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Essential amino acids are the body’s building blocks for healthy muscles, skin, nails and other body tissue.  Whey protein is a great protein source for people of all ages that are looking for a healthy diet to maintain and improve their health.  It has the ideal combination of amino acids to help improve a person’s body composition and enhance athletic performance.

Physical Performance

Whey protein has been considered the best of the best for athletes who work hard to maintain a lean, strong and well-defined physique.  Branched amino acids found in whey protein are metabolized directly into muscle tissues and are the first ones used during periods of exercise and resistance training. 

Leucine, also an amino acid found in whey protein, plays a key role in promoting muscle protein synthesis and muscle growth.  It is quickly digested because of it’s liquid form, so the body is able to easily absorb it.  Often whey protein is labeled as a “fast” protein because of it’s ability to quickly provide nourishment to muscles.

Following exercise there is a one-hour period known as the “muscle recovery window”.  Muscle recovery moves at a much faster rate when nutrition is consumed within one hour of exercise rather than if it was consumed later.  After a workout water is important for re-hydration, carbohydrates are important to replenish muscle fuel stores, but protein is the most important post-workout nutrient.  Consuming protein during the muscle recovery window after each workout will help build muscle and gain muscle strength faster.   

Weight Management

Diet plays the main role in any weight loss/weight management program.  Adding whey protein to a diet often helps make a positive difference.  After eating a meal high in protein, your body requires more energy to digest the protein compared to other foods.  This causes a thermal effect; in result the body will burn more calories after each meal. 

Protein also helps to stabilize blood glucose levels by slowing down the absorption process of glucose into the bloodstream.  This reduces hunger by lowering insulin levels, which makes it easier for the body to burn fat.

Whey protein is an excellent source or protein for individuals of all ages.  It has a number of benefits in areas ranging from sport nutrition, weight management, immune support, bone health and general wellness. 

Source: www.wheyoflife.org

There are more than 20 million Americans with thyroid disease.  A large number of those 20 million are not even aware they have some sort of thyroid disease.

What is it?

The thyroid gland is a small, butterfly shaped gland that is found directly below the Adam’s apple.  The gland makes a thyroid hormone that affects the function of many of the body’s organs.  The thyroid plays a large part in the metabolism of essentially every organ, tissue and cell in the body, and it requires high control and constant monitoring if it is not working properly.

How does it affect the body?

If a person has a thyroid disease and it is not monitored and controlled, they could suffer from very serious health problems, such as elevated cholesterol, weight gain, heart disease, osteoporosis, infertility, and depression.

How is thyroid disease diagnosed?

The American Thyroid Association has developed guidelines for physicians to follow to help diagnose, test, and treat thyroid conditions.  If you are exhibiting symptoms such as fatigue, mood swings, forgetfulness, weight gain, depression, and dry, coarse skin and hair or if you are over the age of 35, ask your doctor to conduct a Thyroid Stimulating Hormone blood test to check thyroid function.

What is hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism, and what are differences?

Hypothyroidism affects nearly eighty percent of all thyroid patients.  Hypothyroidism, meaning underactive thyroid, can develop slowly causing patients to not realize they were ill until they started treatment and began to feel better and more energetic.

A patient suffering from hypothyroidism may experience a variety of symptoms such as, drowsiness, fatigue, forgetfulness, dry and brittle hair and nails, itchy and dry skin, puffy face, constipation, sore muscles, weight gain and fluid retention, increased frequency of miscarriages, and increased sensitivity to many medications.

Hyperthyroidism is less common affecting almost one percent of all Americans, but it affects women five to ten times more often than men.  Hyperthyroidism occurs when the body is receiving an excessive amount of the thyroid hormone.

A patient suffering from hyperthyroidism may experience a variety of symptoms such as, fast heart rate (often more than 100 beats per minute), feeling anxious, irritable, and argumentative, trembling hands, weight loss, intolerance of warm temperatures, loss of scalp hair, tendency of fingernails to separate from the nail bed, muscle weakness, loss and frequent bowl movements, increased likelihood of miscarriages, protrusion of the eyes, irregular heart rhythm, and accelerated loss of calcium from bones.

How is a thyroid disease treated?

Most thyroid patients can be treated with a single dose of levothyroxine, which is a thyroid hormone replacement.  However, once diagnosed with a thyroid disease, a Thyroid Stimulating Hormone test should be administered regularly for observation of treatment and medication dosage.

Promoting awareness of thyroid health is important to thyroid specialists everyday, but especially in January.  If you think you may be affect by a thyroid disease, make sure to consult your doctor at your next routine check-up!

Source: http://www.thyroid.org

Before starting an exercise program make sure to consult a physician.  Your physician will help you find a well suited program to meet your needs and physical condition. Once your physician has given you the okay to be active, use these helpful tips to get yourself back on track toward your personal goals. 

1. Problem: Not in the habit of being physically Active.

    Solution: Keep your workout clothes in your car or at your desk where you can see them to help remind you to workout.

2. Problem: Lack of time.

   Solution: Break up the workout into three different shorter workouts instead of one long session.

3. Problem: Not feeling well.

   Solution: As soon as you are feeling better, make a plan for the week.  Start with a lighter activity so you do not get too tired.

4. Problem: Bored with exercise.

    Solution: Break up the workout into different modes of exercise, such as 15 minutes on the treadmill and 15 minutes on the elliptical.

5. Problem: Pain or injury.

   Solution: Switch to a different type of activity that does not affect or bother the injured area

6. Problem: On the road again….

   Solution: Bring your workout clothes and shoes when you travel.  Many times the hotel will have a health club inside.

Source: http://www.americanheart.org

Eat better and exercise more, it’s what we hear everyday.  There are always new diets, new fads, new exercises to try.  You’ve made some new lifestyles changes but are still feeling burnt out, not seeing the extra pounds drop off, and have run out of energy to start each day with enthusiasm.  What is missing?  It may be sleep!

Diet and exercise are necessary to maintain a healthy way of life but sleep is just as important.  Adequate sleep is essential for healthy functioning.  Research shows that all mammals need sleep.  It regulates our mood and is related to learning and memory functions.  Sleep will not only help you ace that test or complete a deadline on time, but it may be contributed toward a critical factor in your health, weight and energy level.

Exercise and Sleep

Exercise is definitely good for one’s body and health.  Exercise can relieve stress, improve your mood, manage weight, fight chronic diseases, boost energy levels, etc.; however, properly timing exercise is important to achieve your highest beneficial effects.  Exercise promotes better sleep, but exercising right before bedtime is the worst time for the body because it can lead to a poor night’s sleep.  Exercising at least three hours before bedtime is sufficient, and the best time is usually late afternoon.  Exercising at this time can be very beneficial because body temperature is related to sleep.  It can take up to six hours for a person’s body temperature to begin to drop and since cooler body temperatures are associated with sleep onset, it is important to allow the body time to cool.

Diet and Sleep

Food is related to sleep by appetite and metabolism.  Studies have shown that people that do not get enough sleep at night are more likely to have larger appetites.  The reasoning behind this is because leptin levels, which is an appetite regulating hormone, fail, promoting appetite increase.  This leads to the fact that lack of sleep and obesity are often linked.  To make things worse, the psychological manifestation of fatigue, sleep and hunger are similar.  This means that when you are feeling sleepy you might have the urge to head for the refrigerator instead of bed.

Are you someone that needs that cup of joe right out of bed, or are you finding yourself constantly making a run to the vending machine mid-afternoon for a can of pop?  Caffeine through food and drink also affect sleep.  When a person experiences lack of sleep, it becomes a vicious cycle.  The more tired you are, the more caffeine you are likely to consume to stay awake, the harder it is going to be to fall asleep at night.  Food and drinks high in caffeine are likely to keep you up at night and are usually loaded with unwanted calories and artificial sweeteners.

How much sleep do we really need?

There is no magic number for how much sleep we need.  A person’s sleep needs depend on different age groups and it also depends on an individuals needs.  Like the different characteristics each person is born with, the amount of sleep each person needs to function at their best may be different for you than for someone who is of the same age and gender.

Sleep needs vary across ages and vary especially due to lifestyle and health.  It is important to realize where you fall on the “sleep needs spectrum”, but it is also important to realize what lifestyle factors may be affecting your quality and quantity of sleep.

source: www.sleepfoundation.org

Damage to Your Eyes        

Acute eye damage may be caused from single outings on very bright days. Excessive exposure to ultraviolet light reflected off sand, snow, water or pavement can damage the eye’s surface. Similar to a sunburn, eye surface damage usually disappears within a couple of days, but may lead to further complications.

Long-term exposure to UV radiation (“sunburn rays”) may contribute to the development of various eye disorders, such as macular degeneration, the leading cause of vision loss among older Americans, and cataracts, a major cause of visual impairment and blindness around the world.

What to Look For in Sunglasses

There are thousands of sunglasses available today. Below are the important features to look for to ensure your eyes are protected.

UV Coating: Plastic and glass lenses absorb some UV light; however, the UV protection in the plastic and glass lenses can be improved by adding a special coating to the lenses. Polycarbonate lenses offer 99 percent UV protection.

Some labels read “UV protection up to 400nm” – this means 100 percent UV absorption. Be careful of purchasing sunglasses that state they “block UV” without saying how much, they need to block 99 to 100 percent of UV rays.

Mirror Coating: Mirror finishes are just thin layers of various metallic coatings on ordinary lenses. Although mirror coating reduces the amount of visible light reaching your eyes, do not assume they will protect your eyes from UV radiation. Check the label to ensure the sunglasses block 99 to 100 percent of UV rays.

Gradient Tint: Gradient lenses are permanently shaded from top to bottom or from top and bottom toward the middle. There are single gradient lenses (dark on top and lighter on the bottom) and double gradient lenses (dark on top and bottom and lighter in the middle). The single gradient lenses are useful for driving because they reduce glare while allowing you to see clearly, but are not good for sports. Double gradient lenses are the opposite – they are better for sports where light reflects up off the water or snow, but not for driving, because they make the dashboard appear dim. Tinting has little to no effect on UV protection.

Color and Darkness: The color and degree of darkness do not tell you anything about the lenses ability to block UV rays. UV coating itself is colorless. Color choice is a personal decision based on your needs and wants. Each color has different qualities to consider:

• Green: offers some color contrast with little or no color distortion (best for multi-use)
• Gray: flat color offers no contrast, along with no color distortion
• Brown: offers very high contrast and depth perception, but it distorts color - optimum for object definition
• Yellow: optimum for object definition, but creates a harsh visible light
• Vermillion: best on water to define water from other objects, but has the worst color distortion

 Your Eye M.D. can provide information on sunglasses and UV protection, as well as eye health and safety.

If you would like more information on sunglasses and UV safety, please visit the American Academy of Ophthalmology’s public information website at www.medem.com/eyemd.

Source: American Academy of Ophthalmic Executives

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Who doesn’t enjoy a good massage? Massage therapy are systems of structured palpitation or movement of soft tissue on the body. There are over 250 methods of massage using various techniques such as stroking, kneading, gliding, etc. These techniques may be applied with or without oils, salt or herbal preparations, heat or water. The purpose of massage is to enhance general health and well-being. Massage does not include diagnosis, prescribing drugs, spinal manipulation or physical therapy outside the scope of massage therapy.

An outgrowth of massage is bodywork, defined as various forms of touch therapies that may use manipulation, movement and/or repatterning to affect structural changes to the body. Somatic means of the body and is used to denote a body/mind or whole-body approach, as distinguished from a physiology-only perspective.

Benefits of massage include:

• quicker recovery of preterm babies
• quicker recovery of oncology patients
• reduced pain in muscles
• reduced pain of carpal tunnel syndrome
• reduced chronic back pain
• reduced anxiety
• reduced stress
• reduced irritability
• reduced restlessness
• reduced stiffness
• reduced post surgical pain
• less frequency of headaches
• improved immune system
• improved employee performance
• lower blood pressure

It’s important to note there are some conditions where massage is not recommended. For example, people with certain forms of cancer, some cardiac problems, skin conditions and infectious diseases. Practitioners and consumers are strongly encouraged when there is any doubt to ask about specific health conditions and seek a doctor’s consultation and permission before providing or undergoing services.

To find a practitioner to suit your needs, search ABMP (Associated Bodyworks & Massage Professionals) at http://www.massagetherapy.com/find/index.php.

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Research suggests that 90% of type 2 diabetes can be attributed to behavioral and lifestyle factors.  Making a few changes can dramatically lower your risk of diabetes, as well as your risk of developing heart disease and cancer.

-Control your weight.  Excess weight is the single most important cause of type 2 diabetes.  Being overweight increases the chances of developing type 2 diabetes seven-fold.  Being obese makes you 20 to 40 times more likely to develop diabetes.

-Get Moving.  Inactivity promotes type 2 diabetes.  Every two hours your spend watching TV instead of pursuing something more active increases the chances of developing diabetes by 14%.  Working your muscles more often improves their ability to use insulin and absorb glucose.  This puts less stress on your insulin-making cells.  Research finding suggest that walking briskly for a half hour every day reduces the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 30%.    

-Choose whole grains.  Whole grains aren’t as easily digested, and cause lower, slower increases in blood sugar and insulin levels.  As a result, they place less stress on the body’s insulin-making machinery and help prevent type 2 diabetes.  Examples include whole wheat, brown rice, nuts, legumes, and whole grain cereals.

-Go for good fats.  Polyunsaturated fats found in tuna, salmon, and many nuts, can help ward off type 2 diabetes.  Trans fats do just the opposite.  These bad fats are found in any product that lists “partially hydrogenated vegetable oil” on the label.

-If you smoke, try to quit.  Add type 2 diabetes to the long list of health problems linked with smoking.  Smokers are 50% to 90% more likely to develop diabetes.

-Moderate amounts of alcohol is key.  A drink a day for men, and a drink every other day for women increases the efficiency of insulin getting glucose inside cells.  If you drink alcohol, the key is keep your consumption in the moderate range.  If you don’t drink alcohol, there is no need to start, there are plenty of other ways to get the same benefits.

The key to preventing type 2 diabetes can be boiled down to five words: Stay lean and stay active.

MANY FACTORS AFFECT YOUR RISK FOR TYPE 2 DIABETES. 

TO FIND YOUR RISK, CHECK EACH ITEM THAT APPLIES.

◊  I have a parent, brother, or sister with diabetes.

◊  My family background is Alaska Native, American Indian, African

    American, Hispanic/Latino, Asian American, or Pacific Islander.

◊  I have had gestational diabetes, or I have given birth to at least one

    baby weighing more than 9 pounds.

◊  My blood pressure is 140/90 mm Hg or higher, or I have been told

    that I have high blood pressure.

◊  My cholesterol levels are not normal.  My HDL cholesterol - “good

    cholesterol” -  is below 35 mg/dL, and/or my triglyceride level is

    above 250 mg/dL.

◊  I am fairly inactive.  I exercise fewer than three times per week.

◊  I have polycystic ovary syndrome, also called PCOS (women only).

◊  On previous testing, I had impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) or

    impaired fasting glucose (IFG).

◊  I have other clinical conditions associated with insulin resistance,

    such asacanthosis nigricans.

◊  I have a history of cardiovascular disease.

THE MORE ITEMS YOU CHECKED, THE HIGHER YOUR RISK.

Ask your health care provider for more information on lowering your risk of type 2 diabetes.

Source: www.diabetes.niddk.nih.gov/dm/pubs/riskfortype2/

www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/diabetes.html

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Radon is a tasteless, colorless and orderless gas that is a decay product of uranium and occurs naturally in soil and rock.  Radon gas has been identified as the second leading cause of lung cancer.  It is estimated to be responsible for 21,00 deaths from lung cancer annually.  The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that radon causes between 6% and 15% of lung cancers worldwide. 

The main source of high-level radon pollution in buildings is surrounding uranium-containing soil such as granite, shale, phosphate and pitchblende.  Radon enters a home through cracks in walls, basement floors, foundations and other openings.  It may also contaminate the water supply, especially private wells.

It is possible for one home to have elevated levels of radon while neighboring homes do not.  Testing is the only way to determine levels of radon in a structure.  Testing can be done through do-it-yourself home test kits labeled “meets EPA requirements” or through a professional testing firm.

Radon levels can be lowered through a variety of repairs, from sealing cracks in floors and walls to changing the flow of air into the building.  Repairs to decrease radon levels should be made by an EPA or state-certified contractor.

Source: http://www.lungusa.org

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Heart disease is the No. 1 worldwide killer of men and women.  Heart disease is a broad term used to describe diseases that affect your heart and blood vessels.  There are a number of diseases that fall under the category of heart disease, such as coronary artery disesase, heart rhythm problems, and heart defects.

Heart disease, also known as cardiovascular disease, generally refers to a condition that involves a narrowing or blocking of blood vessels.  This prevents oxygen and nutrients to get to the heart, which leads to a heart attack, chest pain or stroke.

Some may be at higher risk of developing heart disease based on the following factors:

• High blood pressure
• High blood cholesterol
• Diabetes
• Smoking
• Being overweight
• Being physically inactive
• Having a family history or early heart disease
• Age (55 or older for women, 65 or older for men)

While certain risk factors cannot be changed, such as age and family history, it is important to recognize that many of the others can be controlled.  Lowering your risk of heart disease can be as simple as adding a brisk 15-20 minute walk into your break every day, monitoring food intake of higher fat and cholesterol during meal times and snacks, or finding a support system to help maintain a healthy weight.

Making the changes to your life style do not need to be made all at once.  Gradually adding one at a time will make the adjustment less painful and easier to follow through. 

 Source: www.nhlbi.nih.gov

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