorders, including these:

Delayed Sleep Phase Disorder (DSPD)—a tendency to go to bed later (around 2 or 4 in the morning) and to sleep until the early afternoon. This kind of disorder can interfere with a normal work or school schedule.

Advanced Sleep Phase Disorder (ASPD)—the tendency to go to bed earlier (6 or 8 in the evening) and to wake earlier than most people (around 3 or 5 in the morning). While this kind of disorder doesn’t typically interfere with a normal work or school schedule, it can pose a challenge for social activities or events that occur later in the evening.

Non-24-Hour Sleep-Wake Syndrome—a circadian rhythm that is 25 hours or longer, which leads to sleep and wake times becoming gradually later.

Jet Lag—one of the most common and usually occasional sleep disorders that occurs when your internal clock is out of synch with a new time zone. After traveling to a new time zone, you may find it difficult to fall and stay asleep during suitable times.

Shift Work—with constantly changing shifts, it can be difficult for workers to adjust to their new sleep schedules. Shift work has been linked with a higher risk of developing metabolic or cardiovascular diseases.

Sleep Apnea—breathing temporarily stops due to a blockage of the upper airways during sleep. Most people with sleep apnea do not know that they have it. Symptoms include daytime sleepiness, irritability, depression, and fatigue the next day, because their sleep lacks quality.

Narcolepsy—extreme sleepiness during the day, usually resulting in suddenly falling asleep. It’s caused by a dysfunction in the brain mechanism that controls sleeping and waking.

Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS)—itching, tingling, or burning in the lower legs, that makes it difficult to get comfortable and fall asleep.

If you think you might have a sleep disorder, discuss your symptoms with your doctor or a sleep specialist.

4

FEATURED RECIPE:

Feed Your Body—Feed Your Soul

Ingredients1 cup carrots, cut into long, thin strips

2 cups bean sprouts

2 cups cucumber, seeded and cut into long, thin strips

1 cup minced scallions/green onions

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1/4 cup chopped fresh mint

8 rice paper wrappers (ask at your supermarket)

Vietnamese Fresh Spring Rolls

NO YOKE?

DirectionsToss first 6 ingredients in a large bowl. Soak one rice paper wrapper in warm water until soft (1 to 2 minutes). Shake off excess water. Place vegetable filling off-center on rice paper and fold like an egg roll (tuck sides to keep filling inside). Repeat with remaining vegetable filling and wrappers. Serve immediately.

Makes 8 servings. Per serving (1 roll):70 calories, 1 g fat,28 mg sodium, 2 g fiber,3 g protein, 16 g carbohydrates

From the NIH Your Health Is Golden! Heart Health Promotion Activities for Vietnamese Communities

Adding eggs to a salad with a variety of raw vegetables is an effective method to improve the absorption of carotenoids. Those are fat-soluble nutrients that help reduce inflammation and oxidative stress, according to research from Purdue University. “Eating a salad with a variety of colorful vegetables provides several unique types of carotenoids, including beta-carotene, lutein, zeaxanthin, and lycopene,” said Wayne Campbell, a professor of nutrition science. “The lipid contained in whole eggs (including the yoke especially) enhances the absorption of all these carotenoids.”

This research is published in the American Journal

of Clinical Nutrition.

FYI:The 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends limiting dietary cholesterol to no more than 300 mg a day. (A single egg has almost 200 mg.) The 2015 Dietary Guidelines, to be published later this year, will no longer restrict dietary cholesterol. Why? The 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee’s found no evidence to show a strong enough link between consuming dietary cholesterol and blood cholesterol levels. As with all medical guidelines, discuss your particular needs with your doctor.

5

Well-Being Tips

Dangers of tooth brushingLeaving your toothbrush out on the bathroom counter subjects it to picking up all kinds of yucky germs, not only your own but those from others, and we’re talking about fecal coliforms (you can guess what those are). Toilet flushing or just being around other people’s poor hygiene can contaminate the toothbrushes.

Tooth brushes stored too close together promotes cross contamination of germs.

A study presented to the American Society for Microbiology examined toothbrushes in group bathrooms at a college campus. Turns out the problem is not your own germs, but those from other people who share the bathroom space.

Lesson learned—if you share a bathroom, don’t leave your toothbrush around. Even if you rinse it in hot water or mouthwash, it can still get contaminated. Putting it into a case is even worse because the environment inside the cover helps the nasty germs grow.

Solution? Let the bristles dry out somewhere else, such as in your bedroom.

SHARING A BATHROOM AND THE

Living simplySimple living is not really that simple—but results from a recent study at University of the Sciences indicate that reducing the clutter and narrowing your possessions, activities, and thoughts can play a key role in boosting your mental and physical health.

“People generally look to simplify their lives for a number of reasons—most commonly after they get fed up with the stress and chaos of their daily lives,” said Dr. Heidi Freeman, assistant professor of exercise science and wellness management.

TRY THIS:• Decide what is unnecessary. Identify

what is most important to you (spending time with family, career?) and eliminate everything else (cable TV, extracurricular activities, for example).

• Start with small changes. Set aside one screen-free day each week, learn a few new recipes, or take a DIY class. Once you’ve mastered one change, then you can take on something more challenging.

• Get moving. Rather than using your vehicle to get to places, consider walking, bicycling, or using public transportation.

• Learn to say no. Schedules are often jam-packed with activities, chores, appointments, responsibilities, and urgent tasks. In order to simplify your lifestyle, you must be able to turn things down to eliminate some of this schedule clutter.

• Spend less. The less you buy, the less you spend. For instance, ditch eating out and start preparing more meals at home—this can also increase the amount of quality time spent with your loved ones.

6

Family Life

How to make the

High schoolers need and thrive on positive reinforcement.• Help your teen set realistic goals on how

to earn the best grades and complete assignments.

• Stay organized. Buy a daily planner and teach your teen how to use it correctly or teach them how to organize their schedule with a tablet computer or laptop.

• Encourage your teen to get involved in at least one extracurricular activity or sport because it will help them meet people.

• Continue to support and encourage good study habits with regular homework/study times. Search for ways to offer positive support.

• Ask about what’s going on in your child’s life. (Use open-ended questions, rather than those that require only a “yes” or “no” response). Be an active listener without judging your child.

• Stay involved in your child’s school life and you will know what is going on, and how they are doing.

Elementary and middle-school children will need to adjust to new beginnings.• Expect that your child may want trendy

or “cool” school supplies.

• Take a quick trip to school before classes start to help find classrooms, lockers, the cafeteria, and the bus drop-off location.

• Right from the start, help your child get and stay organized. Choose places to store their backpack and a distraction-free area to complete homework.

• Talk to your child about high-risk behaviors, such as drinking, drug use, and sexual activity. Have this talk early and often.

• Encourage your child to choose to take part in at least one school club, sport, or other activity outside of school hours.

• Don’t hesitate to make an appointment with the school counselor right away if you have concerns about how your child is adjusting to school. Keep the lines of communication open.

Preschoolers and kindergartners need to know what will happen.• Visit the school together. Let them play

on the playground, walk through the classroom, and meet new teachers.

• Go on a school shopping trip for a backpack and supplies. Assign a school prep area at home for supplies and lunchboxes.

• Tuck a small family picture in a backpack or lunch.

• Set bedtime and wake-up routines 4 weeks before school starts.

• Be positive and excited for the new school year.

Start talking about the upcoming school year. Listen closely for fears or concerns, advises Dr. Amie Duncan of Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. “It is important that parents listen to and respond to their child’s potential anxieties about the new school year, especially if they are making a big transition such as from an elementary school to a middle school. It is perfectly normal to experience first day jitters,” she said. These feelings can be relieved with some of these suggestions.

grade this school year

National Immunization

Awareness Month

It’s that time of year for your

children to get required

vaccines before starting school.

Find out which ones they need

from their doctors and at

www.vaccines.gov. At this

same website, learn what

vaccines adults need, too.

7

Family Life

When a loved one is diagnosed with a serious or life-limiting illness, the questions facing an individual or a family can be overwhelming. The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization recommends that people learn more about hospice as an important option before they are faced with a medical crisis.

Hospice is not a place but a kind of care for people who have a life-limiting illness and are making the choice to focus on quality and comfort if more conventional treatments have become burdensome.

Hospices provide high-quality care that is tailored to your loved one’s needs and that supports family caregivers.

Your doctor and other health care providers or your company’s EAP may recommend hospice providers in your area. You can also get a list of hospice providers and more information about hospice from the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization at www.nhpco.org.

How to choose a quality hospice

7

Create Family

TiesFamilies who spend time together as a cohesive unit are more likely to survive a crisis, such as an illness or job loss than those with poor coping skills.

According to the CDC, good communication between parents and children is important for developing positive relationships.

• Teach active listening skills. Pay attention to what others say. Ask questions if you don’t understand what your spouse or children are trying to tell you.

• Hold regular family meetings to present complaints and set mutual goals and plans.

• Celebrate birthdays, holidays and other special occasions together.

• Learn the value of compromise.

• Be flexible. This is especially important if one parent returns to work or if one wage earner loses his or her job.

• Allow for individual strengths and interests. Don’t compare brothers and sisters. Allow family members to have “their own space.”

Important questions in choosing a quality hospice include:

• Is the hospice Medicare certified?

• What services should I expect from the hospice?

• How are services provided after hours?

• How and where does hospice provide short-term inpatient care?

• What services do volunteers offer?

• How long does it typically take the hospice to enroll someone once the request for services is made?

When should hospice care begin? Every patient and family must decide that based upon their unique needs. Professionals encourage people to learn about care options long before they think they may need them.

8Copyright 2015, American Institute for Preventive Medicine. All rights reserved.

30445 Northwestern Hwy., Ste . 350 Farmington Hills, MI 48334248.539.1800 • aipm@healthylife.com • www.HealthyLife.com

In 2011, congestion caused people in US urban areas to travel an extra 5.5 billion hours and purchase an extra 2.9 billion gallons of fuel costing $121 billion. But despite the tangle of vehicles at busy intersections and interstate ramps, most of the country’s highways are open road with vehicles occupying only about 5% of road surface, according to the Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

What do you do 100 times a day?You check your smartphone 100 times a day, or spend 2 or more hours every day on a digital device, says The Vision Council. The result: digital eye strain.

Digital eye strain—experienced by a majority of American adults—is characterized as temporary physical discomfort such as redness, irritation or dry eyes, blurred vision, eye fatigue, back and neck pain, and headaches.

Several environmental factors can contribute to the condition, including the size of the text on screens, time spent at devices, posture, computer setup, existing vision issues, and the blue light emitted from digital screens and lighting.

The average amount of time that office workers spend on any single activity such as a phone call, typing a document, reading email, or interacting with a coworker before being interrupted or before switching tasks was about 3 minutes and 5 seconds, according to Dr. Gloria Mark, associate professor of information and computer sciences at the University of California, Irvine. She concluded: We don’t have work days—we have work minutes that last all day.

EXCUSE ME

ROADBLOCK

RELIEVE DIGITAL EYE STRAIN THIS WAY:

• Remember the 20/20/20 rule: every 20 minutes, take a 20-second break and look at something 20 feet away.

• Build an optimal workspace to lessen stressors—this includes adjusting lighting, computer screen height, and your posture.

• Increase the text size on your devices to better define the content on your screen.

• Visit an eye care provider to learn more about computer eyewear and lens options that can help reduce symptoms of digital eye strain and improve vision.