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Another Reason to Exercise: Boost Your Immune System

FitSugar — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 04:00:00 -0700

We're nearing the end of flu season and heading into allergy season, but that doesn't mean we should get complacent about fighting off illness. Since I am always looking for new reasons to exercise and new ways to avoid getting sick, I was excited to find this research suggesting that consistent exercise can boost your immune system.

Moderate exercise temporarily increases your body's production of macrophages, the cells designed to fend off bacteria, and allows them to travel more efficiently through the body. Though these are temporary responses to working out, new research suggests that the more often you exercise, the more permanent the health benefits become. According to Dr. David Nieman of Appalachian State University, moderate exercise on a regular basis also strengthens your immune system in the long run.

But for super-serious athletes like marathoners, exercise can actually make the body more susceptible to illness, so be sure to give yourself plenty of recovery days if you're training for a big event.

Do you exercise daily? If so, do you think it helps you avoid getting sick?

Source

8 Habits of the Super Healthy

FitSugar — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 07:00:10 -0800

If you are looking to keep colds and flu bugs at arm's length, I researched habits of healthy women. Here are eight habits that will help keep you well over the following months.

First, start by upping your vitamin C intake. While the vitamin won't prevent you from catching a cold, it will boost your immune system. And if you do happen to catch a cold, vitamin C will decrease the duration of runny nose time. Try to eat foods naturally high in the vitamin, like citrus fruits and red bell peppers.

To see the other seven habits, just start the slideshow.
Source: Getty

View Slideshow ›

Gut Feeling: Probiotics For Immune Health

FitSugar — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 08:45:00 -0800

Probiotics seem to be the "functional food" darling of the moment, but it seems to me these healthful microbes might really deserve their super star status. Probiotics add good bacteria to your intestines, helping to maintain the balance between the good micro-organisms and the bad. New research shows that they might be beneficial to more than just your guts. It seems keeping your intestinal flora balanced is good for the overall health of your immune system. The tiny, yet powerful microbes bolster the immune system helping stimulate the production of more killer cells that attack viral infected cells. Sounds like there is a war being waged in our intestines.

To ensure that the good bacteria have a fighting chance, eat foods like yogurt bearing the live and active cultures label or take a probiotics supplement. Don't just go with your gut feeling (sorry about the pun) when shopping for a probiotics. Read the label and make sure the supplement contains at least one billion (yep, one billion that is not a typo) organisms.

Source

Gear Review: Clear2Go Water Bottle With Filter

FitSugar — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 11:00:56 -0800

I've been carrying a reusable water bottle with me for years now, filling up on tap water as needed. Well, portable water just got a little cleaner with the Clear2Go water bottle ($16). It's your standard water bottle with a squeeze top made for cycling, but it comes with its very own water filter. The filter adds a little weight to the bottle, but it filters out 99.9 percent of microbial cysts (cryptosporidium and giardia), reduces the chlorine taste of water, and reduces lead and mercury. Using trickle down technology developed originally by NASA, one filter lasts for 100 gallons, or 533 refills - keeping an estimated 757 plastic bottles out of landfills. Replacement filters are available in two packs and cost $13.

Lance Armstrong is a fan of these eco and health friendly reusable bottles, and if you become of fan of Clear2Go on Facebook you can enter to win a bike ride with the seven-time winner of the Tour de France. You can purchase your mobile filtration system directly from Clear2Go. They make great holiday gifts and would definitely get you well on your way to filling a loved one's stocking.

Another Plastic Health Risk - Erectile Dysfunction

FitSugar — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 18:13:34 -0800

While there have been previous studies, linking bisphenol A (BPA), found in hard plastics, to health problems, including precancerous tumors, prostate cancer, and brain damage, a new study, conducted in China, substantiates its claims with results in humans. In one of the first studies of its kind to be conducted on humans, researchers are finding that much of what they've previously seen in animal studies holds true - men exposed to significant amounts of BPA are at greater risk of sexual health problems.

The study compared the levels of sexual dysfunction in two groups of male factory workers - one group, which was exposed to high levels of BPA, while the other was not. The overall findings of the research reveal that when BPA enters the body, it may mimic estrogen, and block male sex hormones from functioning. In the males who were exposed to high levels of BPA, researchers observed that the risk of erectile dysfunction was four times that of a man not exposed to the chemicals.

According Dr. Rebecca Sokol, the director of the andrology program at the University of Southern California's Keck School of Medicine, and specialist in the effects of toxins on the reproductive system, these are some "compelling results." She notes that, "It's not cause and effect, but when you have the kind of ambient air quality assessment that they made, it comes pretty close to cause and effect."

To learn more about the study keep reading

Health Headlines: Shame, Sanitizer, and Fit Immune Systems

FitSugar — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 03:00:47 -0700

After nursing two sick children last week, these headlines caught my attention, since staying well is always on my mind.

Shame "Boosts Hand Washing Rate" - BBC
"Is the person next to you washing with soap?" This is the shaming message used to scare Brits using public restrooms into washing their hands . . . with soap. This big brother-like query was more effective than, although not as cute as, in my opinion, the phrase, "Don't be a dirty soap dodger."

Does Exercise Boost Immunity? - New York Times
According to a couple of studies, the answer is a qualified yes. It is regular, moderate exercise that helps you fight off bugs. Too much vigorous exercise seems to suppress the immune systems, leaving endurance athletes at a disadvantage as marathon season wraps up and flu season begins.

Flu Worries Pump Up Sales of Hand Sanitizer - NPR
The stock market might be making a slow turnaround, but hand sanitizer sales are bumping. In the US, we spent over $117 million on the gel-based cleaners last year. Fear of the H1N1 virus and the back-to-school season made for a 50 percent increase in hand sanitizer sales in August 2009 over the same month the previous year.

Hump Day: I Have Little Desire to Have Sex Anymore

TresSugar — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 04:00:00 -0800

Welcome to Hump Day, TrèsSugar's sex advice column. Are you confused about sex? Do you have trouble having an orgasm? Is there something you'd like to try but you're worried it's too weird? Send your questions to TrèsSugar, and our friend Dr. Charlie Glickman from Good Vibrations will offer his sound advice!

Today's Question:

“When my husband and I first got married, I was so in love with him that we had sex what (for me) seemed like a lot (a few times a week). But now, three years into it, I feel like my baseline libido, which never was much in the first place, has flatlined. I simply have no interest in sex mentally or physically. My husband keeps asking me if there’s someone else, but in reality, I don’t want sex at all - with anyone. I’m worried he’s going to leave me, this is causing so many problems between us. Any advice?”

To see the answer, read more

It’s pretty common for sexual frequency for couples to lessen after a couple of years. It’s not always just the stereotypical “things are becoming routine” situation. Shifts in hormones can occur as time goes by and those shifts can affect sexual desire. Lots of people have a low interest in sex for any of a number of reasons. It’s not necessarily a sign of any kind of problem and if that has been your pattern for a long time; that may be simply how your sexuality is.

Do you consider your lack of interest in sex a problem? If you do, you might want to see if there are any medical issues causing it. You could have low testosterone for example. While we generally only think of it as a male hormone, women also have some testosterone in their systems and it’s often related to interest in sex. Sexual desire is quite complex and sometimes, the answers aren’t as easy as that, but it could be worth exploring.

Whether you think that your low desire is a problem or not, it sounds like your concerns center on how you and your husband talk about it and what his and your expectations are. Differences in desire can be one of the more tricky relationship challenges and almost all couples face it at some point or another. When you consider how much we (as a culture) equate sexual desire with relationship health, it’s no wonder that many of us feel a lot of pressure around it.

While I would NEVER suggest to anyone that they engage in sex that they don’t want, the two of you might want to explore other ways to connect physically. After all, it doesn’t have to be sex or intercourse. For example, would it work if you gave him backrubs? What if he masturbated while you help him or ran your hands across him? And are there ways that you would like to receive physical contact? As another possibility, are there ways in which the two of you could make room for him to get his sexual needs met, such as giving him solo time at home for some self-pleasure?

Whether you find your low desire a problem or not, you could also find a sex-positive therapist. One of the most helpful things that a therapist can offer is tools for talking about tricky topics and a safe space to do it in. Plus, sometimes an outside perspective can be really helpful. There are plenty of great people who know about sexuality issues and lots of them can be found on the website for the American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors and Therapists. Anyone in their directory has passed a rigorous certification process, which gives them the foundation to be as helpful with sexuality topics as possible.

Ultimately, the best advice I can offer you is to be honest with each other about what’s going on for you and how you each feel about it. With that as the foundation, the two of you can start looking for new ways to be together that work for both of you.

Get the Most Nutrition For Your Dollar

FitSugar — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 11:15:08 -0700

It can be hard to find healthy foods that don't break the bank - as I've mentioned before, nutrition often comes with a high price tag. A new tool may be what consumers need to find the biggest health bang for their buck.

The Affordable Nutrition Index (ANI) is a rating system that evaluates food based on its health and price value, and over 300 foods were evaluated and given a nutrition-value-per-dollar score. Basically the ANI is a list that lets consumers know what items are the most nutritious while also having the smallest price tag.

The food scores were based on the levels of nine essential nutrients - protein, fiber, iron, calcium, potassium, magnesium, and vitamins A, C, and E - and what to avoid - saturated fat, added sugars, and sodium.

To see which foods ranked high on the ANI, read more.

Though the complete list has not been released, highlights of it were introduced at the American Dietetic Association's Food and Nutrition Conference and Expo:

Carrots, sweet potatoes, and broccoli are at the top of the ANI scale. Other veggies that rank high are peas, string beans, squash, and lettuce.
Oranges and bananas are the top fruits, while raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, grapes, nectarines, and apples also rank high.
Vegetable soups especially of the low-sodium variety are also seen as being good values.

Some Overweight People Are Calling For a Law to Protect Them

TresSugar — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 07:00:00 -0700

Overt racism is not tolerated in most places, but fatism is flourishing in our society. Many overweight people say that the normal rules of decency and common courtesy don't seem to apply to them, and they're trying to organize a new rights movement.

In a news article yesterday, the BBC recounted the plight of an overweight train passenger who was beaten up by another commuter for taking up two seats. The aggressor yelled "you big fat pig" before she kicked the victim in the stomach. In addition to suffering verbal and physical abuse, overweight people who are speaking out say they are victims of systemic discrimination. For example, many airline companies in the US now charge larger passengers for two seats. Such a policy is considered illegal discrimination in Canada, where there is a one-person-one-fare law. The US has no such rule, nor is there a federal law forbidding employers from firing people because of their weight. (Michigan is alone in prohibiting employers from firing people for being overweight.)

Last year, a study from Yale revealed that weight discrimination is tolerated because many believe that people have control over their size. The truth is more complicated. Economics, health issues like type 2 diabetes, and genetics can affect a person's weight.

The study also revealed that overweight women are twice as vulnerable to discrimination than overweight men. If you want to find out if you have implicit biases against overweight people take this quiz developed by Harvard researchers. You might be surprised by the results.

Would you like to see a federal anti-weight discrimination law?

FDA Rethinks "Smart Choice" Food Labels

FitSugar — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 03:00:51 -0700

When the concept behind the "Smart Choice" food labels was introduced, it sounded like a good idea. The goal was to provide easy to digest nutritional information on the front of food packages and the products bearing the label were to meet health guidelines - low calorie count, low in sugar. But when the green check mark made its debut this August, it seemed rather fishy that the cereal Fruit Loops, which lists sugar as its first ingredient, could score the "Smart Choice" badge of approval.

The FDA is cracking down on the use of the label and many large food corporations, like Pepsi-Co and Kellogg's, are suspending their use of the symbol while the FDA creates guidelines for nutritional labels used on the front of food packages. Although no time line was given, the FDA has plans to design a standardized food labeling system, to replace the many voluntary nutritional labels that have been created by the food industry, supermarkets, and nutritionists. The FDA will be working with food manufacturers as well as nutritionists to create a label that helps shoppers select healthy foods. My suggestion: don't rely on the front or the back, read the ingredients and the nutritional panel. Or shop for whole foods and forgo products with labels entirely.